If we'd had our current team last season.

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Darlo_Pete
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If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlo_Pete » Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:26 pm

Do you think we would have stayed up in the Conference last season. I know its difficult to compare the quality of our team and the teams we have played against this season, but I believe our current team would have had enough quality to avoid the drop last season, if you ignore the fact we had a points deduction.

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Darlo.For.Life
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlo.For.Life » Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:52 pm

No. Simply because of the players fitness and quality.

Team spirit may have seen us through along with a good management team but there is a huge gulf in quality between the Conference and any league below Conference North/South.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by DarloOnTheUp » Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:06 pm

Go home Pete, you're drunk.

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Spyman
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Spyman » Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:32 pm

No. If that were the case, the majority of these players would be playing professionally.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by number_one » Sun Mar 10, 2013 9:35 am

Darlo_Pete wrote:Do you think we would have stayed up in the Conference last season. I know its difficult to compare the quality of our team and the teams we have played against this season, but I believe our current team would have had enough quality to avoid the drop last season, if you ignore the fact we had a points deduction.
No, they would have been up fighting for the title Pete, that's why all conference teams sign players from the Northern League.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by comeondarlo » Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:48 pm

No.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by MikeinBlack » Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:50 pm

We'd have been down even quicker than we actually were.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by loan_star » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:08 pm

MikeinBlack wrote:We'd have been down even quicker than we actually were.
I doubt that, dont forget we were relying on kids including one in goal. Even adding Bell would have made us more solid at the back.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by StevieMardenboro » Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:40 pm

I wondered how long it would be before someone got carried away and posted something like this.

I think some of our team would look ok a few divisions higher but its impossible to compare them to previous Darlo sides as the standard of opposition is so much lower than we are we used to. (That isn't being disrespectful its a fact) Hopefully the next few seasons will show us how our team does at a higher level.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlogramps » Sun Mar 10, 2013 3:32 pm

That said, I'd much rather have had Dowson up front last season in place of Drewe Broughton.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Bogratsteve » Sun Mar 10, 2013 3:53 pm

Darlogramps wrote:That said, I'd much rather have had Dowson up front last season in place of Drewe Broughton.
Well said :clap: :clap:

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by bertbanger » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:13 pm

I reckon Dowson and amar purewal at a push could have handled the conference but there's no way this team could compete at that level.

The evostik north standard is equal to the northern league div 1 so we should go straight thu that, then we need to step up the quality of player again

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by darlo_baron » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:16 pm

Purewal would be comfortably out of his depth in the conference. Thompson could cope with that level IMO not sure about many others.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by bertbanger » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:21 pm

Maybe your right about amar

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by m62exile » Sun Mar 10, 2013 4:41 pm

Signing Broughton was the singularly most atrocious piece of transfer work I've ever seen. He was beyond awful. Respected Lidds sentiments about protecting the youngsters, but sticking with him was equivalent to conceding relegation three months early.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by lo36789 » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:06 pm

On Broughton, he never stood a chance. The amount of abuse he got before he had even pulled on a shirt was ridiculous.

In the games I saw him I actually thought he held the ball up ok and he played the ball into the right areas. He was easy to point the finger at because he was slow and ungamely but he was not as bad as people are making out.

Purewal & Dowson would both be out of their depth in the conference. You only get 2 or 3 chances a game in the conference what do those two need against Northern League goalkeepers!?

The only players who I think could cope with Conference would be Bell, Harrison & Tait.

On Thompson, he has potential, but he has tried and failed before and he is so inconsistent, defenders at a higher level know how to defend against pace even if they don't have it themselves, they don't at this level.

Galbraith is the only other one who I think could pass in the conference, I don't think he'd do an awful lot other than make up the numbers but I don't think he'd be a liability.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by darlo_baron » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:13 pm

Harrison also could not compete in the conference. At all.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by loan_star » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:14 pm

Broughton wouldnt have had such a long career if he didnt have something about him. He was shite if you compare him to Abbot or Gabbiadini but he did his bit to help us out last season when others wouldn't touch us with a bargepole so I fail to see why he should get such stick.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlogramps » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:14 pm

lo36789 wrote:On Broughton, he never stood a chance. The amount of abuse he got before he had even pulled on a shirt was ridiculous.

In the games I saw him I actually thought he held the ball up ok and he played the ball into the right areas. He was easy to point the finger at because he was slow and ungamely but he was not as bad as people are making out.

He was an absolute donkey. He had the first touch of a blind paedophile with a double hand amputation.

He was lazy, couldn't finish and clearly unfit. He was undoubtedly someone who'd been sat at home bored and offered to help out a club who were short of players.

Fair play to him for that, but he was uselss and don't try to say otherwise.

We might as well have had a mannequin dummy up front. Or Michael Smith.

But preferably the mannequin.
Last edited by Darlogramps on Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlogramps » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:16 pm

loan_star wrote:Broughton wouldnt have had such a long career if he didnt have something about him. He was shite if you compare him to Abbot or Gabbiadini but he did his bit to help us out last season when others wouldn't touch us with a bargepole so I fail to see why he should get such stick.
If Broughton was half decent, he wouldn't have been playing for a side in administration, battling relegation in the Conference.

He was crap, and just because he turned out for us when no-one else would have him doesn't mean I can't criticise him.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by darlo_baron » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:18 pm

lo36789 wrote:On Broughton, he never stood a chance. The amount of abuse he got before he had even pulled on a shirt was ridiculous.

In the games I saw him I actually thought he held the ball up ok and he played the ball into the right areas. He was easy to point the finger at because he was slow and ungamely but he was not as bad as people are making out.

Purewal & Dowson would both be out of their depth in the conference. You only get 2 or 3 chances a game in the conference what do those two need against Northern League goalkeepers!?

The only players who I think could cope with Conference would be Bell, Harrison & Tait.

On Thompson, he has potential, but he has tried and failed before and he is so inconsistent, defenders at a higher level know how to defend against pace even if they don't have it themselves, they don't at this level.

Galbraith is the only other one who I think could pass in the conference, I don't think he'd do an awful lot other than make up the numbers but I don't think he'd be a liability.
Also Thompson clearly does not just have pace about him. He is very strong on the ball. His first touch is genuinely cock arousing and he can beat a player with ease. His issue is without doubt finishing but he also creates a shed load.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by lo36789 » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:22 pm

Darlogramps wrote:We might as well have had a mannequin dummy up front. Or Michael Smith.

But preferably the mannequin.
A man who can't see the qualities of Michael Smith and you want me to listen to your views on Broughton!

Broughton wasn't what we were used to, but his touch was nowhere near as bad as you are suggesting. He was clearly unfit but that's hardly his fault!

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlofart » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:26 pm

There's been a load of pap posted on this thread as no-one has really got a clue whether/not certain players on a full time contract could cut the mustard at a higher level.
On a personal note (and I may be wrong) I reckon Tait, Galbraith, Dowson, Harrison, Emms, Bell and Thompson wouldn't look out of place in the conference. I'd like to see Darlo have a pre-season friendly before next season against the likes of York or Gateshead just to see how we cope against teams at a higher level.
In the meantime lets just enjoy the quality displays and the goals the lads are supplying us with week in week out.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by darlo_baron » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:26 pm

Ironically Broughton now works in fitness. On his ability I think there were signs he might have been useful as a hold up man when he was younger but he was way past it when joining us and his finishing was disgusting. However the abuse the lad gets is unfair. He came in and helped out and gave it a go. Fair play to him.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by lo36789 » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:29 pm

darlo_baron wrote:Also Thompson clearly does not just have pace about him. He is very strong on the ball. His first touch is genuinely cock arousing and he can beat a player with ease. His issue is without doubt finishing but he also creates a shed load.
Don't think I said that Thompson just has pace. All I said is that defenders higher up would be able to cope with his pace a lot better. He does have a nice first touch but you do need a level of 'footballing intelligence' higher up and with respect based on some of the flicks and balls I have seen from him it is up for debate whether he has enough to cope.

The reason I say Harrison is that I can't say he ever looks flustered at this level and because he has a very simple style of play which I don't think would come unstuck higher up. The proof could only come from seeing him against better players.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlogramps » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:30 pm

lo36789 wrote:
Darlogramps wrote:We might as well have had a mannequin dummy up front. Or Michael Smith.

But preferably the mannequin.
A man who can't see the qualities of Michael Smith and you want me to listen to your views on Broughton!
Don't get me started on Michael Smith while he was at Darlo. Lets just leave it at "I didn't rate his abilities." Qualities? Apart from standing around and missing open goals (see Hayes and Yeading), he had none.

His touch was nowhere near as bad as you are suggesting.
No, it was much worse actually.
He was clearly unfit but that's hardly his fault!
Then who's fault was it? I wasn't expecting him to be 100% match fit, for obvious reasons, but at least something nearing it.

I remember one match he played (think it was Bath at home), where he looked knackered out after 30 minutes. This was nearer the end of the season, where theoretically, he should have had chance to build up some match fitness.

The only reason he was brought in was as a body to boost squad numbers.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by darlo_baron » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:34 pm

lo36789 wrote:
darlo_baron wrote:Also Thompson clearly does not just have pace about him. He is very strong on the ball. His first touch is genuinely cock arousing and he can beat a player with ease. His issue is without doubt finishing but he also creates a shed load.
Don't think I said that Thompson just has pace. All I said is that defenders higher up would be able to cope with his pace a lot better. He does have a nice first touch but you do need a level of 'footballing intelligence' higher up and with respect based on some of the flicks and balls I have seen from him it is up for debate whether he has enough to cope.

The reason I say Harrison is that I can't say he ever looks flustered at this level and because he has a very simple style of play which I don't think would come unstuck higher up. The proof could only come from seeing him against better players.
Aye he does try a few of these flicks and sometimes they don't come off. However I would love to see how many assists he has as some of the through balls he has put through this season have been stunning. I've seen a few of our players comment on his vision and that's good enough for me.

I like Harra but against pace and ability at a higher level I believe he would struggle.

Well we play York pre-season. If they put a decent team out we shall see how the lads cope.
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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by loan_star » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:37 pm

Darlogramps wrote:
lo36789 wrote:
Darlogramps wrote:We might as well have had a mannequin dummy up front. Or Michael Smith.

But preferably the mannequin.
A man who can't see the qualities of Michael Smith and you want me to listen to your views on Broughton!
Don't get me started on Michael Smith while he was at Darlo. Lets just leave it at "I didn't rate his abilities." Qualities? Apart from standing around and missing open goals (see Hayes and Yeading), he had none..
Is this the same Michael Smith who scored a fair few goals while on loan at Newport this season, the same player deemed worth spending £70k on by a club and a manager who knows a lot more about footballing ability than the vast majority of football fans?
I wasnt a big fan of Smith, he could look lazy, but to say he is crap is just plain stupid.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by lo36789 » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:38 pm

Darlogramps wrote:Qualities? Apart from standing around and missing open goals (see Hayes and Yeading), he had none.
This is just my view. It will definately be disputed especially with so many who didn't like Smith.

In terms of first touch, I think only MBW had a better first touch than Michael Smith when Smith was with us. He was an extremely intelligent player who was effective in link up play.

He was a dreadful goalscorer and for his size dreadful in the air. On the floor and in link up play I thought he demonstrated great potential.

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Re: If we'd had our current team last season.

Post by Darlogramps » Sun Mar 10, 2013 5:43 pm

loan_star wrote:
Darlogramps wrote:
lo36789 wrote:
Darlogramps wrote:We might as well have had a mannequin dummy up front. Or Michael Smith.

But preferably the mannequin.
A man who can't see the qualities of Michael Smith and you want me to listen to your views on Broughton!
Don't get me started on Michael Smith while he was at Darlo. Lets just leave it at "I didn't rate his abilities." Qualities? Apart from standing around and missing open goals (see Hayes and Yeading), he had none..
Is this the same Michael Smith who scored a fair few goals while on loan at Newport this season, the same player deemed worth spending £70k on by a club and a manager who knows a lot more about footballing ability than the vast majority of football fans?
I wasnt a big fan of Smith, he could look lazy, but to say he is crap is just plain stupid.
Smith was scoring goals in the Conference for us, just because he's been doing it for Newport doesn't all of a sudden mean he's a world beater. Why didn't Newport extend his loan, if he was so good?

There wasn't a single fan who didn't have a little wry smile to themselves when the club got £70K for Smith.

He wasn't worth that when we sold him.

My opinion that Smith was crap isn't stupid. It's opinion which I've based on seeing his performances.
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