01 Aug 2025 00:28:50
I've just read an interview with Russel Martin about last nights game in Athens. "He took the ball well for us, out of possession, he pressed like a beast, he's so reliable, at set pieces he did a big job for us tonight.
"Defensively, he did a big, big job, and he's a really good footballer. " This is his take on Kieran Dowells performance last night, this raises serious doubts in my mind on his ability to judge a players contribution and performance in a game.
01 Aug 2025 00:53:54
Can't really say he's crap if he wants any cash for him before window shuts.
01 Aug 2025 01:34:31
Maybe just trying to give the lad a boost in confidence ?.
01 Aug 2025 05:29:30
Totally agree. What he should have done was come out and say "I agree with the fans. Kieron is a disgrace and does not have the talent or mentality to play for this club. He's slow, weak and doesn't contribute. Please someone offer money for him and pay him his big wages! ".
01 Aug 2025 05:39:45
Or trying to get fans to accept he a big part of his team. He's not going anywhere. Better get used to it.
01 Aug 2025 07:42:56
Makes his comments after the friendly even more frustrating.
01 Aug 2025 08:12:05
Bobby RM is not going to say that Dowell is useless is he? The manager is simply protecting him.
01 Aug 2025 08:16:09
Or perhaps he can spot the player doing the job he asked him to and fans just don't like him.
so am I worried that the fans think the manager can't judge a player as the fans disagree. never in 1 million years.
01 Aug 2025 08:32:33
Angus, I'm thinking you're on the ball again.
01 Aug 2025 08:55:54
I don't think it comes down to not trusting the manager to judge a player, I think it's that fans have different expectations.
No matter the opposition.
A goalkeeper should never make an error etc
A defence should always keep clean sheets etc
A midfield should always control the game and feed the front 3.
The front 3 should score every time or set up others etc.
Now, back to Dowell. H3 was playing on the RW. What would you expect from a winger?
Dowell against Panathinaikos.
28 touches.
75% pass accuracy.
0% cross accuracy.
50% long ball accuracy.
25% ground duels won.
75% aerial duels won.
8 - lost possession.
3 clearances.
1 blocked shot.
1 tackle.
And that confirms the disparity between fans and manager.
Ineffective on the RW but defensively did everything the manager asked.
01 Aug 2025 09:12:33
Do well is the whipping boy, nothing more and nothing less. Some sections of the support always seem to need a player to blame and for now it's Dowell. Frankly, I'll take the head coach's reading of the game over anyone here. Try getting behind the players instead of getting on their back constantly.
01 Aug 2025 09:58:19
To be fair multiple people have said Dowell was good off the ball and defensively against Pana. I'm not going to lie when I watched the match I was begging for him to be taken off. But I'm not watching every second of Dowell on the park and may not recognise his every action and I don't know the instructions given to him. On TV I'll only see where the camera is pointing and mainly pay attention to the closest man to the ball and scan for where the next pass may go and maybe look for a player to cut it out.
However every fan is entitled to an opinion. Much like the gaffer is. Do I want Dowell long term or even the rest of the season? No. Am I even slightly upset or concerned by what Martin said? No.
At the end of the day if he stays so be it but Martin did also say you never know in football so refused to rule out a sale. Do we want another Cantwell situation where we take pennies for a player we would have wanted more for? Or do we boost his appeal and confidence to maximise cash in? I know what I'd be doing and it's not calling him shi*e on national TV.
01 Aug 2025 10:14:23
Hopefully just trying to big him up for Birmingham ?.
01 Aug 2025 12:36:07
At the end of the day he's played wide on the right in two European games, it's not his preferred position but he's been pretty ineffective both games going forward, everything was safe and played back, it looks like it's a square peg out there at the moment till we get more players in.
01 Aug 2025 12:43:37
Agree MPH, whilst I didn't think he played well for a winger he played his part in what was asked. To get through.
I would much rather have that than dowell having a great game and us going out.
01 Aug 2025 13:05:58
Im no dowel fan, but what do you expect him to say really!
01 Aug 2025 13:21:42
Well said Ayrshire.