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Post by hooverfoxat2 on Jan 4, 2005 15:44:41 GMT 1
Having spoken to a number of supporters who were at Yeovil yesterday about the Rodgers incident leading to the sending off I can't help but think that Gary Peters post match comments about the sending off are a smoke screen. Everybody I have spoken to says it was a sure fire red card and fully deserved - both players were on the ground and Rodgers got up and raised his arms/hands in a volatile manner and the rules and laws of the game dictate that any offence committed like that is an instant red card (unless your name is Rooney). There is no way Gary Peters is going to do a live interview and publicly slate and bemoan 1 of his players - that would be poor man management. The general concensus from those spoken to is that Rodgers should have been given a set of trade plates after the game and told to find his own way back to Chelmsley Wood where he can continue acting in his own immature style - and these are Town supporters in their 50s' who used to think Rodgers was 'the man'. The fact is that once again he has let the club, the supporters and himself down - his form over the past 2 seasons has been hit and miss to say the least and I have lost count of the number of times he has picked up a yellow or red card for what can only be described as unsporting or ungentlemanly behaviour. OK - you can argue that he is a marked man and will always be highlighted by the opposition as a key figure but his hot headed reputation goes before him and as such he will always come in for some harsh treatment at the hands of opposing defenders - they know it, we know it and Luke should know it too - the simple fact is that he either doesn't recognise it or simply chooses to ignore it and subsequently lacks self control. Maybe a course in anger management would be useful to him. Where do we go from here? Personally I don't think we have missed him as much as some may argue over the last few games, his form is poor and his goal scoring record is abysmal considering his repution over the last 2 seasons. He is fast becoming an expensive liability and 1 we can (in my opinion) do without. Sell him now and cash in on his talent (he undoubtedly possesses bags of it but sadly has lost it somewhere) while we can, plough the money into Gary Peters funds and allow him to bring in someone new. If I am right in saying I believe Luke is out of contract this year and the scenario could be that in the summer he will go for peanuts anyway. Should he stay or should he go?
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Post by rob on Jan 4, 2005 15:53:07 GMT 1
Once again please tell me the last time he let STFC down??? Rodgers has let himself down, no-one else. Reguardless of what your mates say the club appear to be appealing, they must think they've got a case as it costs money to appeal, Mr Peters also has the "backing" of the fourth official and there were just as many people who went who thought he should not have been sent off. What the point of selling him for a few grand now??? He's still our leading scorer.... You want an expensive liability look no further than the injury plagued Duane Darby.... I thought he changed the game for the better yesterday....thats what everyone seems to have said (before he got sent off). The fact is I know Rodgers will come good, there were signs there yesterday, look at the job Mr Peters seems to be doing with lesser players, Rodgers work ethic has always been there and in langmead there finally appears to be a player suited to Lukes game. He should go nowhere, he showed loyalty to STFC when times were hard, now we should show the young lad some bloody loyalty After all its a two way thing.....
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Post by SeanBroseley on Jan 4, 2005 15:53:13 GMT 1
Introduce him slowly. Utilise him as a sub. 20 mins of Rodgers after the two bigs lads have done the hard work - he'll pick up a few goals.
He'll go at the end of the season.
He scored valuable goals last season.
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Post by shrewforever on Jan 4, 2005 15:57:10 GMT 1
"Sell him now and cash in on his talent"........
not having a go just made me chuckle......
current market value at the moment IMO probably about the same as an empty bag of crisps..........
He can still play a major role this season I believe,yes Grant has done well I dont deny, but I know who I would rather alongside Langmead.
The game changed dramatically twice yesterday,once when Luke was sent off,which everyone is talking about,and once When HE CAME ON,which many seem to have forgotten.
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Post by OldGit on Jan 4, 2005 15:59:26 GMT 1
Leave the lad alone.
He is Blue and Amber through and through, he stayed with us last year when many players of his quality would've jumped ship pretty damn quick. Right now he needs us to get behind him and give GP the time to sort his game out for him. The lad will come good. Nobody works harder in a Town shirt than Lukey.
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Post by CuyahogaBlue on Jan 4, 2005 16:04:41 GMT 1
current market value at the moment IMO probably about the same as an empty bag of crisps.......... Which is part of the dilemma with the extraordinary talent. He has talent, he has shown Shrewsbury loyalty (after the firwork incident would anybody else take him though?) and he has the makings of a true town legend. I'm hoping that GP will sort his head out, and that he'll be around for a long time to come. Or, he could be off in the summer?
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Post by hooverfoxat2 on Jan 4, 2005 16:09:26 GMT 1
The argument that he has let the club down again is based on the fact that according to some it was yet another instance where he could quite easily have got up and walked away and thus avoided a red card - 15 minutes to go, away from home at the leagues best side, a man up and a goal to the good and surely anybody with half a brain knows not to get involved. All too often Lukes temperament has let everybody down. Yes, he has let the club down if he is guilty of the offence because we will be missing him for another 3 games, yes he has let the supporters down (especially those who travelled down to Yeovil) - the same supporters who pay his wages and yes of course he has let himself down. Rodgers is a bit of an enigma who came onto the scene in a blaze of glory amidst much deserved publicity but lets face facts, there is no way anybody can say that he set The Conference alight last year and this year is much the same if not worse. Opposing teams have the measure of him nowadays and he simply is not the force that we all thought he was. I hope that if he stays then Peters will bring out the best in him but it's a very distant light at the end of a very long tunnel. One option may be that Luke would be best suited sat behind the front 2 or even played out wide on the right but based on current form he is not the main strike force that shone so well alongside Jemson. As for overpaid liabilities - well at least we agree on 1 thing - I wouldn't give Darby a bag of carrots as payment let alone whatever he is supposed to be earning.
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Post by rob on Jan 4, 2005 16:10:49 GMT 1
Crewe came in a couple of times last season.
As did Derby County...
So they obviously were not fussed about his temprement...
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Post by shrewforever on Jan 4, 2005 16:11:54 GMT 1
Exactly Cuya it is a problem.
GP will decide if Luke is part of his plans or not.
As hes under 24 for us to get anything for him in the summer means we have to offer him a contract else no Tribunal money,least thats my understanding,tricky one.
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Post by rob on Jan 4, 2005 16:14:25 GMT 1
I'd have thought if Sam Aiston is part of his plans, which i've been led to believe then Lukey will deffinetly be.
Hard working striker, who never gives up, and has in the passed knocked in anything from 15-20+ goals at this level.
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Post by hooverfoxat2 on Jan 4, 2005 16:14:53 GMT 1
Interesting thought but the dip in Lukes form coincided with all the transfer talk coming out of Crewe last year and in all fairness he hasn't really been the same player ever since - certainly not on a consistent basis anyway.
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Post by rob on Jan 4, 2005 16:18:18 GMT 1
It also coincided with the arrival of Jimmy Quinn, the revolving partners (Cramb,Darby,Quinn,Banim etc..) oh and the ever so boring aimless hoofball we tened to play.
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Post by mattsnapper NLI on Jan 4, 2005 16:23:01 GMT 1
luke has not been his best under quinn who coached out all of his goodness
cant believe people are even discussing this
would it still have been a problem if Yeovil had of scored 3 more anyway without him being sent off..?
like someone said - he stayed with us, now let us stay with him
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Post by hooverfoxat2 on Jan 4, 2005 16:28:08 GMT 1
1999/2000 - 1 league goal 2000/2001 - 7 league goals 2001/2002 - 21 league goals 2002/2003 - 16 league goals 2003/2004 - 13 league goals 2004/2005 - 2 league goals
60 league goals in what could be argued as just 4 full seasons averages out at 15 a season which is good form. Unfortunately in football a player or manager is invariably only as good as their last game and the final stat shows that 2 goals is not that of a man in form.
Nothing would please me or any of the other supporters who are taking a swipe at Luke at the moment to see him turn his season around but I firmly believe that in order to do that there has to be a change in attitude and temperament - I've been watching him for 6 seasons now and seen him develop as a player, unfortunately his frame of mind hasn't followed. Come on Luke Rodgers - prove me and many others wrong.
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Post by CuyahogaBlue on Jan 4, 2005 16:36:18 GMT 1
Luke is the type of player that gives a fan hope. When a throughball is played and he's off after it, the anticipation rises. When he's on the pitch, you always feel there's a chance he might score, a chance that he'll make a difference - and that terrifies defenders. Luke has talent - period! GP's task is to get the best out of him
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Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Jan 4, 2005 16:37:37 GMT 1
he has been booked over 40 times now hasn't he?
sent off 4 or 5 times?
and still aged only 23
But he is our best player on his day
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Post by meoleshrew2 on Jan 4, 2005 17:16:30 GMT 1
Moss sent of for a stupid tackle at Chester+O'conner+Walton at Scunny+Aiston here there and everywhere+picks up injuries from daft challenges,+Tolley, finally Whitehead before the season even started. Do I pressume that all these players have to go as well, Mossey cost us the game at Chester? Walton the game at Scunny, Do i need to carry on, this is a person you are talking about not the latest pc game, none of you ever lost your temper, are you all perfect?, is every other STFC player except Luke perfect? Alan Shearer one of the most respected players in the game, his game is aggresive, he has been red carded hasn't he? for hitting out etc, its football it happens. A little over a season ago 1 mill was being spouted as the price we would give him up for, then Quinn came in, Edwards would have left this club by now if he was still here. Luke needs to settle into another role with yet another forward.
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Post by warbiesbread on Jan 4, 2005 18:00:35 GMT 1
Well here is my 2penny worth. I thought for the first time in 2 years we have looked threatning up front, this has been with langmead and grant. I would have persisted with that for a while.
As for luke, i do not feel we have seen anything like the best of him in 2 and a bit years, you could put that down to transfer talk, the conferance. I put it down to jemo and lack of clear direction at the club. Ok he played well with jemo but feel he also picked up a few well known off the field antics? Also he has suffered under ratcliffe and quinn whose tactics left everyone at times scatching there head.
As for the arguement gp will sort him, does he have to?? seems to me he is steadily sifting the squad and players will move on, and i can see rodgers, aiston, darby, moss being in that group. From an un educated view point gp seems to want players who play as a team, commited and disciplined, that came through in the last few games.
Me personally i would allow him to move on, he needs a fresh challenge and fresh motivation, this is not about club or player loyality, its about taking an objective view of where the club is, where it wants to be, and selecting the players who will take it there. Not bringing out the old loyality bit or the club owes him.
open to be shot at, just an opininon.
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Post by Plywood on Jan 4, 2005 18:21:25 GMT 1
Langmead isn't going to score more than a dozen goals in a season. Grant will struggle to get into double figures.
Things have gone okay over the past couple of games because the midfield, for the first time in ages, have chipped in with a few goals.
However, this isn't going to continue and then it will be time for the forwards to get back among the goals.
Although he's been struggling for a while, Luke still represents our only hope of a 20 goals a season man.
The problem Luke has created for himself is some of the amazing performances he has put in over the past five years.
People are judging him on what we know he's capable of, and unfortunately he hasn't produced that form for a while.
I have every confidence that Luke IS in GP's plans, and he'll come back from this suspension to benefit Shrewsbury Town Football Club.
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Post by woking shrew on Jan 4, 2005 18:32:41 GMT 1
in reply to the comment that we have looked our most threatening up front with Langmead and Grant i would just compare the first half and the first 25 mins of the 2nd half - no comparison. Grant works hard but i'd play Rodgers everytime with Langmead. in 25 mins they looked as good a pairing as we've had in a while.
i'd keep Rodgers and back him. he might be a bit thick but he will eventually paly at a higher levell than this.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2005 19:07:57 GMT 1
Marsbar, I think u are way off the mark when u say that GP will allow, Luke, Aiston and Moss go, that represent 50% of our quality there and would like to hope that he will do all in his power to get them to sign new conracts....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2005 19:21:40 GMT 1
Marsbar, I think u are way off the mark when u say that GP will allow, Luke, Aiston and Moss go, that represent 50% of our quality there and would like to hope that he will do all in his power to get them to sign new conracts.... I agree. Sure he wont stand much more of their poor discipline but he will want to work with these players to sort it out before getting rid. A team of talentless grafters wont get us anywhere but a team with some quality players who all graft for each other will get us a long way.
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Post by rob on Jan 4, 2005 19:26:19 GMT 1
But it appears that Mr peters is a big big fan of Aiston. After all how many other wingers are there in our league who can freely run past people???
As for Luke, well he's scored FOUR this season
And it seems a bit disingenuous to discount his two goals in the play-off semi finals, as it is those goals that played as much a rle in us going up as Darbys equalizer at stoke. As such he therefore scored FIFTHTEEN goals last season (all league too)
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2005 20:08:44 GMT 1
Luke supported us when we were relegated it's now time for us to support him.
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Post by Barthez2104 on Jan 4, 2005 20:35:34 GMT 1
I agree with marsbar up to a point. I beleive Luke needs a fresh challenge, he appears to have gone a bit stale. Defenders have the measure of him to a large extent. Is this because he's a big fish in a small pond? Maybe a move to another club, hopefully larger club where he will not stand out so much will do him good.
I use Michael Owen as an example. I've never been a big admirer of his. Though both he and Liverpool had just been stagnant for a couple of years. The move to real came at a ggod time and Owen is looking sharper than he has for a long time.
This could be what Luke needs.
I hope GP can get him back to his best and he stays as the Luke we knew 2 years ago, not the Luke we know now.
Only time will tell.
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Post by evo16 on Jan 4, 2005 20:40:41 GMT 1
this is a great thread and some good points have been made. for me its a real tough decision. i think rodgers has showed a few more glimpses of his capabilities when hes being played with langmead, that partnership seems to have real potential. there is no doubt in my mind that if luke wants to stay with shrewsbury, never mind a higher level, then he needs to start working his b******s off in training and produce some decent displays. its nice to see grant giveing him some competition at last, and hopefully when luke gets back from his ban we can have 3 top form strikers fighting for 2 places. this ban could be a blessing in disguise for rodgers, IF he makes the effort and comes back with an improved mentality.
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Post by rob on Jan 4, 2005 20:49:00 GMT 1
how do you know he doesnt work his b******s of in training???
He certanly works his b******s off on the pitch....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2005 20:50:30 GMT 1
Luke supported us when we were relegated it's now time for us to support him. Top post bruv
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Post by jamo on Jan 4, 2005 20:56:40 GMT 1
how do you know he doesnt work his b******s of in training??? He certanly works his b******s off on the pitch.... I can't believe anyone is serious about wanting Rodgers to leave the Meadow but perhap's he need's to begin combining the working his bollock's off scenario with working his grey matter at the same time. When you reach your mid twenties it's time to stop the petulant child routine.
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Post by somersetshrew on Jan 4, 2005 21:01:45 GMT 1
remind me who the last Town player to get a hat trick was?
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