Idah - First choice?

[The Great Mass Debater 1,115]

Idah is expected to bear fruit this year. Would our best hope of developing him into a proper striker lie in making him first choice, rather than tentatively givng him some minutes here and there? Give him the starts, and if he isnt performing Pukki comes on at half-time/60 minutes.

He is now at the point where he needs to be a proper option and not just a wild card. Might this also bring the best from Pukki?

Just a thought. I think he needs games and if that isnt a championship loan do we gamble on him?

[Mello Yello 2,320]

Let Adam start and bust a gut for 50 mins or so....Then bring the Pukkster on to see the game out.....

[The Great Mass Debater 1,115]

1 minute ago, Mello Yello said:

Let Adam start and bust a gut for 50 mins or so....Then bring the Pukkster on to see the game out.....

I think psychologically it might help Idah to know it is his shirt to lose. Underperform and Farke will pull him. Gives him the confidence that the boss trusts him and has faith in him, but also expects. He knows Pukki will want his plac back and its up to him to keep him out.

We did a similar thing with Cantwell in his emergeant season.

Pukki often looks fatigued or carrying a knock to me. Might it actually help him to not have the sole burden on him and mean he can condense his performances into a shorter period, thereby fresher in games.

Could Pukki come on in other positions and offer something, or as an additional striker alongside Idah if the game needs it? Id imagine Pukki would be able to get involved in a game much quicker than Idah when coming on as a sub

[cambridgeshire canary 6,921]

Get the feeling he's off on loan.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

No chance Idah starts the season as first choice, its Pukki's shirt to lose.

We're imminently going to sign Sargent as well who would likely be our second choice striker, unless Farke would prefer Sargent as one of the attacking three behind the striker?

However, we've seen Farke consistently put his trust into second-choice players who perform when given an opportunity - usually via injury to a first choice player - and I expect Pukki will have a few niggles this season (he may even struggle to start on Saturday?) which will give either player a good few games to make a name for themselves. Given the fees involved I think Sargent would be the preference. 

IMO Idah is still some way short of offering what Pukki does but I could also see him really suddenly bursting up a level in a similar way to Rashford at United or as Cantwell did for us in 19/20. 

It is a shame he didn't get to feature more last year, he, Hernandez and even Dowell (up to near the end of the season) had really bad set backs and were playing catch up nearly the whole campaign! 

Edited August 9, 2021 by Hank shoots Skyler

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,941]

As I said in another thread just now, I think Idah has a big future but he needs games. His path to the first team is blocked now with Pukki and Sargent presumably ahead of him, so a Championship loan has to be better than another season of getting the odd run out from the bench.

[If wed kept Howie.. 220]

depends on form...

form player is first choice - always

[Upo 91]

Come on.... He's very promising, but realistically he's scored a few in friendlies against lower tier opposition. I wouldn't declare a boxer the future heavyweight world champion for knocking out a featherweight amateur while full contact sparring. 

Idah is in competition for 2nd choice striker position. Teemu is simply on another level. He is arguably our best player. 

[Feedthewolf 4,958]

Just now, Upo said:

Come on.... He's very promising, but realistically he's scored a few in friendlies against lower tier opposition. I wouldn't declare a boxer the future heavyweight world champion for knocking out a featherweight amateur while full contact sparring. 

Idah is in competition for 2nd choice striker position. Teemu is simply on another level. He is arguably our best player. 

Yeah, this. Teemu has averaged better than a goal every two games over three years. Dropping him for a 20-year-old with three senior goals in his career is crazy talk.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

Now that we have 4 strikers, I wonder whether Idah will actually be loaned out and the homegrown Hugill take a place in the 25? 

Idah doesn't qualify as homegrown yet, which probably buys Hugill some time.

[Feedthewolf 4,958]

Just now, TeemuVanBasten said:

Now that we have 4 strikers, I wonder whether Idah will actually be loaned out and the homegrown Hugill take a place in the 25? 

Idah doesn't qualify as homegrown yet, which probably buys Hugill some time.

I think he does now, Teemu. We signed him in 2017, so he's had three years at an English club before the age of 21.

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,941]

3 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Now that we have 4 strikers, I wonder whether Idah will actually be loaned out and the homegrown Hugill take a place in the 25? 

Idah doesn't qualify as homegrown yet, which probably buys Hugill some time.

Idah is homegrown now, but I'd still rather see Hugill  kept and Idah loaned out, just because Idah needs regular games. The third choice striker won't play much and it would be better in the long run.

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

7 minutes ago, Feedthewolf said:

I think he does now, Teemu. We signed him in 2017, so he's had three years at an English club before the age of 21.

Ah fair enough, that went quick!

[Thirsty Lizard 3,187]

21 minutes ago, TeemuVanBasten said:

Now that we have 4 strikers, I wonder whether Idah will actually be loaned out and the homegrown Hugill take a place in the 25? 

Idah doesn't qualify as homegrown yet, which probably buys Hugill some time.

Yes he does.

 

[TeemuVanBasten 3,327]

3 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

Yes he does.

Yes I know.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,187]

19 minutes ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Idah is homegrown now, but I'd still rather see Hugill  kept and Idah loaned out, just because Idah needs regular games. The third choice striker won't play much and it would be better in the long run.

Just like our 5th choice centre back wasn't going to 'play much' the last time we were in the Premier League? 

Farke has said on many occasions that he thinks our squad needs three centre forward options. 

If we end up having to rely on Hugill for any period of time in Premier League games, the howls of derision and anguish on this board will be so loud that they will be heard in Australia. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,941]

15 minutes ago, Thirsty Lizard said:

Just like our 5th choice centre back wasn't going to 'play much' the last time we were in the Premier League? 

Farke has said on many occasions that he thinks our squad needs three centre forward options. 

If we end up having to rely on Hugill for any period of time in Premier League games, the howls of derision and anguish on this board will be so loud that they will be heard in Australia. 

The centre back injury crisis was a freak occurrence.

Our third choice striker last season was Idah, the year before was Srbeny until January and Idah afterwards, and the season before it was Srbeny. Our third choice striker has started around five matches in the last three years, plus there were two games Stiepermann was forced into playing there.

For this reason, I'd rather go with Hugill as third choice because Idah needs games to develop and he doesn't have a clear pathway here.

Omobamidele will be competing for one of two or possibly three positions. Cantwell was competing for one of three positions when he broke through last time round. Idah is competing for one and he's starting the race with two others ahead of him. He's now 20 and has played less than 1000 minutes of senior football if I'm not mistaken, which equates to less than ten full games, so this is a crucial period for his development.

I like Idah, I really do, and I don't think he's far off but for the long term benefit of the player and the club, he needs competitive minutes which he'll struggle for here through no fault of his own.

[lake district canary 4,583]

Well I can see the front three working in combination as interchanging strikers - with any three from Idah/Pukki/Rashica/Sargent and Tzolis (if we get him too).  That is six players who can either play striker or attacking from either flank. It represents a fluid front three that will offer pace, strength, guile and desire when chasing a game, or even from the start of matches. 

Mix in the likes of Cantwell/Dowell/Hernandez and we have some real strength attacking wise in this squad and exciting choices that will be on the bench, whoever is picked at the start.  

It is a very exciting prospect and Idah, imo, is very much part of that. He is such a unit, athletic and strong and an excellent finisher - and can play wide too.