James Hanson

[Gerritforud]

Yesblade and Dronnieblade you are mistaken in your assessment of Hanson.

Here's why,

1) Football is about mixing it up Hanson now allows a new option of long ball with someone who will actually win headers. Obviously we don't want to be drawn into this all the match but he can also hold up and play on the ground.
2) Football is about percentages some of the flick ons didn't get picked up - this will improve as Billy and the midfield gain understanding that this is going to happen.
3) Hanson often had two centre backs marking him freeing up others to push forward and find space.
4) The centre backs were frightened of him and continually fouled him or held him - they were both shattered at the end. In fact Beevers made a number of forced errors.
5) His work rate is as good as Done's but he is much more threatening in front of goal
6) Big man little man strike forces have proven historically to work - especially if the big man can head and play a bit!

Add to that the fact he is running back into our box defending corners and freekicks(Bolton had quite a few and no joy). What's not to love about Hanson?

 

[DaveBassettsgoneonholiday]

Puts in a great amount of work, I'm sure he'd do this too if CW asked him .....

 

[Reedy1889]

I must sound like his agent with the way I have praised his abilities before signing and after. But I truely believe we have a bargain in Hanson & he is one who will cause many headaches to defenders not just at this level as he is showing, but at the level above too.

 

[PokerBlade]

the debate about possession and success is a long one but I read an interesting fact today.

In the premier league 44% of games are won by the team that has the higher percentage of possession versus 34% of games won by the team with less possession.

This percentage goes up considerably in the Champions league and I'd goes down a bit in the Championship and league 1.

The higher up you go the more likely lots of possession will lead to victories as you have players more likely to do damage with the ball and less likely to give it away in dangerous areas.

We saw last season how possession for it's own sake is both boring and potentially dangerous but thankful we currently have a team that don't just piss about with it, but have a purpose and a threat and when we recycle the ball it's always with the intend of a dangerous piece of play to come..

I too am only half impressed with Hanson, he's working his socks off and does keep defenders occupied which helps everyone including our midfield but a sharper CF would have made the keeper work a couple of times yesterday. He's a valuable part of the picture to get us up I think.

The correlation lies both in limiting the number of opportunities against as well as, as you rightly pointed out, getting your better players time on the ball in which to create.

The worst offender by far for missing the point entirely was Weir. We must've had close to 70% possession in his games without having a shot on goal in many of them. They key is in moving the ball quickly and relying on player movement to force their defence out of position. And that's what used to anger me more than anything the last couple of years; the number of times a midfielder would get the ball, look up, and see nobody else on the team wanting the ball. That when instead of recycling possession to build an attack, you go sideways and backwards for ninety minutes at a time.

Contrast it with this season where the dominance of possession results in us always having a high number of shots and crosses where the opposition has so few. It's all based around possession, but finally we've got a manager who knows what to do with it.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

I'm going to be in the minority with all the euphoria of today, but I'll say it anyway! I don't rate Hanson at all, I'd say 5 or 6 out of 10 for Scunny and today.

He's falling into the category of United fans loving a battler for me.

Give me a skilful, pacey striker over a player like Hanson any day. We all saw how much Samar tore their defence apart when he came on, a big slow striker plays into the hands of defenders like Wheater.

Do we want to get out of this league . If YES , then Hanson is the right man . Also remember we are working in a controlled financial budget.

Wilder has made some very canny signings . Let's be happy with that .

UTB

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Wrong. That's precisely what I AM challenging. "Big Jim" has his attributes. He IS strong in the air. No doubt.

What I am challenging is the perception that :-

This type of player is essential to be successful
I have consistently expressed concerns at the rate at which I see possession turnover when "Big Jim" gets involved.
I refute wholeheartedly that he is a good foil for Sharp. Sharp has never done well playing off this type of player. My belief, and only that, is that Sharp requires pace and trickery in order to maximise his own outputs. Pace and trickery stretches defences. Stretching defences leads to space in behind. Penny dropping yet fellas ??

As it stands we dont have such a player in the ranks, which is why this should IMHO have been our number one priority in January. Gregory should be a Blade and I would dearly like to know and understand why this didn't happen. If it's Clarkes 3 year fucking contract then I'm foaming !!!

If Sharp gets suspended or injured, what do we go with. Lavs and Hans ? Hans and Done ? Lavs & Done ? Sparky ??

Our goalie is good, our defence is good, our midfield is OK , but I genuinely believe we are short of "genuine" quality up top (aside Sharp).

But your right in that Tufty (overall) knows best and in Tufty I wholeheartedly trust.

But no one gets em all right !

UTB

Not many teams at this level carry 2 out and out top class strikers and good back up. What we have is one striker who is class at this level. We then have a number of decent players who all bring something different to the table to supplement that. I think Lavery is something like the player you describe to bring the best out in Sharp but isn’t prolific. Lavery and Hanson bring different attributes to the table and it’s a good thing that we can vary our play in that way. If Sharp got injured/suspended I agree it would be a problem but the good thing is that because Hanson and Lavery bring differing qualities to the team, they could play together albeit we would have no prolific scorer.


In an ideal world, we’d have another top striker like Gregory as you mention but if we can’t have that, having a good variety in our remaining strikers is the next best thing.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Are you being serious ?

A 2 + minute highlight reel of the Bolton game turns up one header that results in a half chance not taken !!

And the Scunnie assist. Assist nonetheless, so I'll give you that. Did it escape you that he completely missed the header and it comes off his back, bounces fortuitously for Sharp, who does what Sharp does.

Now I couldn't care less how they go in, but if this is the sum total of your findings, could I suggest you spend a wee bit more time on YouTube and find a bit more. #unimpressed.

And I could not care 2 fooks abart the view of the gooner. Most of those pricks have wanted Wenger out for 5 years so what do they know !!!

UTB

1. Debut goal and assist for Fleck v Wimbledon in a 4-0 win.

2. Assisting the winner for Sharp by peeling off the centre halves and onto the right back to head across goal.

3. Assisting the equaliser v Scunny- fortuitous perhaps but would any of our other strikers competed sufficiently for that header to allow it to drop in the mix?


The guy is limited but he has certainly done his bit for this team so far. And I wasn’t thrilled with the signing and hoped we would start Lavery over him but credit where it’s due he's delivered to date even if we can see his technical limitations.

 

[I should coco]

What we really need, is the midfield player who bursts into the box (said it a lot recently) , because more often than not, we get the ball to Hanson, he has his back to their goal, he shields the ball from the opposition and plays the short, simple ball to the on rushing Duffy or Fleck, etc., and I want them to run into box from that point.

Spot on Grappler. Reminds me of 2002/3. McCall plays a ball to the Chief who whislt not being very mobile, had a better than expected touch. Chief holds it up with his back to goal and then either back to McCall, who has now moved 10 yds and passes to Tonge/Nuddy, or direct to them. Hanson has much better feet than I expected and always plays the simple pass. Currie/Hodgy he is not, but that isn't what he is there for.

Expect the 7'6' guy from Gerry Cottles circus on stilts to line up Satdi !!!!

Except he wouldn't be very good with his stilt bottoms as passing the ball would he? A silly comment and very unfair to Hanson's ability to retain possession with his feet. Some might say 'churlish'.

And I am, for the record, not 100% anti James Hanson. But Hanson has played in 4 games out of 32 for us so implying he's been anything other than a wee wee part of our rise to the top is, bluntly, churlish.

Nobody is saying he is the main reason, just that he has had a great impact. I can't understand why you won't recognise his wider contribution both in selfless build up play, taking markers away from others and helping out defensively too.

Did you dislike John Gannon by any chance?

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Wilbraham does tick the big un box. 6'3" and rather handy in the air. Good player.

But could you honestly say Bristol C employed him 2 seasons ago as a target player ?

While not impossible, up top target players rarely score 20+ goals. Strikes me he's more in a Brian Deane mould rather than a James Hanson. Maybe that's unfair and, of course, i didn't watch all Bristol City's games. Would be interesting to hear their fans views but viewing this, I suspect, he wasn't used in the main as a target player.



UTB

I’d probably liken him more to Dave Kitson for us a few years ago. Wiley old pro, big guy, good in the air, technically sound and a good finisher. You’ll note most of his goals are headers and tap-ins much like Kitson, less like Deane.


I think he was their target man until they brought in Matt Smith for the 2nd half of the season but was more than “just a target man” as was Kitson in that both were very capable goalscorers themselves. Wilbraham didn’t have the pace and ability on the ball to take players on like Brian Deane though.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Who would've thought that we signed a 6 foot odd striker and he's impeccable on the floor and brings in players to open up the game. Class!! Top signing,, in wilder we trust.

Good shout . Still feel Hanson is underrated by a lot of Blades . 2no strikers have always worried / impressed me at this level . Hanson and Clarke . We have signed them both .

Ok not worked out yet for Clarke , but at least he won't score against us , as per usual .


Yep at this level Hanson is class and top signing . Actually I enjoy watching him play . Unselfish team player and better than I thought .

Nowt to moan about .

UTB

 

[Maidenhead]

For someone of a more mature age, with commensurate wisdom to boot, you "really" should know better !!

But seriously it does go somewhat to proving (in my own mind at least) what I believe I have been hearing in the ground. That's it's the "older" (with respect) brigade that lack understanding the most. Sorry.

UTB

And it's the young whippersnappers that lack experience the most

 

[Maidenhead]

Fast forward to 0:57 in the below video and tell us again how ineffective Hanson's headers are:



....and while you're on YouTube 1:00 into this video is worth another look too.



I went to the game yesterday with an Arsenal fan. A more avid fan of 'proper football' you will not find. After the game he gave the opinion that Hanson is the perfect foil for Sharp and that they're pretty much unstoppable at this level.

If he Hanson lays on one gilt edged chance per game for Sharp then he's doing his job. Added to that his physical presence in both boxes stops us from being bullied by more 'industrial' teams. In short he is totally invaluable to this side.

Where's the Peterborough goal

 

[Louis Hobbs]

He work rate was impeccable against Bolton, obviously he's not the fattest man on the planet but he still managed to run the wings and chase down defenders for the time he was on the field. Looking to be a brilliant sighing from Wilder, you can tell he already wears our red and white shirt with pride. Looking forward to his and Sharp's partnership building even further.

 

[BushBlade]

He work rate was impeccable against Bolton, obviously he's not the fattest man on the planet but he still managed to run the wings and chase down defenders for the time he was on the field. Looking to be a brilliant sighing from Wilder, you can tell he already wears our red and white shirt with pride. Looking forward to his and Sharp's partnership building even further.

So how fat is he then?

 

[Maidenhead]

He work rate was impeccable against Bolton, obviously he's not the fattest man on the planet but he still managed to run the wings and chase down defenders for the time he was on the field. Looking to be a brilliant sighing from Wilder, you can tell he already wears our red and white shirt with pride. Looking forward to his and Sharp's partnership building even further.

No, that's probably Higdon although I'm sure that Hirst, Pressman and Shipperley must be pushing him close.

sorry, couldn't resist the temptation

 

[Dellas Cowboys]

Interesting take from one of his ex team mates now at Coventry City http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co....ad_to_see_no_Hanson_at_Bradford_City_reunion/