| Matt Richards at Bath City 17:39 - Nov 11 with 7065 views | HarryfromBath |
A bit of a blast from the past to report here, namely Matt Richards playing well in Bath City's 4-0 win over East Thurrock today. I wasn't at the game, but have just had a couple of people who were there call into my shop singing his praises and saying how well he played. He arrived a couple of weeks ago by all accounts and this was his league debut, having had a run out against Keynsham in the Somerset Cup.
He was stationed as a solitary holding midfielder today in City's 4-1-4-1 shape. The consensus of those watching was that, while he was not the paciest or brilliant in the air, he was tactically sharp and switched-on and read the game very well, giving the midfield a balance and experience it was lacking. His alertness led to Bath going on to score in the first half from his quickly-taken free-kick.
It is a first Romans' win in two months and needless to say the home brigade were ebullient. I thought it worth mentioning on a quiet Town-related news day and will keep an eye on how he progresses. |  |
| |  |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 17:41 - Nov 11 with 7029 views | J2BLUE |
'Ebullient'. I love you Harry. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 17:50 - Nov 11 with 7007 views | solemio |
Interesting, Harry. Matt was always a better player than some of our fans gave him credit for.
Ebullient? Good workaday word. |  | | |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:10 - Nov 11 with 6800 views | Illinoisblue |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 17:50 - Nov 11 by solemio |
Interesting, Harry. Matt was always a better player than some of our fans gave him credit for.
Ebullient? Good workaday word. |
Yep, decent enough player and good on him for still being in the game |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:33 - Nov 11 with 6760 views | StNeotsBlue |
I always rated him, he suffered as he wasn't in the Ambrose or Bent class.
He got absolutely wiped out by Robert Green in 2003, if he'd have scored or the penalty given I think many would have viewed him differently. |  | | |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:37 - Nov 11 with 6744 views | PrideOfTheEast |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:33 - Nov 11 by StNeotsBlue |
I always rated him, he suffered as he wasn't in the Ambrose or Bent class.
He got absolutely wiped out by Robert Green in 2003, if he'd have scored or the penalty given I think many would have viewed him differently. |
He’s had a decent career hasn’t he. I think he had the potential to play at a higher level than he did for most of it - I remember Harry Redknapp raving about him the year we beat Pompey at home at Easter and they got promoted that season. | | | |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:38 - Nov 11 with 6751 views | itfcjoe |
I always liked Matt, a good player who has had a good career and always done well
Harry Wright was in goal for East Thurrock I think on loan from here |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:51 - Nov 11 with 6710 views | BackToRussia |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:33 - Nov 11 by StNeotsBlue |
I always rated him, he suffered as he wasn't in the Ambrose or Bent class.
He got absolutely wiped out by Robert Green in 2003, if he'd have scored or the penalty given I think many would have viewed him differently. |
He got some pretty merciless jeering from the fans, Richard.
I think now the attitude has changed a lot so that youth are almost seen as untouchable by the fans. |  |
| |
| on 21:02 - Nov 11 with 6682 views | _ |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:51 - Nov 11 by BackToRussia |
He got some pretty merciless jeering from the fans, Richard.
I think now the attitude has changed a lot so that youth are almost seen as untouchable by the fans. |
| | | |
Login to get fewer ads
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 21:02 - Nov 11 with 6680 views | J2BLUE |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 20:51 - Nov 11 by BackToRussia |
He got some pretty merciless jeering from the fans, Richard.
I think now the attitude has changed a lot so that youth are almost seen as untouchable by the fans. |
We were crying out for a LM for years and he always did alright there so I have no idea why we didn't give him an extended run there. | |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 21:03 - Nov 11 with 6679 views | tractordownsouth |
I watched him play for Cheltenham at York City a few years ago. He played in holding midfield and ran the show, despite Cheltenham losing and eventually being relegated. I was surprised no other Football League teams showed interest. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 21:10 - Nov 11 with 6659 views | vapour_trail |
That's the same role Paul Konchesky plays for Billericay Town.
Probably a lot of sense in taking someone with that level of experience and putting them in that position down the leagues. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 23:00 - Nov 11 with 6520 views | Swansea_Blue |
Matt and Westy formed a decent partnership on the left. The sum of the parts was definitely greater than the two wholes. And I mean that as a compliment. Perfectly good enough for a genuine promotion chasing side as we were then. And in hindsight (Delaney (at LB), Thatcher or Balkenstein anyone?), maybe the thickos wish they hadn't booed? |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 09:46 - Nov 12 with 6264 views | chicoazul |
The only time he ever looked decent was when he played in midfield with Jimmy Juan a few times. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 10:03 - Nov 12 with 6245 views | Steve_M |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 23:00 - Nov 11 by Swansea_Blue |
Matt and Westy formed a decent partnership on the left. The sum of the parts was definitely greater than the two wholes. And I mean that as a compliment. Perfectly good enough for a genuine promotion chasing side as we were then. And in hindsight (Delaney (at LB), Thatcher or Balkenstein anyone?), maybe the thickos wish they hadn't booed? |
Richards was decent enough at full back, the crowd reaction to a 17 year old in his first full season remains pathetic. Royle's teams rarely protected the full back, but no-one took much notice of that either.
He was a decent midfielder which makes Magilton's decision to let him go when we lacked anyone to play on the left somewhat odd - and that was before he started buying every midfielder he could.
Glad to hear he is still playing. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 12:55 - Nov 12 with 6132 views | longtimefan |
I thought he was more than adequate, and on his day very good, but he got horrific stick from sections of our “support”. | | | |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 13:05 - Nov 12 with 6116 views | TheBlueBarca |
http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/richards-wants-to-stay-a-blue-1-171891
I always rated Matt Richards, a great fullback who could also play anywhere in midfield which is a rarity, he was prone to the odd error but overall a decent defender. The same people who hated him also hated Murphy, so I would take them with a pinch of salt.
What was really weird for me is Magic phased him out of the side for whatever reason - Keane came in and picked him for the remaining games of that season and he looked really good, like he did when Joe was here, then Keano released him and brought in players who really we'rent as a good as he ever was for us. |  |
| |
| decent player on 13:07 - Nov 12 with 6109 views | Dyland |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 23:00 - Nov 11 by Swansea_Blue |
Matt and Westy formed a decent partnership on the left. The sum of the parts was definitely greater than the two wholes. And I mean that as a compliment. Perfectly good enough for a genuine promotion chasing side as we were then. And in hindsight (Delaney (at LB), Thatcher or Balkenstein anyone?), maybe the thickos wish they hadn't booed? |
I met Richards on a night out in London with Sam Parkin (one of my colleagues was an old friend of his) around 2005/6. I apologised on behalf of our stupid booing fans and assured him they were in a very small minority. It didn't bother him one bit to be fair to him.
Oh, Alan Lee was there too and he was chain smoking Marlboro menthols. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 14:17 - Nov 12 with 6035 views | Westcountryblue |
Good full back, lost his identity as a player when we started to shuffle him around our midfield.
Should have persevered at left back. | | | |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 16:41 - Nov 12 with 5949 views | Harry_Palmer |
Oh come on folks he really wasn't good enough for the championship which is why he eventually dropped down the leagues, that's not to say he deserved the stick he got from the crowd at times though.
He was always a tidy enough little player but just lacked the pace and physicality for the Championship imho, nice to hear he is still playing at a decent level though and overall he has had a pretty decent career. |  | | |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 17:46 - Nov 12 with 5903 views | Radlett_blue |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 16:41 - Nov 12 by Harry_Palmer |
Oh come on folks he really wasn't good enough for the championship which is why he eventually dropped down the leagues, that's not to say he deserved the stick he got from the crowd at times though.
He was always a tidy enough little player but just lacked the pace and physicality for the Championship imho, nice to hear he is still playing at a decent level though and overall he has had a pretty decent career. |
Absolutely. Full back (or wing back) is one of the hardest positions to play in modern pro football & Richards wasn't quite good enough to play there at 2nd tier level. He found his level as a holding midfield player in the 3rd/4th tier. We did not miss out on a town legend who was driven out by stroppy fans (whose attitude admittedly did not help him).
A bit like Tom Eastman, who has also found his level. |  |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 18:15 - Nov 12 with 5865 views | BackToRussia |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 17:46 - Nov 12 by Radlett_blue |
Absolutely. Full back (or wing back) is one of the hardest positions to play in modern pro football & Richards wasn't quite good enough to play there at 2nd tier level. He found his level as a holding midfield player in the 3rd/4th tier. We did not miss out on a town legend who was driven out by stroppy fans (whose attitude admittedly did not help him).
A bit like Tom Eastman, who has also found his level. |
as always the truth is in the middle isn't it. No he wasn't hounded out but we could probably have got more out of him had he been treated better. | |
| |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 21:53 - Nov 12 with 5751 views | Currie10 |
| Matt Richards at Bath City on 16:41 - Nov 12 by Harry_Palmer |
Oh come on folks he really wasn't good enough for the championship which is why he eventually dropped down the leagues, that's not to say he deserved the stick he got from the crowd at times though.
He was always a tidy enough little player but just lacked the pace and physicality for the Championship imho, nice to hear he is still playing at a decent level though and overall he has had a pretty decent career. |
This.
Nowhere near good enough in my opinion for us, however plenty good enough to remain a professional player for the duration of his career.
How the hell he's only playing at Bath City level is simply beyond me. Injury issues?
Westlake suffered with many didn't he? Bet he wished he'd never moved to Leeds..... |  | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
