Blue79 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 It is just me or was Craig's performance on Saturday a little lacking in enthusiasm? I recognise that he didn't get the best of service, but at times he didn't seem to know where to make his runs or make himself available for a pass. On form he looks like a world beater but seemed to go missing on Saturday - once Hughsie came on the forward line looked twice as dangerous. He must be a candidate for the most frustrating player at the club - so much talent but must drive Shez crazy at times. Be interesting to see whether he plays against Rochdale and what sort of performance he delivers now he's got other players wanting his place in the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beag_teeets Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 He had a couple of good touches but to be fair neither hi or O'Grady got much change out of a well organised defence, plus there was a bit of ring rust there too. Give it a couple of games for the whole squad to get back in the swing of things and we will all have a better view of the players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Davies is too good to disappear altogether. Yes he will probably always be frustrating at times, but he will also be impossible for defences to handle at times too. If he stays relatively injury free, I'd still back him to score 20 goals this season. O'Grady was one of our best players in pre-season, but Saturday showed he has a bit to learn about League One and the time (or lack of it) you get compared to League Two. But he's strong and looks like he has the right attitude - he'll adjust and will be a physical thorn in the side of many a defence when he does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue_Guru Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Davies is too good to disappear altogether. Yes he will probably always be frustrating at times, but he will also be impossible for defences to handle at times too. If he stays relatively injury free, I'd still back him to score 20 goals this season. O'Grady was one of our best players in pre-season, but Saturday showed he has a bit to learn about League One and the time (or lack of it) you get compared to League Two. But he's strong and looks like he has the right attitude - he'll adjust and will be a physical thorn in the side of many a defence when he does. If Craig had Hughe's football brain in terms of when to make runs and where to make them he wouldnt be playing at our level IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mighty_bosh Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 If Craig had Hughe's football brain in terms of when to make runs and where to make them he wouldnt be playing at our level IMO. Totally agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 If Craig had Hughe's football brain in terms of when to make runs and where to make them he wouldnt be playing at our level IMO. To be fair, if circumstances had worked out differently, neither would Lee Hughes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archiecat Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 The same things were said about Davies last year,yet he would most certainly have managed 20 goals plus had it not been for injury. Hopefully the team as a whole will improve game by game and provide the forwards with better service than was seen for the first 60 mins on saturday. I think Craig will have a good season,scoring consistently and have backed him along with Hughes at 50/1 for Lge 1 top scorer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 The same things were said about Davies last year,yet he would most certainly have managed 20 goals plus had it not been for injury. Hopefully the team as a whole will improve game by game and provide the forwards with better service than was seen for the first 60 mins on saturday. I think Craig will have a good season,scoring consistently and have backed him along with Hughes at 50/1 for Lge 1 top scorer. Im not as convinced... He did nothing on Saturday to suggest to me that any of my old complaints about him are no longer an issue.... Hopefully he has ALOT more to give.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futchers briefs Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We all know Davies' negatives, but Saturday was only the first league game and imo he was far more prepared to step away from the centre halves toes and look for the ball than O Grady was - I'm sure he'll come good this season again though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfatjoe1 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We all know Davies' negatives, but Saturday was only the first league game and imo he was far more prepared to step away from the centre halves toes and look for the ball than O Grady was - I'm sure he'll come good this season again though. It was everyones first game. He's a young man in his prime. He strolled around, hunched, barely looking interested. He was lazy and barely broke into a sweat, which is why he was taken off and why the whole game turned on it's head because Hughes and Alice got stuck in, ran around and actually showed comittment. I actually made a point of watching Davies from about 15 minutes because I thought i was doing him a dis-service. I wasn't. He has pace, strength and skill, but he needs to work a lot harder. He gives off the wrong attitude. If he gets his finger out he'll make a good championship player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Davies is too good to disappear altogether. Yes he will probably always be frustrating at times, but he will also be impossible for defences to handle at times too. If he stays relatively injury free, I'd still back him to score 20 goals this season. O'Grady was one of our best players in pre-season, but Saturday showed he has a bit to learn about League One and the time (or lack of it) you get compared to League Two. But he's strong and looks like he has the right attitude - he'll adjust and will be a physical thorn in the side of many a defence when he does. Exactly that man!!!!! well put. Davies is an enigma at times, as i don't think he know's what he doing half the time, so for a defender to try and read his game; it must be a bloody nightmare. He got 14 in an injury hit season last time - this time with a better squad inplace; i'd expect him to better that, 15-18 for me. O'Grady looked good in pre-season & i believe him to e an excellent signing - young, powerful & bags of potential to be worked on. Think he'll be the one to drop down to the bench when Hughesy can manage 90mins - but he will feature from the bench & make an impact this season; he too big/strong & different to anything else we have not to be used! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drw1909 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Having watched Davies last season and on Saturday I think the attitude he seems to give off is something that he can't help, it is just the way he is. I think it is unfair to compare him to Lee Hughes or Lewis Alessandra as they are quite comfortable receiving the ball at their feet with back to goal, sticking their backsides into the defender and protecting the ball. (A certain ex Man Utd striker, now Man City manager perfected that style) Davies on the other hand would benefit from receiving balls down the channels and using his undoubted pace to leave defenders standing. Having said all this Sheridan was quite right to substitute both strikers on Saturday as they were getting no change out of the Millwall defence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 (edited) Davies prefers the ball in behind the defense for him to run onto. When this doesn't happen enough of the time he tends to drift into wide positions to try and pick up the ball in more space - this is a big problem and you'll have noticed Shez / Tommy Wright in a couple of interviews last season talking about coaching him to stay in the centre where he's a threat on their goal. On Saturday because Davies couldn't get the positional side of his play right, he and O'Grady found themselves too far apart. O'Grady constantly picked up the ball and had no one to link up with and therefore had to play it backwards. In reply to your post - yes he's definately one of our most frustrating players as he has an lot of skill in parts of his game and is extremely naive in others. Edited August 12, 2008 by Armchair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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