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Target man....Matt Smith

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  • @Chris said:
    I think the plan is just go to the next strongest striker on FIFA that we can afford.

    A reasoned and coherent scouting plan if ever there was one.

    I think #27 on the list sounds promising - even beyond the imposing physical presence, it would be unwise to overlook the potential for the hilarious “he’s built like a Tanque” references.

    https://www.90min.com/posts/6552259-30-strongest-players-on-fifa-20

  • Cerri on loan would do for me.

  • I put this on another post but I think the way we played Peterborough in 2018 should be the way to go for now as a Plan B.

    Samuel on his own but balls over the top into the corners for him to chase mixed up with some into his feet. I thought he played too much with his back to goal when he started last time.

    Fred just behind with Wheeler/McCleary on the right and Parker on the left. Parker/Fred interchanging.

    I like Mehmeti but he is not as good as Parker currently. No way Kashket is a better winger than Wheeler/McCleary/Fred/Horgan.

    Kashket should only start with Bayo on the pitch, otherwise it looks like he’s there on the hope he scored rather than having a plan to enable him to score.

    GA and Dobbo have been hunting for years for Bayo 2.0. They’ve tried Ugwu, Umerah, Uche (jury still out) and a few others. I think Samuel has been the most consistent back up so far.

  • Why are we comparing Mehmeti and Parker? They don't even play the same position.

  • @TheAndyGrahamFanClub said:
    Kashket can score. Kashket will score. We need to give him the ball in the right place. I suspect we were set up today to use Mehmeti to create those passes. After we lost Curtis that went out the window.

    But to give Kashket the ball in the right place requires him to have made the right run and be free. It's not like he's just stood there in acres of spaces waiting for the right ball.

    It's hard to create chances without a striker who's finding space in the box and making the right runs. I think a lot of the crosses we've been putting in would end up being chances with a more mobile target man.

  • @drcongo said:
    Think we need to call in a doctor who can check your noggin @MBS

    I went to a lot of trouble to squeeze a Dr Who pun into the Matt Smith thread and not one of you ran with it. What is the gasroom coming to.

  • Kashket's used to basing his movement on flick-ons. Without Bayo or Wheeler he looks a bit lost and unsure what to do in that sense. Or you pair him with Samuel if you're employing a high press and have him force / pounce on mistakes close to goal. We didn't play to his strengths at all yesterday.

  • @Commoner said:
    I put this on another post but I think the way we played Peterborough in 2018 should be the way to go for now as a Plan B.

    Samuel on his own but balls over the top into the corners for him to chase mixed up with some into his feet. I thought he played too much with his back to goal when he started last time.

    Fred just behind with Wheeler/McCleary on the right and Parker on the left. Parker/Fred interchanging.

    I like Mehmeti but he is not as good as Parker currently. No way Kashket is a better winger than Wheeler/McCleary/Fred/Horgan.

    Kashket should only start with Bayo on the pitch, otherwise it looks like he’s there on the hope he scored rather than having a plan to enable him to score.

    GA and Dobbo have been hunting for years for Bayo 2.0. They’ve tried Ugwu, Umerah, Uche (jury still out) and a few others. I think Samuel has been the most consistent back up so far.

    You wouldn't even have Horgan near your lineup at all then?
    I don't see it at all with Parker. Especially not this season. League 1 he barely got a look in

  • If ever you needed an example of right cross / right movement look at the link up between Rashford & Cavani today.
    One without the other just look dumb, that's why it's always about the partnership between players than the individual players themselves.

  • @Malone said:

    @Commoner said:
    I put this on another post but I think the way we played Peterborough in 2018 should be the way to go for now as a Plan B.

    Samuel on his own but balls over the top into the corners for him to chase mixed up with some into his feet. I thought he played too much with his back to goal when he started last time.

    Fred just behind with Wheeler/McCleary on the right and Parker on the left. Parker/Fred interchanging.

    I like Mehmeti but he is not as good as Parker currently. No way Kashket is a better winger than Wheeler/McCleary/Fred/Horgan.

    Kashket should only start with Bayo on the pitch, otherwise it looks like he’s there on the hope he scored rather than having a plan to enable him to score.

    GA and Dobbo have been hunting for years for Bayo 2.0. They’ve tried Ugwu, Umerah, Uche (jury still out) and a few others. I think Samuel has been the most consistent back up so far.

    You wouldn't even have Horgan near your lineup at all then?
    I don't see it at all with Parker. Especially not this season. League 1 he barely got a look in

    Agreed. A rare Ainsworth signing that hasn't worked out.

  • Also, how could Ugwu have been Bayo 2.0 when he was at the club before Bayo?

  • It's just a phrase, it's not that deep ?

  • Think it was a Dr Who timelord reference

  • Wibbly wobbly timey wimey

  • @chairboyscentral said:
    Why are we comparing Mehmeti and Parker? They don't even play the same position.

    Parker has played most of his career in the 10 role. Ainsworth has used him there occasionally but more often on the left in a 4-3-3.

    Mehmeti was used in the 10 role in the first half against Derby and in other games. It was a step too far for him to be in the center of the pitch with Thompson against Forest.

    In my opinion Parker would play the 10 role as a starter better than Mehmeti this season. He has the experience and know how. I really like Mehmeti and I think he could do a job as a super sub this season but I do not understand how he is ahead of Parker. His abscence is mystifying.

    From where Ainsworth is currently playing Mehmeti in the 10 role and the games I've watched Parker play before joining us, they are occupying the same space on the pitch.

    If you don't believe me here is some evidence from the 2-2 draw against Gillingham a couple of years ago. Parker clearly playing in the 10 role behind Tom Eaves.

    The main reason I want Parker in the side with Fred is that I think they can be dynamic. They can continually switch positions between the 10 role and left winger, with little impact to the overall team. He is good in the air, strong in possession and has the ability to unlock a defence. Going further if McCleary/Horgan were on the right then all three could interchange continually and might just provide the opposition a headache.

    I've found a lot of your work really informative and I thoroughly enjoy your website. However your dismissal of suggestions about Parker in the 10 role and Fred through the middle seem a polar opposite to articles on your website which provide great insight and analysis to back up your thoughts. It hasn't taken much searching to provide evidence that supported Fred/Parker being able to play behind the front man.

    We may have to agree to disagree!!!

  • edited December 2020

    Parker's pretty much been used as a centre-forward or wide forward for us - and there's a distinction between a 10 in a front two and a 10 in a diamond / midfield three. Also, that might not necessarily be Mehmeti's position - it's very early days and he played a bit deeper at Forest, for example. They're very different players.

    And I just don't see where the faith in Parker is coming from at all. He had a good half against an unfit and far from full-strength Brentford and scord a good goal against MK in the FLT, but that's about it. I think he'll be out the door in January.

  • @Malone said:

    You wouldn't even have Horgan near your lineup at all then?
    I don't see it at all with Parker. Especially not this season. League 1 he barely got a look in

    The reply was to what I would do as a Plan B if Bayo is unavailable, and that's what I'd do currently.

    I like Horgan he's done well but I'd also like to see how McCleary would do in that plan B I'd be happy enough to see Horgan start on the right instead of McCleary but I'd really like to see what Parker McCleary and Fred would add first.

    Occasionally Ainsworth seems to have a player he doesn't fancy, it currently seems to be Parker - I'm not sure it's always footballing ability related. He did the same with Paris at the end of his time here. Even when Paris was coming on as a sub and scoring he was
    then back on the bench pretty quickly, when we were crying out for width everyone but Paris was tried out wide. Well that's how I remember it!

    There's a strong suspicion it's related to attitude but only Ainsworth will know.

  • The faith is coming from the fact he's looked good every time he's had a brief chance this season. GA must not be seeing it from him in training, because based on his game time, he more than deserves a chance.

  • @JohnBoy said:
    The faith is coming from the fact he's looked good every time he's had a brief chance this season. GA must not be seeing it from him in training, because based on his game time, he more than deserves a chance.

    Sorry, I just don't see it

  • Parker was about the only bright spot in that awful home defeat to Fleetwood in February. But you’re right, it’s obvious he’s at the bottom of the pecking order.

  • @JohnBoy said:
    The faith is coming from the fact he's looked good every time he's had a brief chance this season. GA must not be seeing it from him in training, because based on his game time, he more than deserves a chance.

    He got a couple of run outs when others weren't available and we looked quite poor overall.
    It's a bit of a stretch to talk his performances up much.
    He's barely had a look in since he's been here. Under a very shrewd manager. So shrewd you can only imagine he came on fairly beneficial terms to us as two years on his deal looks a real oddity.

  • For me the faith is coming from what I've seen him do in the past at Wycombe and prior to Wycombe.

    If he was given the support and run in the side that Kashket has been given this term or Samuel was given last term then I'm convinced most would be pleasantly surprised. Even Mehmeti has been given more backing and support in his short tenure here than Parker has ever been given.

    If he gets an extended run and he doesn't live up to my expectations then I'd be quite happy to eat humble pie. I just don't see Parker being given that opportunity under Ainsworth.

    Only the management team know those reasons, something just doesn't add up...

  • I think that one of the main things that doesn't 'add up' is that you can only have 11 players in a team at any one time. We have a group of players who have been immensely successful over the last few years who are fighting to get into that first 11, so it will take an awful lot for Parker to get in front of them.

    Rightly or wrongly, I would be very surprised if he gets much game time from here on in

  • @commoner were you the guy saying Parker had been a success the other week?

    Think what you like and your views are fair opinion, but any success can only be an indirect affair based on what the team have achieved.

  • @Malone said:

    @JohnBoy said:
    The faith is coming from the fact he's looked good every time he's had a brief chance this season. GA must not be seeing it from him in training, because based on his game time, he more than deserves a chance.

    He got a couple of run outs when others weren't available and we looked quite poor overall.
    It's a bit of a stretch to talk his performances up much.
    He's barely had a look in since he's been here. Under a very shrewd manager. So shrewd you can only imagine he came on fairly beneficial terms to us as two years on his deal looks a real oddity.

    Sure, but that’s all we have to judge him on. Of course, GA sees much more of him than we do, so I trust his judgement. But he’s said himself we need an alternative to Bayo - if other options have been exhausted, I don’t see a reason not to try Parker, based on promising cameos.

  • @JohnBoy said:

    @Malone said:

    @JohnBoy said:
    The faith is coming from the fact he's looked good every time he's had a brief chance this season. GA must not be seeing it from him in training, because based on his game time, he more than deserves a chance.

    He got a couple of run outs when others weren't available and we looked quite poor overall.
    It's a bit of a stretch to talk his performances up much.
    He's barely had a look in since he's been here. Under a very shrewd manager. So shrewd you can only imagine he came on fairly beneficial terms to us as two years on his deal looks a real oddity.

    Sure, but that’s all we have to judge him on. Of course, GA sees much more of him than we do, so I trust his judgement. But he’s said himself we need an alternative to Bayo - if other options have been exhausted, I don’t see a reason not to try Parker, based on promising cameos.

    I'd be more than frustrated if I were Parker, as Gaz will play a 38 year old Bayo for 90mins 3 games in a row rather than give Parker a few mins of a run out. Even with 5 subs.

    Maybe it's still worth being around for the overall atmosphere - I know Parker has mentioned some absolute nightmare situations abroad before.

    It is almost like we treated that first month as a pre season, so Parker got a few run outs. When it's gone to the "proper" stuff he's been bottom of the list - arguably level with even a Phillips.

  • When there’s so many players fighting for a first team place, and then in a striker injury crisis we play Wheels up front instead of Parker, I think it’s safe to say he hasn’t got a hope in hell of getting on a pitch this season.

    Even though I find some of his personal views pretty objectionable, I do think it’s a shame as he’s got some obvious quality and has never really been given a chance to prove it here.

  • I think with 5 subs now allowed, Parker will get his chance. Probably coming on when we are chasing a game. I really want it to work for him but he needs to show more than he has to date....isn’t he on a three year deal, so Gaz must have like what he saw...a lot?

  • @Forest_Blue said:
    I think with 5 subs now allowed, Parker will get his chance. Probably coming on when we are chasing a game. I really want it to work for him but he needs to show more than he has to date....isn’t he on a three year deal, so Gaz must have like what he saw...a lot?

    Heck no. 2 years. But even that has looked lengthy.

  • Uche's been doing some pretty strenuous-looking stuff in the gym - no boot either!

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