Loza on ty Mon night

[Ray 111]

As I said GJP, not a tall version, but in proportion and strong. I would suggest his build is similar to Drogba, but obviously as he is shorter his bulk/mass is less but being shorter brings other advantages, such as a lower centre of gravity, so more difficult to knock off the ball.

Put it this way, I wouldn''t want to be on the end of a right hook from him, and I''m 5''11" and over fifteen stone and played prop forward or hooker in my rugby days, which admittedly were a few years ago now, in fact thinking about it, I wouldn''t want to be on the end of a right hook from the missus these days and she''s, 5''3" and eight stone soaking wet. Oh the good old days (sigh).

[Thirsty Lizard 3,164]

Does anybody remember the promising young striker Kris Renton who was promoted to the first team towards the end of the season by Peter Grant?

I would hazard a guess that at least 80% of the people reading this post would say Kris who???

I still remember a friend of mine repeatedly going on at me saying "we must get Renton into the first team - he''s a better bet than those who are playing up front at the moment"........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Lynn Canary 0]

To be fair, Kris Renton did get a broken leg. I imagine it is very difficult to come back from such a awful injury. Who knoes what Renton may have achieved if he hadnt got that injury ? Would he have became a world class striker ? Doubtful. But would he have made a career out of professional football ? He may well have

[Buh 0]

... Is the standard response

When a young player leaves he is always the player that was never given the chance and was Lionel messi waiting to come out.

[GJP 79]

[quote user="shefcanary"]

GJP

Accepted he is not in the Altidore scale of things, but he has much more about him than RVW.  I have every confidence that he can handle Premier league defenders and in the case of Ferdinand / Vidic / Koceilny etc can leave them for dead if given a run on them.  Sometimes the unknown can really get under them.  Like Ray says, he is 19, has now mixed it in League 1 & 2 and certainly is ready for it, if he cannot do it now will he ever? 

 

And for all those who say don''t blood ''em early cos it might lead to them not making it to their 30''s, perhaps I am being a bit mercenary and have a short term outlook but would you prefer 10 years of a Michael Owen between 16-26 or ten years of Holt 23-33 - I would argue there is not much difference in the long run for a club.  However sad it is to see a player crocked by his late 20''s, if he has given 10 years of good service what else should we expect.

 

[/quote]

You''re talking about top, top class defenders. They are used to playing against the best forwards in the world. While Loza might have a bit of pace about him they are well used to playing against that and generally they will be smart enough to avoid letting themselves get into a race if they can avoid it.

 

Loza hasn''t really "mixed it" in L1 and L2 he had two short stints at Coventry and Orient where he failed to make an impact and has had one excellent 90 minute showing for Southend in L2.

 

I''m not writing the lad off but I just can''t see there''s really a strong case for using him at the moment. If we were rock bottom (or even in the relegation zone) and nothing appeared to be working then it might be different as a last ditch roll of the dice. But even if Elmander, Hooper and RVW are failing to score goals they are still part of a team/squad that is going to do enough to keep us in the Premier League for another season.

 

As I''ve mentioned before, Fulham are playing a youngster upfront at the moment and it''s not doing anything for them - and this is coming off the back of him having a loan spell at Southend too. They are just much more desperate than we are.

 

If Loza continues to impress (really impress) at Southend then it gives us something to think about over the summer but anything other than a cameo appearance before the end of this season would be the wrong move.

[Ray 111]

GJP,

You said

I''m not writing the lad off but I just can''t see there''s really a strong case for using him at the moment. If we were rock bottom (or even in the relegation zone) and nothing appeared to be working then it might be different as a last ditch roll of the dice.

Or how about, if neither of our two strikers had scored for 15 games and we were looking for points urgently, would that be a strong case for using him, as many of us have said, what would we have to lose.

That said, I have a feeling you fall into the Hughton approach to taking risks, very unlikely to do so, which of course doesn''t make any of us wrong, just different and all of our comments are valid, well they are to the person that makes them anyway.

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Ray"] That said, I have a feeling you fall into the Hughton approach to taking risks, very unlikely to do so,[/quote]

Lol.

 

Utterly, utterly ridiculous.

[Ray 111]

GJP,

As I said, it was a feeling I was getting from your replies, so I am very glad you have put me right, however I would like to add my feelings are not utterly riduculous, just as yours aren''t.

Let me ask, at the moment would you change anything, or would you carry on doing what we''ve been doing. At what stage would you consider taking a risk, from what you have said previously, would it be when we are in the bottom three or would you think about it before then?

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Ray"]GJP, As I said, it was a feeling I was getting from your replies, so I am very glad you have put me right, however I would like to add my feelings are not utterly riduculous, just as yours aren''t. Let me ask, at the moment would you change anything, or would you carry on doing what we''ve been doing. At what stage would you consider taking a risk, from what you have said previously, would it be when we are in the bottom three or would you think about it before then?[/quote]

Well I think to begin with it''s worth starting with what I think about Hughton - I''m not particularly a fan. Infact if you go back to when he got the push from Newcastle I was one of very few who thought it was the right move for them.

 

When he first started here I wasn''t sure about him but then we hit that 10 game run and I thought "fair enough, give the guy a chance" but since that run came to an end I haven''t been impressed by him.

 

Obviously not everything he does is wrong because we''d have got relegated last season or we''d be in a worse position this season than we currently are. But a lot of the time his style and approach isn''t to my liking.

 

I know we''ve got a bit more work to do this season to make sure we stay up but we basically look like we''re going to have enough to drag us over the line. There''s no way enough of the teams below us are going to put runs together to see us fall into the bottom 3. So I think it makes sense to stick with the senior strikers. They''re never going to score goals sitting on the bench. Obviously RVW clearly needs to prove himself as a goal scorer at this level (and that probably goes for Hooper too) so I think we need to keep giving him the chance to do it.

 

I''d have liked things to have changed a long time ago but it ain''t happening. Hughton is staying and to me it has now become just a case of surviving. Start of the season I was hoping for an improvement in our attacking play and style of football but that basically hasn''t happened. If anything we''ve probably gone backwards. So for me it''s about getting over the line with what we''re doing.

 

We''ve not seen any striker perform as we''d like under Hughton, it wouldn''t go any better for Loza. I just think he''s better off staying out on loan and getting used to playing first team football.

 

[Juggy 0]

Loza is still young and learning the game, I like the way he is being managed and broken in slowly in 30 day loans. Next year maybe he''ll go out on a half season loan and establish himself somewhere.

Grabbing a goal in your 6th professional appearance is a huge achievement and hopefully something he can build on.

[Juggy 0]

Here''s the goal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T03cy6uA3Bs

[Ray 111]

GJP,

Thanks for your considered reply, a great deal of which I agree with, in fact probably all of it if our strikers were scoring here and there, especially the bit about leaving Loza on loan.

However, I think given that our strikers aren''t scoring here and there I would have tried something different, given what we have that would either be giving Becchio a run of 3 games or so, or trying something completely different, which is obviously Loza. I think he brings pace and strength.

Either way let''s hope we can get ourselves over the line within the next two games, I think 38 points will be more than enough, then another win at Fulham, we''re due one, and we can set about having our say in the title race. Although even if we end up with 44 plus points I think there will be a parting of the ways (mutual agreement of course).

BTW, I wouldn''t be at all surprised if one or two more of our youngsters go out in the next day or two.

[Donkey dangler 0]

Good to see Jacob Murphy join Loza at Southend on loan.  Our young players with the exception of maybe Joshua Murphy are better off on loan and getting experience.  They are not ready to play in our first team fighting for points to stay in The Premiership.

Going back a few years, it was a pity about Renton and another young player whose career was ruined by injury was Karl Simpson from the Kings Lynn area I believe. He could tackle, pass and score...not bad for a right back / midfield player. A real shame he didnt make it.