Am I the only one...

[Dean Coneys boots 1,531]

..who quite likes the Doc!

Granted he can be clumsy etc etc

But he always seems to give his all - and I think with a bit of confidence could become a great. But the fans turn on him the second he makes a mistake

Why? Just cos he isn''t good looking? Or just cos Shacks is a fave?

[Saint Canary 0]

[quote]..who quite likes the Doc! Granted he can be clumsy etc etc But he always seems to give his all - and I think with a bit of confidence could become a great. But the fans turn on him the second he m...[/quote]

No you are not the only one.  I have been advocating him being in the team for a while.  I know he looks clumsy sometimes and his passing isn''t always to David Beckham standards but he is a big strong centre back and he can be very dominant in the air. In this division we need someone like him, as I have said before a lot of the strikers we will play against this season will be thugs and we will come up against some seige warfare tactics.  The Doc is the best equipped defender we have for these tactics.

I think with a good run in the side his confidence will rise and then maybe some people might be able to put to bed the "Well my mate is Spurs fan and he said he''s rubbish", mentality. 

[blacko 0]

Have you noticed that whenever he is defendind against a player he always pushes them in the back. I''m surprised he doesn''t give away more free kicks. He''s hardy subtle. But he looked solid yesterday

[ronbol ronbol 0]

I have also said in the past that he is a quality defender, built in the malky mould. Strong, big and no-nonsense. Hope he can get a run in the team.

[westoncanary. 0]

I have always liked him, but I think he does tend to give away free-kicks in dangerous positions, last season anyway. He seems to be a good professional and now he has a chance to really stake a claim for a first team spot. Well done to Worthy for making the change yesterday.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

You''re definitely not the only one Vic.  I''ve said all along that the Doc could be a quality centre back IF he cut out the silly mistakes and needless fouls.  Possibly playing with someone whom he trained with at Spurs (I''m pretty sure Davenport was there when we signed him?) will settle him down

[BedsCanary 0]

Doc did alright yesterday but was lucky the ref didn''t spot any of the 10-15 fouls he committed...

Another referee would have given Ipswich free-kicks galore at his expense

[Dame to Blame 108]

Yes i''m a fan of the doc i think he has been ok when he''s played at the back and deserves his chance.

[Fat Barman 0]

Not a huge fan, he commits a lot of fouls (which is fine if he''s not caught!), but he did look solid towards the end of last season - that''s what having a run in the side could do for him. All in all, still undecided, after being here for 12 months now it''s time he was given a chance to shine - if he doesn''t take it that''s down to him - on yesterday''s showing he might just be what we need in the Champ.

[rieg77 0]

[quote]..who quite likes the Doc! Granted he can be clumsy etc etc But he always seems to give his all - and I think with a bit of confidence could become a great. But the fans turn on him the second he m...[/quote]

Finally, some of you guys are catching up a bit. Me Zipper and Saint have been saying Doc should be given a chance for a long time now.

He has proven that if he is given a run in the team he will come good (last season). Unfortunately, Worthy saw fit to drop him the instant the injuries slackened so we missed out on the best of him last season.

I don''t see where Davenport gets us in the long term. Shackell and Doc need to be given a chance to gel.

[Mook 0]

At last!! Glad he''s finally getting his chance, and I hope he continues to prove me right about something for once.

As for needless fouls, anyone ever watch a certain Mr Malky Mackay? He has kicked, pinched, pushed and elbowed his way through his entire career.

The Doc doesn''t go chasing after midfielders a la Fleming, wins pretty much everything in the air and will bag us the odd goal.

[Robbo007 0]

I thought he was playing ok last season, and should have counted himself unlucky to get dropped. On the other hand, he gives away an incredible amount of fouls

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

I would still prefer to see Shackell & Davenport. I wasn''t at Watford but Shackell has been our best central defender since he came into the team.

I can''t change my opinion on Doherty based on one performance. The central defence only had one striker to deal with  between them and for me it was Davenport who really made the difference. However Doherty did little wrong and deserves to keep his place.

One of the players who stood out for me was another whipping boy, Andy Hughes, who captained the team and protected the defence throughout and played no small part himself in our first away win in Doherty years.

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

I would still prefer to see Shackell & Davenport. I wasn''t at Watford but Shackell has been our best central defender since he came into the team.

I can''t change my opinion on Doherty based on one performance. The central defence only had one striker to deal with  between them and for me it was Davenport who really made the difference. However Doherty did little wrong and deserves to keep his place.

One of the players who stood out for me was another whipping boy, Andy Hughes, who captained the team and protected the defence throughout and played no small part himself in our first away win in Doherty years.