Striker partnership

[maddog]

Is it really Howard and Fryatt?

Or are we just so used to playing them every game they are avaliable that they automatically are in the team every week regardless of performance.

I think NP should totally change the front two and try to form a new partnership, this dependency on Fryatt and Howard for most games is starting to annoy me.

It just means no other strikers at the club are ever given a decent chance.

And not ever changing the front two for a long run of games, a lot needed so they can gel and get used to playing together is giving us absolutely no options up front if Fryatt and Howard fail or get injured/suspended.

Despite the signings of the new strikers, they will struggle to make an impact because they will never ever get a good run of games here. And you can't expect them to produce the goods in the odd 20 minutes or odd games they get to play, they need a serious run in the team.

We're only a short way into the season, but already a lack of goals has cost us points, and NP should have a lot to think about, i would definitely change it up.

It's almost like Fryatt and Howard are in the team just because they always have been, who knows how good our other strikers at the club are, Yann, Dj, Gallagher, Waghorn could score bags of goals given a chance in the side. But fook knows they are never given a go.

Fryatt and Howard's lack of goals was the reason we were relegated from the Championship, we know Fryatt can burn it up in League One, but i don't think he will ever become a consistent prolific striker in the Championship of the Phillips/Ebanks Blake/Doyle calibre, someone we need to get out of this division.

Whats everyone elses view on the front 2, and why do Fryatt and Howard play week in week out, what have they actually done IN THIS DIVISION to merit that, you can't say it's because their our best strikers because who knows if they are, no other partnership is ever given a chance.

[shen]

I assume Gallagher was brought in for the added threat from set pieces and just generally another dimension. N'Guessan was supposed to be a makeshift striker, but so far he hasn't really tried that option.

As for playing Howard and Fryatt, I think it's fair they get a crack at it seeing how succesful they were last year. We know far too well that Fryatt is a confidence player, and on the back of a great season and a decent start to this one (despite supposedly not being match fit) there's no reason to think he can't carry his form into this season. Howard as we found out last season is crucial in our build-up play as long as we lack pace in the squad.

[C-man]

You're saying that other strikers aren't given a decent run of games/given a chance but then you're saying Fryatt and Howard should be axed after five games?

Contradiction in terms.

[Thracian]

You're saying that other strikers aren't given a decent run of games/given a chance but then you're saying Fryatt and Howard should be axed after five games?

Contradiction in terms.

After five games? Howard and Fryatt have played for us lots of times in Championship football. And, in al football, both have been picked for us whether fully fit or not.

Argue the toss for them by all means - cos nothing else has been seriously tried to make a alternative case - but the suggestion that they've not had a chance is laughable.

For me, at Championship level, playing either one of them can have merit but playing both together means we're too slow in there.

[ACF]

I'd like to see Gallagher/Waghorn.

Oakley on the wing. N'Guessan was shocking against Newcastle.

[Asha]

I'd like to see Gallagher/Waghorn.

Oakley on the wing. N'Guessan was shocking against Newcastle.

Oakley? Why not Adams?

The Oakley/Wellens partnership in the middle is pretty good at the moment, and we've got 4 wide players in N'Guessan, Adams, Dyer and Gradel.

Might be an idea to leave N'Guessan out for a game, but surely Adams should be the one to come in.

[bigneville]

I'd like to see Gallagher/Waghorn.

Oakley on the wing. N'Guessan was shocking against Newcastle.

You'd completely change the pair up top?

I know our front line lacks a bit of pace, but come on.

8 points from 5 games and we've been to two of the hardest away games that we will face, Sheffield United & Newcastle.

I'm more than happy with the start the team has made, and think there is a very good basis now set. The last thing I want is for NP to start shuffling the pack. If you start making changes to the team now, then your sending out the message that the opening 5 games wasn't good enough. That is something I do not believe we should be doing.

Surely you only start making big changes when things are going wrong? Are things going wrong?

[Guest]

After five games? Howard and Fryatt have played for us lots of times in Championship football. And, in al football, both have been picked for us whether fully fit or not.

Argue the toss for them by all means - cos nothing else has been seriously tried to make a alternative case - but the suggestion that they've not had a chance is laughable.

For me, at Championship level, playing either one of them can have merit but playing both together means we're too slow in there.

Yes they've played more than that but in all fairness, there's hardly the same lineup behind them that we had last time in the championship is there? And the football we're playing is frankly much better currently than it was two seasons ago. bigneville's also got a point, I'm all for competition for places but changing players for the sake of it gets us nowhere

[Fox92]

I'd like to see Gallagher/Waghorn.

Oakley on the wing. N'Guessan was shocking against Newcastle.

Please no but I'd say yes to Gallagher there.

___

For me, Howard has to start up front to give us the 'big man threat' and in my opinion the team cannot start two small strikers up front.

This is because no one wins a header, which was proved against Barnsley when Gallagher's crossers were perfect for Stevie Howard (or a big man) if he would of been playing, so therefore you cannot drop Howard.

When Howard doesn't play, the goal kicks gets lumped up toward N'Guessan, and although he is fairly big, never seems to win them.

If Stevie Howard isn't going to play, then Nigel needs to ensure that the defence turn around and ask for it and then we can play football from there instead of lumping it long to N'Guessan or whoever it may be and then it just coming back because he cannot win the long and annoying goal kicks.

So, in general Howard has to start. But the question is; who with?

Matty Fryatt scored 32 goals last season and has scored 3 in 7 games at Championship level, which ok isn't awesome, but it's ok. Matt Fryatt would be a quality goalscorer at this level with pace, which lets him down, because the distribution from Wellens is there, he has a big man at the side of him in the form of Stevie Howard, he is a great finisher when given a chance but the pace is needed and that's Fryatt's problem.

Lets face it, DJ Campbell will never play again I think and rightly so. Although he has pace and can finish at times, he isn't very strong and gets knocked off of the ball far to easily.

Martyn Waghorn is fast, he is strong but we haven't really seen him get a goalscoring opportunity thus we cannot say if he is a goalscorer or not, seeing as his goal against Swansea took a wicked deflection.

Ok, Dickov has been a great goalscorer in the past (ok, not as good as the likes of Kevin Phillips etc) but he can finish when given the opportunity but now, his legs have gone really and is also out at Derby. Paul Dickov brings a little bit of fight to the attacking options and that's what he could of been used for at Newcastle like he did when Howard scored against Leeds and that etc.

Paul Gallagher I would play on the right, yes the right, not the left. I think that his crossing was perfect against Barnsley and he seems to be that kind of player, so I wouldn't play him upfront but on the right I think and then play N'Guessan on the left or not at all because some of his performances have been shocking such as Newcastle and Sheffield United.

My strikeforce for Blackpool would probably be Fryatt and Howard again. If that doesn't work, bang Waghorn on up front.

________

My dad pointed out to me that, during their playing days both Pearson and Shakespeare were defenders, now is that why the defence is so strong and the strikeforce isn't 'poor' but not as good because they were defenders?

________

[Father Ted]

Already at this stage the season it is looking as if we are going to struggle to score like the other season.

But I would keep it as it is for 3/4 more games and if we're still struggling to score then look to change it.

EDIT: We simply don't have enough pace up there at the minute.

[Father Ted]

Oakley? Why not Adams?

The Oakley/Wellens partnership in the middle is pretty good at the moment, and we've got 4 wide players in N'Guessan, Adams, Dyer and Gradel.

Might be an idea to leave N'Guessan out for a game, but surely Adams should be the one to come in.

Nah, it would be Dyer cos NP Dyer.

[C-man]

After five games? Howard and Fryatt have played for us lots of times in Championship football. And, in al football, both have been picked for us whether fully fit or not.

Argue the toss for them by all means - cos nothing else has been seriously tried to make a alternative case - but the suggestion that they've not had a chance is laughable.

For me, at Championship level, playing either one of them can have merit but playing both together means we're too slow in there.

They started four games together last time we were in the Championship - we won two of the games and Steve Howard scored a hat-trick in one of them. They were playing under an inept manager with a non-existant midfield and a defence that consisted of four hoofers.

I would say that their chance started at the beginning of the season and even if you left it another 10 games, we'd still have over 30 left. Give them a chance.

[Fox92]

They started four games together last time we were in the Championship - we won two of the games and Steve Howard scored a hat-trick in one of them. They were playing under an inept manager with a non-existant midfield and a defence that consisted of four hoofers.

I would say that their chance started at the beginning of the season and even if you left it another 10 games, we'd still have over 30 left. Give them a chance.

Here, here.

[Corky]

It's almost like Fryatt and Howard are in the team just because they always have been, who knows how good our other strikers at the club are, Yann, Dj, Gallagher, Waghorn could score bags of goals given a chance in the side. But fook knows they are never given a go.

Fryatt and Howard are picked together because last season they worked effectively up front. I know it was in a lower division (blah blah), but why break up a decent pairing at the start of the new season?

If they start to struggle, then Pearson will probably make changes. He may make changes for the Blackpool game.

Yann has been here a week, DJ we know why he's not been featuring, Gallagher has played already and Waghorn's been injured and does look better coming off the bench to be an impact player with some pace.

To be honest, I am concerned we aren't scoring more goals. I would be more concerned however, if we weren't creating chances.

[davieG]

Fryatt and Howard are picked together because last season they worked effectively up front. I know it was in a lower division (blah blah), but why break up a decent pairing at the start of the new season?

If they start to struggle, then Pearson will probably make changes. He may make changes for the Blackpool game.

Yann has been here a week, DJ we know why he's not been featuring, Gallagher has played already and Waghorn's been injured and does look better coming off the bench to be an impact player with some pace.

To be honest, I am concerned we aren't scoring more goals. I would be more concerned however, if we weren't creating chances.

We aren't creating that many I still think in spite of the 'improved' midfield weren't creating enough chances.

[MPH]

After five games? Howard and Fryatt have played for us lots of times in Championship football. And, in al football, both have been picked for us whether fully fit or not.

Argue the toss for them by all means - cos nothing else has been seriously tried to make a alternative case - but the suggestion that they've not had a chance is laughable.

For me, at Championship level, playing either one of them can have merit but playing both together means we're too slow in there.

are you still really going on about 2 seasons ago?

bloody hell... do you really see no difference between then and now?

new manager? new coaching set up?. different mentality amongst the team as a whole? playing alongside better players? both players playing better?

does ANY of that make a difference to you?

[Brainy]

Were you thinking of saying this before the defeat at Newcastle or....?

[Bert]

After five games? Howard and Fryatt have played for us lots of times in Championship football. And, in al football, both have been picked for us whether fully fit or not.

Argue the toss for them by all means - cos nothing else has been seriously tried to make a alternative case - but the suggestion that they've not had a chance is laughable.

For me, at Championship level, playing either one of them can have merit but playing both together means we're too slow in there.

Have they? I don't recall a game in our relegation season when they played together. Fryatt was mainly deployed on the wing.

I'd like to see Waghorn and Howard next week though.

[Jimmy]

Fryatt & Howard until at least the end of October, then make changes if its not working, we get the wingers sorted and settled a lot of these issues will be solved as they'll get more chances

[Joe.]

In general it's not really the strikers that are the problem at the moment. If they're not getting any service then they can't do a lot with it. Changing them for two completely new ones would be both pointless and probably detrimental.

[morris1234]

i just wonder why people want to be negative all the time.

this is our team!!

how about we get behind whoever plays for the team, let alone up front, and maybe they will perform better under praise than criticism.

plus we have 41 games left, lets wait until we have played a few more games.

[teblin]

We are 9th after 5 games and i reckon most of us would;ve taken this.

Shame we haven't scored a few more goals and should've finished teams off (sheff utd and newcastle).

The biggest culprit at both those games was fryatt. Having said that i still believe over the season he will scored enough goals to put us in around the playoff area.

I personally would like to see gallagher along side howard to see what he can do, but as before still think fryatt will be key!

[Joe.]

Bit pissed off with these knee-jerk threads going on at the moment, so I wrote this yesterday.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

I would say that if Fryatt and Howard struggle in the next 2 games then give someone else a go. But I would not be very pleased if was one of them and get told now that they are dropped. I dont think either has done anything wrong, but Fryatt should have scored vs Newcastle. Would be a bit unfair to drop him on that basis. I am very excited by the strikers we have now though.

[marbelladave]

In general it's not really the strikers that are the problem at the moment. If they're not getting any service then they can't do a lot with it. Changing them for two completely new ones would be both pointless and probably detrimental.

Quite true, unless you change the way we play!

Our passing game seems to be improving but we are still hitting way too many early balls to Howard. Playing the ball earlier leaves our midfield still in deep positions, too far away to offer the target man any real support. This requires Howard to either find Fryatt with a flick-on or a quick layoff or hold the ball up while the midfield get up in support. It is not really working so we are not creating or scoring enough.

Play the ball through midfield and play in our pacier strikers with short passes into feet would be my preferred option, and yess we do have the players to make it happen if we get out of the habit of playing the ball in early.