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Ryan Harley. I just don't get it.



Biscuit

Native Creative
Jul 8, 2003
22,316
Brighton
An incredible range of passing and composure. He's a great player, but like Vicente and LuaLua he can be a bit of a luxury at times. Players like Harley will win us games this season, but we need the mix of people like Bridcutt who'll just work tirelessly for the cause as well.
 




mcshane in the 79th

New member
Nov 4, 2005
10,485
Harley did play a great pass back to Dicker who then passed it into CMS to score the opener. It may look a simple pass but he executed it perfectly.

I still believe Harley will be a great player for us, he's got the ability to open up a defence and probably our best short passer of the ball. He just needs to work on his game off the ball as we can't afford for him to stop working when we lose possession. Getting more games under his belt will help too as I think he's lacking a bit of match sharpness.

Keep the faith, he will be great :thumbsup:
 


Rookie

Greetings
Feb 8, 2005
12,324
Luxury player who glides around the pitch and expects the team to work for him rather than he works for the team. I have no doubt that there is a good player in there based on Exeter last season but at the moment I think he is a long way from the first XI let alone the seemingly guarantee of an automatic space in it. Personally would be sitting in the stands on Saturday with Vicente or Sparrow in his place
 


Dominoid

Albion fan in Devon
Jan 6, 2011
557
Plymouth, United Kingdom
I think this injury has taken a lot out of him. He doesn't look as good at the moment as he did at Exeter but I reckon when he's back in form, we'll see great things from him.

Sent from my X10i using Tapatalk
 


Acker79

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2008
31,921
Brighton
Mail Online

No regrets: New signing Harley hoping for Premier League return with Brighton
By Joe Ridge

Ryan Harley is playing in the Championship for the first time in his rollercoaster career, and he's determined to enjoy his opportunity.

The 26-year-old Brighton midfielder has a 'nothing to lose' attitude towards his chosen profession, which is not surprising given the fact he was playing non-league football just four years ago.

His love of the game means that Harley had no qualms about leaving Premier League Swansea last month, despite only training with the club for three months and never making a competitive appearance.

Harley's plight at Swansea was a bizarre one, but typical of the man, he took it on the chin.

On his way back from a house viewing on the south coast, harley admitted: 'It's tough moving again so quickly, but in football you have to be prepared for that because one day you could be somewhere very happy and settled and then the next day you're off.’

Having signed for Swansea from Exeter in January, he was immediately loaned back to the Devon club, with the plan being that Harley would be involved in the Welsh side's Championship campaign this season.

But Swansea's unexpected promotion to the Premier League meant that

Harley's chances would have been limited at the Liberty Stadium this season.

Harley, who has a young family, admits the situation was not an easy one.
'I've got a family now so of course it's not ideal but that's the way football is and you've just got to get used to it and always be prepared to be on the move,’ he said.

Despite his swift departure from Swansea, Harley has no hard feelings after his brief adventure in Wales.

'I went to the manager and had a chat with the staff and it didn't look like I was going to start the season,' he said.

'I probably didn’t expect to as they had just been promoted and the lads that had done well from the season before generally start the next season off.

'Usually that's the way it works and that's fair enough, but I just said to the manager I didn't want to wait around for a chance that might take a while to come.

'I wanted to be playing now so I didn't mind going down one league to the Championship.'

And Brighton certainly don't mind having him in their squad either.
He endeared himself to their fans on his home league debut, scoring a brilliant free-kick from 25-yards in their 2-0 win over Peterborough.

The Seagulls sit in fifth place in the Championship following their promotion last season, and although no-one at the Amex Stadium is getting carried away, Harley admits he has ambitions to play in the Premier League.

'Of course we want to get to the Premier League, whether it's this year or the year after.

'We're a big club now, obviously Brighton are very ambitious. The manager hasn't said officially that he wants to get to the Premier League, nor have any of the players, but of course that's where we want to get eventually.

'You can't ignore where we are in the league and there's no reason why we can't be in and around it at the end of the season. We're good enough, so we'll see.'

But Harley is just happy to be playing at the highest level he has graced so far in a late-developing career.

The Championship is obviously a very good league so, I'm more than happy to be playing here.

'I knew Brighton were interested and I just thought it was the right place to be really.'

Harley admits that a season at Weston-Super-Mare, after being released by Bristol City in 2006 at the age of 21, has helped him to have a happy-go-lucky towards his career.

Thankfully for him, he was given a chance by Paul Tisdale at Exeter City and he has never looked back.

'I dropped out of the league for a little while and it did make me more determined,' he said.

'I just carried on enjoying my football and I got my chance again at Exeter and enjoyed it down there as well.'

Harley revealed that it was wrench finally leaving Exeter for good this summer. He helped the club to two successive promotions in 2008 and 2009 and he owes a debt of gratitude to former mentor Tisdale.

'I had a great time down there. 'They got me going,’ he said.

'I'd left Bristol City a year before and I was struggling really to get a club and the manager, Paul Tisdale, he got me down there, he had heard a bit about me through my agent and a youth team manager of mine.

'He was really good to me from the word go and it was just great down there, I really enjoyed it.

'I've got some good friends down there and plenty of people I'll stay in touch with.'

But being a man who knows all too well the precarious life of a Football League player, Harley is only looking ahead for now, and his excitement at the challenge ahead for Brighton is plain to see.

'I'm very impressed by the club. I knew last season that they had the new stadium coming and the manager has been there for a couple of years now and month by month he was getting better players in,' he said.

'It was on the cards for a while that they were going to be a big club they were just waiting to come up. And now it's happened obviously, and with the new stadium, it's one of the things that's made it a big club.'

And Brighton fans shouldn’t take that endorsement lightly. Harley would know what a big club is, having experienced life in six divisions over the last six years.
 




Biscuit

Native Creative
Jul 8, 2003
22,316
Brighton
Luxury player who glides around the pitch and expects the team to work for him rather than he works for the team. I have no doubt that there is a good player in there based on Exeter last season but at the moment I think he is a long way from the first XI let alone the seemingly guarantee of an automatic space in it. Personally would be sitting in the stands on Saturday with Vicente or Sparrow in his place

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peterward

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 11, 2009
12,244
he's a very poor man's George Boyd who cannot defend.

been more of a liability than an attribute for 3 games
 






niknokseagull

Give us a biscuit
Oct 8, 2003
95
London
Sorry, but thought he was totally ineffective on Tuesday. His inactivity and inability in making himself available for the pass forward from defence caused us a number of problems.

Against palace, I lost count of the number of times we gave possession away in our own half through a rushed or innacurate pass from defence to midfield. Why was this happening? Because Harley (and Dicker) were not moving into space and giving team mates any passing options.

The difference in tempo between the first 20 minutes and the second 45 was also palpable. Our passing style game becomes significantly less effective when the speed of passing and movement off the ball, drops.

We have to have an alternative when under pressure to the usual '6 passes across the back then hoof it up to CMS with his back to goal = lost possession'. Harley's ability to receive passes in the central areas of the pitch is key. Unfortunately, that role requires the player to 'run' every now and then.

I'm sure he will come good some time but at the moment, he is not adding anything to the team nor supporting Gus's playing style strategy.
 








Albion Robster

Well-known member
Jul 21, 2003
2,496
North West
I think I'm in a minority but I actually thought that Harley had a decent game on Tuesday and his substitution was actually the turning point of the game.

Ha Ha...When Tanno went off after 58 mins we were winning 1-0 and looking comfortable. How that changed?!
Of course, Tanno was never going to play a full 90 minutes, his passing and positioning was pretty good for a player who only plays now and again.
 


ROSM

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2005
6,744
Just far enough away from LDC
For those of us who are old enough to remember, it was like watching Dean Wilkins all over again.
 




peterward

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 11, 2009
12,244
Anyone who thinks Harley is shit is an idiot who knows NOTHING about football. There, I've said it.

don't think anyone is suggesting he is shit, full stop.

but he definitely has been shit away at Bristol and Leicester and home against Palace.

can we afford the luxury of keeping someone in who is under performing, in a team that is now underperforming so he can hopefully find his form ?
 


Drumstick

NORTHSTANDER
Jul 19, 2003
6,958
Peacehaven
FAR too early to say. Especially when he could be carrying a slight injury.

From what I've seen he looks like he could be exactly the kind of player we've been looking for, someone who is comfortable on the ball (a MUST for any Gus player) with the vision and ability to make a killer pass around the box.

Whether he delivers on teh promise I believe he has, only time will tell, but "time" is a lot more than 4 games.

That, Also had no pre season with us. Needs to step it up but give him time.
 


Peter Grummit

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2004
6,772
Lewes
For those of us who are old enough to remember, it was like watching Dean Wilkins all over again.

Except that he is very TWO footed.

He has plenty of qualities. He suits our style. He's played a couple of decent games and a couple of ordinary ones. FFS let's give the guy a chance. #scapegoat

PG
 


Biscuit

Native Creative
Jul 8, 2003
22,316
Brighton
don't think anyone is suggesting he is shit, full stop.

but he definitely has been shit away at Bristol and Leicester and home against Palace.

can we afford the luxury of keeping someone in who is under performing, in a team that is now underperforming so he can hopefully find his form ?

I don't think it's a case of that. I think we are just guilty sometimes of over egging the midfield. We have some truely great players but we need the workhorses as well. I'd describe Bridcutt as a workhorse and everyone knows how awesome he's been for us so far. I think Harley is a good player who I think we actually missed when he came off, he has a presence and an awareness to put himself in difficult positions to defend and his range of passing once he gets into these positions is a threat. He's a different type of player to what we're used to and he probably has had a dip in form but I think it's way too soon to write him off and I think I'll be proved right.

On a side note, when we signed Buckley I was so pleased I actually said that LuaLua will be used as an impact sub with Buckley starting. I was set upon by the majority who couldn't see LuaLua being used this way but I think I have been proved right. It's about getting that 'mix' of players in the center of the park right. Harley is good enough and ergo there will be a place for him in the team, it's just a case of when this'll happen as it depends on his form (and the form of others) as well as the opposition and the tactic Gus goes for.

He's definately a luxury, but used correctly he could be vital for us.
 




ROSM

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2005
6,744
Just far enough away from LDC
Except that he is very TWO footed.

He has plenty of qualities. He suits our style. He's played a couple of decent games and a couple of ordinary ones. FFS let's give the guy a chance. #scapegoat

PG

I wasnt criticising him - just saying that we have had players like him in the past. Enigmatic I would suggest is a good description.
 


Peter Grummit

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2004
6,772
Lewes
I wasnt criticising him - just saying that we have had players like him in the past. Enigmatic I would suggest is a good description.

I was only critiqueing the comparison with Wendy. The other points were in response to the thread generally. Enigmatic is a good word!

I don't think we can have him and Vicente on the pitch at the same time. I think he may go with Sparrow, Noone, Bridcutt and Dicker on Saturday: Ipswich have some decent players and a point would be fine.

PG
 


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