Is Sargent seen as Pukki's replacement?

[canarybubbles 1,952]

We don't know if Pukki has made it known to the club that he intends to leave this summer, but this would make sense of why we seem so attached to 4-3-3 and resistant to going back to 4-2-3-1. The club placed a lot of trust in Sargent last season when he was frankly awful a lot of the time, so was Sargent replacing Pukki always the long-term plan, with Rashica and the full backs pumping in high crosses?

4-3-3 with emphasis on crosses from the wing and aerial play would seem to suit Sargent's skill-set much more than a 4-2-3-1 focused on intricate attacks through the middle. But now we've loaned out our wingers (and I don't think Tzolis, even if he comes good, will ever be that kind of winger), what happens next?

We seem to have half a squad suited to one style or formation, and half a squad suited to another.

Edited January 3, 2023 by canarybubbles

[Mark .Y. 352]

I hate to be so negative about one of our own players but his first touch and control yesterday was awful  😞

[Dean Coneys boots 1,407]

He sat deep because the rest of the midfield didn’t do their job- he worked really hard. I feel for Sarge- up front he has proved he is delivering more than Pukki this season- yet he keeps being bundled onto the wing. 

[canarybubbles 1,952]

10 minutes ago, Mark .Y. said:

I hate to be so negative about one of our own players but his first touch and control yesterday was awful  😞

If Sargent plays as centre forward, I'd see him being similar in many ways to Lewis Grabban (but with a much much better attitude). He'll score goals if he gets enough chances, but he'll also get it wrong a lot of the time.

I find it hard to imagine him setting up colleagues with dinky little touches, though, which is why I say we can forget any remnants of Farkeball if he becomes our main striker. We'll need to go much more direct and much more aerial.

Edited January 3, 2023 by canarybubbles

[Tommo 51]

Big 6 months for Pukki to see whether he buys into our new head coach and direction of travel post Webber departure this summer, which I assume is still the case. 
 

will Pukki seek a move this January and the club see it as a means to get some revenue in to reinvest? Hugely controversial and doubt it would be sanctioned given he is a quality player and would cause massive uproar on top of the state of flux we find ourselves in at present. 
 

Agree that Sarge best form is playing main striker and we just don’t seem to be able to play to Teemu’s strengths. Last 2 games it’s been apparent to play the ball faster from the back into channels but players aren’t close enough or on the same wave length to pick up Pukki’s intricate , lay off play. 

[canarybubbles 1,952]

Shame about Ramsey - I think he could have established a good understanding with Pukki. A quick thinker with an instinct for positioning, which is what you need. Apart from that, Dowell seems the best bet but as others have said many times, he would need to be played quite far forward and probably more centrally. Like it seems half of our team nowadays, he is wasted on the wing (and I would personally put Ramsey into this category, too).

[vlad666 205]

I don’t think Sargent will ever be good enough for the premier league. With his attitude and work rate I think he will do well though. He’s just not a natural footballer. Reminds me of a Zimmerman type. If you could bottle their attitude and professionalism and give it to Cantwell we’d be in the money. 😁

[Mark .Y. 352]

6 minutes ago, vlad666 said:

I don’t think Sargent will ever be good enough for the premier league. With his attitude and work rate I think he will do well though. He’s just not a natural footballer. Reminds me of a Zimmerman type. If you could bottle their attitude and professionalism and give it to Cantwell we’d be in the money. 😁

I thought very much the same about Idah last night. There is something there but I don't think he just looks like a natural footballer too. 

[Newtopia 519]

I think Idah and Josh are both very talented and if Pukki is leaving it is better to transition sooner than later.  Our team misses someone direct and who can carry the ball at pace.  Sara is showing potential, I am interested to see what happens to Nunez, he has played his best games as part of a double pivot, when we play 4 3 3 we only have the one, and he looks too slow to me.

[ZLF 276]

On current performances Sargant is ahead of Idah for me.    The latter could improve as he does look extremely match rusty.

All three strikers are struggling with a lack of creativity behind them,  and while we are unable to win the ball back in midfield i would look to go back to just two strikers and have one ready to step up.

For me Pukki is the best of the three but is supply dependent  so if we can structure the team correctly and task sara and nunez to feed through balls he can be devasting for the rest of the season.  Big Ifs.   

 

 

 

[RugbyCanary 94]

Direct replacement for pukki.....no! But, when pukki was injured last year, sarge did a very good job uptop. He looked a real handful and seemed to enjoy being 'the man'. I wouldn't rite him off just yet...I know a few posters are saying he's not prem material etc. Yes, but we ain't there yet, and by looks of form we'll struggle to make it unless the new manager (who ever it be) can turn this around pretty quick

[Richard Richard 186]

I don't think there's any doubt Pukki will leave at the end of the season, is there?

He's a club legend and has my absolute respect whatever happens. However, playing in a very poor team in a very poor Champs this season will ensure he'll be off - and good luck to him. He looks tired and fed up at a distinct lack of service from midfield.

The other problem we have is that Pukki, Sargent and Idah are all central strikers - you can have all three on the pitch but only one will be in their favoured position and therefore we're consistently failing to maximise their potential (whatever level that may be).

I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already. Frustrating doesn't come close to summing it up.

OTBC

[cambridgeshire canary 6,835]

No, as Sargent is clearly a winger and not a stiker which is someting two managers have ageed upon  🙃

[TheGunnShow 6,029]

Sargent's done pretty well considering he's almost doing a Grant Holt at Forest, being pushed out on a wing far more often than not. I think Pukki will go as well and he should go with the warmest ovation we can give for all he's done for us. Idah needs match time and to stay off the physio's bench. A loan out would be ideal for him.

Back to Sargent, get him back in the middle, get a pacy winger on - or someone who can hit a damned cross, and we should be in business.

[GodlyOtsemobor 2,424]

The thing about all this is, if we are so sure Teemu is off in the summer (if not sooner) why do we still persist in starting him every single game and playing him for every single minute? Why not start sarge down the middle (as thats what he wants also) have Teemu on the bench and bring him on later in games! 

It just doesn't make sense to me, unless we're trying to get him to sign another contract by saying look your still our main man, where else will you get that etc.... But then that also begs the question of, will we be able to afford pukkis wages next season if we don't go up?......... I doubt it. 

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,899]

4 hours ago, canarybubbles said:

If Sargent plays as centre forward, I'd see him being similar in many ways to Lewis Grabban (but with a much much better attitude). He'll score goals if he gets enough chances, but he'll also get it wrong a lot of the time.

The Lewis Grabban comparison is a good one, ability wise. I think both are good players at Championship level but lack the touch to make it at the very top.

OTBC

[CDMullins 446]

I'm ready to let Teemu go come May.

He can have some sublime and silky touches, then be his own worst enemy.

If we could get another 10-12 goals out of him and he could fire us back to playoffs/final, could be a nice farewell for all.

Sargent isn't the answer for me, we need a proper finisher.

And goal aside against Reading I've not been at all impressed with Idah 

[Robert N. LiM 4,573]

I love Teemu and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm increasingly thinking we should let him go in January. 

On a practical level, he's not getting any younger and if we miraculously got promoted this season, I don't think we can ask him to carry us in the PL again. Time to move on.

But looking at it a little differently, I think we're going to have to accept that the Farke era is over. We need to build again, almost from scratch. Moving on from Pukki (and Krul) might help us come to terms with that. New heroes, as someone said.

[CDMullins 446]

2 minutes ago, Robert N. LiM said:

I love Teemu and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm increasingly thinking we should let him go in January. 

On a practical level, he's not getting any younger and if we miraculously got promoted this season, I don't think we can ask him to carry us in the PL again. Time to move on.

But looking at it a little differently, I think we're going to have to accept that the Farke era is over. We need to build again, almost from scratch. Moving on from Pukki (and Krul) might help us come to terms with that. New heroes, as someone said.

He's got no value now,

And his goals would be far more important than the couple of million we might scrape.

[Indy 3,323]

He’s no Pukki, but there’s a player in there, his work rate and ability is certainly high but he needs to be given the chance of playing as a centre forward alongside Idah, with two wingers and two decent midfielders. Back to a 4-4-2 would be best for Sargent in my opinion.

[norfolkngood 1,092]

Smith had success when Sarge was upfront 

trying to shoehorn both into the team just does not work 

be a brave manager to drop Pukki for Sarge 

some wingers and a bit more direct instead of trying to slide balls in for Pukki may of been the answer 

i am not saying Sarge is a better finisher than pukki 

but i do think the team looked more balanced with Sarge upfront 

 

[alex_ncfc 666]

We are in serious trouble if Sargent is seen as the regular goal provider for us. 

Might have improved on last season but that wasn't exactly hard to do. Just another extremely poor signing amongst the dross signed by Webber in Summer 2021.

[Indy 3,323]

17 minutes ago, alex_ncfc said:

We are in serious trouble if Sargent is seen as the regular goal provider for us. 

Might have improved on last season but that wasn't exactly hard to do. Just another extremely poor signing amongst the dross signed by Webber in Summer 2021.

Still looks better than Idah! I think both could certainly develop into very decent strikers but not by playing them on the wing!

[Robert N. LiM 4,573]

1 hour ago, CDMullins said:

He's got no value now,

And his goals would be far more important than the couple of million we might scrape.

Yeah, that's a totally fair point, especially in the terms of my first reason. No point worrying about the PL if we don't get there.

But in terms of my second reason, I do wonder if psychologically we all need to realise a period of rebuilding is necessary, to give the new coach the time we gave Farke. And that realisation is easier if we're not looking to a glorious past all the time. Only wondering, mind. Part of me would be thrilled if he stays. I think 100 goals is going to be beyond him, but it would be amazing if he could get there.

[Capt. Pants 4,300]

Playing centre forwards on the wings has been a colossal failure really, but then you have to look at the other options and there aren't many, certainly not Hernandez or Dowell.

I still think there is mileage in playing Pukki just behind the striker.

I'm not seeing a huge difference in Sarge or Idah at the moment, the former has been lack lustre since his return from the WC and Adam still looks a bit rusty and understably so.