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hepphep

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Posts posted by hepphep

  1. Posted

    16 minutes ago, Ulfotto said:

    I would argue he scores the goals rather creates them although he did get a lot of assists last year.  It was the defense that did for us last season we scored the same number of goals as Luton but conceded at least 20 more.

    Also he is at the moment top in assists in on going Euro qualifiers, so his creativity is sure to be missed in addition to goals. However, longer the last season went there was others to step up as well. Would not mind getting someone on wing who could also find target bit better.

  2. Posted

    On 28/06/2023 at 18:41, canarybubbles said:

    I suspect he's made the financial decision rather than the footballing one. He'd still be great in a lower-half La Liga team such as Celta Vigo or Getafe, playing the kind of football where he could thrive. He won't have any Buendia in Minnesota, that's for sure.

    No Buendia, but there is Robin Lod. Another player he has seemed to have like telepathic connection with in national team games, so maybe that actually also plays some part. 

  4. Posted

    On 17/06/2023 at 07:46, Ken Hairy said:

    Look we all love Pukki, but it was very clear his legs had gone and not up to playing this level anymore, watching him being miles off it vs Blackpool was sad to watch. 

    He'll no doubt go and score a hatful in the MLS, its all about levels and Finland vs Slovenia is what equivalent, League 1? 2? 

    I'd bet for their promotion from league 2 for sure, with 3 Serie A players and 3 Bundesliga players in their team 😉

  5. Posted

    5 hours ago, Branston Pickle said:

    Er, ok. I’m not sure you’ve read what I said. I just don’t go in for this footballers-on-pedestals thing, never have done and never will. He’s done pretty well for us, and we’ve done pretty well for him - it goes but he ways. I’ll cheer him off and wish him well.

    I'd correct a bit, if you allow. 😉 He has done extremely well for us and we have done pretty well for him (not getting in anyone to provide service and making him to stay this one last championship year when he would have wanted to play still on higher level lowers the "we've done well for him" meter quite a bit)

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    1 hour ago, chicken said:

    You say that, but as much as he may wish to take on a challenge at the top level he may also not wish to now. As I said before, last summer was really the prime chance for him to go find that last big move. He could realistically get a three year deal, some security and have some time still to adapt to another league - he's mainly flopped there before, hence where he was before we signed him.

    He may still feel he has another 3-4 years in him. At 33, the question will really be - does anywhere else. 

    Cannot agree that he flopped. On his time in Spain, he was academy player who had one sub appearance before moving away for more minutes (and actually to play in european competitions). Year and a half from that and he was in Bundesliga top 5 club. On Bundesliga he did score around goal per 130 minutes ratio, which I would never call flop. Reason why he did not break through in Schalke was that they had Huntelaar on his prime as their main striker and they played with one forward. Therefore he moved after gametime to Celtic. Celtic period was awful, but it was not that he would not have had quality to play top leagues at that time already. Sometimes the team just plays in a way that does not suit for individual.

  8. Posted

    9 hours ago, shefcanary said:

    Some people jump to a lot of conclusions. Footballer's do not always necessarily chase the money.

    Pukki seems quite a modest fellow, I would imagine the majority of the £10m plus he has earned at Norwich is now safely invested so will keep him financially sorted for life. Any decision he makes now will focus on what his young family need most at the moment. Sure, he could decide more money may be most important, but it could easily be their education and friendships that are more important. I wouldn't be surprised if he stays even if we don't get promoted, but my money is on a return to Finland! Family comes first.

    I agree that money is likely not deciding factor, but I'd expect he would still want to challenge him on top level. Either EPL, Bundesliga or La Liga. As free transfer, he will sure have demand in those

  11. Posted

    2 hours ago, littleyellowbirdie said:

    So it's possible he's not really capable of playing as well as he did?

    I think that it remains as valid question for longer term if he can find and maintain such form regularly. So far in his career for us and in Bundesliga he has scored 28 goals in 138 games. As big chunk of those is early this season, its interesting to see if he had silly streak or if it is that he has been able to step up to next level.

    In comparison, Idah has 9 in 62 which would make their career averages pretty same in start of the season when Idah was still injured and Sargent got his streak.

    And please do not read to this as saying Sargeant is bad player. He has really good qualities in his pressing and work rate. Still bit unsure if he can contribute to controlling game yet though and if he can keep on scoring regularly on high numbers. 

  12. Posted

    56 minutes ago, Helsinki canary said:

    We also need to look back to the period of the season where we went on a great unbeaten run , Sargent featured as the starting striker in many of those games and was on a prolific run, Smith then wanted to embed Pukki back into the central striker position and Sargent was pushed out wide and the goals dried up. As another poster mentioned, at this stage in Pukki’s career I would would try him in the number 10 position with Josh as the lead striker - at this stage I see we have little to lose.

    It could also be that Sargent was massively overperforming for short period. But I agree that Sargeant likely can be best option if the style of play is just to try to drive towards goal and deliver ball there. However, I would rather see us to try to create chances as a team, as we should be very capable to do that.  

  13. Posted

    19 minutes ago, Helsinki canary said:

    Teemu has been a fantastic servant for the club and probably one of the best pieces of business the club has made. He will see out his career in Germany or Spain. It would be time to start Sargent in his position for the rest of the season and bring Pukki on from the bench when needed. Its now time to build for the future not rely on the past. 

    Problem is though that in overall quality, we are still having mid-level championship forward vs epl level forward there, and therefore dropping Pukki for Sargent would be admitting that we give up for this season. Not 100% sure that Sargent will take that step in future either, as he seems to be lacking football brain. In that sense I actually still think Idah might be one to replace Pukki in future.

    • Like 2

  14. Posted

    I often cannot but wonder if we really should play only one of Pukki or Sargent at any time as they seem to eat space from each others too often. I think that might apply to many players actually, as individuals they seem better than when working together. For example Aarons is shadow of his past level, but I really cannot think that he is regressed as individual. He just dont fit in with rest of the current team that well anymore. Also CM trio on last match tried play too similar with each others, nobody too aggressive role between others of midfield and forwards. As individuals, I think most of players in our last starting eleven could make it to starting eleven for nearly all teams in this league. As a team we are not even close to top teams.

    I think part of it is just bad coaching and we need some serious improvement on setting player roles. Part of it is surely shattered confidence. And part of it would be wrongly build team due to silly recruitments, having our best eleven made of too similar players so that we cannot fill all the required roles with them. 

     

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    I dont know if I'm totally lost as I cannot join all the misery talk this time. I think it was excellent improvement in the quality of our game with real attitude to get the job done. Just no luck this time, but after a long time our players seemed like quality individuals. Also, gotta admit that today it was easy to see why managers keep on selecting McLean as he was outstanding.

    Unlucky to lose points, but otherwise really entertaining stuff!

  17. Posted

    Played half a season with Norwich so far. Very offensive 3-4-3 formation. Top of league atm. Pukki has already scored nearly 30 goals, Idah and Sargeant providing good support. Turned Aarons and Giannoulis as wingers, which is working better all the time. Starting eleven currently: Gunn, Gibson, Omobamidele, Hanley, Giannoulis, Sorensen, Nunez, Aarons, Idah, Pukki, Sargeant

    Looking now to buy extra forward to replace Hugill as sub and BWM to replace Sorensen

  19. Posted

    21 hours ago, king canary said:

    In my view the problem is largely that Pukki is a very one dimensional striker. He's incredible in that one dimension but the issue is you need everyone playing to his strengths at all times. Smith clearly wants a striker who can at times play with his back to goal, hit the channels and bring others into the game, none of which really suit Pukki. He's a good part of the build up when you're closer to the area and you've got those quick interchanges as he showed with Ramsey but closer to our end of the pitch he's largely ineffective. 

    Your other point about playing him into a bit of space is true but its reliant on three things...

    1. The space being available
    2. Having the players who can put the right ball in there
    3. That player and Pukki being on the same mental wavelength so his run is timed with the pass.

    Point 3 is where we aren't there yet in my view. Too often a ball is played and Pukki isn't quite ready or expecting it and thus can't do what he needs to. When Sargent is up top his physicality allows him to sometimes make a bit more of those slightly aimless longer balls, where Pukki can be bullied off it. 

    We're clearly at a cross roads with his contract up this season and if we don't think it'll be renewed then it makes sense to start trying to build a system that can suit multiple types of striker. 

    I agree on most parts, but I think he is actually been pretty good in build-up on games where his role has allowed him to participate more. Creating chances for others is also something where he seems to be ahead from rest of the team, and being top of team's assists table (and 7th in league) tells something about that.

    But totally agree that he is not sort of complete forward, but more suitable on play where ball stays on ground and team keeps up good pace.

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    On 10/11/2022 at 20:25, TheDarkKnight said:

    In fairness, how many people believe stuff from the Bible actually happened? Billions?

    The majority of Earth are crackers.

    To answer the OP:

    No. Paul Pogba hired a Witch Doctor to put a hex on Mbappe. Next thing we know, the spell backfires and Pogba is injured and out of the World Cup.

    The problem with witch doctors is that there is always more powerful one who can place suitable counter hex. And with Mbappe's salary, you can (and should) hire quite a few!

    • Like 1

  22. Posted · Edited by hepphep

    I think Byram was really good first half and it was good decision to start with him. We had Sara on that side to be the more offensive option and McCallum on other side as more offensive fullback. I think that Sara and Max sort of excludes each other from playing on same wing as they'd eat out each other's attacking options and Sara does not stand out as very good in defensive positioning, therefore not providing Max the required support defensively.

    Max is more aggressive offensively, but I think his offensive strength is not same that few years back when he was able to get into box more. Now he quite often cuts in earlier which can cause good chances but also takes space out of other forward players and therefore I think he'd likely taken off some of the attacking play we were playing there.

    In a way, I think he is bit like Hernandez on his attacking endeavors. He has good engine and pace and can create something out of thin air, valuable asset when trying to break the low defensive formation, but on the other hand not on his main strengths in the way we played first half.
     

  23. Posted

    I think Hayden was good in first half, balancing things. Being bit invisible is often good sign in that role. He clearly ran out of gas in around 50-60 minutes after which he became more visible because he was constantly a bit late. Think he should've been subbed at that point as it gave control of midfield to QPR. I think he will be improving every game as he gains the fitness.

    • Like 1

  25. Posted

    1 hour ago, WD40 said:

    Dreaming. He’s looking lower prem or maybe Celtic if Ange Postecoglu goes to lower prem. 

    Really hard to see someone from Norwegian league (except old star player of EPL team) to be recruited as a manager/head coach of EPL team. I think the more common way would be through Scotland or Championship. Its not easy to get into EPL (and often not to Championship and SPL either) straight from smaller leagues and can only recall Solskjäer as single exception in near future. Or am I missing someone else?

    I think he'd instantly jump into a plane if he'd be asked for interview.

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