Jonny Macken & Andy Gray

We've had some good strikers over the last couple years, better goalscorers than the 2 above but it seems years since we've had a striker who will 9/10 control a ball, hold it up and lay it off. Jonny Macken could trap a ball better than anyone and once he had it under you weren't getting it off him.

COG had it but he only used it in the old Kennedy hoof up the left channel trick and I try to forget that one.

Jason Scotland not bad either and his sidekick Marlon Harewood but neither were around long.

It should be the most basic of skills but we've got 3 strikers at the minute who maybe get 3 consecutive touches of the ball before laying it off 1-2 times a game. The rest its bouncing straight off them or they're getting no where near it. Nothing seems to stick.

The skill of holding the ball up seems to be dying out particularly in the lower leagues where pace and a bit of skill seems to be enough.

Makes me appreciate the skill of the likes of Macken and Gray much more looking back as both came in for fairly regular stick.

 

I loved watching Macken during in his time with us. His legs gave out in the end but what a warrior he was. It's a great point how much players like this are under valued. Play the ball down the channel and take the pressure off and allow the the whole team to move up the pitch.

 

The skill is still there to be had, but we don't shop at those places anymore.

Macken had gone to Man City for big money back in the day and Gray had played at a decent level as well.

Similar to back in the day when you could affordability get a decent few years out of players in the autumn of their careers ie super John and Neil Thompson.

Players now want to play as for as long as they can at the highest level these days.

 

Macken pinched a living from us and Gray didn't do much either. O'Grady at least put in more effort but was painfully slow. None of them could have got a game in this present team, for my money.

 

To add to this harewood and Jason Scotland were at the back end of their careers they did a job for us in flickers great escape but were well past their best.

 

Didn't pinch a living at all both Gray and Macken were reliable Championship performers.

 

They were terrible for us

Sluggish jonny macken

 

Harewood only managed to notch 3 goals in 37 appearances in 12/13. His attitude was excellent though and he really managed to get the crowd behind both him and the players at a time that we needed it the most.

 

Gray was a quality player who had the misfortune of playing most of his time here under Robins, where we lumped the ball 8 feet over his head. Not many better players at bringing others in to the game if he got service into his feet or chest. Key part of that first season Keith Hill team, and much of want wrong the second season was our inability to replace him.

Still reckon we let him go thinking O'Grady was a done deal in the summer but it never came off. Would have loved to have seen O'Grady under Hill.

 

23 goals in 105 appearances for Macken. Not a bad return for a striker who also contributed a lot to the team in general in my opinion.

 

I agree , thought Macken was a decent performer for the reds as was Gray , however Harewood & Scotland , despite being popular didn"t score 10 goals between them

 

Aye, but they were pretty much all absolutely vital.

 

This one up front would have suited Maken top player at making the ball stick...

 

In Jason Scotland's defence (as I loved the guy), he rarely played anymore than 30 minutes in a game. Mostly down to his obvious lack of fitness, but he certainly looked a threat when he was on the field and was exactly the sort of impact player we needed at the time when we moved him on.

 

They were both likeable players , its just a pity they were not playing for us 5 years earlier , the fact is , they did not score enough goals

 

But...

 

Jon Macken was a class act. So composed on the ball. I remember when he first came he did everything right but just couldn't score, then he scored a scrappy goal against Preston and then he went on to hit 9 in 8 before being recalled to Derby. I was over the moon when we got him back.

 

George Waring was good for this, Jabo Ibehre too.

 

Jon macken was slow with a,shocking touch

 

He was slow, but his first touch was brilliant.