Moose Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Hmmmmmm I know it was a damp squib of a match but to say that he didn't really look the part would be understating it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Zaius Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Not convinced about him in midfield. He's at his best in between the lines, off the forward. Basically a second striker. Not sure how we can fit him in. Don't see it in a midfield 3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 I get thinking we needed a mobile forward, but rotating him and Wissa in the way we have had left us with no recognisable number 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAK Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 3 minutes ago, midds said: Getting strong Hugo Viana vibes about him - clearly a very very good footballer and he's doing his best but just doesn't seem to have the skillset to play in this league at this time. Love him to bits but just not sure it's going to work out But he was playing well (not brilliant but competent) at the beginning of the season and scoring goals. What’s changed, was that a fluke or is this just a period of bad form due to being rotated and played in a different position? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 He's filling in a role for us, he can't do what Gordon does up front. I don't see where he fits in long term. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smal Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 he played the last 20 minutes or so when Wissa came on as a second striker btw and looked worse for it imo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverThere Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 4-2-3-1 behind a mobile striker. Or 4-4-1-1 same. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Come on Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monters Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 (edited) Looks very low on confidence to me and seemed to have of those nights where the more he tried the less that came off. He over hit one cross field pass in the second half just looked like fuck me how did that happen! Shame Murphy missed the chance from his layoff in the first half as that could’ve boosted him a bit. It was nice turn and lay off. Edited February 24 by Monters Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverThere Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 If he is going to play a traditional number 9 he will not have to drop deep and our wingers would have to cross the ball. Murphy is the only one that does this so Barnes and Gordon don't work with Woltemade Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoot Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 I hate you Nick! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemtizz Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Needs another OG against the mackems to boost his confidence. Look out, Palace Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Thankfully he came out the gate hot and we got to see his class first hand. The league adjusted to him so now we and he need to adjust again. He's too good to give up on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OoOGazOoO Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 He obviously has talent and quality, some lovely touches, etc... and he's such a likeable lad, but I have to be honest, I just don't know where this lad's future is. It's clear as day he isn't a 9, he doesn't have that instinct of getting on the end of crosses or anticipates the ball coming in from wide areas, that's fair. But then we try him in midfield, which he looks more suited to, but I just can't help but feel we are comparing him to what we have seen as a lone striker, as opposed to comparing him with other lads in the team. For example, during tonight's game, I thought what would happen if Miley, Bruno, etc... were fit, where would Nick be? In my opinion, he would be on the bench as he isn't better than those players or Tonali or Joelinton. A 69m player on the bench, as a midfield option when we needed/wanted/still need a striker, I think it's too an expensive luxury to have unfortunately. It's sad because I like the guy but I just don't see a need for him in a midfield position where he can drift in and out the game and then put more defensive burden on the likes of Bruno or Tonali, in a midfield, which let's face it, has been exploited hundreds of times in the last few seasons with space between the midfield and defence, and that's playing 3 mobile midfields. It really is a conundrum but I just don't think his skill set is what we need right now, and I don't think we can afford to change system to suit 1 guy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
500bhp Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 42 minutes ago, TaylorJ_01 said: Not sure I get the midfield thing. He doesn't look that good in midfield, always receives it facing our goal and can never turn and advance the ball. Plus is weak as piss and slow. "Surprisingly not bad in midfield for a striker" isn't enough really. Either we make it work as a forward or we move him on. Agreed. Its one thing playing as a CF and constantly losing the ball on the edge of the 18 yard box, but its another thing playing in MF and losing it regularly in the centre circle. A much better team would have punished us loads more tonight. I'm not writing him off just yet but he needs a very good pre season and positive start to next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shays Given Tim Flowers Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Sets up burn for the first (I know burn doesn’t score), plays the pass for Barnes cross for the second. Plays Murphy clean through. On another day that’s two assists and a key pass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prophet Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 (edited) Still think he'll end up being our main striker in the long term. This feels like a temporary fix that works for all parties. Edited February 25 by The Prophet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 12 minutes ago, Shays Given Tim Flowers said: Sets up burn for the first (I know burn doesn’t score), plays the pass for Barnes cross for the second. Plays Murphy clean through. On another day that’s two assists and a key pass. Came in expecting to read how well he'd done Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, SAK said: But he was playing well (not brilliant but competent) at the beginning of the season and scoring goals. What’s changed, was that a fluke or is this just a period of bad form due to being rotated and played in a different position? He got dropped for really no reason when Wissa got fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Magpie Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 He had the pass that broke down the defense on our first two goals. Also put Murphy through beautifully before Murphy made a mess of it. I don't like Nick in midfield either, but he's creative enough. But it's not what he's been asked to do all his life, either. I do hope we can put him in a system next year to be effective up top though. When he goes out and gets the golden boot for Germany as a true 9 this summer, I'm gonna scream. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 16 minutes ago, The Prophet said: Still think he'll end up bring our main striker in the long term. This feels like a temporary fix that works for all parties. It's definitely not a plan to covert him permanently to a midfielder in the manner of Joelinton. That would be crazy and also I'm sure Nick wouldn't have it, rightly so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keefaz Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 Can we not get him some longer socks? Looks like they've shrunk in the wash. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 I don’t think he can be a midfielder nor he wants to. But then I can also see why Howe is doing that - Bruno is out and we need someone to make progressive pass. And yes, an out of position Nick is already the best option. It just shows how unbalanced our squad is. We have been over-relying on Bruno too much and too long. Back to Nick himself. Once Bruno is back pretty sure this emergency fit would end and he will be back to the ST position or on the bench. I still think the dropping for Wissa at Dec was a terrible move by Howe. Unless Wissa has been a training god before returning, that move probably ruins both striker this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrownBottle Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, SAK said: But he was playing well (not brilliant but competent) at the beginning of the season and scoring goals. What’s changed, was that a fluke or is this just a period of bad form due to being rotated and played in a different position? He was converting his one shot per match in a way that was never sustainable. Then his one shot per match stopped going in, and the lack of contribution or necessary hunger / aggression began to become a more and more apparent issue. Not sure I’d worry about any player’s performance in terms of tonight though, avoiding fitness and injury issues was the main thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Geordie Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Boo-boys got another new target then? He wasn't great tonight and he's perhaps not been great of recent, but bear a few things in mind.... this is his first perhaps 'proper' season after breaking through in Germany with Frankfurt, He's still young, he's playing in a brand new country and is still adapting to the league and obviously quicker pace. He's probably suffering that we don't have a proper no.9 at the moment, and has been perhaps unfairly thrown into that role, due to the Isak situation and Wissa's injury and poor form since returning. The lad will come good - don't write him off yet fellas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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