Ryan Harley

[flackyISmydadHONEST]

I thought Ry did OK, Rochdale were a big, powerful lump it kind of team (at times - the fact they've taken McEvilly on loan from a team in a league below them surely adds a bit of weight () to that argument...) and he's never going to be a world-beater in the air, which he duly proved on a few occasions yesterday.

Nevertheless, I thoguht he was decent, he was doing a good job at D+G ... neat and tidy, typical of the player.

I do think hes being targeted a bit, getting players to close him down and hurry him is ovbiously going to lead to a few mistakes/a lowering of confidence, although he did make a few poor decisions yesterday. Oh, and bloody SHOOT!! FFS

He's had a lot going his way up to now in a City shirt, and I really don't think hes showing a lack of effort or whatever people are moaning about.

Back the lad, I think he'll be staying here for a bit longer than Jan.

Terrible, terrible footwear though.

 

[crocks]

I have to say that I didnt like what Harley did to get the penalty award. The contact was minimal and not enough really to stop the run. IMHO he should have carried on and tried to score himself.

As said above, he was looking for the penalty and therefore not concentrating on putting the chance away. I think that there would have been plenty other Refs who would have just waved play on and then Harley would have looked a right plank just standing there appealing when he should have shown a bit more strength and put the chance away himself.

 

[Jason H]

I take the opposite view, Crocks - how many times have we bemoaned over the years our "honesty" when it comes to penalties? Since Challinor left we have lacked someone with the nouse to "draw" fouls. So many times when Jamie Mackie would be fouled but his determination to keep going would culminate in a tame shot I'd just think "fall over and we'd have a penalty"! I can only think of one occasion where he was fouled but kept going and we got a goal - Kidderminster away when we won 2-0 (and Yates headbutted Elam afterwards).

By drawing the foul (and it was a foul, no matter how innocuous), we earned a penalty, a man advantage and (thanks to someone knowing how to hit a penalty!) a 2-goal advantage, which completely knocked the stuffing out of Rochdale. It's slightly unpalatable - although I would argue the pull-back clearly would have prevented him getting a decent shot off even if he kept going - but part of the game. Other teams do it to us all the time (Aldershot?), about bl**dy time we got a bit cuter in those situations.

 

[STURTZ]

Remember Devine getting pulled to the ground and the ref putting the whistle to his lips for a penalty. Devine struggled on and put in a tame shot from the floor which the goalie parried to safety. The ref took his whistle out and the game played on.

 

[Ellisthegreek]

Im a big Harley fan and thought he played one of his better games this season on Saturday.

 

[Antony Moxey]

I take the opposite view, Crocks - how many times have we bemoaned over the years our "honesty" when it comes to penalties? Other teams do it to us all the time (Aldershot?), about bl**dy time we got a bit cuter in those situations.

Agree entirely Jase. I said the same a few weeks back and got panned by virtually everyone who replied, but all the same I see nothing wrong with playing by the rules to earn a few decisions. If you're tripped then why not go to ground if it'll give an advantage to you? You've been fouled, so take the free kick/penalty/whatever. It's not our fault we've been fouled, it's the fault of the player doing the fouling and if he ends up getting sent off for it then all the more fool him for trying it in the first place.

And no, it's not cheating or diving either - a foul's a foul, regardless of how innocuous it might look or whether the ref sees it or not.

Well done Harley.

 

[ecfcandy]

i thought he had a good second half but i also agree about his defensive abilities.

 

[grecianred]

i'd like to say in reference to the clueless morons stood next to me on saturday (and in case any of them are reading this, i don't me my companions john, julie, dave, sullivan, rich, et al but rather the people stood just to our left) it may be a tad unfair to single mr harley out for abuse from the first whistle to the last. calling him a fat ginger p*ff for the whole game seems pretty uncalled for.

one thing i never understand about footy fans is the vendetta culture where for whatever reason one player is made a scapegoat or as jade goody once said an 'escape goat', its the same with paul jones and stansfield at times whilst others seem untouchable.

i'm not a huge fan of harley i think at times his workrate is rubbish and he looks disinterested but that said hes the most talented footballer we have at the moment and regardless we should get behind the team (particularly when we're winning).

ok end of rant - great result even if we rode our luck in the first 15 minutes.

 

[ECFC til i die!]

He was too slow and weak for the penalty. Any of our other front five would have either held off the defender or beaten him for pace.

Stansfield wouldn't have that is for sure, when was the last time he threatended infront of goal!

 

[dommers]

Stansfield wouldn't have that is for sure, when was the last time he threatended infront of goal!

Of course Stansfield would have got there first and got a shot off. Where the shot would have ended up is anyone's guess!