By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Totally. I remember Furlong in a number of his early games some fans chanting 'you're not fit to wear the shirt'. It went on for some time but he soldiered on through it and then there was Oldham and then he was a football God. He still is.
It is a poison challis that job. I heard that fans held up the team bus and Martin had to make an exit another way. He found it difficult to leave the stadium and ended up having to go sideways, backwards, sideways, sideways, backwards, backwards and sideways in an effort to get out.
124 appearances 11 goals. He's only recently turned 22 but you do wonder if he can really make it at Championship level. He would have done better dropping down to League One and establishing himself. Or realising that he isn't a natural finisher or hold up player. BOS went abroad and became a wingback. You kind of feel that for Armstrong it could give him more discipline to read and learn the game in a defensive role and have the speed to play out as a wingback... And not be caught offside all the time!
After the Watford and Coventry defeats we were all wondering whether he was already out of his depth?
Six matches further along he's unbeaten, almost nullified the goal difference, got us in the top six and 'generally' making very good in match decisions and proving himself to be a speed learner in this division. Of course we are going to lose matches, possibly a few or so in a row but I actually believe that this guy will work out how to deal with defeats again very quickly. Quicker than his predecessors.
I really liked his pre-season talk where he was hugely self critical of himself and said that he wanted to show what he could do. I like that determination and humbleness. We are now starting to see the player that the scouts saw and thought he could be. He's 25 and improving rapidly. He's got up to speed and everything that seemed to be holding him back is now clicking.
I feel like he plays within himself. Perhaps that is to do with mentality aster such a long injury or a lack of confidence/belief. He seems to be a very quiet person and he probably needs an arm around him and a bit of a boot up the arse too sometimes. It will be interesting to see if Stephan sits him down or works closely with him over the break. If we can get him firing, he has got the lot in terms of ability.
I do think Stephan and team will be watching this and working on how to get it into his game. I remember BOS in his earlier days losing the ball, sitting down and having a picnic on his own. After a while he was tearing back and putting in tackles. Now he's a wingback. I'm not saying Dembele will be a wingback but I am sure this coaching team will show him what he's not doing so well and get more out of him off the ball.
He did book his traditional 4 players a game plus their gaffer so I suppose he needed to keep his averages up. He is a bit of a virgin ref in terms of his starts and having seen him on various football shows, he does seem to be from the school of jobs worths and those are the rules despite the circumstances.
As you say, that said, didn't really affect the result tonight.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
