Ross Hannah: Not Good Enough?

It suddenly hit me the other day. 7 goals last season that weren't pens. His strengths aren't pace like Pittman, hold up play like Lenny or finishing like Pittman again. What are his qualities? Someone save me from my misery please.

Is he good enough for a promotion chasing conference team? Definitely can be, we've seen that. In his loan spell, and a handful of games since he's shown he can drag defences from left to right, he can make one or both centre backs worry where he is at all times...

What I would say though is not good enough, often enough. Sometimes he looks like he has a phobia of the goal... Think he has been cut a lot of slack from the fans compared to Lenny, and I hope he starts to find his form again because he could score lots of goals for us.

I know it wasn't a proper game, but he scored two on Tuesday night. I think he just doesn't partner LJL well.

I think if he'd been given the free run that Lennie has had he'd have bagged a lot more goals. Even just maintaining his actual strike rate it would've been an improvement, and that's not allowing for better form through being played consistently.

A clear example of mismanagement by Hurst.

Quoted from SamTheMariner

It suddenly hit me the other day. 7 goals last season that weren't pens.

Did I miss something or do pens not count anymore?

The problem with Hannah is that if he's not scoring, he's not really doing much at all. Not big, not quick, not strong on the ball, not a great touch though I can't fault his workrate in closing down the opposition players.

If he was more consistently capable of showing the finishing form of his loan period, he'd be a great player at this level. As it has stood over the past 18 months, he misses more really good chances than he scores. The last Torquay game is a case in point - in the second half (before the injury to LJL took us down to ten men), he missed two sitters which could have earned us a point following the poor first half performance.

The less said about his long-range free-kicks, the better, as I can't remember him even getting close.

Hopefully, his goals the other night will give him a bit of confidence to get him on a scoring run because you would certainly hope he'd be capable of getting near 20 goals in a season. It would be handy if he did hit some form so we didn't feel the need to rush Pittman back as well.

Quoted from wigworld

I know it wasn't a proper game, but he scored two on Tuesday night. I think he just doesn't partner LJL well.

Where a game plan or tactics are designed to compliment Ross Hannahs strengths he will score  , unfortunately they aren't  . Like you say , the partnership you mentioned doesn't ,  

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I think if he'd been given the free run that Lennie has had he'd have bagged a lot more goals. Even just maintaining his actual strike rate it would've been an improvement, and that's not allowing for better form through being played consistently.

A clear example of mismanagement by Hurst.

yeah of course - jesus

Pittman and Lenny is definitely the best partnership at the club

TBF if he had not scored tother nite who would have?

Quoted from pizzzza

Did I miss something or do pens not count anymore?

No its just that if he only scored 7 from open play then that resembles a poor finisher.

Quoted from SamTheMariner

No its just that if he only scored 7 from open play then that resembles a poor finisher.

Do you think all 7 were from open play?

Quoted from SamTheMariner

Pittman and Lenny is definitely the best partnership at the club

Thats the ptoblem not being able to rely on Pittman .

I like Ross. he's a worker, tries really hard and he can actually finish. Ok he's not massively talented but I suspect if he went to another conference side he would bag a load of goals. I think he's being messed around a bit. I would like to see him given a run with Pittman with Lenny dropping to the bench.

As i have said elsewhere recently...for actual game time on the pitch last season he averaged just about a goal every other game, a 1 in 2 strike rate...play him for 40 games......tadaaaah!!
Or.... sub him first, drop him for an off game, give him 15 minute cameos, give him 5 different partners to play with, hit long high balls to his head.... and then see if he can score 20!!

Hannah has just scored 2 skillful goals and his goalscoring ability is being questioned.  

Quoted from Maringer

not a great touch

Disagree.
Thought some of his first touches (especially some passes with the outside of his foot) were delightful on Tuesday.
Of course you also need the intelligence, another asset.

Yes he gets bundled off the ball sometimes but think he holds it up better than people give him credit for.
Short of size you need a skillful touch and he's got enough of that in his locker.
A better outfield player than he gets credit for IMO.

Spot on for me, 80's.

Quoted from Southernboy

yeah of course - jesus

No that's not me. He lives up Nottingham way last time I spoke to him.

His main attributes are running around a lot when we don't have the ball, moving his arms really fast so it looks like he's running at a pace faster than a snail. Oh, and not forgetting failing to beat the offside trap.

I don't think it's any co-incidence that his best games have come without playing with LJL. That's not a dig at LJL, it's not their fault they don't partner well but we all know Hannah can do it. We've all seen it and players don't turn Into bad players over night, I think he's been pretty poorly man managed too.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I don't think it's any co-incidence that his best games have come without playing with LJL. That's not a dig at LJL, it's not their fault they don't partner well but we all know Hannah can do it. We've all seen it and players don't turn Into bad players over night, I think he's been pretty poorly man managed too.

Poor man management? How? Hannah is not good enough, he's always offside and he offers virtually nothing to the team. I'd take Lenny every day of the week over Hannah (loan spell excluded).

Hannah is dropped after one poor game, very very often. How often do you see Lenny dropped after a poor game? Anybody in the right mind can see Hannah and Lenny do not work yet Hannah is always the one to suffer for it.

Poorly managed as in gets dropped every other game!!! Yet Lenny plays all the time!!!

I wouldnt care if My Striker did sodomist all all match but popped up with goals ......As already said a striker like Hannah needs to get games to keep sharp in front of goal .

I dont feel ross as much as i would like him to be is capable of scoring sufficient goals to get us up the sharp end of the league in playoff/promotion positions. am not saying he doesnt have ability, as he does, but he does not have an all round game that sees him as a complete striker. Yes i know not everyone does have otherwise they would not be playing at conference level, but it would be easier to fit him in the team if he had other assets to his game, like a good long range shot, or be great in the air etc, but he simply doesnt have these in his locker. If i was a defender it would not take me long to work him out and nullify any threat from him, just drop off and give him the ball, and not let him turn you, or play a tight offside against him, I do feel like others have mentioned he has been short changed in that he has not had a run of games to boost confidence but as for others saying he cannot forge a partnership with LJL, then christ what do we work on in training, he is a pro and shouild be able to adapt his game (as well as the others, am not just singling him out). The likes of Pittman from what i have seen of him, and hearn did before his injuries was to score differnet types of goals, and creat chances for themselves,Am happy to be proved wrong here but ross is a bit one dimentional i am afraid and as such will not be a 20 goal a season striker.  Prove me wrong ross PLEASE !!!!!!!!!

Quoted from northbankmariner

but it would be easier to fit him in the team if he had other assets to his game, like a good long range shot, or be great in the air etc, but he simply doesnt have these in his locker.

I thought this was one of his strengths !
Ok his strikerate maybe poor but surely there's no doubt it's in his locker (close from long range before) and guessing it's only a matter of time...

Just imagine Hearn from two years ago in this side. Lenny would be the perfect partner.

Quoted from 120797

I thought this was one of his strengths !
Ok his strikerate maybe poor but surely there's no doubt it's in his locker (close from long range before) and guessing it's only a matter of time...

I'm always a bit worried about where the ball's going to go when I see Hannah about to shoot from range! The one against Hyde was decent but I can't remember any other goals from outside the area?

My view is that because he's not the fastest guy out there, he ends up trying stealing a few yards which regually goes wrong with being often found to be offside. But to be fair, and this isn't meant as a snipe at LJL, I rate Hannah more than I rate LJL.

Quoted from moosey_club

As i have said elsewhere recently...for actual game time on the pitch last season he averaged just about a goal every other game, a 1 in 2 strike rate...play him for 40 games......tadaaaah!!
Or.... sub him first, drop him for an off game, give him 15 minute cameos, give him 5 different partners to play with, hit long high balls to his head.... and then see if he can score 20!!

Yeah I think you make some good points.

Quoted from Tinymariner

Spot on for me, 80's.

For me too  

Hannah scores some really nice goals, in my opinion. Both strikes on Tuesday night were real strikers goals. If the rest of the team fashions enough chances for him, he will put a good percentage of them away. If the team does not create decent chances he won't score many. It's a team game.

Quoted from TonySmith

Hannah scores some really nice goals, in my opinion. Both strikes on Tuesday night were real strikers goals. If the rest of the team fashions enough chances for him, he will put a good percentage of them away. If the team does not create decent chances he won't score many. It's a team game.

Agree, given the right chances most times he will score, when Neilson goes on one of his runs Hannahs often lurking in the box waiting for a pass that does not come

Quoted from horsforthmariner

I like Ross. he's a worker, tries really hard.

Ideally a essential quality in any footballer