Lee Tomlin - "super sub" ???

Anyone remember Ronnie Bird ?
Fabulous winger with one of the fastest and hardest shots to date. Those goals which happened were spectacular !
He was a real star of the team around 1969 / 1970 ish, but with the emergence of Toshack, Les Lea, Brian Clarke etc he gradually couldn't hold his place.
The reason - he just wasn't fit enough and was knackered after about half an hour.
The result - he became virtually the permanent sub and came on many times to use his short lived but explosive power to turn games.

You see where I'm going with this ........


No one doubts the ability of Lee Tomlin if and when he engages fully. Personally I don't doubt his commitment either. No, I think it's that he cannot reach the required standard of physical fitness and stamina.
Now, as it stands, he's getting BIG wages, but it seems unlikely that anyone else will match them, still less pay a fee, so here he is and it's a pity for him and the club not to make the most of that.

Okay, so I'm suggesting the "Ronnie Bird option". Even if he only came on for 10 or 15 minutes at the end as required to boost a tired team or inject a bit of unexpected style in an even game, he might well justify his remaining at the club.

What do you think ?

I remember Ronnie Bird but a lot differently to you, Toshack Brian Clark Les Lea played totally different positions to him and were not in any way a challenge to his position. He played on the left wing and usually had the nod over Peter King who I think you may be mixing him up with. Barrie Jones was our right winger who was outstanding for us until he broke his leg at blackpool I was at that game. Now Peter King had an amazing shot on him, I once witnessed a screamer from him it was almost from the half way line. Ronnie was the most pacier of the two left wingers I enjoyed watching his searing runs.Getting back to Tomlin yes I agree in keeping him If Warnock wants to change things around he has something else to offer.

Yeah I know he wasn’t the same position as those players but I just mentioned them to indicate a gradual evolution into a different slightly better fitter team. Sadly that included the loss of Barry Jones of course.
I totally agree that Ronnie Bird was a star though and at the time I couldn’t understand why he didn’t start regularly. With hindsight it was stamina and fitness of course and thus I think he and Sir Jim made the best of that.
Clearly Tomlin is an entirely different type of player altogether but I suspect the same thing applies.
Anyway, if we’re going to endulge ourselves by reliving the past I’ll say that what we need in midfield now is Ian Gibson !

Yeah I know he wasn’t the same position as those players but I just mentioned them to indicate a gradual evolution into a different slightly better fitter team. Sadly that included the loss of Barry Jones of course.
I totally agree that Ronnie Bird was a star though and at the time I couldn’t understand why he didn’t start regularly. With hindsight it was stamina and fitness of course and thus I think he and Sir Jim made the best of that.
Clearly Tomlin is an entirely different type of player altogether but I suspect the same thing applies.
Anyway, if we’re going to endulge ourselves by reliving the past I’ll say that what we need in midfield now is Ian Gibson !

Agree with you on that mate

Can't see it, he hardly used him from the bench when we were in the championship and we now have more options for impact subs. I just see him making the 25 at all.

Someone will take him on loan.

Can't see it, he hardly used him from the bench when we were in the championship and we now have more options for impact subs. I just see him making the 25 at all.

Someone will take him on loan.

When he was used as a sub he scored in the last minute at Reading to get us a draw, made the last minute goal that got us a point at home to Sheff Wed and if I remember rightly though may be mistaken helped set up one of the goals that beat Norwich at home. Considering he hardly played that's not a bad contribution. With a squad of 25 we can afford to carry a luxury player. Whilst Murphy, Reid, Hoillet and NMW etc can be game changers no one in our side has that little bit of magic that Tomlin has. If his attitude is bad then I suppose we have no choice but to get rid of him. But if its just a case of trying to get him a bit fitter we should persevere. I know his wages are a lot but its "only" 1.5 million a year. What does that buy you these days?

Can't see it, he hardly used him from the bench when we were in the championship and we now have more options for impact subs. I just see him making the 25 at all.

Someone will take him on loan.

When he was used as a sub he scored in the last minute at Reading to get us a draw, made the last minute goal that got us a point at home to Sheff Wed and if I remember rightly though may be mistaken helped set up one of the goals that beat Norwich at home. Considering he hardly played that's not a bad contribution. With a squad of 25 we can afford to carry a luxury player. Whilst Murphy, Reid, Hoillet and NMW etc can be game changers no one in our side has that little bit of magic that Tomlin has. If his attitude is bad then I suppose we have no choice but to get rid of him. But if its just a case of trying to get him a bit fitter we should persevere. I know his wages are a lot but its "only" 1.5 million a year. What does that buy you these days?

I agree, it's a no brainer he makes the 25 for me but I just don't see it happening at all. There were games it felt were crying out for someone like Tomlin last year and quite often he remained on the bench. Not knocking Warnock he did what was needed and got us second so he was right. I just don't see it changing and don't see him making the 25.

For one reason or another there’s a rift between Warnock and Tomlin and nothing is going to happen - shame for me.

For one reason or another there’s a rift between Warnock and Tomlin and nothing is going to happen - shame for me.

Think you are right there because otherwise playing him in the development squad didn't make sense. Its almost admitting that we want someone to take him off our hands. Trouble is doing it this way we wont get anything for him and we will probably end up paying him off. When will we ever learn?

In my personal opinion I don’t think there has been a “rift” as suggested above. For one, if that had occured prior to Tomlin being sent out on loan last season - he never would have posted pics on social media of him in a Cardiff shirt over the summer. He genuinely wants to play for us and even more so now we’re premier league.

One thing Warnock has said that might give us insight is “one or two players have returned a Pound or two over weight [...] if you can’t get fit for the premier league then there’s something wrong with you” . Tomlin’s struggle is with his fitness, he barely lasted 90 mins for us when he did feature. He’s played a lot of golf over the summer, while the likes of NML has been hitting the gym. IMO it’s a mind-set conflict between Warnock and Tomlin and nothing more. It’s frustrating to see that talent go to waste, but we are a high energy, high tempo Everyman pitch in squad.