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Reggie Strayshun

Andreu

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Clearly we have not seen Monsieur Andreu kick a ball in anger for us yet, but, if the article this morning from AN is anything to go by, he looks likely to be a fine addition to the squad.Neil makes great play on his versatility. Whilst I''m perfectly happy to accept that players have a favoured position , I''ve never bought into the idea that they, at professional level, should be limited to one role . In the same way that I''ve never really understood that bowlers in cricket do not need to be able to bat or score runs (though that concept is changing these days). Whittaker''s performance v Brentford shows what happens if modern players do not have a good deal of versatility to them.AN implies that Andreu is comfortable in a number of roles and a number of tactical scenarios . Obviously that claim will be put to the test over the next few weeks, but for now it augurs well that an Alex Neil player must be able to play well in a number of positions.

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Morning Reggie

A big bug bear of mine also........I coach youth football and recently did some in depth analysis of the differences between football in the UK vs other countries.

The answer is fairly simple, in other countries they coach kids technique at youth level and don''t pigeon hole kids in to positions, you go and watch any local youth game regularly and I can guarantee you will see the same players playing the same positions week in week out, what do they learn, how to play that position.

It''s probably the same for cricket, kids are pigeon holed as a bowler so probably spend the majority of time with ball in hand at a young age and not enough time with a bat.

It''s a repetition thing, your brain is programmed based on repetition!!

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Agree that repetition of narrow aspects of the game is part of the problem in this country.  Repetition in itself though is not bad - it is more a case of learning to repeat the right things......      

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If Cameron Jerome doesn''t make it today I wonder if we will see Andreu feature just behind a lone striker of Hooper?

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If Cam doesn''t make it today then i think it will be Grabban, Hooper will only start if Cam Jam does, IMO, would be right game to start Andreu, and as week has gone on sounds more like Andreu will start with Wes on the bench.

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[quote user="morty"]If Cameron Jerome doesn''t make it today I wonder if we will see Andreu feature just behind a lone striker of Hooper?[/quote]Doubt if he will start, but whatever the scenario, I''d expect him to feature. If we are struggling AN will presumably bring him on to freshen things up. And if it''s a stroll in the park, he''ll do so to give him a run out in time for Charlton on Tues.

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[quote user="Lessingham Canary"]If Cam doesn''t make it today then i think it will be Grabban, Hooper will only start if Cam Jam does, IMO, would be right game to start Andreu, and as week has gone on sounds more like Andreu will start with Wes on the bench.[/quote]You''re probably right, but I would still rather see Hooper in a lone striker role than Grabban.I would see no reason not to start Andreu. I assume he''s fully fit, and its obvious he hasn''t just been bought as a squad filler.

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I really don''t think that Hooper will play up front by himself Morty. Neil said in his post match interview that he went with Grabban as he thought Hooper wasn''t suited to the lone striker role. For me that assessment is spot on. Whilst Hooper has played deeper this season, he will always play his best football in the role of ''poacher'', aided by a bigger support striker.

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[quote user="Bor Bor Bor"]I don''t want to put too much pressure on the lad Andreu but I am expecting a Fabregas and Lampard hybrid. I am ready to boo.[/quote]

Tony Labregard does have a kind of ring to it.

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[quote user="Cambridge Yellow"]I really don''t think that Hooper will play up front by himself Morty. Neil said in his post match interview that he went with Grabban as he thought Hooper wasn''t suited to the lone striker role. For me that assessment is spot on. Whilst Hooper has played deeper this season, he will always play his best football in the role of ''poacher'', aided by a bigger support striker. [/quote]Nah, sorry, for me Hooper is fine as a lone striker, Grabban''s lack of goals surely must be a concern?

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[quote user="morty"]Nah, sorry, for me Hooper is fine as a lone striker, Grabban''s lack of goals surely must be a concern?[/quote]Well, he''s certainly not going to put that to rights if he''s not playing......

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[quote user="Reggie Strayshun"][quote user="morty"]Nah, sorry, for me Hooper is fine as a lone striker, Grabban''s lack of goals surely must be a concern?[/quote]Well, he''s certainly not going to put that to rights if he''s not playing......[/quote]Well, durrrrrr....

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[quote user="morty"][quote user="Reggie Strayshun"][quote user="morty"]Nah, sorry, for me Hooper is fine as a lone striker, Grabban''s lack of goals surely must be a concern?[/quote]Well, he''s certainly not going to put that to rights if he''s not playing......[/quote]Well, durrrrrr....[/quote]The thing is, that what all this conjecture proves is that, to a certain extent, we have an embarrassment of riches in the striking dept. It''s further back where we can be a touch threadbare. That was what was encouraging about last week. It showed that we have the ability to say solid for 90 mins and not give effin'' stupid goals away.

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[quote user="Reggie Strayshun"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Reggie Strayshun"][quote user="morty"]Nah, sorry, for me Hooper is fine as a lone striker, Grabban''s lack of goals surely must be a concern?[/quote]Well, he''s certainly not going to put that to rights if he''s not playing......[/quote]Well, durrrrrr....[/quote]The thing is, that what all this conjecture proves is that, to a certain extent, we have an embarrassment of riches in the striking dept. It''s further back where we can be a touch threadbare. That was what was encouraging about last week. It showed that we have the ability to say solid for 90 mins and not give effin'' stupid goals away.[/quote]But not score any either.When was the last time Grabban scored?Yes, working hard is all well and good, but he seems to have forgotten where the onion bag is.

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[quote user="morty"]When was the last time Grabban scored?Yes, working hard is all well and good, but he seems to have forgotten where the onion bag is.[/quote]Well, point taken. But it would be interesting to know from those who keep tabs on stats of that sort of thing how many minutes he''s actually spent on the pitch in the past couple of months.Like I say, he can''t score if he''s not playing !

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Grabban needs u run in my opinion, his record from last season and start of this is enough to suggest with games he will start scoring again, his touch is not the best, he needs balls to run onto and not to feet, hopefully Alex has seen this and will set up accordingly, Grabban to score today ! put a fiver on it

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Has Andreu payed as a lone striker for Accies?Jury for me is still out for Grabban. Sure he scored 5/6 in his 5/6 games, but has been on a mean drought for a very long time now, and even when given chances hasn''t put them away. We don''t have luxury of playing him "until" he starts scoring! Jermone is an auto starter if fit, but still feel Hoops is more likely to do business on his own as "goal paochers" naturally know where to place themselves.Andreu does at least put good pressure on the other three to hopefully sharpen them up!

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What I think Andreu will bring is hard graft and familiarity with the managers requirements and formation - I can only see him starting off the striker if either grabban or jerome are fit.

 

Of all teh squads strikers the one least likely to succeed up front on his own is hooper;   grabban has done well in that role while hoopers has yet to score a goal in that role for city;  he only scored last season with a partner.    This season he has always been a pair and his play is vastly better this season as a result (and the drop in level)

 

I think we will see Andreu today from the bench if not before.

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[quote user="mrs miggins"]I think on the radio they said something like 16 or 17 games ago, something like that although I may have misheard[/quote]Yeah, I knew it was a while.If he puts the graft in, and the goals come from midfield, all well and good. But you have to have mobile midfielders who can break through and go beyond the lone striker.

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[quote user="morty"][quote user="mrs miggins"]I think on the radio they said something like 16 or 17 games ago, something like that although I may have misheard[/quote]Yeah, I knew it was a while.If he puts the graft in, and the goals come from midfield, all well and good. But you have to have mobile midfielders who can break through and go beyond the lone striker.[/quote]
Grabban last scored on December 13th against Huddersfield Town in our 5-0 win.Prior to that his last goal was away at Blackpool in the 3-1 victory.

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Well let''s be honest Grabban was poor when playing with Jerome up top (luckily Jerome was on fire) which is why Hooper came in to play just behind him which has worked pretty well. However, if we can go back to how we were playing at the start of the season with Grabban playing on his own up front, it will work better than what we have been doing, yet this of course does depend on Grabban''s form. I don''t know if he''s lost his confidence and all that or if he''ll be playing like his old self going back to the role he''s used to. Judging by his performance v Birmingham it''s not that encouraging, however it''s only one game.

If we do play 1 upfront I think Jerome will be the player favoured providing he is fit.

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[quote user="morty"]Can anyone tell me when Grabban last actually scored?
[/quote]

 

Hooper last scored 3 appearances ago.

Grabban last scored 7 (6 sub) appearances ago - Huddersfield;  and last scored from a starting appearance 8 starts ago (Blackpool away)

 

In comparison Hooper has yet to score as a lone striker

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To be fair to Hooper he was never bought to play as a lone striker, nor is that his strength.This might be wrong, but when Grabban was bought, didn''t Adams say he was versatile and Grabban was touted as a striker but possibly as a LM, where Lafferty ended up playing?

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Grabban is either one of those players who gives the impression or being p''d off with being here or he is.

He must look back and wonder why he moved now that he sees Bournemouth doing as well as they are,

Ok, I''m sure he got more money for coming here but maybe lhe left because he felt he had a better chance of getting to the premier league and would/could have been better staying put

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