I'm going to choose to be slow to judge Anderson and Frey. Players who came in mid-season into a struggling side, new leagues, and Frey certainly not match fit. Seen enough positives from both to give them a fresh start after a full pre-season and judge them properly next season. Delighted with the win. Stuck at a wedding all day so could hardly follow it but sounds like we were on top and highlights looked good.
He was superb. I'm bewildered that anyone could pick somebody else as MOM today. We shouldn't even entertain offers under £10m.
I couldn’t get there today but listening to our fans on tv was amazing. Our fans have been incredible this year.
I couldn't watch the last thirty minutes as i was due to host a pub quiz, I think my not being there won it for us Superstitious crap ! UR'ss
Yep, that's a fair point. I think Andersen is a very talented player and it was probably my anxiety about being relegated that has made me more critical of him than is strictly fair. He made a couple of lovely touches yesterday and was unlucky with the halve-volley chance. I stand by my comments that he's a luxury player though and does look incredibly slow. He could be a big asset in a side that is playing well and full of confidence. As you say, next season, if the band is still all together, will be the time to really judge.
I'd agree about Andersen. I've seen glimpses of him being a composed player who can pick out a pass. Haven't seen much from Frey that shows he can do much more than look big and win a few aerial battles. Hope I am proved wrong, as you say, after a full pre-season.
I stick by the fact, Dykes is a good player, with the VERY BIG proviso that at the moment he just can't score goals ( yes...I know that is a really big downer for your main CF). His hold up play is good, he plays well with his back to the goal, defensively both in general play and at corners is the best I can remember from a CF in our team. He needs a new start...I half wonder if that still might be next season here under Marti, as the manager seems to like and admires him
He's not a "good player" Beth. He played well yesterday and took his big goal scoring chance, but he only seems capable of that once every 15 games or so. I realise that a lack of confidence is a big factor for all players, but I just don't think he's good enough. It's vital that we get a decent striker in for next season and I'm sure Marti thinks that too. Frey being injured and Armstrong pretty poor has meant Marti hasn't had much choice other than to play him.
Agreed. He’s been with us long enough now and, if you measure strikers by goals (which you should), he is nowhere near good enough. He’s a trier and that’s to be admired but can’t be our main striker next season or we’ll have more of the same.
I disagree, he is ineffective as a striker and therefore you can't say he's any good. Too many opportunities missed and he doesn't have a goalscorer's instinct or positional awareness. Granted he does his defensive duties well and I can't fault his effort in most games, but we need a striker who knows where the goal is. Dykes for me is not the answer.
Ironically, I remember one of his best games for us was when we didn't play him up top. I think he has maintained his place through his efforts rather than ability. I certainly ain't getting excited that he scored from 30cm. Been here before, over and over again.
I don't think Dykes was ever the out and out striker, not even in Scotland at Queen of the South where he often played on the wing and off their main striker Dobbie who scored 43 goals in the 18/19 season. With us he was at his best playing with Austin as I remember. Thought he had a good game yesterday.
I’m with the others Beth. He isn’t a good player/CF. Great to have his defensive abilities when in a relegation scrap but we are where we are in this league because we haven’t scored enough goals, we can’t afford to carry a non-goal scoring CF; yes others need to contribute too but it’s his key role to get 10+ goals minimum. He’s a huge weakness in this team and a priority to replace up front. We can’t go into another season with an ineffective striker. I take Bobs repeated point that it’s not easy to find what we need but we have to do something that lifts up that position.
It’s interesting how we tend to judge goalkeepers more harshly than strikers. Other end of the field and all that, I suppose. The goalie can pull off nine worldies in a game but will always be remembered for the one he let through his legs at the near post. The striker will score a hat-trick (we wish!) and we all forget the sitter he missed. There’s always this sense that the goalkeeping howler cost us the game and we rarely apportion the same blame specifically to the striker for his series of misses. It’s not just Dykes, of course. We’ve been terrible in front of goal all season no matter who has the ball. But I’m with the rest as far as Lyndon is concerned. Seems a good lad (despite the horrendous tattoos) but hasn’t been good enough. Obviously hasn’t been helped by the quality of those around him, but someone in every team has to be the talisman and it ain’t going to be our Scozzie.
Im with the others too Beth… he is super-ineffective striker. Yesterday he played quite well, but should have scored least twice. For next season we need two strikers who both can score goals. Now we havent got any….
There can't be another team in the Football League whose fortunes over the last 10 years have been more defined by lack of a goalscorer. The current batch given the mantle of 'striker' represent a new low. Dykes showed some excellent hold up play yesterday and defended well, but without consistent goals is a luxury we can't afford. Another match winning performance by Clark Salter yesterday and MOTM by a country mile. We're going to miss him.
Dykes played well yesterday and was in the right place to nick his goal. To me though he needs to play alongside a goal poacher (a Nakhi Wells or a Kemar Roofe) to get the best out of him. He's not a natural goalscorer himself but he could provide goals for a strike partner. An example of this was an instance in the first half where he won a really good header at the back post, nodding it back across the 6 yard box, but there was no one around to benefit from it. As Beth says, he's good defensively and his hold up play is decent, so I'd like to see him stick around, but a 15-20 goal striker should certainly be top of our shopping list.
The sky is blue. Birds are singing, children are rushing to the streets to pretend to be Lyndon Dykes and re-create his memorable goals down the years. Old women in Waitrose are chatting about whether QPR can finish as high as eighth next season. Woodman has been seen buying a Ferrari with cash.
