WHY LAPPIN MUST PLAY v CARDIFF

[Binky 0]

Our strike force is impotent. We need to creat

several good chances to snaffle just one of them. Grounds'' strike rate proves that. We need goals from anywhere -

Doherty''s elbow or Shackell''s backside - it doesn''t matter. And for that we need

crosses into the box and good deliveries from every set piece.

 

The statistics don''t lie - our best "assist" player

was the classy David Bell, despite playing few games for us  - a point he proved too well

on his return with Coventry. Croft is woefully inadequate in that area. Carney

has not convinced me yet. Chadwick was abandoned too soon. We have Lappin still

waiting in the wings. I''ll admit to liking his style of play (yes I can remember

that far back) and I''ll also admit he''s not the best player ever to wear yellow

and green. But the present formula is not working and I see Lappin as the only

player able to deliver a good ball on a consistant basis. Without that, we don''t stand an earthly.

What have we got to lose?

 

As Bryan Gunn said of Brett Ormerod''s opener

yesterday: “I''m sure it was a cross and I''m thinking, ''luck is not on your side

today'' ”. Ah but it was at least a cross Bryan. What Neil Adams would call

"quality into the box..."

[Matt Morriss 69]

Its possible he may play. I think weve got to stick with Hoolahan in the hole and a more solid left wing.With Grounds gone were looking at Bertrand left back and someone else left wing. We can either go with Hoola left wing and Cort and Mooney up front or bring Lappin in.

[Lennon7 0]

He deserves it and you know he''ll be hungry!

I have no doubt he has the quality.

[Paul Spector 0]

You''re not wrong...

Need to finally give him the chance he has waited so patiently for.

[National express super guard 0]

he''ll be desperate to prove himself, which I guess will count against him coz we like players who don''t give a sh*t. why not start introducing some of our excellent youth lads, or players like lapps who desperately want a game? what have we got to lose now?

[pete_norw 0]

I believe given the chance, he will shine and shine bright too he has made it very clear he wants to be here, I think he is the mssing link and provide the balls in the box we are so desperate for, and he can find the net himself, his free kick at Luton has never been bettered

[Binky 0]

Bertrand was one of our better players in the midfield role on Saturday by all accounts but clearly has to return to LB now our top striker has returned to Middlesboro. Lappin can do a turn at LB - but please no, let''s not have him there! But I can see Bertrand and him overlapping with each other. I''d also have Pattison or Carney on the bench as a sub for Lappin - Lappin has the skill but let''s face it, he could be horribly off the pace. (I also think one of Pattison''s skills is how to win a penalty convincingly...!). I''d put Hoolahan just behind Cort rather than wide left.Maybe I''m fooling myself but I genuinely believe that ,last Saturday aside, we are playing better than we did under the last days of Roeder. But we need to create lots of chances given our lack of fire power. I think that is more important than crowding the box with second rate strikers who have yet to become part of the club or team.

[gremlin griggs 0]

give him a chance has a quality left foot he could help in keeping us up as he might get the balls into the box then hopefully prove why roeder was wrong again. give him a chance gunny

[pennywise 0]

maybe starting with lappin could get the crowd onside before the game , he`s become almost a legend in his absence  and we`re desperate for anything to cheer at the moment [:D]

[lucky green trainers 0]

imo - lappin did little with his crosses - i''m struggling to remember him create a single goal...i remember him hitting home a long range shot following a mistake from the keeper - and he scored from an injury time free kick versus luton under granty that help stave off relegation...so get him in for his free kicks???

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="Binky"]

Our strike force is impotent. We need to creat several good chances to snaffle just one of them. Grounds'' strike rate proves that. We need goals from anywhere - Doherty''s elbow or Shackell''s backside - it doesn''t matter. And for that we need crosses into the box and good deliveries from every set piece.

 

The statistics don''t lie - our best "assist" player was the classy David Bell, despite playing few games for us  - a point he proved too well on his return with Coventry. Croft is woefully inadequate in that area. Carney has not convinced me yet. Chadwick was abandoned too soon. We have Lappin still waiting in the wings. I''ll admit to liking his style of play (yes I can remember that far back) and I''ll also admit he''s not the best player ever to wear yellow and green. But the present formula is not working and I see Lappin as the only player able to deliver a good ball on a consistant basis. Without that, we don''t stand an earthly. What have we got to lose?

 

As Bryan Gunn said of Brett Ormerod''s opener yesterday: “I''m sure it was a cross and I''m thinking, ''luck is not on your side today'' ”. Ah but it was at least a cross Bryan. What Neil Adams would call "quality into the box..."

[/quote]

 

cause he hasn''t because he has not played yet!

[Fish eye view 2]

Also don''t forget Roeder thought he was a good human being.  Got to be worth a punt its our left flank that has leaked goals all season - Bertrand at left back and Lappin left mid.

[ZLF 271]

He was no great shakes at left back and is lacking pace to be in midfield.   While our midfield has been non existant our problem is in the centre of the park,  where despite the criticsim of Rusty Pattison and Clingan Lappin would be the worst option.

This clamour for lappin is bizarre,  he was not great before and Hoola is playing far better than laps would.

Mind you our only goal threat does seem to be from set pieces so perhaps the only reason to play him would be for that and the hope of an assist that way.

We need to change the central midfield and full backs to win our games,  and lappin is second rate in those positions. 

 

[AJ 1,218]

[quote user="lucky green trainers"]imo - lappin did little with his crosses - i''m struggling to remember him create a single goal...i remember him hitting home a long range shot following a mistake from the keeper - and he scored from an injury time free kick versus luton under granty that help stave off relegation...so get him in for his free kicks??? [/quote]I remember him setting up a few goals. Surely someone can find the stats?

[Largey 0]

I remember him hitting a peach of a FK in desperate times at Luton...

..I jumped around my room in delight! I remember Neil Adams screaming GOAL!!! on the radio!

[Binky 0]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"]

He was no great shakes at left back and is lacking pace to be in midfield.   While our midfield has been non existant our problem is in the centre of the park,  where despite the criticsim of Rusty Pattison and Clingan Lappin would be the worst option.

This clamour for lappin is bizarre,  he was not great before and Hoola is playing far better than laps would.

Mind you our only goal threat does seem to be from set pieces so perhaps the only reason to play him would be for that and the hope of an assist that way.

We need to change the central midfield and full backs to win our games,  and lappin is second rate in those positions. 

 

[/quote]1. please read my OP - no-one is suggesting he should be brought back as LB.2. please read my OP - to have him back for set pieces was the entire point of me starting this thread. I cannot see where else the goals will come from and we are not taking full advantage of our set pieces at present.I will dig out some stats.

[Binky 0]

[quote user="AJ"][quote user="lucky green trainers"]imo - lappin did little with his crosses - i''m struggling to remember him create a single goal...[/quote]I remember him setting up a few goals. Surely someone can find the stats?[/quote]AJ - From the Pink Un:Lappin - 2006/7 - played 15 (1 goal)   2007/8 played 18 (2 goals)   2008/9  played 0.(I think Lappin was also MoM v Ipswich in the 2-2 draw when he cleared off the line near the end just before the Plymouth away game)To put those stats into some kind of perspective, this season Fotheringham 30 (1); Croft 38 (5);  Hoolahan 33 (2);  Russell 34 (4); Pattison 26 (3)And remember, Lappin was playing at LB for much of the 2007/8 season - wasn''t his choice anymore than it would have been Zippers''. Yes, Gow and Carney with Clingan and Hoolahan playing like we know they can might just produce a winning display tonight. But we didn''t play well at QPR despite the result - and we were far worse on Saturday. If Lappin doesn''t feature, I shall be watching to see how many dead ball situations we squander.

[AJ 1,218]

Cheers Binky, but I was hoping for the assists rather than actual goals scored. Lappin is never going to be a free goal scoring midfielder - but he certainly can finish. I think he deserves as much of a go as the others. Sure he ain''t crazily fast, and isn''t the strongest player we have - but he ain''t the slowest or weakest either!Quality over strength and pace imo.

[Binky 0]

[quote user="AJ"]Cheers Binky, but I was hoping for the assists rather than actual goals scored. Lappin is never going to be a free goal scoring midfielder - but he certainly can finish. I think he deserves as much of a go as the others. Sure he ain''t crazily fast, and isn''t the strongest player we have - but he ain''t the slowest or weakest either!Quality over strength and pace imo.[/quote]Difficult to find those figures. And of course there are direct assists - and balls in which finally go in the net. Consider this from the Ipswich 2-2 draw Nov 2007 (lifted from the Pink Un report):

"Even then, City should have cut the gap a minute before the break

when Lappin''s cross caused a mad scramble, in which Chadwick worked the ball to

Cureton, only for the striker to poke a second golden chance past the post when

it seemed easier to score.Half-time: Norwich City 0,

Ipswich Town 2

Hartson''s introduction for the hamstrung Dublin did not diminish City’s

threat. If anything it made them even more potent. It was Hartson’s

determination that won the corner from which City reduced the arrears after 54

minutes. Lappin’s inswinging kick was met by the head of another loan

player, debutant Martin Taylor, and his header took another deflection off

Garvan on its way past Alexander.Two minutes later, Chadwick

weaved his way through brilliantly to be denied by Alexander, but with Carrow

Road in full voice, an equaliser looked certain to come..... however, a repeat move put City level. Hartson nodded on Marshall’s long

ball and this time Cureton had just enough time to lift it right-footed over the

advancing ’keeper for a superbly-taken equaliser.But with Chadwick and

Cureton substituted, City lost a little momentum in the final 15 minutes and a

game they should have won could still have been lost. Lappin headed off

the line from Walters after 77 minutes and then Marshall denied Haynes

when he diverted his close-range effort on to the bar with his

knee."

Happy reading hey? Strange he could have put in a performance like that and yet the following Saturday, have played what could still be his last game for us. Anyway looking forward to tonight - Doherty has promised us a night to savour!