Varney makes runs all over the place, a real livewire and a natural goalscorer
get him up top with mcleod, forget the shitty long ball stuff and get running at defences and getting in behind
sorry big chris, i love you for your effort mate and you've done well with your goalscoring but i'm not sure if it's the others letting you down by seeing a 6'4" frame up there and going aerial or weaknesses in your own game (not great at holding the ball up and an incessant need to flick every single thing on to an often invisible player), or a bit of both but you're just not the answer at this point in time
i love varney think he's fanastic and won't have a bad word said against him. He HAS to play every bloody week so that the team plays to his strengths as well and we'll see the goals.
I can understand and to a large extent agree with you.
However the fact is that we are physically a very small side and Iwelumo is one of our few players with genuine physical presence particularly for defending set pieces. I would say attacking set pieces too but you need a decent delivery for that which was sadly lacking most of the time today.
For that reason Iwelumo has to play so the question becomes should it be 4-5-1 or 4-4-2?
At the risk of being called mentally deranged I thought we nearly got it right today. Thomas and Sam looked consistently dangerous without ever quite producing the end product and at various times they all did some good things also, unlike against Hull, we did try to play to feet more.
In my view we were punished for (Bougherra's) mistake and Superkev then got lucky with an overhead that 99 times out of 100 would have gone over the bar or wide.
The inconsistency of the referee annoyed me. He gave the pen against Paddy for holding Superkev which was fair enough yet when their centre halves had their arms round the neck of Big Chris in the area on a number of occasions nothing!
The trouble is we are trying to do things properly but not getting the points. The realist in me thinks we have to try and keep the likes of ZZ, Semedo, and Moo2 and augment them with shrewd loan signings, Bosmans etc and try and get promoted next season. I'm still behind the team but we should have picked up more than 3 draws and a defeat from Hull, Norwich, Leicester and Colchester if we have gennuine aspirations of promotion.
We do need a bit more guile and craft in centre midfield, though Len.
We're very pedestrian, no physical presence, no one to run with the ball in central attacking areas - and no one with the creative flair to do something unexpected or out of the ordinary.
That's the trouble with losing players like Reidy or Toddy.
There's no one to step into their shoes.
And midfield still needs that Kinsella/Parker pocket battleship type player.
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]We do need a bit more guile and craft in centre midfield, though Len.
We're very pedestrian, no physical presence, no one to run with the ball in central attacking areas - and no one with the creative flair to do something unexpected or out of the ordinary.
That's the trouble with losing players like Reidy or Toddy.
There's no one to step into their shoes.
And midfield still needs that Kinsella/Parker pocket battleship type player.
Yes I agree Toddy is a massive loss. This will come across as a dig against Holland which is not specifically intended but I feel ZZ is inhibited from bombing forward as he can because we are too lightweight and exposed if he does. He is very capable of that ball running role you mention. We need a Graveson, Carsley even Kish of a couple of years ago to get the tackles in which would allow him more freedom. I'd love Parker of course but we are a Championship side now.
As for Reidy he can do great things but he can also unbalance it all.
All the craft and guile in midfield is wasted if it is trying to put big Chris in, he's too slow in thought and has no movement. The reason he gives away so many free kicks is that he sees the ball hoofed up stands there and watches until it is on its way down -oh it's going over there and runs over to challenge the defender who had moved to under it ages ago. Our attack is one dimensional and otherwise good players in the side are getting stick because they can't play to a system which patently doesn't work. Put a big defender on Chris who he can't bully and our game plan is shot with no plan "B". Let's have pace up front and take our chances at set plays.
[cite]Posted By: Addickson's God[/cite]All the craft and guile in midfield is wasted if it is trying to put big Chris in, he's too slow in thought and has no movement. The reason he gives away so many free kicks is that he sees the ball hoofed up stands there and watches until it is on its way down -oh it's going over there and runs over to challenge the defender who had moved to under it ages ago. Our attack is one dimensional and otherwise good players in the side are getting stick because they can't play to a system which patently doesn't work. Put a big defender on Chris who he can't bully and our game plan is shot with no plan "B". Let's have pace up front and take our chances at set plays.
The annoying thing is it really is that simple.......
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]If he's playing up front on his own, then he gets surrounded by 3 or 4 defenders who have no one else to mark.
So he's always under pressure with his back to goal and no support - of course he's statistically not going to win many balls.
I think that Chris wins plenty in the air but what clouds people judgement is that he nod down's or flick downs go to nobody - and thats not his fault. I suppose people are expecting him to jump an extra 2 foot, control it on his chest, take it round three players then bang it in the top corner. If you are playing one up front with no runners then we need to be playing it into his feet and the players have to be told this. Alternatively, play someone close to him, let him win the headers and have Varney etc running onto it. He'll then suddenly be the best target man the club has ever had.
Holding up the ball on chest/thigh is not difficult if you have a decent touch, you need just be a yard or so nearer goal than if you head it. Problem is Chris is never in position quick enough to back into his marker, he arrives too late and clatters him. Toddy, much smaller held it up well and even Sir Clive and Charlie Mac, half his size were good at that aspect of the game. It can't be played to Chris's feet 'cos he's so slow (and doesn't go to the ball) the defenders just nip in front of him.
Free transfer - 9 goals.
You can't say we haven't had value.
Sure he's not top class but he's played his heart for this team, often enough with nasty injuries.
I don't suppose he's injury free at the moment, either.
Iwelumo has proved that if you give him a decent service, he'll convert a decent percentage.
But how many chances in a match with our present formation, especially in a team without Reid, does he get?
I feel for Big Chris. You can't knock him for his work rate and effort but through no fault of his own, he is becoming a bit of a liability to the team.
With Big Chris up front, we don't seem able to to stop ourselves from just launching long balls up to him. Perhaps if he was given a well deserved break for a couple of games, we might resort to playing some football.....
[cite]Posted By: Barn Door Lisbie[/cite]I feel for Big Chris. You can't knock him for his work rate and effort but through no fault of his own, he is becoming a bit of a liability to the team.
It baffles me. How can we call our top scorer a liability?!
Are you telling me if we played Varney or anyone else up front they would have scored more? I know we can't possibly tell but i doubt it.
I got the impression when the squad was being assembled that our 1st choice strike duo were Big Bent and Todorov and that Chris would be off the bench and an occasional starter, I think the big problem is that from being 3rd or 4th in the pecking order he has become the number 1. Thats not his fault, but Pardews for letting bent out on loan and not bringing in cover and failing to bring in a replacement loanee when Toddy got injured fort he rest of the season.
I notice from SSN that QPR are now on a buying spree and have released Ben Sahar - I have no idea what he is like, but he was mentioned positively as a loanee pre season and there was disappointment when he went to QPR. I believe he missed some of QPR's season due to appendicitis.
Marcus Bent (& Faye) were primarily moved on because their contracts were well in excess of the ceiling imposed by Murray for this Championship season.
No doubt Varney was bought to be principle striker (especially bearing in mind he cost £2 mill) - but got injured in pre-season and missed several of the early matches. Players find it hard to make up match fitness for a while if they miss a big chunk of pre-season.
Pards was well aware that Toddy wasn't going to be able to play every match and said at the time that he was signed 'to unlock packed defences in home games' - so was always going to be played selectively.
Big Chris was no doubt signed to give us different options, especially in the air.
The fact that he didn't start the 1st match at home to Scunny might indicate that he was down the pecking order at the time.
McLeod has no doubt disappointed - I believe he has enough ability to step up but the problem is one of confidence.
You can see he's a frightened rabbit. A touch of the Lisbie's, if you like.
Dickson was always the wild card. Management know he's a great goalhanger and will probably score a few at whatever level he plays - but because he doesn't fit into the team ethic, are afraid to play him.
But up front, we are currently understrength/unproven and lacking that quality cutting edge.
We really need to pick up an enthusiastic but wise old head to make up for losing Toddy.
[cite]Posted By: Barn Door Lisbie[/cite]I feel for Big Chris. You can't knock him for his work rate and effort but through no fault of his own, he is becoming a bit of a liability to the team.
It baffles me. How can we call our top scorer a liability?!
Are you telling me if we played Varney or anyone else up front they would have scored more? I know we can't possibly tell but i doubt it.
Perhaps liability is the wrong word but the point is that all the time he is in the side, the team are taking the easy option of just hoofing the ball up to him.
This is of coures assuming that just hoofing the ball long isn't what they are being told to do.
Comments
get him up top with mcleod, forget the shitty long ball stuff and get running at defences and getting in behind
sorry big chris, i love you for your effort mate and you've done well with your goalscoring but i'm not sure if it's the others letting you down by seeing a 6'4" frame up there and going aerial or weaknesses in your own game (not great at holding the ball up and an incessant need to flick every single thing on to an often invisible player), or a bit of both but you're just not the answer at this point in time
how's the new job going mate
However the fact is that we are physically a very small side and Iwelumo is one of our few players with genuine physical presence particularly for defending set pieces. I would say attacking set pieces too but you need a decent delivery for that which was sadly lacking most of the time today.
For that reason Iwelumo has to play so the question becomes should it be 4-5-1 or 4-4-2?
At the risk of being called mentally deranged I thought we nearly got it right today. Thomas and Sam looked consistently dangerous without ever quite producing the end product and at various times they all did some good things also, unlike against Hull, we did try to play to feet more.
In my view we were punished for (Bougherra's) mistake and Superkev then got lucky with an overhead that 99 times out of 100 would have gone over the bar or wide.
The inconsistency of the referee annoyed me. He gave the pen against Paddy for holding Superkev which was fair enough yet when their centre halves had their arms round the neck of Big Chris in the area on a number of occasions nothing!
The trouble is we are trying to do things properly but not getting the points. The realist in me thinks we have to try and keep the likes of ZZ, Semedo, and Moo2 and augment them with shrewd loan signings, Bosmans etc and try and get promoted next season. I'm still behind the team but we should have picked up more than 3 draws and a defeat from Hull, Norwich, Leicester and Colchester if we have gennuine aspirations of promotion.
We're very pedestrian, no physical presence, no one to run with the ball in central attacking areas - and no one with the creative flair to do something unexpected or out of the ordinary.
That's the trouble with losing players like Reidy or Toddy.
There's no one to step into their shoes.
And midfield still needs that Kinsella/Parker pocket battleship type player.
Yes I agree Toddy is a massive loss. This will come across as a dig against Holland which is not specifically intended but I feel ZZ is inhibited from bombing forward as he can because we are too lightweight and exposed if he does. He is very capable of that ball running role you mention. We need a Graveson, Carsley even Kish of a couple of years ago to get the tackles in which would allow him more freedom. I'd love Parker of course but we are a Championship side now.
As for Reidy he can do great things but he can also unbalance it all.
He's just a big physical lump when we defend set pieces.
The annoying thing is it really is that simple.......
So he's always under pressure with his back to goal and no support - of course he's statistically not going to win many balls.
I think that Chris wins plenty in the air but what clouds people judgement is that he nod down's or flick downs go to nobody - and thats not his fault. I suppose people are expecting him to jump an extra 2 foot, control it on his chest, take it round three players then bang it in the top corner. If you are playing one up front with no runners then we need to be playing it into his feet and the players have to be told this. Alternatively, play someone close to him, let him win the headers and have Varney etc running onto it. He'll then suddenly be the best target man the club has ever had.
Fickle my nickle.
give him a break
You can't say we haven't had value.
Sure he's not top class but he's played his heart for this team, often enough with nasty injuries.
I don't suppose he's injury free at the moment, either.
Iwelumo has proved that if you give him a decent service, he'll convert a decent percentage.
But how many chances in a match with our present formation, especially in a team without Reid, does he get?
With Big Chris up front, we don't seem able to to stop ourselves from just launching long balls up to him. Perhaps if he was given a well deserved break for a couple of games, we might resort to playing some football.....
Are you telling me if we played Varney or anyone else up front they would have scored more? I know we can't possibly tell but i doubt it.
I notice from SSN that QPR are now on a buying spree and have released Ben Sahar - I have no idea what he is like, but he was mentioned positively as a loanee pre season and there was disappointment when he went to QPR. I believe he missed some of QPR's season due to appendicitis.
No doubt Varney was bought to be principle striker (especially bearing in mind he cost £2 mill) - but got injured in pre-season and missed several of the early matches. Players find it hard to make up match fitness for a while if they miss a big chunk of pre-season.
Pards was well aware that Toddy wasn't going to be able to play every match and said at the time that he was signed 'to unlock packed defences in home games' - so was always going to be played selectively.
Big Chris was no doubt signed to give us different options, especially in the air.
The fact that he didn't start the 1st match at home to Scunny might indicate that he was down the pecking order at the time.
McLeod has no doubt disappointed - I believe he has enough ability to step up but the problem is one of confidence.
You can see he's a frightened rabbit. A touch of the Lisbie's, if you like.
Dickson was always the wild card. Management know he's a great goalhanger and will probably score a few at whatever level he plays - but because he doesn't fit into the team ethic, are afraid to play him.
But up front, we are currently understrength/unproven and lacking that quality cutting edge.
We really need to pick up an enthusiastic but wise old head to make up for losing Toddy.
Perhaps liability is the wrong word but the point is that all the time he is in the side, the team are taking the easy option of just hoofing the ball up to him.
This is of coures assuming that just hoofing the ball long isn't what they are being told to do.