It's obvious to all that the team will miss the lad. However dare I suggest, as I fully appreciate how popular he was, is, among the Aylebury faithful, that they miss him more for the fact that we have as we speak no logical relacement as opposed to what he actually and consistently contributed on the pitch?
Now before you all start screaming in indignation, let me explain?
As a youngster he obviously has a lot going for him, even more so as he has the one ingredient that every team fears...pace.
Unfortunately I am afraid, if one harbours aspirations to move up the NL pyramid, having pace on it's own, is simply not enough one needs to know how best to use that pace.
The more I have watched the lad, and this will fly in the face of most opinions, the more evidident it has become to me, that he simply doesn't know how to best use it
For any defender,certainly one with any experince he is comparitively easy to mark as his runs are very predictable and very straight. When shown inside which appens a lot, rather than release to ensure the team keeps posession,he invaribly over runs and the move breaks down, and I don't know if it's just me, but when it happens do not others feel, if only by his body language that he has a tendency to then temporarily sulk rather than do everything in his power to help retrieve the situation?
His biggest fault, and please dont feel I am picking on the lad, I think we will definitely be worse of for his absence, is the fact that he never runs with his head up.
Its as though someone simply presses a trigger in him and of he goes, full steam ahead, head down and inspite of owning incredibly quick feet reguarly appears oblivious to the numerous options open to him or the fact that he is about to run straight into a defender
I do think he has the ingredients to further himself, but simply feel to do he has so much to learn, so much to take on board and he needs to do so quickly
Someone mentioned earlier about Arlesy wanting more from him defensively, and that observation is spot on. Several times in a match Gareth will track back 40,50 yards in an effort to help our the team but equally there will be many times where he will either be caught ball watching or not be aware that the guy he is meant to be watching has just ghosted past him and is now standing in 30 yards of space
As I say he has a lot to learn and if he does, he could become a very good player, but at the moment, just like his tackling he is I feel open to vast levels of improvement
...and if he thinks Mark or Alan can get on his case sometimes for stuff he isn't doing, at Arlsey if he doesn't track back, or god forbid he pulls out of tackles, such verbal volleys will seem like whispers behind the levels of boll ockings he will get from their skipper Derek Brown!
Like most I wish the lad well, but after watching many NL matches at all levels, without any beration, I do question the motives,and indeed wisdom of any player who moves between teams at the same level
If he, or indeed any player wishes to move up the pyramid to further his career one can only encourage him, and even if we are all sad to see that player go, he surely does so with supporters best wishes and understanding.
Lets hope that young Gareth does well at his new club,but I rather think we missed Blakey a lot more, the only difference there was almost immediately we had the perfect replacement
Ending on a positive note I also have a rather sneaky suspicion that between them, Mark and Al will soon find a suitable replacement, as one thing is clear, unlike Blakey currently there is no logical replacement for him which for sure does leave us with a hole to fill, lets hope it's just a temoporary one
