Harper the most wonderful assist man in the world ever!

[6ft Kerplunk]

Don't know if I was imagining it or not but did Harper actually make a sliding tackle on Friday? At first I thought he'd lost his footing doing a star jump but he took the ball cleanly.

[Archie's penalty]

Well I'm going to get Harps on my replica shirt if he stays after January

[Hoop Blah]

Nowt. And FWIW I believe Harps is a vital member of our team. However to say he creates goals regularly is laughable.

Although apparently he consistently tops the clubs analysis of who makes the most key passes...

LOL. Just about all our goals come from the wingers, so if Harps gets a 'key pass' from merely passing it sideways to either Hunt or Kebe, then fair enough.

Well that depends on the quality of the pass to the wide man I suppose.

I don't know how they measure the key pass, all I know is that Murty claims Harper is right up the top of the table for making them.

[loyalroyal4life]

harper had one of his better games on friday capped by an assist but it doesnt make him the most wonderful assist man

but he can be the most wonderful ass

[SteveRoyal]

The assist wasn't great.
The work was all Leroy.
HOWEVER, Harper is essential to our team.
Just watch how we play when he's not.
He's our organiser.
He's also decent at keeping the game going.
... because he's not the best at tackling.

Short sentence attack.

[Woodcote Royal]

As Lita said himself, it was lovely pass and Harper was the one who was screaming at Leroy to make the run.

Harps in "crab mode" can be seriously frustrating but when he's making these kind of passes or, rounding the Liverpool 'keeper to ensure our best day in the Prem to date, he's a pleasure to watch.

I've not been counting his assists but he also lobbed a nicely weight pass into Hunt's path that led to a recent goal (forgotten which match)

[SteveRoyal]

Oh, another idea.
If you think Harper is such a "wonderful assist man", why not make a YouTube video of his assists?
If you don't have one, I'll host it for you.

[West Stand Man]

Wow. A deflected pass through a tiring, and thoroughly awful, Watford defence.

What has your shining-like-a-light-from-heaven idol Marek done this season?

Don't bite to the Winchester rubbish. He is just waiting for you to do it.

[winchester_royal]

Wow. A deflected pass through a tiring, and thoroughly awful, Watford defence.

What has your shining-like-a-light-from-heaven idol Marek done this season?

Don't bite to the Winchester rubbish. He is just waiting for you to do it.

[Ian Royal]

Harps had a good game. Manages to fill in for the defence, hold up attacks, push players back out away from our box and get forward and make attacking passes and get shots in.

Not a player who is noticed a lot because a lot of his work is off the ball.

For example I saw at least 5 examples of a defender out of position for whatever reason (having taken a throw, going forward for an interception, running back from a corner etc) where Harps had dropped seamlessly into his place. That was in the first half alone.

Lita and Harper were both essential for the goal, without either, it wouldn't have happened.

Finally, key passes are not just assists. Harper will often contribute the key pass in setting up an attacki. Typically when an opposition corner or attack has failed. He'll pick up the ball and release a winger, who can then get the assist.

Trust the professionals. They rate Harper and have the backing of Prozone with which to do it.

[SLAMMED]

On the front page of hob nob this thread reads as "Harper The Most Wonderful Ass..."

I bet you were dissapointed when you realised there wasn't going to be pictures of Harpers ass on here.

[Thaumagurist*]

On the front page of hob nob this thread reads as "Harper The Most Wonderful Ass..."

I bet you were dissapointed when you realised there wasn't going to be pictures of Harpers ass on here.

Well, here's one now, Harper's ass:

[Franchise FC]

I personally thought Harper had a good game on Friday, but the goal was made by Lita, not Harper. Leroy found the space inbetween the defenders, held his run to stay onside, and was pointing for ages to where he wanted Harps to play the ball. Harper finally slid the ball through to him, but did his best to give the defender the chance to cut it out, getting a lucky deflection into Leroy's pass rather than it being cleared past the half-way line.

These are the sort of chances Leroy thrives on though. None of this back-to-goal rubbish.

I Sky-plussed the game and I've tried to time the time it takes Harps to release the ball having been given it. It is less than 1 second. Can you let me know where you get your definition of 'ages' ?

It was a very good run, well spotted and very well found, with a very good finish (notice no greats).

[brendywendy]

I personally thought Harper had a good game on Friday, but the goal was made by Lita, not Harper. Leroy found the space inbetween the defenders, held his run to stay onside, and was pointing for ages to where he wanted Harps to play the ball. Harper finally slid the ball through to him, but did his best to give the defender the chance to cut it out, getting a lucky deflection into Leroy's pass rather than it being cleared past the half-way line.

These are the sort of chances Leroy thrives on though. None of this back-to-goal rubbish.

I Sky-plussed the game and I've tried to time the time it takes Harps to release the ball having been given it. It is less than 1 second. Can you let me know where you get your definition of 'ages' ?

It was a very good run, well spotted and very well found, with a very good finish (notice no greats).

and at the start of that second he was facing the other way!

[Franchise FC]

I personally thought Harper had a good game on Friday, but the goal was made by Lita, not Harper. Leroy found the space inbetween the defenders, held his run to stay onside, and was pointing for ages to where he wanted Harps to play the ball. Harper finally slid the ball through to him, but did his best to give the defender the chance to cut it out, getting a lucky deflection into Leroy's pass rather than it being cleared past the half-way line.

These are the sort of chances Leroy thrives on though. None of this back-to-goal rubbish.

I Sky-plussed the game and I've tried to time the time it takes Harps to release the ball having been given it. It is less than 1 second. Can you let me know where you get your definition of 'ages' ?

It was a very good run, well spotted and very well found, with a very good finish (notice no greats).

and at the start of that second he was facing the other way!

Sorry - I was intending to put that in as well, but got so annoyed with the hate-mob that the red mist prevented me from seeing the screen.

[CMRoyal]

I personally thought Harper had a good game on Friday, but the goal was made by Lita, not Harper. Leroy found the space inbetween the defenders, held his run to stay onside, and was pointing for ages to where he wanted Harps to play the ball. Harper finally slid the ball through to him, but did his best to give the defender the chance to cut it out, getting a lucky deflection into Leroy's pass rather than it being cleared past the half-way line.

These are the sort of chances Leroy thrives on though. None of this back-to-goal rubbish.

I Sky-plussed the game and I've tried to time the time it takes Harps to release the ball having been given it. It is less than 1 second. Can you let me know where you get your definition of 'ages' ?

It was a very good run, well spotted and very well found, with a very good finish (notice no greats).

and at the start of that second he was facing the other way!

Marek Matejovsky has that great Beardsleyesque gift of seeming to have a picture in his mind of where every player is - and their likely movements - at all times, so when he receives the ball he knows already what his options are and the best ball to play. It very often doesn't come off, and that's partly down to other players not being on his wavelength. Some have stated here that Lita would be the man most likely to benefit from Marek's vision, and if you wanted a scenario to back that theory up, here it is. What a satisfying thought, that we have at least one other midfielder who is capable of this kind of play.

[Alan Partridge]

As Lita said himself, it was lovely pass and Harper was the one who was screaming at Leroy to make the run.

Harps in "crab mode" can be seriously frustrating but when he's making these kind of passes or, rounding the Liverpool 'keeper to ensure our best day in the Prem to date, he's a pleasure to watch.

I've not been counting his assists but he also lobbed a nicely weight pass into Hunt's path that led to a recent goal (forgotten which match)

Think this sums up fairly well why Harper frustrates many,myself included at times. He has the talent. He can pass and create, he's slid them through for Lita before, Man City immediately springs to mind. Harper has traditionally in his 8 years here blown hot and cold,he's done it practically every year. Gone through a spell where he is infuriatingly crap but then will pull out a top performance from somewhere. I actually think he's been much improved recently and I think he's found someone in Cisse that they compliment each other fairly well. Long may it continue.

[Millsy]

It's laughable really that with arguably the best team in this division having gotten us to second spot after a very demoralising relgation we still feel the need to slag off almost every player.

USA - not good enough, poor distribution fed needs to come in
Fed - but he's not good enough
Armstrong - not as good as shorey, sufc reject
Duberry - too old and slow
Ingi - too slow
Bikey - too violent/unpredictable
Rosenior - inexperienced, can't defend as well as Murty
kebe - one of the worst players to play for rfc
Hunt - the worst player to play for rfc
Harper - anonymous in midfield, does nothing, cant tackle
Gunnar - old, slow
Matejovsky - lightweight, not on same wavelength
Convey - not good enough
Cisse - ineffective
Doyle - ok can't think of anything against doyle but last season everyone was having a field day over his lack of goals.
Nunt - again, don't think there' been much criticism of this lad
Long - waste of space
Lita - officially bored of.

It really is interesting that with such a team of absolute losers we're the envy of the whole division and are doing so well.

God knows how we'd do if we had some decent players eh?

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Another average display by Harper. All he does is run around and tire himself out. He lost the ball on many occasions and this was the only time he has threaded a ball through to our strikers in ages.
Alright he is good at closing down,but he needs to improve his game or he will be replaced.

[Franchise FC]

It's laughable really that with arguably the best team in this division having gotten us to second spot after a very demoralising relgation we still feel the need to slag off almost every player.

USA - not good enough, poor distribution fed needs to come in
Fed - but he's not good enough
Armstrong - not as good as shorey, sufc reject
Duberry - too old and slow
Ingi - too slow
Bikey - too violent/unpredictable
Rosenior - inexperienced, can't defend as well as Murty
kebe - one of the worst players to play for rfc
Hunt - the worst player to play for rfc
Harper - anonymous in midfield, does nothing, cant tackle
Gunnar - old, slow
Matejovsky - lightweight, not on same wavelength
Convey - not good enough
Cisse - ineffective
Doyle - ok can't think of anything against doyle but last season everyone was having a field day over his lack of goals.
Nunt - again, don't think there' been much criticism of this lad
Long - waste of space
Lita - officially bored of.

It really is interesting that with such a team of absolute losers we're the envy of the whole division and are doing so well.

God knows how we'd do if we had some decent players eh?

http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=83470#p2018760