What are people expecting from Howard?

[Ric Flair]

I think some of our fans are confused. They are expecting something from Steve Howard that they aren't going to get. There will be no turn of pace, no get the ball and beat a man ala Gradel.

And there lies the problem. The old fashioned centre forward has no place in the modern game from a fans point of view. If players don't have pace or an abundance of skill, they are called crap and lazy.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Howard has been as good as he should have been for us, but then again hardly anybody was for us last season. Because of the way Howard plays, people assume he's un-interested and couldn't give a fook. I seriously doubt that very much.

What i'm trying to say is, perhaps if fans realised the limitations in Howard's game, they might not get so worked up about it when he plays.

It's still plain to see from his goal scoring record that if we play to his strengths, then he'll score goals for us, especially in the league we are in. But that's all he is, a goal scorer. He does his business in the box, usually from crosses. When he doesn't score, fans will moan.

I'm not going to get on his back, there isn't any alternative we have amongst our ranks better than him right now. Fryatt is appearing to be re-discovering his form and that's encouraging, but DJ is as much a disappointment as Howard has been to many.

Please try to distinguish between a lack of pace and being a lazy, mardy 32 year old footballer who doesn't want to be here. Perhaps if Howard took his boots off every so often and did a little wave, there would be a bit more leniency from our fans.

I gather, there was a section of our fans telling him to 'fook off' when he got substituted on Saturday, marvelous.

[Daggers]

Goals.

[dandannieldanok]

A bit of effort, or is that too much to ask for more than one competitive game

[The People's Hero]

Thought he had a decent game at Palace.

[Ric Flair]

Goals.

It appears fans want more than that though. In a dog shit team, devoid of any leadership he scored a goal every 3 games last season. I know, he scored 3 in one game, but it's still got to be said that he'll still pop up with goals even when feeding off scraps.

Play to his strengths, and we now have a winger or two who know how to get a ball in the box and he'll score at an even better rate than 1 in 3. If he can get that down to 1 in 2 then it's 20+ league goals. Clock in, clock off.

[Ric Flair]

A bit of effort, or is that too much to ask for more than one competitive game

I hear this from fans. Describe what you mean by effort? His geniune lack of pace means that he looks like he's only going for things half heartedly. As soon as the ball is inside the box he's as keen as anyone, that's where his office is.

[Moreton]

Goals.

And more Goals.

[Shipman Out]

This really pisses me off and glad this has been posted

Steve Howard is a TARGET MAN! he won so many headers and knock downs last season that it was unreal won 85% of balls played into him. BUT hollowhead bought a target man (an immobile one to!) and played no one close alongside him to benefit from his work.

Sure he doesnt really attack crosses to well but his linkup play was spot on but the team didnt play to this style which is why Holloway confused me.

Steve Howard is a top quality target man, i hate the abuse he gets compared to the hero worship of Fryatt and Hume! its the opinions of fans not people who understand football

[teblin]

I hear this from fans. Describe what you mean by effort? His geniune lack of pace means that he looks like he's only going for things half heartedly. As soon as the ball is inside the box he's as keen as anyone, that's where his office is.

And he is probably told not to run about like a headless chicken ala hume.

As that's not his game, being a target man and a focal point of direct attacks is.

[Daggers]

I gather, there was a section of our fans telling him to 'fook off' when he got substituted on Saturday, marvelous.

I saw the same before we'd even kicked off against Hinckley.

It appears we know more than one.

[Simi]

Flair and Shipman are so right.

I've been saying for a while now that the abuse Howard gets is absolutely ridiculous. He scored more goals than Golden Boy Fryatt last season in a shorter amount of time and the wingers we had last season were mostly an embarrasment.

There has not been a game I've seen where he has not won headers or taken the ball down and fed it off to someone. That is his job. People are expecting him to be chasing down every lose ball like Hume would or dribbling the ball around players like Fryatt

I like Howard, I think he deserves to start alongside Fryatt on Saturday. Fryatt finally seems to be able to read a flick on every now and then and he's look ok during the majority of pre-season.

Howard will be an assest in this league I reckon.

[Moreton]

This really pisses me off and glad this has been posted

Steve Howard is a TARGET MAN! he won so many headers and knock downs last season that it was unreal won 85% of balls played into him. BUT hollowhead bought a target man (an immobile one to!) and played no one close alongside him to benefit from his work.

Sure he doesnt really attack crosses to well but his linkup play was spot on but the team didnt play to this style which is why Holloway confused me.

Steve Howard is a top quality target man, i hate the abuse he gets compared to the hero worship of Fryatt and Hume! its the opinions of fans not people who understand football

Well put and i totally agree after reading this. 'Hollowhead' was clueless in the sense of not playing someone along side him.

But it would be nice if he could be a little more selfish and score a few goals of his own?

[Ric Flair]

I saw the same before we'd even kicked off against Hinckley.

It appears we know more than one.

I hope he scores 3 on Saturday, and when he's took his boots off and the cretins then start to cheer and wave, that he full balls as many of them as he can in the face like Harry does to that bird with a snowball on Dumb & Dumber.

[Zingari]

i want and expect him to be more like didier droghba ,

but without the diving and have lower payment expectations

[Daggers]

i want and expect him to be more like didier droghba ,

but without the diving and have lower payment expectations

You're going to have a problem with the tanning, what with the poor quality sunlight in Leicester.

[Moreton]

You're going to have a problem with the tanning, what with the poor quality sunlight in Leicester.

Also the Hair needs to be Dyed and Grew.

[Zingari]

You're going to have a problem with the tanning, what with the poor quality sunlight in Leicester.

if he plays like droghba ; i'll pay for a few hours on a sunbed for him

[Sods]

Feel sorry for Howard in some ways as anything the lad does in which he dosen't do something well, it gets noticed even more so then if another player did the same thing. I dont think he can win unless he bangs in at least 10 goals in the first 10 games.

Even then people will still wait for him to do something wrong. I hope he gets off to a flyer just like Fryatt, i gather this will be the opening partnership and lets hope it works.

[20mj08]

yes he didnt show us whatevery fan wanted what was the howard of luton n d##by days and yes hes not the quickest lad by far but the was a unbalenced midfeild and poor service and the only football we seemed to play was hoof it up the pitch n let howard jump around after it all day and with no one to flick it on to because hollowhead didnt have a plan for strikers or mid's to latch on to the flick ons

new season , new gaffer(as usual) , new league , fresh minds ... bring it on

[Zingari]

actually , if he played a bit better than fookin frankie howard i'd be happier ;

titter ye not missus

[Lovejoy]

What doesn't help his game is defenders who upon receiving the ball don't look for a pass, but hoof it up field in hope of reaching Howard. This is not how to get the best out of a target man. I may get slated for saying this, but St. Kisnorbo was as guilty as anyone when it came to this. If the players played their way up field and then got a cross into the box from a decent position when others had the chance to get themselves into the box, then Howard would come into his own. By merely hoofing it everytime, the opposition defenders know exactly whats coming and will double-up on Howard, and he doesn't stand a chance of holding on to the ball.

[SussexFox]

So glad someone has posted this. It is really easy for a target man to look clumsy and mardy if the ball isnt going to him in the right places, Peter Crouch is a prime example - without good service its tough for a target man to operate effectively. I honestly believe Howard can be a serious asset this season and if he starts regularly and gets gd service he will score goals

[Simi]

So after all the critisism thrown at Howard lately, not one person has come in here and said something negative towards him really?

[Sods]

What doesn't help his game is defenders who upon receiving the ball don't look for a pass, but hoof it up field in hope of reaching Howard. This is not how to get the best out of a target man. I may get slated for saying this, but St. Kisnorbo was as guilty as anyone when it came to this. If the players played their way up field and then got a cross into the box from a decent position when others had the chance to get themselves into the box, then Howard would come into his own. By merely hoofing it everytime, the opposition defenders know exactly whats coming and will double-up on Howard, and he doesn't stand a chance of holding on to the ball.

What I noticed against Birmingham was that the defenders were passing wide even Henderson throwing the ball short, the long ball was still their, but Howard was using his chest a lot more and held up the ball quite well in my opinion.

[MC Prussian]

Geoff Horsfield, anyone?

Howard has scored more than 160 league goals so far, with 60 percent of that amount coming from his five years at Luton (age 24 to 30). All his other spells with Hartlepool, Northampton and Derby were more or less average for a striker.

I don't know what crazymen made Mandaric sign Howard for a million and a half, when it was obvious to everyone that he wouldn't get any younger and that his scoring record was on the decline already. With Howard on board, we probably have the most expensive striker in the entire league (apart from McLean, if I'm not mistaken)!

So, as much as I don't like seeing Howard still wasting time, I seriously hope he'll bang them in like a bomber. I expect nothing less. Either hit a few long balls from the corners or send Stevieboy through the middle, breaking through the opposing central defense.

What a waste of money that'd be, otherwise.