Thoughts on Soares?

tbh i think we need to give the guy a start/chance from the start of a game. In pre season i overly liked what i saw of him ie. running directly at his man and taking on people rather than just panicking and playing panick ball and ending up no where. Also id say it would be unfair to throw him on with 10-15 minutes to go and expect him to somewhat change the game. I think if we reverted back to 442 and stuck him on the left it would work a darn sight better. Especially with the sort of strikers we are playing (Cook, Pearson, Elding) whom are target men, and could benefit from soares getting in behind the defence. What are everyone elses thoughts?

anyone fancy sharing their view?

He joined us at the end of January last year, he's had a few starts inc Saturday and he's shown nothing, imo. We're staring into the abyss as this division slowly suffocates us, the last thing we need is a player who needs to be gently coaxed into settling in and showing us what he is paid to do. Personally I'm at a loss as to how Hughes Mason was deemed not up to scratch with a handful of appearances yet Soares is constantly given these chances. KHM may not have been the full article but he looked better (or maybe just more confident with a little less potential/ability) than Soares.
I'm more than willing to eat my words on this but right now he's a poor signing.

Quoted from HungryHaddock

anyone fancy sharing their view?

Give us a minute!

I thought he was brilliant pre-season. I broadly agree, but he did start last Saturday, and he was awful.

One of the worst performances I've seen from a Town player on Saturday. He barely touched the ball and, on the rare occasions he did, he either lost it or was caught in possession.

He's obviously got some ability - you don't score as many goals in half a season as he did last year by chance - but he's not managed to show it since he joined us.

I hate to say it, but he's looking like a really, really poor signing.

Very lightweight and seems to be mentally weak, going on his form last season when he was up north all on his own (bless him).  I've seen nothing from him so far, and it's been a while now.

I'm not sure I'd want to be in the trenches with this chap.

Quoted from wigworld

Give us a minute!

I thought he was brilliant pre-season. I broadly agree, but he did start last Saturday, and he was awful.

thats true, but on that performance he shouldnt be thrown out the side, i think he deserves another chance instead of Artus on the left hand side of the 3 in midfield. I also agree with the other post about Hughes-Mason i thought it was a big mistake letting him go

He's quickly running out of chances. It's a bit like how Fernando Torres scored bucketloads of goals but then suddenly became useless.

I thought we now had a reserve side where he could build his confidence?

I have not seen him pre season or the game on Saturday I can only comment on what I have seen of him last season.
He is one of the worst players I have seen in a Town shirt for a long while and there have been a good few.
Not a very good footballer and no footballing brain even for this level.
The lovers of Soares (who give me loads of sh1t for my opinion of him) always go on about his history of goal scoring for his previous club for some reason. I just look at him as a Town player and he's just not good enough in any position on the pitch.
Our Managers want there heads testing for signing him, what the fook they see in him don't know.
My first game will be early Sep when I get home and I hope not to see the bloke on the pitch then.

Thought he was gash And too lightweight when he first signed but gave him a chance and was impressed in pre season. Then he was gash on Sat but he's got potential and needs to knuckle down and bang in a few goals that will see the lad on his way.

Alternatively I can see Rob Scott shouting and swearing at him which won't work at all he'll just go back into his shell he needs an arm round the shoulder kind of player.

Not a winger that's for sure..

Maybe one of the players who came with good reviews but as soon as they put a town shirt on they are excrement.

Over the last few days I've read much criticism/abuse of Soares which seems a little disproportionate to what's being dished out to some of the other players.  

Saturday was the first time I've seen him play, and whilst he wasn't great, Thomas, Hatton and Cook were far worse.  Thomas needs an age on the ball, looks scared in possession and then hoofs it, Hatton was slow reacting and slow over distance and didn't look bothered, and Cook was anonymous.

Where was Soares asked to play?  It was hard to tell but he certainly wasn't playing as a winger.  What he did do was constantly ask for the ball from Thomas to his feet.  He came short and showed for the ball regularly but was ignored.  He looked to play it rather than hoof it, although admittedly without much success.  He also put in more effort than most.  He looked like he wanted to be there and play and show what he could do - if the rest had done this we may have got somewhere.

I'm not saying he was great, just not that bad.  Funnily enough, the best bit of football in the game was a couple of swift one twos between him and Thomas that led to Elding shooting wide.

Quoted from 75

I'm not sure I'd want to be in the trenches with this chap.

The worrying thing is.. i'm not sure how many of the current squad i'd want in my trench.

Pearson? Perhaps.
Wood? Maybe. But he'd probably do his duties for 85 minutes and then pull the pin on a grenade.

After that, i'm at a loss.

Not saying they're bad lads. They're certainly not mercenaries like Conlon or Butler. For the most part, I think they WANT to do well but as you say, for whatever reason we seem to have such a weak minded, quiet, timid squad.

I want to see them puffing their chests out and taking the urine out of cloggers like Nuneaton. Far too much respect for these tinpot, nothing teams.

[quote] Wood? Maybe. But he'd probably do his duties for 85 minutes and then pull the pin on a grenade. [quote]


possibly the best sentence i've ever read on the fishy. Hillarious.

Didn't he score his goals for Ebbsfleet from centre midfield?

Quoted from cardiffmariner

Saturday was the first time I've seen him play, and whilst he wasn't great, Thomas, Hatton and Cook were far worse.  Thomas needs an age on the ball, looks scared in possession and then hoofs it, Hatton was slow reacting and slow over distance and didn't look bothered, and Cook was anonymous.

Where was Soares asked to play?  It was hard to tell but he certainly wasn't playing as a winger.  What he did do was constantly ask for the ball from Thomas to his feet.  He came short and showed for the ball regularly but was ignored.  He looked to play it rather than hoof it, although admittedly without much success.  He also put in more effort than most.  He looked like he wanted to be there and play and show what he could do - if the rest had done this we may have got somewhere.

I don't particularly disagree with your assessments of Thomas, Hatton and Cook, but Soares was by some distance worse than them on the day. Thomas and Hatton at least defended moderately well even if they offered little else. Cook was utterly invisible but I thought Soares was actually a negative influence for us!

Soares may have managed one or two half-decent passes during his time on the pitch but this didn't make up for the fact that he lost possession so easily on various other occasions. I can understand why his teammates might not have been keen to pass the ball into his feet as he was badly caught in possession two or three times after dwelling on the ball in the first 15 minutes alone.

I'm sure he's got a lot more ability than that performance would indicate, so I can only hope he will show it to us sooner rather than later.

Quoted from carrot top

Didn't he score his goals for Ebbsfleet from centre midfield?

It was Hayes & Yeading, but yes, he played as a central midfielder there.

Perhaps worth trying him as an attacking player behind the front two in a 4-3-1-2 sort of formation?

Quoted from Maringer

Perhaps worth trying him as an attacking player behind the front two in a 4-3-1-2 sort of formation?

I always think that's an excuse for a lazy central midfielder. Sweeney would have loved it there. Though his mates behind him would have struggled to contain their opponents with an extra man.

Quoted from Maringer

Perhaps worth trying him as an attacking player behind the front two in a 4-3-1-2 sort of formation?

I think you are absolutely spot on with that suggestion, on the rare occasions we actually try to play the ball
on the deck it takes Disley and Niven an age to get the ball forward, perhaps if they could knock an easy 5 yard pass quickly to Soares playing in  the 'hole' we could attack on the floor with a bit of pace for a change.

Quoted from Les Brechin

It was Hayes & Yeading, but yes, he played as a central midfielder there.

I think a lot of his goals were penalties as well.

Quoted from Les Brechin

It was Hayes & Yeading, but yes, he played as a central midfielder there.

Hayes & Yeading, Ebbsfleet, all the same to me. Thanks for putting me right though Les

I'd rather see Niven in the middle with the clear instruction to chase, hassle and bulldoze any opposition with a 30 yard perimeter of Thanoj and give him the room to try and orchestrate some midfield movement. Thus Soares would come into play while in the oppositions half with room to 'do his thing', not playing backward/side passes from the halfway line as he receives a panicky nothing ball as we become entrenched in our own half for the umpteenth time. Disley can sit on the bench and watch.

Just looked at his stats on Soccerbase and of the 15 goals he scored for H&Y last season only 1 came in a win!!

Pretty useless information but just thought I'd share that with you.

In the middle behind the front 2 is his position. He has a good strike on him and can take people on. But out wide he looks lost. If S & H signed him as a wide player left or right, then they got it wrong.

Strange but pre season at times he looked like a World beater, maybe he has the same traites as Bore, tbf though at the moment he`s looking average

Quoted from Garth

Strange but pre season at times he looked like a World beater, maybe he has the same traites as Bore, tbf though at the moment he`s looking average

I'd take average at the moment. Blimey, we look shocking.

He just looks weak as urine to me wouldn't look out of place in toni&guy, I'll accept its early days and give the lad chance but we need a massive improvement from him going on what I've seen.

Personally, i think he is a really good player who is being played out of position, he can not play left or right midfield? hes not a natural midfielder, he more of a centre forward, he likes to play just of the striker and find the gap between the oppositions midfield and defence. He played that position in the second half against Doncaster with Elding infront of him and look really lively. Its the same for Artus, they are both being made to look bad players because the are stuck on the left of midfield, Soares is clearly a more of a centre forward and Artus a central midfielder. A natural left midfielder is what we are missing personally.

Much safer to judge him when the team plays well IMO - no one shone attacking wise on Saturday.

Shouldn't we be asking why the team isn't performing instead ?
Like the majority I totally agreed with the starting line up on Saturday (and maybe I'm wrong and the managers were wrong) but perhaps if we're not performing then we're just not performing.

Not saying players don't make a difference and maybe left wing isn't his best position but he looked alright out there vs Hull !
So is tweaking players in and out really the underlying issue (whatever it may be) here ?
You tell me...

One things for sure, when Town players underperform, they often do it all at the same time ! (and vice versa).

Quoted from 1600

Much safer to judge him when the team plays well IMO - no one shone attacking wise on Saturday.

Shouldn't we be asking why the team isn't performing instead ?
Like the majority I totally agreed with the starting line up on Saturday (and maybe I'm wrong and the managers were wrong) but perhaps if we're not performing then we're just not performing.

Not saying players don't make a difference and maybe left wing isn't his best position but he looked alright out there vs Hull !
So is tweaking players in and out really the underlying issue (whatever it may be) here ?
You tell me...

One things for sure, when Town players underperform, they often do it all at the same time ! (and vice versa).

I don't know what the odds are on 11 professional footballers being unlucky enough to all have a bad day on the same day but just maybe there are some faults with the instructions they are being given.
The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that we wasted pre-season. The managers don't appear to have any more understanding of what constitutes our best tactics/best XI than they did eight weeks ago

I don't know what the odds are on 11 professional footballers being unlucky enough to all have a bad day on the same day but just maybe there are some faults with the instructions they are being given.
The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that we wasted pre-season. The managers don't appear to have any more understanding of what constitutes our best tactics/best XI than they did eight weeks ago

Nail on head.

Quoted from barralad

I don't know what the odds are on 11 professional footballers being unlucky enough to all have a bad day on the same day but just maybe there are some faults with the instructions they are being given.

That's exactly what I was driving at.
Either that or the players (for whatever reason) aren't carrying them out.

Quoted from barralad

The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that we wasted pre-season. The managers don't appear to have any more understanding of what constitutes our best tactics/best XI than they did eight weeks ago

I feel the same for slightly different reasons but tbf it's easy in hindsight.
Nornally when the team doesn't win you see changes so maybe it's just another way of saying we haven't cracked it yet.

Quoted from 2578

I don't know what the odds are on 11 professional footballers being unlucky enough to all have a bad day on the same day but just maybe there are some faults with the instructions they are being given.
The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that we wasted pre-season. The managers don't appear to have any more understanding of what constitutes our best tactics/best XI than they did eight weeks ago

Nail on head.

i totally agree with this

Quoted from HungryHaddock

i totally agree with this

And me too, if you play two different sides each half of just about every friendly what do you achieve?
No continuity in play, or understanding/interaction  of the players and it seems from  the variable team selections and substitutions so far that S & H are no nearer knowing their first choice team than they were when training resumed, which is, frankly, pathetic.

Quoted from petethemariner

And me too, if you play two different sides each half of just about every friendly what do you achieve?
No continuity in play, or understanding/interaction  of the players and it seems from  the variable team selections and substitutions so far that S & H are no nearer knowing their first choice team than they were when training resumed, which is, frankly, pathetic.

You achieve a dire start to the season as proven twice in a row. If these two clowns get another full season they will make the same mistakes again in pre season and we will be sat in the same position again.

As for soares he suffers from not playing one out and out position. Is he a winger, attacking mid, striker? I know he shouldn't be anywhere near the team right now. 1st pre season game and he was afraid to run at his full back and Boro are a standard much lower than conference level.

If he scored 17 goals for Hayes then there is a footballer in there somewhere. It's the job of our managers to get it out on the pitch. Unfortunately that is just another failing on their behalf.

Wrexham 5 Town 0 should start the fat lady off.

It was absolutely dire on Sat.  We should not be so quick though to expect a similar poor performance against Wrexham.   The week before we won at Liverpool (says it does seem like from another era ) we lost 2-0 at home to Rotherham.  We were very poor in that game.  Many fans joked that Liverpool would need to extend their scoreboard to double figures. The rest was history.  

The players (and managers) will have the chance to redeem themselves at Wrexham.  Let us hope that they do this with some fight. pride and spirit.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

It was absolutely dire on Sat.  We should not be so quick though to expect a similar poor performance against Wrexham.   The week before we won at Liverpool (says it does seem like from another era ) we lost 2-0 at home to Rotherham.  We were very poor in that game.  Many fans joked that Liverpool would need to extend their scoreboard to double figures. The rest was history.  

The players (and managers) will have the chance to redeem themselves at Wrexham.  Let us hope that they do this with some fight. pride and spirit.

You could well be right, i sincerely hope you are, but it will be a rearguard action Sat, so S & H will set out not to lose ( if they can) however the next home game we have to breakdown a part-time outfit who 'park the bus', i fear  you will see clearly the  shortfalls of our management 'team'

Quoted from petethemariner

And me too, if you play two different sides each half of just about every friendly what do you achieve?

Well you say that Pete but we put in impressive perormances vs Hull and Donny and there were a fair few changes at H/T in those games too.

Quoted from 1600

Well you say that Pete but we put in impressive perormances vs Hull and Donny and there were a fair few changes at H/T in those games too.

This is a genuine question because I didn't see pre-season. Did the managers build on those good performances by trying the same thing in the next friendly. For example player A plays well against Hull so he starts the next friendly in that position. It might be over simplistic but that would give you a jigsaw effect with the positions being filled until you reach the proverbial "last piece"
The downside to this masterful management stroke on my behalf is of course that it assumes that Player A etc. are good in a particular position. There was certainly some acclaim from the more sensible posters on here for some of the performances....

Quoted from 1600

Well you say that Pete but we put in impressive perormances vs Hull and Donny and there were a fair few changes at H/T in those games too.

Tis true however they were friendlys and if my memory serves me right Hull did seem a tad disinterested as it was a benifit match

Maybe if John Moores (?) stopped insisting on calling him bloody "Suarez" on the Mariners World highlights, he'd play a lot better.  

Quoted from 1600

Well you say that Pete but we put in impressive perormances vs Hull and Donny and there were a fair few changes at H/T in those games too.

Yes thats fair enough  comment 80's, i wasn't at either game, d'ont do friendlies, but the results weren't bad i agree, but it is still pretty obvious that the managers d'ont know their best team or  their best formation even now, 3 games into the season, which is shocking IMO.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Maybe if John Moores (?) stopped insisting on calling him bloody "Suarez" on the Mariners World highlights, he'd play a lot better.  

We should call him "John Muarez" until he stops

Quoted from RoboCod

We should call him "John Muarez" until he stops

We ll have him back if you don't want him

Quoted from barralad

This is a genuine question because I didn't see pre-season. Did the managers build on those good performances by trying the same thing in the next friendly.

No but they did vs Stockport  

But seriously...
Make your own mind up. (won't include Winerton 1 day after the Hull game)

Hull (lineup) http://www.thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1342824852/s-3/#num3
Scunny (Ratings): http://www.thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1343163006/s-20/#num20
Barton (lineup) : http://www.thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1343494862/

Quoted from barralad

For example player A plays well against Hull so he starts the next friendly in that position.

Well we played 2 different teams per half at Hull so it depends which player you want to pick !  

Quoted from barralad

It might be over simplistic but that would give you a jigsaw effect with the positions being filled until you reach the proverbial "last piece" The downside to this masterful management stroke on my behalf is of course that it assumes that Player A etc. are good in a particular position. There was certainly some acclaim from the more sensible posters on here for some of the performances....

You've lost me here - what has acclaim for a team performance got to do with anyone assuming players are good in particular positions ?
Actually if you take Scunny we had Soares on the right and Artus on the left but I've never once thought that's the best way forward !

Basic facts are we changed things around big time and still did well.

But if you look at the Scunny "just back" thread (first page) you'll see I made the comment:

Quoted from 1600

It's getting harder and harder not to be optimistic but I'll reserve final judgment until we dominate opposition for long periods (obviously we couldn't tonight !)

Think this is the most important point of the lot !

It's all well and good defending and scrapping to victory in numbers(ironically I even made a comment of seeing Artus at full back  ) and hitting teams on the counter but it's entirely another having the "know-how" (or tactics IMO !) to unlock defences and teams sat behind the ball.

I reckon we're all getting slightly bogged down with formations, team selections etc (never thought I'd say that !   ).
Because unless the basics of the team are right(fingers crossed sorted soon !), perhaps it's not overly important.

I personally guess it all boils down to whether S&H have an attacking gameplan and can teach the general skills to succeed.
But who knows...

Quoted from 1600

No but they did vs Stockport  

But seriously...
Make your own mind up. (won't include Winerton 1 day after the Hull game)

Hull (lineup) http://www.thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1342824852/s-3/#num3
Scunny (Ratings): http://www.thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1343163006/s-20/#num20
Barton (lineup) : http://www.thefishy.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1343494862/


Well we played 2 different teams per half at Hull so it depends which player you want to pick !  



You've lost me here - what has acclaim for a team performance got to do with anyone assuming players are good in particular positions ?
Actually if you take Scunny we had Soares on the right and Artus on the left but I've never once thought that's the best way forward !

Basic facts are we changed things around big time and still did well.

But if you look at the Scunny "just back" thread (first page) you'll see I made the comment:


Think this is the most important point of the lot !

It's all well and good defending and scrapping to victory in numbers(ironically I even made a comment of seeing Artus at full back  ) and hitting teams on the counter but it's entirely another having the "know-how" (or tactics IMO !) to unlock defences and teams sat behind the ball.

I reckon we're all getting slightly bogged down with formations, team selections etc (never thought I'd say that !   ).
Because unless the basics of the team are right(fingers crossed sorted soon !), perhaps it's not overly important.

I personally guess it all boils down to whether S&H have an attacking gameplan and can teach the general skills to succeed.
But who knows...

I thought it was fairly obvious that I meant individual performances NOT the team but I could have added the word "individual". I'm basically a simple soul and despite your explanation I don't see how we are in the situation where it appears that we don't know what our best team is.
Just reading through your ratings for the Hull match gives me an insight into the problem. Cook, G Pearson (nippy? and Colbeck haven't shown any of the attributes you credit them with. That isn't a criticism of your view BTW.

We can all sit there pontificating about players and formations and the inept ?managers, but one thing still remains constant , that we will still go down to the park and support the team. After all that is what we are doing , remember players come and go but we still support the team, whoever is in charge or plays for the team.
I get fed up, every seasonwe have to listen to people slagging players and managers off,just because we are not storming the league. What people have to remember is that we are at the level we are because of circumstances, too many to mention.
Players are at this level because they are perhaps not good enough for the next level, pay peanuts you get monkey's as the saying goes,so I say stop bitching and have faith, it will be our turn again soon.
Just think you could live in a part of the country where there is not a team to support, so think on

Quoted from lawsman

We can all sit there pontificating about players and formations and the inept ?managers, but
one thing still remains constant , that we will still go down to the park and support the team. After all that is what we are doing , remember players come and go but we still support the team, whoever is in charge or plays for the team.
I get fed up, every seasonwe have to listen to people slagging players and managers off,just because we are not storming the league. What people have to remember is that we are at the level we are because of circumstances, too many to mention.
Players are at this level because they are perhaps not good enough for the next level, pay peanuts you get monkey's as the saying goes,so I say stop bitching and have faith, it will be our turn again soon.
Just think you could live in a part of the country where there is not a team to support, so think on

Nothings given in life. You don't just sit there waiting for your turn, you try as best you can to make your turn the next one.
Success is earned, fought for and the spoils of sweat and sacrifice.