Mansell signs for Bristol Rovers

[Scott Brehaut]

Good post Matt. I also do not see how a player who cannot pass or tackle in the 4th division will suddenly be "good at this level".

Mansell's performances, along with his leadership were a massive reason we went down last year.

I will be the first to admit that I saw little of the team last season - much less than you I'm guessing, however I can't accept that it was Lee's leadership skills and performances that played a "massive" part in us going down.

Even from afar I can guarantee that the "massive" reason why we went down was due to the shit strikers we had and the fact that our highest goal scorer was a midfielder who played very few games in the close season.

Manse may have had a poor season, but there is no way that he was the massive reason why we went down.

He will, in my opinion, be a loss to the club. Let's see next season - I do very much hope I'm wrong!!

[IlshamSchmilsham]

Scott

As someone who saw most of last season's home games I beg to differ. The glaring weakness in our team was the absence of any creativity from our midfield players. With no playmaker our forwards, whoever they were, found themselves living off scraps in and around the box. Whilst easy chances were, on occasion, missed by most of those who found themselves in a striking role for Torquay, I can scarcely remember a clear-cut opportunity created by one of our central midfielders. Lee Mansell has been an inspirational and influential player during his time at the club, but last season was conspicuously different, with enthusiasm and volubility proving to be no substitute for footballing craft and intelligence. I wish Lee the best of luck, but he will find that Rovers' fans can be rather less patient and tolerant than the Plainmoor faithful, and with no retrospective sentimentality to call upon he would be well-advised either to develop a thicker skin or close down his Twitter account before he sets foot on the Memorial Ground pitch!

Dave B

[RussianGull]

Thanks Lee, (hope you have an average season at Rovers though), couple of good memories from watching you over the past couple of years, you spent a good half an hour having a chat with me in the club shop once too which was good of you.

[rooster]

Massive loss for the club, his experience and maturity will be sadly missed and whatever his reasons for leaving thats his business and no one else's, if the money is better who can blame him, in the twilight of his career who wouldn't do the same but i still think that he will be missed. Yes maybe his performance over last season or so wasn't his best but then with what has gone on at the club I don't think you can single him out and lay all the blame at his feet, he was probably as frustrated as the rest of us and probably/understandably didn't perform as well as he could but then would any of us under the same circumstance....................good luck to him, a loyal servant and I wish him all the best.....

[torkie_buoy]

Deriding Mansell may make a few people end upo looking foolish. A good signing for both the player and for Bristol Rovers in my view.
Losing Poke and Mansell makes us weaker in my view. The problem is that we are stil lumbered with worse players on bigger money ie Harding and the other bloke who has permannently injured and hasn't played yet

you could say that but at least its freed cash at the end of the day. And with Harding I'm not sure we've seen the full picture yet- watched him at northampton and thought he was a decent box to box midfielder, plus hes got a bit of height and strength which id say the squad lacks in midfield.

[tomogull]

you could say that but at least its freed cash at the end of the day. And with Harding I'm not sure we've seen the full picture yet- watched him at northampton and thought he was a decent box to box midfielder, plus hes got a bit of height and strength which id say the squad lacks in midfield.

'Freed up cash' for what ?? Personally, i am sorry to see both Mansell and Lathrope leaving (if the Dave Thomas paper talk is correct in Lathrope's case) because even if Mansell was not a regular in the side, he'd be a damn good option to have on the bench. Lathrope is a decent defensive midfielder and I'm surprised that a Div 2 club hasn't stepped in for him. Be realistic guys - with the wages we're able to offer, we aint going to get players better than Mansell or Lathrope. As for Harding, Torkie Buoy - he's a show pony who certainly does not show strength in tackles. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner he goes the better and good riddance !!

[Neal]

I am pleased for Mansel that he has got a good deal and I'm also pleased for us. He wasn't the player last season he was in previous seasons and the time was right. We might not find a player of the quality mansel was a few years ago but I'm confident in CH that he can find a younger player with the hunger and at least match what Mandel offered last season.

As for Harding, never liked him, probably on a fortune as Knill signed him, is weak in the tackle, not what we need in the conference especially now we have Luke Young.

Dissapointed that Lathrope has decided to leave and even more surprised its Aldershot who are really skint.

Agree we need a tough tackling preferably tall mk midfielder.

Look, I have no great expectations this year, but I'm quite looking forward to it especially if the clear out continues. I want the players I hold responsible for our relegation to go then I'm happy.

[Burnhamgull]

I'm pleased Mansell has moved on. He was a decent player 4-5 years ago but the last couple of years he became nothing more than a chest thumping shouter and I think he lost a lot of respect from the fans and also, sadly, from some of the players.

I am, however, disappointed to see Lathrope may be leaving as I feel he's the one bright light in our midfield and would like to see him playing alongside Young in the middle.

The summer clear out is going ok at the moment but there's still some I'd like to see go.....Hawley, Benyon (especially), Harding and Tonge.

[SuperNickyWroe]

I'm pleased Mansell has moved on. He was a decent player 4-5 years ago but the last couple of years he became nothing more than a chest thumping shouter and I think he lost a lot of respect from the fans and also, sadly, from some of the players.

I am, however, disappointed to see Lathrope may be leaving as I feel he's the one bright light in our midfield and would like to see him playing alongside Young in the middle.

The summer clear out is going ok at the moment but there's still some I'd like to see go.....Hawley, Benyon (especially), Harding and Tonge.

agree with this.

for me tonge has been the biggest disappointment for us.

[ferrarilover]

'Freed up cash' for what ?? Personally, i am sorry to see both Mansell and Lathrope leaving (if the Dave Thomas paper talk is correct in Lathrope's case) because even if Mansell was not a regular in the side, he'd be a damn good option to have on the bench. Lathrope is a decent defensive midfielder and I'm surprised that a Div 2 club hasn't stepped in for him. Be realistic guys - with the wages we're able to offer, we aint going to get players better than Mansell or Lathrope. As for Harding, Torkie Buoy - he's a show pony who certainly does not show strength in tackles. As far as I'm concerned, the sooner he goes the better and good riddance !!

Ahahahahahah, we've signed swapped Lee Mansell for Luke Young and saved a grand a week and you're complaining.

Manse, at his absolute peak and having the season of his life, was a decent L2 player. No more, no less. Today, three years beyond that purple patch, he is absolutely no loss to a club with ambitions of promotion. To have signed a player who is a decade younger, already a better footballer than Manse has ever been and costing us a six-figure sum less over the course of his contract is a stroke of genius from the club.

Imagine you take a knackered old Corsa to your local Aston garage and the dealer offers you a new DB9 and £200,000 cash for your trade in. That's what we've done here.

Will we ever be happy?

Matt.

[eastmoorgull]

A fit and re enthused Harding should be an asset next season; the guy has class but it's whether he has the guts to show it - if not Bideford Town mate! Agree with Matt above about the exchange; we have a star in the making and could well be the focus CH desperately needs. Lets hope the others left from that dire team last year take the hint and push off.

[Jeff]

Ahahahahahah, we've signed swapped Lee Mansell for Luke Young and saved a grand a week and you're complaining.

Manse, at his absolute peak and having the season of his life, was a decent L2 player. No more, no less. Today, three years beyond that purple patch, he is absolutely no loss to a club with ambitions of promotion. To have signed a player who is a decade younger, already a better footballer than Manse has ever been and costing us a six-figure sum less over the course of his contract is a stroke of genius from the club.

Imagine you take a knackered old Corsa to your local Aston garage and the dealer offers you a new DB9 and £200,000 cash for your trade in. That's what we've done here.

Will we ever be happy?

Matt.

Absolutely agree.

Mansell had an out-of-this-world season under Ling, and IIRC negotiated his new 2 year deal off the back of that. I imagine he asked for - and got - top whack, and rightly so based on his form. Since then, he hasn't lived up to that level of performance and I think its fair to say we didn't really get our moneys worth for the last 2 years.

Manse's career follows a similar pattern - bottom half L2/top half conference and between 2 and 5 goals a season - except for one glaringly anomalous year.

Luke Young (I've never seen him tbf but heard good things) seems like a great replacement, given his age and level of experience. My hope is that we use him the right way. If Argyle fans are saying he's better at the point of a midfield three, I hope to god CH is aware of this

[hector]

I would agree that it makes more sense to sign Luke Young, who many at Plymouth wanted to keep, and let Mansell (who many wanted to see leave) go. Mansell wasn't very effective last season but I always found it so sad to see such spite and venom directed towards him. Maybe there is much I am unaware of, but he always seemed a decent bloke to me, a good family man, trying to do the best he can. In the end, his best wasn't quite good enough for us but I don't think anyone can say that he coasted along. He gave his best, it is best that he moves on - perhaps it will reinvigorate him as well - and whilst some blinkered will probably give him a hard time, I will most definitely be giving him a round of applause when he comes back with Bristol Rovers.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up with the manager's job there, actually - Clarke is probably already on borrowed time!

[Jeff]

A fit and re enthused Harding should be an asset next season; the guy has class but it's whether he has the guts to show it - if not Bideford Town mate! Agree with Matt above about the exchange; we have a star in the making and could well be the focus CH desperately needs. Lets hope the others left from that dire team last year take the hint and push off.

This is something else I agree with. We simply cannot have seen the best of Ben Harding last season.

I went to enough games to see that on the whole, Harding was s***. However, football is an utterly ruthless business that doesn't have time for anyone who can't deliver the required standard.

If I recall right (without checking wikipedia), Harding came through the Wimbledon/MK Dons youth setup at a time when it was producing fairly decent professionals (Patrick Agyemang, Jamie Mackie to name a couple). He played a major part in the Aldershot side who won the Conference and made it to the L2 playoffs a couple of years later, and captained the Northampton side to the L2 playoff finals just over 12 months ago. I think he might have also had a spell with Wycombe in L1 as well.

There is no way that Ben Harding would have a career like that, if all he has got is what he showed us last season. Quite why it didn't click I don't know. Hopefully he can recover some form, be the first name off the transfer list and the first name on the team sheet

[hector]

This is something else I agree with. We simply cannot have seen the best of Ben Harding last season.

I went to enough games to see that on the whole, Harding was s***. However, football is an utterly ruthless business that doesn't have time for anyone who can't deliver the required standard.

If I recall right (without checking wikipedia), Harding came through the Wimbledon/MK Dons youth setup at a time when it was producing fairly decent professionals (Patrick Agyemang, Jamie Mackie to name a couple). He played a major part in the Aldershot side who won the Conference and made it to the L2 playoffs a couple of years later, and captained the Northampton side to the L2 playoff finals just over 12 months ago. I think he might have also had a spell with Wycombe in L1 as well.

There is no way that Ben Harding would have a career like that, if all he has got is what he showed us last season. Quite why it didn't click I don't know. Hopefully he can recover some form, be the first name off the transfer list and the first name on the team sheet

I don't think Northampton fans were too sorry to see him leave but like you say, you would hope he had something about him with that sort of pedigree. There have been examples of players e.g. Robertson, Nicholson, who have spent time on the transfer-list, and then came back much stronger. Let's hope you are right and that Harding can become an asset.