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ViewfromtheJarrold

Russell Martin - MOM - What a joke!

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Yorkshire doesn''t understand why so many supporters are unimpressed by what RM has to offer. Obviously, I can only speak for myself but I''ll try to help.

My issues with playing him stem from the time he was switched from RB to CB. Prior to that, I had been a relative admirer of his and argued his case with friends who, even then appeared to have some sort of agenda as far as he was concerned. Because I don''t think he will be a CB for as long as he has the proverbial, I have cringed at the way he has worked the press and a succession of managers, in proclaiming that he is a CB and that CB is his best position. Throughout all this time, with Martin demonstrating his unsuitability on a weekly basis, Ryan Bennett, an eminently more gifted individual, has had to play second fiddle to his hapless colleague. Game after game, the Archant reporters describe goals conceded, carefully omitting culpability when RM has fouled up. Yet should Bennett be responsible during one of his brief runs in the team, then a full paragraph is devoted to the detailed dissection.

Today''s restoration to the centre of defence, again at Bennett''s expense, with no justification whatsoever, is typical of past events and sums up why many people don''t rate the guy.

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Is that you Mrs. Bennett?

Perhaps Neil made a change due to our previous unexpected 3-0 defeat - or do you not see that as justification to make defensive changes?

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[quote user="Ian"]Is that you Mrs. Bennett?

Perhaps Neil made a change due to our previous unexpected 3-0 defeat - or do you not see that as justification to make defensive changes?[/quote]Thank you Ian for bringing to our attention that Bennett was solely responsible for our dismal display against Birmingham [:|]

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Nobody (except Ian) has suggested that Bennett was more at fault at Birmingham than anybody else but even if he had been, bringing Martin in would never be an improvement. Klose had a relative shocker against Ipswich (Murphy) but you wouldn''t dream of bringing in Martin and nor should he have been today.

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danielsroundabout,

There is much I don''t agree with in your post, however had you heard RM''s entertaining, frank, honest and eloquent interview in the Gunn Club after the game, you would have heard the man say, he doesn''t care where he plays, he just wants to play. Besides which, he is probably the only defender we have who can play in any position across the back 4, some better than others possibly. IMO the reason he can do this is that he has a very sound understanding of the game and what is needed from each position he plays.

Some game stats you may like, or may not;

RM = 5 tackles

The other 10 players combined = 4 (Pinto, Bennett & Klose combined = 0

Interceptions, RM & Pinto = 1 each, Bennett & Klose = 3 each

Clearances, RM = 6, Klose = 4, Bennett = 3, Pinto = 1

Passes = give or take, 40 to 50% more than any other defender, 2nd highest pass completion 80% (Klose 88%)

And before anyone says yeah all sideward, he has the highest number and percentage of long balls, approx. 20% of his passes are long balls, the other defenders range between approx 12.5 - 15%.

Aerials won, Klose = 4, Bennett = 2, RM = 1, Pinto = 0

Goals scored, RM = 1 (2 in 2 games) all other senior defenders = 0 (for the season so far).

Maybe this sums up why many people do rate the guy, including those whose job it is to select club and international teams, plus of course teams of the Championship.

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Ray,

I neither like nor dislike the stats that you present. Nor do I question RM''s commitment or his desire to play somewhere in the team. What I do dislike, as already detailed in this thread, is his earlier and repeated insistence that he is a CB and that CB is his best position. He is a walking disaster at CB, the position he was selected for today and should never be preferred there to Bennett. This inevitable destruction of Bennett''s confidence comes on the back of him having done little wrong this season.

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danielsroundabout,

Hear what you say but not sure about the words repeated insistence, certainly not what he said today. Walking disaster may be a bit OTT too, but each to their own. Has Bennett done little wrong, maybe not but I guess the manager believes RM brings something more, probably ball distribution.

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He does have better ball distribution Ray. I prefer him there because of that. But as I said earlier others prefer the Bennett style of defending. Both are effective in their own way. What I don''t understand is the insistence of many in both camps that the other POV is through some kind of ignorance. People appreciate different things in footballers. Always have and always will.

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]He does have better ball distribution Ray. I prefer him there because of that. But as I said earlier others prefer the Bennett style of defending. Both are effective in their own way. What I don''t understand is the insistence of many in both camps that the other POV is through some kind of ignorance. People appreciate different things in footballers. Always have and always will.[/quote]
Yep!
No problem with Benno but I think, particularly in the championship where we should be looking to dominate teams, having someone with better distribution at the back is a big plus.

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[quote user="hogesar"][quote user="nutty nigel"]He does have better ball distribution Ray. I prefer him there because of that. But as I said earlier others prefer the Bennett style of defending. Both are effective in their own way. What I don''t understand is the insistence of many in both camps that the other POV is through some kind of ignorance. People appreciate different things in footballers. Always have and always will.[/quote]
Yep!
No problem with Benno but I think, particularly in the championship where we should be looking to dominate teams, having someone with better distribution at the back is a big plus.
[/quote]Agree with this.  Also the partnership with Klose is an important factor - imo Martin and Klose compliment each other well and both play intelligently, so if both fit, they should be the number one pairing.  Martin is a good player anywhere on the pitch, imo people should be pleased he''s there, whichever position he is in.  

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Spot on Ray 👍

Will support any player on the pitch, and Russell Martin has been there and done it with us many a time, he knows the promotion game as well if not better than anyone around the first team squad so will be absolutely invaluable this season. I like the man and I like what he brings to our club all round so no complaints from me, very pleased for him yesterday.

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Danielsroundabout - don''t put words in my mouth please, and Jools, we are already aware you are unable to voice an opinion without it being wholly polarising.

It was suggested that Alex Neil had no grounds or justification to make defensive changes - my point is that after a 3-0 defeat he has all the justification he needs. Whether Bennett was more responsible for the goals conceded (obviously not, Whittaker/Tettey made two poor individual errors) or not, perhaps Neil felt that Martin would offer more mobility which would improve the defensive unit as a whole.

Bennett is a very consistent defender, and I know how much some people like to make it about individuals, but if Neil felt that Martin''s inclusion over Bennett would improve the overall cohesion of the back four, and/or improve the ball-playing ability of the team from the back, he was completely justified to make that change.

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I absolutely love how Martin being named man of the match, hes sent his detractors into a tailspin of confusion.[:D]

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[quote user="Dr Greenthumb"]Run our players down even in victory, no wonder players are unhappy here[/quote]It is strange. OUR player plays well, by all accounts, in his non-usual area, gets MOM, but is still treated like an Ipswich supporting Satan. He''s not our greatest player but why so much hate, for that''s what it is, for one of OUR OWN.(Sorry for the capitals[:)])

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Whilst I don''t agree with the tantrum from the OP, I have to say I was very surprised when the MOM award was given to RM - he coped at left back but looked very uncomfortable for large parts of the game -understandably so, of course, but MOM?

Presumably people here are taking into account the fact that he played out of position and got the goal (although I thought Howson got the final touch), which is understandable - but does a player doing okay out-of-position warrant MOM more than someone playing well in their natural position?

I would''ve thought that the MOM would simply go to the player who contributed the most to the cause - yesterday it was between Klose, Dorrans, Pinto and Jerome for me.

Or do people actually think he played well enough to deserve MOM purely on his contribution?

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[quote user="westcoastcanary"]Which part of his post is reasonable Morty?[/quote]The part that some people are so blinkered and set in their opinions, they can''t begrudge a player a good game.

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Some random guy (anyone know who it is?)  chooses the Anglian Home Improvements "Man Of The Match" and people get all twisted about it.From the MOTM awards I can remember I think they share it out among the players and pick different ones most weeks.

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[quote user="Molly Windley"]Some random guy (anyone know who it is?)  chooses the Anglian Home Improvements "Man Of The Match" and people get all twisted about it.From the MOTM awards I can remember I think they share it out among the players and pick different ones most weeks.

[/quote]They basically pick whatever player they fancy getting their picture taken with.

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Hank, if you properly apply the criterion of who contributed most to the match, I''d consider Russ Martin the correct choice. His stepping in at LB meant that the effect of losing Brady on the team performance was minimised, so allowing the players you pick out to get on with their jobs.

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[quote user="morty"][quote user="westcoastcanary"]Which part of his post is reasonable Morty?[/quote]The part that some people are so blinkered and set in their opinions, they can''t begrudge a player a good game.[/quote]Yeah, but that was not the point of his post. The point was to use that to add credence to what followed, the false idea that the club has a load of of dissatisfied players.

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[quote user="westcoastcanary"][quote user="morty"][quote user="westcoastcanary"]Which part of his post is reasonable Morty?[/quote]The part that some people are so blinkered and set in their opinions, they can''t begrudge a player a good game.[/quote]Yeah, but that was not the point of his post. The point was to use that to add credence to what followed, the false idea that the club has a load of of dissatisfied players.[/quote]My idiot filter must have blocked that bit out.[:)]

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[quote user="Hank shoots Skyler"]Very true Westcoast, good point. Although it would be interesting to see who got MOM if it were Whitaker putting in that performance.[/quote]You''d like to think in those circumstances Whitts would have got the vote, for the same reason. Imagine this thread in those circumstances! [:D]

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Some random guy (anyone know who it is?) chooses the Anglian Home Improvements "Man Of The Match" and people get all twisted about it.

From the MOTM awards I can remember I think they share it out among the players and pick different ones most weeks.

I can tell you the sponsors don''t get trusted with the final choice, Bill Punton and Terry Alcock make sure that its their choice, sponsors only get to to go pitch side and have a pic.

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I thought he had a decent game as a make shift left back, always does his best which is all we can ask for.

Give the guy a break, he''s one of the good guys

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