In fairness I've seen dozens of tweets along the lines of 'I might go to the odd Wycombe game now', 'My kids are badgering me to take them to Adams Park', 'I'll definitely be getting an Akinfenwa shirt' etc. This might actually work quite well commercially.
As for how he works out as a player, only time will tell, but we've certainly got an opportunity to get some Akinfenwa fans in and try and get them onside.
It seems a bit shameless, but we may as well milk this big old udder for every drop it's got.
A depressing signing summed up by a depressing gimmick that will soon be forgotten when the real stuff starts. Of course we want to be noticed but surely for something more than just a novelty.
The whole thing is entertainment though. How that comes about, I don't think really matters. And nothing could be less entertaining than the end of last season.
I've come round to it - the excitement at the unveiling looked amazing. Let's hope that carries on.
I'm a bit torn about whether I'm happy with the signing or not.
On the one hand it does smack of a novelty signing to gain media attention - which has certainly worked in the short term at least. And he also increases the forward line average age and decreases its average speed and mobility, which wasn't looking particularly good anyway.
On the other, it can't be denied that he is certainly very effective at what he does, and definitely gives us an option we currently don't have. The look on my 5 year olds face when he saw him come out onto the catwalk was another positive - the kids seem to love him and if it drags a few more along to watch then that can only be a good thing.
My biggest worry is that he disrupts the harmony amongst the tight-knit squad as I'm sure not everyone will take to his larger than life character. Having said that, Gaz will be well aware of that and will hopefully have had a good chat and taken the advice of Neal Ardley, who I believe is a good friend of his.
I see that the second batch of Sky TV fixtures is announced on Wednesday. I wonder whether they'll be considering us now we've got the media darling on board. Luton or Pompey away maybe?
As I've said on another thread, gaz is no dummy. I suspect he is on an average wage with a goals bonus. He will get us goals. He gives something a bit different.... That's not a bad thing. We now have two pacey wingers in PCH and Weston. A lump of a forward who sits in the box is no bad thing in this scenario. I'm staying positive anyway!!
'twas a bit naughty but I guess I was half looking (as the Gasroom's pedant-in-chief) for someone to leap in triumph on what they thought was a massive faux pas!
As someone else pointed out, it's all very well having two pacey wingers to "feed the Beast" but if you have to wait 15 minutes for him to catch up? I'm still undecided, in particular about his fitness levels. I remain cautiously optimistic. My 11 year old son is happy though!
Would you question a heavy weight boxers fitness levels before he enters the ring?
In terms of body shape, he is far from the average player I'll grant you - but I would hope a professional football club put him through his paces before offering him a contract and working him just as hard in Pre-season.
Otherwise I'm rocking up to AP with my gloves and Boots. My CV: I'm a bit wide but played in goal during work Five-a-side tournament. One of the opposition teams had Emile Heskey as a ringer in their squad. I kept a clean sheet.
The most envitable signing of the summer finally becomes public. Personally I'm neither excited or dissapointed by it. He'll offer a point to an attack that has been missing for some time but he will give away alot of frustrating free kicks in the process.
I hope his attitude is better than the one portrayed in interviews after the play off final and most importantly I hope the club stamp down early on this 'Beast' rubbish and keep it out of their PR. It doesn't fit with 'One Wycombe' at all.
If anything, playing up the "beast" thing might help. It'll be an inevitable conversation for every opposition about how to handle him and what to do in set piece situations.
With Hayes and how he has picked up a few goals by being a nuisance near the goal line, add Akinfenwa's shear presence in there as well all adds to the mix.
And then, as someone else mentioned - you have Pierre/Stewart steaming in from the edge of the box, you are already asking a lot of questions at every single Corner/indirect Free kicks.
An oppositions 2 (or 3) centre backs have 4 players they will need to pick up.
Who do they compromise and stick their own striker to pick up on?
Do they take 1 or 2 men off the posts?
Who's defending the short corner?
Who's picking up on the ball to the edge of the box?
If we can get good deliveries and loads of movement in the box we could pick up quite a few goals from corners again.
Pierre, Stewart, Akinfenwa and Jombati make us a right force in both boxes, and that's before you add in the height of Hayes/Thompson and the overperforming their build O Nien and Paris.
Brilliant signing and great to be proved wrong...I thought when we signed him it was the wrong kind of player however for me he is our player of the season so far
There's no doubt Akinfenwa has proven all us doubters wrong but let's not forget that he's really come into his own when playing alongside Kashket and PCH in a speedy front three. Stuck up front with Hayes and Thompson, as many of us were fearing at the start of the season, I doubt we'd be where we are now. Full credit to Ainsworth for finding Kashket. He's always willing to take a gamble signing cheap, unproven attackers like Ugwu, Freeman, Southwell and Kashket. I'm delighted that one of these has proven spectacularly successful - and I still have hopes for Southwell too.
Comments
I don't get it, but ppl I know who have never shown any interest in Wycombe are talking about the signing on Facebook.
3 hours on the M25 is about right
In fairness I've seen dozens of tweets along the lines of 'I might go to the odd Wycombe game now', 'My kids are badgering me to take them to Adams Park', 'I'll definitely be getting an Akinfenwa shirt' etc. This might actually work quite well commercially.
As for how he works out as a player, only time will tell, but we've certainly got an opportunity to get some Akinfenwa fans in and try and get them onside.
It seems a bit shameless, but we may as well milk this big old udder for every drop it's got.
A depressing signing summed up by a depressing gimmick that will soon be forgotten when the real stuff starts. Of course we want to be noticed but surely for something more than just a novelty.
The whole thing is entertainment though. How that comes about, I don't think really matters. And nothing could be less entertaining than the end of last season.
I've come round to it - the excitement at the unveiling looked amazing. Let's hope that carries on.
I'm a bit torn about whether I'm happy with the signing or not.
On the one hand it does smack of a novelty signing to gain media attention - which has certainly worked in the short term at least. And he also increases the forward line average age and decreases its average speed and mobility, which wasn't looking particularly good anyway.
On the other, it can't be denied that he is certainly very effective at what he does, and definitely gives us an option we currently don't have. The look on my 5 year olds face when he saw him come out onto the catwalk was another positive - the kids seem to love him and if it drags a few more along to watch then that can only be a good thing.
My biggest worry is that he disrupts the harmony amongst the tight-knit squad as I'm sure not everyone will take to his larger than life character. Having said that, Gaz will be well aware of that and will hopefully have had a good chat and taken the advice of Neal Ardley, who I believe is a good friend of his.
I see that the second batch of Sky TV fixtures is announced on Wednesday. I wonder whether they'll be considering us now we've got the media darling on board. Luton or Pompey away maybe?
As I've said on another thread, gaz is no dummy. I suspect he is on an average wage with a goals bonus. He will get us goals. He gives something a bit different.... That's not a bad thing. We now have two pacey wingers in PCH and Weston. A lump of a forward who sits in the box is no bad thing in this scenario. I'm staying positive anyway!!
Can't weight.
@micra don't be a grump!
Let's hope for the best ay?
Sorry @Alexo , you've lost me there.
@micra "can't WEIGHT" I took as a cynical dig about the size of the "beast"?
'twas a bit naughty but I guess I was half looking (as the Gasroom's pedant-in-chief) for someone to leap in triumph on what they thought was a massive faux pas!
But I am a happy-go-lucky pedant.
Ok.....
As someone else pointed out, it's all very well having two pacey wingers to "feed the Beast" but if you have to wait 15 minutes for him to catch up? I'm still undecided, in particular about his fitness levels. I remain cautiously optimistic. My 11 year old son is happy though!
And he (plus all the other lads who rushed to meet him on the catwalk) is the future.
We live in interesting times!
Would you question a heavy weight boxers fitness levels before he enters the ring?
In terms of body shape, he is far from the average player I'll grant you - but I would hope a professional football club put him through his paces before offering him a contract and working him just as hard in Pre-season.
Otherwise I'm rocking up to AP with my gloves and Boots. My CV: I'm a bit wide but played in goal during work Five-a-side tournament. One of the opposition teams had Emile Heskey as a ringer in their squad. I kept a clean sheet.
He's not a bad footballer either you know.
The most envitable signing of the summer finally becomes public. Personally I'm neither excited or dissapointed by it. He'll offer a point to an attack that has been missing for some time but he will give away alot of frustrating free kicks in the process.
I hope his attitude is better than the one portrayed in interviews after the play off final and most importantly I hope the club stamp down early on this 'Beast' rubbish and keep it out of their PR. It doesn't fit with 'One Wycombe' at all.
If anything, playing up the "beast" thing might help. It'll be an inevitable conversation for every opposition about how to handle him and what to do in set piece situations.
With Hayes and how he has picked up a few goals by being a nuisance near the goal line, add Akinfenwa's shear presence in there as well all adds to the mix.
And then, as someone else mentioned - you have Pierre/Stewart steaming in from the edge of the box, you are already asking a lot of questions at every single Corner/indirect Free kicks.
An oppositions 2 (or 3) centre backs have 4 players they will need to pick up.
Who do they compromise and stick their own striker to pick up on?
Do they take 1 or 2 men off the posts?
Who's defending the short corner?
Who's picking up on the ball to the edge of the box?
If we can get good deliveries and loads of movement in the box we could pick up quite a few goals from corners again.
We probably have the best set piece specialist in the division, I'm sure that JJ will deliver and we will score plenty from corners.
Pierre, Stewart, Akinfenwa and Jombati make us a right force in both boxes, and that's before you add in the height of Hayes/Thompson and the overperforming their build O Nien and Paris.
Let's hope JJ can get back to the form he showed the season before last with his dead ball delivery
Last season it became more and more dreadful as the season went on
The whole team just visibly sagged near the end.
Looking forward to fresh impetus from the off. No reason now we can't have a really good season.
Although expectations are always dangerous!
Pleased with what we have so far. Ideally sign 1 or 2 more and at least 1 keeper.
We will also get some loan players in to bolster the squad. Crap away trip but very much looking forward to the first game now.
Who still thinks Akinfenwa was a "Novelty" signing?
Some of the above comments are hilarious.
Brilliant signing and great to be proved wrong...I thought when we signed him it was the wrong kind of player however for me he is our player of the season so far
There's no doubt Akinfenwa has proven all us doubters wrong but let's not forget that he's really come into his own when playing alongside Kashket and PCH in a speedy front three. Stuck up front with Hayes and Thompson, as many of us were fearing at the start of the season, I doubt we'd be where we are now. Full credit to Ainsworth for finding Kashket. He's always willing to take a gamble signing cheap, unproven attackers like Ugwu, Freeman, Southwell and Kashket. I'm delighted that one of these has proven spectacularly successful - and I still have hopes for Southwell too.
Ye of little faith