I cant believe people keep seriously suggesting this? We have our biggest league fixture in years coming up on Saturday and some are wanting to rest the leagues best player? Even when he's not on top form he creates something. I've heard numerous times this season people say Hammill was poor. Yet in that very game he got at least one assist and created countless more chances. Saturday was arguably the worst I've seen Hammill play. Yet he popped up with a late cross to Fletcher who should have done better. 5 of our last 7 goals have come from a Hammill goal or assist. Dunkley OG (assist) Winner at Wembley Dragged us back in the game at Chesterfield and then nearly did it again. Won the match winning penalty against Oldham. Produced a pin point cross with his wrong foot in the last minute against Peterborough. We are where we are because of Adam Hammill. Yes its been a huge team effort. But Hammills quality is making us that cut above. He's a match winner and he produces in the biggest games when it really matters. These last 2 games are made for him. Lets not rest him.
Agree I wouldn't rest him as such, but if we're a couple of goals up with 15 to go, I'd let him have a blow and give Chapman a run. Situations haven't allowed us to do this over the last few weeks. He is running on empty, but we're not blessed with enough talent to 'rest' him from the start.
Daft to suggest resting him. As you say on a bad day he creates. If we are in a decent lead in either of our last 2 games I'd give him half an hour off.
I wouldn't rest him and if I did then why not Hourihane, Brownhill & Winnall too? They all look knackered
Didn't Hammill have a 3 match rest not too long back? The Work-shy scouse get. If we secure the playoffs on Saturday, I'd rest a load of em away at Wigan. Even if it means getting battered.
Completely agree. Only time to rest him is if we are guaranteed in playoffs when we play Wigan. Then I'd let chapman and Khan have a run down the wings and rest Isgrove and Hammill. Would give Winnall a rest and play one of our recent non league signings, and give Hourihanne a rest for Scowen if one of our full backs are fit.
Can't disagree....he was poor on Saturday. .by his own extremely high standards that is , he left his shooting boots at home , no doubt about that either...but there's little to suggest Chapman is ready yet to influence a game like Hammill can...the idea's a non starter.
i wouldn't rest him personally, but i can kinda see where people are coming from. both him and sam look to be running on empty now. to be fair, we've had a bti of a run of saturday/tuesday recently. maybe the full week recovery will help. i do worry where the goals are going to come from though. seem to have dried up a bit. i'd like to see conor and brownhill get more shots off. that said, it could have easily been 5 against Peterborough.
Need to go all out on Saturday and get a resounding win against the league's worst defence, not only good for our playoff chances but for our goal difference and confidence going into hopefully the playoffs.
I don't think we should get carried away and think Colchester will be a pushover...despite being relegated their form has picked up over the last few weeks. Since losing to Walsall in March they've won 3 drawn 2 and lost 2....only 2 points fewer than we've gained
He really has burned the rubber for us since coming home to Oakwell and arguably kick-started our revival, along with others. I think that he will be feeling the effects, partly of being hoofed a bit and by opposition teams having become alerted to what he can do, so putting two players on him to counter him. It is worth remembering that, when that happens, another position on the pitch has been weakened by pulling, say, a midfielder back to double mark him. That ought to start giving us chances through another player as well - maybe Isgrove won't get the same attention as Hammill. Maybe Hourihane will get chances in left midfield. He has to play if he is fit, if only to set the opposition a problem to counter, which could open up opportunities for others. How about, a Hourihane double on Saturday then? Or Isgrove to break his duck? it has got to happen sometime. Goals from unusual sources can be key at this time of the season - ask George Williams..... oh and Scott Jones.
Oh yeah, I ignored that.. It was suggested he'd be dropped, not rested. But that was Donnytyke who said that, so no worries there..
Re: Agree 100% I don't think Hammill or Brownhill are burnt out...Adam's only had 30 games this season ...Brownhill 21...but Winnall and Hourihane could be feeling it...52 games and 48 respectively.
Re: Agree 100% Good point actually. And don't forget Hammill had a couple of games rest as well. The clever little sod! He knew what he was doing!! Perhaps a full week off will be good for the whole squad. Then we have another full week off until Wigan. Don't think tiredness can be an excuse. Not when they should be absolutely buzzing on adrenaline and team spirit. Let's go after Colchester, hopefully get the win, then see where we sit come the Wigan game.
With some of the chances Isgrove has had so far this season I think it's destined that he will never to score for us.