GOB is always mentioned as not quite ready, steady but needs to influence more, this seems to be a general theme I've picked up from most of the posts I've read over the weeks.



The trouble is he's compared to the Lee Briers of today, a guy who has honed his skills to perfection, surely a better indication of how GOB is developing is to at least compare him to the Lee of yesteryear.



So how do we think Gaz is doing now?





[size=85Hopes for an actual positive thread[/size

He's Sh1te and we're all doomed, doomed I tell you.

The next two years as a Briers understudy for me, which is why we need Lee to stay for a while yet.

Why has Gareth O'Brien not signed a new contract yet?

Good player but not Briers. Unfortunately most players will have a problem stepping into his boots.

Briers was 20 in 1998....I think he was better than G'OB at a comparable age but then Richard Horne at 19/20 was better than Briers at a comparable age and ended up being nowhere near Briers when both were fully developed.

I would agree with that, Briers was more 'aggressive' with ball in hand looking for gaps, although his defence was not great. He made plenty of mistakes.

Why draw a comparison at all.



Briers is Briers.



O'Brien is O'Brien.



Briers cant go on forever, we will only discover whether GOB is a suitable replacement if and when he takes over.



Lets not burden GOB with the pressure of being the man to replace Briers just yet.

Do you ever wonder if Briers having such a big burden on his shoulders and having so much pap around him actually helped develop his talent?



Many people have said that Briers would have been a GB cert if he'd have been in a better side, but with less of a burden i always wonder if he'd have become the player he is.



GOB now is able to blend in to the side as there are many players that are able to take the game by the scruff of the neck, Briers for long periods was the only one capable of doing anything so probably experimented more which helped elevate him to the level he is, probably why he's a better than Horne.

I reckon O'Brien sticks to the game plan and what he has been told to do whilst I doubt we had a gameplan when Briers was 20.

O'Brien is barely a decade from being the wrong side of thirty. One more bad game from him and we really need to start looking at new blood.



Nothing against the lad, but we need to think about continuous improvement.

Do you think? I like your attitude to continuous improvement but i think you are being harsh if you think we need to start looking for a new player after one bad game, Maybe as he aproachs 30 we might start to think how long he's got left but not now surely?