Now That's What I Call Transfer Rumours! 7

[Chris_R]

17 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

The revisionism is mental regarding Chris Wood.

 

We were a side who couldn’t keep the ball out of our own box, nothing was sticking further up the pitch. We also had a major injury to Wilson (v Man Utd iirc).

 

He gave us a focal point to get further up and pitch and get the results needed to reach safety, whether it was the few goals he scored or just general link up play leading to an assist. Just keep in mind that the hard work was done by the time Wilson returned.

 

Just because he’s been exposed as a weak link in how we’re playing now, does not dismiss his contribution. His fee was/is irrelevant because without him coming in we could be playing in the Championship right now. It’s that simple.

 

This.

 

Strikers can be successful without scoring goals. Emile Heskey got 7 in 62 for England but was vital for the overall play of the team. Without Wood last year, we could have been in a world of shit.

Also considering Wood has played 35 league games (Not all starts, obviously, but many were) over the past year for a team who have consistently had top 4 form for that time, are any of his detractors seriously saying that they think if we'd just not played him we'd have done better? Or even the same? Or even close? Or if you think we should have signed someone else for that money who would have done at least as good, who? Who would have come to us rooted as we were to the foot of the table?

 

Long or even medium term, I want us to move on from Wood. He's not going to score the goals we need or want for where we want to be. But he did a necessary if unglamorous job over the last 12 months and I bear him no ill will at all*.

 

(*I confess I may have screamed some obscenities for a good 30 seconds when vs Sheff Wed he launched Joelinton's perfect through ball past the orbiting International Space Station)

[Jaqen]

I mean the argument we'd have been relegated without Wood (if you believe that) only really works on the basis that we'd have been relegated without a striker and he was the only possible striker we could have signed.

 

His general play was really poor. Barely any goal threat, slow and sluggish, struggled to win headers and with hold up play. He contributed more defensively and pressed fairly well more than anything he offered going forward. Eddie, Joelintons transformation, singing a world class centre midfielder and rightback along with two defenders that never really put a foot wrong played a bigger part in us staying up than Wood. 

Worrying about his fee is abit pointless anyway, we've obviously overpaid loads but it was a desperation signing that we aren't going to repeat and £25m is nowt in the long run. He seems a nice lad but shouldn't really have a future here after this season. 

[Hanshithispantz]

It’s a bit far saying we’d be in the championship without Chris Wood like.
 

Howe is great at taking the strengths of players who are willing to work hard and finding a tactical use for them. If we never got Wood I’m pretty confident he would have sussed a new plan out.

The route Howe did go down though, Wood was obviously an important part of it.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Hanshithispantz

[Holmesy]

Getting rid of Wood and not even replacing him leaves our squad stronger. Obviously replacing him would be the ideal scenario but knowing he wouldn't be involved in games any more is benefit enough. I'd rather have Maxi or someone from the academy playing than someone we absolutely know can't and won't perform at this level.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Holmesy

[SteV]

2 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Getting rid of Wood and not even replacing him leaves our squad stronger. Obviously replacing him would be the ideal scenario but knowing he wouldn't be involved in games any more is benefit enough. I know that sounds a bit extreme but i'd rather have Maxi or someone from the academy playing than someone we absolutely know can't and won't perform at this level.

Of course it doesn’t man. If any of those were better options than Wood, they would be playing. But they aren’t. Because outside of Wilson and Isak, Wood is our best CF option by a considerable distance.

 

The lengths people are going to try and disrespect Wood because he isn’t good enough to be a regular starter in a top end PL team is mad.

[The Prophet]

Wood off to Forest? I knew I should have trusted Football Insider.

[mofo]

12 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Getting rid of Wood and not even replacing him leaves our squad stronger. Obviously replacing him would be the ideal scenario but knowing he wouldn't be involved in games any more is benefit enough. I'd rather have Maxi or someone from the academy playing than someone we absolutely know can't and won't perform at this level.

 

 

 

Possibly the worst post I have read on this forum. Honestly man, give your head a shake!

[mighty__mag]

14 minutes ago, Jaqen said:

I mean the argument we'd have been relegated without Wood (if you believe that) only really works on the basis that we'd have been relegated without a striker and he was the only possible striker we could have signed.

 

His general play was really poor. Barely any goal threat, slow and sluggish, struggled to win headers and with hold up play. He contributed more defensively and pressed fairly well more than anything he offered going forward. Eddie, Joelintons transformation, singing a world class centre midfielder and rightback along with two defenders that never really put a foot wrong played a bigger part in us staying up than Wood. 

 

Worrying about his fee is abit pointless anyway, we've obviously overpaid loads but it was a desperation signing that we aren't going to repeat and £25m is nowt in the long run. He seems a nice lad but shouldn't really have a future here after this season. 

 

Thank you for making a miles better point than me just shitting on him. He obviously was part of a side that stayed up because they were being led by a manager who has had a sensational 12 months.

 

Factoring in things like integral, considerable, and major contributor are too far fetched for me.

[NWMag]

Surely if he leaves it means we have someone coming in?

[The Prophet]

3 minutes ago, NWMag said:

Surely if he leaves it means we have someone coming in?

 

You'd have thought so. We're way too light with just Isak and Wilson up top.

[Holmesy]

12 minutes ago, mofo said:

Possibly the worst post I have read on this forum. Honestly man, give your head a shake!

Seriously?! The worst? Ok mate ??

 

We’ve seen this before with lots of shit players (especially under managers like Bruce, Pardew etc.). When you have a player in your squad, there’s always the temptation to use him. If he’s not in the squad you HAVE to use a different (better) option. Hence, stronger squad. 
Wood, isn’t good enough and nowhere as good as Wilson, Maxi and Isak. Therefore, the average quality of our attackers is reduced with Wood in the mix. 
 

Wood - 5

Wilson - 8

Isak - 8

Maxi -7

Average - 7

 

Wilson - 8

Isak - 8

Maxi - 7

Average - 7.66

 

This is merely for illustrative purposes obviously. No exact scientific models were applied.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Holmesy

[The Prophet]

I've seen noting from ASM to suggest that he's a 7/10 up top like.

[Disco]

Tough one as depending on which way the wind is blowing he is also utter scum who should be given away.

 

[SteV]

6 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Seriously?! The worst? Ok mate ??

 

We’ve seen this before with lots of shit players (especially under managers like Bruce, Pardew etc.). When you have a player in your squad, there’s always the temptation to use him. If he’s not in the squad you HAVE to use a different (better) option. Hence, stronger squad. 
Wood, isn’t good enough and nowhere as good as Wilson, Maxi and Isak. Therefore, the average quality of our attackers is reduced with Wood in the mix. 
 

Wood - 5

Wilson - 8

Isak - 8

Maxi -7

Average - 7

 

Wilson - 8

Isak - 8

Maxi - 7

Average - 7.66

 

This is merely for illustrative purposes obviously. No exact scientific models were applied.

 

 

 

Maxi is nowhere near a better option as a CF than CW.

 

The only time you would consider picking him over Wood, is when presented with very specific circumstances, where you’re playing against an elite team and will be attacking almost exclusively on the counter.
 

Those games are becoming less and less for us now. And even then I’m not sure it’s ever really worked particularly well with Maxi. 

[Holmesy]

7 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

I've seen noting from ASM to suggest that he's a 7/10 up top like.

Put him down to a 5.1 and the point still stands. He offers a shit load more goal and assist threat than Wood and that’s not even up for debate.

[joeyt]

Cooper clearly can't see the Wood for the tricky trees

[Holmesy]

30 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

Wood off to Forest? I knew I should have trusted Football Insider.

Out of interest, what have you seen from Wood that would make you pick him over Maxi?

[stozo]

37 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Getting rid of Wood and not even replacing him leaves our squad stronger. Obviously replacing him would be the ideal scenario but knowing he wouldn't be involved in games any more is benefit enough. I'd rather have Maxi or someone from the academy playing than someone we absolutely know can't and won't perform at this level.

 

 

 

Might be the worst take I have read on here in a long time? 

[Nick69]

12 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Seriously?! The worst? Ok mate ??

 

We’ve seen this before with lots of shit players (especially under managers like Bruce, Pardew etc.). When you have a player in your squad, there’s always the temptation to use him. If he’s not in the squad you HAVE to use a different (better) option. Hence, stronger squad. 
Wood, isn’t good enough and nowhere as good as Wilson, Maxi and Isak. Therefore, the average quality of our attackers is reduced with Wood in the mix. 
 

Wood - 5

Wilson - 8

Isak - 8

Maxi -7

Average - 7

 

Wilson - 8

Isak - 8

Maxi - 7

Average - 7.66

 

This is merely for illustrative purposes obviously. No exact scientific models were applied.

 

 

 

Great logic, in fact get rid of Maxi as well as he drags down the mean. Could even get rid of Isak as well, we’d still be at 8 ???

[SteV]

3 minutes ago, Holmesy said:

Out of interest, what have you seen from Wood that would make you pick him over Maxi?

Surely the question should be what have you seen from Maxi as a CF to pick him over Wood?

[Pilko]

The whole reason we panic bought Wood was because Maxi was our only option up top and we couldn't win a game for toffee with him there.

 

The Cambridge cup game, Maxi started as striker and was absolutely horrendous. 

 

Whatever your view of Maxi in general, I'd have thought it was an easy common concencus that the bloke isn't a conventional striking option as long as he's got a hole in his arse.

[The Prophet]

Just now, Holmesy said:

Out of interest, what have you seen from Wood that would make you pick him over Maxi?

 

1. He's a striker.

2. Eddie Howe, who is pretty switched on, trusts him to do a job that he's never asked ASM to do.

3. ASM is also regularly injured.

[Kanj]

Why do i get the feeling that even Howe really was let down by him in that FA Cup match? Like to the point where he'd potentially want to move him on? 

[Holmesy]

1 minute ago, The Prophet said:

 

1. He's a striker.

2. Eddie Howe, who is pretty switched on, trusts him to do a job that he's never asked ASM to do.

3. ASM is also regularly injured.

So am I, in theory.

 

I get the ‘Eddie trusts him bit.’ Same with Rafa - whoever he picked I was comfortable with. But I also have eyes and I’m pretty sure what Eddie isn’t saying to Chris Wood is ‘don’t hold the ball up, don’t win any headers, when you do, cushion it back to the opposition keeper, don’t use your physical strength to dominate defenders etc.

We are winning despite Chris Wood, not because of his contribution to the team. It’s fantastic that we can carry him, but just like Sheffield Wednesday, it will come back to bite us at crucial moments.

[Groundhog63]

1 hour ago, LeeB said:

 

We were terrible, he signed, we almost immediately became good. He played almost every game.

 

It's obviously a lot more complex than that, but to suggest we stayed up in spite of him is a pretty wild take.

We stayed up.

These morons need a whipping boy no matter what tho. Same one's masturbating early doors about having a team full of galacticos in by Christmas 2021

One minute it's Longstaff, then Little Joe, Murphy but usually 3rd choice striker Wood. 

Low hanging fruit, if you will