THIS column was going to be about Richard Brodie even before his departure from Warrington Town was confirmed on Wednesday morning.
Brodie, 31, has split opinion throughout his career, during which he has established himself first as a goalscorer and then as more of a menace at the top levels of non-league and indeed briefly in the Football League with Morecambe.
His short spell with the Yellows came to an end, with the striker citing wanting more game time, having largely been used as a substitute during the campaign which has seen Warrington climb to second in the Evo-Stik Premier League.
He scored two goals for the club, including a penalty in the 5-0 win at North Ferriby United, but his last act was to be shown a red card for a second bookable offence having come on as a late substitute in the 1-0 win over Marine.
It was that dismissal, which could have contributed in turning the game against the Yellows, that ultimately contributed to his downfall and his departure does leave a hole in the Warrington squad that manager Paul Carden will be desperate to fill.
Having lost Jamie McDonald on the eve of the season, Carden has been operating with Brodie, Josh Amis and Tony Gray, who has been carrying a knock in recent weeks.
With Brodie off the wage bill, funds should be available to bring someone in, though it’s unlikely to be before Saturday’s FA Cup second round qualifying trip to Consett.
As for Brodie, it’s a shame it hasn’t worked out for him. In many ways, his presence was a useful one for the Yellows – his style of play draws defenders towards him, and that creates gaps for others to exploit, the best example of which was perhaps in the aforementioned win at North Ferriby.
To bring him on late in a game to disrupt the opposition’s rhythm and just generally cause a nuisance would have been a useful tool, though it appears that having tread the wrong side of that line against Marine, as well as his frustration at not playing more minutes, has brought an end to his spell at Cantilever Park.
Part of the reason the column was to be about him was due to my surprise, and a little disappointment, at the criticism Brodie had received from fans for his sending off on Saturday. The way he plays the game is always going to result in cards of that nature, and he later admitted that perhaps his mindset wasn’t the best going in to the game.
Though scoring goals was an issue last season, the Yellows are the third joint top scorers this season, with 13 in eight games – and have by far the best defence, having shipped just three goals so far – two of which came at home to Farsley on the opening day.
They did taste defeat last night in the Integro League Cup, though the removal of that as a distraction will perhaps do more good than another long run it.
Only four familiar faces played in the defeat on penalties at Runcorn Linnets, with a number of youngsters from club partners FEFA getting a run out in difficult wet conditions.
That result is unlikely to be remembered come April, though a win on Saturday to continue the FA Cup run may well be, as it will bring them within two wins of a return to the FA Cup first round proper, as well as adding some valuable prize money to the club coffers
