Some recent comments from Pukki

[Monty13 2,229]

33 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Imagine Pukki in a top ten side with world class wingers either side of him. 20 plus goals a season easy.

Imagine Pukki would want some throughballs, not wingers. Rashica with Pukki has been pretty disastrous.

[The Real Buh 3,423]

I’m not sure if my fear of losing Pukki is based on him being a real great player and an undoubted NCFC great or my inability to trust the leadership team at the club to source a suitable replacement.

[Capt. Pants 4,195]

22 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

True, needs someone behind him too. But given he's been able to score more than 10 goals in two seasons in which his team has been awful and rock bottom most of the season imagine what he would be able to do in a top team.. 

I agree, but then there's probably a reason why he hasn't been bought by a top team.

His international record of 34 goals from just over 100 caps is broadly on par with his Premer League one. It's decent, but not world class.

The question for NCFC is how much do they want to rely on a 32 year old striker in terms of shaping a playing style and squad around him.

 

 

[Ian 1,129]

1 minute ago, Capt. Pants said:

I agree, but then there's probably a reason why he hasn't been bought by a top team.

His international record of 34 goals from just over 100 caps is broadly on par with his Premer League one. It's decent, but not world class.

The question for NCFC is how much do they want to rely on a 32 year old striker in terms of shaping a playing style and squad around him.

He has never played in world class teams however.

[The Real Buh 3,423]

The other thing with Pukki is when Idah came this in the season he looked like a new player! Revitalised with sudden support up front! Then it was ripped away and it was back to him ploughing furrows up front with no support and no joy! I’m desperate to see him play with support from a newly fit Sargent and Idah and A.NOther hopefully (Rowe?) 

he needs support, but any striker does. I think considering his lack of support his goal tally in the last season was a miracle 

Edited May 31, 2022 by The Real Buh

[king canary 7,577]

2 minutes ago, Capt. Pants said:

The question for NCFC is how much do they want to rely on a 32 year old striker in terms of shaping a playing style and squad around him.

I think this is the key question. Pukki is a very good striker but quite one dimensional, although very good at that one dimension. To a certain extent you have to build your team around that, unless Smith thinks he can play Pukki and another striker (Idah?) in the same team without sacrificing defensive stability. 

[Google Bot 3,256]

Just now, king canary said:

unless Smith thinks he can play Pukki and another striker (Idah?) in the same team without sacrificing defensive stability. 

In the Championships you'd imagine that having Idah for set pieces is a defensive improvement.   In regards to open play he has to fancy us against 90%+ of teams, plus the success of them both in the prem - it's got to be high consideration, surely?

[king canary 7,577]

4 minutes ago, Google Bot said:

In the Championships you'd imagine that having Idah for set pieces is a defensive improvement.   In regards to open play he has to fancy us against 90%+ of teams, plus the success of them both in the prem - it's got to be high consideration, surely?

I'd imagine so. Smith clearly wants someone up top who can play with their back to goal and Idah is the obvious choice. However if you're going to be playing two up top you either need one of them to be an absolute workhorse to do some tracking/covering when we lose the ball OR you potentially need to make a longer term switch to a back 3 (which could explain our reported willingness to part with Tzolis?). 

[Mike w 46]

1 hour ago, The Real Buh said:

The other thing with Pukki is when Idah came this in the season he looked like a new player! Revitalised with sudden support up front! Then it was ripped away and it was back to him ploughing furrows up front with no support and no joy! I’m desperate to see him play with support from a newly fit Sargent and Idah and A.NOther hopefully (Rowe?) 

he needs support, but any striker does. I think considering his lack of support his goal tally in the last season was a miracle 

Fully agree, no support for Pukki and an only real choice for POY. He ran his socks off as no support for him to have a real advantage.

I believe that his daughter wants to stay in Norfolk as she likes the school so hopefully as  a great parent he will take that into consideration.

10 goals in a very poor season is brilliant just think how many more he would have scored with a better midfield threading the ball through.

I hope  he stays but cannot be certain and if he gets a big windfall for moving who can blame him. Most footballers only have a short period to earn good money. 

[cambridgeshire canary 6,674]

1 hour ago, Capt. Pants said:

I agree, but then there's probably a reason why he hasn't been bought by a top team.

His international record of 34 goals from just over 100 caps is broadly on par with his Premer League one. It's decent, but not world class.

The question for NCFC is how much do they want to rely on a 32 year old striker in terms of shaping a playing style and squad around him.

 

 

'His international record' you on about the fact he's been able to become his nations all time top goal scorer?😉

[Google Bot 3,256]

13 minutes ago, king canary said:

However if you're going to be playing two up top you either need one of them to be an absolute workhorse to do some tracking/covering when we lose the ball OR you potentially need to make a longer term switch to a back 3

Going by the squad currently, you'd expect Smith will want to press high and I see Idah as a standout to employ that tactic.  I think the ability to press as a unit will be the most definitive factor in how we line up.

But, he paired Ings and Watkins in a 3-5-2 at Villa and ultimately got the boot so maybe wouldn't have absolute confidence in that as our blueprint.

It's very hard to second guess at this point.

[Robert N. LiM 4,237]

We need to be replacing Pukki this summer, whether he stays or goes. In the best case scenario that he stays and we get promoted, it will be asking an awful lot of him to be our sole striker in the Prem at the age of, what, 33, 34? Obviously, hopefully this will be the season that Adam Idah finally gets a bit of luck with injuries and makes a real step forward, but we need someone else, too. Clearly DM is the top priority (probably two of them) but a striker who's in genuine competition with Pukki is no2 on the list if you ask me.

[Unhinged Canary 375]

1 hour ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

'His international record' you on about the fact he's been able to become his nations all time top goal scorer?😉

He's joint 87th. In the WORLD! 🤣

 

Of ALL TIME! 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Unhinged Canary

[king canary 7,577]

1 hour ago, Google Bot said:

Going by the squad currently, you'd expect Smith will want to press high and I see Idah as a standout to employ that tactic.  I think the ability to press as a unit will be the most definitive factor in how we line up.

But, he paired Ings and Watkins in a 3-5-2 at Villa and ultimately got the boot so maybe wouldn't have absolute confidence in that as our blueprint.

It's very hard to second guess at this point.

It seems to me the issues at Villa stemmed from those two not complimenting each other very well and a need to try and get them, Buendia and Leon Bailey into the starting XI. Bailey's injury made things a bit simpler but even then Gerrard has generally left at least one of Emi, Ings, Coutinho or Watkins on the bench. 

I think Idah and Pukki could naturally compliment each other and if Rashica moves on we then don't have any pure wingers we'd maybe feel the need to force into the side. 

[......and Smith must score. 1,332]

Much as I want him to stay I wouldn't blame him at all if he's had enough. To score as many goals as he did - just under half out total - shows how good he is but would he want another season of running around for hopeless causes again next year ?

If they're settled in Norfolk I'm hoping he puts family considerations first. It'll be a huge gap to fill if he goes.

[Michael Starr 519]

Dean Windass is available on a free?

[Michael Starr 519]

In reality, I think this could be a HUGE season for IDAH, a perfect Dean Smith player.

[Google Bot 3,256]

24 minutes ago, Michael Starr said:

In reality, I think this could be a HUGE season for IDAH, a perfect Dean Smith player.

It's a long way to go from the glimpses he showed past season to doing it week in week out.  Maintaining that level of fitness is tough in itself with the potential role he'd be given, he's only just turned 21 we need to remember.

I don't seem him as a 20+ goal/season player.  And as discussed above, not sure if he's "perfect" enough for Smith to risk our defensive lines and go with 2 up top as a priority.

I think a perfect Smith player is someone like Grealish or Buendia who can make the gaps up in a team.  Idah is a worker, for sure, but neither us or Villa would've been promoted without the aforementioned.

[shefcanary 2,383]

There was talk as Pukki got older and his initial burst pace slowed that he could be played in a more central attacking midfielder role given his work rate on the ball.  This could potentially extend his career a couple more years if he was up for it, maybe more if you look at someone like Wes. Is that a change that Deano & Shakey may look at? 🤔

[king canary 7,577]

8 minutes ago, shefcanary said:

There was talk as Pukki got older and his initial burst pace slowed that he could be played in a more central attacking midfielder role given his work rate on the ball.  This could potentially extend his career a couple more years if he was up for it, maybe more if you look at someone like Wes. Is that a change that Deano & Shakey may look at? 🤔

I think they probably would if there was a chairperson or CEO in place, don't you? 😉

[Creative Midfielder 1,985]

7 hours ago, Branston Pickle said:

It really is particularly daft to say that any player is irreplaceable, but then over the top hyperbole seems to be your forte.  How many irreplaceable players do you think we have?  It seems that you’ve named 3 so far from the last 12 months. 

Of course the truth is that you just need to find someone decent to fill the gap when a player leaves or retires.  That we failed with Emi and Skipp, and who knows we might with Pukki, is merely a failing of Webber et al.

Frankly that sounds even more daft than the post you criticised as daft.

The idea that we 'just needed someone decent' to fill the Buendia and Skipp shaped gaps is risible - we needed far more than that to 'replace' the two that we lost, and I see little point in an abstract argument over whether a player is literally irreplaceable or merely extremely difficult to replace.

Back in the real world, we lost two absolutely key players, spent a load  of money, signed quite a few new players but zero replacements for those two key gaps and the result was a disastrous season - so your argument over semantics seems pretty pointless IMO. -

[Branston Pickle 3,632]

3 hours ago, Creative Midfielder said:

Frankly that sounds even more daft than the post you criticised as daft.

The idea that we 'just needed someone decent' to fill the Buendia and Skipp shaped gaps is risible - we needed far more than that to 'replace' the two that we lost, and I see little point in an abstract argument over whether a player is literally irreplaceable or merely extremely difficult to replace.

Back in the real world, we lost two absolutely key players, spent a load  of money, signed quite a few new players but zero replacements for those two key gaps and the result was a disastrous season - so your argument over semantics seems pretty pointless IMO. -

Well, thanks for your input.  You clearly miss the point I was making, which was that you need to fill the gaps with decent players when your best players leave, and we didn’t.  So you’re actually making the same point. Well done.

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Branston Pickle

[Grando 260]

Just give him a new two-year deal and be done with it. He’s vital to us and there’s no way we can afford a replacement that’s anywhere near as good. 

[Creative Midfielder 1,985]

11 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Well, thanks for your input.  You clearly miss the point I was making, which was that you need to fill the gaps with decent players when your best players leave, and we didn’t.  So you’re actually making the same point. Well done.

 

😂😂 I didn't miss your point at all, I thought it was ridiculous although I think I actually said risible - actually either or both are true especially on its repetition.

 

[Branston Pickle 3,632]

17 minutes ago, Creative Midfielder said:

😂😂 I didn't miss your point at all, I thought it was ridiculous although I think I actually said risible - actually either or both are true especially on its repetition.

 

Well that shows how risible your own point is, then. Well done. You are so clever. 👍

Edited June 1, 2022 by Branston Pickle

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,251]

13 hours ago, Grando said:

Just give him a new two-year deal and be done with it. He’s vital to us and there’s no way we can afford a replacement that’s anywhere near as good. 

Kind of agree with this. No place for sentiment in football, but occasionally exceptions should be made. 

Pukki  deserves a decent contract for a minimum of two years for the loyalty he's shown this football club. Not withstanding the fact he's just come of the back of an 11 goal EPL haul. Break the structure, if required. Legendry status deserves it.

Lose Pukki and we're back to square one.

[canarybubbles 1,915]

2 hours ago, Creedence Clearwater Couto said:

Kind of agree with this. No place for sentiment in football, but occasionally exceptions should be made. 

Pukki  deserves a decent contract for a minimum of two years for the loyalty he's shown this football club. Not withstanding the fact he's just come of the back of an 11 goal EPL haul. Break the structure, if required. Legendry status deserves it.

Lose Pukki and we're back to square one.

It's not sentiment - it's hard-headed common sense. Unless he gets injured, Pukki is more or less guaranteed to get us an absolute minimum of 15 goals next season, and probably closer to 25. How much is it going to cost us to find similar, even assuming we pick his successor wisely?

[yellowrider120 761]

On 31/05/2022 at 12:18, Robert N. LiM said:

We need to be replacing Pukki this summer, whether he stays or goes. In the best case scenario that he stays and we get promoted, it will be asking an awful lot of him to be our sole striker in the Prem at the age of, what, 33, 34? Obviously, hopefully this will be the season that Adam Idah finally gets a bit of luck with injuries and makes a real step forward, but we need someone else, too. Clearly DM is the top priority (probably two of them) but a striker who's in genuine competition with Pukki is no2 on the list if you ask me.

Totally agree. Problem is we have put all our striker eggs in the Pukki basket for about three years now and the end game is approaching rather too soon for comfort!    

[chicken 2,604]

On 31/05/2022 at 08:10, A Load of Squit said:

He would get more money if he let his contract run down and became a free agent.

Not at this stage in his career I feel. At least, not a contract with financial stability involved. At 32, he could become the next Ibrahimovic/Ronaldo and continue to deliver at the consistent levels he has done beyond 35 - the typical age people see players start to drop off in terms of performances, pace and ability to impact and influence games. However, that is an uncertainty.

It is an interesting question, one I am sure all will be mulling over. In a years time he'll almost certainly be worth less money both in terms of wages demanded and in transfer fee - in this case, very literally nothing for us.

I can imagine that some clubs will offer him a 2yr deal, but few will offer more than that unless they know the majority of the opposition in their league are of such a level that even a Pukki at 75% of his current output would still be good. Portugal, Scotland (he probably won't want to revisit that nightmare), Turkey, Netherlands would all seem like logical choices for leagues where he could go to a relatively top side, get paid reasonably well and even get some European action whilst negotiating a 2yr deal still.

Are any of them able to pay masses more? Who knows. I somewhat doubt he could demand more money in a year, that's for sure.

[Canaries north 151]

I would love to keep Pukki for another season or 2 but could understand if he wanted to leave if length of contract and finance worked better for him. Yes we have paid him well and resurrected his career to some point but I also feel he has paid us back 10 fold. My main worry and others will know better than me is the recruitment team. I'm sure I have heard in the last year or two the club has lost or moved on a number of people from internal roles. Some who would have been involved in recruitment. Is this the reason for some of the bad choices made last summer?  If so how much faith can we put into replacing our only real candidate for player of the season.