| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 19:20 - Jan 20 with 1261 views | 442Dale |
| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 19:07 - Jan 20 by Plattyswrinklynuts |
I’m not sure if you’re the same person but I recall a game against Northampton(?) years ago. I was sat with my mate in the willbutts (unusually the club had given half the stand to dale that day). We had a big lad up front (possibly Iyseden Christie) who was about as mobile as tin bath in a swamp. The 2 of us were bemoaning his lack of movement when a bloke sat with his son behind us came up with the classic -
“He’s not there to score goals, he’s there to bring other people into the game.”
When we stopped laughing we explained that if you play as a centre forward you ARE there to score goals & if you’re not capable then you shouldn’t be in the bloody team!! He’s a lovely lad but I’m afraid that Calvin falls straight into the cows arse & banjo category. |
It wasn’t a comment about Calvin’s ability to score goals - we are all fully aware it’s not good enough - more that some are trying to claim he’s always been useless. That’s not true.
Plenty of centre forwards down the years have been there to bring others into play - Platt would be a good example for Dale, a more recent one would be O’Grady who was excellent when we pushed for the play-offs in our first season in L1: he scored once in the last 24 games that season.
But yes, there’s a difference with those sort of players and they’re still expected to chip in with a few themselves. Calvin never has, which is probably a reason why he’s never been a regular starter. He was though a valuable member of the squad. |  |
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| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 19:23 - Jan 20 with 1249 views | 442Dale |
| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 19:16 - Jan 20 by AtThePeake |
The thing is, you can be there to bring other players into the game and still be an effective player. Clive Platt ended his spell at Dale with 30 goals in 172 games, which isn't too far away from Calvin's current record of 24 in 174. Yet Platt wasn't met with the same disdain as Calvin is because of what he brought to the team and because of the foil he provided for the other, more prolific attackers who played off him like Paul Connor and Kevin Townson.
If Andrew did more of this, I wouldn't even really mind him going 48 games without a goal - the problem is, he does nothing of the sort anymore and then when he does get the chances you have absolutely zero faith in him finishing them, making that goal record even more embarrassing. |
That’s it, “anymore” being the crucial word. His form has been noticeably worse for a couple of years.
Calvin was at his most useful as an option from the bench who would give us a different option in the second half of games. Never a first choice but never not worthy of a place in the squad. Doubt he would be now if we had less injuries. | |
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| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 20:19 - Jan 20 with 1122 views | BigDaveMyCock |
| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 18:37 - Jan 20 by 442Dale |
Once more, Calvin Andrew has been a good servant for Dale, albeit he has had a real drop in form over the last couple of years. There is literally no argument when it comes to rewriting the past when he was a vital part of a squad that was finishing in the top half of this division. |
It’s all about opinions of course but an alternative reading could be that in the first two or three seasons we had other (than Hendo) forwards who picked up the goal burden - Vincenti, Done (2nd time) and then Davies. These players helped paper over Calvin’s deficiencies re goals. You could live with him only scoring 5 or 6 a season because goals came from elsewhere. Over the last few years, however, we’ve not had enough ’other’ sources of goals.
At the moment we only have a forward options of Hendo, a creaking Alby and kids. This has rendered Calvin’s deficiencies far more pronounced. In truth, the risk has always been there though with playing a forward who clearly struggles when it comes to scoring and creating (a fact which is often overlooked) goals. I’ve always said that the problem with having Calvin in the squad is that you need another forward to make up for the lack of goals. You pay him 2k a week but you need to pay someone else as well. Even a moderate goal return from him would render that other player unnecessary.
Thank goodness BBM reprieved Alby for last season’s run in and let’s hope he can be available for enough games in this run-in. |  |
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| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 23:54 - Jan 20 with 906 views | Shun |
| Match Thread - Wycombe Away on 19:16 - Jan 20 by AtThePeake |
The thing is, you can be there to bring other players into the game and still be an effective player. Clive Platt ended his spell at Dale with 30 goals in 172 games, which isn't too far away from Calvin's current record of 24 in 174. Yet Platt wasn't met with the same disdain as Calvin is because of what he brought to the team and because of the foil he provided for the other, more prolific attackers who played off him like Paul Connor and Kevin Townson.
If Andrew did more of this, I wouldn't even really mind him going 48 games without a goal - the problem is, he does nothing of the sort anymore and then when he does get the chances you have absolutely zero faith in him finishing them, making that goal record even more embarrassing. |
To add to that, David McGoldrick at Sheffield United has been excellent and won plaudits all season for his ability to bring others into play as a centre forward, yet he hasn’t (as far as I can see) scored a single league goal yet.
Can’t disagree with anything said about Calvin in this thread so far though. |  | | |
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