Ryan Harley - whatever happened to him?

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The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
63,366
Chandlers Ford
JFC - Officially a dev. squad player, not first team.
Assulin and Razak were cup tied, weren't they?

What does 'officially' mean? He had played in many of the first team games leading up to it, including the previous round of that cup v Newcastle.

No, neither of them.
 


Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
Have to say the exact opposite. Harley NEVER looked up to the pace of the game. Was 2nd to every tackle (even ones where he had a big head start on his opponent), dallied on the ball constantly, gave it away after failing to pick passes, etc.

Don't get me wrong, very talented when strolling around at League 1 level. Not willing to put a Championship-sized shift in though, it would seem. Hope to be proven wrong.

I think that's the problem. Not willing to put in the sort of shift that Gus wants, and which you need to do in the Championship. For me, that's the differnce between League 1 and the Championship. At League 1 level, if you're a player, you can play. At this level you have to be as good defensively as in attack, otherwise you'll be found out. Harley would be playing the Vicente role if he was either much better at attacking, or harder working. I think he has the talent, just not the work rate.
 


Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ

Hove / Παρος
Apr 7, 2006
6,941
Hove / Παρος
People often say success as a footballer is based on 10% ability and 90% attitude. From watching Harley lethargically mope around the pitch I'd say that it appears he doesn't have the right attitude to succeed at this level. I don't buy what he says about "this is the only way I've ever played" bollocks he came out with. Start putting some more effort in and improve your attitude to working hard on the pitch and maybe you'll find yourself in the starting 11 Ryan you lazy fool.
 


Rugrat

Well-known member
Mar 13, 2011
10,224
Seaford
Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ;4876372 said:
People often say success as a footballer is based on 10% ability and 90% attitude. From watching Harley lethargically mope around the pitch I'd say that it appears he doesn't have the right attitude to succeed at this level. I don't buy what he says about "this is the only way I've ever played" bollocks he came out with. Start putting some more effort in and improve your attitude to working hard on the pitch and maybe you'll find yourself in the starting 11 Ryan you lazy fool.

If you watch his very first interview he came across as a bit of a cock then. He was spouting on about how he was fine to drop down from the Prem to Champs because it meant he could help an aspiring team get promoted. Jeez, he'd only ever played in L1 and it sounded like he was doing us some sort of favour. From that day I didn't warm to him and given his on field performances nothing's happened to change my view
 




Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
33,050
Brighton
I think that's the problem. Not willing to put in the sort of shift that Gus wants, and which you need to do in the Championship. For me, that's the differnce between League 1 and the Championship. At League 1 level, if you're a player, you can play. At this level you have to be as good defensively as in attack, otherwise you'll be found out. Harley would be playing the Vicente role if he was either much better at attacking, or harder working. I think he has the talent, just not the work rate.

Agree with all of that.
 




Barrel of Fun

Abort, retry, fail
Maybe his saving grace is that he has not been loaned out. Players Gus doesn't want or players that don't fancy fighting for a place get shipped out. There would have been a taker for Harley, surely? Maybe some other issues that has hampered his career thus far..?
 




Ninja Elephant

Doctor Elephant
Feb 16, 2009
18,855
Exeter were trying to get him back in on loan right up until the deadline for loans, but we wouldn't loan him out.

I think he's still got a chance here, but he has to prove himself pre-season. If he shows up with the same attitude he had last season, I suspect we'll invite offers for him. We need balance in the squad, but we also need the right characters. I suspect the latter would be more important than the former, to Gus.
 


brightonrock

Dodgy Hamstrings
Jan 1, 2008
2,482
Harley is one of the few players I've ever taken an instant dislike too. That said I'd be happy for him to have a run in the team, if he ever looked like backing up his undoubted talent with actually giving a shit. There's a difference between a player like Murray looking laid-back and casual, and the pure laziness and baffling, arrogant swagger that Harley displays. It's frustrating because he showed glimpses of genuine quality, but I've never seen any professional footballer so unwilling to make a tackle in my life, it's like he actively avoids any kind of 50/50 - through indifference or cowardice, I don't know. I think he'd have to more or less change his entire game to fit into a Gus team - Gus has taken some perhaps more technically limited players with a great attitude (El-Abd, Navarro, Barnes) and turned them into key players, based more on what they bring to the team that necessarily setting the world alight on the ball. Harley has the ability, but appears to have no real interest in putting the shift in to see that talent pay dividends. Would love to be proved wrong but I can't invisage him ever making a big impact and I can't see his time here ending with anything other than a whimper.
 


Albion Dan

Banned
Jul 8, 2003
11,125
Peckham
I'll be amazed if Harley's plays any part next season. With new midfield additions and JFC a step closer it's hard to see him getting on the pitch. He blew his chance big time.
 




Albion Dan

Banned
Jul 8, 2003
11,125
Peckham
Harley is one of the few players I've ever taken an instant dislike too. That said I'd be happy for him to have a run in the team, if he ever looked like backing up his undoubted talent with actually giving a shit. There's a difference between a player like Murray looking laid-back and casual, and the pure laziness and baffling, arrogant swagger that Harley displays. It's frustrating because he showed glimpses of genuine quality, but I've never seen any professional footballer so unwilling to make a tackle in my life, it's like he actively avoids any kind of 50/50 - through indifference or cowardice, I don't know. I think he'd have to more or less change his entire game to fit into a Gus team - Gus has taken some perhaps more technically limited players with a great attitude (El-Abd, Navarro, Barnes) and turned them into key players, based more on what they bring to the team that necessarily setting the world alight on the ball. Harley has the ability, but appears to have no real interest in putting the shift in to see that talent pay dividends. Would love to be proved wrong but I can't invisage him ever making a big impact and I can't see his time here ending with anything other than a whimper.

Sums it up for me. His performance against Palace at home was one of the most disgusting I can ever recall from an Albion player.
 


Djmiles

Barndoor Holroyd
Dec 1, 2005
12,074
Kitchener, Canada
Harley is one of the few players I've ever taken an instant dislike too. That said I'd be happy for him to have a run in the team, if he ever looked like backing up his undoubted talent with actually giving a shit. There's a difference between a player like Murray looking laid-back and casual, and the pure laziness and baffling, arrogant swagger that Harley displays. It's frustrating because he showed glimpses of genuine quality, but I've never seen any professional footballer so unwilling to make a tackle in my life, it's like he actively avoids any kind of 50/50 - through indifference or cowardice, I don't know. I think he'd have to more or less change his entire game to fit into a Gus team - Gus has taken some perhaps more technically limited players with a great attitude (El-Abd, Navarro, Barnes) and turned them into key players, based more on what they bring to the team that necessarily setting the world alight on the ball. Harley has the ability, but appears to have no real interest in putting the shift in to see that talent pay dividends. Would love to be proved wrong but I can't invisage him ever making a big impact and I can't see his time here ending with anything other than a whimper.

Nail. Head.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
There's no doubting he's let Gus down, bearing in mind the amount of chasing he did.

I'm not going to write him off just yet. As said, Gus hasn't got shot of him, so there must be something there.
Harley's problem is he's now unlikely to get a run in the team and 20 mins isn't really long enough to change folks minds.
If our Spanish friend were to stay, anything Harley did wouldn't be anywhere near good enough, through no fault of his own.

So he's unlikely to get a fair hearing.
 






Rich Suvner

Skint years RIP
Jul 17, 2003
2,500
Worthing
Harley is one of the few players I've ever taken an instant dislike too. That said I'd be happy for him to have a run in the team, if he ever looked like backing up his undoubted talent with actually giving a shit. There's a difference between a player like Murray looking laid-back and casual, and the pure laziness and baffling, arrogant swagger that Harley displays. It's frustrating because he showed glimpses of genuine quality, but I've never seen any professional footballer so unwilling to make a tackle in my life, it's like he actively avoids any kind of 50/50 - through indifference or cowardice, I don't know. I think he'd have to more or less change his entire game to fit into a Gus team - Gus has taken some perhaps more technically limited players with a great attitude (El-Abd, Navarro, Barnes) and turned them into key players, based more on what they bring to the team that necessarily setting the world alight on the ball. Harley has the ability, but appears to have no real interest in putting the shift in to see that talent pay dividends. Would love to be proved wrong but I can't invisage him ever making a big impact and I can't see his time here ending with anything other than a whimper.

spot on

"baffling arrogant swagger" is Harley in a nutshell - zero fight and balls, demonstrated to me the moment he ducked an easy header in the middle of the park.

can do one.
 


somerset

New member
Jul 14, 2003
6,600
Yatton, North Somerset
spot on

"baffling arrogant swagger" is Harley in a nutshell - zero fight and balls, demonstrated to me the moment he ducked an easy header in the middle of the park.

can do one.

Twat, the guy is a great player if played where he made his rep, why buy him as an attacking m/f player then ask him to defend....... do a bit of research Muppet before spouting off.
 






Albion Dan

Banned
Jul 8, 2003
11,125
Peckham
Twat, the guy is a great player if played where he made his rep, why buy him as an attacking m/f player then ask him to defend....... do a bit of research Muppet before spouting off.

He was no good at attacking either when he was playing amf. He needs an age to control the ball. He looked no where near good enough im afraid.
 


peterward

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 11, 2009
13,326
Twat, the guy is a great player if played where he made his rep, why buy him as an attacking m/f player then ask him to defend....... do a bit of research Muppet before spouting off.

with respect mate, did you go to bristol city away? he was shocking, there was a time when the ball was 1 yard the brizzle player was 2 yards, he made no attempt to get it and then just stood still as there player ran with it. offers nothing defensively and seems to have a billy big time attitude problem, he's a liability
 


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