The Rodwell Incident

[RFUS]

He does, and he has the potential to be a much more expansive footballer than Fellaini aswell, but it isn't happening for him at the moment, and I don't think it's going to change overnight. He isn't ready to be conductor of the orchestra.

As for Barkley, I'd love to see it, but he can play anywhere. You could play him right back and he'd pop up all over the place. He's also one of the few players we have who can dribble and carry the ball, so he's needed outwide for now.

I can understand Barkley playing wide right for now but as he's so ludicrously talented, as you've alluded to, I'd love to see him play in that central role. I think he could wreak the most havoc there.

I worry all these hypotheticals will remain just that though. I wouldn't even be surprised to see Fellaini up front and Neville/Heitinga in midfield. Moyes is a predictably dour manager in my opinion.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I desperately hope Jack proves me wrong.

Many on here will testify that I've never rated the lad as highly as I was being told I should - but it'll be soul destroying to see him struggling in the lower leagues in a couple of years. He has some ability - not the level some bestowed on him, but he looks capable of being a fairly decent Premiership player.

I don't think he's been handled particularly well - he developed as a centre half, and we then go and through him centre midfield, holding and attack, and outwide. It seems the saying of "If your good enough, your old enough" doesn't apply to centre half for David Moyes.

The sad thing is - time should be on his hands, but it isn't. Now is the time he needs to be counted.

 

[Tubey]

I desperately hope Jack proves me wrong.

Many on here will testify that I've never rated the lad as highly as I was being told I should - but it'll be soul destroying to see him struggling in the lower leagues in a couple of years. He has some ability - not the level some bestowed on him, but he looks capable of being a fairly decent Premiership player.

I don't think he's been handled particularly well - he developed as a centre half, and we then go and through him centre midfield, holding and attack, and outwide. It seems the saying of "If your good enough, your old enough" doesn't apply to centre half for David Moyes.

The sad thing is - time should be on his hands, but it isn't. Now is the time he needs to be counted.

He could certainly go the way of a Jeffers to be honest. I don't see it either... I see him as tall, strong, athletic and, when confident, fairly composed, but I've never seen him seize a game for anything more than 10 minutes at a time and that's only been once or twice.

Like Anichebe, he's a terrific athlete, but not a terrific footballer. We need the stupid transfer fee for him ASAP before we can't get one.

 

[Goat]

He could certainly go the way of a Jeffers to be honest. I don't see it either... I see him as tall, strong, athletic and, when confident, fairly composed, but I've never seen him seize a game for anything more than 10 minutes at a time and that's only been once or twice.

Like Anichebe, he's a terrific athlete, but not a terrific footballer. We need the stupid transfer fee for him ASAP before we can't get one.

Would you sell him to Stoke for 5m?

 

[Tubey]

Would you sell him to Stoke for 5m?

No. Because our squad isn't big enough and there's still hope.

For £10m though, yes.

 

[Goat]

*bookmarked*

 

[Brownie]

TxBizzle always talks sense.

Brownie's full of brownies though.

I actually just ate a brownie for the first time in a long time, no joke.

 

[Philw]

I actually just ate a brownie for the first time in a long time, no joke.

Cannibal.

 

[Blue Sky]

He certainly appears to play like a centre half out of position, his feet aren't quick enough for midfield.
JH doesn't do it for me in midfield either, he plays centre back for Holland so why put him in midfield.

 

[Nealroy]

Completely agree with the comments about a lot of his problem being due to a lack of confidence.

Anyone who's played football at any level knows the feeling. You're going through a tough patch, nothing seems to be coming off and you start to go into games hoping that everything is going to go ok. You hope you won't give the ball away, you hope that no-one gives you a tricky pass to control and more than anything you hope the oppo will give you an easy time. That never happens at any level right down to the park. The whole mindset of just wanting to get through it without ****ing up paralises your mind and in turn your body. For me this is where Jack is right now. Either he needs a mentor to turn him around, or a sports psychologist or best of all himself. The minute he flicks that switch and goes back to expecting it to go ok and wanting it to go brilliantly we'll have a quality player on our hands. In the long run he'll be stronger for coming through the experience.

If he didnt work out at CM, does anyone else reckon he'd make a decent right back if he had time to learn the positioning?

 

[Tubey]

Completely agree with the comments about a lot of his problem being due to a lack of confidence.

Anyone who's played football at any level knows the feeling. You're going through a tough patch, nothing seems to be coming off and you start to go into games hoping that everything is going to go ok. You hope you won't give the ball away, you hope that no-one gives you a tricky pass to control and more than anything you hope the oppo will give you an easy time. That never happens at any level right down to the park. The whole mindset of just wanting to get through it without ****ing up paralises your mind and in turn your body. For me this is where Jack is right now. Either he needs a mentor to turn him around, or a sports psychologist or best of all himself. The minute he flicks that switch and goes back to expecting it to go ok and wanting it to go brilliantly we'll have a quality player on our hands. In the long run he'll be stronger for coming through the experience.

If he didnt work out at CM, does anyone else reckon he'd make a decent right back if he had time to learn the positioning?

Not in the modern game sadly as I don't think he has the pace or attacking ability to play the role. He'd be a Hibbert in that role.

You could be right on him, but I don't see it personally. I'd take £10m for him now including the English player premium.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

What's next, he's not actually all that tall?

Rodwell is one of the quickest players we have.

 

[Nealroy]

Not in the modern game sadly as I don't think he has the pace or attacking ability to play the role. He'd be a Hibbert in that role.

You could be right on him, but I don't see it personally. I'd take £10m for him now including the English player premium.

I hear you. He certainly hasnt shown attacking ability recently. I just think that full back is about the only position you get time and space in todays game (hence why theyve become so important in an attacking sense). You also have relatively limited options about what you can do with the ball compared to CM. If he struggles with decision making on the ball this could all help him. Surely his technique alone would make him an upgrade on Hibbo?

 

[Tubey]

What's next, he's not actually all that tall?

Rodwell is one of the quickest players we have.

His off the ball pace I mean. It's no use just bombing forward non-stop without the intelligence to back it up. That's why Usain Bolt isn't a top class footballer, and why Dwain Chambers failed spectacularly at rugby. Just running fast isn't enough. Drenthe is quicker than Messi and Ronaldo over 100m but who's the better wide player?

I hear you. He certainly hasnt shown attacking ability recently. I just think that full back is about the only position you get time and space in todays game (hence why theyve become so important in an attacking sense). You also have relatively limited options about what you can do with the ball compared to CM. If he struggles with decision making on the ball this could all help him. Surely his technique alone would make him an upgrade on Hibbo?

He would, yet whilst the potential may still be there and the squad is so thin then I'm all for giving him a run in the Arteta role to see if his footballing brain is really up to scratch. It's his make or break season, but I don't personally have the faith in him to come good. That's not to say he won't; yet if I were the manager and a £10m bid came in for him now, I'd let him go.

 

[ijjysmith]

I don't rate Rodwell.

There i said it.

I just don't see why he is so well thought of. He's played in over 70 games for us (loads as sub mind) and done about 3 things that have been outstanding. Just don't get the fuss.

But I am willing to be proved wrong.