Brooks and Rothwell

[washsaint]

What were the points of signing these two in January?  Both have been very poor and don't fit into the side at all.

That miss from Brooks today was one of the worst I have ever seen.

And yet SAA has to turn out for the U18s to get a game and Dibling hasn't had any minutes since he started to look very, very good.

[S-Clarke]

Brooks is a decent little player, but a complete individual if I've ever seen one. Very good quality on the ball, but is very selfish and that silly missed opportunity summed him up a little.

Rothwell I'll give you though - I have no idea why we brought him in and what we thought we were missing that he could add. He's got a couple of good goals for us for sure, but I have no idea what he is as a player. In open play he has been truly horrific for us.

[JRM]

Rothwell is terrible 

Brooks, there's a good player there but very disappointing overall, he should be made to sit and watch that miss today over and over again 

[kitch]

Rothwell is a Poundland Stu Armstrong, though also capable of the odd worldy (like Stuey)

Brooks is a talent (when he wants to be) but doesn't really want to be here. It was his least worst option.  He'll go back to B'mth, and the next time he scores against us he'll celebrate.

[beatlesaint]

17 minutes ago, kitch said:

Brooks is a talent (when he wants to be) but doesn't really want to be here. It was his least worst option.  He'll go back to B'mth, and the next time he scores againstus he'll celebrate.

Yes I get that impression as well.

Edited April 20 by beatlesaint

[Block41 Saint]

Brooks has been very disappointing. 

[Baird of the land]

Depresses me to think we're likely going to see even more of the terrible rothwell over the run in and play offs.

[Toussaint]

Rothwell won us six points. It’s a strange one, I don’t know anything about him or what his best position is. Brooks is an impact sub imo, unless Fraser is carrying an injury I don’t know why he starts.

[badgerx16]

There's a reason why they are on loan from the Premier League and not playing in it.

[Kenilworthy]

Before the Rotherham game myself and my two boys had a drink and a long chat with Joe Rothwell's dad. He is very clear that he sees himself as a number 10. So why don't we play him there instead of deep midfield where he is worse than useless. My view is that Brooks is a potentially fine player but just not a fit for us in the Championship,

[LGTL]

Not sure I agree with the clamour for SAA. He started a home game very early in the season and it was blindingly obvious he was nowhere near being ready. 

[Roo1976]

3 minutes ago, Kenilworthy said:

Before the Rotherham game myself and my two boys had a drink and a long chat with Joe Rothwell's dad. He is very clear that he sees himself as a number 10. So why don't we play him there instead of deep midfield where he is worse than useless. My view is that Brooks is a potentially fine player but just not a fit for us in the Championship,

number 10.................because our management see things strangely different to those that see the obvious.....................anyways 3 Bmouth players eh? who'd have thought  that.

[Patches O Houlihan]

12 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Not sure I agree with the clamour for SAA. He started a home game very early in the season and it was blindingly obvious he was nowhere near being ready. 

Scored three today, if we don't play him he will leave like several of our talented youngsters already have

Edited April 20 by Patches O Houlihan

[woodsaint1]

While they havent met expectations, at least Brooks and Rothwell have contributed something. Sulemana and Mara are a waste of two squad spots

[JRM]

2 hours ago, woodsaint1 said:

While they havent met expectations, at least Brooks and Rothwell have contributed something. Sulemana and Mara are a waste of two squad spots

True , fair point, 

This was mind blowing though 

[chiknsmack]

4 hours ago, JRM said:

True , fair point, 

This was mind blowing though

I don't suppose they watched Leicester/WBA in the sheds before the match yesterday? Seeing Hamza Choudhury clear the ball off the line three or four times could've gotten into his head.

[east-stand-nic]

They both played pretty well in their early games for us and have gotten worse, I suspect due to the coaching. I suspect a lot of our players are fed up with the silly tactics and substitutions that are fucking us up.

[John B]

Like most of the rest of the squad they are decent footballers but not consistent enough to be able to lead a sustained promotion push

I have been around a longtime and seen a lot of topclass players Chivers Melia and Paine in 1966 Macdougal Boyer Ball and Williams in 1978 and more recently Lambert Lallana and Schederlin lead us to promotion.

Our recruitment under a number of regimes has been poor not only for the first team but also for the Academy so I was never confident we would get automatic promotion but unlike most I think Russell has done a decent job in getting eighty points or so in his first season with a less than average goal stopper and forwards who seem to to miss goals at will when the team is on top and is then unable to close the game out

 

[Lymington Saint]

Agree with most of the comments here.  Rothwell's one redeeming feature is that he knows how to hit a football cleanly.  Looks lost in midfield though.  Brooks is clearly talented, but just doesnt work hard enough and disrupts the team.  Neither fits RMs way of playing

[Toussaint]

12 hours ago, Kenilworthy said:

Before the Rotherham game myself and my two boys had a drink and a long chat with Joe Rothwell's dad. He is very clear that he sees himself as a number 10. So why don't we play him there instead of deep midfield where he is worse than useless. My view is that Brooks is a potentially fine player but just not a fit for us in the Championship,

That makes a lot of sense, he showed that when he came on against Preston, picking up the ball and driving towards goal, which I don’t think is something Russ is too keen on.

[Whitey Grandad]

49 minutes ago, Toussaint said:

That makes a lot of sense, he showed that when he came on against Preston, picking up the ball and driving towards goal, which I don’t think is something Russ is too keen on.

No, Russ doesn't like attacks on goal because we might lose possession. 

[coalman]

They weren't the players we needed to bring in in January. No disrespect to either but those were positions we were strong in already. With talented kids on the verge of breaking through. 

Not getting in a striker or defensive midfielder left us exposed. Not to mention our well documented shot stopping inability.

By adding players we didn't need we've upset the team balance and ignored glaring problems we've had for a long time. It's led to substitutions for the sake of minutes rather than having a positive impact on the game.

[Badger]

I like Brooks for his flair etc, and was pleased we brought him in. I think it was at a time Fraser was injured.

But that  Brooks fiasco yesterday was pathetic. Gets worse from every angle you see it.

Wonder what happened to the player who controlled Bournemouth’s cup tie v Swansea ? Has clearly been reduced to the standard of the rest wanting to take too many touches.

[Badger]

49 minutes ago, coalman said:

They weren't the players we needed to bring in in January. No disrespect to either but those were positions we were strong in already. With talented kids on the verge of breaking through. 

Not getting in a striker or defensive midfielder left us exposed. Not to mention our well documented shot stopping inability.

By adding players we didn't need we've upset the team balance and ignored glaring problems we've had for a long time. It's led to substitutions for the sake of minutes rather than having a positive impact on the game.

If we were looking to help AFCB shift players then Kieffer Moore might have made more sense. 

[Ken Tone]

Brooks .....  people say he's talented and he is highly rated, but he just hasn't delivered for us. Martin said he wanted a left footed right winger who'd come in from wide and shoot on goal. I don't recall him doing that once? He just seem to wander into the middle then look lost.

All his signing seems to have done is push Adam Armstrong on to the left wing and squeeze Fraser/Edozie/SAA out of the team. 

He' ok, but really, is he better than all of those 3?

[S-Clarke]

3 minutes ago, Ken Tone said:

Brooks .....  people say he's talented and he is highly rated, but he just hasn't delivered for us. Martin said he wanted a left footed right winger who'd come in from wide and shoot on goal. I don't recall him doing that once? He just seem to wander into the middle then look lost.

All his signing seems to have done is push Adam Armstrong on to the left wing and squeeze Fraser/Edozie/SAA out of the team. 

He' ok, but really, is he better than all of those 3?

Birmingham City away, West Brom away.

He has produced moments for us, but plays as an individual which is the problem.

Edited April 21 by S-Clarke

[Billy the Kidd]

6 minutes ago, Ken Tone said:

Brooks .....  people say he's talented and he is highly rated, but he just hasn't delivered for us. Martin said he wanted a left footed right winger who'd come in from wide and shoot on goal. I don't recall him doing that once? He just seem to wander into the middle then look lost.

All his signing seems to have done is push Adam Armstrong on to the left wing and squeeze Fraser/Edozie/SAA out of the team. 

He' ok, but really, is he better than all of those 3?

Thought he scored a great goal doing exactly that, but generally has been underwhelming. 

Thought now need to be on how/who to play for the semi final two legs.

Obviously not Stu, he only has one.

[kitch]

14 hours ago, woodsaint1 said:

While they havent met expectations, at least Brooks and Rothwell have contributed something. Sulemana and Mara are a waste of two squad spots

Sulemana definitely. Mara has contributed at times (winner against Huddersfield; opening the scoring against City last year in the cup etc.) Few and far between though, granted.

[sledger]

i think we play brooks in the wrong position,to me hes a number 10,however it matters not as we are physically and mentally a weak team

[East Kent Saint]

Although Brooks has been given the all clear after his cancer treatment it’s possible he is not 100% in all aspects ? Or it could be he is being played out of position , Lineker didn’t do well at Barcelona when stuck out on the right wing by Cruyff .

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

On 20/04/2024 at 18:10, washsaint said:

What were the points of signing these two in January?  Both have been very poor and don't fit into the side at all.

That miss from Brooks today was one of the worst I have ever seen.

And yet SAA has to turn out for the U18s to get a game and Dibling hasn't had any minutes since he started to look very, very good.

But when we signed him in January, there were many posters saying how brilliant the signing had been and with Rothwell too, we had become a much more potent force.

With hindsight, Brooks seems to have lost his way and Rothwell hasn't done a lot. Maybe he has been played in the wrong position, but it's a bit late in the season to try out something new. 

[captainchris]

On 20/04/2024 at 18:40, Baird of the land said:

Depresses me to think we're likely going to see even more of the terrible rothwell over the run in and play offs.

Picking Rothwell kind of sums up why RM is failing along with continually putting AA at centre forward whilst taking Che and Aribo off !!!! Repeatedly! 
Not forgetting allowing defenders to turn their backs on shots too….

[Dman]

On 20/04/2024 at 20:36, Patches O Houlihan said:

Scored three today, if we don't play him he will leave like several of our talented youngsters already have

For the U18's.... 

He's talented, one for next year.. not this. 

[Dman]

I think on balance, Brooks was a decent punt. He's a decent player, I just dont think he's fit enough to come in and make the impact we were expecting him to make. 

Rothwell, I was expecting him to be a decent, solid addition and in some ways he has been with his goals. However, what fucking idiot signed off sending Charley out on loan (to a clib who is never going to cough up to buy him) and replace him with Rothwell. 

[sledger]

On 22/04/2024 at 08:26, Dman said:

I think on balance, Brooks was a decent punt. He's a decent player, I just dont think he's fit enough to come in and make the impact we were expecting him to make. 

Rothwell, I was expecting him to be a decent, solid addition and in some ways he has been with his goals. However, what fucking idiot signed off sending Charley out on loan (to a clib who is never going to cough up to buy him) and replace him with Rothwell. 

forget alcaraz he didnt want to be here and his performances reflected that,his nickname should have been woftam (waste of f+cking time and money)

[Dman]

Just now, sledger said:

forget alcaraz he didnt want to be here and his performances reflected that,his nickname should have been woftam (waste of f+cking time and money)

He was being played out of position and in a system that doesn't suit him. He's not going to keep the ball for 90 minutes like smallbone, but he will get you up the pitch, score you goals and create chances. 

You have to accept that defensivley he'll switch off because of what he gives you at the business end of the pitch. 

He's have been brilliant in the current Leeds or Ipswich side where they play a genuine number 10 (i.e second striker) and attack with pace and purpose. 

In sides gone by, he'd have been brilliant in Poch or Koeman side. 

[sledger]

51 minutes ago, Dman said:

He was being played out of position and in a system that doesn't suit him. He's not going to keep the ball for 90 minutes like smallbone, but he will get you up the pitch, score you goals and create chances. 

You have to accept that defensivley he'll switch off because of what he gives you at the business end of the pitch. 

He's have been brilliant in the current Leeds or Ipswich side where they play a genuine number 10 (i.e second striker) and attack with pace and purpose. 

In sides gone by, he'd have been brilliant in Poch or Koeman side. 

hear what youre saying however there were games he was showing zero effort,unforgivable even if youre not happy with what youre asked to do

[swannymere]

Easy to forget they've earned important points for us this season.

[Bad Wolf]

Brooks is awful. Gets a pass because of the horrific situation he's been in but largely a disappointing signing. Rothwell too but we're allowed to whinge about him.

[S-Clarke]

46 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

Brooks is awful. Gets a pass because of the horrific situation he's been in but largely a disappointing signing. Rothwell too but we're allowed to whinge about him.

He isn't awful, but we've made him awful. It's what we do better than anything else.

[SNSUN]

I like Brooks generally but he's been bang off it last few games - I wonder if Wales not making the Euros has anything to do with it. Rothwell I don't see anything in him apart from the fact he can seemingly hit a ball cleanly. Neither of them have improved us much in any way since they were brought in. Personally I would have Brooks back on a permanent next season as I do think he has something to offer but with this club seemingly needing a giant reset - perhaps not bringing him back would be best for everyone.

One of the biggest issues with bringing Brooks in is that AA has had to shift to the left, when he was doing a good job on the right, meaning we haven't been able to play the likes of Fraser or Edozie. Or Sulemana which isn't the worst thing.

[coalman]

Last night Rothwell was as bad a midfielder as I've seen. He didn't win the ball, he didn't close space and he constantly gave it away. The only times he didn't give it away he passed to Brooks who managed that for him. Brooks was anonymous last night and has been for a couple of games.

Central midfield is not Rothwell's position. We should stop trying to play him there.

If we're playing Armstrong on the right we know he's not going to beat his man so we need someone direct and able to stretch play on the left. This is either Edozie or Fraser. Our run came with a front three of Edozie/Fraser, Adams, Armstrong up front. Dibling, when he has come on, has looked really good there - strong enough to compete and always willing to go at his man.

Our central midfielders need to be able to find pockets of space and/or be able to play on the half turn if we're to play through a good press. Rothwell isn't able to do either of these things. Downes can do both. Smallbone is great at finding pockets of space and keeping the ball moving. Stu has always been good on the half turn. Aribo is good on the half turn. Our run came when Downes, Smallbone and Stu/Aribo were playing. If Charles tries it more I think he's also a player who can play on the half turn. Lavia was insanely good at this last season.

Without that platform our wide players have to be an outlet that carries threat but it means we have to hit the ball long and hope our front three are going to win their physical battles. Armstrong is not going to. Brooks is not going to. Che sometimes does.

Rothwell and Brooks have made us collectively worse in both midfield and attack unless we're on top.

[rooney]

They were good when they first came but seem to have gone backwards since.

[Turkish]

Just before Brooks joined us he took Swansea apart in the FA Cup, Bournemouth fans were bemoaning him coming here saying the signing had basically secured our promotion. You can see he's got something but it's disrupted the team, he hasn't delivered anything like what he's capable of. We have to ask why that is.

Rothwell looks like a sunday league player that got lucky scoring the goal of his life. HIs 40 minutes on tuesday was as bad a performance as i've seen from a footballer. The rare occasions he did touch the ball he fell on his arse or gave it away.

Edited April 24 by Turkish

[S-Clarke]

24 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Just before Brooks joined us he took Swansea apart in the FA Cup, Bournemouth fans were bemoaning him coming here saying the signing had basically secured our promotion. You can see he's got something but it's disrupted the team, he hasn't delivered anything like what he's capable of. We have to ask why that is.

Rothwell looks like a sunday league player that got lucky scoring the goal of his life. HIs 40 minutes on tuesday was as bad a performance as i've seen from a footballer. The rare occasions he did touch the ball he fell on his arse or gave it away.

My thoughts on Brooks is that our play doesn't suit him. He's a quick tempo, 1 touch type player - looking to get and give, get and move etc. Our style is more of a get, keep, get, keep and I think it makes him look more languid than he actually is.

If we played quicker and moved it quicker in tight spaces you'd see the best of him. 

Rothwell is a winger, or an Armstrong type player - not a CM, everything I've seen of him suggests that. Keep him as far up the field and away from the central area's as possible. He's crap there.