Luke Offord

[MikeSB]

No, that is not correct. The evidence is that there are so few posters here that anyone that disagrees with four or five of you are accused of what you said and when I posted a thread about the chairman appointing the new manager, over 500 fans if that is what they were, viewed that post without contributing to it. Now that is common with almost every thread and don't think that I am being rude but nobody is going to read your posts WBW as one liners don't add to any discussion such as above.

Of course some fans are hissed off with repeated posts but our clubs philosopy and policy is the academy and so every single decision of the board and the manager including signings and loans are based on that single philosophy. I will make a prediction. Our club will downgrade the academy and its just the timing that is unknown. If we stay in the bottom half of the table as don't think we will get relegated then that will be sooner rather than later. I'm not sure what world some of you live in but with so few posters on here, you should be glad I have the time to post here... It really is a dead board and would be even more so if I stopped posting.

WBW, may I ask you where you work or don't work as its well known that some discussion forums have people on them that are employed by people and their sole duty is to protect their bosses. That is fair enough if we are told but its a real pity that we don't have footballers and managers contributing to discussions and all I hear from them is they don't post on social media as its too what for them? Upsetting as lots of posts are dizzing the club and the tactics and what not? There is ONLY one duty of the manager, a single one imo is to provide tactics to the team playing on the day. They are not capable of telling players HOW to play and why few are so happy with the game today..I recall Dario shouting half the match at Kenny Lunt and Steve Jones and they took not a bit of notice!

[jimmyboldon]

Hello Mike, I regard myself as a fairly normal and well mannered person and will not respond to you with insults, but I will ask you do you get off on trying to wind the vast majority of posters on here, quite sad really? It really is getting a bit tiresome and tedious going off on the same tangent every time. As suggested why don't you start a separate thread on the virtues or otherwise of academies and take it from there.
On your comments about Luke Offord, which the thread is about, I am certain that the club have punished him for his stupidly. He certainly isn't alone in his actions and going back to the good old days I remember Ron Yeats getting sent off for his recklessness on more than one occasion when captain of Liverpool. Just one example of many and I certainly don't remember him getting dropped for his actions. Yes it certainly was happening way back then.

Good post. One of the things I would take issue with, is your use of a question mark re “quite sad really”. No question mark was needed, it is very sad.

[frogpole]

Am surprised that no one has tried to buy Luke in the January transfer window (so far).

In my opinion we look a lot safer on crosses with MacDonald and O'Riordan playing at CB.

Because his reading of the game is so good, really would like to see him play as a DM.

[frogpole]

When this thread was started, @gazan asked whether he should start against Stockport.

In his last game against Carlisle - the player that he "clashed with" was Jack Stretton.

Since that game Jack has transferred to Stockport.

With this in mind, I would be tempted to leave him out of the starting XI on Saturday.

[MeForCrewe]

Am surprised that no one has tried to buy Luke in the January transfer window (so far).

In my opinion we look a lot safer on crosses with MacDonald and O'Riordan playing at CB.

Because his reading of the game is so good, really would like to see him play as a DM.

Only just found out that we have the option of extending his contract by a year therefore he can't just leave at the end of the season if we trigger this. This I imagine would put our transfer value of him quite a lot higher and put off some potential suitors.

[frogpole]

Only just found out that we have the option of extending his contract by a year therefore he can't just leave at the end of the season if we trigger this. This I imagine would put our transfer value of him quite a lot higher and put off some potential suitors.

Thanks, I was unaware of the extension option.

[MikeSB]

Good post. One of the things I would take issue with, is your use of a question mark re “quite sad really”. No question mark was needed, it is very sad.

People that reply like that are EXTREMELY sad not to realise when the club is going down the pan while spending a million pounds on training kids that may never make the grade and most don't actually. A principle is a principle and if others cannot spot this flat earth syndrome that is their problem and not mine. I would guess that most fans never ever get to play this very easy game actually and are therefore have no real idea of football. I will keep posting even if nobody answers as when things are dead wrong as they are, then keep doubting flat earthers...

Why do you think that IF the academy Cat2 is such a great idea, then why have 99% of the clubs in the lower leagues won't have one? Cat4 is the best for us...Please advise when was the last time we sold a player for a million pounds? OK half a million then? Engineers at least recognise when things need changing then change the bloody thing! You don't stick with a failing model while starving the First team of money and then just bring in loan players. That is a dereliction of duty by the management and the Board. Bring back the old days when footballers knew how to play this game without coaches.

[MeForCrewe]

People that reply like that are EXTREMELY sad not to realise when the club is going down the pan while spending a million pounds on training kids that may never make the grade and most don't actually. A principle is a principle and if others cannot spot this flat earth syndrome that is their problem and not mine. I would guess that most fans never ever get to play this very easy game actually and are therefore have no real idea of football. I will keep posting even if nobody answers as when things are dead wrong as they are, then keep doubting flat earthers...

Why do you think that IF the academy Cat2 is such a great idea, then why have 99% of the clubs in the lower leagues won't have one? Cat4 is the best for us...Please advise when was the last time we sold a player for a million pounds? OK half a million then? Engineers at least recognise when things need changing then change the bloody thing! You don't stick with a failing model while starving the First team of money and then just bring in loan players. That is a dereliction of duty by the management and the Board. Bring back the old days when footballers knew how to play this game without coaches.

I believe that there is another live thread on here regarding your comments above, started by a certain MikeSB. It's maybe a good idea to put your comments on that one and then you won't get cross threaded.

[lukcour]

Afraid I am struggling to understand the logic of this thread. Now that Luke Offord has completed his ban he should return immediately as the author who is an expert on football matters says that he is the player of the season. I and a lot of supporters in the main stand in my area would strongly disagree with that.

Let us cover the last 3 appearances before his ban. 3 losses, 0 points and 7 goals conceded. Not impressive.

Now the 3 games during his suspension. 1 win, 2 draws, 5 points, and 1 goal conceded. Big improvement. In the first game McDonald was paired with Thomas. Thomas`s strength was not in the air but he compensated be challenging at every opportunity and putting his opponent off. He had a good game and McDonald was excellent. Plus the rest of the team were encouraged by our improved defence. Also had a positive reaction from our supporters. In the next 2 games McDonald was paired with O`Riordan and both gelled immediately. and our defensive unit was even stronger. Plus once again it encouraged the rest of the team. By far the biggest difference was McDonald as captain, He was constantly talking to and encouraging our younger players. As captain he had a far stronger personality than Offord. I believe he should remain as captain. To concede only 1 goal in 3 games is top of the league standard. Why change that defence for a CB who never ever challenges at dead ball set pieces. Makes no sense to me

Luke Offord to return to the team, yes or no. For me it is a no brainer. Certainly not

[gazan]

The problem here is that you have isolated the data to prove your point. This is not appropriate evidence. Did Offord play against Orient, Harrogate, Bradford, Crawley, Carlisle (A), Colchester or Swindon? Well yes he did and they were clean sheets. However, I wouldn't presume to believe that this is conclusive evidence that he is brilliant. Mainly because he played in other games where we conceded 2 or 3 AND he could be the best CH in the world and there will still be other players who are not as good who may have been responsible for the goals OR there were great goals or opposition strikers.
What I will concede is his height is a great disadvantage. This matters less when there are only 2 or 3 big opposition players but for large teams he cannot deal with crosses.
Nevertheless, his reading of play, interceptions and tackling are outstanding and he will leave for a higher level club, albeit they may be tempted to switch him to a holding midfielder.