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Not denying that. just saying that there are plenty of other strikers in the division with as much to offer as him and whose scoring record for struggling teams compares but for some reason he is above all these.

'For some reason'. Perhaps these managers are just seeing something you're not Andy?

As lone forward, he offered more than just a source of goals and was very good at holding the ball up waiting for support.

It never came.

yellowforever wrote:As lone forward, he offered more than just a source of goals and was very good at holding the ball up waiting for support.

It never came.

Bang on.

Fonda wrote:'For some reason'. Perhaps these managers are just seeing something you're not Andy?

I often find this and wonder just what it is they do see. Titus Bramble case in point, how the hell has he enjoyed such a long career in the Premier League?! No matter how many hours I spend playing Football Manager it seems I will never really be able to look at a player and see the same things that the pro do...

So all the other strikers in their respective teams just had carte blanche to do what they wanted, were supported at will by legions of attacking team-mates and had 300 chances per game in which to get their goals then? As we only watched one team (Torquay) throughout the whole of last season we have no idea how the other teams played so for all we know Matt McLure for example may have been in a similar scenario to Rene, not many chances to score, not much support. We just don't know so you cannot possibly say that Rene struggled because of X,Y & Z and the others didn't.

Agree completely about Titus Bramble, but I don't understand what is the 'mystery' around Rene. He's clearly a pretty talented lower league footballer, has strength and and can score goals. He's not prolific, but then in most teams he wouldn't be up front on his own so it wouldn't matter. If he played a season alongside a Benyon, it would be a very fruitful partnership. And if scored 15 goals, it wouldn't be considered worthy of criticism because chances are his partner would have got similar.

Andy, my guess would be that 'most' teams would have played with 2 strikers last season. Therefore lightening the load on the strikers you list above. Can I ask how many times you actually saw Rene play last season? Because I would suggest that 'stats' only ever tell some of the story.

My point is that Howe has had a lot of clubs and done nothing and his best spell as a pro has been with us arguably. So on that basis, if you compare his scoring record (not his hold up play as strikers are judged on goals) then it is really average in comparison to many other league 2 strikers if you take away the penalties. Therefore I have come to the conclusion that all things considered, I have no idea why fans were worried he was leaving. He has talent, skill and technique and his off the ball work has improved but he still has a poor attitude and if he had played for Port Vale this season instead of Tom Pope I dare say he would have got into double figures, but then so would all the players I've mentioned and more which is kind of the point i'm making. I understand that he played as a lone striker a lot but therefore he should have utilised the through ball from midfield to run on to (like the chance he embarrassed himself with away at Rochdale) and played to his strengths. He didn't though. I'm not having a go at Rene, i'm just trying to explain why I feel is so over-rated and just another bang average striker.

I saw Rene play about 14 away games and 1 home. Generally away from home he didn't get the right support you are right but he didn't make any intelligent runs either to enable him to be put through on goal from a simple ball through. He was just happy to come deeper and hold it and lay it off so obviously he isn't going to score by doing that. His finishing generally is way above league 2 but his ability to take a player on and get into positions is poor.IMO

I think we can safely say we disagree completely on the relative merits of Rene.

It is looking that way!

I think if it hadn't been for his attitude these last 6 months which I have eluded to a few times now ( don't want to get anodyne members replying with YES WE F*CKING KNOW!!!!! which often happens when I try to apologise ) yes , his attitude these past 6 months have opened my eyes a bit to the real Rene and my opinion on him has gone way downhill, obviously this doesn't detract from the fact that he's a good player but just that I don't think he is as good as we all think he is and he now cannot be afforded the title of a Torquay great IMO.

AustrianAndyGull wrote:

It is looking that way!

I think if it hadn't been for his attitude these last 6 months which I have eluded to a few times now ( don't want to get anodyne members replying with YES WE F*CKING KNOW!!!!! which often happens when I try to apologise ) yes , his attitude these past 6 months have opened my eyes a bit to the real Rene and my opinion on him has gone way downhill, obviously this doesn't detract from the fact that he's a good player but just that I don't think he is as good as we all think he is and he now cannot be afforded the title of a Torquay great IMO.

What I want to know is, what are your thoughts on Bodin....

:devil:

Scott Brehaut wrote: What I want to know is, what are your thoughts on Bodin....

:devil:

Waaaay to go Scott. That's Andy gone again

Is 21 Rene Howe? Our tour of T a T

Lukeyboy WFC wrote:

Is 21 Rene Howe? Our tour of T a T

nope!