[danblue]

Not wanting to sound harsh/controversial but I think it should have been Mandeville all the way.
The way he has been utilised and still put in performances in various roles is testimony to him as a footballer in general and also as a team player. I hate the phrase 'unsung hero' (as its a game football not life and death) but in footballing terms Mandeville skirts around that term.
I feel Dobra got it just cos it's Dobra. A likeable figure for many seasons and puts in 100% plus goals - just don't ask him to play the season(s) Liam has played.

This post has been edited by danblue: 30 April 2025 - 07:48 PM

[lindave]

And me Kev.

[Bluekent]

 gordon_brittas, on 30 April 2025 - 08:50 AM, said:

I think if Dobra has a season like this one next campaign we will struggle to hold onto him and he will become a target of a lower end Championship club. Testament to how the lad has developed at the club in his time here.

That’s him signing a ten year contract here then. Cheers gord. Your predictions do sometimes come in handy.

[jack bauer]

well done Dobs, much deserved, he is a special player, the kind of player you go to football matches to watch, there was a period in this season where he really stood up for the team, when we were so threadbare he seemed to go up a level just at a time when we needed something out there on the pitch, looking forward to seeing him return.

[Osborne again]

Dobra has matured, not only as a player, but as a person too. I hope he's here for the long term but I'm not that stupid to discount a wild bid coming in from a decent championship club, but would he be happy to be a bench warmer, I don't know if he would. Money is one thing, but I'll mention one name Andy Dallas. It can go right and it can go the Dallas way.
You've made my season ticket worth every penny Dobs, so keep us smiling for a while yet.

[hilly81]

I'd be very surprised if there isn't interest in Dobra in the summer. He's certainly worth a punt for an ambitious League One team. With a bit of luck that will hopefully be us. Regardless of what division we are in, if he continues to develop and deliver over the the rest of this year as he has in the last 12 months, he will be very hard to keep hold of. Quality player.

[Blue5]

 jack bauer, on 01 May 2025 - 07:37 AM, said:

well done Dobs, much deserved, he is a special player, the kind of player you go to football matches to watch, there was a period in this season where he really stood up for the team, when we were so threadbare he seemed to go up a level just at a time when we needed something out there on the pitch, looking forward to seeing him return.

Well said.

[Blue5]

 Osborne again, on 01 May 2025 - 09:48 AM, said:

Dobra has matured, not only as a player, but as a person too. I hope he's here for the long term but I'm not that stupid to discount a wild bid coming in from a decent championship club, but would he be happy to be a bench warmer, I don't know if he would. Money is one thing, but I'll mention one name Andy Dallas. It can go right and it can go the Dallas way.
You've made my season ticket worth every penny Dobs, so keep us smiling for a while yet.

I was thinking about Dallas as he sheepishly left the pitch on Saturday.

Regardless of what he's on at Barnsley, his footballing career has dropped off a cliff after the play off final at Wembley and our fortunes have gone in the opposite direction. He did well for us and I would consider him better than the other loanees we've had deputising for Will Grigg since.

He obviously didn't fancy us enough to join us on a permanent basis and it's not something I would look to rekindle for that reason, but I wonder what sort of a job he could do for us.

[60s 70s Spireite]

 Blue5, on 01 May 2025 - 10:31 AM, said:

I was thinking about Dallas as he sheepishly left the pitch on Saturday.

Regardless of what he's on at Barnsley, his footballing career has dropped off a cliff after the play off final at Wembley and our fortunes have gone in the opposite direction. He did well for us and I would consider him better than the other loanees we've had deputising for Will Grigg since.

He obviously didn't fancy us enough to join us on a permanent basis and it's not something I would look to rekindle for that reason, but I wonder what sort of a job he could do for us.

It looks like the only managers to get anything out of him were his boss at Solihull and Cook.
I am sure people will say it’s a big step up from NL to L2, but a bunch of ours have made the transition with relative ease, and of course the best example is Michael Cheek - having his first taste of EFL football at 33.
I’m sure Cook could have continued his development. Too late now Andy, be careful what you wish for.

[dtp]

Blue5, on 01 May 2025 - 10:31 AM, said:

I was thinking about Dallas as he sheepishly left the pitch on Saturday.

Regardless of what he's on at Barnsley, his footballing career has dropped off a cliff after the play off final at Wembley and our fortunes have gone in the opposite direction. He did well for us and I would consider him better than the other loanees we've had deputising for Will Grigg since.

He obviously didn't fancy us enough to join us on a permanent basis and it's not something I would look to rekindle for that reason, but I wonder what sort of a job he could do for us.

My thoughts on Dallas is that his performances only improved later into his loan spell. Prior to that he missed chance after chance that Kabby would have buried.

He then probably peaked and based on his performances at this stage it was probably considered he was worth a contract of sorts. However he still had a lot to learn but either he or his agent felt it best to chase the cash. The result being that he has been loaned away from his contracted club several times over whilst his performances and development have been so good that he has become an unused benchwarmer for a club now relegated from the EFL.

I certainly don’t wonder what sort of job he could do for us.

[DIFH]

 danblue, on 30 April 2025 - 07:47 PM, said:

Not wanting to sound harsh/controversial but I think it should have been Mandeville all the way.
The way he has been utilised and still put in performances in various roles is testimony to him as a footballer in general and also as a team player. I hate the phrase 'unsung hero' (as its a game football not life and death) but in footballing terms Mandeville skirts around that term.
I feel Dobra got it just cos it's Dobra. A likeable figure for many seasons and puts in 100% plus goals - just don't ask him to play the season(s) Liam has played.

Spot on.

[Mr_Pleasant]

 dtp, on 01 May 2025 - 11:37 AM, said:

My thoughts on Dallas is that his performances only improved later into his loan spell. Prior to that he missed chance after chance that Kabby would have buried.

He then probably peaked and based on his performances at this stage it was probably considered he was worth a contract of sorts. However he still had a lot to learn but either he or his agent felt it best to chase the cash. The result being that he has been loaned away from his contracted club several times over whilst his performances and development have been so good that he has become an unused benchwarmer for a club now relegated from the EFL.

I certainly don’t wonder what sort of job he could do for us.

Bloke I know who is a Solihull Moors fan said he was like that with them, and he had spells of not being able to hit a cow's aris. He did ok for us. We then got Will Grigg. I stopped thinking about Andy Dallas quite quickly.

[DIFH]

 Blue5, on 01 May 2025 - 10:31 AM, said:

I was thinking about Dallas as he sheepishly left the pitch on Saturday.

Regardless of what he's on at Barnsley, his footballing career has dropped off a cliff after the play off final at Wembley and our fortunes have gone in the opposite direction. He did well for us and I would consider him better than the other loanees we've had deputising for Will Grigg since.

He obviously didn't fancy us enough to join us on a permanent basis and it's not something I would look to rekindle for that reason, but I wonder what sort of a job he could do for us.

How has it dropped off a cliff ? he’s being shipped about all over the place by a club who don’t want him. He was a national league player stepping up a league and as you say he only got regular playing time with us.

[Osborne again]

 Blue5, on 01 May 2025 - 10:31 AM, said:

I was thinking about Dallas as he sheepishly left the pitch on Saturday.

Regardless of what he's on at Barnsley, his footballing career has dropped off a cliff after the play off final at Wembley and our fortunes have gone in the opposite direction. He did well for us and I would consider him better than the other loanees we've had deputising for Will Grigg since.

He obviously didn't fancy us enough to join us on a permanent basis and it's not something I would look to rekindle for that reason, but I wonder what sort of a job he could do for us.

I can understand him going to Barnsley, but no matter where he's been on loan since being with us he's been awful. Does he need a kick up his backside or an arm around his shoulder, I don't know but he couldn't even get in the starting line-up of an already relegated league two side last week.
How long he has left at Barnsley I don't know, but he'll be on the way back down to non league football once again.

[Blue5]

 DIFH, on 01 May 2025 - 11:43 AM, said:

How has it dropped off a cliff ? he’s being shipped about all over the place by a club who don’t want him. He was a national league player stepping up a league and as you say he only got regular playing time with us.

Well he left us having scored 6 goals in 12 appearances. His last game, leading the line for us at Wembley.

You've rather answered your own question regarding my comment about his career falling off a cliff since he left us!

[Blue5]

 dtp, on 01 May 2025 - 11:37 AM, said:

My thoughts on Dallas is that his performances only improved later into his loan spell. Prior to that he missed chance after chance that Kabby would have buried.

6 goals in 9 starts (12 appearances) plus the one at Wembley.

You've got high standards!

[Brookie]

Blue5, on 01 May 2025 - 12:00 PM, said:

6 goals in 9 starts (12 appearances) plus the one at Wembley.

You've got high standards!

3 goals in one game against a poor side

Wouldn't touch Dallas with barge pole, never rated him, never will

[Paragon of Virtue]

Embarrassingly I was dissapointed we got Grigg over Dallas. Very happy to be wrong on that one.

[Osborne again]

If there was a choice of bringing in Pepple or Dallas, I'd have Pepple every time. Whether we chased after his signature as much as we thought is debatable, especially when Will Grigg came through the door. Paul Cook has said, many times, that anyone coming in has to be a good person first and foremost and I wonder, did Dallas fit that first criteria?
No matter what, his career has bumped along the bottom of the graph for a while now and I can't see how he reinstates it from here on in. I have time for Kabby and wish him well, but Dallas is nothing to me anymore.

[HaslandBlue58]

For me he will forever be thought of as Dollar Bill Dallas.