The secret footballer update

[YF Dan]

"An example of this came earlier in the season when, during one of our matches, the ball was cut back to the penalty spot from the byline to a youngster who was arriving bang on cue. Unfortunately, with just the goalkeeper to beat, he rushed the shot and skied the ball over the crossbar.

Had he converted that chance, we would have been in a very comfortable position. Instead, we drew the match.

In the changing-room afterwards, I turned to him and mentioned the chance he’d had. In front of everyone, of course. “Relax on the fucking ball, especially in front of goal,” I said. “It’s fucking important, do you realise?”

He wasn’t happy and neither would I be if I’d missed a great chance and had to relive it in front of my team-mates, especially when so many other little things went wrong in the game. But goals win games and we all knew that, if he’d scored, we’d have won the match."

Read more at http://www.thesecretfootballer.com/arti ... rvgpjgc.99

Josh Ruffels miss at Bristol Rovers, anyone?

[recordmeister]

An interesting if not too long piece. His sentiment at the end is one I agree with. Professional football is a career and one that should be taken seriously. If young players are babied all the time and it does them no good.

I would cite the case of Peter Rhodes Brown on BBC radio Oxford; he is a great man who has done a lot for the club and continue to work hard for our youth development and the clubs profile in general (probably for very little money). However, he is always in defence of our players (esp the younger ones) when commentating. I'm sorry Peter, but when players are crap, they're crap. You can't just keep saying it was unlucky, or it bobbled, or they shinned it. Sometimes a little harsh reality helps, along with the encouragement which they get in spadefulls.

As "whoever the secret footballer is" goes on to say:

"I guarantee you that the next time he’s in that position, he’ll concentrate that little bit harder and that will be the difference between scoring and missing. And maybe winning and losing."

I would certainly like us to be doing more winning than losing.

[tomoufc]

On the presumption that this is is Kitson writing, it's certainly true that Kitson's missed his fair share of guilt-edged chances this season. Perhaps an instance of what psychologists call 'projection'.

[Kernow Yellow]

Josh Ruffels miss at Bristol Rovers, anyone?

I reckon you're spot on, Dan.

Incidentally, I had it confirmed to me recently that DK is indeed the Secret Footballer by someone who would know (inadvertently, as it happens - I hadn't solicited the information, I think he just assumed I knew already).

[joepoolman]

Josh Ruffels miss at Bristol Rovers, anyone?

When I was reading the extract you posted I was thinking of Ruffles at Bristol before I'd even seen you'd written it. If Ruffels was truly big time maybe he would have snapped back with a comment about how few times Kitson has got into a position akin to the one Ruffels was in at Bristol.

Oh and Ruffels hasn't scored since that day.

[ty cobb]

Arrogant nonsense from the biggest let down of the season.

[Kernow Yellow]

Arrogant nonsense from the biggest let down of the season.

Hmm. If you mean 'biggest let-down' because he hasn't played nearly enough games through injury and suspension then I agree with you. But we've generally looked a much better team with DK on the pitch this season.

I see that he's seriously considering retiring at the end of this campaign. It's a bit of a worry if he can't motivate himself to play football when he's under contract to Us, though unsurprising I guess if Pompey are paying him several times more NOT to play than we're paying him to play. At least he seems motivated to achieve something with us before bowing out.

[Jimski]

Yeah, I agree that every time I've seen him play he's looked one of our best players. Even if he does get booked far too much. But what's this about Pompey playing him not to play?

[Kernow Yellow]

Yeah, I agree that every time I've seen him play he's looked one of our best players. Even if he does get booked far too much. But what's this about Pompey playing him not to play?

Sorry I should have worded that better. Big Dave is being paid £11.5k per month by Pompey for the next few years regardless of whether he plays or not, as part of his outstanding contract there when they went into administration.

[ty cobb]

Arrogant nonsense from the biggest let down of the season.

Hmm. If you mean 'biggest let-down' because he hasn't played nearly enough games through injury and suspension then I agree with you. But we've generally looked a much better team with DK on the pitch this season.

I see that he's seriously considering retiring at the end of this campaign. It's a bit of a worry if he can't motivate himself to play football when he's under contract to Us, though unsurprising I guess if Pompey are paying him several times more NOT to play than we're paying him to play. At least he seems motivated to achieve something with us before bowing out.

I mean his return of 3 goals from 18 games is very poor for a bloke who got into double figures in a higher league last season and was essentially our big signing of the summer. Injuries we should expect at this age but suspensions he has no-one to blame but himself and he should know better. contrast that to Smalley who has scored more goals this season but gets the fans ire.

And personally I haven't been that impressed in the games I've seen him this season, although the ones I seem to have missed he seems to have transformed himself from the lazy moaning ineffective player I've seen to a superstar who pulls the strings for us. Looking forward to seeing the second version on Fri!

[Baboo]

How many games have you seem Kitson play Ty? The games where he has been good or very good have far outweighed those where he has not. He is a very influential player. It's about more then scoring goals and the role Kitson was asked to play particularly under Chris Wilder was far from that of an out and out goal scorer.

[Myles Francis]

I mean his return of 3 goals from 18 games is very poor for a bloke who got into double figures in a higher league last season and was essentially our big signing of the summer. Injuries we should expect at this age but suspensions he has no-one to blame but himself and he should know better. contrast that to Smalley who has scored more goals this season but gets the fans ire.

And personally I haven't been that impressed in the games I've seen him this season, although the ones I seem to have missed he seems to have transformed himself from the lazy moaning ineffective player I've seen to a superstar who pulls the strings for us. Looking forward to seeing the second version on Fri!

I just don't get this. From the very first game of the season, it was obvious that Kitson hadn't been signed to play as a striker. He absolutely nailed the trequartista role against Pompey, and has turned in a number of great performances this season in the same role. Is it a coincidence that we were top of the table and top scorers in the division when Kitson was in the side? Is it a coincidence that our slide happened during his prolonged absence from the side? I think not. For me, Kitson is the player who makes this team work.

[Kairdiff Exile]

What Myles said. It's not (just) about the goals with Kitson, it's about what his presence and ability does for the team as a whole - which is why I take issue with this statement:

...contrast [Kitson] to Smalley who has scored more goals this season but gets the fans ire.

Someone else trotted out the sta elsewhere on the board (and I can't be arsed to find it), but we've scored in and won many more games with Kitson than without him - and we've won more games without Smalley than with him. I know who I'd rather see next season.

[SmileyMan]

Kitson's biggest problems this season have been referees itching to book the 'big shot'

[ty cobb]

To be fair I haven't seen him in many games this season, although as I said the ones I have I failed to see what all the fuss was about, he generally strolled around, fouled a lot, moaned a lot, got booked and didn't look that interested.

However, I do recognise that there have been games which he has shown himself to be a class above given the comments on here, although not sure he got MOTM on many occassions?

Would of course rather have him in the team than Deano but I still stand by point, for our big signing of the summer, 3 goals and 18 games played isn't the best return. Coming up to the buisness end of the season he has the chance to sign off on a massive high though, given his status I expect him to be driving the team forward on Friday, grabbing the game by the scruff of it's neck and as I said I hope to see what all the fuss is about.