Redtucks Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 A fit Noble is easily a Championship player for anyone. Strange that no Championship manager appears to agree with you then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCFC_Dan Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Some words were said and GJ got his knickers in a knot. If you ever saw the morning after video, you will notice Keogh and Noble together, they were flatmates during that season. Their careers faltered under GJ from that point on. Keogh I would sign tomorrow and Noble would be a great squad man in the Williams mould. some would say better. Not doubting anything you say but I recall Noble playing a pretty big part in the playoff season. Not as big as he could have done maybe but most of the good performances I can remember involved him. I think it was the season after when he really declined and whilst his off-pitch behaviour really didn't help I think an element of it was tactical. Noble played his best football in an advanced midfield role just behind a lone striker, be it Trundle, Byfield or Adebola, but that summer City signed Nicky Maynard who, certainly at that point, wasn't up to playing as a lone striker and needed to partner another player, usually Adebola. Since Nicky was the club's record signing it was always likely that he'd play in the majority of games but that meant Noble (and indeed Carle, had he stayed) was unable to play in his best position. He was never physically fit or disciplined enough to play in a central midfield pair, nor on the wing, and I think he declined from there. I'm not blaming Nicky Maynard, or Gary Johnson, or even Noble himself, for any of this, just giving a possible explanation for what happened. I think he'll be a superb player in league one, where he can play central midfield in a 4-4-2, and I wouldn't be surprised if he finds himself back in the Championship sooner or later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipdawg Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Sorry, but Noble has a great football brain and a lot of natural ability but realistically he probably lacks a yard of pace or 2 to be a good Championship midfielder, and he certainly never had the natural fitness. Didn't help that he p155ed 90% of his talent up the wall, but i don't think he would ever have been able to play a central role (either literally or figuratively) in a promotion winning team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Port Said Red Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Harley is a gifted footballer but does not tackle. Big problem in the Championship. And yet he is shining in the even more physical lower leagues? Strange....................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednready Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Dan, its most likely that Noble was his own worst enemy. The season we entered the Championship, Noble was injured for around two months and LJ cemented himself in the team. I remember endless threads and posts on LJ and the nepotism selection. In any event Noble is now 28 and should be at his peak. Its up to him to improve his situation. Likewise Harley, this is his thread. He has obviously made a career move, its up to him to earn his chance. I watched Harley as a youngster and considered Artus as far superior. Artus has been released to Cheltenham, and now we have Harley looking upwards. I await developments and wont comment on Harleys projected improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ison Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Having just finished 4 years down at Exeter Uni and living within a 30 second walk of St. James' Park for most of it I've seen Harley play more than a handful of times. Even though some of these appearances were made in League 2, I really haven't seen him have a bad game and he's always looked a cut above everyone else on the pitch. I'm really suprised it's taken this long for him to move on (if the rumours are true). Personally I woud love to see him at the Gate. It wouldn't be as big a signing as David James but in terms of contribution on match day I think it would be just as important! p.s. From what I've seen he plays more or less exclusively as a central midfielder now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCFC_Dan Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 Dan, its most likely that Noble was his own worst enemy. The season we entered the Championship, Noble was injured for around two months and LJ cemented himself in the team. I remember endless threads and posts on LJ and the nepotism selection. Yes I agree entirely. I also recall GJ initially attempting to pair LJ and Noble in central midfield with disastrous consequences. LJ won that battle because of his superior fitness and availability record. All I'm saying is that I think if we hadn't signed Nicky Maynard then we would have been able to play a 4-4-1-1 formation more often and that would have suited Noble better (given his self-imposed lack of fitness). Our best performances in the playoff season came playing in that way. I think it would be extremely hard to argue that the club would be better off with Noble and without Maynard, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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