samjp26 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Awful footballer Currently our highest scorer with the most assists. Yep. Awful footballer. 3 goals and 2 assists. Awful football team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Just don't rate him. I want him to be great because of his work rate but he isn't a PL Striker. Would absolutely kill it in the championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted December 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted December 17, 2014 I think the lad can make it as a striker, his biggest problem is that he's rarely played as a striker. He's no winger. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted December 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted December 17, 2014 I think the lad can make it as a striker, his biggest problem is that he's rarely played as a striker. He's no winger. I think a front 2 of him and Benteke would be pretty tasty as it goes, it would mean changing shape and dropping Gabby though so I doubt it's going to happen ever, 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted December 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted December 17, 2014 I think the lad can make it as a striker, his biggest problem is that he's rarely played as a striker. He's no winger. I think a front 2 of him and Benteke would be pretty tasty as it goes, it would mean changing shape and dropping Gabby though so I doubt it's going to happen ever, I agree! I'd like to see them both playing together as a 2. Specially if they had Cole playing just behind them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heid3ster Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's misused. He should be played in a Shane Long type of role - up top, running at defenders the whole game, hassling them, tiring them out, forcing the opposition into a mistake. He still wouldn't get very many goals but that kind of grunt work should open up chances for Gabby and Benteke. It's where he's been most effective and I don't understand why he's constantly being deployed as a defensive winger instead. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. I don't think that is true, not at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted December 17, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. I don't think that is true, not at all. It's not. Especially not with Benteke during the last two years. When he did play with Benteke earlier, he did really well. I'd like to see them being played together again, like romavillan said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itdoesntmatterwhatthissay Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. I don't think that is true, not at all. You're right he hasn't, last year when he played up front he had an assist/goal every other game, he was very useful in that position. The problem is he's a finisher and not a player blessed with top quality skill in all departments. His passing is average, crossing quite poor, first touch/dribbling clunky and decision making outside the box indecisive and without calculation. They are his clear negatives, outside the box he's a hardworking average player however when inside the box he comes alive. His touch might not be the best but his set up touch is generally quite good, I am always impressed by how he realises what touch will set up which shot, he also knows where the target is. He is a busy player anyway, but inside the box his energy is a nightmare for defenders and he does make runs, stops when he's offside/comes back to keep in play and draws defenders out of position for other players. He also can finish, he's not a natural goal scorer but he is a finisher who shoots and scores from the angles he sees/practices. It's just he never plays up front to get comfortable and perhaps that makes him hasty when coming inside for that occasional shot. So what do you do with him? Play him wide hoping he can do okay, grab a goal and track back when a full back overlaps? Or stick him in a front 2 and hope you can get balls into the box/behind the defence for him to feed on? Well we have no wide player, we don't cross and it's not in the playbook, and very few players (who can stay fit) can actually play a defence splitting pass. That's why I think he plays wide, he covers a position, adequately; for a team who battles relegation. He might not be Premiership quality but keep playing him wide and he'll never progress in a position his natural abilities suggest he should play. Edited December 17, 2014 by itdoesntmatterwhatthissay 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulfromsutton Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I think weimann is a 4-4-2 player and would be very good up front with Benteke but no one plays 4-4-2 anymore as it leaves them over run in the days of 4-5-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I'd only want him as a striker in a 4-4-2 and with our total lack of wide options our midfield would continue to look horribly unbalanced unless we went to a diamond and played Grealish in the hole which might be a long term option. People are getting misty eyed if they think he'd do much as the lead striker in a 4-2-3-1, I just don't think he's got enough about him to stretch and unsettle defences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milfner Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. According to whoscored, of his 15 games this season, he's played 3 games through the middle and got a goal and an assist. The other 12 he's got 2 goals and 1 assist. I think that shows a) he's not had much of a chance through the middle (especially this year), and he's much, much better as a striker (which we all knew). We really need to start playing him through the middle, especially in home games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. According to whoscored, of his 15 games this season, he's played 3 games through the middle and got a goal and an assist. The other 12 he's got 2 goals and 1 assist. I think that shows a) he's not had much of a chance through the middle (especially this year), and he's much, much better as a striker (which we all knew). We really need to start playing him through the middle, especially in home games. The problem is, I can't see Lambert dropping Gabby, if we do play two through the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poitier Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 He's had a lot of chances played up front as a striker to be honest, yet people only seem to remember the handful of good performances he has had there. His shot/goal ratio is still very bad, which for me is the biggest reason as to why we shouldn't play him as a striker. His work rate sometimes works well when out wide, but generally he isn't good enough for the starting XI, or at least he shouldn't be classed as being so if we are to progress. According to whoscored, of his 15 games this season, he's played 3 games through the middle and got a goal and an assist. The other 12 he's got 2 goals and 1 assist. I think that shows a) he's not had much of a chance through the middle (especially this year), and he's much, much better as a striker (which we all knew). We really need to start playing him through the middle, especially in home games. Those stats are meaningless with such small numbers. I think the stats would probably suggest playing Clark as a forward since he has a goal and assist having played no games as a forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 You could extend those numbers for most of the last of the last three seasons though - Lambert's tactics are hardly a secret, when they are all three fit, Gabby and Weimann play as wingers while Benteke plays up top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I posted the stats somewhere in this thread, but Andi's career numbers echo this season's. He scores or sets up goals when he is played centrally. I would love for Andi to replace Gabby. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supervillan78 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Irrespective of where he's been playing, IMO his finishing still needs to improve. He should have scored more than three goals by now, especially with some of the chances he's had? Edited December 18, 2014 by Supervillan78 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I posted the stats somewhere in this thread, but Andi's career numbers echo this season's. He scores or sets up goals when he is played centrally. I would love for Andi to replace Gabby. So when WhoScored say he started the game in the middle of the pitch, his shooting works, but when they say he starts out wide his shooting ability deteriorates? This is why I don't buy it, he often ends up in the middle of the pitch, but he also often fluffs his shots and his touch is woeful. His shooting/finishing stats are really bad for somebody who is meant to be a striker, which is why I think we need somebody else on the pitch. I like the guy, he works hard and loves the club quite clearly, I love that he's worked his way into the team from the academy. However, he just isn't good enough if we want to progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I posted the stats somewhere in this thread, but Andi's career numbers echo this season's. He scores or sets up goals when he is played centrally. I would love for Andi to replace Gabby. So when WhoScored say he started the game in the middle of the pitch, his shooting works, but when they say he starts out wide his shooting ability deteriorates? This is why I don't buy it, he often ends up in the middle of the pitch, but he also often fluffs his shots and his touch is woeful. His shooting/finishing stats are really bad for somebody who is meant to be a striker, which is why I think we need somebody else on the pitch. I like the guy, he works hard and loves the club quite clearly, I love that he's worked his way into the team from the academy. However, he just isn't good enough if we want to progress. I literally can't understand the point here. To repeat the argument, his goalscoring record from games where he has started as a central striker is very good for a player at a bottom-half club. This is a fact, and assessments of whether or not he has 'good technique' or not really seems to me to be neither here nor there. Scoring goals is what counts at the end of the day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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