Our Attacking Players

R

Richo

Well-known member
Our attacking players with the exception of Rhodes and Dembele ( both loanees) ) have underperformed all season and sadly are not good enough for this league.

Hamilton, Lavery, Beesley, Kouassi are not the answer. They need to be moved on.

Joseph has been a big disappointment but I still believe based on his performances at Wigan and Oxford we haven’t seen the best of him. If he gets a good preseason then i am optimistic we will see a different player next year.

An interesting summer awaits us 🍊🍊
 
Hamilton and Beesley are possibly squad men but shouldn't be automatic selections. Jury out on Joseph. Not sure if there is any point persisting with Kouassi, he strikes me as being a centre forward with no goalscoring instinct.
Two out and out forwards are needed that are better than we have, and although we get Apter back we are going to need a lot more creativity than just him, assuming he gets a game!
 
Yeh we need 2 goalscorers to come into our staring 11 and thats in addition to a returning Rob Apter.
Beesley, Lavery, Kouassi are nowhere near good enough. As for Hamilton, not a sniff should he be in the starting 11.
 
hertfordseasider said:
Beesley is a very decent striker and partnered well with Rhodes, so if wo could sign Rhodes they would wok. Kouassi is young and talented and will be better next season. Lavery will go and I. don't actually think Joseph is a striker, he would be better in a front 3.
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Agree about Joseph, he either drifts to the left side or he starts there. I was willing him to have a good game when he got a place in the starting 11 yesterday in what I expected to be a more central position.

But his heavy touch when Dembele put him through was poor and allowed the keeper to gather the ball. Pretty sure Rhodes would have scored imo.

He has some good assists this season (including yesterday) but for me he's no striker.

Swansea fans don't seem to be happy with Jerry and ours don't seem to fancy KJ. I'd love a swap back (reduced fees of course) but doubt it would happen.

Assuming clubs read message boards of course 😁
 
hertfordseasider said:
Beesley is a very decent striker and partnered well with Rhodes, so if wo could sign Rhodes they would wok. Kouassi is young and talented and will be better next season. Lavery will go and I. don't actually think Joseph is a striker, he would be better in a front 3.
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If we could get Jerry back and rotate him with Rhodes and Bees, we might start to look more the part. I still think Bees has a lot to offer.
Apter and Dale on the wings and we will be sorted. Oh well never mind.
 
Richo said:
Our attacking players with the exception of Rhodes and Dembele ( both loanees) ) have underperformed all season and sadly are not good enough for this league.

Hamilton, Lavery, Beesley, Kouassi are not the answer. They need to be moved on.

Joseph has been a big disappointment but I still believe based on his performances at Wigan and Oxford we haven’t seen the best of him. If he gets a good preseason then i am optimistic we will see a different player next year.

An interesting summer awaits us 🍊🍊
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The one I strongly disagree about is Kouassi. I think there is a lot more to come from him, but not under a system that relies on long punts forward and no decent crosses. I've seen him set up a few chances and goals with his hold up play this season but he needs a sniffer to play alongside or coming through from midfield. Joseph will be disappointed by his season and so are we. He shows lots of effort but has a lot to do to find his place in a starting line up.
 
I quite like Joseph and think he will be key next season if he has a good pre season and starts regularly. Better than Lavery anyday.
 
SouthernSeasider said:
I quite like Joseph and think he will be key next season if he has a good pre season and starts regularly. Better than Lavery anyday.
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He's not better than Lavery according to the goal scoring stats. In no way am I arguing the case for Lavery, but just don't see Joseph suddenly becoming prolific in the scoring department. I really think Swansea have had us over.
 
Richo said:
Our attacking players with the exception of Rhodes and Dembele ( both loanees) ) have underperformed all season and sadly are not good enough for this league.

Hamilton, Lavery, Beesley, Kouassi are not the answer. They need to be moved on.

Joseph has been a big disappointment but I still believe based on his performances at Wigan and Oxford we haven’t seen the best of him. If he gets a good preseason then i am optimistic we will see a different player next year.

An interesting summer awaits us 🍊🍊
Click to expand...
Beesley has worked his socks off and Joseph should be in that list as he’s shocking.

Kouassi deserves time but Lavery and Joseph can go for me.
 
Joseph will have to improve 200 per cent to justify his large px fee outside to me he looks like a new white version of Joe Nuttall , no goals in him!! Will end up at Gateshead or similar .
Hope I'm wrong but??
 
Richo said:
Our attacking players with the exception of Rhodes and Dembele ( both loanees) ) have underperformed all season and sadly are not good enough for this league.

Hamilton, Lavery, Beesley, Kouassi are not the answer. They need to be moved on.

Joseph has been a big disappointment but I still believe based on his performances at Wigan and Oxford we haven’t seen the best of him. If he gets a good preseason then i am optimistic we will see a different player next year.

An interesting summer awaits us 🍊🍊
Click to expand...
I said a few weeks ago that Lavery, Beesley, Kouassi and Joseph would all be third or fourth choice at any top half club and nothing has made me change my mind on that.

@td53 was spot on when he said Joseph's control of the ball was that of a puppy with a tennis ball (paraphrasing). Lavery is even worse.
 
Wizaard said:
I said a few weeks ago that Lavery, Beesley, Kouassi and Joseph would all be third or fourth choice at any top half club and nothing has made me change my mind on that.

@td53 was spot on when he said Joseph's control of the ball was that of a puppy with a tennis ball (paraphrasing). Lavery is even worse.
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A puppy?

My cat (Gary) with a bouncy ball.

A puppy indeed! Gary (my cat) would not be happy...

(Actually, I can see the puppy image works even better)
 
As I’ve said on another thread , our young players need games, they need to be selected week after week so they can develop an understanding with each other , and our Head Coach with more Badges than anyone else should be able to see where they may be going wrong and coach improvement, after all , we’re told that this is what he is renowned for .
 
As for your attack, I think if you can re-sign Rhodes, give Joseph plenty of consecutive time on the left of a 3 pronged attack you'd be onto something. Probably need a RF/RW too though, if it's not Hamilton tho...
 
I feel that Bees. gets a bit of an unjustified kicking on these boards at times.
I get it that he's not going to scintillate us with his silky skills but he has scored double figures this season ...often running a solo channel up front. He's scored some decent , in the right place / right time goals . Lays off fairly well and works his socks off . Alongside someone else who actually score goals then he's very much worth his place .
I like Lavary , like Joseph but surely not all the blame for their goal free endeavours can be laid on Critchs head can it? Strikers who can score regularly are hard to find and hard to keep once you've found them. Sometimes you only have them for 1 season if they're decent . Be interesting to see who our coaching staff on their radar.
I'm presuming they have a radar in fact I'm also presuming we have a scouting team 🥺
 
Kouassi has done ok with a run of games, he wins most flick ons when lumped forward, but as always no other fooker there running onto it
 
Kouassi is 20 years old. 20. How anyone can write off a player who doesn't even count in the squad numbers due to his age, when he's come in to the first team and contributed already is beyond me in a way I can barely put into words. It's going to be a long summer...
 
Critchknows said:
Yeh we need 2 goalscorers to come into our staring 11 and thats in addition to a returning Rob Apter.
Beesley, Lavery, Kouassi are nowhere near good enough. As for Hamilton, not a sniff should he be in the starting 11.
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I would say Rhodes and 2 goalscorers.
 
Lavery nowhere near good enough.

Kouassi, seems to win headers but loses possession, he seems slow and unable to pass. Really disappointed with his progress. Yes he's young, but I can't see what he brings to the team especially with Critchley's tactics. We definitely need strikers to be further up, more central and making more runs into the box. Kouassi has been playing far too deep to have any positive impact.

Rhodes at 34.5 and regularly getting injured could become a luxury. He started off as good as any striker I can ever remember getting 15 goals in 20 odd games. But in his 2 comebacks in 12 appearances scored 0. I'd take a punt if it's a pay per play or per goal. But I don't think that'd be a consideration, but who knows what terms any footballer has inserted in their individual contracts?

Beesley especially for League 1 is without doubt our best (contracted) striker. He's got height, he's scored some great goals and is a great support striker for the main striker which was Rhodes. Agreed I don't think he'll ever be prolific but he has definitely got a role as that no. 2 striker.

Joseph has been hugely disappointing. He is probably the fittest player at the club with possibly the best stamina and with a great energy and tempo and also quick feet. But . . . there's something missing. Yes he's being played out wide, but his finishing is poor, he lacks composure and snatches at chances. Perhaps he's trying too hard? Slow it down a bit, think about it a bit more and when goals start going in then there will be nobody on his back and his confidence will soar. Critchley will probably drop him though to accommodate Olly Nogood as an extra defensive midfielder when we are crying out for a win or a goal!

CJ is another who gets far too much stick (along with Carey who is our most naturally gifted Player imo). Yes he has his limitations, but he's a 3rd division player. He's also,scored some great goals and he's also beaten players more often this season. Yes his final cross or pass needs to be worked on. Again I think this is a confidence and character issue which could be coached into him by that experienced no. 2 we have been lacking under Critchley 2.0.
 
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hertfordseasider said:
Beesley is a very decent striker and partnered well with Rhodes, so if wo could sign Rhodes they would wok. Kouassi is young and talented and will be better next season. Lavery will go and I. don't actually think Joseph is a striker, he would be better in a front 3.
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Give your head a wobble. If we start with Beesley up front next year we’ll be going nowhere fast.
 
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