Adam Matthews Hung Out To Dry By Boss Jones

Not my words but the headline from match reporter Chris Dunlavy in the Football League newspapers this morning, the basis for this headline is DJ post match interview where he has been quoted as saying;

"We can all score own goals, but to then get done again isn't good enough. Maybe Adam was still feeling sorry for himself, his head was down. But you haven't got time for that at this level. He's a young lad but you have to learn quick because we ain't got time to mollycoddle anyone here. This was the opportunity to come in and keep that shirt but he hasn't taken it".

IMO this is not the behaviour of a man charged with the management, organisation and motivation of a professional sporting squad, if Adam had a bad game surely he has a right to face the wrath of the manager in private and not so publically. That would be the case from the most junior squad member to the most senior, but not apparently with DJ.

Perhaps DJ should concentrate more on looking at other areas of Chris Dunlavy match report, in particular this evaluation of the performance;

"For much of a depressingly turgid first half, it was tempting to wonder whether the players had opened a book on who could lump it the furthest. Indeed you could almost hear the whistle of falling mortars as ball after aimless ball rained forward. Both sides were culpable, but Cardiff were by far the worst offenders. It was dispirting to see the free flowing, Craig Bellamy inspired demolition of Doncaster reduce to anodine hit -and- hopers"

His ratings of player performances make poor reading as well, here are a sample;

Kevin McNaughton 5 - Didn't look comfortable with Townsend or Edwards running at him.
Mark Hudson 6 - Calm and composed but should have done better for Scotlands goal. (Does he think Hudson should not have been standing still with his hand in the air whilst a ball is lobbed into the penalty area leaving Adam Mathhews isolated to deal with Scotland).
Darcy Blake 6 - One of Cardiffs better performers screening the back four.
Steve McPhail 5 - Sub at halftime with only a yellow card to show for his troubles.
Chris Burke 5 - Has been stellar this season but hardly got a kick today.
Jay Bothroyd 5 - Back from Injury and didn't look sharp.

Adam Matthews 4 - Gavin Rae 5- Jason Koumas 6.

So Darcy did OK but trust me if Olafinjana is back next week he will warming the bench, McPhail on the other hand will be a shoe in (DJ favourite), Chris Burke has been great this season but you need a platform from midfield to release him to do his stuff. Neither McPhail or Rae have it in them to provide that platform. As for Jay it is interesting to compare his comment about not looking sharp with the comments about Connor Wickham.

"The most striking aspect of this game was the performance of Connor Wickham, back from a 6 week injury break he must have spent most of it in the gym. Tall, powerful and muscular Wickham enjoyed a bruising contest with gyepes"

DJ tells us it takes time for players to reach match fitness and sharpness, not at Ipswich.

DJ reaction to a disappointing week has been to lay waste to one of our most promising young players, and to do it publically. This is nothing short of disgraceful and further proof of his total lack of interpersonal, communication and man management skills.

A real cause for concern in my opinion.

To be fair to Dave Jones, this is not the first time he been openly critical of a City player, young or old,,, but it is usually the beginning of the end to that players career at CCFC. I expect AM to leave our club, or at least a long term loan, somewhere.

Yeah it seems a bit harsh especially when dj never seems to single out any of the senior players!!!!!

You can blame DJ if you believe the tactics were wrong, but you cannot blame him for pointing out the obvious, Adam Matthews undertook an absolutely idiotic decision to attempt that sort of clearance. It wasn't even near the post, it was a few feet inside the post.

If he'd left it, the ball would have gone out for a throw-in, perhaps the lad has the skill, but he sure doesn't have the footballing brain.

I remember Len Ashurst doing the same thing with Andy Dibble.His mother who I know well rang Ashurst up on the Monday.
gave him a bollicking and said leave my boy alone hes only 17.

You can blame DJ if you believe the tactics were wrong, but you cannot blame him for pointing out the obvious, Adam Matthews undertook an absolutely idiotic decision to attempt that sort of clearance. It wasn't even near the post, it was a few feet inside the post.

If he'd left it, the ball would have gone out for a throw-in, perhaps the lad has the skill, but he sure doesn't have the footballing brain.

Look I am not saying Adam hasn't made a mistake and of course he has to learn from it but my point is a good man manager would deal with this in private. A couple of seasons ago Mark Kennedy did the same thing at Preston can you remember DJ doing the same thing, on that day he laid waste to Ross MacCormack for missing a penalty.

My point is when you have someone who cannot contain his emotions, and DJ obviously cannot, you have to ask yourself if the effect of this behaviour is to movtivate or demotivate the player or even the squad.

Without doubt DJ has his favourites and does pick on others.

I'm afraid this could be the start of the end for Adam at our club. This time last year everyone was talking about him. Now the fingers are pointing. I recall the goal away at Coventry we let in. Adam let Morrison get behind him and was duly pick on by DJ for that during the after match interview. He was then struggling to get into the side and has since then. Unfortunately I saw enough yesterday to say he has not improved.

I just feel Adams problem is the ideal position for him. I am told he is a midfield winger and you can well believe it when you witness some of the runs he goes on. Unfortunately he is up against Burke and Whittingham last season and now he has to content with Koumas and Bellamy. So he is well down the pecking order hence why DJ puts him at right back. Personally I think DJ does this when he has no choice.

I've been a fan of Matthews, but yesterday he was given a chance and blew it. He's got talent and he knows it, but he was a big show-pony for most of the game.

He tried a headed pass back to Marshall earleir which - if it had been a yard either side - would have gone into the net, and tried another 'clever' header over the bar which resulted in their 1st goal.

For their second, he was first to the ball, and tried to head the ball in front of Scotland so he could run onto it, thinking he had the pace to do it. The header was way too weak, fell into Scotland's path, and Scotland brushed him aside to score.

A terrible performance which suggests that Jones is right not to consider him at this level.

I've been a fan of Matthews, but yesterday he was given a chance and blew it. He's got talent and he knows it, but he was a big show-pony for most of the game.

He tried a headed pass back to Marshall earleir which - if it had been a yard either side - would have gone into the net, and tried another 'clever' header over the bar which resulted in their 1st goal.

For their second, he was first to the ball, and tried to head the ball in front of Scotland so he could run onto it, thinking he had the pace to do it. The header was way too weak, fell into Scotland's path, and Scotland brushed him aside to score.

A terrible performance which suggests that Jones is right not to consider him at this level.

I cannot disagree with anything you have said but tell me do you think DJ is right to make the critism in public or should he have done it privately. I know it's a cliche but in football what's said in the dressing room stays in the dressing room.

Also what effect do you think public critism will have on any player, a positive or negative

Personally I dont think DJ realises he is criticising the guy. He most likely thinks he is stating the obvious and that is OK. Well in my mind it is not and personal criticism should remain in the dressing room.

I recall an interview with Kevin Daglish when he was the boss at Liverpool. Liverpool had just performed badly and he was quizzed by the interviewer. He answered without criticising his players yet you could see there was a problem within the team. He got alot of praise from the football experts for the way he handled it.

think he was jsut stating the obvious, everyone at ipswich knew who cost us the 3 pts, without that own goal i think we would have hung out for a 0-.0.

players have to take the resposibility when they mess up, matthews knew he messed up so by Dave Jones saying it publically shouldnt make one bit of difference.

anyway, if matthews read these message boards he would know that he was going to get a lot of stick.

think he needs to go back to basics and stop listening to his agent who obviously tells him he is a premiership player, because looking at the way he played yesterday he is a million miles from.

Hopefully, he will learn from it and work a lot harder

think he was jsut stating the obvious, everyone at ipswich knew who cost us the 3 pts, without that own goal i think we would have hung out for a 0-.0.

players have to take the resposibility when they mess up, matthews knew he messed up so by Dave Jones saying it publically shouldnt make one bit of difference.

anyway, if matthews read these message boards he would know that he was going to get a lot of stick.

think he needs to go back to basics and stop listening to his agent who obviously tells him he is a premiership player, because looking at the way he played yesterday he is a million miles from.

Hopefully, he will learn from it and work a lot harder

If your opinion is that it's OK to issue public critism of players then that fine you have an absolute right to hold that view. My view is the complete opposite as in any team sport the group win and lose as a team and whatever is said in the dressing room should remain there.

By the way our front 3 of Bothroyd, Keogh and Burke were caught offside 12 times during yesterdays match denying the team good attacking positions and gifting possession back to Ipswich. This resulted in the ball coming back at the defense more quickly than it should have and as Roy Keane said the pressure eventually paid off.

These are the sort of things which should be discussed and eradicated as much as any individual mistake which costs a goal and the best way to do it is on the training ground and team briefings, thats how you maintain spirit within the group. Just my opinion mind.

think he was jsut stating the obvious, everyone at ipswich knew who cost us the 3 pts, without that own goal i think we would have hung out for a 0-.0.

players have to take the resposibility when they mess up, matthews knew he messed up so by Dave Jones saying it publically shouldnt make one bit of difference.

anyway, if matthews read these message boards he would know that he was going to get a lot of stick.

think he needs to go back to basics and stop listening to his agent who obviously tells him he is a premiership player, because looking at the way he played yesterday he is a million miles from.

Hopefully, he will learn from it and work a lot harder

If your opinion is that it's OK to issue public critism of players then that fine you have an absolute right to hold that view. My view is the complete opposite as in any team sport the group win and lose as a team and whatever is said in the dressing room should remain there.

By the way our front 3 of Bothroyd, Keogh and Burke were caught offside 12 times during yesterdays match denying the team good attacking positions and gifting possession back to Ipswich. This resulted in the ball coming back at the defense more quickly than it should have and as Roy Keane said the pressure eventually paid off.

These are the sort of things which should be discussed and eradicated as much as any individual mistake which costs a goal and the best way to do it is on the training ground and team briefings, thats how you maintain spirit within the group. Just my opinion mind.

Jones is just stating the obvious.
This 'favourites' busines sis bollox.

The lad will be feeling shit now, but has to show his bollox when he goes back in on Monday. Its happened to us all, on the pitch, in work etc.. He's young enought o get over it, and maybe Jones sees it as a lesson for him. I feel sorry for the lad, but think we will bounce back - I agree with some of the others that he looks more a right winger than a right back and I hope to see more of him there.


In fairness Jones also goes on to criticise the rest of the team, certainly in the article I read - all aspects of our failings were laid bare.

One other thing, McNaughton's fitness has been a real concern for a while, I can see Darcy at RB for the majority of our games this year.

I've been a fan of Matthews, but yesterday he was given a chance and blew it. He's got talent and he knows it, but he was a big show-pony for most of the game.

He tried a headed pass back to Marshall earleir which - if it had been a yard either side - would have gone into the net, and tried another 'clever' header over the bar which resulted in their 1st goal.

For their second, he was first to the ball, and tried to head the ball in front of Scotland so he could run onto it, thinking he had the pace to do it. The header was way too weak, fell into Scotland's path, and Scotland brushed him aside to score.

A terrible performance which suggests that Jones is right not to consider him at this level.

I cannot disagree with anything you have said but tell me do you think DJ is right to make the critism in public or should he have done it privately. I know it's a cliche but in football what's said in the dressing room stays in the dressing room.

Also what effect do you think public critism will have on any player, a positive or negative

Jones usually defends his players in public. He def. had a go at Matthews, but for all we know, he said something like 'keep it simple". Matthews isn't the world's greatest defender, true, but his mistakes yesterday weren't purely 'defending' skills.

He's a footballer, and though he'll be a bit miffed with Jones' comments, he should just get on with it, IMHO.

Video clip on BBC with jones says it all and for me he is spot on.

Everyone keeps saying dj comes out with the same old statements yet when he is asked about Matthews u want the standard "he is young" reply. DJ is very honest which people don't like, personally its one of my fav things about him and I generally agree with him, including his comments about out fans.

DJ -
"It's easy to blame the youngster for the goal. Yeah, he's given it away, but we lost it in midfield, we allowed pressure to come on to us, we made some silly decisions and there was a build-up to that.
"But you can't legislate for where Adam's headed it and I've done that myself in my career and it's about how you bounce back."