Richards - SIGNED

[ferrarilover]

Does he play in the centre? Feel like we are a bit light there.

He does and he's jolly good at it.

Matt.

[Richinns]

I think this is our most understated signing thus far. A player whose game might allow the likes of Young to express themselves to their full extent - which is invaluable if we are to challenge next year. Against Walsall in a friendly a partnership of Harding and Young might work but I have my doubts whether it can by physical enough when we play Gateshead away for the real deal.

The fact he has got 2 years indicates how highly CH rates him.

This might not rate highly on the excitement factor of summer recruits by I think it will rate very highly in the importance stakes.

[Kit_robin]

I think this is our most understated signing thus far. A player whose game might allow the likes of Young to express themselves to their full extent - which is invaluable if we are to challenge next year. Against Walsall in a friendly a partnership of Harding and Young might work but I have my doubts whether it can by physical enough when we play Gateshead away for the real deal.

The fact he has got 2 years indicates how highly CH rates him.

This might not rate highly on the excitement factor of summer recruits by I think it will rate very highly in the importance stakes.

Hmm. If you want Richards to be more physical than Harding you may be disappointed. Yes, Richards looks like he loves a tackle, but he's about half hoardings size in length and width, and is much less physical from the 4 games I've seen so far.

Richards looks like a potentially very decent player, but I do have concerns over the size of our (very important) centre midfield area if he starts with young. This is the conference, and unfortunately there's a lot of blood and thunder as well as pure football ability knocking about. Have to earn the right to play good football - Hargreaves himself won those battles for us last time so hopefully he will find a balanced pairing.

[ferrarilover]

Chris will trust the defenders to do the defending and the midfielders to do the midfielding. I'm not at all concerned about not being a big, horrible side. At our level (both conference and L2), you only need to be good at one thing. There's no need for total football. Unless we sack every player on our books (with the possible exception of Pearce) and replace them all with guys who are well over six foot and thirteen stone, we aren't going to be a physical side. What CH is going for is a footballing side. It's ok to be non-physical if the opposition can't get near the ball. That's what we're going for this season, football, passing, getting it wide and crossing with pace. Keeping possession, attacking with pace and defending with discipline, rather than last year's mad-scramble-then-watch-as-the-opponent-scores-unopposed approach. It won't matter that teams turn up with players signed from the local basketball team, because the ball will be in our possession and on the floor for a lot of the game and we'll simply pass it around while they flounder about the pitch in a daze. Yes, we'll lose the aerial battle in the midfield, but we're prepared for that be having a group of players who are going to get us at least a couple of goals every game and a defence that is well drilled to deal with the likely threat that we will face. Ricey/Seabright will be playing it out from the back and we'll be looking to negate the opposition's strengths, as well as play to our own (which is something we didn't do well enough last season, which is why teams frequently scored against us with their only bloody chance. They stuck with plan A and it worked eventually).

Harding's a big lad, as is Briscoe and Richards will happily chuck himself today about. Ajala (until January, when he leaves for the Championship) is also an excellent tackler). We're not necessarily entirely without physicality, it's just that it's not going to be our go-to plan.

Matt.

[frenchgull]

Very pleased to see Richards has al last signed on the dotted line.After all the good reports in his preseason he looks like a good team member.I still wonder as to why he took so long to get his pen out.I would like to see people in our team wearing our yellow shirt to have yellow and blue hearts unlike some from last season,I hope we wernt the last resort!.

[Colorado Gull]

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/artic ... 85021.aspx


Edit: The thread title changed to avoid confusion. Richards - SIGNED

[tomogull]

Now this is going to stir up a bit of controversy and maybe accusations of insanity from Matt and others. If it is felt that there is a lack of a ball winner in midfield, why not try Karl Hawley when he is fit (and assuming he's still at Plainmoor at the start of the season). I told you it was a controversial idea ! In my opinion, Hawley was not suited to the role of target striker that Knill played him but I don't think anyone could accuse him of lack of effort and he certainly didn't duck out of any tackles. I think it would be worth a gamble to try him in midfield - he might even weigh in with a few goals.

I'd be interested to hear what others who have played at decent level, such as Arcadia, think. Okay ..... gotta go - time for my tablets.

[yeovilgull]

It almost sounded like a sensible suggestion Tomo until I got to the bit about him weighing in with a few goals then I realised it's either time for your medication or the sun's getting to you!!

I can see where you are coming from and potentially he could do a job there but I would rather we went for players who are supposedly specialist midfielders. May be worth a try there in Devon Bowl or Development Friendlies where it doesn't matter if it goes wrong.

[cambgull]

It often takes some time for a player to get used to a new position and that's time I don't think we have with Hawley. It'll be interesting to try it though, in a similar way to wingers moving inside as they start to lose their pace, it could work for Hawley too.