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Post by Local Scout on Sept 17, 2010 12:01:10 GMT
Interesting comments from the manager in the latest Ford Focus but what I don’t get is why he doesn’t actually sign a ‘Fox in the Box’. Claydon from Wantage, Mills from Abingdon, Odhiambo from Abingdon & Taylor from North Leigh are 4 that immediately spring to mind. Instead at the start of the season we sign two forwards from Abingdon with a far worse goal scoring record, now this week a defender & 2 wide players and before that an assembly line of loan players.
I really don’t understand the approach and why we are not trying to sign the best local players, those that are young, have ability, who are hungry and enthusiastic (Janes is a perfect example). Our stature within the local non-league scene would make it easy to attract these types of players and providing they are given time we will get a team with spirit and not a group of individuals from all parts of the country. You never know local fans may actually want to watch local players………
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Post by Padz on Sept 17, 2010 12:06:43 GMT
Dan Holman is exactly the player described, great goal scoring record at a lower level, although i do rate Odhiambo & Mills, haven't seen alot of Claydon & Taylor
As discussed with the long ball game being played alot we may really need a big mean ball-winner a douglas/alsop type
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Post by lomax on Sept 17, 2010 12:10:51 GMT
Some interesting points. I'm not as clued up as you on the local promising stars, but totally agree that we need a centre forward. I've seen it at all levels, you will struggle if you don't have a striker that can chip in with at least 12 goals over the course of the campaign. Yes, it is not just the strikers that score goals, it is vital we score from midfield (and as Fordy points out, from set pieces) but that will not be enough.
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Post by ChrisB on Sept 17, 2010 12:43:21 GMT
Seeing this on the day that Arthur Howlett's death is reported in the Oxford Mail, it makes you wonder what it was that those centre-forwards had that is missing these days - or is it just that the game is played totally differently?
What would a player who could score 50 goals in a season be worth nowadays!!?
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Post by Local Scout on Sept 17, 2010 13:17:26 GMT
Yes the game has moved on and when was the last time you saw any striker score 50 goals in any league above the Hellenic – nowadays better/more athletic defenders and teams that are more tactically astute than they have ever been before. Back to Fordys dilemma – do you go and get a fox in the box or is it a big mean ball winner we need because I’m not aware of any player who possess both these attributes at our level. In my opinion Bartley from Didcot would be my pick as the big mean ball winner up top but interestingly the opinion of Diddy fans on him is that he doesn’t score enough goals (especially at home). Allsop not mobile enough nor is Marcus Richardson currently at Reading Town then you start looking at Adam Wallace from Hungerford or even Like Holden from Kidlington but again I’m not sure they’re the answer. Another option is Aaron Woodley from Oxford United but that would be a loan deal and as previously stated I can’t see the long term benefit of loanees to the team. So plenty of names and plenty of options but if I were to stick my neck out the I would play one big ball winner (Bartley) alongside a fox in the box (Mills) in a 4-4-2 formation. 4-4-2 now that’s another debate…
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Post by Padz on Sept 17, 2010 13:23:41 GMT
The club tracked Bartley closely last season but he wasn't deemed good enough, I don't believe Luke Holden is good enough for our level either.
I'd still have a place in our side for Yashwa Romeo , 100%er who was big & strong and capable of scoring a few
& I still think Holman has a really bright future if we allow him to establish himself
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Post by ChrisB on Sept 17, 2010 14:26:55 GMT
Yes, Yash has masses of experience of goalscoring at this level: possibly a quick-fix. Dan Holman certainly shows some nice touches but will take some while to settle: it's a big step up from Step 5 to Step 3. It surprised me how someone like, say, Danny Keen who looked really good in the SSML (Step 5) struggled when we got promotion to Step 4. It must be a bigger change than is obvious at first glance to us supporters, and there's no substitute for experience.
P.S. Ray Spence, anyone?
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Post by Padz on Sept 17, 2010 15:04:52 GMT
I'd love Ray Spence back! , dont think it's gonna happen though!
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