Billy Bodin

[Sexy_Gulls]

When attacking players are out of form its easy to say that they are being lazy. I agree that Bodin has not played as well as we would have hoped but lets not accuse him of not trying.



I have seen him twice, at Wycombe and WImbledon and I thought he was good in patches, but I didn't see any evidence that he was being lazy. Bodin plays in an attacking position where lazy players will not track back and hep the team defensively. I haven't heard any complaints that Bodin doesn't do this. Clearly good in patches isn't good enough but almost all the match reports this season feature Bodin having one or two decent chances. With confidence he scores those and we will stop slating a twenty year old who carries a lot of expectation.

[DevonYellow]

To say Billy is lacking in effort is grossly unfair. He covered so much ground at Bristol Rovers it was unreal and was always looking for the ball last night.

You state he isn't putting in tackles but he isn't that type of player. For my money there is nothing wrong with his application, even when things are going badly for him (i.e. after missing a glorious chance) he doesn't stop wanting the ball and trying different things. He offers us something different and i wish the moaners (including the bloke who feels the need to whistle really loud whenever a ball goes astray - really annoys me) would get off his back.

He got a load of stick against Accy and i just wish he ran in front of the pop side with his hand to his hear after he scored - he would have been well within his rights.

Funny how the stick starts just after Morris gets injured. If the same happened to Billy who would get it? My money is on Poke who is also unfairly starting to attract stick.

[SteveDeckchair]

Agree with the above from DY.

I just can't understand how people feel they are contributing positively when they 'express their disapproval' of a player.

Andy's rants regarding Billy are getting a bit boring now as it is obviously not a view held by many other members of the forum.

Encouragement and support are what will change any run of bad form, not whistling, booing, jeering or any other negative bollocks.

[Scott Brehaut]

I don't have an issue with anybody spouting off on here.

The fact that Andy's issues with Bodin go against the status quo do not make them any less valid than those that do - as long as people can justify why they feel the way they do and not just moaning for the sake of it then that's fine by me - Andy has done that, and stuck to his guns whilst getting flack from others on here.

Andy also has the grace to come on here when players that he has moaned about on here have played well, and said so - he was one of those who found Howe lazy at the start of his tenure with us, now Andy is happy to say that he is one of our best (if not the best) players in the team.

Keep it up Andy - I value your opinions as much as anybody else's and know that you will be happy, no delighted, when you see Bodin proving you wrong.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Agree with the above from DY.

I just can't understand how people feel they are contributing positively when they 'express their disapproval' of a player.

Andy's rants regarding Billy are getting a bit boring now as it is obviously not a view held by many other members of the forum.
Encouragement and support are what will change any run of bad form, not whistling, booing, jeering or any other negative bollocks.

So that makes them invalid then does it? Probably because most of the idiots who constantly slag off players haven't got the balls to come on here and try and explain their viewpoint therefore it will always be a sort of politically correct Torquay love in. I say as i find and what i think is reasonable but what's the f*cking point when everyone thinks i'm some sort of Brucie? Just being honest and giving my view but from now on i may as well go and sit on the periphery of the stands at football grounds on my own because the only person who will listen and try to understand my points of view are me.

Oh and Steve, for the last effin time I DON'T BOO OR JEER OUR PLAYERS FOR F*CKS SAKE!! I'VE NEVER WRITTEN THAT ANYWHERE!! Everyone's just making stuff up now to make me look like an arsehole. If you can find anywhere in my post that i love to boo and jeer then i'll give you 50 quid mate. I DID say that if an individual wants to do that then that's up to them.I didn't say i did it nor did i say i agreed with it. Christ, it's like communicating with pre-schoolers here.

Many of you are holier than thou and enoughs enough. Like the reaction Dom got from some of you when he was involved with the whistle incident at Chesterfield. What was that about? Wind your neck in for Gods sake, he blew a whistle big wow. He didn't attack the Chesterfield goalkeeper. Perspective people. It was a stupid thing to do but amusing, nobody died, nobody wrote letters to the FL because they were so incensed. No, they would just prefer to gang up and spout abuse at the poor lad in the heat of the moment as they are a load of sheep. Dom should have given some of you a good hiding with some of the abuse he got for blowing a whistle. Again, not defending the incident but it doesn't matter because nobody will read that bit, they'll just read the bit where i thought it was mildly amusing and make the assumption that i'm a complete cretin.

I've had it anyway, loved the forum and loved meeting the members that i have had chance to but some of you just take the p*ss so that's it. I'll be there on the terraces as normal but won't be coming on here again. So i'm with you Aussie, mods delete my account lads.

[Richinns]

So that makes them invalid then does it? Probably because most of the idiots who constantly slag off players haven't got the balls to come on here and try and explain their viewpoint therefore it will always be a sort of politically correct Torquay love in. I say as i find and what i think is reasonable but what's the f*cking point when everyone thinks i'm some sort of Brucie? Just being honest and giving my view but from now on i may as well go and sit on the periphery of the stands at football grounds on my own because the only person who will listen and try to understand my points of view are me.

Oh and Steve, for the last effin time I DON'T BOO OR JEER OUR PLAYERS FOR F*CKS SAKE!! I'VE NEVER WRITTEN THAT ANYWHERE!! Everyone's just making stuff up now to make me look like an arsehole. If you can find anywhere in my post that i love to boo and jeer then i'll give you 50 quid mate. I DID say that if an individual wants to do that then that's up to them.I didn't say i did it nor did i say i agreed with it. Christ, it's like communicating with pre-schoolers here.

Many of you are holier than thou and enoughs enough. Like the reaction Dom got from some of you when he was involved with the whistle incident at Chesterfield. What was that about? Wind your neck in for Gods sake, he blew a whistle big wow. He didn't attack the Chesterfield goalkeeper. Perspective people. It was a stupid thing to do but amusing, nobody died, nobody wrote letters to the FL because they were so incensed. No, they would just prefer to gang up and spout abuse at the poor lad in the heat of the moment as they are a load of sheep. Dom should have given some of you a good hiding with some of the abuse he got for blowing a whistle. Again, not defending the incident but it doesn't matter because nobody will read that bit, they'll just read the bit where i thought it was mildly amusing and make the assumption that i'm a complete cretin.

I've had it anyway, loved the forum and loved meeting the members that i have had chance to but some of you just take the p*ss so that's it. I'll be there on the terraces as normal but won't be coming on here again. So i'm with you Aussie, mods delete my account lads.

Come on mate - no one wants that. Your match reports and match introductions are excellent and always a very enjoyable read. You offer a lot to this forum so it would be both yours and the forums loss if you walked away from it. Your opinion differs from mine and others on this particular subject but you still have a right to express it. Please do not over-react to others challenging in this way as this is what football forums are (in essence) all about.

I (for one) would be gutted if you stop contributing as your provide so much for others to enjoy on here (especially if they cannot make it to the games themselves).

[Chris B]

Just to get this back on to Billy Bodin, having watched the highlights of last night's game he was involved in every single attack in the first half – nicking the ball off a Gillingham defender, controlling and lofting one through to Stevens, and challenging in the air from a goal kick. The most frustratingly tame shot actually came after Bodin had won a header on the edge of our box and run the rest of the length of the pitch to get on the end of Howe's superb reverse pass. He hasn't got his shooting-boots on yet, and you can see how much that's frustrating him, but he will come good.

[MidDevon]

I think you only have to see the teams reaction on the pitch.

Several times last night you could see the team have a go at him and their body language at times told more than any post on this thread could.

He may have skill , he may have potential, but his positional play at present is not up to league 2 standard by a long way. I thought Leadbeater did amazingly well and covered Billy , especially during the 1st half when Billy went AWOL positionally last night and several occassions.

I have mentioned before that I believe it is possible that Billy has signed a contract that guarantees a certain number of league starts, which is not unheard off in the 4th division, and nothing so far has changed my mind on that.

[JamieE]

Don't see the lack of effort personally. I am getting frustrated with the amount of one on ones he is missing but if running about aimlessly chasing lost balls and wasting energy is perceived as effort then I disagree. He could do with tracking his full back a bit more but he is young and has grown up as a striker. He is always involved trying to do something special and I think he will come good. Lingy needs to give him some finishing training though

[devonboy]

Andy, you are always passionate and for that I enjoy your posts. I rarely post myself but thought I had to when you said you were leaving, as it feels such a shame. Hopefully you will change your mind but all the best to you either way

[Dave]

Andy if your reading this I have just sent you a message via F/B, fans forums are about sharing views and opinions and each of us has to except that sometimes are opinions will go down like a lead balloon, and we also have except that sometimes we just have got it wrong, unless your me of course..

As I have said to you in my message you allways stay true what you think and feel, and it is very easy to get a round of appluase by liking to popular view, so come on mate return to the site and ..."carry on posting"..

As for my view on Billy Bodin, I don't agreed that his form is down to a lack of effort, I think it's more down to the fact that many managers have clearly marked him down as one of our biggest threats, I noticed in the last few games as soon Bodin gets the ball he is closed down instantly often by more than one opposition player, and one thing that Billy Bodin lacks is a phyiscal presence he may have to learn to adapt his game a little.

[bengull]

I would like to stand up for Andy here...

I have stood next to Andy at every away game he has been present at so far this season (very creditable 5) and on each occasion Bodin has been up there with the worst in our team, including Wycombe and Rotherham where the whole team were so poor. As Andy says he has no problems with someone trying a trick and a pass and it not coming off..as long as they bust a gut to atone for their error, this is something Bodin just does not do. If you compare this approach to how Mansell or Craig would react you can see where Andy is coming from. I can clearly remember instances in each of the games where Bodin lamely gave the ball away and then made no effort to get it back, as a fan who has shelled out money to attend the game it can be unforgivable.

Many of us on here have the benefit of the home games where, with a supportive home crowd behind him, Bodin has been very effective, especially in games where we look to dominate, instead of the sitting back approach we play away from home. Andy can only go on the 5 games he has seen, and that is how his opinion has been formed. I have seen all the games Andy has seen and a lot of his points are valid and relevant.

I have stood next to Andy at every game this season and he does not abuse, shout or rave at our team, or the opposition for that matter. The persona he has on here is vastly different to the man you see in the terraces, and I enjoy discussing the match with him. He is just unfortunate that the 5 matches he has attended have yet to yield a win or a convincing performance, that's enough to make anyone frustrated.

I really hope he stops being a ruddy idiot and gets back to posting, I was quite looking forward to his town of the day on the upcoming trip to York.

To bring it back to Bodin, we must remember that this is first full season as a regularly starting league player, and he will be wildly inconsistent due to the demands of a physical season which he will not be familiar with. It is no different to O'kane who went from being a man who started 25 games, to a man who started 46 games, it can be a tough ask, but I didn't see anyone slating Eunan when his form fluctuated.

Billy is the sort of player who can be anonymous for 85 minutes, whether that be due to over-trying or perceived lack of effort, but in the 5 minutes he comes alive he has the genius in his boots to deliver something match changing. I think he should be aiming for 15 goals this season and that will be a creditable return. It can't be easy being the only player we have spent money (and a fairly large sum at that) on in the last 5 years, and we mustn't forget he is still learning his footballing trade. I don't think Lingy has much room to manoeuvre with harnessing his talents but I still back him to come good in the years to come.

[SteveDeckchair]

Christ on a bike Andy, I never had you down as a flouncer!

My post was regarding the one above it by DY and I made the mistake of throwing a comment in about your (in my opinion) frequent posts regarding your dislike of Bodin's work ethic.

The booing jeering whistling comment wasn't about you and is separated by a paragraph.

Pick up your dummy and get back on the horse you big northern Jessie!

[SuperNickyWroe]

Christ on a bike Andy, I never had you down as a flouncer!

My post was regarding the one above it by DY and I made the mistake of throwing a comment in about your (in my opinion) frequent posts regarding your dislike of Bodin's work ethic.

The booing jeering whistling comment wasn't about you and is separated by a paragraph.

Pick up your dummy and get back on the horse you big northern Jessie!

a bit harsh steve, but i see where you are coming from. hes giving us (adopted) northerners a bad or some unkind posters may say - worse name.

dont know whats wrong with him, we had a right laugh at chesterfield! hes just passionate (and mad!)

Ill pm him and tell him to put his teddy back, get a grip and stop behaving like a big girls blouse.

we've all had "disagreements" on here remember when i said pokey was first arriving. christ. :no: :-o

[bixieupnorth]

i've pm'd him too, hopefully he'll stick around

must be his time of the month or summat??!!