Tis, Dunne and Noble

[Bittners a Legend]

Interestingly, there was a piece in yesterday's Independent on Sunday sports section which mentioned Noble at some length.

It began with a cutting from the Independent of April 15, 2003...

'Two of the most promising players educated by [Arsenal's] Liam Brady and Don Howe, Rohan Ricketts and David Noble are hoping to break through at Tottenham and West Ham.'

Essentially, the piece is about Ricketts 'must-read' blog as he plies his trade at far-flung outposts... http://www.sabotagetimes.com/author/rohan-ricketts/

However, there are a couple of references to Noble including the following one, which takes a very similar view to StroudGrecian:

Coincidentally, Ricketts happens to mention towards the end of our conversation the name of Noble, as an illustration of his belief that English football [and, it seems, ******** et al] is obsessed with the athletic and the powerful rather than the technically proficient.

'David Noble was an outstanding talent, a Spanish-style player who could have played for England.'

Ricketts also wrote...possibly about Noble...

"There was this guy I knew at Arsenal who was extremely talented but because of his style of football, because it wasn’t the English style, he was shunned. He told me had lost the love of the game and was seriously thinking about becoming a carpenter."

http://www.sabotagetimes.com/football-sport/diary-of-a-pro-footballer-what-players-really-think-about-fans/

 

[Red and White Zider]

Its funny, I distinctly remember quite clearly that Tis said just before the season started that we wouldnt see the best of Noble until after Christmas. Some people are so impatient! He is starting to show signs of what he is capable of and oh look its nearly Christmas time is it not? ^o)

 

[RaeUK]

Exactly ...

 

[arthur]

What I really like about this year compared to last year is the consistency of the team selection. It's been broadly the same team week in week out bar the occasional adjustments for injuries, None of the trying different systems and different personnel as Tisdale struggled to get a conference team to compete in League 1 last year.

A large element of this consistency has been the Harley Sercombe Dunne unit in the midfield. My problem with Noble (and it is my problem, rather than a real one) is that his presence disrupts this and threatens to take us back to the uncertainties of last year ("which is the best three from these four - let's fiddle about a bit").

And I feel uneasy with this sort of tinkering but accept that Tis can soemtimes achieve spectacular successes by doing the less than straightforward (see Edwin thread).

It'll be interesting to see how the midfield develops over the next few months - same core three with the occasional Noble cameo, Harley off and Noble in but otherwise much the same, or something a bit different with Noble/Molby at the heart of it all

 

[greenawayr]

Whether we like it or not, that midfield may well be broken up in January. Hopefully, it'll be no more than one person moving on, and if it's Harley, I expect Noble to be a like for like replacement. Slightly different style but in the same role.

Harley had the freedom of the park on Saturday, I'm sure if Noble has that sort of space that far up the park, he will be equally effective. The test will be how he performs if they put a man on him.

But if the team in second place were too stupid to leave one of the most in form players in the league unmarked and in space for 90 mins, then things look good.

As Poults earlier comments about everyone being "in bed" with the ginger one from word go, are kidding me? I still remember plenty of groans about his workrate last season and there were very few who agreed with e when I put him forward as our player to watch at the beginning of last season.

It's only because he's upped his workrate this season, that people seem more prepared to forgive him when he tries something that doesn't work.

And as for the match fitness, do we actually think that it is possible to recreate 90 minutes of competitive league or cup football on the training ground? You can't even do that in PSF's.

 

[A Slacker]

This is an excellent thread which pulls together quite a few points about Tis, Noble and Dunne.

1. Dunne ( and Sercombe) only started to look players of genuine quality when they got a consistent run in the team. Noble has not had this and is still settling in.
2. We have four quality midfielders with three slots - inevitably it will be horses for courses and Tis felt that Noble was the right horse on Saturday. I was gutted to see Dunne on the bench but acknowledge that Noble had a very influential first half while I thought Dunne was excellent in the second.
3. Tis has said before that his most important selections are the ones off the bench. Dunne and Flynny both made a real impact when they came on - would they have had the same impact if they had started (Craig McAllister syndrome for Mr Flynn?)
4. Noble will never wins the fans over like Dunne because as fans we love hardworking, committed players who give it everything. Dunne is the new Danny Bailey.

Give it time and Noble will come good - he will need to be ready in January.

 

[sirrodneymarsh]

As Poults earlier comments about everyone being "in bed" with the ginger one from word go, are kidding me? I still remember plenty of groans about his workrate last season and there were very few who agreed with me when I put him forward as our player to watch at the beginning of last season.QUOTE]

Couldn' t agree more. Frankly, I suspect there are still a few yet to be convinced about Harley.

 

[Poultice]

Coincidentally, Ricketts happens to mention towards the end of our conversation the name of Noble, as an illustration of his belief that English football [and, it seems, ******** et al] is obsessed with the athletic and the powerful rather than the technically proficient.

'David Noble was an outstanding talent, a Spanish-style player who could have played for England.'

Oh yeah, cos of course we should all listen to some guy we have never heard of who hasn't seen him play for 7 years, that would be like giving a flying what Pete had to say about Jonah.

Get your game face on Egg, I have wanted to have Harley's children since the first time I saw him kick a ball, similar but less sexual for Liam, hardly the athletic and powerful type are they ?

I am also very patient RAWZ, so patient that I should be happy to wait until he is proper fit before I see Nobby in a City shirt, that happy I would have put him out on loan to get sharpness, except of course that would leave us way short of cover in the midfield. Playing him too soon in his rehabilitation may well have cost us points and we all know what points make, don't we children ?

 

[Poultice]

As Poults earlier comments about everyone being "in bed" with the ginger one from word go, are kidding me?

I thought you would have worked out by now Greeny that I am only referring to people that have got a clue when I post comments like this, I exclude the likes of your good self and Dimmers who would stick lipstick on a pig and clap everything they did on the pitch, or the knuckle draggers who think the likes of Messi and Ronaldo are queueing up for a chance to play for us, I could do you a list of them, but I should be here all day.

I repeat, everyone with any kind of appreciation of what makes a footballer could see Harley was light years ahead of anything we have seen around these parts in years in many aspects of the game, as every season goes by he adds a little of the stuff he lacked, if he was on a three year contract he would be our first ever million pound player.

 

[spanky]

if he was on a three year contract he would be our first ever million pound player.

Abso-feckin-lutley!