Oba...Obafem

[Optimistic Nut]

A coach like Sir Les would have done so much for Oba's game, we need to look at that kind of idea, a dedicated striker coach.

 

As I've pointed out in the previous post, if he couldn't improve under someone like Mancini at Inter with their set-up, what makes you think he'd improve here?

[Skirge]

A coach like Sir Les would have done so much for Oba's game, we need to look at that kind of idea, a dedicated striker coach.

 

As I've pointed out in the previous post, if he couldn't improve under someone like Mancini at Inter with their set-up, what makes you think he'd improve here?

 

How do you know he did not improve under him?

But top strikers still need top players around them, progress comes with confidence to not just coaching.

[Optimistic Nut]

I just can't see where a 28-29 year old Martins will have improved his game in comparison with the last 4 years.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

For an optimistic nut, you sure are one pessimistic bastard. I think Oba will do well in a team that is playing well. I think his downsides (Owen and Viduka's as well) are more glaringly obvious because of the team he's in. It's been really frustrating how isolated he and Owen have been since they've arrived. I still think he can improve, all footballers can and its ludicrous to say he cannot. One thing I'll add...I don't know who gave you the idea Mancini was a great manager. He was going to lose his job before Calciopoli scandal handed him three straight titles.

 

 

[Guest Sniffer]

A coach like Sir Les would have done so much for Oba's game, we need to look at that kind of idea, a dedicated striker coach.

 

As I've pointed out in the previous post, if he couldn't improve under someone like Mancini at Inter with their set-up, what makes you think he'd improve here?

 

How do you know he did not improve under him?

But top strikers still need top players around them, progress comes with confidence to not just coaching.

I wouldn't call martins a top striker. Also, I wasn't aware that Les Ferdinand had any experience as a coach that would help martins.

[Guest Edd]

A coach like Sir Les would have done so much for Oba's game, we need to look at that kind of idea, a dedicated striker coach.

 

As I've pointed out in the previous post, if he couldn't improve under someone like Mancini at Inter with their set-up, what makes you think he'd improve here?

Also, while Owen might not have his old pace and has had his time here disrupted by continual injury, he's still as good as anyone when it comes to reading the game, anticipating chances and making intelligent runs, yet Oba doesn't seem to have picked up anything from him either.

 

Shame we can't transplant Owen's brain into Oba's body.

[Optimistic Nut]

For an optimistic nut, you sure are one pessimistic b******. I think Oba will do well in a team that is playing well. I think his downsides (Owen and Viduka's as well) are more glaringly obvious because of the team he's in. It's been really frustrating how isolated he and Owen have been since they've arrived. I still think he can improve, all footballers can and its ludicrous to say he cannot. One thing I'll add...I don't know who gave you the idea Mancini was a great manager. He was going to lose his job before Calciopoli scandal handed him three straight titles.

 

 

I haven't really said he's a great manager have I? But he was a great striker, so surely Martins would have picked up a thing or two off him.

[TRon]

I think we will only really see if we will miss Martins when we play a few matches without him in the starting line up. We didn't really miss Owen during his recent lay off because Oba and Ameobi proved surprisingly effective. I n fact the goals have dried up since Owen came back into the starting line up. Maybe Owen and Viduka will do the business if given a run together? Personally I think they will be too slow as a partnership but we'll see.

[Guest Sniffer]

For an optimistic nut, you sure are one pessimistic b******. I think Oba will do well in a team that is playing well. I think his downsides (Owen and Viduka's as well) are more glaringly obvious because of the team he's in. It's been really frustrating how isolated he and Owen have been since they've arrived. I still think he can improve, all footballers can and its ludicrous to say he cannot. One thing I'll add...I don't know who gave you the idea Mancini was a great manager. He was going to lose his job before Calciopoli scandal handed him three straight titles.

 

 

Nobody has said martins couldn't improve. Some people are expressing the opinion he hasn't improved in the time he's been here. Trying shots from 10-15 yards into the opponents half with the keeper in positition is hardly the hallmark of a good striker who understands the game.

[KaKa]

I think we will only really see if we will miss Martins when we play a few matches without him in the starting line up. We didn't really miss Owen during his recent lay off because Oba and Ameobi proved surprisingly effective. In fact the goals have dried up since Owen came back into the starting line up. Maybe Owen and Viduka will do the business if given a run together? Personally I think they will be too slow as a partnership but we'll see.

 

Everyone talks about how much we will miss Owen when he leaves, but as far as I can remember we have always scored goals when he has been out.

 

Owen in a 4-4-2 has been a disaster since Shearer left.

 

I sincerely hope that oughton is in kinnear's ear right now about how effective the 4-3-3 was for us last season as it is our best possible option.

[Yorkie]

I think Martins has improved as a footballer. Not a great deal, but he has improved. He's not as much of a headless chicken as he was when he first came here. He links up with other players better and his striker awareness has also improved a bit. He didn't score as many goals last season because for the first half of it, he was on either on the right flank or one of a three-pronged 'attack' (he was on the wing basically). It's no surprise that this season, and under Keegan too, his goalscoring record has improved, because he's been playing as a striker. He's got one in two this season.

 

Kevin Keegan did absolutely stacks for Oba's game, you could tell he was an infinitely better footballer under KK than he was for any of our other managers. Look at that goal he scored against West Ham for instance. It was pure instinct, pure awareness, and a stunning finish. Within a second he had gained two yards of the defender because he anticipated the incisive ball from Barton.

 

He's a better all-round striker than he was when he first came here imo. If he's to play about 40 games for us this season (as a striker), i can see him getting 18, 19 goals.