Tomlin

[thehumblegringo]

Warnock plays with one up top on his own and smashes the ball to him from 50 yards. Bothroyd all day long under Warnock. Earnie world get murdered playing in a Warnock team.

Earnie needs to play off a target man, would have been an ideal partnership playing with Bothroyd at this level.

The way the game is evolving now how many teams play with strikers who "hold the ball up" or "fetch other players in to the game"?

Man United have just got rid of their target man in Lukaku, Manchester City play with Aguero or Jesus, Liverpool have Firmino and though he's brilliant in involving himself in the build up he certainly isn't a target man as he's so interchangeable.
Arsenal don't play with target men and I'd even say it was a stretch to say Harry Kane is.
The closest to a target man is Giroud at Chelsea.

Most of the Spanish teams don't play with target men and there is even a marked difference at Athletico this season.

Ajax football was so successful last season because all their forwards looked to play in between the lines.

[William Treseder]

I agree 100% that Bothroyd was the best striker I've seen af this club.

On his day he could have been a top top striker. The problem with him was you'd know after 5 minutes which Bothroyd was on the pitch and if it was "can't be arsed Bothroyd" you may as well take him off now.

If Bothroyd was on his game we were pretty much guaranteed to win!

Where as with the likes of Earnie, Dale etc you knew what you were getting every game.
A strikers main job is to put the ball in the net.
If a poll was done know asking all city fans who was the best striker we’ve had, I’d wager Bothroyd would be nowhere near the top.
As I’ve said though, it’s all about opinions.

[lardy]

Where as with the likes of Earnie, Dale etc you knew what you were getting every game.
A strikers main job is to put the ball in the net.
If a poll was done know asking all city fans who was the best striker we’ve had, I’d wager Bothroyd would be nowhere near the top.
As I’ve said though, it’s all about opinions.

I'm not trying to be unnecessarily pedantic, but Hartley did say all round striker. He's obviously not the best goal scorer we've ever had, but that's not the strikers main job any more. It hasn't been since Henry was in his pomp, so about 15 years. I'd say chicarito is the last goal machine striker we've seen at top level, an earnie type who can score but not much else.

At the top level, you'll see Salah and Sterling as much as Aguero and Aubameyang. It's not so much the case lower down the leagues, but that's what we aspire to. Bothroyd is the best modern striker we've had.

[thehumblegringo]

A strikers main job is to put the ball in the net.

That's not necessarily true though. Firmino is not an out an out goalscorer and he is striker for probably the 2nd best team around.

When we played with Bothroyd we had goals all over the pitch but he was the focal point of our team, to the point that if he wasn't playing or couldn't be arsed we didn't know how to adapt. (See Blackpool play off final)

[William Treseder]

I think it was Bryan Robson wouldn't play Earnie because he wouldn't put the hard miles in.
Warnock would have exiled him to obscurity.

Yet under Dave Jones, we played some of the classiest football I’ve ever seen down the City, but he got it tight on here for being a nearly man and the team bottling it.
Warnocks now being described as a dinosaur after getting us promoted in his 1st season.
You can’t win on here 😂

[Jimmy the Jock]

Yet under Dave Jones, we played some of the classiest football I’ve ever seen down the City, but he got it tight on here for being a nearly man and the team bottling it.
Warnocks now being described as a dinosaur after getting us promoted in his 1st season.
You can’t win on here ��

I never understood the abuse Dave Jones got , it was personal rather than his ability to put a side together.
I loved watching his side on their day , it was a little frustrating when it didn't quite happen but he was orchestral
in changing the mind set from championship wannabes to premier league wannabes.

[William Treseder]

That's not necessarily true though. Firmino is not an out an out goalscorer and he is striker for probably the 2nd best team around.

When we played with Bothroyd we had goals all over the pitch but he was the focal point of our team, to the point that if he wasn't playing or couldn't be arsed we didn't know how to adapt. (See Blackpool play off final)

Bothroyd was surrounded by better players than we have now.

[thehumblegringo]

I never understood the abuse Dave Jones got , it was personal rather than his ability to put a side together.
I loved watching his side on their day , it was a little frustrating when it didn't quite happen but he was orchestral
in changing the mind set from championship wannabes to premier league wannabes.

He didn't fist pump

[Jimmy the Jock]

He didn't fist pump

that would be funny if it wasn't true.

We had just got a 0-0 against Reading away in the play offs, and the supporters around me were apoplectic because DJ hadn't come out and waved ....... I just shook my head in disbelief.
(Dont mention the second leg though)

[William Treseder]

He didn't fist pump

Gringo. That Blackpool play off defeat was so cruel. It was the culmination of all Jones efforts.
Victory that day would have seen us go up in blue and we’d probably never have gone through the dreaded rebrand.
The most disappointing defeat in all my yrs supporting them, including both cup final defeats.

[William Treseder]

that would be funny if it wasn't true.

We had just got a 0-0 against Reading away in the play offs, and the supporters around me were apoplectic because DJ hadn't come out and waved ....... I just shook my head in disbelief.
(Dont mention the second leg though)

I remember quite a few on here belittling his achievements in getting to the FA cup final, pointing out we had the easiest route ever. 🤪

[Hilts]

Gringo. That Blackpool play off defeat was so cruel. It was the culmination of all Jones efforts.
Victory that day would have seen us go up in blue and we’d probably never have gone through the dreaded rebrand.
The most disappointing defeat in all my yrs supporting them, including both cup final defeats.

Outdone tactically by Ian Holloway.

[thehumblegringo]

that would be funny if it wasn't true.

We had just got a 0-0 against Reading away in the play offs, and the supporters around me were apoplectic because DJ hadn't come out and waved ....... I just shook my head in disbelief.
(Dont mention the second leg though)

I know it was constant. Remember he said the Merseyside derby was bigger than the South Wales derby!

I'm a firm believer Mike Bassett would be loved by our fans if he just said "this club is a sleeping giant" "these supporters are the best and most passionate in the world" etc and had the occasional argument with opposition managers in the dug out.

I even remember Slade cottoned on to how if showed a bit of faux passion in the dug out it would buy him some time and we lapped it up!

[thehumblegringo]

Outdone tactically by Ian Holloway.

He certainly was that day but wasn't helped by the Bothroyd injury and the mysterious choice of bringing on Etuhu instead of McCormack

[Hilts]

He certainly was that day but wasn't helped by the Bothroyd injury and the mysterious choice of bringing on Etuhu instead of McCormack

It wasnt a mystery. It was typical and so predictable of Jones. It was because he was bigger than McCormack.

Suited Jones old style 442.

Jones is the one comparable to Mike Bassett

Was at the club far too long.

Left us in a right mess. The job Malky did was incredible.

[William Treseder]

He was a winger

Imo, the most ‘skilful’ Player I’ve seen in a city shirt.

[dembethewarrior]

I only went for Earnie as he was better at scoring goals from nothing or tiny pockets of space and he was a better finisher. Bothroyd is the better footballer by a mile and would cope much better with Warnocks long ball shit although i'm not sure even he would have coped in this team. You don't think Warnock would've gone route 1 with Earnie up top? please god no....

He did with little bobby Reid

[dembethewarrior]

I'm not trying to be unnecessarily pedantic, but Hartley did say all round striker. He's obviously not the best goal scorer we've ever had, but that's not the strikers main job any more. It hasn't been since Henry was in his pomp, so about 15 years. I'd say chicarito is the last goal machine striker we've seen at top level, an earnie type who can score but not much else.

At the top level, you'll see Salah and Sterling as much as Aguero and Aubameyang. It's not so much the case lower down the leagues, but that's what we aspire to. Bothroyd is the best modern striker we've had.

Give me a player in the mould of firminho over an earnie type any day.

Don’t get me wrong I loved Earnie and he was fantastic for us, but I’d rather someone who when isn’t scoring can still assist others to do so..

[lardy]

Give me a player in the mould of firminho over an earnie type any day.

Don’t get me wrong I loved Earnie and he was fantastic for us, but I’d rather someone who when isn’t scoring can still assist others to do so..

Earnie is arguably our most popular ever player but the average premier league fan sees him as a joke. It's a shame, but that is the problem. If he didn't score then it was hard to see what other contribution he made.

Thankfully he often scored in a city shirt.

[William Treseder]

I'm not trying to be unnecessarily pedantic, but Hartley did say all round striker. He's obviously not the best goal scorer we've ever had, but that's not the strikers main job any more. It hasn't been since Henry was in his pomp, so about 15 years. I'd say chicarito is the last goal machine striker we've seen at top level, an earnie type who can score but not much else.

At the top level, you'll see Salah and Sterling as much as Aguero and Aubameyang. It's not so much the case lower down the leagues, but that's what we aspire to. Bothroyd is the best modern striker we've had.

That’s a fair point. I did like Bothroyd and as has been said, on his day he was very good.
If my memory serves me well he scored on his debut against Southampton in absolutely torrential rain.
A frustrating player, but as Hartley has said, if he turned it on week after week, he wouldn’t have been in the championship.

[William Treseder]

Are you trying to say players in the 80s were as fit as players today? Before conditioning had been introduced to the game?

No. I’m not saying that at all. I’m merely pointing out that before squad rotation became the in thing, teams would put out the same 11 for weeks and months on end, barring injuries and suspensions, and I must add all this modern day ‘conditioning’ does seem to lead to more niggling injuries.
That said, players back then would have a cortisone injection and get on with it, not realising the damage being done would haunt a lot of them in yrs to come.
When I first started going the City in the 70’s you could more or less predict the starting 11 every week.

[NYCBlue]

No. I’m not saying that at all. I’m merely pointing out that before squad rotation became the in thing, teams would put out the same 11 for weeks and months on end, barring injuries and suspensions, and I must add all this modern day ‘conditioning’ does seem to lead to more niggling injuries.
That said, players back then would have a cortisone injection and get on with it, not realising the damage being done would haunt a lot of them in yrs to come.
When I first started going the City in the 70’s you could more or less predict the starting 11 every week.

So it's the conditioning that causes injuries? I thought it would have more to do with the level that the game is played at these days.

[William Treseder]

Give me a player in the mould of firminho over an earnie type any day.

Don’t get me wrong I loved Earnie and he was fantastic for us, but I’d rather someone who when isn’t scoring can still assist others to do so..

That all sounds very romantic, but at the moment I’d just like any player that could stick the ball in the fu*king net !!!

[dembethewarrior]

That all sounds very romantic, but at the moment I’d just like any player that could stick the ball in the fu*king net !!!

That’ll be down to the manager and his tactics

[William Treseder]

Earnie is arguably our most popular ever player but the average premier league fan sees him as a joke. It's a shame, but that is the problem. If he didn't score then it was hard to see what other contribution he made.

Thankfully he often scored in a city shirt.

Don’t think their are many premiership fans who could boast a striker who scored a hat trick in all 4 English top flight divisions, as well as in the league cup, Fa cup and an international.. so fu*k em 😁