Maguire-Drew

Anybody else notice he walked right off the pitch immediately following the final whistle, without acknowledging anyone.

Jordan Cropper mouthed to Pearson ‘what’s wrong with him’ before having to chat with Coke who seemed to gesticulate about something happening.

Anyone any idea what’s gone on?

Probably annoyed with being on the bench

Quoted from livosnose

Probably annoyed with being on the bench

And only coming on for 10 mins

Until he learns that there's two sides to the game, Hurst will keep using him as an impact sub. Kiernan kept tracking back and tackling when he was on the right, which Hurst likes.

JMD has loads of skill and makes things happen, but he has to work hard too. Shame really as he scores regularly and puts over some great deliveries, but I don't think Hurst quite trusts him for 90 mins.

Can be the only reason because it's not lack of talent.

I said to my brother when it was changed around that it reminded me of Halifax at home last season.

He’s a class act to have in the squad (imho) so hopefully it was just ego over anything else

Glad he is drunk off. Don't want people content to be bench warmers. As others have said, he needs to do the dirty side a bit more or he will always be a L2/conf. squad man. Wasted talent if he doesn't make more of his career.

Quoted from Hagrid

And only coming on for 10 mins

Imagine if he came on even 5 minutes earlier he would have had more of a chance to impact the game. When we are chasing a game we can't afford to dally over subs and keep delaying hoping the problem will fix itself. JMD showed what can happen when you get some fresh legs that can get something on the ball or deliver a bit of quality.

Think you're making mountains out of molehills lads
https://twitter.com/jmaguiredrew/status/1555978298672422913?t=U86bQg1Ul1_2_jbbPXt3eA&s=19

For me, the problem with JMD isn't to do with tracking back, it's his fitness. You can't fault his workrate when he plays but last season he wasn't fit enough and to start regularly, he needs to be fitter.

Quoted from Kris2

Imagine if he came on even 5 minutes earlier he would have had more of a chance to impact the game. When we are chasing a game we can't afford to dally over subs and keep delaying hoping the problem will fix itself. JMD showed what can happen when you get some fresh legs that can get something on the ball or deliver a bit of quality.

To be fair it was Wearne who really looked like making the difference, had loads of the ball and 3 shots on target.

JMD managed a tidy finish into an empty net. Quality finisher, good on the ball, I just don't think he works hard enough without it and if he was quick he'd be an excellent player.
Immediately after he'd scored he let their fullback breeze past him and they could've scored. Saw the good and bad in 10 minutes.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

For me, the problem with JMD isn't to do with tracking back, it's his fitness. You can't fault his workrate when he plays but last season he wasn't fit enough and to start regularly, he needs to be fitter.

How can he still not be fit? Not injured since about March and a full pre season.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

For me, the problem with JMD isn't to do with tracking back, it's his fitness. You can't fault his workrate when he plays but last season he wasn't fit enough and to start regularly, he needs to be fitter.

Fully agree, however he hasn't had a full pre-season yet and he has improved loads since he first came. So he is making progress.

I don't think it's about fitness at all with jmd, he just lacks decent pace. He would certainly be playing a lot higher level if he had more of it but his a good player who seems to chip in with vital goals.

He’ll get over it, if he doesn’t Hurst just won’t pick him.

May be he just needed a urine…

He probably needed to get off quickly as he probably had something on tonight.  I wouldn’t read anything negative into it.

His goals & assists per minute must be through the roof. Almost always seems to have a hand in something when he plays.

It’s a drawback of the modern game that workrate is preferred to skill and quality. I always think there’s room for more balance and if your going to accommodate hard working players like agree and Clifton there should be room to play someone with JMD’s qualities and have the grafters cover his weaknesses.

It’s a drawback of the modern game that workrate is preferred to skill and quality. I always think there’s room for more balance and if your going to accommodate hard working players like agree and Clifton there should be room to play someone with JMD’s qualities and have the grafters cover his weaknesses.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

It’s a drawback of the modern game that workrate is preferred to skill and quality. I always think there’s room for more balance and if your going to accommodate hard working players like agree and Clifton there should be room to play someone with JMD’s qualities and have the grafters cover his weaknesses.

Maybe that’s exactly why he’s not starting, I do agree with your view here though.

Echo the thoughts of others about JMD's quality, however could be used in games we are expected to dominate at home against teams we are fancied to have alot more of the ball and not chasing? Just a thought but I'm glad he's upset and p!ssed off not to be starting. Had too many players over the years that are happy to just be here and collect a wage.

He's just not naturally as athletic as many (or even most?) professional players. I don't think fitness is a massive part of things for him right now. With his ability, if he had the running capacity of Clifton, he'd be playing a couple of divisions higher. As it stands, he has bags of ability and an eye for goal, but he's not going to outrun anybody or be able to get back and defend as effectively as most, either. Bringing him off the bench is a good ploy and he certainly seems to do better as a supersub to me.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

It’s a drawback of the modern game that workrate is preferred to skill and quality. I always think there’s room for more balance and if your going to accommodate hard working players like agree and Clifton there should be room to play someone with JMD’s qualities and have the grafters cover his weaknesses.

Workrate should be an absolute given. Not a nice to have. I get a player might have a weakness in touch, passing or finishing. All things that still should be worked on in training. But workrate is a basic and a prerequisite. Sorry if I am morphing into Roy Keane but players with ability, such as JMD, should not be allowed to be excused the basics of any footballer. Tracking back, closing down, recovery runs.....absolute basics.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

How can he still not be fit? Not injured since about March and a full pre season.

It's not about that. You can put all the effort and hard work, if your body isn't up to getting fit enough to do 90 minutes of professional football itll take a fair bit of time to get it to where you need it to be

JMD should probably watch Harry Clifton. JMD is miles and miles ahead of Harry in terms of ability and end product yet Hurst finds a reason to consistently pick Harry week in week out. It’s workrate in both directions and not just going forward.

I don’t even think it’s fitness so much as laziness. Twice just after scoring he lazily turned his back when they feigned to cross the ball. Fortunately nothing came of it but it’s just pure laziness when defending. His ability is far better than the likes of Clifton but not to the extent that we can carry a passenger when out of possession.

Can't add anything else other than to say I really rate him and hope he reaches his full potential with us. Delivers end product in spades. Hopefully he and Wearne can nail down starting spots because we looked really dangerous with them both on the pitch.

Quoted from mariner91

I don’t even think it’s fitness so much as laziness. Twice just after scoring he lazily turned his back when they feigned to cross the ball. Fortunately nothing came of it but it’s just pure laziness when defending. His ability is far better than the likes of Clifton but not to the extent that we can carry a passenger when out of possession.

This might be a bit controversial and I do see your point and understand it, but calling him ‘lazy’ isn’t fair in my view. He’s a very good offensive player who has delivered for us many times. Im not sure I want him to expend loads of his energy defending, getting behind the ball or tracking runners when our shape doesn’t necessarily demand that he does that. I see him as an outlet and don’t mind if he stays fairly high up the pitch when we don’t have the ball. He’s not in the team to defend and doesn’t really have that skill set. He finishes, creates, runs at defenders, delivers crosses and set pieces to a high standard. I’d rather he used his fuel focusing on that.

Also - little point in comparing him to Clifton - they are different kinds of players - Clifton is ‘box to box’ and has a different set of attributes. JMD made a huge contribution to our promotion and I hope he doesn’t read comments that peg him as ‘lazy’ or ‘unfit’. Squads are made with a blend. He is what he is - some games it will be tactically right for him to start, some maybe not. Depends on our system and opponents.

He has the natural habit of always being in the right place at the right time.
No coaching or fitness plan can ever be a substitute for this.
He reminds me a bit of di canio.
Pops up at vital times to pull us out the shite.
Hurst was too negative imho yesterday playing one up top at home in our first game.
It invited them on to is too many times and the ball just seemed to bounce off Taylor,who tried hard up there on his own as always.
Imagine this Taylor and desi up front, jmd and wearne out wide, Clifton ,holohan through the middle. We should of kept desi imho ,we dropped a bollock there.

Quoted from chaos33

This might be a bit controversial and I do see your point and understand it, but calling him ‘lazy’ isn’t fair in my view. He’s a very good offensive player who has delivered for us many times. Im not sure I want him to expend loads of his energy defending, getting behind the ball or tracking runners when our shape doesn’t necessarily demand that he does that. I see him as an outlet and don’t mind if he stays fairly high up the pitch when we don’t have the ball. He’s not in the team to defend and doesn’t really have that skill set. He finishes, creates, runs at defenders, delivers crosses and set pieces to a high standard. I’d rather he used his fuel focusing on that.

Also - little point in comparing him to Clifton - they are different kinds of players - Clifton is ‘box to box’ and has a different set of attributes. JMD made a huge contribution to our promotion and I hope he doesn’t read comments that peg him as ‘lazy’ or ‘unfit’. Squads are made with a blend. He is what he is - some games it will be tactically right for him start, some maybe not. Depends on our system and opponents.

Can't disagree with any of this, all the best forwards are left to do just that, be creative, let the yardogs in midfield and the defenders deal with defending.
Far better to have jmd up the pitch where he's tying up at least two of the opposition. I don't want to see him back defending, didn't someone once say the best form of defence is attack?

Quoted from Phil the cod

He has the natural habit of always being in the right place at the right time.
No coaching or fitness plan can ever be a substitute for this.
He reminds me a bit of di canio.
Pops up at vital times to pull us out the shite.
Hurst was too negative imho yesterday playing one up top at home in our first game.
It invited them on to is too many times and the ball just seemed to bounce off Taylor,who tried hard up there on his own as always.
Imagine this Taylor and desi up front, jmd and wearne out wide, Clifton ,holohan through the middle. We should of kept desi imho ,we dropped a bollock there.

Di Canio sorry can’t have that I once saw Di Canio play for Sheff Wed at Barnsley in a premier League match and I still think it was the most dominant display I have seen live from an individual player everything in the match went through him . Like many geniuses he was difficulty and dangerous but a brilliant footballer.

Quoted from Phil the cod

Hurst was too negative imho yesterday playing one up top at home in our first game.
It invited them on to is too many times and the ball just seemed to bounce off Taylor,who tried hard up there on his own as always.
Imagine this Taylor and desi up front, jmd and wearne out wide, Clifton ,holohan through the middle. We should of kept desi imho ,we dropped a bollock there.

I don’t really see how Hurst could have played more than one up top. There’s only one available striker at the club at the minute and I’m pretty sure Taylor is only 75% fit himself.  

Although Northampton weren’t great yesterday, they are probably going to be in the promotion mix.

Your 4-2-4 would be suicidal. We’d be overrun. It’s very dangerous playing most of the match with players who aren’t contributing out of possession. It’s why the likes of PSG or Man Utd with Ronaldo, get picked off in the big games.

As for Dieseruvwe. Great guy and I wish him all the luck in the world. I have my doubts whether he’ll get into double figures for Halifax this season though. It was a purple patch that he may struggle to repeat.

Quoted from chaos33

This might be a bit controversial and I do see your point and understand it, but calling him ‘lazy’ isn’t fair in my view. He’s a very good offensive player who has delivered for us many times. Im not sure I want him to expend loads of his energy defending, getting behind the ball or tracking runners when our shape doesn’t necessarily demand that he does that. I see him as an outlet and don’t mind if he stays fairly high up the pitch when we don’t have the ball. He’s not in the team to defend and doesn’t really have that skill set. He finishes, creates, runs at defenders, delivers crosses and set pieces to a high standard. I’d rather he used his fuel focusing on that.

Also - little point in comparing him to Clifton - they are different kinds of players - Clifton is ‘box to box’ and has a different set of attributes. JMD made a huge contribution to our promotion and I hope he doesn’t read comments that peg him as ‘lazy’ or ‘unfit’. Squads are made with a blend. He is what he is - some games it will be tactically right for him to start, some maybe not. Depends on our system and opponents.

Totally agree with you regarding Maguire-Drew... He has some real quality and needs to stay in his position out on the right. The problem is he has Efete behind him who is not an out and out defender and often gets caught out of position...  Maybe try Cropper at right back who also gives you that long throw option.
I really liked Wearne out on the left. Harry should come back into the middle with Holohan. Now just McAtee's replacement to find and a back up for Taylor...

I'm surprised to see no one mention that he might have been drunk off that we didn't get the ball back from having to stop for the "head injury" in injury time. It was JMD on the ball if I remember correctly?

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

It’s a drawback of the modern game that workrate is preferred to skill and quality. I always think there’s room for more balance and if your going to accommodate hard working players like agree and Clifton there should be room to play someone with JMD’s qualities and have the grafters cover his weaknesses.

Thought about this when watching “The Big Match Revisited” earlier, Alan Hudson running the game for Stoke, he’d have been a JMD type now, just brought on for 15 mins of trickery when all of the iron man athletes are tiring  

Quoted from HerveJosse

Di Canio sorry can’t have that I once saw Di Canio play for Sheff Wed at Barnsley in a premier League match and I still think it was the most dominant display I have seen live from an individual player everything in the match went through him . Like many geniuses he was difficulty and dangerous but a brilliant footballer.

You are obviously too young to remember the fantastic Ray Wilkins running the show in midfield for QPR against us in the league cup , think they won 4-3 as I recall, Gary child's missing a sitter in front of the pontoon in Extra time. I'm not for one minute suggesting jmd is in that class or Di canios class, but the way he pops up with important goals and passes  is very much like the aforementioned players.
Some players have that natural instinct to sniff out where to be at important stages of play. Jmd has this knack, hence why he needs to be on the pitch more.

Mountain out of molehills
Probably needed the toilet

Another thing worth noting on JMD is that his set piece deliveries are probably the most consistently good we’ve had from a player in a long time

Quoted from Phil the cod

You are obviously too young to remember the fantastic Ray Wilkins running the show in midfield for QPR against us in the league cup , think they won 4-3 as I recall, Gary child's missing a sitter in front of the pontoon in Extra time. I'm not for one minute suggesting jmd is in that class or Di canios class, but the way he pops up with important goals and passes  is very much like the aforementioned players.
Some players have that natural instinct to sniff out where to be at important stages of play. Jmd has this knack, hence why he needs to be on the pitch more.

Andy Sinton scored in front of the pontoon and gave the fans some jip.

Someone suggested yesterday Cropper should be at right back (decent defender but mainly for that throw) and play Efete further forward to fight for the right midfield slot.

Alternatively is there not another player who can launch it from a throw in when we are chasing a goal?

The reality is if JMD was the athlete that Harry is, he wouldn’t be anywhere near us. Think a role similar to yesterday and the playoff final is perfect for him, coming on against tiring defenders and using that extra quality he has to create/score chances. He’ll be a valuable player this season.

Ultimately, JMD has now scored 6 goals in 18 appearances since he joined (12 starts, 6 sub appearances).

That's a strike rate better than the majority of strikers at this level (or even National League), before even considering his assists from set pieces and open play. Not too shabby.

JMD's contribution in a town shirt is excellant especially as an impact sub , no player likes the supersub tag but i really think as defenders get tired & we are chasing or trying to turn a draw into a win he is perfect for that role , also would like to add can see wearne quickly becoming a big fans favourite looks like we could have found another mcatee in this lad

Quoted from ska face

His goals & assists per minute must be through the roof. Almost always seems to have a hand in something when he plays.

Just been checking this and his involvement in goals, if you count “pre-assists” (i.e. the pass immediately before an assist) is absolutely unreal.

Dagenham 2-3 (debut): pre-assist
Chesterfield 0-1: nothing
Halifax 1-1: goal
Halifax 0-1: nothing
Altrincham 2-0: goal
Bromley 1-2: goal
Borehamwood 0-0: nothing
Solihull 1-2: pre-assist
Dagenham 2-1: 1 goal, 1 assist
Chesterfield 4-1: assist
Weymouth 0-0: nothing
Stockport 2-1: assist, pre-assist
Kings Lynn 1-0: assist
Torquay 2-1: nothing
Maidenhead 3-1: nothing
Eastleigh 4-4: goal, pre-assist
Notts County 2-2: 2x pre-assist
Solihull 2-1: goal
Orient 0-2: nothing
Northampton 1-1: goal

So in 20 appearances as a sub or starting, he’s been directly involved in 17 goals.

Quoted from ska face

Just been checking this and his involvement in goals, if you count “pre-assists” (i.e. the pass immediately before an assist) is absolutely unreal.

Dagenham 2-3 (debut): pre-assist
Chesterfield 0-1: nothing
Halifax 1-1: goal
Halifax 0-1: nothing
Altrincham 2-0: goal
Bromley 1-2: goal
Borehamwood 0-0: nothing
Solihull 1-2: pre-assist
Dagenham 2-1: 1 goal, 1 assist
Chesterfield 4-1: assist
Weymouth 0-0: nothing
Stockport 2-1: assist, pre-assist
Kings Lynn 1-0: assist
Torquay 2-1: nothing
Maidenhead 3-1: nothing
Eastleigh 4-4: goal, pre-assist
Notts County 2-2: 2x pre-assist
Solihull 2-1: goal
Orient 0-2: nothing
Northampton 1-1: goal

So in 20 appearances as a sub or starting, he’s been directly involved in 17 goals.

I’d be happy to add another assist to that from the play off final. His nutmeg of the ball (purposely) will have given mcatee a split second longer without defenders bearing down on him and might have made all the difference by wrong footing them.

Should've had a goal at Chesterfield too - missed an absolute sitter, very rare for him!

Not saying he's similar or a like for like replacement for Mcatee at all (certainly doesn't have his energy), but while he's out, could we perhaps play JMD in a more central attacking role off Taylor?

Don't know how suited he'd be to it, this is purely going off the fact that he always seems to make stuff happen, his set pieces are great, and he has a knack of scoring goals too. Could him and Kiernan almost interchange positions throughout the game, if they're clever enough to do that?

Dunno, just know it'd be great to get him on the pitch more and we also are well short on forward options at the mo.

I've got to be honest in that I'm not a huge JMD fan, mainly because his work-rate isn't up to it.  Even in the Conference he stood out as looking unfit and off the pace, at this level it stands out even more.

Away at Orient last week he looked like he had played 3 games when in reality he had only come on for a handful of minutes.  

But he clearly does offer something to the team and those stats on his contributions are incredible.  

Seen a few comparisons to Clifton, which I think are very fair.  They may be different types of players and have different attributes but they're effectively competing against each other for starting places.  Clifton's shortcoming is often described as his lack of technical ability, something that if he had would mean he wasn't at this level.  Whilst I think he's worked hard on this and isn't as technically devoid as some would say, it's difficult to technically improve beyond a natural limit.

Maguire-Drew on the other hand has all the technical ability in the world.  Improving his work-rate and fitness should be something he can and should improve, far more easily than improving technical abilities.  Some players are naturally fitter than others, Clifton is a great example of this.  But Maguire-Drew's fitness is well off the pace.  

He's got it within his gift to be a very good player at levels above where he's failing to get a first-team start.  It's up to him how badly he wants it.  At the minute I wouldn't have him anywhere near my starting eleven.  Coming off the bench, he's definitely got something to offer but I'd love to see him put Hurst in a position where he can't fail to pick him.