Stags v Sutton - your ratings

[eggy]

In here please

https://forms.gle/7PYeq6aEmDEAfLZt7

[Stephen]

I cant choose a rating fitting for Akins yet again, cant go lower than 4

[Chrisuknottm]

Glad it's not just me thinking that game after game

[Stephen]

Glad it's not just me thinking that game after game

He seems to miss Clough’s post match comments of how for the 2nd game in a row has missed a free header inside the CENTRE of the 6 yard box too, unlike Swan who can’t do anything right. Maybe if he had some chance to get match sharp he’d score these chances hes missing. Replace Akins with a traffic cone = no difference

[pemill]

At last other people are beginning to see what I've seen and been saying for a long time - what is the fascination with Akins.
He struggles to control the ball, misplaces passes, gets bullied by defenders, slow and doesn't score.

His biggest defence from others is his hold up play but when that's deserted him, on the rare occasions he held it up and passed to another Stag anyway, what does he do, it isn't pressing that's for sure, it's half hearted to say the least.

I can only assume he is contracted to play every game regardless of performances.

[Chrisuknottm]

At last other people are beginning to see what I've seen and been saying for a long time - what is the fascination with Akins.
He struggles to control the ball, misplaces passes, gets bullied by defenders, slow and doesn't score.

His biggest defence from others is his hold up play but when that's deserted him, on the rare occasions he held it up and passed to another Stag anyway, what does he do, it isn't pressing that's for sure, it's half hearted to say the least.

I can only assume he is contracted to play every game regardless of performances.

Some of us have said it from the start but it gets pointless when you get hammered for pointing out exactly you have so succinctly said Pemill. I think that the problem is that NC doesn't like out and out strikers in his system so Akins is his answer come rain or shine.

[Stephen]

Strikers are there to score goals, and he doesnt and cant and nobody is talking have his free header missed chances from 3 yards out for two home games in a row. It was acceptable when he was good at his workrate, holding the ball up, bringing others into play, when he had a striker next to him. Now Clough is going with him on his own and he cant do that anymore whats the point in him? We looked more dangerous last night when Swan came on, imagine that looking better when two strikers are playing. And dont get me started about well DKD is there. Hea playing off him, not with him and hes not a striker. DKD is very effective in the free role behind the two strikers. This will never in a million years happen he’s the next name on the team sheet after Pym, but i’d drop him and i’d actually put Bowery and Swan up front, williams at right back. A right back playing right back and two strikers playing up front

[diablo]

If Akins is as bad as a large number of people think he is, then it doesn't say much for the Managers ability to recognise a good player.

[Weststandupper stag]

At last other people are beginning to see what I've seen and been saying for a long time - what is the fascination with Akins.
He struggles to control the ball, misplaces passes, gets bullied by defenders, slow and doesn't score.

His biggest defence from others is his hold up play but when that's deserted him, on the rare occasions he held it up and passed to another Stag anyway, what does he do, it isn't pressing that's for sure, it's half hearted to say the least.

I can only assume he is contracted to play every game regardless of performances.

Some of us have said it from the start but it gets pointless when you get hammered for pointing out exactly you have so succinctly said Pemill. I think that the problem is that NC doesn't like out and out strikers in his system so Akins is his answer come rain or shine.

The reason people question you Chris is because you only ever seem to point out the negatives. Of course you are entitled to your opinion but it does become tiresome from my angle (I'm not speaking for anyone but myself) when you only ever seem to moan or say how easy it would be to fix. Lucas like most fourth division footballers is having a spell out of form and that is why we need some fresh blood to relieve him of the burden of being one of our few avaliable strikers. Hopefully he is just having a blip because earlier on in the season he was a key part to our initial success.

[bear 73]

If Akins is as bad as a large number of people think he is, then it doesn't say much for the Managers ability to recognise a good player.

Correct you have seen a lot of good players and seem to know your stuff, The Radfords seem to have overlooked you.
And Sharpe must have overlooked your C-V.
Seems the same people have overlooked their calling.
Or have thousands seen 2 defeats in 27 games, 3 points off top of the league, progress.
i thought ratings was out of 10, mot a full scale rant

[Chrisuknottm]

At last other people are beginning to see what I've seen and been saying for a long time - what is the fascination with Akins.
He struggles to control the ball, misplaces passes, gets bullied by defenders, slow and doesn't score.

His biggest defence from others is his hold up play but when that's deserted him, on the rare occasions he held it up and passed to another Stag anyway, what does he do, it isn't pressing that's for sure, it's half hearted to say the least.

I can only assume he is contracted to play every game regardless of performances.

Some of us have said it from the start but it gets pointless when you get hammered for pointing out exactly you have so succinctly said Pemill. I think that the problem is that NC doesn't like out and out strikers in his system so Akins is his answer come rain or shine.

The reason people question you Chris is because you only ever seem to point out the negatives. Of course you are entitled to your opinion but it does become tiresome from my angle (I'm not speaking for anyone but myself) when you only ever seem to moan or say how easy it would be to fix. Lucas like most fourth division footballers is having a spell out of form and that is why we need some fresh blood to relieve him of the burden of being one of our few avaliable strikers. Hopefully he is just having a blip because earlier on in the season he was a key part to our initial success.

That's actually not true but not going to get into a he said she said discussion. I simply don't rate him whereas I do Clarke Maris, DKD, Kilgour, Flint Quinn Cargill, Bowery (as a defender) who have been excellent signings and I've said so. If you think everything in the garden is rosy , Stockport result apart, then I'm not the only one who is unsure of our direction and performances as an opposing view and there were plenty of similar views around me at the last three home games.

[Vantage007]

In my opinion Akins is a very good player. However he has had an 'iffy' spell of late but I fail to see why some 'supporters' constantly moan about him unjustly. He's been part of this team all season and we sit 3rd in the league with average crowds of 7,000 +and Akins has helped us to get where we are. The whole squad have played their part but this is league 2 football and players will make mistakes. I just wish that everyone got behind the team and the manager and just enjoy where we're at compared to a few years ago. There's too many 'managers' out there watching from the stands.

[Dave Wayne]

I wonder if all these people who moan about Akins noticed that his strength in holding up the ball then laying it off to Macca is what led to our goal last night.
Or the fact that he made clearances in the box from 2 consecutive corners by Sutton in the first half, one headed and one with his foot.
Or the move where he picked the ball up around the halfway line, laid it off to the right wing, a cross field ball was played to the left wing, the cross then came into the box and who was running onto it ?
But yeah, he does nothing does he ?
I agree he isn't a 20 goal a season striker, but his work rate is huge, and so many people don't see that because they are too busy looking for his mistakes.
Look how we struggled when we had that spell without him in the team after his injury - knocked out of all 3 cups in a week.

[gazza1988]

Yeah we lost in the FA Cup without him, Oates scored though. Lost in the league cup against higher league opposition in the fourth round which, at pre-season. you'd be delighted reaching. We lost the EFL Trophy and he played that game, again against higher league opposition.

He missed the Salford game, which we won. Jordan Bowery with a goal, weird that.

The following game against Newport he was on the bench but came on after 75 minutes, didn't do much, shot straight at the keeper. We were winning 2-0 when he came on and that's how the result stayed.

The game after that at Swindon he replaced Bowery at half time with us trailing 1-0 and scored an equaliser with a great finish, I do believe he also hit the bar in that game too. However we did go on to lose 2-1.

I do rate Akins, he's not been at his usual high standards he set earlier in the season, I don't buy that we are terrible without him.

[Dave Wayne]

Yeah we lost in the FA Cup without him, Oates scored though. Lost in the league cup against higher league opposition in the fourth round which, at pre-season. you'd be delighted reaching. We lost the EFL Trophy and he played that game, again against higher league opposition.

My apologies, I was forgetting there was a further game in the EFL trophy. I was referring to the fact we lost to Port Vale, Wrexham, and Everton U21s in the space of a week after he sustained his injury.

[gazza1988]

Yeah we lost in the FA Cup without him, Oates scored though. Lost in the league cup against higher league opposition in the fourth round which, at pre-season. you'd be delighted reaching. We lost the EFL Trophy and he played that game, again against higher league opposition.

My apologies, I was forgetting there was a further game in the EFL trophy. I was referring to the fact we lost to Port Vale, Wrexham, and Everton U21s in the space of a week after he sustained his injury.

No need to apologise.

The Everton game we had a very much 2nd string out. Abdullah, Cooper and Williams all started, we weren't exactly trying our 100% best. Clough's interviews at the time have me the impression we weren't bothered about them. Training games I believe he called them. I agree 100% with Clough on that one. They are generally forgettable games.

You could have a very very weak argument that we lost 3-0 to Vale the ither season and only lost 1-0 this season....

[pemill]

Clough talks about players getting fatigued both mentally & physically but clearly thinks Lucas is immune to all that, the biggest frustration is he is in the first Xi regardless of his performances.

Someone mentioned the cup competitions, they're a decent money spinner if you get a good run but it's the league I'm bothered about and this season with or without Akins we are doing the business, my concern is at the moment we could have more energy on the field and more of a goal threat, Clarke and Swan for instance.

Alternatively swap Bowery and Lucas for a while, Lucas has done OK at RB - might be somewhat different but could work?

[bear 73]

Clough talks about players getting fatigued both mentally & physically but clearly thinks Lucas is immune to all that, the biggest frustration is he is in the first Xi regardless of his performances.

Someone mentioned the cup competitions, they're a decent money spinner if you get a good run but it's the league I'm bothered about and this season with or without Akins we are doing the business, my concern is at the moment we could have more energy on the field and more of a goal threat, Clarke and Swan for instance.

Alternatively swap Bowery and Lucas for a while, Lucas has done OK at RB - might be somewhat different but could work?

Clough has been around players a long long time, as a player at the highest level and as a manager from non-league; to the Championship and has seen the dressing room good or bad during a season.
Clough has a lot of respect for Akins because he is a honest pro, and a team player, who will do a job and always gives 100%.
Regarding Clarke and Swan two different types of player, One gives 100$ and gets booked a lot, and suffers from injuries.
The other a young man making his way into the game at first team level, and not mentally prepared for the abuse players get from the fans. and has had illness and injuries
add to that a draw being a bad result even away from home, the expectations built up by the fans for promotion puts pressure on the players, and not a environment for players coming into the game. I admire Brunt Nigel must think he is up to the pressure.
With a club like Mansfield the cup matches bring in welcome revenue and give the squad valuable game time.
Lucas like Bowery are team players, and are part of a good squad

[eggy]

Pym 6.71

Brunt 4.53
Flint 7.03
Cargill 5.76
Bowery 6.56

Reed 6.37
Lewis 6.24
Quinn 6.77
Maris 7.12

Keillor-Dunn 6.32
Akins 5.08

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McLaughlin 6.65
Clarke 6.54
Swan 5.86
Boateng 5.85