Chris Wood our Connor Wickham

[ealingfox]

The problem with Wood was shown in his first season. He may well have started like a house on fire but when the goals dropped off he didn't have the all round play for us to carry on performing which in my opinion was one of the reasons for the slump in form which led to the play-offs. 

 

When Wood plays we change how we play, with Vardy and Nugent we can keep it on the ground and play a killer through ball with us being to utilise the pace but with Wood in there the lack of pace is evident. He also doesn't close from the front, which is one the key areas of our success this season with Vardy and Nugent defending from the front allowing us to disrupt teams from the onset. Look at Derby at home for example. 

 

I've got nothing against Wood, and I really do hope he proves me wrong because he seems like a really likeable character but I just don't think he's got the right style of football for the team at the moment in time. 

 

 

[bluebeau]

_{I really hate to criticise, but I don't feel that Wood will cut it in the Prem. I think that the Championship is his peak & we should try to sell him. Vardy is still fairly inexperienced, but I think he will do quite well in the Prem. He will definitely need a new strike partner imo because I think that Nugent will be very average in the Prem. NP get the cheque book out!}

[foxfanazer]

He's just a bit too hit and miss for me. In flashes he looks quality and brings other players into the game and then other games he goes missing.

With it being quite likely we would play one up top I can't see him getting much of a chance next season. He can't play as a lone striker imo

[dayday]

For a big man he is poor in the air and his close control is like a Sunday league footballer, unless he improves his game he is going to struggle.

[Sharpe's Fox]

I'm never going to criticise a footballer that we haven't gave a fair crack of the whip, we should of all learned this from the Vardy and Drinkwater experience last season. I hope we are going to see the best of Chris Wood and with NZ not going to the WC I'm sure Nige and Shakey will be working on his game.

[Monsell1976]

I'm never going to criticise a footballer that we haven't gave a fair crack of the whip, we should of all learned this from the Vardy and Drinkwater experience last season. I hope we are going to see the best of Chris Wood and with NZ not going to the WC I'm sure Nige and Shakey will be working on his game.

We have a very good striker coach in Kevin Phillips, and given the summer with our strikers you right the likes of wood could step up.

[Grandad.]

Why is it not possible for Wood who is a similar type of player Wickham both in size and style to do the same?

 

It's not possible because Wood isn't as good a player as Connor Wickham, simple as that really. 

 

If Leicester can get any sort of good money for Dead Wood then take it. 

[Corky]

Wood is a fantastic finisher but offers little else really. Vardy is our most important striker given his style of play. Nugent seems much more comfortable playing next to Vardy than Wood.

 

Wood might just be an impact sub this season.

[Happy Fox]

Wood is a fantastic finisher but offers little else really. Vardy is our most important striker given his style of play. Nugent seems much more comfortable playing next to Vardy than Wood.

 

Wood might just be an impact sub this season.

 

What impact?, if any it is very limited as shown this season, he needs to be starting games in order for him to fufill his potential, and I cannot see that happening here, he had opportunity to do so but he didn't take it, I would want someone that is going to make a contribution if we had Fraizer Campbell for example he would run defenses ragged if he came on.

[Grandad.]

Frazier Campbell? no.

[Corky]

What impact?, if any it is very limited as shown this season, he needs to be starting games in order for him to fufill his potential, and I cannot see that happening here, he had opportunity to do so but he didn't take it, I would want someone that is going to make a contribution if we had Fraizer Campbell for example he would run defenses ragged if he came on.

 

He is a great finisher, so give him a chance and he may well take it. If we start him we change the way we usually play (and has been so effective) so we end to struggle. Towards the end of games, we might change our style and get more frantic where Wood could pounce on opportunities.

 

I don't mind Wood but he's not worth altering our playing style to accomodate.

[Monsell1976]

Wood is a fantastic finisher but offers little else really. Vardy is our most important striker given his style of play. Nugent seems much more comfortable playing next to Vardy than Wood.

Wood might just be an impact sub this season.

What a player we would have if you could give vardy wood's technique and finishing ability, but that is what we need to be looking at for me, a striker with pace, work rate and a higher than average finisher, where we find this striker, I don't know, but vardy and wood have their limitations and wick ham wouldn't be the answer for me, but with the limited chances next season we cannot be wasteful in front of goal.

[LAprice_]

Wasn't he injured for a short while last season? Also, it's always going to be difficult when you're the third choice striker in the Championship winning team. Vardy and Nugent have been immense but we have, in short spells, seen what Wood can do.

 

As for Vardy, he was so bad in his first season, any improvement would look incredible but I do just feel that we're starting to rate him a bit to highly. He's got pace, we know that, but he's also missed a lot of 'easy' chances. Yeah, he's a great player but I don't think he's as clinical as Wood.

 

Put yourself in the shows of Sean Dyche, if Chris Wood was made available could you imagine Premier League Burnley signing him, I could. 

[smiley]

Wood could well improve on the weaker aspects of his game before the start of next season lets face it we al thought he would be ahead of vardy at the beginning of last season. For me he is the best finisher at the club technique can be improved.

[Finn Claw II]

See how the season goes.  Wood needs game time, if by the end of August that isn't happening then loan him out to a Championship club.

[Danno]

He's a good player, he just doesn't suit us.

[muzzy1981]

You are making a like for like comparison with Wickham, who is clearly a more mobile version of wood and better all round player. I like wood and wouldn't ship him off yet but question whether he can step up

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[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

Wood on his day is very good.

It's just that lack of consistency he needs to work on. Can he do it in the prem? Yes. Probably better than any of the other strikers we have. It's whether he can consistently produce.

[Happy Fox]

Lets be honest he looks the shadow of the player since he picked up that injury, not been very good for us bar a 2 month spell, he has potential to be a top striker for us still relatively young so he isn't a no hoper.

 

However, he needs to buck up asap if he wants to get in that first team, if we accept him as just an impact sub could we do better?, I don't see him featuring at all next season probably in the cup competitions and he won't improve with limited game time so perhaps a loan spell maybe beneficial to us and him to evaluate where he is at.

 

If we bring in 2 strikers it definitely is game over for him as far as playing at City.

[Hack]

You are making a like for like comparison with Wickham, who is clearly a more mobile version of wood and better all round player. I like wood and wouldn't ship him off yet but question whether he can step up

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again you are comparing Wickham of today post his great run to Wood who hasn't been in the starting side for around 6 months.  To call Wickham more mobile is just not right.  His movement around the box is very similar to Wood.  I still pose they are very similar in many ways.  Connor gained a lot of confidence when coming back to Sunderland and had a impact in his first game back.  He also gained the respect of the fans after a couple of games and is now 1st choice striker.

 

Go back and look at what their fans were saying when they recalled him.  They thought they were doomed playing as they saw it a championship striker when they needed goals to survive.

 

As i say, let's give Chris a chance and he may very well become our Wickham.  I am sure no one on this board would of thought Wickham would off been the guy to keep Sunderland up before it happened.

[Dan]

Wood is capable of making the step up IMO, he's proved he can score goals. He just needs game time rather than the odd twenty minutes. Give him a few starts and watch the goals flow. I still reckon he would of hit 25 if he started last season

 

Sorry but he just wouldn't have. No chance.

[LCFC FOX]

I really think he would have. Next to Vardy it would have suited him. But Nugent playing well kept him out so we'll never know. I think Wood has a great future

[Captain...]

Wood is a very good footballer, and he will improve, possibly a lot, but I don't see it happening here, unless NP adopts a very different strategy for next season, which is possible as we are being linked with the likes of Ulloa.

I think the best thing for him would be to go on loan next season, to somewhere like Brighton, where they play good football and aren't hoof merchants get a good season under his belt playing as we play, and see how he does.

Or Nige needs to build a plan b or a top 7 team (by that I mean a team to play against the top 7) around him, where we pack the midfield park the bus hit it up to him to hold up while the speed merchants get up in support. I realise this would involve Wood actually being good at holding the ball up, but he has a preseason to work on that because the fact is at the moment GTF does that job better.

It won't benefit him playing cup games with 5 other fringe players every now and then, so bring in another striker get Wood out on loan, then hopefully he will be a much better player next season and he can take GTF's role in the squad, or we ship him out.

The alternative where he emulates Connor Wickham would be if we end up sacking Nige and the new man brings him back from a loan and starts playing in a way that suits Wood.

[Hack]

Wood is a very good footballer, and he will improve, possibly a lot, but I don't see it happening here, unless NP adopts a very different strategy for next season, which is possible as we are being linked with the likes of Ulloa.

I think the best thing for him would be to go on loan next season, to somewhere like Brighton, where they play good football and aren't hoof merchants get a good season under his belt playing as we play, and see how he does.

Or Nige needs to build a plan b or a top 7 team (by that I mean a team to play against the top 7) around him, where we pack the midfield park the bus hit it up to him to hold up while the speed merchants get up in support. I realise this would involve Wood actually being good at holding the ball up, but he has a preseason to work on that because the fact is at the moment GTF does that job better.

It won't benefit him playing cup games with 5 other fringe players every now and then, so bring in another striker get Wood out on loan, then hopefully he will be a much better player next season and he can take GTF's role in the squad, or we ship him out.

The alternative where he emulates Connor Wickham would be if we end up sacking Nige and the new man brings him back from a loan and starts playing in a way that suits Wood.

Do you think Poyet changed the style of play when Wickham came just to suit him.  I am sure he didn't.

[Captain...]

Do you think Poyet changed the style of play when Wickham came just to suit him. I am sure he didn't.

Don't know, don't watch Sunderland that much, but Gus would have changed things, and when Wickham came back he flourished, Gus may have realised things weren't working recalled Wickham out of pure desperation, then looked at how to get the best out of the players he had.

Or it was just a coincidence that Gus was setting them up to play that way and because of that Wickham thrived, or maybe Wickham just needed the confidence of a few games and a few goals under his belt. Dunno.

Wood is a different matter as his style of play disrupts ours, when he is on the pitch it is not that he looks bad as an individual, it is that we look bad as a team. Without the front two pressing when we don't have the ball, making intelligent runs when we do, driving back the defenders, creating space for others we aren't as effective, especially at home.

This is not saying Wood is a bad player, just that his style doesn't complement how we try and play.