Niall Maher

Appreciating that he's still learning his craft to an extent, Andrews needs to stamp his authority on games if he is going to have that higher ceiling. He looks to lack a bit of fitness too if I'm honest.

I was very critical of him after Saturday and for a few weeks to be fair, but what I will say in his defence is that he arrived here with just 8 games experience in the Conference and a further 3 from the Conf. North.  Since arriving here he's played 25 games, starting 18 of them.  With the exception of the first 4 games under Artell (presume he was injured) he's a constant in the squad - only 4 games where he's found himself an unused sub.

For a young lad, fresh from the Academy bubble at a big club that's a big shift in physical demands.  He's also gone straight into the frying pan of a largely dreadful team and constant chopping and changing in midfield partners and those behind him.

When he first arrived I thought he looked more of a proper footballer than someone to do the dirty work in midfield and dig things out.  Last couple of months he's found himself playing more of a holding type role which I don't think suits him.  He's quite weak physically, doesn't impose himself in tackles and loses an awful lot of aerial challenges.  He looks at his best when the expectation is on him to do something with the ball rather than regain it.  Was one moment on Saturday where he took the ball early in a counter-attack, let it run across his body to dummy his man then dropped the shoulder to get past another before setting Hume away on the left.  That's what I think he's best at.  Not doing doggy-runs in front of the back four and finding himself dominated by stronger blokes.

Whatever his best role is, he's not looked like someone from a higher level for a fair while here.  But he also looks flipping desperate for a rest.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Appreciating that he's still learning his craft to an extent, Andrews needs to stamp his authority on games if he is going to have that higher ceiling. He looks to lack a bit of fitness too if I'm honest.

I was very critical of him after Saturday and for a few weeks to be fair, but what I will say in his defence is that he arrived here with just 8 games experience in the Conference and a further 3 from the Conf. North.  Since arriving here he's played 25 games, starting 18 of them.  With the exception of the first 4 games under Artell (presume he was injured) he's a constant in the squad - only 4 games where he's found himself an unused sub.

For a young lad, fresh from the Academy bubble at a big club that's a big shift in physical demands.  He's also gone straight into the frying pan of a largely dreadful team and constant chopping and changing in midfield partners and those behind him.

When he first arrived I thought he looked more of a proper footballer than someone to do the dirty work in midfield and dig things out.  Last couple of months he's found himself playing more of a holding type role which I don't think suits him.  He's quite weak physically, doesn't impose himself in tackles and loses an awful lot of aerial challenges.  He looks at his best when the expectation is on him to do something with the ball rather than regain it.  Was one moment on Saturday where he took the ball early in a counter-attack, let it run across his body to dummy his man then dropped the shoulder to get past another before setting Hume away on the left.  That's what I think he's best at.  Not doing doggy-runs in front of the back four and finding himself dominated by stronger blokes.

Whatever his best role is, he's not looked like someone from a higher level for a fair while here.  But he also looks flipping desperate for a rest.

I just don't think Andrews is  very good + can't move. But I and others have thought the same about many a player here before with them going onto achieve bigger and better things than Town so he might be Premier League in 5 years .

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I haven't abused Andrews and won't. I thought he tired and would have replaced him if we'd had like for like on the bench. I wouldn't have replaced him with Wood.

If you're going to pompously tell me to 'savour the point' then I'd learn the difference between meat and mete 😉

Oops sorry about my poor spelling and pomposity.
Next home game I'll ask for the Flogging Post to be erected at halftime and the next player you have a downer on, and I can be flogged.

Massive win at the weekend think people need to remember how big that was and give the players a break.

The pressure thats on them in recent months must be crushing.

Quoted from Mappers

I just don't think Andrews is  very good + can't move. But I and others have thought the same about many a player here before with them going onto achieve bigger and better things than Town so he might be Premier League in 5 years .

There's something about that you can put 3 or 4 very average players in a very good team and they look more than competent.  I think it was Alan Curbishley who said that, or something similar.  I would add to that and say you can have good players who get dragged down by poor sides.

Terry Taylor looked hopeless when he was here and I'm trying to be kind with that. The following two seasons he was one of the best players in League One with Burton, earning him a move to Charlton last summer.  At no point did I look at any of his performances in a Town shirt and think he would make it as a professional footballer, never mind one who commanded a decent fee for a transfer to another League One club (with a rumoured rejected bid from Championship Plymouth too).

Going further back, Liam Trotter looked distinctly average when he was on loan at Town.  Again, there was nothing to suggest he would have a decent career in the game.  In fact he played just shy of 200 games in the Championship and very impressively either scored or made an assist at a ratio of better than 1 in 4 at that level. It's when you look at the players surrounding him when at Town that you get a feel for how hard it must have been for a young lad.

For his debut he was in a side that also contained Javan Vidal, Danny Boshell, Matt Heywood with Nathan Jarman operating as the lone striker.  (A certain Dave Artell was in the Morecambe side that day too).  A game in which he scored, 3-1 defeat to Bradford, that stellar looking midfield was boosted by the figure of Jamie Clarke.  

I can't quite bring myself to look in depth at Taylor's team-mates when here but I'll suffer to list the following who lined up in a 5-man midfield with him on his final appearance (Mansfield 1-1 at home).  Rose, Elliott Hewitt, Kyle Bennett, George Williams.  Rose was last at Clee Town, Williams in the Conf. South with Hemel Hempstead, Bennett with Shifnal Town (no, me neither) and only Hewitt is still at this level, albeit as a defender rather than a midfielder.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm personally not seeing anything in Andrews.  Or very little anyway.  But this season at Town it's hardly an environment for a young player to flourish.

I'm going to take this point to extremes to make a point, so I appreciate it's probably a little ridiculous. Bear with me.

We're a struggling team. If DA put on a 5 year old on to the pitch and they got hammered, people would blame DA for picking a youngster and not a experienced footballer. We wouldn't berate the 5 year old. We have next to no midfield, and Hurst brought Andrews in. It wasn't his fault. We knew he was a kid who was inexperienced. He's fought his way into contention by being better than other options we have. It's not his fault he wasn't ready. It wasn't his fault he didn't have the experience, the club was responsible. He's doing his best, and trying to learn his trade. He clearly has talent to be in the position to be loaned to us, but the hard work, off the ball and grit is something that takes time for youngsters to adapt to.

If he does well, extra credit, if not, give him time, it isn't his fault we are reliant on him. If you don't want him on the pitch and you want a sub on instead or if you don't want him starting, blame the manager, not the kid. It isn't his fault.

Is he at the calibre we want? Probably not. Do we have other better options? Not really. I'd prefer him in our squad and contributing to our survival than not.

It's our responsibility that we are reliant on someone who is on a steep learning curve. We should probably be more frustrated with the professionals below him that cannot get in the team in front of him.

Quoted from AncientExiledMariner

I'm going to take this point to extremes to make a point, so I appreciate it's probably a little ridiculous. Bear with me.

We're a struggling team. If DA put on a 5 year old on to the pitch and they got hammered, people would blame DA for picking a youngster and not a experienced footballer. We wouldn't berate the 5 year old. We have next to no midfield, and Hurst brought Andrews in. It wasn't his fault. We knew he was a kid who was inexperienced. He's fought his way into contention by being better than other options we have. It's not his fault he wasn't ready. It wasn't his fault he didn't have the experience, the club was responsible. He's doing his best, and trying to learn his trade. He clearly has talent to be in the position to be loaned to us, but the hard work, off the ball and grit is something that takes time for youngsters to adapt to.

If he does well, extra credit, if not, give him time, it isn't his fault we are reliant on him. If you don't want him on the pitch and you want a sub on instead or if you don't want him starting, blame the manager, not the kid. It isn't his fault.

Is he at the calibre we want? Probably not. Do we have other better options? Not really. I'd prefer him in our squad and contributing to our survival than not.

It's our responsibility that we are reliant on someone who is on a steep learning curve. We should probably be more frustrated with the professionals below him that cannot get in the team in front of him.

I think Evan Khouri is a better option

Quoted from Norseman

I think Evan Khouri is a better option

He’s never fit.

Quoted from Hagrid

Cost us many goals😂😂

Done more for us than the 3 named combined.

You might want to check the data. Holohan’s statistics in L2 are worse than Andrews and miles behind Kieran Green.

If I have a spare 20 minutes I’ll start a thread defending Jamie Andrews with all the data laid out.

I will offer a spoiler though… Clifton’s stats this season in L2 are absolutely atrocious. I doubt anybody will want him in the summer when he’s out of contract.

Quoted from diehardmariner

There's something about that you can put 3 or 4 very average players in a very good team and they look more than competent.  I think it was Alan Curbishley who said that, or something similar.  I would add to that and say you can have good players who get dragged down by poor sides.

Terry Taylor looked hopeless when he was here and I'm trying to be kind with that. The following two seasons he was one of the best players in League One with Burton, earning him a move to Charlton last summer.  At no point did I look at any of his performances in a Town shirt and think he would make it as a professional footballer, never mind one who commanded a decent fee for a transfer to another League One club (with a rumoured rejected bid from Championship Plymouth too).

Going further back, Liam Trotter looked distinctly average when he was on loan at Town.  Again, there was nothing to suggest he would have a decent career in the game.  In fact he played just shy of 200 games in the Championship and very impressively either scored or made an assist at a ratio of better than 1 in 4 at that level. It's when you look at the players surrounding him when at Town that you get a feel for how hard it must have been for a young lad.

For his debut he was in a side that also contained Javan Vidal, Danny Boshell, Matt Heywood with Nathan Jarman operating as the lone striker.  (A certain Dave Artell was in the Morecambe side that day too).  A game in which he scored, 3-1 defeat to Bradford, that stellar looking midfield was boosted by the figure of Jamie Clarke.  

I can't quite bring myself to look in depth at Taylor's team-mates when here but I'll suffer to list the following who lined up in a 5-man midfield with him on his final appearance (Mansfield 1-1 at home).  Rose, Elliott Hewitt, Kyle Bennett, George Williams.  Rose was last at Clee Town, Williams in the Conf. South with Hemel Hempstead, Bennett with Shifnal Town (no, me neither) and only Hewitt is still at this level, albeit as a defender rather than a midfielder.  

Don't get me wrong, I'm personally not seeing anything in Andrews.  Or very little anyway.  But this season at Town it's hardly an environment for a young player to flourish.

Have a day off. Liam Trotter was great for us in the first half of the 08/09 season.

He was so distinctly average that he joined Scunthorpe on loan in the second half of that season and played an important part in them winning promotion to the Championship via the League 1 play-offs.