NRC. Are you a fan or not?

[Philosopher]

Nige is a good player without the ball , but fataliy flawed when on the ball in that he can't pass for shit and spends to long looking down at the ball when its at his feet to see what going on in possession. To me he would have made a great right back if he had listened to MON as his pace, strength, running with the ball, energy and tackling are very good. As a midfielder he belongs in a good championship team.

I do like him as a player he is committed, determined and works hard, but far too limited.

[barry'sboots]

NRC isn't even close to Stan. This weekends game summed it up for me, Stan was making all the tackles, creating play to go forward, the one showing passion and protecting the back 4. NRC just looked completely lost.

Sorry but Reo-Coker was far better.

Creating play to go forward? When was this :?

Reo-Coker was involved more than Petrov and better than Petrov on sunday, no question.

No really he wasn't

I'm with you AVFC-PoB, NRC was much more influential for me. Even though I would rather NRC played as the sitting midfielder, he can't do this when Stan is in the side as Stan doesn't have the energy to burst forward.

[GaztonVilla]

I've just watched the 2nd half vs Everton again. Nigel made one successful tackle in that half. 72 mins, won the ball and burst forward only to fluff a cross. The rest of the half was spent jogging and jockeying. Think Mark Kinsella.

I want NRC to be good for us but it wasn't happening on Sunday.

[barry'sboots]

I've just watched the 2nd half vs Everton again. Nigel made one successful tackle in that half. 72 mins, won the ball and burst forward only to fluff a cross. The rest of the half was spent jogging and jockeying. Think Mark Kinsella.

I want NRC to be good for us but it wasn't happening on Sunday.

So why do a number of the polls on Villa sites have Nigel rated as up there for MOTM on Sunday. The poll on this site has him slightly higher than Stan (admittedly only 4% compared to 3%).

[Chindie]

Because in the same way a lot of people like and will fall for rhetoric, a lot of people like to see a player that grafts, that tries, that is full of running. Sadly, in Nigels case, for anyone unimpressed by that alone, he has nothing else to fall back on.

Unfortunately, the people that enjoy graft above all, and effort, seem to outnumber those who are less than impressed by that alone.

Ultimately, in my view at least, the numbers are flawed by this fact.

[GaztonVilla]

I've just watched the 2nd half vs Everton again. Nigel made one successful tackle in that half. 72 mins, won the ball and burst forward only to fluff a cross. The rest of the half was spent jogging and jockeying. Think Mark Kinsella.

I want NRC to be good for us but it wasn't happening on Sunday.

So why do a number of the polls on Villa sites have Nigel rated as up there for MOTM on Sunday. The poll on this site has him slightly higher than Stan (admittedly only 4% compared to 3%).

**** if I know

I watched the 2nd half back because I wanted to analyse NRC's performance given the differing opinions I've heard. I've always been of the opinion that NRC is a bustling, busy tackler. Maybe it was an isolated match, but he looked lost for vast periods of the 2nd half.

He was never really busting a gut to make a challenge -always seemed eager to get close without really making a tackle. Maybe he was told by KMacD to close down but not tackle, I don't know.

However, one successful tackle in 45 mins is not really good enough for a so-called defensive midfielder, wouldn't you agree?

[avfc89]

Because in the same way a lot of people like and will fall for rhetoric, a lot of people like to see a player that grafts, that tries, that is full of running. Sadly, in Nigels case, for anyone unimpressed by that alone, he has nothing else to fall back on.

Unfortunately, the people that enjoy graft above all, and effort, seem to outnumber those who are less than impressed by that alone.

Ultimately, in my view at least, the numbers are flawed by this fact.

I just believe the majority recognise his effectiveness, I can't see any problem with that fact.

[Big_John_10]

I've just watched the 2nd half vs Everton again. Nigel made one successful tackle in that half. 72 mins, won the ball and burst forward only to fluff a cross. The rest of the half was spent jogging and jockeying. Think Mark Kinsella.

Doesn't surprise me, we were under loads of pressure which was dealt with by our defenders.

Like chindie said people see him run around and love him for it.

[barry'sboots]

one successful tackle in 45 mins is not really good enough for a so-called defensive midfielder

But I don't think he was being played as the defensive midfielder. Whilst I think this is his best position, as he demonstrated last season in the Bolton game (the one game he was given a chance to play this role alongside an attack minded CM'er in Sidwell) and a couple of seasons ago behind Barry, I don't think he can play this role when Stan is in the team because Stan will not make the bursts forward and, when you play a 2 man CM, someone has to??

[TheSufferingVilla]

NRC has little or no natural talent but makes up for it by being very athletic and a possessing a powerful engine. Good enough for the Villa? Yes definitely, I think there's plenty of space in a team like ours for a fighter like Reo, so long as he isn't disruptive to other members of the squad.

[barry'sboots]

Because in the same way a lot of people like and will fall for rhetoric, a lot of people like to see a player that grafts, that tries, that is full of running. Sadly, in Nigels case, for anyone unimpressed by that alone, he has nothing else to fall back on.

Unfortunately, the people that enjoy graft above all, and effort, seem to outnumber those who are less than impressed by that alone.

Ultimately, in my view at least, the numbers are flawed by this fact.

I could say the same of those that appear to be impressed by a nice hairdo, an ability to a slow a game down and always make that telling pass to one of your defenders behind you and has no running!

[villabromsgrove]

I've watched the match again and it really was a backs to the wall team effort. NRC was a part of that so he gets as much credit as the rest of the team from me.

[Chindie]

The thing about Petrov always being knackered and 'has no running' just isn't true and never has been, as is the passing always sideways and backwards (although frankly thats what I'd expect a decent DM to do, keep the ball moving, even if it has to be sideways, keep it simple in that position unless you're world class). But this isn't the thread for it.

I will never like Reo-Coker. Thankfully, I won't have to put up with his presence in the team I support much longer. And for that I'm thankful.

[Cracker1234]

I will never like Reo-Coker. Thankfully, I won't have to put up with his presence in the team I support much longer. And for that I'm thankful.

For all you know the new manager might want to offer him a new contract.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I've just watched the 2nd half vs Everton again. Nigel made one successful tackle in that half. 72 mins, won the ball and burst forward only to fluff a cross. The rest of the half was spent jogging and jockeying. Think Mark Kinsella.

I want NRC to be good for us but it wasn't happening on Sunday.

So why do a number of the polls on Villa sites have Nigel rated as up there for MOTM on Sunday. The poll on this site has him slightly higher than Stan (admittedly only 4% compared to 3%).

**** if I know

I watched the 2nd half back because I wanted to analyse NRC's performance given the differing opinions I've heard. I've always been of the opinion that NRC is a bustling, busy tackler. Maybe it was an isolated match, but he looked lost for vast periods of the 2nd half.

He was never really busting a gut to make a challenge -always seemed eager to get close without really making a tackle. Maybe he was told by KMacD to close down but not tackle, I don't know.

However, one successful tackle in 45 mins is not really good enough for a so-called defensive midfielder, wouldn't you agree?

But as you say, he was closing down. If he goes into rash challenges, he's just conceding free kicks. I thought Everton looked pretty dangerous from set peices, so giving away set peices seems a little stupid to me.

As long as he's applying pressure and forcing the Everton player to move the ball on into less dangerous areas then he's doing his job.

[Hanky]

We gave away far too many free kicks around the edge of the box last Sunday. Perhaps that was why he was reluctant to tackle? Or maybe the fact the ref would blow the whistle if we were to breathe on any of their players.

[bickster]

We gave away far too many free kicks around the edge of the box last Sunday. Perhaps that was why he was reluctant to tackle? Or maybe the fact the ref would blow the whistle if we were to breathe on any of their players.

Didnt stop Petrov, Dunne, Collins and even Albrighton

[Hanky]

We gave away far too many free kicks around the edge of the box last Sunday. Perhaps that was why he was reluctant to tackle? Or maybe the fact the ref would blow the whistle if we were to breathe on any of their players.

Didnt stop Petrov, Dunne, Collins and even Albrighton

Giving away the free kicks? It was only a joke suggestion anyway, not a defence of NRC.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

We gave away far too many free kicks around the edge of the box last Sunday. Perhaps that was why he was reluctant to tackle? Or maybe the fact the ref would blow the whistle if we were to breathe on any of their players.

Didnt stop Petrov, Dunne, Collins and even Albrighton

It's obviously different scenario. If an Everton player has the ball 40 yards from goal, looking to his right for a simple pass. Reo-Coker closes down, he's going to pass. What's the point in making a pointless challenge?

Petrov usually sits a little deeper than Collins, Petrov also gave away a fair few free-kicks. While Collins and Dunne naturally are going to make more tackles as you need too in the box. You need to make a tackle 20 yards from goal if a player has a chance to shoot on goal for example, but you don't need to make tackles 40 yards from your goal. A lot of Albrighton again tackling to stop a cross come into the box, conceded a foul which nearly led to Rodwell heading in from 8 yards from Arteta's free kick.

Everton had so much of the ball, as a team we didn't really press, are you saying Reo-Coker should of stormed out and flew into a tackle which would of been needed because if he closes down at a normal rate, then Everton could of easily just passed to the several options they had open regularly.

[smokingzen]

Because in the same way a lot of people like and will fall for rhetoric...

Not many people seem to be falling for your rhetoric

...a lot of people like to see a player that grafts, that tries, that is full of running. Sadly, in Nigels case, for anyone unimpressed by that alone, he has nothing else to fall back on.

Or maybe put another way, rather than some people focusing on what he doesn't bring to the team, others, the majority it would seem, focus on what he does bring to the team. Recognising that he plays an important role for the team.

Unfortunately, the people that enjoy graft above all, and effort, seem to outnumber those who are less than impressed by that alone.

Ultimately, in my view at least, the numbers are flawed by this fact.

Sorry but it's not a fact. It may be a fact that more people on here are a fan of Reo Coker than not, as evidenced by the poll, but it is not a fact that all the people voted for him purely on the grounds you mention. That we are all football plebs who just appreciate the baser aspects of the game of effort and graft, but of course couldn't appreciate the finer aesthetics of the game like your high self.

Please, you may not like Reo Coker for whatever reasons you might have, but don't try and debase the opinions of those that do because they disagree with you, it's just a shallowly disguised ad hominem attack.