Gardner should never start for SAFC again

[sonofagun]

As a central midfielder. Coming on as a sub in the last 10 minutes when we're chasing a goal - fine. As a right back? Maybe. Hopefully Martin has seen the light. On a side note, we really need to invest in a central midfielder in the summer, a top quality one. Preferably a playmaker. Fine comb the European market for one, nowt suitable in Britain and those that are suitable, we can't realistically get.

[stered]

Originally Posted by sonofagun

As a central midfielder. Coming on as a sub in the last 10 minutes when we're chasing a goal - fine. As a right back? Maybe. Hopefully Martin has seen the light. On a side note, we really need to invest in a central midfielder in the summer, a top quality one. Preferably a playmaker. Fine comb the European market for one, nowt suitable in Britain and those that are suitable, we can't realistically get.

Right back seems to be his best position to me. Depends on how willing he is to play there full time. Very average centre midfielder.

[sonofagun]

Originally Posted by stered

Right back seems to be his best position to me. Depends on how willing he is to play there full time. Very average centre midfielder.

Agreed. He's Conference standard without his shooting man. His goals aren't even worth it, he breaks down so many attacks due to his lack of vision and passing ability.

[Mackem00]

Originally Posted by sonofagun

As a central midfielder. Coming on as a sub in the last 10 minutes when we're chasing a goal - fine. As a right back? Maybe. Hopefully Martin has seen the light. On a side note, we really need to invest in a central midfielder in the summer, a top quality one. Preferably a playmaker. Fine comb the European market for one, nowt suitable in Britain and those that are suitable, we can't realistically get.

Get a grip man.

[Kent Boy 2]

Originally Posted by sonofagun

Agreed. He's Conference standard without his shooting man. His goals aren't even worth it, he breaks down so many attacks due to his lack of vision and passing ability.

Crazy. He's a decent Premier League midfield player. Lower end perhaps, but still Premier League. He was out of his depth against Fellani, Osman & Cahill playing to the top of their ability, most lower end Premier League midfielders would be. I would rate him behind Cattermole, Colback and Vaughan, but to say that he is Conference standard is crazy.

[partridge amongst the pig]

Originally Posted by Mackem00

Get a grip man.

I think Gardner should be taken outside and shot. Why persevere with him? Cut out the middle man and just shoot him.

He was fucking, fucking, fucking shit last night - even worse than that actually - and he probably nonces dogs when no-one's looking.

Dropping's too good for him. Shooting only.

[DaveH]

Originally Posted by Kent Boy 2

but to say that he is Conference standard is crazy.

Agreed, very silly. I like his battling quality and tenacity to win the ball and drive it forward. We could have done with someone like him in the 15 point season and we would have all loved him. However once he gets in the final third, he has complete tunnel vision. Can't pass, can't turn a man, just gets his head down and shoots. Not the sort of player we need moving forward.

One of the reasons Cattermole has been so much better this season, is he used to lose his head in the final third. Sitting further back just in front of the defence, he is a revelation. Gardner needs to do similar, but then we can't afford to have both players sitting back.

Going off track a little, I thought one of our big problems last season was Henderson, Cattermole and Malbranque were all good players for us, until they hit that final third. Killer passes and goals were few and far between once they hit that magic area. A top half team can't support that long term.

[Mackem00]

Originally Posted by partridge amongst the pig

I think Gardner should be taken outside and shot. Why persevere with him? Cut out the middle man and just shoot him.

He was fucking, fucking, fucking shit last night - even worse than that actually - and he probably nonces dogs when no-one's looking.

Dropping's too good for him. Shooting only.

I stamped my feet when reading that n'arl.

[Marty Moose]

To be fair to Gardner, we weren't missold him - he is for us what he has been all his career, a distinctly average midfielder with a half decent shot on him. He was never going to be anything more than a squad player not good enough for Villa so took the dip to Brum and is about that level - very low end premier/upper end championship. Quite what Bruce thought he would bring to the party is anyone's guess, but we are stuck with him unless we cut out losses and sell him on at a fraction of the price we paid. He's a non-descript trundler in the Dean Whitehead mould, gives it his all but will never be a game changing player or good enough to go head to head with the better midfielders in the league.

[Perryqhill]

At villa he was a bit of a utility man, quite often playing fullback.

He went to brum and played a bit of both, settling down on the right side of a three man midfield, with licence to get forward and have pot shots at goal. Yes he scored 9 goals in a side that got relegated, but he was given licence to do so and I think we've all seen it'll have been at the expense of creating opportunities for strikers, because he's hardly prolific.

As a footballer he's rank average, maybe just premiership standard, my opinion of him has changed slightly whilst here, in that as a fullback hes looks decent, but as a midfielder it hasn't as he's still the exact same as I thought and that's just not good enough. For all bpeople say Bruce was good.in the transfer market, he didn't half waste a lot of money last summer.