Pace (and skill) alters the whole dynamic.

[Groucho Blade]

Without wishing to be confrontational, Colin Bell ? Why? Nothing like.

Bell was a very good player box to box, great athlete. Skills not like Waddle or Brooks, not a particularly big dribbler, not that quick with the ball either. He got there where it mattered though in each box.

As for Waddle, I wasn't his biggest fan.I saw him when he was a teenage sensation for Toon at Rotherham one day. At that time he looked every inch a future world star and I suppose he had a very good career but he never quite had that clinical final cross or pass. He could go either way and he was fairly tall and quick but his brain and his final touch didn't match his eye-catching build ups.

Waddle's goals dried up as he got older and when he didn't take penalties. I'm hoping Brooks has it in him to do the final balls and score goals too. He certainly looks like he can. A game is a long time in football and a month is even longer obviously. All the years in a career take their toll but let me say Brooks looks every bit as good as Waddle did at Rotherham that day and hopefully will be less show and more end product than Waddle ever had.

So don't compare him to Colin Bell...if you can't see the similarities I'm ok with that. Rodney Marsh? Stan Bowles? I don't mind...

I just want us to stop comparing Brooks to Waddle. In my humble opinion they're not very similar in style either. And I'm sure you can think of at least one other reason why I think that particular comparison is odious.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I see where your coming from , the main problem though is no back up for Fleck or coutts. Maybe Duffy could play there role, but I don't know who else.

Carruthers can play it to an extent but is a bit more attack minded.


Lundstram can play it but from what we’ve seen, just isn’t as good.


Basham proved on Sunday he can contribute in that area with CCV going into the back 3.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Is Brooks actually pacey? Not sure he is to be honest, reminds me very much of Tonge when he first came through playing on the left, beating players for fun with his footwork not with pace. Like Waddle used to for Wednesday.

He’s a bit pacey but it’s more to do with the fact that he has very quick feet. People often attributed more pace to the likes of JCR than he actually had but it was the speed of foot, wrongfooting defenders etc. Also, the fact he can take the ball into his stride so well with his first touch whilst sprinting makes him appear pacier than he actually is.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

It's mainly about balance, guile, timing and ability with Brooks, and he's as fast with the ball as he is without it. But he'll get quicker too. He's got plenty of physical development left and he'll gain more power over the next 2/3 years. I said the same about DCL.

Yep. Agility too.