Matete

James Mariner has sent me this:

Could you imagine Matete playing just behind a front two of Mendonca and Rees? I can, and I have frequently over the last 10 or so games.  I think I’ve watched every game Matete has played this year and I think he has a place in my all-time starting eleven (late 80’s to now). Surely he has been wasted playing deeper, he is currently the only player who can win the ball, beat a man and make a pass - unfortunately, that pass is often left or right to a player with inferior creativity. If I close my eyes I can see Futcher making a crunching tackle, passing out to a calm and focused Dobbin, who does his job perfectly and makes a direct no-nonsense pass through to Matete who shields the ball and, just before he loses control, plays a toe-poke to Rees, who, without breaking his stride neatly back heels to Mendonca - and you know what he does then. This, and similar daydreams while slumped over the laptop questioning the £10 spent, is what keeps me going.

On a side note, I remember Jim Dobbin being a victim of poor proofreading for the program of one of the Wembley visits, listed on the team sheet as Dubbin. I like to think the program makers reprinted a copy for him for his memorabilia den.

If we go down, we’ll be back!

James

Quoted from GrimRob

James Mariner has sent me this:

Could you imagine Matete playing just behind a front two of Mendonca and Rees? I can, and I have frequently over the last 10 or so games.  I think I’ve watched every game Matete has played this year and I think he has a place in my all-time starting eleven (late 80’s to now).

Whatever he is drinking or taking-I want some too!

If Matete was that good, would he be plying his trade for a club diving head first into the Conference?

Quoted from arryarryarry

If Matete was that good, would he be plying his trade for a club diving head first into the Conference?

If Harry Kane was that good, why was he on loan at Orient?

Useless git.

Quoted from GrimRob

James Mariner has sent me this:

Could you imagine Matete playing just behind a front two of Mendonca and Rees? I can, and I have frequently over the last 10 or so games.  I think I’ve watched every game Matete has played this year and I think he has a place in my all-time starting eleven (late 80’s to now). Surely he has been wasted playing deeper, he is currently the only player who can win the ball, beat a man and make a pass - unfortunately, that pass is often left or right to a player with inferior creativity. If I close my eyes I can see Futcher making a crunching tackle, passing out to a calm and focused Dobbin, who does his job perfectly and makes a direct no-nonsense pass through to Matete who shields the ball and, just before he loses control, plays a toe-poke to Rees, who, without breaking his stride neatly back heels to Mendonca - and you know what he does then. This, and similar daydreams while slumped over the laptop questioning the £10 spent, is what keeps me going.

On a side note, I remember Jim Dobbin being a victim of poor proofreading for the program of one of the Wembley visits, listed on the team sheet as Dubbin. I like to think the program makers reprinted a copy for him for his memorabilia den.

If we go down, we’ll be back!

James

I like your points except that of passing. I feel like this is one of his only weaknesses when it comes to execution. If that part of his game becomes more refined, he will be championship pushing to the premier league in the short future.

Personally I like him playing in the position he is in because he is usually all over the field and I wouldn’t want to see that energy lost in the middle.

More importantly  when will he be fit ?

He adds something to our poor quality team regardless of where he is in his development.

Where he ends up and what he achieves remains to be seen.

As he’s a midfield player I can’t help comparing him to Embleton or Benson when I see him play.

The beauty of football is that it's all about opinions.

I like Matete, thought we lost our way when he went off injured on Saturday and would like to see him playing further forward - much like when he first arrived.  I think he's a solid player, would flourish in a better side and be it League Two or Conference would love to see him in our side next season.  I also think that's about as likely as me getting a game for Town.

But in the all-time Town team since the late 80's?  I started watching Town around the same team and I can't imagine he would get in my top 50 players.  Since the mid 2000's, let's be honest in the majority since the turn of the century, it's been quite a low bar but the standard in the 1990's was so high.  Players who were bit-part players would walk into our team, star players, captain, marquee players.   Nicky Southall, Darren Wrack, Jamie Forrester, Daryl Clare and even going a bit further back the likes of Paul Agnew, Kev Jobling...players who for long periods struggled to hold a regular place in the team but were absolutely streets above anything we've had in god knows how many years.


'Scuse me, I'm off to cry in a corner.

Quoted from diehardmariner

The beauty of football is that it's all about opinions.

I like Matete, thought we lost our way when he went off injured on Saturday and would like to see him playing further forward - much like when he first arrived.  I think he's a solid player, would flourish in a better side and be it League Two or Conference would love to see him in our side next season.  I also think that's about as likely as me getting a game for Town.

But in the all-time Town team since the late 80's?  I started watching Town around the same team and I can't imagine he would get in my top 50 players.  Since the mid 2000's, let's be honest in the majority since the turn of the century, it's been quite a low bar but the standard in the 1990's was so high.  Players who were bit-part players would walk into our team, star players, captain, marquee players.   Nicky Southall, Darren Wrack, Jamie Forrester, Daryl Clare and even going a bit further back the likes of Paul Agnew, Kev Jobling...players who for long periods struggled to hold a regular place in the team but were absolutely streets above anything we've had in god knows how many years.


'Scuse me, I'm off to cry in a corner.

Nail on head!

Matete is a quality player, fantastic ball control and he's always willing to pick up the ball in any position and very rarely loses it when he does. He's brought out the best in Rose who has looked much better. I've no doubt in a better side he'd be able to get forward more often and we forget he's just turned 20 years old, he's playing far above his years at the minute.

My only criticism is that he's terrible in the tackle and possesses a weird centre of gravity, constantly looks like he's falling over which affects his tackling for me.

Aside from that, he's miles better than where we are at the minute and he'll no doubt have a fantastic career. Given the fact a fairly large portion of our fanbase didn't rate Siriki Dembele, I wouldn't be too worried if I was him and read that some fans didn't rate him, it's probably a good thing.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Matete is a quality player, fantastic ball control and he's always willing to pick up the ball in any position and very rarely loses it when he does. He's brought out the best in Rose who has looked much better. I've no doubt in a better side he'd be able to get forward more often and we forget he's just turned 20 years old, he's playing far above his years at the minute.

My only criticism is that he's terrible in the tackle and possesses a weird centre of gravity, constantly looks like he's falling over which affects his tackling for me.

Aside from that, he's miles better than where we are at the minute and he'll no doubt have a fantastic career. Given the fact a fairly large portion of our fanbase didn't rate Siriki Dembele, I wouldn't be too worried if I was him and read that some fans didn't rate him, it's probably a good thing.

Couldn't disagree more re his tackling...he's superb at close quarters and 1 on 1 battles, very seldom does he not win the ball, what he does lack is composure when trying to tackle at pace, he lunges in far too often with little self control thus all his yellow cards.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Couldn't disagree more re his tackling...he's superb at close quarters and 1 on 1 battles, very seldom does he not win the ball, what he does lack is composure when trying to tackle at pace, he lunges in far too often with little self control thus all his yellow cards.

Probably could've worded it better, I was more getting at the fact he seems to be a red card waiting to happen (although it still hasn't happened somehow).

I see Matete is expected to miss the Salford match through injury. With Habergham back, I expect Clifton will move into midfield. Will be interesting to see if Hurst sticks with 3 in the middle or goes 442.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Probably could've worded it better, I was more getting at the fact he seems to be a red card waiting to happen (although it still hasn't happened somehow).

Now that I do agree with, what's more with his mistimed lunges are more scared of him doing real damage to an opponent.