I don't think I've ever managed a longer post without a typo. I only use my phone on the GR and the edit thing doesn't seem to work for me. Maybe if I switched to desktop mode...
Worth also reflecting that passing on promising players is sometimes a symptom of doing well. At the time we were in decent form and couldn't give AAH minutes ahead of more experienced attackers.
We're now in crap form, with injured and/or ageing forwards that can't score. The result is Richard Kone gets a chance in the team and scores.
I thought Al-Hamadi went for free to Wimbledon (someone referred earlier to him being sold).
I spoke recently about how he’d impressed me at Home Park on 29 December 2022 when playing in what was almost a reserve side because of Christmas/New Year rotation. @DevC was at the game and wasn’t particularly impressed to be fair.
So it looks like a minimum of £500,000 could be coming our way if, as was reported at the time, AFC Wimbledon had already rejected a bid of £2m.
I just don't believe he's got what it takes to be first choice striker any more. He had one fantastic season for us followed by a lot of mediocrity (in my opinion). When Paul Hayes went from brilliant to mediocre he got absolute dogs abuse on here from everyone, all trotting out the tired old "legs have gone". And while yes, a lot of my comments about Vokes are purely for the fun of watching Eric react to them, I am genuinely amazed that everyone is so happy to have a non-scoring striker, especially one being paid so much.
At the time of his departure, with only 6 months left on his contract, it was rumoured that he'd more or less demanded the move as he wasn't getting game time for us.
Do those thinking it was a bad move to negotiate his departure to AFC with a hearty sell on, really think we ought to have dropped Vokes last January and started playing AAH in the hope that he would sign a new deal.
We had no way of knowing, at that time ...
a) if he would score goals for us
b) if he would have signed a new contract with us anyway
And, correct me if I'm wrong, weren't AFC really goal shy at the time and rebuilt their attack around AAH to play to his strengths.
At the time we didn't know GA & Anis would leave and Vokes be injured, so we were not about to rebuild the team around AAH (5 wins on the bounce without him in the team, wasn't it).
He's definitely closing in on the end and I don't know if he's got another season in him.
Target men can be a perennial debate. If you don't have one, you moan you need a physical presence, if you do have one, not scoring it's easy to question their value.
I think Hayes was a different case entirely though. He literally just went, the biggest case of legs were gone I've seen, and it was quite disturbing. Vokesy still has enough, for this season at least.
I think there's a bit of an argument that we've become a graveyard for strikers in recent years, and AAH leaving before banging them in immediately for Wimbledon is further evidence of that. Yes, he was given a few chances, but it's not like we gave them the ball to him in lots of promising positions is it?
When is the last time we had a striker who was genuinely prolific? Kashket in 2018?
It'd be interesting to hear from him how often he's properly been fit this last 18months. Not just the obvious spells out but actually feeling properly fit on the pitch
I suspect it's quite a low amount.
Clearly staying fit is a pretty important attribute . But some players just seem to take ages to get fit and back in form.
You feel there's some major work needed in the summer in our attack.
Supposing we did keep Al-Hamadi, what were the chances he would have hit the goalscoring trail with us, even if he was played wherever possible? Sometimes things just fall into place for some players at certain clubs, like it appears to have done at Wimbledon for him.
Negotiating a deal where there was little upfront and a generous sell-on was IMO an astute move. Maybe one that is now leaving us wondering if we could have kept him, but left us with a decent payoff.
Our system is largely the reason for being a striker graveyard. Our reluctance to have a strike partner with Vokes will mean that the goals of. It from Vokes will have to come from someone coming from deep or wide.
When Kone came on he ran the line. It dragged centre backs and full backs left and right as someone had to pick him up. Which to me is preferable to Taylor playing some ineffective midfield role which someone no doubt will mis label as a false 9 or number 10 or some bollocks when in reality it’s called a ‘shit role for a forward’.
I think this is decent business. He didn’t look like a championship striker with us (then again, who does). We get some cash, he gets a decent move. Hope it works well for him.
Bayo averaged about 1 in 4 for us in the league which over 6 years, including a very tough Championship season, really isn't bad going. And plenty of assists.
Comments
I don't think I've ever managed a longer post without a typo. I only use my phone on the GR and the edit thing doesn't seem to work for me. Maybe if I switched to desktop mode...
*Edit* it does work and I've just changed it!
Worth also reflecting that passing on promising players is sometimes a symptom of doing well. At the time we were in decent form and couldn't give AAH minutes ahead of more experienced attackers.
We're now in crap form, with injured and/or ageing forwards that can't score. The result is Richard Kone gets a chance in the team and scores.
A couple of points.
I thought Al-Hamadi went for free to Wimbledon (someone referred earlier to him being sold).
I spoke recently about how he’d impressed me at Home Park on 29 December 2022 when playing in what was almost a reserve side because of Christmas/New Year rotation. @DevC was at the game and wasn’t particularly impressed to be fair.
So it looks like a minimum of £500,000 could be coming our way if, as was reported at the time, AFC Wimbledon had already rejected a bid of £2m.
Its all a guess.
Could be as little as 15% of 1M, so £150k or as much as 40% of £1.5M which would be a very tasty £600k.
I reckon its probably 25-30% of £1.2M, so £300k to £360k.
Whatever the amount its most welcome.
Congrats to Ali though and I hope he does well at Ipswich.
Do we have time to spend it on a Vokes
replacementbackup?At the time almost no-one said he was worth a look. Now everyone seems to be saying they always knew he'd be amazing.
Starting to wonder if something has happened to you personally with Vokesy now...
I heard Vokesy was getting some money out at the Tesco cashpoint after a match when @drcongo and @micra happened to be walking by...
You seem desperate to meet up with people on here - do you not have many mates?
I just don't believe he's got what it takes to be first choice striker any more. He had one fantastic season for us followed by a lot of mediocrity (in my opinion). When Paul Hayes went from brilliant to mediocre he got absolute dogs abuse on here from everyone, all trotting out the tired old "legs have gone". And while yes, a lot of my comments about Vokes are purely for the fun of watching Eric react to them, I am genuinely amazed that everyone is so happy to have a non-scoring striker, especially one being paid so much.
Sorry doc, I loved Hayes but (for me at least) Vokes looks nowhere near as done or off the pace as Hayesy did that last season.
I'm pretty sure none of us are happy no-one is scoring...
At the time of his departure, with only 6 months left on his contract, it was rumoured that he'd more or less demanded the move as he wasn't getting game time for us.
Do those thinking it was a bad move to negotiate his departure to AFC with a hearty sell on, really think we ought to have dropped Vokes last January and started playing AAH in the hope that he would sign a new deal.
We had no way of knowing, at that time ...
a) if he would score goals for us
b) if he would have signed a new contract with us anyway
And, correct me if I'm wrong, weren't AFC really goal shy at the time and rebuilt their attack around AAH to play to his strengths.
At the time we didn't know GA & Anis would leave and Vokes be injured, so we were not about to rebuild the team around AAH (5 wins on the bounce without him in the team, wasn't it).
Too many people are applying hindsight
He's definitely closing in on the end and I don't know if he's got another season in him.
Target men can be a perennial debate. If you don't have one, you moan you need a physical presence, if you do have one, not scoring it's easy to question their value.
I think Hayes was a different case entirely though. He literally just went, the biggest case of legs were gone I've seen, and it was quite disturbing. Vokesy still has enough, for this season at least.
I think there's a bit of an argument that we've become a graveyard for strikers in recent years, and AAH leaving before banging them in immediately for Wimbledon is further evidence of that. Yes, he was given a few chances, but it's not like we gave them the ball to him in lots of promising positions is it?
When is the last time we had a striker who was genuinely prolific? Kashket in 2018?
Bayo.
Vokes 21/22?
Largely agree with this, and I’m very aware how few fans share my frustrations with Vokesy.
Bayo was brilliant for us and offered so much to our overall system but I don't think he was ever prolific.
I did wonder about Vokes and his goal return that season was certainly good. Suppose my memory is clouded by how much the goals have dried up since.
It'd be interesting to hear from him how often he's properly been fit this last 18months. Not just the obvious spells out but actually feeling properly fit on the pitch
I suspect it's quite a low amount.
Clearly staying fit is a pretty important attribute . But some players just seem to take ages to get fit and back in form.
You feel there's some major work needed in the summer in our attack.
Supposing we did keep Al-Hamadi, what were the chances he would have hit the goalscoring trail with us, even if he was played wherever possible? Sometimes things just fall into place for some players at certain clubs, like it appears to have done at Wimbledon for him.
Negotiating a deal where there was little upfront and a generous sell-on was IMO an astute move. Maybe one that is now leaving us wondering if we could have kept him, but left us with a decent payoff.
It feels to me that this is a deal that has worked out well for all parties involved.
Our system is largely the reason for being a striker graveyard. Our reluctance to have a strike partner with Vokes will mean that the goals of. It from Vokes will have to come from someone coming from deep or wide.
When Kone came on he ran the line. It dragged centre backs and full backs left and right as someone had to pick him up. Which to me is preferable to Taylor playing some ineffective midfield role which someone no doubt will mis label as a false 9 or number 10 or some bollocks when in reality it’s called a ‘shit role for a forward’.
Even when he wasn’t “prolific” he still offered plenty (which you pretty much said, to be fair), but…
https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=36629&season_id=150
I like it. It makes Micra laugh, which is sweet.
And what you think about Vokes of course has no impact on the reality of how good a player he is, so it doesn't really matter
I think this is decent business. He didn’t look like a championship striker with us (then again, who does). We get some cash, he gets a decent move. Hope it works well for him.
Bayo averaged about 1 in 4 for us in the league which over 6 years, including a very tough Championship season, really isn't bad going. And plenty of assists.
And generally kept 2 defenders busy.
Especially with a completely knackered knee
Let’s be honest, AAH is a puzzle.
How did we miss a £2m footballer in our midst?
That is a major league cock up.
You could say the same about a raft of players other teams missed that we developed into quality players.
Mehmeti being the best recent example.