Dale Taylor
Hi all - hope you don't mind me posting this.
Forest fan here wondering how Dale Taylor is doing for you? Seems to be getting some game time but hasn't scored too many goals as yet. The information would go into a Loan Watch thread for a Forest forum.
I always look out for your results now and hope you have a good rest of the season.
Happy New Year to you!
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Comments
Working hard but not producing at the moment as we were using him as a lone striker while Sam Vokes was injured...a job he does not seem suited for. Now Vokes is back I hope he can push on.
(I must caveat this before it is pointed out by adding I am an old Red in Bucks and so may be giving him more slack than others!! 😉)
Bloody hell, there's more Forest fans than Wycombe on here now.
Agree with @Wendoverman mostly. We have seen some flashes of brilliance from him, especially his brace in the pizza cup recently, but we've not had much of a chance to play to his strengths yet so in a lot of games he's been a bit lost though no fault of his own. When playing in a role that suits him, surrounded by players that know what he's going to do, I think he's pretty good. Would like to see him pick the ball up and take people on a bit more as he looks to be built like a shed with a low centre of gravity and pretty quick feet.
He's done OK, but would not be in our starting 11 if everyone was fit.
Has shown glimpses of being a good player, but all too often has struggled to impose himself. I suspect although he's not been injured himself, he's been a victim of the absence of many of our better players. No coincidence that he played one of his best games for us on Monday with Sam Vokes playing alongside him. If we can keep the likes of Vokes and Potts fit, it'll be interesting to see if he can push on in the 2nd half of the season.
I think Monday was the best I've seen him. Seemed to relish playing alongside Vokes and not having to be the one fighting giant centre halves all game
I think he still needs to figure out what kind of player he is. His physical size does not allow him to be a target man, he’s not blessed with pace, but he does have a good shot on him. He’s got a lot to learn still but playing off Sam Vokes he looked far more threatening.
We saw a glimpse of what’s possible at the start of the second half against Rovers when Vokes flicked a perfect header into Dale’s path but unfortunately he blazed his shot off target.
I think the responses so far are fine examples of diplomacy.
There is no question of his effort, enthusiasm or professionalism. We haven’t played a system which has suited him, so might not be getting the best out of him, but he looks well below Championship standard as things stand, let alone Premier League. There’s a half decent League 1 player in there (in the present; he may well develop more quickly in the next six months), but he needs to play a lot closer in proximity to Vokes or another physical striker in order to flourish. That hasn’t happened enough this season. He’s much better out of possession than in possession.
He has only just turned 20 don’t forget. Learning from Vokes should be the making of him. Vokes for a mature player is still very effective when closing down defenders and keepers. Taylor younger and fitter seems far less effective at defending from the front.
Dale is a hard worker who puts in a shift up front. Looks like he could be a good finisher and gets his shots away. But playing up front on his own against giant League One Centre Backs he is struggling.
Not from me. I think he's shown glimpses of a good player but my glass is generally half full...
I think it is safe to that with the exception of Potts none of the loan players we have will threaten their parent club first team any time in the near future.
I agree with @Forest_Blue, every time I have seen Dale Taylor play, you can see the effort in the performance that he's putting in, even though we have played the wrong formation and/or tactics for him. He never gives up and while things don't go his way, I don't recall seeing a half-efforted attempt at winning the ball or chasing something down. However, play alongside Vokes and other experienced professionals is only going to improve him. We have seen with players, like Philips on Monday, where they come on and go through the motions but leave a lot left to give on the pitch.
Potts has def been the diamond this season and been a cut above all of those he's played against and around. We often get these players, Eze & Steven Taylor were both in the same boat and they went on to bigger things / playing regularly for their side after us.
I reckon he'll go on have a good career in League One or Two, which is a great achievement. He doesn't have quite enough natural ability to make it in the Championship, although he has a really good touch and can dribble in tight areas well. For a Championship player he'd needb to have more physical presence, better finishing and better link up play.
Players do improve at different ages, but Potts is by far the stand out. He just oozes absolute quality and clearly has a chance at the top level.
The others aren't without their charm, some work exceptionally hard and will certainly enamour themselves with fans who demand the "pashun". But certainly need a distinct step up in quality, as there's a big step from us to the champs, let alone to the prem.
If someone wants to mould him into a busy midfielder with goal threat the boy could do good I think!
Saying that about a striker is like saying a keeper is a "good shot stopper".
Is it ?!
This is spot on, I expect. I saw an interesting discussion on the Palace forum around Killian Phillips, where someone pointed out that if someone has not already been loaned to the Championship by his age, it is rare for them to end up playing for their Premier League parent club. I am not sure how statistically true that is, but it is certainly food for thought.
Killian Phillips reminds me a lot of Jason McCarthey when he arrived on loan. Passion, drive and commitment in spades, pedigree from a Premier League outfit and looking like he has the potential to make it at a higher level. And yet there's just something there which suggests he'll probably be no more than a decent League One player unless the stars align. They didn't for Jason when he got his big shot with Millwall, he did better with Wycombe in the Championship but never really pushed on with his career and realised his potential (injuries haven't helped). I could definitely see Phillips signing with us on a permanent contract at the end of the season. Or do an Adeniran and go to a bigger club in the league only to see appearances limited. Same with Dale Taylor.
I’m not sure we’ve figured out Phillips’s best role or position. Quite possibly neither has he.
I thought he had a very goo game at Peterborough away (2-2). Works hard and obviously talented but not suited to League 1/our "style"
By the way, @Otter87, are you serious re your comment about Phillips above?? He came on in the 84th minute - he's not going to be able to have nothing left in the tank a mere 15 minutes later, no matter how much running he does... His first action was to harass and "De Barr" his nearest opponent (not necessarily great, but very committed) and moments later was within a whisker of nicking the ball off a defender's toes for a half-way line breakaway after making about 20 yards on him from nowhere. Did you think he was just standing around with his hands in his pockets, or something...? I’m expressing surprise because your posts usually have great merit, but I’m struggling with that particular assessment of KP.
(PS Apologies to @micra for inventing a new verb there...)
The general consensus around me in the FA was that KP didn’t put in the effort to chase down the ball in those last 15 minutes.
It was a thankless task and one he would never have expected to do when he joined us but it was clear to me and others that he didn’t apply himself well.
Closing down is a skill. If you run at 100mph at the defender they usually can knock it past you and see you sail right by. Philips is a great athlete and commonly does this. Vokes is no slouch but he’s no sprightly sprinter, but watch him close down defenders and the keeper. He seems to already know the comfortable side of the player and closes that down, making them nervous. He’s really effective at it Philips needs to make his closing targeted as opposed to energetic.
Back handed compliment. No striker wants to be turned into a "busy midfielder". And no keeper wants to be called a "good shot stopper" as it’s normally a way of saying they're limted elsewhere.
My view was KP could have harried a bit more but did not really trouble their keeper coming out with the ball or the defenders which was a surprise to.me given his usual gung-ho style.
But we won so academic now.
Bit harsh isn't it.
Although he's 21 upon checking. Thought he was younger.
No slight was intended by me @Malone...he spends most of his time in midfield anyway !