Hal Robson Kanu - Secret Striker?

[ZacNaloen]

The point really of this thread hoop is that striker genuinely is his first position and best position, which if Floyd had bothered to learn anything about the Lad before jumping to conclusions about playing him there he should know

Much like Jake Taylor isn't really a winger, he can just play there and we lack depth there so its a good a place as any to break into the team.

[rabidbee]

Except that his (Taylor's) first instinct appears to be to move into the middle of the park.

[Simon's Church]

Maybe that's why he was so shit for most of last season.

[PEARCEY]

Maybe that's why he was so shit for most of last season.

Who? HRK came on leaps and bounds last season.

[Simon's Church]

I'd say he started to come good in Aprilish time but that's obviously because before that he wasn't used to being a winger and thought effective wing play was running as fast as he could straight at a defender or standing still until someone decided to tackle him.

[ZacNaloen]

Except that his (Taylor's) first instinct appears to be to move into the middle of the park.

He'll learn, there's a reason he isn't first choice for that position at the moment

[SCIAG]

HRK is definitely better as a winger. He always used to play there for the reserves, and he's looked lost whenever he's played as a striker in the first team (friendlies against lower league teams don't count for obvious reasons).

[ZacNaloen]

He looked lost for 6 months this year when playing as a winger. What you really mean is that he's not a particularly experienced player all round.

[floyd__streete]

Well, I remain to be convinced if HRK has the composure to play up front but - what - half a dozen goals last season shows he might have it in him I suppose . Don't get me wrong, I am not sl8ing the bloke, I think he looks easily good enough for us tbh and again it is good to see an academy product coming through etc. etc.

[Simon's Church]

But he hits it hard and that's a pretty good replacement for composure at this level. He's also pretty good at shanking them in, like his shin into the top corner last season which RFC hilariously described as a wonderful chip.

[PEARCEY]

I'd say he started to come good in Aprilish time but that's obviously because before that he wasn't used to being a winger and thought effective wing play was running as fast as he could straight at a defender or standing still until someone decided to tackle him.

Thats when he started playing regularly though and improved greatly as a result.

[Hoop Blah]

The point really of this thread hoop is that striker genuinely is his first position and best position, which if Floyd had bothered to learn anything about the Lad before jumping to conclusions about playing him there he should know

Much like Jake Taylor isn't really a winger, he can just play there and we lack depth there so its a good a place as any to break into the team.

That might be the point Zac but it's not quite the truth.

A lot of pro's (and better players full stop) play their early football upfront but move into their more suited position later on. Robson-Kanu has played the majority of his football for Reading, at all levels that I've seen, and at Swindon for that matter, on the wing. It's on the wing where he is most effective and will most likely forge out his career.

I agree with your idea that we might see a bit of him upfront, but I think your stretching the boundaries a bit to suggest that upfront is his real or first position.

[rfc2001]

Worth a go, can't be worse than Church

[brendywendy]

The point really of this thread hoop is that striker genuinely is his first position and best position, which if Floyd had bothered to learn anything about the Lad before jumping to conclusions about playing him there he should know

Much like Jake Taylor isn't really a winger, he can just play there and we lack depth there so its a good a place as any to break into the team.

That might be the point Zac but it's not quite the truth.

A lot of pro's (and better players full stop) play their early football upfront but move into their more suited position later on. Robson-Kanu has played the majority of his football for Reading, at all levels that I've seen, and at Swindon for that matter, on the wing. It's on the wing where he is most effective and will most likely forge out his career.

I agree with your idea that we might see a bit of him upfront, but I think your stretching the boundaries a bit to suggest that upfront is his real or first position.

pretty sure he sees himself as a striker & Bm sees him as a striker
its just easier to blood players on the wings, rather than up front, since you can get away with quiet games out there, whereas you cant up front.

[Svlad Cjelli]

12 months ago, and all the way through to December, the vast majority of people on here were saying that Long wasn't up to the job.

But BMc's scorecard on getting these things right is waaaaay, waaaaay ahead of HNA's, so on that basis I'm happy to leave the decision to the person who sees the players train every day.

[sandman]

Secret striker? Why not, he's already a secret footballer.

[Extended-Phenotype]

I always liked the idea of playing him like a Stringer. Wrong footed, cutting inside from the wing. Play him like that in a 4-5-1 and you've got the two upfront without losing a man in midfield.

Works in my head, anyway. But then I did walk into a lampost last night while looking doe-eyed at my missus beside me. Soppy twat.

[rabidbee]

But BMc's scorecard on getting these things right is waaaaay, waaaaay ahead of HNA's, so on that basis I'm happy to leave the decision to the person who sees the players train every day.

Big +1.

[Hoop Blah]

pretty sure he sees himself as a striker & Bm sees him as a striker
its just easier to blood players on the wings, rather than up front, since you can get away with quiet games out there, whereas you cant up front.

I'm not saying he can't play as a striker, just that he's not done a lot of it and most of his football has been played on the wing.

Playing most of his youth and reserve football, and most of his time on loan, on the wing isn't him being blooded on the wing in favour of upfront. It's playing him in the position that the side need him to play in and where he is, at the time, most suited to playing.

McDermott has said that he can, and has, played upfront. I don't disagree with that at all. He has some of the qualities to play up there, not as well as some others admittedly, but he can do a job up there.

[ZacNaloen]

Playing most of his youth and reserve football, and most of his time on loan, on the wing isn't him being blooded on the wing in favour of upfront. It's playing him in the position that the side need him to play in and where he is, at the time, most suited to playing.

Earlier in thread you said "He played on the wing for the reserves" well that's not completely true, there's an interview with Mcdermott on the official site where it says he played up front for the reserves. Which mean he was doing both.

I know that he played up front during parts of his time on loan at Swindon, as well as on the wing.

I think he's played up front more than you are giving him credit for, and certainly more than Floyd with his lazy analysis obviously thought. I'm just not seeing the issue Floyd decided to raise yesterday. Fact is, that the boy is player with an attacking mentality who is good in the air and good with the ball at his feet. He'd be a very good number 10.