I'd like to keep Matt Taylor...if just for the freekicks and song! 

Jak McCourt...utter liability!

I thought you were a footballers supporter and understood the game.
So you think that McCourt was an utter liability? He did ok just about up to Xmas - then he had several poor games. In fact sometime in August/Sept he was being lauded on here. It might be interesting to see how he gets on at Chesterfield. We have let go "duds" who eventually come good. Morrison and Henderson for a start.

Known as TCP - Time Consumption Procedures 

Never mind remembering Starling...what about TCP? Did anyone really use it as a mouthwash? Yeuuuukkk!!!

I can remember being treated with iodine on a cut - puts TCP for girls only.

Fair point, the stadia were empty. But this competition never got big crowds anyway. Also, as the competition went on, people started attending the later rounds. The empty stadia in the early rounds resulted in lost revenue for the clubs. this is the bit i am most uneasy with.

Some people only boycotted the b team games, some people claimed to be boycotting all the games but never attended in previous years anyway, some people boycotted all the games having been to them in previous years, and some people did not let the presence of B teams affect their decision to go to games.

I saw all kinds of proposals for protesting this competition, including - buying a ticket, travelling to the ground, entering the stadium and then walking out after 10 minutes. Who in their right mind is going to do this?

As i said in my previous post - I think the solution is simple, if we dont want b teams, dont go to those games, and if the final includes a B team them the boycott should still be followed. But lets not rob our own club of revenue against legitimate teams.

The way we are going with player recruitment such tournaments will be very useful to ensure the great benchwarmers and/or the forgotten are involved. Decided now to support this useful competition.

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mmm..... time wasting is not exactly how I would like to judge a 'keeper. But it is an interesting debate.  Any of you remember Alan Starling?

Time wasting can be an art and Smith did it pretty well. Are you suggesting that I judge goalies on their ability to employ time wasting tactics? However I do it all the time at home.

What I am talking about is the quality of Taylor's deliveries to the forwards which better players will take advantage of. There is no way that he will be able to play 46 league games this season so, as with Richards & Revell, it is how JED uses him which is important.

I thought your point was quite adequately made - if people wish to ignore it then that's their choice - I think!

It always made laugh when the stroppy fans around me get all uppity at any opposition keeper for time wasting knowing we had Smith down the other end who would do the same x 1000.

Will be fun if Bristol Rovers are 1 up with 10 minutes to go a Sixfields next time we play them!

or we are 1-0 with less than 5 to go!

David Martin may still be available. Went to Ireland last week with Charlton but didn't wish to be involved in their friendlies this week. Has other irons in the fire apparently. Are we one of the irons?

So a free holiday for him then!

Agree with Glastonbury on Harper v Smith. I am bearing in mind that Harper was pretty well the finished article when he joined us whereas Smith was a youngster sacked by Leicester City for misconduct and needing to find a way back into the game.  That said, Harper was much more the complete 'keeper than Smith able to command his penalty area and boss his defence.  There have been other 'keepers for us better than either of Smith or Harper but that is going back a bit and many will have no memory of them but to mention a few - Harvey, Starling and Welch. 

I dont - Smith for me taking all in all was the better keeper. His time wasting was a class act for a start.

I think we will see that the better the players we sign, mysteriously, the better will Matt Taylor play.

Probably very true

Did you watch any games in the last 2 years, apart from Man Utd on the tele ? Smith is , by far, the best keeper we've had since Bunn.

   

Very good keeper kept us in L1 surprised he did not join higher than L1. Always found his delaying tactics at games great laugh! BRovers ! Their gain but why surely he cud do better.

There are 22 players that have made the trip to Spain according to the group photo. Therefore, all the current squad. So, no trialists have made the trip.

Would have thought that George Brady is worth a few more trialist games.

Yep apparently reported on Radio Oxo we are in for him - Their fans tone just seems to have changed from its only a matter of time before he signs to well it doesn't really matter if he doesn't / expecting him to leave

http://www.yellowsforum.co.uk/thread/25840/maguire-mcaleny?page=11

Read some of that thread but not all of it so missed two of the three posts that Northampton were in for him. Thanks for link tho'.The main clue is Radio Oxford mentioned it, but somebody then posts that Ipswich are now interested. Gave up after that. Don't think their fans want to lose him. Not sure if a few minor rumours merit attention. Still its all potential news.

I think he's referring to the Oxford fans forum. It was also mentioned on Radio Oxford according to their fans.

Not a lot on there either!

But none of them were goalkeeping errors, so why wouldn't they sign him ?

Not too sure about the 2 and 3 goals. He was lucky not to be dropped along with most of the side that day.

The Maguire rumours seems to be picking up steam, they almost seem resigned to have lost him in oxoland - excellent to see

Have you a link for this story?

Was George Brady the same young man that was "promising" at Chelsea before Sunderland?

If he played as well as people say, would definitely be worth picking up and would give us two experienced CB's (Barnett/Ash Taylor), two younger ones to challenge them (Poole/Brady) as well as the two young lads from the Youth team.

Not sure about Barnett , bit slow and ponderous ok as a reserve perhaps.

This time last year, I argued that Smith was worth busting the bank for, to get him to sign a new deal. I was convinced after we won the league when he made the football league team of the year (not just the league2 one) that he was capable of going all the way, and that we could get a minimum of a million quid for him.

A few short months later, he made big errors in two high profile cup games. One against WBA, and not one but two against Manchester UTD which was on sky.

The argument (in his favour) back then was that they were rare errors, get off his back etc. HOWEVER, there was a flip side to that. Namely, he couldn't handle pressure. Otherwise, why would he make 3 very bad mistakes in 2 games when in the previous 50 he'd probably only let in one or two goals in total that could be classed as 'howlers'.

I think those errors changed everything. Not only did they put off any potential suiters who were flocking to Sixfields regularly scouting him, It also effected his confidence. He was never the same player again.

I didn't agree with him being dropped, the 'error' against scum was not in any way shape or form a howler. Plus the keeper coming in for him was not up to the standard of Smith even on poor form. But the writing was on the wall at that point. He needed a new environment, a new challenge, a new set of team mates etc.

I did think, given that he was out of contract and therefore free, that a championship club would take a punt on him as a number2 on a healthy contract. Clearly that hasn't happened, and he will be playing his football at the same level on the kind of money he would have got here if he'd been sensible 12 months ago when he was offered a better contract. Factor in he's going to have to relocate many miles from his home, family, friends etc, its a big error of judgement on his and his agents part.

Smith could and should still become a top2 tier goal keeper. He's got the talent to achieve that, I have no doubt of that. But playing in front of 20,000 plus crowds every week in high pressure environments is totally different to the lower leagues. The Bristol Rovers crowd are very unforgiving, far more so than our lot. This move could go either way for him, he might not even be first choice there.

Ultimately his head was turned after a very successful season. It happens all the time, not just in football obviously. Sometimes an individual benefits, sometimes they don't. Whats happened to Smith is a reminder to all of us that the grass isn't always greener somewhere else, that we should always remain humble at all times displaying loyalty and total commitment in our chosen career paths. Opportunities will then arise on the back of that.

I hope Smith 'makes it' but his move to Bristol shows how 'average' his stock has become. If he gets his head down, sorts his head out in time for the big games and finds his form from 12 months ago, Bristol Rovers and him will both benefit big time. Just like we should have done. He's a good lad is Smithy, I 100% hope he becomes the keeper he's capable of. But the first thing he should do now is get himself a new agent!

He conceded 5 against BRovers !! So they signed him up!!

Hope you've got over that cold, mate.

Source Neil

Have not had a cold for over 12 months now

You only get to use my first name if you're weird like Shoey.

Thats no problem on here "Neil"