Our 1-0 defeat against Colchester might not have been the most illustrious game Matt Rhead has played in, but on a dreary night in Essex he passed 100 league appearances for the Imps.
Including cup games he’s now up to 119 outings for City across two and a half seasons, with an impressive goals tally of 40. A strike rate of 1 in 3 isn’t bad at all, not for a so-called ‘big man’ with limited mobility.
Matt Rhead plays to his strengths and I think he works best when he’s being written off. He thrives on being the focus of the opposition fans jokes, especially when he slams home a goal right in front of them. He awkward to handle, bullish and constantly irritates defenders and fans alike. He’s a brute, an uncomplicated hulk of a man often used as the focal point for direct tactics.
The paragraph above is how most opponents would describe him, but occasionally Rhead pulls something out of the bag which belies all of his obvious traits. Every so often he’ll pull a fifty yard ball out of the air on one foot before cleverly switching to another to distribute it. Some of his goals are right out of the drawer marked ‘top class’, fewer and further between than his first season but still the potential is there. I always rated that chip against Eastleigh as his absolute best, the way he strode onto the ball, switched direction and lobbed the keeper all in one beautifully poetic movement.
Sometimes Matt Rhead has the grace of a swan, he possesses an innate technical ability which few credit him with. Far from being a Jon Parkin, just a big lump to aim at, he can be a thinking man’s footballer, a visionary with the ability and inclination to spot a great pass or wonderful opportunity to score. Boreham Wood at home last season was a great example, a long ball came to him which he killed, wrong-footed a defender and calmly slotted home when it had seemed he was crowded out.
I once likened him to Matt Le Tissier, perhaps ambitiously but he does remind me of the great Southampton striker. Le Tiss was lazy, Rhead isn’t he just lacks mobility. Le Tiss was perhaps more influential whenever he played, but when you’ve seen the wonderful technique of Rheady in action I’m sure you can understand the comparison. Admittedly Le Tiss didn’t miss quite as many penalties though!
At the beginning of this season it seemed his unique talents were being used less and less, but as we’ve strode through autumn with a goal drought on our hands, he’s reappeared. The truth is even now we’re back in the Football League, there is still a place for Matt Rhead. His lack of mobility can be counteracted if we get pacey players around him. Once again, in the face of adversity, he’s back and crucial to what we’re doing. January will bring a new test no doubt, another player that will get ahead of him in the pecking order, but not necessarily keep him down. I expect him to be a fixture in the side until then, the first half of his 100 league outing showed that despite the new arrivals, the step up in class and the change of approach, Matt Rhead is still a key part of our attacking threat, Tuesday night proved that. Ollie Palmer doesn’t cut it as a loan striker and I’m not convinced Palmer and Rhead can play together, meaning the Rhead and Green is the way forward.
100 league appearances, 119 appearances, it is all irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. What matters is the Big Man is still here, still battling for a first team place and still a handful for any defenders in the league. I look at Akinfenwa, I look at the rich lower-league career Jon Parkin had and I wonder if we’re trying to be too cute up front, trying to move away from the ‘long-ball’ Lincoln tag too quickly. Matt Rhead can pass it more accurately with his chest than most of our forward players have done with their feet recently, he certainly wins more headers than anyone that doesn’t play centre half and after Saturday he’s proved he still has a goal in him. For the next 40 days, Matt Rhead is our major hope of staying in touch with the top ten.
His performance at Chester last year was a highlight for me! Not just the goals but the delicacy of his touch (I still smile as I type that when talking about Rheady). I was one of the ones earlier in the season who felt his days might be numbered now we are at the heady heights of League 2, but last 2-3 games he has been playing some of the best I have seen him for a long time. I don’t think he has the stamina for 90 mins every game so a future as an impact sub, or wheeled out for the right game at the right time could see him taking his total to 200 or more in the next couple of seasons – especially if he and Greeny can click like they used to, (PLEASE!!)
Should be one of the first names on the team sheet. If he had pace he would be in the premier league. Many people still talk about FGR Away last season, but how many remember Rheady’s back heel that set up the equaliser? His back heel showboating at the Emirates was the stuff of fantasy, and his last minute equaliser against Aldershot showed a very high level of technique, and remember, no less a person than Arsene Wenger described him as the best passer of a ball with his head in the English game. As a Stoke fan he would like nothing more than getting one over Port Vale – get your money on the big man scoring. Come on Rheady!
Agree with you about Rheady. He has as Julian said a delicacy of touch and he’s a team player. I’d like to see him start each game with Green and steady City with early goals.
Rhead needs the right player along side, as Theo proved last season. He has a great touch/ control for ” a lump” brings runners into the attack, early season thought it was going to be a good combo but when goals dried up Rhead was dropped. Still love the guy hope he can stay in the side and be successful
rhead is a massive handful for any team, he has it all. you just pick the right players around him, which we either dont have any more or the ones we have arent good enough.also the fans love him and that helps the atmosphere. should be the first name on the teamsheet.