Le Fondre will score

[readingbedding]

is doing alright.

[leww_rfc]

16!

[Friday's Legacy]

fox in the box. if we can get our act together at the back and play more football down the wings, and that means playing robson-kanu instead of hunt, then le fondre will put the chances away.

[rhroyal]

Liked his little joke in the interview. "It was one of my better ones; a whole yard out."

Not because it was particularly funny, but telling. He appears to be the sort of striker you can rely on to be in the right place at the right time, and notch a hatful of goals because of it. The sort of striker who can do nothing for 85 minutes and still make the difference. Rather like RVN used to be at Man Utd. Idiots would call him overrated, but there was no luck about it. A player who can score tap-ins a plenty is a real asset, as it one who can take penalties. It's only when your team goes without either that you really begin to realise that.

[roadrunner]

Liked his little joke in the interview. "It was one of my better ones; a whole yard out."

Not because it was particularly funny, but telling. He appears to be the sort of striker you can rely on to be in the right place at the right time, and notch a hatful of goals because of it. The sort of striker who can do nothing for 85 minutes and still make the difference. Rather like RVN used to be at Man Utd. Idiots would call him overrated, but there was no luck about it. A player who can score tap-ins a plenty is a real asset, as it one who can take penalties. It's only when your team goes without either that you really begin to realise that.

Exactly this! Yet we've already had some moaning that he is lazy and doesn't drop out wide. Thing is, if you tell him to do more, drop back, go wide right etc, you lose the poacher that we signed. He is a Curo, Kevin Phillips type player. I like him!

[Gordons Cumming]

Le Fondre, our own JImmy Greaves.

[Vision]

Liked his little joke in the interview. "It was one of my better ones; a whole yard out."

Not because it was particularly funny, but telling. He appears to be the sort of striker you can rely on to be in the right place at the right time, and notch a hatful of goals because of it. The sort of striker who can do nothing for 85 minutes and still make the difference. Rather like RVN used to be at Man Utd. Idiots would call him overrated, but there was no luck about it. A player who can score tap-ins a plenty is a real asset, as it one who can take penalties. It's only when your team goes without either that you really begin to realise that.

Exactly this! Yet we've already had some moaning that he is lazy and doesn't drop out wide. Thing is, if you tell him to do more, drop back, go wide right etc, you lose the poacher that we signed. He is a Curo, Kevin Phillips type player. I like him!

Don't think people have been moaning that he doesn't drop out wide (or that he's lazy) just observing the fact that its not his game and in order for us to be effective he has to be partnered with someone that does. If not you end up with what you had against Watford with him and Manset both operating within the width of the penalty area and no-one creating space or turning defenders.That in itself isn't a disaster provided you play a passing game through midfield. We don't.

[roadrunner]

There's already been a few abusive comments thrown his way from the usual suspects that give no-one a chance.

[rhroyal]

Liked his little joke in the interview. "It was one of my better ones; a whole yard out."

Not because it was particularly funny, but telling. He appears to be the sort of striker you can rely on to be in the right place at the right time, and notch a hatful of goals because of it. The sort of striker who can do nothing for 85 minutes and still make the difference. Rather like RVN used to be at Man Utd. Idiots would call him overrated, but there was no luck about it. A player who can score tap-ins a plenty is a real asset, as it one who can take penalties. It's only when your team goes without either that you really begin to realise that.

Exactly this! Yet we've already had some moaning that he is lazy and doesn't drop out wide. Thing is, if you tell him to do more, drop back, go wide right etc, you lose the poacher that we signed. He is a Curo, Kevin Phillips type player. I like him!

Don't think people have been moaning that he doesn't drop out wide (or that he's lazy) just observing the fact that its not his game and in order for us to be effective he has to be partnered with someone that does. If not you end up with what you had against Watford with him and Manset both operating within the width of the penalty area and no-one creating space or turning defenders.That in itself isn't a disaster provided you play a passing game through midfield. We don't.

I can see the logic there. Church is a good partner for him, as would Hunt be when played in the correct position.

[Extended-Phenotype]

^ Nah. That's numpty bumpty.

Strikers in the box means people to aim for with our wingers - it helps wide play. The problem with Church is the only time he is near the goal is when he is offside.

Manset can win enough for Alfie to feed off. They are by far the best partnership, the only reason they aren't being picked is experience, fitness or a stupid sense of 'fairness'.

[Ian Royal]

I've liked the looks I've seen of the Le Fondre & Church partnership. Partly because to use it effectively we'd have to play a better brand of football. We just need someone a bit more creative in the centre of midfield to bring the best out of it.

[rhroyal]

^ Nah. That's numpty bumpty.

Strikers in the box means people to aim for with our wingers - it helps wide play. The problem with Church is the only time he is near the goal is when he is offside.

Manset can win enough for Alfie to feed off. They are by far the best partnership, the only reason they aren't being picked is experience, fitness or a stupid sense of 'fairness'.

Not really. If centre forwards don't move, neither do the opposing centre backs. It's simple enough to mark them out of the game, whereas if is running into the channels or dropping into midfield, this gives them a problem. It creates for midfielders to exploit and gives the other striker a little more breathing space. Having played at centre back a fair bit, I know what an almighty headache is causes when "your man" is moving all over the place into other people's areas.

Also, if the team is under pressure than somebody like Church or Hunt can work the channels to allow an easier out ball to the team, which helps relieve pressure and helps us build our attacks, thus bringing wingers into play.

[Maguire]

Is Kevin Phillips really the same as Curo/Le Fondre. Seems to score goals from absolutely anywhere as far as I can tell.

[melonhead]

but then you get crosses into the box and no one is there top stick em in.
the ideal way would be for one to stay in there, while the other runs the channels etc.
which is pretty much what is happening.

i think our strikers are all ok, theyll all score ~ 10 goals this season, and any one of them could have the ability to improve and get twenty in a confident team.

im not sure the problem is any one player, area of the team,whos captain, or our formation,
its more like this team is still getting to know each other, and brian has yet to find the right combo.
stick HRK/kebe in the team instead of nhunt and it will all startto get better

[Thomas L'Heureux]

Is Kevin Phillips really the same as Curo/Le Fondre. Seems to score goals from absolutely anywhere as far as I can tell.

The point was probably that he is an instinctive striker - the type of player that has the natural knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Kevin Phillips, even at the age of 37/38, is still easily the best player of the three though. Fantastic footballer.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Remember seeing Philips play at EP just after he'd been discovered by Watford. May even have been his first league goal - a consolation in a 4-1 defeat. Gibbs may have been sent off in that one as well!

[Friday's Legacy]

Is Kevin Phillips really the same as Curo/Le Fondre. Seems to score goals from absolutely anywhere as far as I can tell.

yes, as did curo and does le fondre, but neither of the three are grafters that mix it up, track back, go out wide. they are all natural finishers who don't need to work too hard, just be in and around the box to latch on to any option that arises.

[Maguire]

Is Kevin Phillips really the same as Curo/Le Fondre. Seems to score goals from absolutely anywhere as far as I can tell.

The point was probably that he is an instinctive striker - the type of player that has the natural knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Kevin Phillips, even at the age of 37/38, is still easily the best player of the three though. Fantastic footballer.

Agreed Tom, and here's a fact for you - he's the only English player to ever win the European Golden Boot.

I guess I just credit him with having a bit more about him than the other two, although perhaps it's more that he does the same things they do but better.

BTBB - I remember that goal V Watford too, flighted finish in front of the Town End after our keeper came off his line.

[Vision]

Is Kevin Phillips really the same as Curo/Le Fondre. Seems to score goals from absolutely anywhere as far as I can tell.

The point was probably that he is an instinctive striker - the type of player that has the natural knack of being in the right place at the right time.

Kevin Phillips, even at the age of 37/38, is still easily the best player of the three though. Fantastic footballer.

Agreed Tom, and here's a fact for you - he's the only English player to ever win the European Golden Boot.

I guess I just credit him with having a bit more about him than the other two, although perhaps it's more that he does the same things they do but better.

BTBB - I remember that goal V Watford too, flighted finish in front of the Town End after our keeper came off his line.

For the sake of discussion.

IIRC correctly Phillips was actually a right back when he first broke into the professional ranks. Whatever natural instinctive finishing ability he had certainly wasn't spotted by anyone else until relatively late. Perhaps thats why he always has much more about him than just being a "fox in the box" type. Which brings us to the topic of "development".

Le Fondre has given a couple of interviews where he's said one of the main reasons he signed for us was our record in developing players particularly referring to forwards I would guess. However if he's simply going to play within the parameters of the 18 yard box as he did at Rochdale and Rotherham then I'd question whether he really going to "develop" into a better player. It also begs the question would deveoping other aspects to his game work to the detriment of that which seems to come naturally to him and which has brought him relative success so far in his career?

Cureton is actually a good comparison. Prolific when played with a Jason Roberts/Martin Butler/Chris Iwelumo but not so successful without that foil to play off. I've no doubt that he had the technical abilities to make a decent stab at the top level but his all round game never really improved from his early years and he never had the inclination or ability to adapt to playing styles that might not initially appear to favour him.

[Wimb]

Bit on The Tilehurst End comparing Cureton and Le Fondre

http://thetilehurstend.co.uk/2011/10/12 ... -marksman/