East Stand Well Boy Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Not quite built for it? Ryan Gauld? Gary Mackay Steven? Ryan Christie? It's not about how big you are, it's about how you make use of your size. If he's got "magic in his feet" why does he need to bulk up? Luka Modric is one of the best midfielders in the world and he probably weighs about 6 stone soaking wet! Not built to be a striker? Gianfranco Zola was built like the side of a fiver and he was a top class player. Your point about weight is invalid. You lot would moan if he put on a few stone and lost his quickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Does anyone actually see Dom Thomas as an integral part of the starting XI ? I don't actually see where he fits in. The boy has magic in his feet, but I think he's about a stone of muscle short of cutting it at the highest level- an absolute make or break season for him. He's not long turned 19. Nowhere near a make or break season for him. If we take our time to develop him correctly he has the makings of a great player. His only disadvantage is playing in a league where many prefer bulk over talent. A decent coach can develop muscle into a player - you can't coach skill like that into someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fizoxy Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 The whole 'bulking up' thing is getting old, and there are too many not so muscular great players to mention. Even then, every one of our players is going to be missing something, and sticking Dom Thomas on the weights for a year isn't going to suddenly make him a better player. Good players know their own strengths and how to use them, and good coaches at every level make the most of the strengths of their players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inthebasement Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I recall Faddy complaining that Davie Moyse was always on his back to spend more time in the gym when he went to Everton - Faddy said it wasn't his natural game or something like that. Fast forward a decade and Faddy is injury prone, slow, unfit, still happy to dodge a preseason while he 'waits for the best deal', but released by St Johnstone. The fans that love him (us) debate whether or why he failed to reach his potential, but some want him signed up as a role model for our younger players. The poor state of physical conditioning of Scottish players is a huge part of the football problem in this country, something Strachan has spoken about recently, noting that even in his day the Scotland team would come up against the likes of Brazil and simply bounce of them. We see the same thing when we play in Europe, we looked like kids against Kuban. It's not just weight, but high level base fitness and core strength that's required. So yeah, Dom Thomas probably does need to do a lot of work to an athlete's physique is he want's to progress in the game. Guys like Modric and Iniesta are the exception and probably blessed with pretty exceptional natural strength anyway to survive at the level they do. To be fair though, Dom is only nineteen so early days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesc Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I would also rather we developed him to play through the middle, in a number '10' role, similar to gauld at united or faddy even in his younger days. I think the silky skills & magic feet are sometimes wasted out wide these days as most teams will double up defensively on a winger. Behind a front 2, he could be a major threat for us and would be more appealing for a prospective buyer in the future. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I don't think the "Bulking" up is needed, If he is good enough fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWeegieDosser Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I want him to develop into an automatic starting pick on a Saturday, not just a guy we throw on for 20 minutes to showboat in a game that's already won or to try to rescue one we've already lost. To do that I think he needs to develop physically, not become a muscle bound lump, just to have the core body strength required to compete against the hod-carriers that proliferate in the division. He's not a winger, the "10" role probably suits more than out and out striker and greater strength and conditioning would make a difference.And as for him only having turned 19, I still think he has this season to make huge strides or being in danger of getting lost on the bench and not fulfilling his evident potential 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebsbarmyarmy Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Bulking up..... Running fast.... The Ricky Sbragia model of a football player. Ideally every player would be 6ft plus athletes but in real life that ain't going to happen. Think of a Jimmy Johnstone, Jim Baxter, Bobby Russell, hell even a Davie Cooper. Some of the greatest players this country has ever produced. They weren't the quickest or biggest(Coops derrière aside) but these guys made it. I appreciate the modern game is different in style but the ethos is the same, let the ball players play. Thomas is a ball player, who too me isn't scared, he may not be the biggest but he will take a hit and get back up. A good coach will get the best out of what he has, give me a Dom Thomas or dare I say it an Iain Vigurs over a Craig Reid, Simon Ramsden, Fraser Kerr, bloody hell an Omar Daley any day of the week. Before you all say but they are defenders they did all okay midfield or on the wing ahead of Dom last year........!!! (Daley aside of course, used him as an example of big & fast winger) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 As has been alluded to in previous posts it's developing lean muscle that Dom needs rather than bulking himself up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinnae-punt-it Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Alan Burrows @Alan_Burrows @Del1589 Not yet mate - Hoped to have another in before today's game but that's not going to happen now; more likely next week. 12:40 am - 18 Jul 2015 from Motherwell, Scotland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWeegieDosser Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I'm not suggesting he develops into a muscle heavy monster, just stressing the need for core body strength to enhance his ability to " take a hit and get back up" I would cite Skippy as an example, hardly a behemoth but has the power and durability to take all sorts of challenges. The purist in me would love to hold onto the belief that raw talent is always enough but it's about gaining every possible advantage no matter how small, look at GB cycling conquering the world on the back of the accumulation of "marginal gains" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Not quite built for it? Ryan Gauld? Gary Mackay Steven? Ryan Christie? It's not about how big you are, it's about how you make use of your size. If he's got "magic in his feet" why does he need to bulk up? Luka Modric is one of the best midfielders in the world and he probably weighs about 6 stone soaking wet! Not built to be a striker? Gianfranco Zola was built like the side of a fiver and he was a top class player. Your point about weight is invalid. You lot would moan if he put on a few stone and lost his quickness. Top class players need to put on muscle. Its about core body strength. When Faddy went to Everton he put on at least a stone in his first year. Players like Russell Latapy and Morgano Gomis to name but two weren't big but they were solid muscle. On more than one occasion I saw Gomis flatten Stephen Craigan, a much taller player, in 50/50 challenges. Both lads were heavy and strong enough to fend off big defenders barging in to them and still retain the ball. It took quite a physical assault to take the ball off Latapy. Weight by itself does not reduce speed. Just look at the world's top sprinters (very few thin guys there) like Usain Bolt who is about 15 stones - all big, muscular and heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Lionel Messi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Top class players need to put on muscle. Its about core body strength. ^^^^ This. The fact that Dom Thomas isn't 6ft + isn't a hinderance to him and Ricky Sbragia's comments about Jack Harper did indeed sound like a throwback to a less enlightened approach to football. Dom Thomas is clearly a talented football and he certainly doesn't he need to get leathered into the creatine and get ripped like a Ronaldo. However what he does need to do is build his core/upper body strength we've already seen plenty of examples of him just being shoved off the ball too easily and intimidated. It'll be increasingly difficult for him to show what he can do with the ball if he can't retain possession of it. The most blindingly obvious example is Messi (clearly not putting the two on a par ability-wise), he's 5ft 6 1/2 (Dom's 5ft 7 1/2) and if you look at the photos of him during his medicals he's not hugely muscular but he has the strength to take a challenge and hold off markers. Referencing the likes of Baxter, Cooper & Johnstone, great players no doubt and I completely take the point but they were great players 30 & 40 years ago. The game has changed and the culture around the game has changed. If he's going to reach the potential that he clearly has then he will need to become a better athlete. However as a few have said he's still only 19, there's still room for him to develop. It's really up to him whether he does or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWeegieDosser Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 The emphasis on conditioning and recovery now in place at the club gives him all the opportunity in the world to push on and establish himself, the desire to do it is ultimately in the hands of Dom himself. I hope he has that in him and doesn't have his head turned(see Paul Slane for details) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al B Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 You can't put on a stone of muscle ffs. Dom Thomas with an added stone of muscle wouldn't even be able to bend his arms and legs. Sylvester Stallone was only 11 and a half stone in Rocky 3. The human body is only capable of adding 4-6lbs of lean muscle naturally in one year, at most. And each subsequent year that potential reduces. If you've been weight training consistently hard for 4 or 5 years you will be lucky if you can even add 1 - 2lbs of lean muscle a year, if anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWeegieDosser Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 The finer points of actual muscle weight gain depend on a host of factors, not least the fact that he is still growing, look at Fraser Kerr. Not in the same bracket skill wise with Thomas but went from a gangly lad to a veritable unit in just a season or two. Core strength is undeniably crucial to every aspect of performance and recovery, and he has miles of scope for improvement, these are an essential add- on to his impressive skill set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Baraclough on radio hoping for Skippy decision in next 48 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Baraclough on the radio. Talking about a new goalie and one or two in the spine of the team, hopefully one being McDonald who is, quite rightly, taking his time to decide. BBC still peddling '7 new signings in already, they'll take time to settle' pants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhumper Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Seemingly Samson signing with you lot. Didn't travel with us to Belfast today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Seemingly Samson signing with you lot. Didn't travel with us to Belfast today. Depressing if that proves to be the case. While not sure about Long, I'd rather stick with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wispy Flossy Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Seemingly Samson signing with you lot. Didn't travel with us to Belfast today. Please god no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 I would have taken Samson last time he was suggested for us. Not seen enough of I'm in the intervening time to hAve any opinion at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfc Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 i hope that's not true the thought of having twardzik and samson as our goalkeeping options for next season give's me the fear big time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orinoco Posted July 18, 2015 Report Share Posted July 18, 2015 Beggers cant be choosers. One thing identifying and targeting any player another thing is getting them to sign on the dotted line.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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