I hope the crowd don't get on Helveg's back

[Worthy Nigelton<br><br><br><br><br>Evening News Sports Page Headline 8th August 2007:<br><br>Henderson joins Dereham Town. 0]

Well it looks like big Tommy H will be starting in the centre of midfield tomorrow and I for one am pleased.

I don''t think anyone can blame Worthy for not starting Helveg as his form has been dire and you can''t pick somebody on reputation. However, Helveg has undoubted class and I really hope that he takes his chance tomorrow to show us all how good he really is.

One thing that bothers me is that if he plays a couple of mis-placed passes early on the crowd will turn on him and it will be difficult for him to get the confidence he needs. So this is just to say "Get behind him and be patient - he''ll come good"

[ZLF 271]

Good call Worthy N - the tank engine, like any player needs the suppport of his fans and groaning at every misplaced pass (they will happen) only puts more pressure on him. Its no coincidence that his best performances have come away from home (Baggies & Brum) where the support is uniformily positive.I just hope motormouth isnt behind me tomorrow - Helveg will be his target if he starts.OTBC

[FilletTheFishWife . 0]

if he''s as perfect as some claim then the crowd will have no reason to get on his back.
i certainly won''t be booing him but I can''t see why he should not be subject to the same expectations and responses that GH has had to face.

p.s. away fans uniformly positive? maybe at man u (first game), spurs (good game) but certainly from personal experience not at Liverpool or Charlton.

[GenerationA47 746]

Even if he isn''t ''perfect'' the crowd shouldn''t get on his back.  He''s our player, for goodness'' sake. 

Anyway can''t speak of Liverpool (wasn''t there) but I think we were pretty dam'' positive at Charlton (publicly, though not in private, that is), given that we were losing so badly!  Maybe you are thinking of the occasional chants of ''Phil Mulryne'' and the massive cheer when he came on for Holt - I like to think that was pro-Mulryne and positively for a new creative approach ,rather than being anti-Holt. 

(Though I did feel a bit sorry for Holt given the possible converse negative implication - but he must know that it''s surely only a few letter-writing fules who begrudge him his fine commitment and hyperactivity for the cause, and look only at the negatives.)

[bananaman 0]

No, the away fans can sometimes be worse than the home lot.

High expectations, and for why? I don''t know.

A very good post WN, the exact same thing happened to Clint, and Mark Rivers too (although their pedigree isn''t quite up to Helveg''s standard!). Their form dropped, the crowd got on their back and waited for them to make mistakes and it just compounded itself from there. Llewellyn was another who couldn''t recover from his initial bout of low confidence.

I hope Thomas gets a couple of games - I would like to see Safri in their too, to really stiffen things up, and play with Leon and Hucks running from the wings.

[Pete Raven 276]

If the crowd do get on his back look out for one lone loon in the Lower Barclay standing up and supporting him. I don''t care, I KNOW he''s quality.

[ca 1]

[quote]If the crowd do get on his back look out for one lone loon in the Lower Barclay standing up and supporting him. I don''t care, I KNOW he''s quality.[/quote]

Good for you Pete and I''ll be surprised and dissapointed if the crowd dont get behind him.After all he hasnt had much of a chance so far has he?

[Pyro Pete 1,886]

Worthy Nigelton - I agree with much of what you say as well. Helveg''s form when he has played this season has ranged from ordinary to awful. But our injury crisis gives him a chance to have a run of games and show us that his poor form was simply a false start.I hope Helveg grabs this chance with both hands and really works his arse off in tomorrow''s game. I don''t see the point in ever giving the players grief during a match. But afterwards I certainly have aired my frustration at Helveg''s laziness and lack of concentration when he has played. A player of his experience should be able to retain possession, be able to win the ball both in the air and on the deck, and certainly should not be the one to stand out in a team like ours as a player out of his depth.It''s time for Helveg to put all that right. Would the real Thomas Helveg please stand up.