Levi Porter

[Thracian]

I'm still yet to be convinced that a 5'2' lightweight midget can dominate the center midfield.

Always believed he was/is better on the wing.

He doesn't quite have the raw pace for a winger and the position is a bit limited for him really. It doesn't play to his strengths.

Porter is a passer. Short or long but invariably accurate. He reads the play, always gives-and-goes when he passes and can get forward into places to support attacks or use what is a decent shooting technique.

He may be small but he's tougher than he looks and has excellent balance and a quick turning circle to compensate for his lack of inches. He also has stacks of stamina, covering an enormous amount of ground in a game at decent speed.

In many ways he reminds me of Lennon for the way he does the simple things so consistently and makes life easier for all around him.

Porter's ideal for modern football because keeping the ball is vital and he's as good as anyone in that respect.

[Darkzzz_]

I'm still yet to be convinced that a 5'2' lightweight midget can dominate the center midfield.

Always believed he was/is better on the wing.

He is as strong as a Ox for a little fella!

I like him, he does have a footballer's brain but just lacks that on a consistant level. He just needs that extra push and he could be a good little player for us!!

[Dames]

He doesn't quite have the raw pace for a winger and the position is a bit limited for him really. It doesn't play to his strengths.

Porter is a passer. Short or long but invariably accurate. He reads the play, always gives-and-goes when he passes and can get forward into places to support attacks or use what is a decent shooting technique.

He may be small but he's tougher than he looks and has excellent balance and a quick turning circle to compensate for his lack of inches. He also has stacks of stamina, covering an enormous amount of ground in a game at decent speed.

In many ways he reminds me of Lennon for the way he does the simple things so consistently and makes life easier for all around him.

Porter's ideal for modern football because keeping the ball is vital and he's as good as anyone in that respect.

Come off it.

[Sods]

That game he played against Chelsea was an absoulte gem of a peformance, him and Shush! worked their arses of for each other.

[Staf]

I actually quite like him he runs at defenders and gets crosses in something we cant do at the minute

[Thracian]

That game he played against Chelsea was an absoulte gem of a peformance, him and Shush! worked their arses of for each other.

I think you'd see more of that if some of the young players partnered each other - Mattock/Beswick on the left; Weso/King coming off the bench in midfield, Gradel/Stearman/Lee Cox on the right were it possible, but we don't seem to think like that.

People perhaps forget these players have grown up together and instinctively play well in tandem because they know exactly what each can do and the kind of runs they make/passes they like.

While the older players pace themselves through another contract and our newcomers struggle to find their feet, consider what we're missing.

The speed, threat and impishness of Gradel has been discarded, so too the determination and lively demeanour of Wesolowski, the passing, shooting and capable attacking support of King and the particularly effective dead ball skills of Weso's otherwise flawed friend Shush!.

At my guess 14/16 goals/assists between them in the second half of the season from non-striker positions that we desperately needed. Thrown away.

What we're left with is a basically orthodox, predictable and mostly one-paced side with too many poor passers which simply doesn't ask enough questions and who's members don't have enough competition for their places.

It means we've got a fairly ponderous plan A and no plan B at all that I've noticed.

Way back in June I said I didn't expect too many of our young players to be first choices in the senior team this season. What I did expect though was two or three starting and two or three more on the bench pushing the older players, all eager to make an impression when the opportunity arose.

Instead we've taken a wrong turn and have made no progress at all in terms of the team's style, its movement as a unit, increased attacking momentum and the achieving of consistently acceptable results.

In fact Holloway, who seemed to know little about the club and its players when he arrived, seems to be just as blinkered as his predecessors which perhaps explains what I see as an indifferent record for a guy who's been in management such a long time.

[Jimmy]

I'm not his biggest fan but its obvious we have missed him, if only as another option on the left or even in central midfield and to be fair he offers different attributes to what we have had availible to us

[Jimmy]

Levi got a mention in Ollie's preview of the Cardiff game, didn't really say much just that "he will be back, he will be fit, but not for this season"

maybe Barber does read this place form time to time

[ronnup]

People perhaps forget these players have grown up together and instinctively play well in tandem because they know exactly what each can do and the kind of runs they make/passes they like.

perhaps you forget that they're very in-experienced in the championship and the difference netween academy/reserves and the league is huge.

[The Reverend]

Levi got a mention in Ollie's preview of the Cardiff game, didn't really say much just that "he will be back, he will be fit, but not for this season"

maybe Barber does read this place form time to time

Barber clearly reads this forum.

[Flynny]

He doesn't quite have the raw pace for a winger and the position is a bit limited for him really. It doesn't play to his strengths.

Porter is a passer. Short or long but invariably accurate. He reads the play, always gives-and-goes when he passes and can get forward into places to support attacks or use what is a decent shooting technique.

He may be small but he's tougher than he looks and has excellent balance and a quick turning circle to compensate for his lack of inches. He also has stacks of stamina, covering an enormous amount of ground in a game at decent speed.

In many ways he reminds me of Lennon for the way he does the simple things so consistently and makes life easier for all around him.

Porter's ideal for modern football because keeping the ball is vital and he's as good as anyone in that respect.

If he's on the wing, though, he's less likely to have a big bloke stuck on him, and if he chooses to cut inside he can open up play that way. It's a shame he's not even 3 inches bigger, say, but there's a reason that the shortest player in the Premier League is two inches taller than him.

[lildave3]

If he's on the wing, though, he's less likely to have a big bloke stuck on him, and if he chooses to cut inside he can open up play that way. It's a shame he's not even 3 inches bigger, say, but there's a reason that the shortest player in the Premier League is two inches taller than him.

Pfffft.

I could do it.

[Flynny]

Pfffft.

I could do it.

Haha, sure.

How tall are you actually anyway? 5' 3 ish? If I've guessed insulting low and its actually 5'5" I do apologise.

[lildave3]

Haha, sure.

How tall are you actually anyway? 5' 3 ish? If I've guessed insulting low and its actually 5'5" I do apologise.

I have no idea.

Possibly not even that tall.

I'm need some sort of height measuring device.

[Flynny]

I have no idea.

Possibly not even that tall.

I'm need some sort of height measuring device.

I'VE GOT A 30 CENTIMETRE RULER AHAHAHAHAHAHA I'M HILARIOUS LD3 IS SMALL.

Thats how these types of posts are done right? I'm not entirely up to speed.

[Thracian]

perhaps you forget that they're very in-experienced in the championship and the difference netween academy/reserves and the league is huge.

Yes I've seen where non-passing defenders, relying on experience and slow, predictable football has got us second half of last season and second half of this.

I just hope we don't go through the whole of March without a win like last year when Maybury, Hughes, Horsfield and Jarrett were doing their stuff.

[Fatbloke]

Your faith in, and dedication to our young players is very encouraging Thracian, however whilst I agree that they are very very good, looked after correctly and used at the right time, ie in a confident, winning team they will ensure a very bright future for our club, BUT in a team under the cosh and battling the drop would you really wan`t them put under such pressure week in week out ?

[lildave3]

I'VE GOT A 30 CENTIMETRE RULER AHAHAHAHAHAHA I'M HILARIOUS LD3 IS SMALL.

Thats how these types of posts are done right? I'm not entirely up to speed.

Well, yes. As a rule....r.

[Thracian]

Your faith in, and dedication to our young players is very encouraging Thracian, however whilst I agree that they are very very good, looked after correctly and used at the right time, ie in a confident, winning team they will ensure a very bright future for our club, BUT in a team under the cosh and battling the drop would you really wan`t them put under such pressure week in week out ?

Without using them it is difficult to see when we'll ever not be under the cosh.

In principle, of course you're right. We should never have got in the situation where the team lacked confidence.

So much of what's happened has seemed wilfully irresponsible to me and I still cannot believe how and why some things ever came about.

Ideally we should have had perhaps three young players in our side this season and two on the bench though not necessarily the same two.

That we've not created the climate where that could reasonably and safely happen is a condemnation of the decision making.

And, as a result we've not brought players on as well and as cleverly as we should.

What I'm concerned about now is that we'll end up losing some of those players or some will fail to succeed because of our stupidity, because stupidity is what we've been guiilty of.

Weeks of vital work was lost first half of the season pissing about with foreign imports who should never have been allowed near a City shirt.

Virtually the whole of that period was a waste of time in terms of player development culminating in the shameful embarrassments against Hinckley United and Nottingham Forest Reserves.

That wasted time has knocked on to affect the first team because some players like Weso, King, Mattock and even Fryatt were less than fully fit on occasions when picked for the seniors.

Half the time we'd rather sign Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all than properly utilise what we've got.

Don't get me wrong. I'm ready to welcome a new signing or two anytime. So long as they're fit, motivated and better than what we've got.

But pulling in short-term cast-offs is totally counter-productive as far as I can see both for team spirit and for achieving the right results. Sadly I don't expect Hendrie to be any different in this respect but I guess we all live in hope.