Mathews

[Bear]

Re: Re: Mathews

Originally posted by cressakel
I personally call him "Ball-up Benny", as the amount of times he gets the ball in a tight contested situation he is intent on only dragging the ball in for another bloody ball-up - which chews the clock up and is no help to all and sundry (players, coaches, supporters etc etc). This also shows a lack of confidence in himself and teammates, no peripheral vision and no idea of the game situation.

Agree. In a tight situation you need quick hands to get it to a free team-mate. Whenever he grabs the ball in a tights situation he ducks his head, tucks the ball in and braces for the tackle. Although he dosn't usually lose possession, we go back to a 50-50 from the ball up, or he gets pinged.

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
I'm not saying he doesn't do some awful things (because he most certainly does!), but maybe the times he is useful, we just don't remember.

Well put. He works hard and gets his head over the ball a lot. As a defensive midfielder he actually does very damn well (would probably find a spot in most teams) but he needs to continue to improve the attacking side of his game.

His disposals let him down, and he seems to approach most situations from a defensive mindset.

Classic example was the when he received the ball down the Members side on Sunday, and looked straight ahead to a running Spriggs with two players closing on him. Rather than look for another option, he decided in the last minute to push it a little longer over Spriggsy's head, and hope for a boundary line. A more attacking move would have been to find another option in the middle of the ground... perhaps the player one of those opponents had just left alone to chase Spriggs...

[Plugger46]

Originally posted by Schneiderman
Well put. He works hard and gets his head over the ball a lot. As a defensive midfielder he actually does very damn well (would probably find a spot in most teams) but he needs to continue to improve the attacking side of his game.

Don't think there would be too many sides around stupid enough to play him.

[NMWBloods]

And given he's 26, I'm not sure when he's going to develop those disposal or attacking skills...

[Nico]

Bevan and Matthews are both dumb footballers. Yep at 26 Benny is way beyond any hope in hades of changing how he plays.

Bevan sure does look like he is playing another code. Any coaches at the club prepared to explain to him the art of "keeping your feet".

[Schneiderman]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
And given he's 26, I'm not sure when he's going to develop those disposal or attacking skills...

True. Thats a real problem for Roos. He is pretty damn one-dimensional.

And Bevan does two things that need to be addressed ASAP:
1. The dragging in the ball thing. There was the one against Brisbane and another one on the weekend. Both time he could see the feet of a teammate waiting for the ball to pop out
2. Over aggressive tackling - especially the ones that result in an "in the back" free. Or even the ones where he loses focus on the ball, and so although he brings the player down, the ball gets free anyway and his good work is nullified.

[Plugger46]

Surely noone still rates this imposter after last night's woeful performance. He is AWFUL.

[Nico]

Originally posted by Nico
Bevan and Matthews are both dumb footballers. Yep at 26 Benny is way beyond any hope in hades of changing how he plays.

Bevan sure does look like he is playing another code. Any coaches at the club prepared to explain to him the art of "keeping your feet".

Keeping your feet. Throw in Buchanan who went for the footy with at least a 20 metre slide to create a nothing contest. He should get BOG every week. Shizen.

[REDV6]

The problem with MAthews is he is a slow thinker on the field. He needs time to catch stop work out what to do. When he has to move the ball quickly he makes errors. I would like to see him in the local sydney com. Although I fear it is too fast for him.

We could then leave Bevan or spriggs on who at least have courage get possesions and do something positive in our team

[Barry Schneider]

He is out this week with an injured foot.

[Mike_B]

I can't help but wonder how underdone Mathews was coming into this season after his injury in the St Kilda final this year. Even if he was underdone, that's still no excuse for his poor form and I don't think he will be missed too much this weekend. I just hope the match committee use this opportunity to blood a younger player. Won't get a better chance to play against and learn from the best.

[ScottH]

Originally posted by Mike_B
I can't help but wonder how underdone Mathews was coming into this season after his injury in the St Kilda final this year. Even if he was underdone, that's still no excuse for his poor form and I don't think he will be missed too much this weekend. I just hope the match committee use this opportunity to blood a younger player. Won't get a better chance to play against and learn from the best.

I'd forgotten about the injury from last year.

The other thing I like about Mathews is the "rabbit caught in the headlights" look on his face.

PS. The pies have announced that they will try and blood some young players now, with their injury problems, so why can't we!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nico]

Mathews is like a Catholic outside the chemist shop. Gets the pill and doesn't know what to do with it.

[Wazza]

Wow I remember posting on this last season and getting abused with others who were saying the same thing, funny this year Im defending LRT and copping the same thing, maybe Im one year ahead of everyone else.....hehehe

Cheers

Waz

[Sanecow]

Please confine all bagging of Mathews to this thread
or this one

or this one

or this one

or this one

or this one

or this one

or this one

or this one

or this one.