And may I add, someone who's done similar to Burstow, moving up with not the most amazing record, Stansfield, taken to the league like a duck to water.
That’s why I say it’s fine margins over recruitment. Dack staying fit, Evans back in January not may, Cirkin, Alese, Huggins fit and Burstow doing what Stansfield’s done and we’d be close. It’s just been slightly misjudged.
I think the difference between the likes of Gelhardt and Burstow is application. Gelhardt gave everything on the pitch, even though his finishing was poor. Same could be said for Altidore. Burstow just seems lost and doesn't give defenders anything to think about.
Strikers get unfairly criticised for not scoring in teams and systems that don't suit them but also get undeserved praise for scoring in systems that are catered to them. It's why I don't think you should read much into the whole 'proven striker' nonsense because unless you play the exact same system as the team he plays for, he isn't proven. Look at our own recent history with strikers. Grigg was a 'proven' championship/league one forward, but we played a completely different system to Wigan so it didn't work. Wyke was a 'proven' league one forward, but we played completely different than Bradford so it didn't work until Johnson realised crossing the ball to him was his strength and he scored 30 goals. Wyke wasn't a better player under Johnson, the system just suit his game. Gelhardt suited our style last season, he's very good at dropping deep and linking play, if we had a pure poacher last season I do not think we would've been as good because that player would've have suited our style. We can't just sign a striker because they have scored goals elsewhere, they have to suit the system.
I agree with you that Gelhardt is a nice footballer and would certainly be a good signing for us....I was impressed with him when he was here. However,he isn't a goal predator,which is our greatest need imo.
His history is similar to Amad and he's a 6'2" striker whose club don't want to sell ... ... it's a mystery how he can be so totally ineffective.
It happens when lads are so young. I know it's different but Dom Solanke has taken a while to be worth the money Bournemouth paid.
This. People love using these players as examples that we should be going for and think you just bring them in and they’ll score every game. Gyokores done nothing in his first season with Coventry either but they persisted and then played to his strengths. We’ve done neither with any of our strikers but expect them to score for fun. Watkins was similar at Brentford, was his third season he really kicked on iirc.
First time having a bit of info to share so here it goes. We are one of the clubs interested in the lad above presumably for the u21s, but we may have an edge on the PL clubs chasing him as the pathway to first team is shorter here. We are also looking at/have looked at Bobby Pointon who is also at Bradford. Played a lot of first team games this season for them. Is a 10 or a winger. Highly rated and only 20. Don't shout at me if they don't sign!
We persisted with Wyke and Johnson got the best out of him. Stewart used hia strengths and got the best out of himself here by adapting to how we wanted to play, particularly the spell under Neil. It is not like every centre forward recently has been treated badly, in fact they have been treated fairly I would say. However, the ones we brought in for this season have been poor choices by the recruitment team. They are simply not ready, or able, to play at this level. Mayenda and Hemir look miles away from championship football. To persist with one of those two this season would have been plain daft and no coach would have done so. The target was set when Speakman said nobody wants to be in the play offs. But then he signs strikers that are barely league one ready in reality. The Gyokeres comparison seems odd. He had half a season loan at Coventry. He made 19 appearances, 12 as sub. They signed him the following summer. He scored plenty in his first full season and more the second. It wasnt as if they played him for 20 games without any contribution and then changed how to play with him. It doesnt work like that in my experience, strikers have to adapt to the team, not the other way round. Bobby Robson changed the way Shearer played at Newcastle as he wanted him 5 yards deeper to receive and run at defenders, in addition to playing on the shoulder, as that made the team better.
Stewart and Wyke scored goals in L1 mate. You don’t think Hemir would benefit from having McGeady putting the ball exactly where he wants it every 10 minutes? How often do Clarke and Roberts do that? Rusyns data from Russia more than shows he’s capable and Burstow was training with Chelsea’s first team, that to me indicates Pochetino knows much more than the gobshites we have sat around the stadium pointing the finger. They aren’t bad players they’ve got piss poor service around them. Gyokores managed 3 goals in his first 30 games of championship football so it’s a fair comparison. He was also older than both Hemir and Burstow. They persisted and gave him a proper run of games whether he was ****e or not, something we’ve not done and something our fans aren’t patient enough for.
I dont think Hemir is good enough, maybe experienced enough, to get in the right positions for balls into the box. If he was constantly running across his man I dare say Clarke would see it. He doesnt do that though and neither does Burstow. Neither demand the ball by virtue of their movement. Added to that with their back to goal they are poor. If a CF isnt making the runs in the box he has to hold it up and bring players into the game. Neither do that well imo. Rusyn I still have hopes for. He had been unlucky with injuries and he didnt look at ease with things early in his time here. I saw one goal in particular where he beat his man to the front post and scored to encourage me. I think he will play a bigger part next season, but probably not through the middle. I reckon Hemir will be out on loan. Why do I think Poch had Burstow in the first team? Because Chelsea havent got a striker in the building worth the title, despite spending billions, and I reckon any coach would run the rule over any u23 lad to see if they have something to offer. Probably as simple as that in pre-season. Lets be honest, he has had chances here in terms of playing time and hasnt looked like adding much to our team. Nowt against the lad, and he can go on and have a good career, but his contribution this season has been poor, which is on him not his teammates in my opinion.
