Is there any precedent for RvW turning his fortunes round?

[Tetteys Jig 851]

I was trying to think of an example of when a player has started terribly somewhere and then had a great follow up season.

Edin Dzeko springs to mind, 2 goals in 15 prem games after a January move to City but even there he redeemed himself in Europe and in the cups and got 6 in 21.

Just trying to see if there is any hope for the lad!

[CANARYKING 707]

Roberts wasn''t great in his first season.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Diego Forlan is the most famous example, but apparently Fergie didn''t rate his hairstyle.

 

Has Altidore turned things around at Sunderland?

 

There are lots, and mostly strikers from abroad. Can''t think of any atm. Fulham had one recently, as did WBA.

 

Ted McDougall was a bit of a flop at Old Trafford and then at West Ham, but a superstar at Carrow Road. 

 

Our own Chris Martin might come into this category.

 

Having mentioned some of the above, RVW has the biggest job to do, it would seem.

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Forlan had to move before finding his touch again. Altidore the same. We are a different side to the one RvW left but I can''t really think of an example that helps his cause much. Chris Martin doesn''t come into it, he wasn''t good enough for the premiership, dropped back to the Championship where he had proven to be a good player before.

I suppose Brown Ideye at WBA had a brief purple patch right after he nearly left on deadline day but even then he tailed back off and will probably leave this summer. Mitroglu is the Fulham one, I think he stole RvW''s prize as biggest flop that season!

[vlad666 207]

Think he needs to beef up a bit for the English game. He obviously has some talent to be picked for his national team. He just reminded me of a kid playing against men during his time here.

[ZLF 335]

[quote user="Tetteys Jig"]I was trying to think of an example of when a player has started terribly somewhere and then had a great follow up season. [/quote]Thierry Henry was woeful in his first season and needed a slight change of role to fulfill his potential.And as others have mentioned Roberts should have never seen a second season - fortunately he did.

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

I can''t think of someone turning it around at the same club, starting on a pedestal like RVW and then falling so low before coming back.

Plenty of players do it when they move to a different club.

I can''t see why he''d be better off next season in the Prem, unless AN can find a formation to fit him in - I can''t ever see him working as a sole striker.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

It''s not just a question of ability, character has a great deal to do with it.

 

Our two greats, McDougall and Roberts were big characters capable of overcoming adversity.

 

It remains to be seen whether RVW has sufficient mental strength to re-launch his career at Carrow Road, if necessary. He should have overcome the confidence (as in lack of) factor by now and there will be no Snoddy on his back, but the signs are not great, IMO.

[Move Klose 303]

Wont be the first foreigner to struggle in his first season in England. The injuries he picked up, the very poor and very negative tactics Hughton played certainly didnt help his cause.

I remember the first match of the day of the season the pundits and Martinez talked about how good his awareness and movement was.

How about we all not get so irrate about it. He will either get sold and loaned out again, if he does then so be it. Or maybe he will come back to Colney and impress Alex Neil and maybe get his chance.

None of us know the answer so lets not worry too much.

[Trevor Hockey's Beard 606]

RvW was good at getting into the right position for cutbacks, and pointed to where he wanted the ball and the rest of the team ignored him.

We seem to be majoring on scoring from cutbacks so maybe, just maybe, there could be a fairy-tale ending to this story.

[lake district canary 4,830]

Curiously, or maybe not, there is a scenario where he comes back, impresses in training - as he did before - has a good pre-season scoring one or two good goals, looks to be the sharpest and most accurate striker of the four we have - and gets to play in the first game.   We should all be pleased if that happens, because it would be like having a new player - much like when Bassong came back - and if he was to score the winning goal.......re-habilitiation could be swift and sweet.   Stranger things have happend and it doesn''t matter what has happened in the past - it''s what happens next that is important and AN will get the best out of him - because getting the best out of his players is what he does.

[morty 0]

He needs to redefine himself. If, I suspect we are going to play one striker next season, I suspect that one striker won''t be Ricky.

[PurpleCanary 6,381]

[quote user="Tetteys Jig"]I was trying to think of an example of when a player has started terribly somewhere and then had a great follow up season.

Edin Dzeko springs to mind, 2 goals in 15 prem games after a January move to City but even there he redeemed himself in Europe and in the cups and got 6 in 21.

Just trying to see if there is any hope for the lad![/quote]But van Wolfswinkel''s follow-up season was at St-Etienne, and "great" is not the word their fans are using to describe that.

[smooth 114]

If you read huckerbys book or many footballers books there are always clubs where a player goes against what the scouts believe he can do.

Injuries, expectations, new coaches, philosophy, mental approach. They are all reasons.

Mike sheron came here with all the proven ability to be a 20 goal a season striker. He had a disaster.

I think RVW is capable in this league if he finds his niche, with a physique like van Persie he can still play. We just need to work on that potential change in style.

If we let him go we get another striker who could be good but could get injured or fails. Of course he could get the goals. Every player is a risk, homegrown or otherwise. But those coming through the top academies have had the best start.

For me rvw should be in our squad next season, proving his worth and I feel we may get another, you can never have enough.

I think if rvw doesn''t do it next year under an then we can say flop. Grabban is unproven in the prem, hooper did not shine but can, jerome can shine... Rvw can shine but needs that chance. I think he wants the premier league, wants to push on cr and if he buys in to it he can prove his talent.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 4,615]

[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"][quote user="Tetteys Jig"]I was trying to think of an example of when a player has started terribly somewhere and then had a great follow up season. [/quote]Thierry Henry was woeful in his first season and needed a slight change of role to fulfill his potential.And as others have mentioned Roberts should have never seen a second season - fortunately he did.[/quote]Thierry Henry scored 26 in 47 in his first season at Arsenal- not exactly shabby.The best example is maybe De Gea? He looked very ropey in his first season at Man Utd, and not exactly brilliant in his second, but his third and fourth have been excellent. What was the difference? Possibly the fact that he toughened up a little bit- he was being bullied in the air a lot in his early days and struggled to adapt to a more physical style of football. Ricky should take note- if he stays.

[SwindonCanary 457]

Didier Drogba !  I remember him being subbed at Carrow Road, with us lot singing "what a waist of money" He hardly scored in his first season.

[a1canary 0]

Great thread! Don''t think i can add to the list, and can''t agree with the one about Altidore. He has gone back to the MLS with Toronto and has scored 5 (a mate of mine is living in Canada and says he''s still sh*t but can just about get away with it in MLS!). So not sure i''d call that turning things around! Apparently in 3 seasons play for New York before he left the MLS, he scored a grand total of 15 goals!

As for RVW, even if we are a different side to the one under Hooton, i would actually dare to suggest that the Jerome role as played in the play-off final, is little different to the lone role that Hooton used, particularly with Holt in his first season. It''s an absolutely thankless role requiring you to ''occupy'' their defence as much as possible, while also picking the ball up in the channels and playing in the wing backs and AMs. It''s little wonder that doing all that Holt''s strike rate fell dramatically. What Neil has been able to do is to get the team playing much more expansively and effectively behind said front man.

So the real mystery is why/how Hooton ever thought that RvW could play the lone role. You look at Jerome and Holt and then RvW!!?? So it''s hard to see how Neil can or could use him any differently when we already have Hooper as a finisher and surely a better option in a front 2.  

[Tetteys Jig 851]

Drogba is probably the best shout yet.

[a1canary 0]

This is still - and i venture will always be - the best thing he ever did for us! Love this kit!

 

[Tetteys Jig 851]

It wasn''t the whole season though. He got going eventually after an initial injury.

[Yellow Wal 315]

We must not forget what AN has done for Cameron Jerome.

After his first game or two under AN Cameron was dropped and Grabban was the preferred choice. That is not surprising if the match against Brentford can be remembered.

The change in the player from those early games to his outstanding performance in the final is a great testament to the work AN is doing. He has transformed a player, who at times looked as if he was ''just going through the motions'', to a player who may possibly add to the 10 Under 21 caps he has for England if his continued improvement is seen in the Premiership.

Bearing all this in mind I am prepared to wait and see if AN sees something in RvW that he feels he can work with.

I am not holding my breath, and I do not really think RvW will play again for us again, but if AN does give it a go I am sure we will see a vastly improved RvW than we did under Hughton.

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

RvW lacks any real pace. He''s weak and pushed off the ball. His movement is questionable. His season in France wasn''t a resounding success. Just can''t see where he''s going to fit in.

He has three strikers ahead of him who surely deserve the chance over him. After two pretty poor years his confidence must be completely shot - how long do we wait until he (ever) finds his form? If he doesn''t improve this season then we forego any potential loan/transfer fees this summer. There''s no way we''ll ever recoup what we paid for him. Another poor season could render him near worthless.

Personally I''d like us to bring in a striker of Premier League pedigree (even if we only get between 5 to 10 goals out of him), or a young striker in on loan with something about him.

For me, it''s a no to RvW.

[Eadies Left, Hucks Right, Iwans Heed, Holts Laugh! 0]

Ex binner I know but I personally would still take Darren Bent on a free, sure he could pop up with 10 or so goals even some from the bench, bit of pace, strong and still knows where the net is, wages might be unrealistic to what we want to pay or a squad player though.