Lines v Dodds

[barry]

What football have you been watching? Or are you just trolling? Because you really are chatting complete *****.

It's obviously apparent that I've been watching more football than you.

[Rudge's Flat Cap]

Since people are debating the relative merits of Campion and Williamson, I thought I'd consider Dodds v Lines, although their roles are different, for selection, it seems to be a choice between the two.

Best passer: Dodds puts a better weight on the ball and is more accurate

Vision: Dodds by a mile

Speed: Clearly Lines

Tackling: Both hopeless

Goals: Difficult to say, but I think if he's kept in his current position, Dodds would shade it.

Heading ability: Marginal, but I'd go for Dodds when attacking.

Fitness: Not the strong point for either, although Dodds seems to have worked on it

Discipline: Lines loses the plot at times.

 

In his favour, Lines has an occasional good free kick.

Looking at the club stats, I was amazed that Lines doesn't have any league assists.

 

Chris Lines is one of very few players in our squad who are real quality at this level. If we're going to get anywhere near the playoffs then Lines needs to be in the side more often than not. Dodds is a decent player, but he is a squad player.

 

If you honestly think Dodds is a more rounded player then Lines than I'd simply question your judgement and knowledge of football.

[cheshirevaliant]

Ah, the standard Dodds thread that allows people to post wildly exaggerated views on how good/awful he is. I'm sure many have never heard of the term "squad player". I like them both, but Dodds is more suited to this current formation.

[werstayinup]

Since people are debating the relative merits of Campion and Williamson, I thought I'd consider Dodds v Lines, although their roles are different, for selection, it seems to be a choice between the two.

Best passer: Dodds puts a better weight on the ball and is more accurate

Vision: Dodds by a mile

Speed: Clearly Lines

Tackling: Both hopeless

Goals: Difficult to say, but I think if he's kept in his current position, Dodds would shade it.

Heading ability: Marginal, but I'd go for Dodds when attacking.

Fitness: Not the strong point for either, although Dodds seems to have worked on it

Discipline: Lines loses the plot at times.

 

In his favour, Lines has an occasional good free kick.

Looking at the club stats, I was amazed that Lines doesn't have any league assists.

 

For me a lot of that is wrong but its each to their own but I would say that Lines is one of if not the best passer of a ball at the club and he also has better vision than most,a lot of the time its other players who are not on the same wavelength as him.

 

A bit pointless as they play in different positions but if choosing out of the 2 I do think Lines is the better player,if they played all season though I think Dodds would score more

[werstayinup]

My boy Louis.

 

Every one has opinions and some differ we know that but do you honestly think that Dodds is a better player than Lines?

[Burslem Academicals]

Dodds is a number 10 and when played there regularly we basically won promotion in the first half of that season which it must be said Adams nearly

****ed up in the second half with a change of system......of Lines it should be noted that the lad was originally a left winger having a bit of pace and

the ability to deliver a cross.......so why not play both along with Marshall on the right.

 

.......................N'Guessan..................

Lines...............Dodds.............Marshall

.................O'Connor.......Brown..........

Dickinson.....Duffy.....Veseli........Yates

........................Neal..........................

 

Obviously Pope and McGivern are yet to return but Campion should certainly be used on the hour mark.

[valiant_593]

Dodds has his good games and is at times a very good player but lines is a quality player and has been promoted out of this league. There is a reason mk dons fans would have him back and that other sides look at our team and pick out lines O'connor and pope as are danger men. He is a class above dodds and there really is no argument about that.

[PV1993]

Dodds has his good games and is at times a very good player but lines is a quality player and has been promoted out of this league. There is a reason mk dons fans would have him back and that other sides look at our team and pick out lines O'connor and pope as are danger men. He is a class above dodds and there really is no argument about that.

 

You've posted alot on this subject, without actually giving any evidence for or against Lines. So, please could you talk through Lines' strong points please?

 

I'm going to ignore 'he's been promoted from this league before' as that is totally irrelevant. Clayton McDonald got promoted from L2 with us (whilst being a part of the side that got us to those heights) yet he's just been released from Grimbsy. I'm not comparing the two players, before someone mentions it, just pointing out that the 'got promoted from this league' bit is a bit null and void.

 

I do like Chris Lines, he has quality - but he certainly wouldn't be the first name on my team sheet. People loathe Dodds for his inconsistency, but for me Lines is just as inconsistent. If we are going to continue playing the 'number 10' role, I think you need both

[TheSage]

Clearly there is a debate about the merits of the two players, as shown above. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

But they are two different kinds of player and comparing them is problematical because they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Dodds has scored twice as many goals in roughly the same number of appearances, whereas many would say that Lines' range of passing and forward runs are better. I think Dodds has improved his work-rate and defensive work quite a lot in the past 12 months and I'd rate him as a harder worker than Lines. Lines is supposed to be a deadball king but often flatters to deceive.

 

It depends on the system we are playing, what the manager wants and who is in form. Both are assets to the squad and I'm happy to let Page decide from week to week who he wants in his starting XI.

[valiant_593]

You've posted alot on this subject, without actually giving any evidence for or against Lines. So, please could you talk through Lines' strong points please?

 

I'm going to ignore 'he's been promoted from this league before' as that is totally irrelevant. Clayton McDonald got promoted from L2 with us (whilst being a part of the side that got us to those heights) yet he's just been released from Grimbsy. I'm not comparing the two players, before someone mentions it, just pointing out that the 'got promoted from this league' bit is a bit null and void.

 

I do like Chris Lines, he has quality - but he certainly wouldn't be the first name on my team sheet. People loathe Dodds for his inconsistency, but for me Lines is just as inconsistent. If we are going to continue playing the 'number 10' role, I think you need both

 

For me lines is the best passer at this club by a distance. He is a very creative player, for me him O'connor and brown is as brilliant midfield. Lines makes very good runs forward occasionally as well. His job is to pick out passes and I think he does it very well. I think he's a better player with pope in the side as he has a better target for his crossing. Overall for me he is the perfect midfielder for this league especially when playing with a more defensive minded player like brown. He also played a fair few games in their promotion season. So I wouldn't call it void although with McDonald it was. Dodds is excellent every 6 games, is creative and always looks like he has quality in front of goal but usually seems to miss. For me lines a distance ahead of dodds and I'm shocked that people are even comparing the two.

[PV1993]

Dodds is a number 10 and when played there regularly we basically won promotion in the first half of that season which it must be said Adams nearly

****ed up in the second half with a change of system......of Lines it should be noted that the lad was originally a left winger having a bit of pace and

the ability to deliver a cross.......so why not play both along with Marshall on the right.

 

.......................N'Guessan..................

Lines...............Dodds.............Marshall

.................O'Connor.......Brown..........

Dickinson.....Duffy.....Veseli........Yates

........................Neal..........................

 

Obviously Pope and McGivern are yet to return but Campion should certainly be used on the hour mark.

 

Similarly you can have Dodds on the right of that, so you could go Marshall--Lines--Dodds

 

I think that's quite a good system to play with. Usually Dodds will have an influential first half and then fade due to the fact that the opposition mark him out of the game. So what you could do is start with Dodds through the middle and the at half time switch it so he's out wide and put Lines through the middle. Tactically it would open a lot of space up in the middle if the opposition are told to stay with Dodds if he is then moved out wide.

 

This could also happen the other way round, of course.

[George]

Alex Nimley.

 

Having played him in the 'hole' for 8 games on FIFA 15 I conclude that he is the greatest players we've ever had on our books.

[PV1993]

For me lines is the best passer at this club by a distance. He is a very creative player, for me him O'connor and brown is as brilliant midfield. Lines makes very good runs forward occasionally as well. His job is to pick out passes and I think he does it very well. I think he's a better player with pope in the side as he has a better target for his crossing. Overall for me he is the perfect midfielder for this league especially when playing with a more defensive minded player like brown. He also played a fair few games in their promotion season. So I wouldn't call it void although with McDonald it was. Dodds is excellent every 6 games, is creative and always looks like he has quality in front of goal but usually seems to miss. For me lines a distance ahead of dodds and I'm shocked that people are even comparing the two.

 

See for me Lines is just an inconsistent as Dodds. I agree with all your points, but again I believe that you really need both - so it's not a case of 'one or the other'. They both have their merits, and they are both very good footballers. At the moment Dodds would get the shirt for me on current form, but with Lines to come in once out of form (and vice versa) it's a nice argument to have that strength in depth.

 

I don;t think it helps having Williamson as the lone striker though (sorry to bring it up again). I think both players work brilliantly with Pope - which for me makes it even more important that we keep hold of him.

[PVTony]

Having read all of the opinions in this thread I conclude that Lines be judged to be the better player by the more favourable thread replies, but there are many who think that Dodds is worth his wages.

 

My opinion is that they are both being contributive to the success of the recent results and are worthy to be playing when Rob Page includes either or both of them in the team.

 

Watch our improving Vale team thrash the Gills on Saturday whether one or both of these thread debated players are selected to play.

[Tim]

Dodds for me by a country mile, the only player with vision and creativity