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Honest Opinion On Ivan Sproule


Nogbad the Bad

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Ivan's been here almost 2 season's now and seems as far away as ever from cementing a regular place in the first team.

Not surprising really, he is blessed with fantastic pace and can be very effective occasionally, but is inconsistent and his crossing and shooting is mostly wayward and frustrating.

He'll never be more than an impact sub. at this level imo, and City clearly need more than that to progress, so I'd like to think GJ is looking for a permanent replacement on the right wing as a matter of priority for next season.

Would you persevere for a 3rd season with Ivan, or look to replace him asap? :dunno:

I wonder if this thread will run to 5 pages in a couple of days. :innocent06:

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He's a typical winger in most respects. More pace than natural footballing ability but that's not the end of the world. If the management could

a) Improve his consistency in front of goal

and

b) Find someone to supply him with Tinnion-esque long passes from central midfield*

I think Ivan might be able to become something like Scott Murray was in the 02-03 season.

*edit: Oops. I've just realised where this is going to head now!

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If we got a decent offer for him, I'd let him go. Our style of play seems to be mainly pass and move, and he doesn't seem to fit into it. I was hoping he'd excite me in the way Junior Bent or Louis Donowa used to, let alone Scott Murray, but he doesn't come into that bracket.

It's a shame, and I don't think he's a liability, but it doesn't excite me when he comes on. I'd rather see us trying out youngsters in that position or moving more firmly into a 4-3-3. Even there, he doesn't seem to contribute particularly well.

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Its always good to have someone with pace sitting on the bench, I would keep him for that. If he would/is happy for that who knows. I think defenders at any level hate pace, and he has about 4 buckets full of it, but i would be looking for competition for him. He's just not good enough technically to demand a starting role for me.

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Ivan's been here almost 2 season's now and seems as far away as ever from cementing a regular place in the first team.

Not surprising really, he is blessed with fantastic pace and can be very effective occasionally, but is inconsistent and his crossing and shooting is mostly wayward and frustrating.

He'll never be more than an impact sub. at this level imo, and City clearly need more than that to progress, so I'd like to think GJ is looking for a permanent replacement on the right wing as a matter of priority for next season.

Would you persevere for a 3rd season with Ivan, or look to replace him asap? :dunno:

I wonder if this thread will run to 5 pages in a couple of days. :innocent06:

Should sign a local lad like Jason Gardiner instead now he's retired from Athletics - quicker with the same end product.

Must surely be looking to improve that side of the park.

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Theres two things that frustrate me.

The first one is his obvious poor crossing.

But another thing that annoys me is that we don't use his pace as much as we should. We often pick up the ball in a good position and instead of looking to run in behind and use his pace, he demands the ball be played to his feet in a wide position.....

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Very quick (maybe to quick), scares defenders sh1tless but inconsistant and lacks the ability to provide the final ball. Good as an impact player but we need a quality RW/RM who will add consitancy and a real threat.

Yet another one of those "if only" City signings. If only he was consistent, if only he could cross better from the bye line to Adebola and our other forwards. No more than an impact player as you rightly state. A shame really because he has blistering pace and he can beat players with the ball at his feet.

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He's quick. If he had the skill of McIndoe he would be in the Premier League. Thats not to say he can't do a job for us, pace is extremely important for any team.

I often think he's too bloody quick for his own good, he will use his pace to beat players and get into positions and then he's like "ahhh wtf shall i do now?" buy which time its too late and he's been robbed or put in a poor ball to nowhere becuase the moment has passed. He's maybe too old to improve much more as a footballer technically and mentally, he is what he is, but I think his combined skill and pace makes he a good squad player and worthy of keeping for next season.

I like Sprouley, this is not a dig before anyone has a pop at me, just an evaluation imo.

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He's quick. If he had the skill of McIndoe he would be in the Premier League. Thats not to say he can't do a job for us, pace is extremely important for any team.

If he'd just run the ball into the net more - as he did against Southampton - Sproule would be a City legend. :winner_third_h4h:

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Ivan's been here almost 2 season's now and seems as far away as ever from cementing a regular place in the first team.

Not surprising really, he is blessed with fantastic pace and can be very effective occasionally, but is inconsistent and his crossing and shooting is mostly wayward and frustrating.

He'll never be more than an impact sub. at this level imo, and City clearly need more than that to progress, so I'd like to think GJ is looking for a permanent replacement on the right wing as a matter of priority for next season.

Would you persevere for a 3rd season with Ivan, or look to replace him asap? :dunno:

I wonder if this thread will run to 5 pages in a couple of days. :innocent06:

The anxiety in his final ball, whether a shot or a cross is very evident. If you consider that he plays one week, at times well and is then dropped for the next match only to be given ten minutes as sub, then overlooked, then brought back in etc.. Is it no wonder he, as others who fall within this inconsistency in team selection process will lack confidence be unable to relax in their game and are constantly having trying too hard to impress.

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why did we do away with the 4-3-3 that worked so well post xmas??? this was when IS was at his very best. not too much emphasis on tracking back and licence to torment the left back. I'm not sure when that system was cast aside so easily.

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why did we do away with the 4-3-3 that worked so well post xmas??? this was when IS was at his very best. not too much emphasis on tracking back and licence to torment the left back. I'm not sure when that system was cast aside so easily.

I was thinking that during the week! Thought it worked well with the two runners playing off of John! I think it changed because mcindoe came back!

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Not surprising really, he is blessed with fantastic pace and can be very effective occasionally, but is inconsistent and his crossing and shooting is mostly wayward and frustrating.

sounds like that could be anyone of our midfield players bar the fantastic pace ;)

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Reminded me of Forest Gump, Run Sprouley Ruuuun! Yeah legend making goals.

My heart was in my mouth when I thought he was going to run the ball out of play, through the Atyeo Stand, through Lady Smythes, under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and beyond. Run Forest RUN !!!!!!!! :bounce:

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Nuturing of such talent should come through the coaching team!

I know he's inconsistent but I would love to keep Ivan on because he has an asset in his pace that is un-coachable and with constant work on the weaker aspects of his game he can be useful for city week in week out.

I'd like to see more emphasis on playing him in behind the back four too. Seeing as we don't seem to attack in numbers there shouldn't be any problem covering his forward runs...

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When he had that spell about 10 games ago he was awesome.

If he could play like that all the time he'd be our best player.

was going to post similar and when he got injured our performances missed him. Definitely one of those clubs in bag GJ goes on about and I for one think he has great potential and with a bit more consistency he'll be a great player for us. Unfortunately GJ hasn't started him in enough games to get that consistency IMO and i also like his passion and chasing back (that has saved us a couple of goals)

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I would love Ivan to show true consistency and establish himself in the side because we paid a fairly large fee for him and he had a cracking reputation as an SPL player. I also support Northern Ireland and would love to see him back in the frame now Keith Gillespie is knocking on a bit. However...... he hasn't produced enough in a City shirt given the opportunities he has been given, and he needs to stamp his mark on games more frequently. Pace is a fantastic asset and we need plenty of that, but control and composure harnessed to pace would make him immense. Back up/impact player for me at present.

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The one thing Ivan has in abundance is pace but how often does he use it. Not very often, Shame cos when he does he is effective. His crossing is very poor but he could make up for it by running at defenders and taking them on more and shooting, but he does,nt. I think perhaps we should ask him to move on and get someone with a more pinpoint cross. :dunno:

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Ivan is now 27, by no means a youngster, so is not going to get any better, and his pace can only decrease.

He's had 2 seasons of coaching at BCFC - no doubt his obvious limitations as regards choosing when to cross, runs to make, and simply improving his crossing/shooting were spotted and worked on by the coaching staff, more or less from day one.

Unfortunately, he hasn't really improved any of these aspects of his game and is not likely to now.

He does have exciting, but very short runs of "good" form but it's very hard to remember him ever having 3 good, or even acceptable, games on the trot.

It seems that either taking on board the coaching advice he has surely been given may be beyond him, or more likely, he simply isn't capable of doing those things, which, added to his pace, would make him an accomplished winger at Championship level.

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When he had that spell about 10 games ago he was awesome.

If he could play like that all the time he'd be our best player.

Can't agree with that.

Ivan can have the odd game where he looks as though, with consistency, he could make it as a Championship winger. He rarely takes it into the next game though.

I wouldn't say he is ever our best player, on occasion he does his job well and in exciting fashion, but reliable stalwarts like Carey, Fontaine, Skuse, Adebola, Elliot, McIndoe, etc. always bring more to the team than him when they play.

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