Sandra The Terrorist wrote:
Personally I'm struggling with the last few years interpretation of what a full back is. From game one (and feel free to check my posts) I had deep concerns about his defensive positioning, he does not read the game well or instruct the defence, and that's before we come onto his one on one which is none existent.
He is capable of chiming into the line, and in this respect he's a very modern full back but his passing, particularly from right to left is a horror show.
My assessments of Hall are writ large across these boards and I do not think he's the answer for us but McDonnell is far from the super star coup tits like you are proclaiming.
I've made the odd comment about Craig Hall, over the course of his (stuttering) career (either over on our board or on here), from time to time.
The kid is/was a natural born left centre with an acute eye for an opening coupled with an in-bred attacking running game to take full advantage of gaps out wide.
At least that is what he should have been. However, he has ended up a victim of the modern curse, the dreaded utility back. He was messed about by our coaching regime of 2008-10 who tried to put a square peg into a round hole and simply ended up stifiling Hall's natural instincts. (Admittedly I tend to blame our coaching staff circa 2008-10 for most of our shortcomings in recent years).
It would now appear that rovers are contemplating the same career path for Craig, a career path which very nearly finished him as a SL player.
Of course, he is now a little older with a touch more expeirence under his belt and he may have listened & learnt from past mistakes and in 2013 be far better equipped at playing full-back. But I would think most on here would surely agree that going with Hall as first choice FB is at best a gamble/calculated risk with the outcome very much unknown.
As various other Fc fans have already mentioned, we watched Craig at FB and it was not a pretty sight (at times it was a horror show). And this is coming from an Fc fan who had high hopes for him as an Fc player and who tried to defend him long after all around me had elected him the scapegoat for a collective shortcoming.
I'll repeat it again, if Sandercock goes with him as first choice FB, he's taking an almighty gamble which could blow up in his face not too far into 2013 (although I'm sure Sandra doesn't need me to spell it out).
Good luck with this dilemma anyway.
PS
As for McDonnell. I don't think he's the answer for us either. He's no more than Wade McKinnon mk2 (ie bog standard average) although hopefully he will stay a little while longer (if indeed he does actually sign, rumours rumours rumours).
