Great attitude Doc!

[taipei_canary 12]

I finally got to watch a game via espn360.com on Sunday and a couple of things about Doc really stand out.The back header in the last few minutes was not too brilliant but on the other side these two really show the grit of the man.i) Ips player goes for one-on-one with Marshy, in the replay you can see that Ozzie just stands there and watches the Ippy dude run, Doc on the other hand seeing it and starts running as well, in fact by the time the shot is taken Doc is only a yard behind whereas Ozzie is only just starting to realise he should be running too.ii) Doc makes a fantastic block in the last 8 mins, but the ball is then played to a ippy chap on the edge of the box, two of our players are in front of him between the ball and the hoal but both stand there and make no effort to close him down, Doc gets up from the block and immedietly charges at the ippy chap so much that the chap in order to miss Doc has to put it over the bar and you can even see Doc jumping to head it over if he could reach it. By this point Doc is now in front of the our two players, neither of whome have made any effort to close the ippy player down.He may not be a class player but he gets the job done and is as determined as they come, honestly I think that Doc is the type of player we need at this point.Taipei Canary.

[SwindonCanary 455]

He did have a good game but I''m always fearful when he is isolated and ends up one on one

[Gingerpele 0]

One thing that suprised me was, that he outpaced Kennady (i spose its his dodgey knee) that was really worrying :P

[dhickl 0]

I wasn''t impressed with his action when Ips had a one on one.  He was playing the player onside, and instead of tracking back he was stood still with his hand up looking at the linesman.  Once he realised that he wasn''t offside he started running.  By then it was too late, but fortunate that Marsh made the save.

[Marty 0]

[quote user="Ginger Pele"]One thing that suprised me was, that he outpaced Kennady (i spose its his dodgey knee) that was really worrying :P
[/quote]

 

I think it is a myth about his slow pace, he really isn''t that slow to be honest, anyway, many decent centre backs are not really blessed with pace but seem to have had long careers (Malky Mackay, Steve Bruce, etc.).

[Tipster101 0]

[quote user="dhickl"]I wasn''t impressed with his action when Ips had a one on one.  He was playing the player onside, and instead of tracking back he was stood still with his hand up looking at the linesman.  Once he realised that he wasn''t offside he started running.  By then it was too late, but fortunate that Marsh made the save.[/quote]

 

what are you talking about. When Walters went clean through, it was from his own header on. He couldn''t be offside as he was the one who headed the ball. The player who was offside stood still and the defence looked to call for offside, but it wasnt given as the other attacking player did not affect play. Walters saw this and ran through onto his own flick on. So Doc was not playing him onside at all as he couldn''t be offside anyway

[Xavi- Poor Mans Ian Crook 0]

[quote user="Tipster101"]

[quote user="dhickl"]I wasn''t impressed with his action when Ips had a one on one.  He was playing the player onside, and instead of tracking back he was stood still with his hand up looking at the linesman.  Once he realised that he wasn''t offside he started running.  By then it was too late, but fortunate that Marsh made the save.[/quote]

 

what are you talking about. When Walters went clean through, it was from his own header on. He couldn''t be offside as he was the one who headed the ball. The player who was offside stood still and the defence looked to call for offside, but it wasnt given as the other attacking player did not affect play. Walters saw this and ran through onto his own flick on. So Doc was not playing him onside at all as he couldn''t be offside anyway

[/quote]

Although you are right about the offside I did find it hard to work out how Walters won his own flick on. Both Doc and Omozusi had great games. So I can let them off the mistake.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

The Doc gets a lot of unfair stick from our fans. He is the best of the center backs we have on our books. The one thing he does need to sort out is giving away stupid free kicks through grappling with his man but other than that he is a very good championship defender. The pace thing is also an absolute myth. 2 seasons ago when they did tests up at Colney he apparently was found to be the THIRD quickest member of the squad behind Hucks and AN Other and if you actually bother to watch the games you will see that he regularly manages to outpace the opposition striker he is up against.

We have an opportunity over the next few games to kick on from Sunday''s win and try and turn our season around so can''t people just stop slagging off the players for 5 minutes and give some support (and believe me i''m as bad as anyone usually when it comes to slagging off our players).

[dhickl 0]

[quote user="Tipster101"]

[quote user="dhickl"]I wasn''t impressed with his action when Ips had a one on one.  He was playing the player onside, and instead of tracking back he was stood still with his hand up looking at the linesman.  Once he realised that he wasn''t offside he started running.  By then it was too late, but fortunate that Marsh made the save.[/quote]

 

what are you talking about. When Walters went clean through, it was from his own header on. He couldn''t be offside as he was the one who headed the ball. The player who was offside stood still and the defence looked to call for offside, but it wasnt given as the other attacking player did not affect play. Walters saw this and ran through onto his own flick on. So Doc was not playing him onside at all as he couldn''t be offside anyway

[/quote]

My point is even more relevant then.  If he couldn''t be offside, why was the Doc standing with his hand in the air rather than playing to the whistle and running for the ball?

I don''t think Doc is a bad player, I have defended him in the past and I actually like him in the team.  I just hear people say what a great game he had and I don''t agree.  How can people say he had a great game, when he made individual errors that were only prevented from being a goal by the reactions of the ''keeper.  Some people have even said he was their MOM, where if you compare him to Marshall or Clingan, I think they had much better games.

[Nicky F 0]

Spot on fella, completely agreed !!

[GRIFFTER45 0]

First time poster here and I expect a good grilling from you

Doc lovers out there!

How on earth can you say that this man is any good, how

on earth can you say that he had good vision with a rubbish header off angle to

Marshall who was lucky to get away with a penalty. Also the one on one with marshall

was down to the Doc again as he stood there like a doofus with his hand in the

air not paying attention to the man who brushed pass him for a one on one.

If you also look at the first goal for Watford last night.ignore Marshalls kick look how

far forward the Doc is to his man who picks up the ball. Doc is the only one

not in line with the defense and the only man who gave 15 yards to a striker

stood in our half allowing him to score!

[Nicky F 0]

Fella this is spot on, this is exactly what I mentioned on the other disscussion, he was way out of position for the first goal and for alot of the night and also the second goal how can you back off someone in your own box let them take there time have space and shoot , a complete joke. While he plays in the team we will not improve at the back he is the only reason why they look shaky at the back , after he got sent off against Forest they looked much more solid hence why we won the game. People need to come to terms with the fact the bloke is not good enough to play I really can''t see how people can not see this it amazes me!!

[Chunky Norwich 0]

The offside appeal was not for Walters who won his own flick-on but for Counago (I think) who was standing ten yards further up the pitch and trotting back to the cetnre circle. In the days before the whole active/inactive thing, that move would indeed have been offside

[|BA 0]

He''s as slow of mind as he is slow of body. Shack made him appear far worse than he actually is, but he''s still a liability

[Fuglestad 0]

So many idiotic posts here because the Doc aint pretty. I''m pretty sure that in the speed tests previously mentioned he''s very quick over thirty yards but much slower over ten. He''s quick but his acceleration is poor.

He''s consistent, wins almost everything in the air, and to paraphrase Worthington "will put his face where others won''t put their feet". Yes, he gives away too many free kicks, but if he had a Fleming to play alongside week in week out he''d be almost as good as Malky (and the word almost was only inserted through sentiment).

Best centre back at the club, just needs to form a partnership.

[Nicky F 0]

Sorry mate but can''t agree , several people I know have watched Norwich with me over last few years who aren''t Norwich fans and have all said the same thing he is not good enough they can''t all be wrong!! Do you think he played well on Wednesday ? the second goal the way he backed off and let Tommy Smith and let him ring his mum first before putting the ball in the bottom corner and the five free kicks he gave away 30 yards from goal. He is no way the best center back at the club and is definately the root of all problems at the back

Sorry but it''s true, I bet if a new manager came in he would be the first player dropped !!

[GRIFFTER45 0]

Also half of these amazing last minute tackles/blocks that people have mentioned in the past stem from bad play caused seconds from the man himself. He''s a man hugging head hoofing league one lumper liability!

[one 4 the future 0]

The doc is old skool hoof it away ask questions later, no problem with that need it right now.Second goal against Watford wouldn''t have happened tho if he would have stuck a foot in,but in the back of his head  he new he was on a yella,miss time the challange he''s off and gives away a pen.would have been looking for the most red cards received by one player in a season.

[Temp the Revelator 0]

Sorry but it''s true, I bet if a new manager came in he would be the first player dropped !!

And what do you base this on exactly?  He has now been first choice centre back for 3 consecutive managers (and a caretaker manager).  Can they all be wrong and you right?

[|BA 0]

He''s certainly not first choice now. And remember he was signed as panic buy when the Primus transfer fell through at the last minute and West Ham / Charlton shafted us at 23:50 on deadline day

[peartreeproductions 0]

[quote user="Fuglestad"]So many idiotic posts here because the Doc aint pretty. I''m pretty sure that in the speed tests previously mentioned he''s very quick over thirty yards but much slower over ten. He''s quick but his acceleration is poor. He''s consistent, wins almost everything in the air, and to paraphrase Worthington "will put his face where others won''t put their feet". Yes, he gives away too many free kicks, but if he had a Fleming to play alongside week in week out he''d be almost as good as Malky (and the word almost was only inserted through sentiment). Best centre back at the club, just needs to form a partnership.[/quote]

Totally agree.  Doc does the dirty stiff.  You will not get a cultured footballer at centre back at this level.

Although he frustrates me with his tugboat turning, grappling and allergy to playing the ball he is the most consistent we have.  Glad we kept him and got rid of Shackell who was the most inept footballer this side of Robert Eagles.

[lucky green trainers 0]

[quote user="Nicky F"]

Sorry mate but can''t agree , several people I know have watched Norwich with me over last few years who aren''t Norwich fans and have all said the same thing he is not good enough they can''t all be wrong!! Do you think he played well on Wednesday ? the second goal the way he backed off and let Tommy Smith and let him ring his mum first before putting the ball in the bottom corner and the five free kicks he gave away 30 yards from goal. He is no way the best center back at the club and is definately the root of all problems at the back

Sorry but it''s true, I bet if a new manager came in he would be the first player dropped !!

[/quote]yep - the doc backed off sheff wed player in the box and allowed him to get his shot away for their third and winning goal recently...

[Largey 0]

Two well made points, and two points I had picked up on myself during the Ipswich game.

I am a Doc fan, so I feel I would probably try to defend him anyway, but the first point you made I highlighted to my mate when watching the match back on TV.

By the time Walters? took his shot, Doc was within sliding distance of him, i felt Walters shot because he knew Doc would get the ball in the next second. The Doc, ran the fastest Ive seen the ginger Irishman run, to track back for that. To be fair, thats what he should do, but it does show the correct attitude. Omo was nowhere to be seen....(I like the lad too though).

And the second instance, Doc not only blocked the shot, but nearly stuck his face into an almighty powerdrive of a shot, which inevitably sailed over. Commitment to the cause.