He's been one of my favourite BFC players but let's be right, not playing Bobby Hassell has nack all to do with our current league position. We lack a quality centre half but Bobby isn't it. He should have been involved more as a squad player but he isn't Carlos Alberto/Franco Baresi/Claude Makelele (delete as appropriate depending on where you want him to play). We could get Jose Mourinho as manager and if he didn't immediately build a team around Bobby Hassell he'd be hounded out the club. People always say no one individual is bigger than the club, but through no fault of his own the great servant of BFC is being turned in to just that.
# The problem is that Hassell has been left out of the SQUAD, for non footballing reasons, reasons which are churlish and childish. While I do not think for 1 minute that Bobby Hassell is the greatest player in the league, I do thin k that he is STILL a better player than several players that have played instead of him. To come out and say he wa left at home because Flicker did not want tto take him away from his family on New Years Eve in bordering on lunacy. Hassell has played very well the matyches he has been selected for, I am certain that Hill thought he would be out played by Zigic against Brum and that he could bring him off and say !I told you so!" But Bobby played Ok, not fantastic, but he was by far better than the one at the side of him. At Millwall he came in and again played very well. But he was drpped for what seems to hve been a personal vendetta.
I actually disagree ark. I genuinely believe we wouldn't be in the position we're in today, had Hassell been a regular. Our defence has been shambolic. Hassell brings experience, composure and a footballing brain. We need that above anything. I'm not saying we wouldn't be in a relegation dogfight. But I don't believe we would be in the mess we're in today. McNulty and Wiseman aren't just bad players - they're awful.
But all this personal vendetta stuff is just conjecture and rumour. Unless someone in the know is prepared to explicitly explain to me otherwise. And even if it is, he wouldn't be the first player not to get on with or feature in the managers plans. Noone gives a toss about Edwards and he's a better centre half than Bobby. Bobby's best position now is as a holding midfielder in a 5 man midfield, when we've played that formation he's played. It's all a mountain out of a molehill
You honestly don't think that playing our better defender instead of our weaker defenders would have helped us this season? I'll tell you something, if Hassell had played in Wisemans position on Saturday we'd have been 3 points better off now than we are because he would have put a foot in both times that they waltzed passed him
I am bored with it but that is because its a stupid situation - Managers deliberately leaving out of a very poor defence a player who has shown that rare thing loyalty and commitment to a football club for over 9 years - the disgraceful behavious of Hill and Flicker is the reason why this saga has rumbled on. Had Hassell been playing worse than the rest of the defence none of the sideshow would be going on - but when he has played he has generally been our best defender - but then dropped again next game. Is it any wonder most players dont feel any loyalty to a club
Which is your opinion and you are welcome to it mate. Hassell has played how many times at midfield? I think you will find Crainie was used there not Hassell, before we brought in Greening I mean. You are wrong about the personal vendetta too.
Crainie played in a 4 man midfield, and played well, and played there because Hassell had a three match ban. I think Hassell should gave played more but on the basis that we should have been playing a 5 man midfield most of the season. The vendetta part is what I'm bored of. Unless someone can very simply explain what has been the supposed problem and what has been done to Bobby that is disgraceful. I know how Paul Lambert must feel!!!
That is not the issue with Hassell; its what is under the surface of the issue that is grating on me. He deserves better, a lot better, and if Flicker won't show him some respect then he can pi55 off over the Pennines and go join up with his mate.
Hassell deserves to be in the matchday squad for sure. Beyond that, his selection should depend on who's playing best at that point in time, which clearly hasn't been the case for parts of this season. Of the games I've seen, he's been no better than average overall (and he's been awful at times - the inexplicable red card lunge being the obvious example). The problem now is that a new manager is going to come under pressure to play him - especially from the 4:50pm brigade who like to show up whenever we lose a game (which is often, at the moment!) Consequently, we're at the bizarre stage of Hassell needing either to be a regular rotational player (or better) or not around the squad at all (i.e. out on loan somewhere else) to put an end to the sideshow (which is the perfect description of this situation). I'm a huge fan of Bobby, and this situation is no fault of his own, but it's clearly ridiculous when he's being held up to be the saviour of the club on the field and some are even talking about him being the next manager, which is pure insanity. If selected, we know he'll do a consistent, steady, & largely unspectacular job wherever he's played (unless it's in goal, in which case he'll be spectacular too!), just like he has done for the last 9 years, which is why he deserves the adoration he gets from the fans (as he's one of an increasingly rare breed in today's game). However, I'm pretty certain the last thing he wants is to become the central focus of fan disatisfaction with BFC as a whole, as it just creates a massive distraction from the multitude of other issues. He does, however, deserve to get a fair crack of the whip, which has clearly not been the case in recent weeks, and particularly so with regard to today's game.