DJ Campbell

[Fez of Mahrez]

Has to be the latter after last night, doesn't it??

No chance. Chambers is a quality player. Fair play to Stearman for scoring but there's no way he's better than Chambers.

[Geo V]

Sometimes people forget that the bloke is at a new club and may not have properly settled yet. Signing for a big club as the main striker probably needs some getting used to but he must have been effected by the sacking of MA and the crazyness of the last few weeks. He has done OK coming through it with a couple of goals, winning a peno and at times playing well. I agree at times he does worry me with his almost lack of attitude but he blows hot and cold and hopefully once he is used to the surroundings and things die down, we`ll see the best of him as he has the pace to cause plenty of sides a problem or 5.

BTW, how many better Premiership strikers are yet to score or are playing "average"? I bet there are plenty! Not every player plays superbly every game and no striker scores a goal a game. He`ll have bad games but he`ll also show us what he can do like he did at the start of the second halves against Watford and QPR.

[James.]

There is already a player ratings thread.

Campbell has the pace and the energy. Fryatt has the touch and the dribbling ability.

Be nice if we could have a striker with all four really. Oh wait... he's playing on the right wing. :D

(Before anyone says anything, I am glad he's playing there! But maybe if Kaebi or Ferreira can play right side then Hume could move back up top)

This is what I was hinting at by suggesting we could try Hume upfront with Fryatt. I'm not entirely convinced dropping Campbell is a good idea but on merit I would say Fryatt deserves a chance in the first team. He and Hume must surely have a decent understanding with each other as well.

I'm a massive Hume fan. I love the guy. Probably a bit too much. However while he's done well on the right I think we should be giving our wingers a chance out there. For me Campbell would be the one to miss out in order to accommodate this.

Sometimes people forget that the bloke is at a new club and may not have properly settled yet. Signing for a big club as the main striker probably needs some getting used to but he must have been effected by the sacking of MA and the crazyness of the last few weeks. He has done OK coming through it with a couple of goals, winning a peno and at times playing well. I agree at times he does worry me with his almost lack of attitude but he blows hot and cold and hopefully once he is used to the surroundings and things die down, we`ll see the best of him as he has the pace to cause plenty of sides a problem or 5.

BTW, how many better Premiership strikers are yet to score or are playing "average"? I bet there are plenty! Not every player plays superbly every game and no striker scores a goal a game. He`ll have bad games but he`ll also show us what he can do like he did at the start of the second halves against Watford and QPR.

Essentially you're saying he's out of form. I hope so because he really needs to improve in a lot of areas if he is to maintain the "main striker" tag.

[Daggers]

Hume is playing out on the right for the same reason that N'Gotty has been lumped there...it's McClarenism.

Selecting players then squeezing them into the team rather than picking a team to win.

We need width, we need pace and we need form...DJ has to sit it out and make way for Hume or Fryatt to come in. We have wingers ready and waiting that should be being picked. DJ preserves his start on the back of his value alone.

[Ric Flair]

Hume is playing out on the right for the same reason that N'Gotty has been lumped there...it's McClarenism.

Selecting players then squeezing them into the team rather than picking a team to win.

We need width, we need pace and we need form...DJ has to sit it out and make way for Hume or Fryatt to come in. We have wingers ready and waiting that should be being picked. DJ preserves his start on the back of his value alone.

I totally agree. Having Hume out on the right has finally proved that he's not a winger and he's not really an attacking midfielder. He's a striker, that's where he's most effective. Just because he likes to drop deep and perhaps pop up out wide once or twice, does not mean he's not a striker. Having him out wide is a waste, especially when our other strikers aren't in form either. If Campbell or Hume can't play together then one has to drop to the bench and at the minute that has to be Campbell.

[Kent Fox]

Totally agree with that, Ric.

Drop DJ for the next game and try MDV & Hume. Bring Matt on as sub after 60 mins for (probably) MDV if we are in need of a goal.

Let's have some width.

I would really like to seethat at the weekend and for us to have a stonking result.

Then bring on Villa!

[Raj]

I'm sure Dj will come good eventually.

I'd play Big Mark, Cort (IF he's fit!) DJ,and Fryatt in a 4pronged attack v Charlton.

I'd also like them to have a big fight at the end of the game to claim the prize as Leicester's number One striker.

Im talking bollox

[Fez of Mahrez]

I'm sure Dj will come good eventually.

I'd play Big Mark, Cort (IF he's fit!) DJ,and Fryatt in a 4pronged attack v Charlton.

I'd also like them to have a big fight at the end of the game to claim the prize as Leicester's number One striker.

Im talking bollox

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Brilliant.

[Trav Le Bleu]

The thing that is plaguing DJ is the same thing that has plagued our forwards for the last few years (probably since the days of a Guppy, Lennon, Izzet, Savage midfield) and that is lack of service.

Honestly, our midfielders of the last few years could spring a goal drought on the likes of Owen, Drogba, Henry and Ronaldhino. Will be interesting to see what happens if Ferreira, Djezeri and Kaebi get a run out on the flanks.

See, I've solved all our woes!

[Simi]

I still think that he can bring a lot to us, no doubt about that in my view. He's not had the best of starts by any means. At Blackpool he could of scored, and probably should have He carries on getting in the right positions but when he does he either seems to be wasteful or runs away from the goal.

Maybe when Ferreia and Kaebi work there way near the first team, Hume can go and have another go up front with somebody that complements him better.

[dandannieldanok]

I'm not impressed to be honest and who knows, it could be another reason as to why Allen got sacked because at the minute he is not proving his worth. Unsurprisingly he has no strength but what worries me is that he doesn't have the lightning pace to make up for it, yes he quick but at the minute he looks very mediocre, unlike Fryatt who showed last noght he offers something much less one dimensional.

[Daggers]

The thing that is plaguing DJ is the same thing that has plagued our forwards for the last few years (probably since the days of a Guppy, Lennon, Izzet, Savage midfield) and that is lack of service.

If this really is the problem then he should shout "I'm free!" more often

[Alexikokopops]

I'm sure Dj will come good eventually.

I'd play Big Mark, Cort (IF he's fit!) DJ,and Fryatt in a 4pronged attack v Charlton.

I'd also like them to have a big fight at the end of the game to claim the prize as Leicester's number One striker.

Im talking bollox

That's the most brilliantly ridiculous post I've seen today, hats off Raj my man

[Mighty Muzzy]

He's one of those guys who can flatter to decaive for 80or so minutes because they do not seem to be in the game but can change everything with a few touches by scoring the winning goal.

I like him. Let's give him a chance. After all, he's still young!

[James.]

Hmmm, I'm now even more concerned. Many of the posts in here suggested we needed to give him a chance (fair point, I created the thread very near the start of last season). As far as I'm concerned he's had that chance and not taken it.

When I've seen him play (admittedly not for awhile) I've been impressed by his pace (obvious) and the way he would create space with his diagonal runs coming in from wide. That's not enough though, he needs to score goals and I'm really starting to believe that even in League One he may be out of his depth. People also suggested he would do better playing in a team with proper wingers. We have that now so do we hold out for another season?

In my opinion not strong enough, not skilful enough and not a finisher.

Anyone care to defend him?

[Legend_in_blue]

You can't defend anyone who has performed as poorly as he has considering he cost roughly £1.6 million.

He is fast becoming a flop.

People slate Howard, but I'd have him in the team over DJ any day of the week.

Someone ought to start a Howard appreciation society.

[Ric Flair]

I can't offer any excuses for him, other than it hasn't worked out for him here. I don't think he particularly wants to be here and I think he thinks he should be playing at a higher level. So to not be first choice at a League One club is going to rile him even more. Add to that the fact that he's never been THAT good anyway and we have a waste of money on our hands.

I harbour the idea that it is mainly motivation and lack of confidence with Campbell that stopping him from taking his chances, because that's always been his strength (shooting) it's the other parts to his game where he has been particularly poor, such as link up play, staying on side and generally being a competent footballer.

I didn't want him here at that price and I don't want him here any longer. If we could re-coup half of what we paid for him then i'd fire up the quattro.

[davieG]

If he's here to stay then it's Pearson's job to get the best out of him. Based on what I've seen of him and his style of play I believe he's the sort of player that needs to have a steady regular partner that he's used to and played many games with because at the moment he's making decent runs but the flick ons and 1 - 2s aren't finding him.

Somehow we've got to find his best partner and give them plenty of playing time together, without a reserve team that is an impossible task.

We're buggered

[Joe.]

I've given DJ time and patience, and I will continue to do so, but he's just beginning to annoy me now. Last night for example, a fantastic opportunity for him to stake a claim for a first team place. It didn't look to as though he was doing everything he could to prove to Pearson his worth.

As a striker like DJ you should always be looking to play off a player like Howard. So you'd think that when a cross came in to Howard and it was clear that he was going to knock it down DJ would be there ready right? No. Where was DJ? Miles away. It's just not really good enough for me.

Saying this he does deserve more time; last season he was plagued with injuries and bit part appearances in the team and given a decent run in the side could improve.

[Ultra]

Don't want to say this, but the words, "told", "you" and "so" come to mind.

Campbell has proved to be the biggest waste of money since the poison dwarf.

Unfortunately with the wages he's on, we're likely to be stuck with him for a while, at least until Martin Allen gets a job somewhere else.

[Dr The Singh]

Don't want to say this, but the words, "told", "you" and "so" come to mind.

Campbell has proved to be the biggest waste of money since the poison dwarf.

Unfortunately with the wages he's on, we're likely to be stuck with him for a while, at least until Martin Allen gets a job somewhere else.

You could be right, he has the right attributes but he definitely lacks confidence, what a shame!!

[purpleronnie]

Don't want to say this, but the words, "told", "you" and "so" come to mind.

Campbell has proved to be the biggest waste of money since the poison dwarf.

Unfortunately with the wages he's on, we're likely to be stuck with him for a while, at least until Martin Allen gets a job somewhere else.

When he was signed and everyone was going nuts I posted I didn't understand why, I didnt rate him at all, of course I wanted to be proven wrong.

I honestly thought at this level he may finally pay back some of the money we spent on him, hopefully he still can.

[The People's Hero]

Don't want to say this, but the words, "told", "you" and "so" come to mind.

Campbell has proved to be the biggest waste of money since the poison dwarf.

Unfortunately with the wages he's on, we're likely to be stuck with him for a while, at least until Martin Allen gets a job somewhere else.

Just like we're stuck with you until high cholesterol finally and inevitably takes it's toll.

[Guest]

I've given DJ time and patience, and I will continue to do so, but he's just beginning to annoy me now. Last night for example, a fantastic opportunity for him to stake a claim for a first team place. It didn't look to as though he was doing everything he could to prove to Pearson his worth.

As a striker like DJ you should always be looking to play off a player like Howard. So you'd think that when a cross came in to Howard and it was clear that he was going to knock it down DJ would be there ready right? No. Where was DJ? Miles away. It's just not really good enough for me.

Saying this he does deserve more time; last season he was plagued with injuries and bit part appearances in the team and given a decent run in the side could improve.

I agree but we really can't waste time in this league waiting for strikers to improve. We need to find our best partnership, which at the moment seems to be a combo of Howard + Fryatt/Dickov and get them as much playing time together, score some goals and get the feck out of this league. I can't see where he's gonna get a prolonged run in the side without one of the other three being injured.

[James.]

I want to give players a run in the team that I think deserve it.

On current form Fryatt clearly deserves his place and contrary to the slating Howard has been getting I think he has the potential to take the piss out of this league. He scored last night as well and you don't drop a striker that has just scored.

Then there's Dickov who seems an ideal player to bring on in the later stages of a game. You would have thought that person would be Campbell but pace isn't everything... effort and drive can be equally as important towards the end of a game. Here Dickov will excel.

So as Emilio above says the only way he will get a chance is if one gets injured. But is it really deserved? No.

I think we should sell now and try to leverage off his dwindling reputation before he becomes a League One nobody.