Karoy Anderson was twenty years old eight weeks ago. Not finished, just started. He is a battler at the moment, gaining experience in a poor domestic team, but also gaining experience as an international player. Eight weeks after turning twenty. I would pick him over Docherty, Alan Campbell, and Luke Berry, of the midfielders listed on the official site, only Coventry and Taylor would be my pick ahead of him, and even then it would be marginal, Tayo Edun would come next, but that is because we haven’t seen much of him amongst the dross and there is little to criticise about him this season. Go on, who would pick, for example, Alan Campbell ahead of Anderson?
Its a fair point but frankly "being better than Alan Campbell" is not really a very high bar to clear. It's not exactly a resounding commendation.
True but then he is 76 years old (Though possibly still more skillful than Allan Campbell)
Leaburn has definitely been guilty at times of taking too many touches, trying to beat one man too many, or choosing to shoot when he could have passed.
If you're glass half empty, you'll probably interpret that as him being selfish and trying to secure the glory for himself.
If you're glass half full, you may interpret it as him recognizing/feeling the responsibility on his shoulders as probably our most talented attacker in a team that has been struggling to score, and it is just him trying to step up and take responsibility in way he shouldn't be expected to as such as young player.
I lean towards the latter and interpret it as him trying a bit too hard. I think he just needs to try and loosen his shoulders a bit and stop trying to force it. Whatever you think about the quality of the players or the tactics being employed, confidence is also bound to be low and that tends to lead to over playing and snatching at chances. Miles is not immune to that, especially given his age.
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
It is so frustrating we have no creativity , as I really do like Godden his is a very intelligent player and love his work ethic, with quality service he could score shit loads.
Not forgetting we had three of our first choice strikers on from the start last night and none of them scored against a very poor bottom of the table team
Their service was shit, best centre forwards in the world need the ball put in areas they can get to and attack
Rubbish. We had 24 shots and only one went in. The forwards are as useless as the rest of the side.
It’s a shame Leaburn doesn’t show more enjoyment when playing his football. For whatever the reason, that can be interpreted as disinterest. But he never seems too happy.
It is so frustrating we have no creativity , as I really do like Godden his is a very intelligent player and love his work ethic, with quality service he could score shit loads.
Not forgetting we had three of our first choice strikers on from the start last night and none of them scored against a very poor bottom of the table team
Their service was shit, best centre forwards in the world need the ball put in areas they can get to and attack
Rubbish. We had 24 shots and only one went in. The forwards are as useless as the rest of the side.
Most of those shots were desperate pea rollers, shanks, even the goal Coventry did his best to make it saveable. I can't think of a chance any of the forwards had where I thought "should have buried that". The final ball was non-existent.
The Huddersfield game Leaburn was unlucky and Ahadme could have done better from good deliveries
I've said before Miles Leaburn could become an amazing advanced midfielder, his close control and vision is really good and him arriving later into the box would be a midfield and defences worst nightmare, I think he does the centre forward stuff back to the goal because he is told to but I think he has more in his locker. I'm happy for him to be our number 9 assuming he can stay unharmed and he will get goals if he is given half decent service, he attacks the ball which seems to be a novelty for us since Jacko and Pearce retired so will always be a threat but he isn't a magician
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is an inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he have been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
He doesn’t seem to have the pace he had pre-injury (maybe still taking it a bit easy and trying to maintain fitness), agility he definitely has. Despite his size he is still able to take players on 1v1. If you look at premier league strikers now then Leaburn is quite close to that ideal build. The game has changed, everyone plays 1 striker, so that striker needs to be big, but be an all-rounder type that can do it all. Leaburn physically is the exact thing top clubs are looking for. He’s still got a lot of improvement to do but if his injury record improves I’d be surprised if he doesn’t play premier league, injuries are the only doubt for me
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
It certainly is! I don't think I've ever come across an opinion about the quality and potential of a significant Charlton player that I agree less with.
Out of interest did you consider Burstow to be superior while he was still our player, and if so, on what criteria?
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
It certainly is! I don't think I've ever come across an opinion about the quality and potential of a significant Charlton player that I agree less with.
Out of interest did you consider Burstow to be superior while he was still our player, and if so, on what criteria?
No I thought similar of Burstow and that's been proven right. No doubt he'll end up in League One next season as he isn't doing anything at Hull.
I think it's very easy to over hype players in a poor team and although I think Leaburn is great for us I just don't think he has the quality to be a Premier League player. Out of the recent ones Shelvey I've been most disappointed with. When he was playing for us at 17 (?) I thought he oozed class and would go on to be a England regular but I think his attitude has let him down.
I've been pretty unpleasantly surprised by some of the comments about Miles Leaburn on this thread. To suggest he wasn't trying last night, or just trying to impress scouts, is beneath contempt, IMO. Just to remind people of a few things:
- Last night he hit the post with an excellent header while being close marked - he was asked to play in yet another new front formation, which even Brownie was struggling to interpret at KO time - On Saturday he was most people's MOM, but he had to go off. There were doubts he would start last night, in the end he played the whole game - He's basically still returning from a very serious injury - He is 20, and lost a full season of development. He is still learning the game. You could criticise his judgement a couple of times last night, but do it in context, please.
However if you want to see him sold in the Jan window then sure, slag him off like he's a seasoned pro on a top wage. There will be people in the SMT who will seize on those comments as a sign they can cash in without too much pushback. And if that happens we will be completely fucked.
I don't think I've seen anyone say anything too over the line though ? I like him, we all do but he isn't exempt from criticism we have all noticed that whilst he has shown some nice footwork at times he tries it far too often at times when he would be better passing. Of course he was trying, I did notice yesterday our long balls were going beyond our strikers giving them little chance to even contest.
Also (not to your point Prauge but I cant be assed to post twice) we do also have pace and energy up top with Kanu who we are sorely missing right now and for me should be starting when back fit.
Sorry Rado but I can't agree about Kanu, three starts and three appearances as sub, no goals, he's a young player developing and just look at the way Anderson is being treated. When it comes to Leaburn's body language it seems to me that's he's showing frustration with both the fact that he hasn't opened his account in the league and the shit service he and his forward colleagues are receiving.
Miles has a huge amount of potential and unfortunately, missed a huge chunk of senior development at key time with that last injury. Objectively speaking, does Miles benefit from being around hoofball football given the time he’s just missed?
What is Miles going to look like at 23 years of age? I would suggest this environment and style of play isn’t ideal to maximise what he could be by Nov 2026.
I've been pretty unpleasantly surprised by some of the comments about Miles Leaburn on this thread. To suggest he wasn't trying last night, or just trying to impress scouts, is beneath contempt, IMO. Just to remind people of a few things:
- Last night he hit the post with an excellent header while being close marked - he was asked to play in yet another new front formation, which even Brownie was struggling to interpret at KO time - On Saturday he was most people's MOM, but he had to go off. There were doubts he would start last night, in the end he played the whole game - He's basically still returning from a very serious injury - He is 20, and lost a full season of development. He is still learning the game. You could criticise his judgement a couple of times last night, but do it in context, please.
However if you want to see him sold in the Jan window then sure, slag him off like he's a seasoned pro on a top wage. There will be people in the SMT who will seize on those comments as a sign they can cash in without too much pushback. And if that happens we will be completely fucked.
I don't think I've seen anyone say anything too over the line though ? I like him, we all do but he isn't exempt from criticism we have all noticed that whilst he has shown some nice footwork at times he tries it far too often at times when he would be better passing. Of course he was trying, I did notice yesterday our long balls were going beyond our strikers giving them little chance to even contest.
Also (not to your point Prauge but I cant be assed to post twice) we do also have pace and energy up top with Kanu who we are sorely missing right now and for me should be starting when back fit.
Sorry Rado but I can't agree about Kanu, three starts and three appearances as sub, no goals, he's a young player developing and just look at the way Anderson is being treated. When it comes to Leaburn's body language it seems to me that's he's showing frustration with both the fact that he hasn't opened his account in the league and the shit service he and his forward colleagues are receiving.
If fully fit I think Leaburn and Kanu are our best front two. Kanu pulls defences all over the place with his pace and work rate. He had some cracking games at the back end of last season up at Bolton and Derby
It is so frustrating we have no creativity , as I really do like Godden his is a very intelligent player and love his work ethic, with quality service he could score shit loads.
Not forgetting we had three of our first choice strikers on from the start last night and none of them scored against a very poor bottom of the table team
Their service was shit, best centre forwards in the world need the ball put in areas they can get to and attack
Rubbish. We had 24 shots and only one went in. The forwards are as useless as the rest of the side.
Most of those shots were desperate pea rollers, shanks, even the goal Coventry did his best to make it saveable. I can't think of a chance any of the forwards had where I thought "should have buried that". The final ball was non-existent.
The Huddersfield game Leaburn was unlucky and Ahadme could have done better from good deliveries
Ahadme heading into the goalie's arms from 5 yards with no defenders around him? Alfie May scored plenty of goals that were not clear cut chances.
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
What do you think he lacks that will hold back?
Main thing for me is pace. Like I said the prem clubs like their forwards to have all the athletic attributes and I feel he lacks the pace. Very rarely do we see him laying it off and then making a run in behind on the turn. Granted he has quick feet but 4/5 times a match he's lumberous and gets himself tied in knots. I haven't got a vendetta against the boy I'd love to see him work his way up the leagues and hopefully with us! I just don't see the star that others do. I've no doubt he will have a solid low end champ/league one career.
If I was to put money on anyone having a crack in the prem it would be Zak Mitchell. He's got a composure not many centre backs have at his age and I could see a Brentford taking a punt on him
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
What do you think he lacks that will hold back?
Main thing for me is pace. Like I said the prem clubs like their forwards to have all the athletic attributes and I feel he lacks the pace. Very rarely do we see him laying it off and then making a run in behind on the turn. Granted he has quick feet but 4/5 times a match he's lumberous and gets himself tied in knots. I haven't got a vendetta against the boy I'd love to see him work his way up the leagues and hopefully with us! I just don't see the star that others do. I've no doubt he will have a solid low end champ/league one career.
If I was to put money on anyone having a crack in the prem it would be Zak Mitchell. He's got a composure not many centre backs have at his age and I could see a Brentford taking a punt on him
Isnt he supposedly one of the fastest players at the club? Sure someone on here said he came out on top in pre-season before he got injured
Amazing to look at the L1 table. Despite us constantly playing the most turgid rubbish seen in a very long while, we are only 5 points off a playoff place with a game in hand. How is this we ask ourselves, it just doesn’t seem possible…..but it is? 🧐🫣🤔
I've been pretty unpleasantly surprised by some of the comments about Miles Leaburn on this thread. To suggest he wasn't trying last night, or just trying to impress scouts, is beneath contempt, IMO. Just to remind people of a few things:
- Last night he hit the post with an excellent header while being close marked - he was asked to play in yet another new front formation, which even Brownie was struggling to interpret at KO time - On Saturday he was most people's MOM, but he had to go off. There were doubts he would start last night, in the end he played the whole game - He's basically still returning from a very serious injury - He is 20, and lost a full season of development. He is still learning the game. You could criticise his judgement a couple of times last night, but do it in context, please.
However if you want to see him sold in the Jan window then sure, slag him off like he's a seasoned pro on a top wage. There will be people in the SMT who will seize on those comments as a sign they can cash in without too much pushback. And if that happens we will be completely fucked.
I don't think I've seen anyone say anything too over the line though ? I like him, we all do but he isn't exempt from criticism we have all noticed that whilst he has shown some nice footwork at times he tries it far too often at times when he would be better passing. Of course he was trying, I did notice yesterday our long balls were going beyond our strikers giving them little chance to even contest.
Also (not to your point Prauge but I cant be assed to post twice) we do also have pace and energy up top with Kanu who we are sorely missing right now and for me should be starting when back fit.
Sorry Rado but I can't agree about Kanu, three starts and three appearances as sub, no goals, he's a young player developing and just look at the way Anderson is being treated. When it comes to Leaburn's body language it seems to me that's he's showing frustration with both the fact that he hasn't opened his account in the league and the shit service he and his forward colleagues are receiving.
If fully fit I think Leaburn and Kanu are our best front two. Kanu pulls defences all over the place with his pace and work rate. He had some cracking games at the back end of last season up at Bolton and Derby
Kanu or Godden come on , Kanu can run but has shown limited ability and composure imo so far …. Not seeing it with him , just a brilliant work ethic
It is so frustrating we have no creativity , as I really do like Godden his is a very intelligent player and love his work ethic, with quality service he could score shit loads.
Not forgetting we had three of our first choice strikers on from the start last night and none of them scored against a very poor bottom of the table team
Their service was shit, best centre forwards in the world need the ball put in areas they can get to and attack
Rubbish. We had 24 shots and only one went in. The forwards are as useless as the rest of the side.
Most of those shots were desperate pea rollers, shanks, even the goal Coventry did his best to make it saveable.
Coventry did what? Total and utter ballcocks. Very good reaction to the rebound and well taken. As for describing the the rest of it...Typical.
We all know the current form is dire but normally, the added bonus of a win is you and your ilk who call themselves 'Supporters', tend to stfu.
I've been pretty unpleasantly surprised by some of the comments about Miles Leaburn on this thread. To suggest he wasn't trying last night, or just trying to impress scouts, is beneath contempt, IMO. Just to remind people of a few things:
- Last night he hit the post with an excellent header while being close marked - he was asked to play in yet another new front formation, which even Brownie was struggling to interpret at KO time - On Saturday he was most people's MOM, but he had to go off. There were doubts he would start last night, in the end he played the whole game - He's basically still returning from a very serious injury - He is 20, and lost a full season of development. He is still learning the game. You could criticise his judgement a couple of times last night, but do it in context, please.
However if you want to see him sold in the Jan window then sure, slag him off like he's a seasoned pro on a top wage. There will be people in the SMT who will seize on those comments as a sign they can cash in without too much pushback. And if that happens we will be completely fucked.
I don't think I've seen anyone say anything too over the line though ? I like him, we all do but he isn't exempt from criticism we have all noticed that whilst he has shown some nice footwork at times he tries it far too often at times when he would be better passing. Of course he was trying, I did notice yesterday our long balls were going beyond our strikers giving them little chance to even contest.
Also (not to your point Prauge but I cant be assed to post twice) we do also have pace and energy up top with Kanu who we are sorely missing right now and for me should be starting when back fit.
Sorry Rado but I can't agree about Kanu, three starts and three appearances as sub, no goals, he's a young player developing and just look at the way Anderson is being treated. When it comes to Leaburn's body language it seems to me that's he's showing frustration with both the fact that he hasn't opened his account in the league and the shit service he and his forward colleagues are receiving.
If fully fit I think Leaburn and Kanu are our best front two. Kanu pulls defences all over the place with his pace and work rate. He had some cracking games at the back end of last season up at Bolton and Derby
Kanu or Godden come on , Kanu can run but has shown limited ability and composure imo so far …. Not seeing it with him , just a brilliant work ethic
I like Godden and I think he's our best natural finisher but I also think defences find him reasonably easy to play against. He's movement inside the box is very good but across the pitch not so good and that's what Kanu gives you. He'll pull a centre back out wide, he'll close down at speed which at this level creates you chances and his movement and work rate creates chances for other players in our team. I'd be starting Kanu and Leaburn with Godden a more than capable replacement.
Can't believe the high marks for Leaburn. To me he seems totally disinterested .
I've always been baffled by people presuming he'd get picked up by a Prem club. No chance in my opinion. Decent player for us but can't see him being successful at a higher level. He mimicks a baby giraffe most games
Have to agree with both these comments. I’ve never thought he’d be able to do it at the top level, not like I did when seeing the likes of Shelvey, Gomez and Lookman.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
I get that, they all really stood out at 16-18, but on the other hand not many thought Pope or Konsa would be PL regulars and get capped for England. They’re the sort of players he’s comparable to.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
Very fair points.
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
I would also say Crouch isn’t a good example, they really are very different players despite the similarity in height. You wouldn’t see Crouch taking players on but Leaburn does it all the time
Like I say I compared him to Crouch because of his height.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
What do you think he lacks that will hold back?
Main thing for me is pace. Like I said the prem clubs like their forwards to have all the athletic attributes and I feel he lacks the pace. Very rarely do we see him laying it off and then making a run in behind on the turn. Granted he has quick feet but 4/5 times a match he's lumberous and gets himself tied in knots. I haven't got a vendetta against the boy I'd love to see him work his way up the leagues and hopefully with us! I just don't see the star that others do. I've no doubt he will have a solid low end champ/league one career.
If I was to put money on anyone having a crack in the prem it would be Zak Mitchell. He's got a composure not many centre backs have at his age and I could see a Brentford taking a punt on him
Isnt he supposedly one of the fastest players at the club? Sure someone on here said he came out on top in pre-season before he got injured
I recall that too. I don’t think he lacks pace at all. As for not laying off and making a run, well there are two external reasons for that. First, you need someone to lay it off to, who is then capable of playing the return pass. Two, if you are asked to play wide, that sort of move is going to be less common anyway.
Unfortunately I can see the argument posted above that his development will be harmed if he has to play this dire hoofball all season.
Comments
If you're glass half empty, you'll probably interpret that as him being selfish and trying to secure the glory for himself.
If you're glass half full, you may interpret it as him recognizing/feeling the responsibility on his shoulders as probably our most talented attacker in a team that has been struggling to score, and it is just him trying to step up and take responsibility in way he shouldn't be expected to as such as young player.
I lean towards the latter and interpret it as him trying a bit too hard. I think he just needs to try and loosen his shoulders a bit and stop trying to force it. Whatever you think about the quality of the players or the tactics being employed, confidence is also bound to be low and that tends to lead to over playing and snatching at chances. Miles is not immune to that, especially given his age.
A club abroad or in the Championship might take a punt.
There aren’t many young strikers with as good an all round game as Leaburn, that’s what gives him the potential to play at a high level.
He’s still got a lot of developing to do, he’ll need to avoid serious injuries and it won’t happen if he moves to the wrong clubs, but if those things go well it wouldn’t surprise me if he plays PL football.
The Huddersfield game Leaburn was unlucky and Ahadme could have done better from good deliveries
The most obvious comparable because of his height is Crouch. Leaburn is a inch smaller. Obviously Crouch went on to have a great career at the highest level but would he of been as successful in the current climate? I don't think so. The game has changed. How often do you see a deep inswinging cross headed in at the back post by a centre forward in the Prem? Hardly ever. Long balls are a no no too. Centre forwards in the Premier League need to be fast, strong, agile, and clinical. I don't think Leaburn will ever have the pace or agility to be the centre forward Prem club's crave.
It's all opinions I just don't see it. He's fine for us at this level
Out of interest did you consider Burstow to be superior while he was still our player, and if so, on what criteria?
I think it's very easy to over hype players in a poor team and although I think Leaburn is great for us I just don't think he has the quality to be a Premier League player. Out of the recent ones Shelvey I've been most disappointed with. When he was playing for us at 17 (?) I thought he oozed class and would go on to be a England regular but I think his attitude has let him down.
Alfie May scored plenty of goals that were not clear cut chances.
If I was to put money on anyone having a crack in the prem it would be Zak Mitchell. He's got a composure not many centre backs have at his age and I could see a Brentford taking a punt on him
Isnt he supposedly one of the fastest players at the club? Sure someone on here said he came out on top in pre-season before he got injured
Despite us constantly playing the most turgid rubbish seen in a very long while, we are only 5 points off a playoff place with a game in hand.
How is this we ask ourselves, it just doesn’t seem possible…..but it is? 🧐🫣🤔
Coventry did what? Total and utter ballcocks. Very good reaction to the rebound and well taken. As for describing the the rest of it...Typical.
We all know the current form is dire but normally, the added bonus of a win is you and your ilk who call themselves 'Supporters', tend to stfu.
If only.