Rhys Healey

Scored again today for County.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37881276

OK, it's a different division and a different class of opposition but a goalscorer at any level has the knack of getting his boot through it at the right time.

He's come out recently that he's a bit peeved at not being given a chance at City. Warnock has been to watch him since - I hope he was there again today.

 

cant be any worse than some of the signings we've made of late. He'd also learn from training day in day out with lambert. Given our current lack of options i'd stick him on the bench.

 

He's scored 3 in 6 games for Newport and I'm delighted for him and the team. However it is Div 2. Some prolific scorers have come from lower leagues, e.g. Vardy but his achievement was over a longer period.

It could be argued that Fred and the other one would notch 2 leagues down.

We need a proven scorer in January not a youngster who may or may not succeed. He's a smaller guy and while he would certainly learn from Lambert his skill sets are different.

If he maintains his strike record bring him back for next season and see what he can do. Our needs are more urgent this season.

 

Scored again in cup last night. Not sure if a shot or cross though.

Jazz Barnum-Bobb scored their fourth. Won the ball in the centre circle, ran past 5 players, right through mid-field and defence before slotting past the keeper. Great goal of the type you rarely see nowadays.

 

Watched the vid Bluey - it was definitely a shot........

Anyway it was a left footed effort after cutting back in on the right.

The lad has got that little knack of being able to score from anywhere - something we're lacking in the current first team.

 

True Sparks but I think that is due to 2 things - 1. We don't get enough men in the box other than from set pieces and 2. We don't get the ball into the penalty area in threatening situations often enough. The second point resulting from the first and both due to lack of pace going forward. We have been banging on about this for years - ever snce the days of Chops, McCormack, Bothroyd, Burke and Bellers.

What did you think of Barnum-Bobb's goal?

 

The way he waltzed through their defence it was like the Red Sea parting for Moses..........

He either got lucky or it was a class piece of skill - I'll leave you to make your decision.

 

I'll hedge my bets and say a bit of both. He certainly caught them napping but had to have the skill and confidence to move through them like that. Cool finish too. I'm pleased for the lad. He's now getting regular first team football and starting to show his ability after getting a rollicking from Westley 2 or 3 weeks ago. Maybe he's found his level? The same could be said for Healey but if he keeps scoring then Colin will have to take a good look at him.

 

It's a fair point as to whether or not Healey is Championship level but he deserves a chance to prove it.

We've got bench sitters like Gounongbe, Zohore and more recently Chamakh who are filling slots that Healy could use. We've found out what that lot can do at this level and in all honesty it's not a fat lot of good.

Giving Healey a couple of 15 to 20 minute slots at the back end of games would at least give the lad a chance that he'll either take or bomb.

Either way, not trying him and loaning him to Newport whilst the others who have been found wanting are retained could be a mistake. The only way to find out is give the lad a bloody chance off the bench.

 

It's worth the punt and he can't be any worse than the strikers we have coming off the bench right? If we were scoring goals it would be a different story but why not? The lad is hungry to prove himself.

 

Let's bear in mind that he is a different type of player to our current bunch. He is shorter and slighter (although he has bulked up a bit since I last saw him) and not the quickest. You couldn't hit high balls up to him as he has little chance of winning air ball or holding it up. I suppose you could say the same about Pilkington although he has more ball skills. Healey really needs to be playing off another, bigger forward so he can get on the shoulder of the last defender. Not as a no. 10 but as an additional striker in a 4 4 2. Going back to the old little and large.

We would have to change style to use him properly. Colin seems to prefer a more traditional type of centre forward target man with 2 "quicker" wide men and midfield players getting forward to support.

We have lots of "give the younger players a go" type comments on here. There are clearly reasons why they don't get the opportunities - not good enough, don't fit the style of play, not big/strong enough and more. The manager and coaching team see them in training very day so they know what they are capable of and select accordingly. Declan is a prime example of this. Certainly a talented player but seems to fall between being a full back and a wide midfield player. A useful guy to have in your squad but not often chosen in a first eleven. In fact with Richardson on board and Bennett playing well Declan's opportunities will be even more limited.

 

Never saw Healey as a lone striker and he's obviously no No. 10 either. What I've seen of him is something different to what we've got up front.

Lambert, Chamakh, Gounongbe and Zohore are all big men. Not particularly mobile and not always on hand to seize the half chance when the ball breaks.

Healey is different altogether and might provide an alternative dimension to our stereotyped game plans.

 

True Sparks and the plan hasn't changed much under Colin other than abandoning the 5 3 2 system for more of a 4 1 4 1. But for Healey to work, we would have to revert to closer to a 4 4 2 or play much more on the ground and a lot more quickly through midfield. Can we do that?

 

Bluey - never had a problem with 4-4-2 as long as you have the right players for the middle 4.

The danger is with 2 up top is if you then go for width by using natural wide players, you can become lightwieght in middle of the park. Can be exciting to watch but losing control of the midfield is almost inevitable unless you've got a very dynamic pairing sat in there. Whitts and Gunnar have definite qualities in their own right but have proved in the past to not to be the answer in a conventional 4-4-2.

The answer could be to sacrifice width on one side and play another "inside" man in there (Ralls/O'Keefe?) to allow Whitts in particular some space and time. Allowing for some overlapping wingback play to provide width on that "wingless" side could provide some variation on a convential set up.

Keeper and back 4 are a given at the moment. Midfield of Whitts, Gunnar, Ralls or O'Keefe and then either Pilks or Hoilett wide on the one side for me, with Lambert and Healey feeding off him up top.

Would be interesting but don't expect to see that sort of two up top setup from Warnock anytime soon.

 

good win for newport today and healy scores........again. And wins a penalty. He can't do much more.

 

He deserves a chance at championship level

Reminds me of Stuart Fleetwood. Never really given a chance at championship level but prolific at lower level.

Hope he is given a go in Januaty

 

I think we will sign a striker or 2 in January unless Fred improves. Healy is scoring in L2 and Saadi in Belguim. Both miles away from Championship level.

If we cant bring anyone in then id recall both. Ive a feeling Colin will get men he wants in.

 

I also think Colin will get his own man as well come January. The point is does Healey rate a chance at this level?

A bench seat for him would give us options to change the set up rather than having both Chamakh and Gounongbe on there as a like for like swap for Lambert.

 

I see an old 'keeper of ours scored again on the weekend. He's had a few for charlton this season.

 

Always liked the lad. Should never have dumped him.