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[Sid Bishop]

I'm not sure if many will argue that third tier championship winning full backs, and club legends, would be worse as actual footballers than two poor fourth tier full backs.

But the lads of today would be able to last 90 minutes, those of 50 years ago wouldn't. It's just a different game now, Sid.

That is your opinion but I do not share it. You cant tell me that Dennis Rofe and Mick Jones, full of action, fast overlapping full backs, did less running etc than Sam Ling who hardly breaks a trot most of the game and Joe Widdowson who rarely ever ventures out of his own half !
Todays Os players are hardly supermen are they ! Dennis Rofe played in the First Division for many seasons as first choice left back for a very fine Leicester City team, also played for Chelsea and Southampton, no contest in comparison to Joe Widdowson.

I did share your opinion that they are better footballers. Not sure your comparison is overly fair. Why didn't you choose some unknown full backs from a comparable season in the Fourth Division?

You don't share the opinion that modern day footballers are fitter than blokes from 50 years ago? I'm sure they were full of action, fast overlapping etc. But against a bunch of other players of a similar condition. Put them in a 2020 game and it would be a different story, although they are probably much better actual footballers.

I can understand comparing the fitness of some players in positions where you have to work their socks off, do a lot of running at pace e.g Brophy for just one example. Cant see the strolling Widdowson and Ling putting in anywhere that amount of work. Lastly, one of the fittest players in the squad is 39 year old Jobi !

[PoliticOs]

That is your opinion but I do not share it. You cant tell me that Dennis Rofe and Mick Jones, full of action, fast overlapping full backs, did less running etc than Sam Ling who hardly breaks a trot most of the game and Joe Widdowson who rarely ever ventures out of his own half !
Todays Os players are hardly supermen are they ! Dennis Rofe played in the First Division for many seasons as first choice left back for a very fine Leicester City team, also played for Chelsea and Southampton, no contest in comparison to Joe Widdowson.

I did share your opinion that they are better footballers. Not sure your comparison is overly fair. Why didn't you choose some unknown full backs from a comparable season in the Fourth Division?

You don't share the opinion that modern day footballers are fitter than blokes from 50 years ago? I'm sure they were full of action, fast overlapping etc. But against a bunch of other players of a similar condition. Put them in a 2020 game and it would be a different story, although they are probably much better actual footballers.

I can understand comparing the fitness of some players in positions where you have to work their socks off, do a lot of running at pace e.g Brophy for just one example. Cant see the strolling Widdowson and Ling putting in anywhere that amount of work. Lastly, one of the fittest players in the squad is 39 year old Jobi !

That's comparing a different thing though Sid, aint it? You've specifically chosen two underwhelming examples versus two overwhelming examples on purpose. On average, the modern day fitness would be too much for your lads. That doesn't diminish their achievements or legend.

Yep, fair point. But Jobi McAnuff began his career in 2001. Mick Jones started in 1963. Smoking was recommended by Doctors back then. Most training (from every autobiography I've read of the time) consisted of 5 a side and country runs. It's just a different game, there isn't any shame in it.

[Oiram]

Extra shooting practice required for Craig Clay !

I recommend ‘Readers Wives’. A friend suggested.

[Dohnut]

Dohnut, I know you like a little stat/report, do you know the average amount of touches a player makes in a game? Without looking it up, what would you guess at?

It took Ling tonight 15 minutes and 1 second to have his 12 touch of the ball. Massive improvement from his 12 touches in a whole game that I commented on. The reason why I counted that game because he didn’t touch the ball for the first 10 minutes, so I took note.

A measure of how much more involved he has become.

I'm not watching, but good to hear. Although it's not all about how many touches, the answer to the question by the way is an average of 20-40 touches a game, so it's not actually all that ridiculous. I think most people would probably guess at 100. I'd be really chuffed with a result tonight, I don't have us down to win.

The main reason, more important than the number of touches is his involvement. A big change now is Coulson actually passes the ball to him. Something he just didn’t do before. Ling is also getting in some tackles and getting forward, though still tends to make the simple pass back. He’s not alone in that. His involvement in the game has been much improved of late. He has become part of the team rather than a bystander. Is he a L2 quality player? Just about if he continues the way he is, just. When he has a good game.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Did anyone calculate how many kilometres Ling passed it backwards tonight

This is the most annoying aspect of his game. The pass back to Coulson or Vigaro, so they can lump it long instead of him.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Yeah I actually just don't really care anymore. I don't even rate Sam Ling. I'm just a bit bored of how its not uncommon for a right back to not be that involved anyway, particularly one of limited attacking ability, so we could find pretty disastrous stats for most of them but we have to make everything about Ling so here we are. I'm not even watching.

What was Ling Vs Brophy in the first 10, when Doh commented?

Don’t know, I wasn’t counting, maybe dohy can answer.

Of Lings first 12 touches, 4 were throw ins and 8 were backwards passes to either Vig or Couls.

[Max B Gold]

Yeah I actually just don't really care anymore. I don't even rate Sam Ling. I'm just a bit bored of how its not uncommon for a right back to not be that involved anyway, particularly one of limited attacking ability, so we could find pretty disastrous stats for most of them but we have to make everything about Ling so here we are. I'm not even watching.

What was Ling Vs Brophy in the first 10, when Doh commented?

Don’t know, I wasn’t counting, maybe dohy can answer.

Of Lings first 12 touches, 4 were throw ins and 8 were backwards passes to either Vig or Couls.

Its hard to knock a 100% pass completion rate.

[Dohnut]

Did anyone calculate how many kilometres Ling passed it backwards tonight

This is the most annoying aspect of his game. The pass back to Coulson or Vigaro, so they can lump it long instead of him.

To be fair, Ling is not alone in looking for a negative pass, though he does seem to lack the confidence to be aggressive. Tonight though he was not alone. No worse than anyone else at the back.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Did anyone calculate how many kilometres Ling passed it backwards tonight

This is the most annoying aspect of his game. The pass back to Coulson or Vigaro, so they can lump it long instead of him.

To be fair, Ling is not alone in looking for a negative pass, though he does seem to lack the confidence to be aggressive. Tonight though he was not alone. No worse than anyone else at the back.

Yes, yes he was. The other three all passed forward much, much more often than he did. Brophy and Happe ran out with the ball more often than he played it forward.

[Dohnut]

This is the most annoying aspect of his game. The pass back to Coulson or Vigaro, so they can lump it long instead of him.

To be fair, Ling is not alone in looking for a negative pass, though he does seem to lack the confidence to be aggressive. Tonight though he was not alone. No worse than anyone else at the back.

Yes, yes he was. The other three all passed forward much, much more often than he did. Brophy and Happe ran out with the ball more often than he played it forward.

Thinking about it you are right. Brophy went forward quite a lot, Happe too gave it a go.

[Oiram]

Great song

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Is this thread the equivalent of someone constantly shouting FORWARD at brissie road?

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Is this thread the equivalent of someone constantly shouting FORWARD at brissie road?

Maybe a bit.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

Dohnut, I know you like a little stat/report, do you know the average amount of touches a player makes in a game? Without looking it up, what would you guess at?

It took Ling tonight 15 minutes and 1 second to have his 12 touch of the ball. Massive improvement from his 12 touches in a whole game that I commented on. The reason why I counted that game because he didn’t touch the ball for the first 10 minutes, so I took note.

A measure of how much more involved he has become.

I'm not watching, but good to hear. Although it's not all about how many touches, the answer to the question by the way is an average of 20-40 touches a game, so it's not actually all that ridiculous. I think most people would probably guess at 100. I'd be really chuffed with a result tonight, I don't have us down to win.

20 touches a game eh?