Seaborne - I just don't get it

[The9]

Hate to post a negative thread after a decent result tonight, but I just don't understand why we bought Seaborne. He wasn't exactly setting the world on fire at Exeter and IMO has looked very average since he came here. My main gripe is just the constant hoofing. Often when he had plenty of time and space to take it down and play it. I think the main reason for our poor play in the first half was down to him and Davis lumping it up the pitch constantly and expecting all 5ft 10' of Lee Barnard to win it on his own.

 

Of all our current CB options I'd be inclined to give Martin a few games with Fonte.

 

I thought he was pants when he first signed, hoofamatic and losing headers, plus that stupid never-a-pen at Tranmere... but by the end of the season he'd improved positionally, started closing down earlier and was growing in distribution skills alongside Fonte. Last night he'd gone back to hoofamatic, apart from one lovely square ball to Fonte on the volley.

 

I think he's got an upside, and he didn't have too many problems defensively last night.

[The9]

Whilst I'm in total agreement we are unlikely to find a ball playing, 50yds to feet, CB in the third tier of English football and therefore I'll happily settle for hoofing it away from danger!

 

There's one stood next to him.

[Andy_Porter]

Who plays more than his fair share of hoofstastic long balls.

 

I'm fairly certain the coaching staff are instructing the centre backs to just clear their lines and not to **** about with it.

[The9]

Fonte our super cultured centre back hoofs it long time and time again, yet he still has this classy ball playing defender tag, it's ridiculous.

 

This is true, but he CAN bring it out and play it, and has done. But the hoof that results from Fonte's Leaping Clearance ™ is one of the things I most hate about the current side.

[View From The Top]

There's one stood next to him.

 

Sorry, but he hoofs it plenty, and I mean plenty.

[The9]

Sorry, but he hoofs it plenty, and I mean plenty.

 

You won't get any arguments on that front, but he also passes it nicely on the deck and brings it upfield sometimes. Seaborne's culture last night was in between his toes, except for the one knee-height sidefoot volley across to Fonte.

[Alain Perrin]

I've seen enough of Seaborne to confidently say he won't improve. I remember comments from people who said the likes of the abysmal Mikael Nilsson and Andreas Jakobsson would be "amazing" in the Championship just because they couldn't hack it in the Prem. Thankfully, they didn't hang around long enough to prove my point but I maintain that if you're a bad player, you're a bad player - it won't matter what level you go down to in professional football, you'll still be bad. It's just a matter of HOW bad.

 

For example, Paul Telfer. Djimi Traore... and so forth.

 

The same rule applies to talented players too, in some respects. I've no doubt Rickie Lambert could do a decent job in the Premier League. I mean... does anyone seriously thinks he'd be less effective than Heskey, Kevin Davies etc? I certainly don't...

 

Anyone who thinks Paul Telfer is a bad player loses respect from me. Telfer was a useful utility player, not a specialist. If you don't think there's a need for that type of player in every squad, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

 

My opinion, Seabourne is good in patches; a bit of a hoofer but strong in the air. I think that, like most of the team, when under pressure he hoofs more, and it's that that we need to stamp out.

[SaintBobby]

Ive never much rated him. Think he's okay as cover, but not great.

 

My worry is that I dont think Jaidi is the nailed on starting XI player I was hoping for.

 

Id like a new signing at CB I think.

[derry]

The lump it up the field must come from Pardew because he has been here a year now and Davis is doing nothing else. If the manager didn't want it, it wouldn't be done. Seaborne lost one header all night. The real problem for the centre backs was the outlet, two central midfielders who struggle to pass wind, Hammond's distribution is poor, one really good pass last night. Wotton invariably passes it backwards or unloads it often to players who are marked. Both wide midfielders were narrow most of the time, better to belt it forward than to be dropped in it by Wotton etc.

[Turkish]

Anyone who thinks Paul Telfer is a bad player loses respect from me. Telfer was a useful utility player, not a specialist. If you don't think there's a need for that type of player in every squad, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

 

My opinion, Seabourne is good in patches; a bit of a hoofer but strong in the air. I think that, like most of the team, when under pressure he hoofs more, and it's that that we need to stamp out.

 

Spot on mate, a lot of people dont seem to realise that every team needs players like this.

[Crab Lungs]

Our very own Rasiak, scored 20+ goals in the championship, yet couldn't cut it at Spurs, is he a crap player? Remember Darren Kenton, rated one of the best defenders outside the PL when we signed him, not up to it for us though. If McSheffrey is so good why didn't a better club sign him? The list of players is endless that did well in lower leagues but when they get a move to a bigger club or play at a higher level or a different type of football they can be found wanting. Doesn't make them generically bad players, just playing above the level of their abilities. If what you say is true why dont Real madrid sign the best league 2 players and stick them all in their starting line, if they are good at any level, rather than spending £35m on Villa?

The 'he was playing in a crap team' is ridulous, Crouch did okay for us when we got relegated and were awful didn't he, Matt Le Tissler seemed to get by as well in some truely awful Saints teams.

As for Seaborne, of course he'd be a stand out player in the conference, that is why he is a league one player. If he was playing 2 leagues down he'd have the same ability but the players he is up against are less able so he would automatically look better. Danny Butterfield was hardly a stand out Championship right back but looks a cut above having come down a league.

 

Rasiak had 9 (probably mostly sub) appearances in the Premier League... I'd hardly call him a failure! Who knows, who might have gone on to do well in the PL - if he was given the opportunity.

 

I could also mention to you: Tony Warner, a notoriously terrible goalkeeper at whatever level. Boaz Myhill, a top goalkeeper at all four professional levels...

[Crab Lungs]

Anyone who thinks Paul Telfer is a bad player loses respect from me. Telfer was a useful utility player, not a specialist. If you don't think there's a need for that type of player in every squad, you clearly don't know what you're talking about.

 

My opinion, Seabourne is good in patches; a bit of a hoofer but strong in the air. I think that, like most of the team, when under pressure he hoofs more, and it's that that we need to stamp out.

 

Perhaps I should have said "Jermaine Wright"

[Turkish]

Rasiak had 9 (probably mostly sub) appearances in the Premier League... I'd hardly call him a failure! Who knows, who might have gone on to do well in the PL - if he was given the opportunity.

 

I could also mention to you: Tony Warner, a notoriously terrible goalkeeper at whatever level. Boaz Myhill, a top goalkeeper at all four professional levels...

 

Do you not think there is a reason for that?

 

What is your point of Boaz Myhill? He is a premier league and international player, of course he is going to be a top goalkeeper if he played in L1. As for Warner, i dont ever remember him being norotriously bad, but he's played for Liverpool and Celtic and got two FA Cup runners up medals and a L1 and L2 winners medal in his cabinet so must have done something right in his career.

[Andy_Porter]

The lump it up the field must come from Pardew because he has been here a year now and Davis is doing nothing else. If the manager didn't want it, it wouldn't be done. Seaborne lost one header all night. The real problem for the centre backs was the outlet, two central midfielders who struggle to pass wind, Hammond's distribution is poor, one really good pass last night. Wotton invariably passes it backwards or unloads it often to players who are marked. Both wide midfielders were narrow most of the time, better to belt it forward than to be dropped in it by Wotton etc.

 

Without a doubt it comes from Pardew, we hardly every play the ball about between our defenders.

[mitch56]

I would like to offer an alternative view. Seabourne's headers usually cleared well up the pitch instead of just dropping into oncoming midfielders. He was not aided by a very nervy looking Dickson who is clearlly struggling to settle here. Also, nearly all our play which improved in the second period due to upping our tempo, Harding's energy and closing Feeney down was characterised by ground level passing bypassing our central midfield pairing. Lets face it neither Wotton or Hammond are great at distribution as midfield players either. I also think Seabourne has the strenght to stand up to some of the less elegant forwards we will see again this year.

[MorningtonCrescent]

What's with all the early season bashing of young players at Saints? I mean, they all have to learn and grow somewhere. If Saints were in the Prem, then maybe we could justify going out and buying a whole team of "ready made" quality players.... but we're not. We're in the third tier. Division Three in old money. Wrap it up as "League One" if you like, but there are 40+ other teams in leagues higher than ours that are also out to sign the best players.

 

Seabourne has something that AP likes. He is strong in the air and shows enough desire and ability to make it worth our team manager giving him space in our coaching set-up and the occasional run out for the first eleven. That is good enough for me, as we'll never bring on any players with promise if we're all going to say "replace him, he's not good enough" before he's even unpacked his suitcase!

 

We have some very talented and promising youngsters at Saints. It is something of our hallmark or tradition that we give kids a chance to learn how to become better - and giving them good solid experienced pros to play alongside. Why do some people have to demand instant quality and consistency all the time.

 

How many people here were saying that Lallana wasn't good enough to Saints at the start of last season? Plenty!

 

Good grief people. Is it any wonder that so many people just don't bother expressing their views anymore, when this place is infected with "instant gratification" and "anal troll" type posts wherever they look!