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Our Current Crop of Forwards
Written by luke_38 on Wednesday, 13th Aug 2014 23:01

Much has been discussed regarding the purchase of a new midfield maestro - but as well as that, we do lack strength in depth when it comes to our forwards.

For me, and most others, the clear front two are David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy. There's no problem with these two starting up top, but when it comes to one of them not playing for one reason or other, we do lack a striker who is capable of stepping into either of their shoes.

Frank Nouble, Balint Bajner, Paul Taylor and young Jack Marriott are our current back-up forwards. Going through that list and reading the names, none really seem to make you think they are good enough to make it into the current XI.

Except Paul Taylor. As we all know for some reason Mick and Taylor have never really got on, but is that a good enough excuse when his footballing ability is so much better than what we currently have. I suppose it will always be a mystery.

Frank Nouble has been here a few years now, and has never really got going. His willingness to constantly run and harass defenders is admired, but his finishing for a striker is woeful. Against Crawley in the Capital One Cup Frank had a numerous chances. However every one was either scuffed, weak, or just wasted in general.

Balint Bajner is a reasonably young Hungarian forward, who for me, was obviously worth the gamble. Balint had a successful end to his pre-season campaign, and looked as if he could give us something different. Unfortunately though, after seeing his performances in the league and cup, it just doesn't seem as if he is the type of player who can compete in a league of this standard.

Obviously that leaves Jack Marriott. We all know Jack just needs to be eased in, and given the occasional game every now and then just to continue his progress.

With none of our back-up strikers up to a good enough standard (minus Paul Taylor) it seems we may have to invest in another one. It's all good going to a 4-5-1 if one gets inured, which we did towards the end of last season, but it leaves us lacking a real creative threat. Our most forward-thinking central midfield player, Anthony Wordsworth, isn't really up to the stand of previous loanee Jonny Williams.

Mick still has a long time to do business, but if we are going to have a serious promotion push, a quality playmaker is needed. If not, a decent enough back up striker is required. Robert Koren, who went off to the Australian was a big miss in my opinion. His creativity and know-how in this league really would of come in handy.




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Philip added 18:00 - Aug 14
Thanks for the blog Luke, I agree with the direction of your argument but concerning Bajner, come on, he's only played two games! We do need a higher quality of strikers (and an attacking midfielder) but let's see with BB. Hopefully JM will improve with experience and I think Murph's gonna hit another level this season. That goal against Fulham was something new! As always the less said about Nouble the better...
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luke_38 added 18:33 - Aug 14
Maybe I'm a bit too quick to judge Bajner, but from what I've seen there isn't too much to get me off my seat. I hope he proves me wrong though! The lads got the right attitude for sure. Yeah the Murph goal Saturday was brilliant! Didn't think he had that in his locker
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BLUETEL added 21:34 - Aug 14
A good objective blog .... i like the look of Bajner BUT my concern is that a guy of his height is not a serious threat in the air .... another peter crouch ....also what striker is going to join the club knowing he will only be backup .. forwards thrive of goals, games and confidence.... give TC a while with Banjer and then comment .... i also dont think Nouble will ever make a dangerous striker ....strikers have to strike ,,,and he doesnt .
The back five are ok ....the front two are ok ....the midfield is NOT ok ...and there lays our problem ....too many average hardworking guys that dont link up week in week out .... skuse is good, hyam is work in progress ...and thats it .....not good enough ... We HAD an excellent defensive midfielder in NDaw...but he was a naughty boy although never proven , so the BOARD said he had to go ....Thats the sort of player we need in the mix ..someone the opposition avoids in a 50-50 tackle.... You get my point ???... We are still two players off a good team .... Good teams dont happen , they are made and MM is almost there ... Now its up to the BOARD and the great Mr Evens to to put their money where their mouths are and make this club great again ..


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luke_38 added 22:47 - Aug 14
Yeah I get what you mean. We're an average squad with a good manager and a hard-working team. If Jonny Williams was our player I'd be more than confident we could achieve promotion. We're that sort of player away from being a top, top team. Think O' Grady from Barnsley was a big miss too. Would of been handy
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ITFCOYB added 10:45 - Aug 15
Good blog Luke - i enjoyed that. I'm perhaps a bit more 'glass half full' than most TWTD posters and admittedly don't get to see so many games. Having said that, i did see the Fulham opener and thought there was plenty to like about Bajner. I've also seen Nouble play a lot and think he is very unfairly criticised here and elsewhere.

Allow me to expand and qualify that.

If you added finishing and a slightly better first touch to Nouble, you'd not be far away from a Drogba. And he'd not be at ITFC. What i mean by that is that those final attributes turn very good players into great ones, and judging a striker on those attributes alone, although tempting, can be misleading. Nouble is a very good player and could yet be great. I'd love to see him getting 15 a season, and eventually 30, but he's selfless, hardworking and not really played in a system or style that will get him a lot of goals - he's more of a sacrifice player - sacrificed for the other striker when there are two playing (like Murph is when he's up with Dids) or sacrificed for the team as the first defender when he's on his own.

He's also 23.

Now, i'm not saying that he's the next Drogba, don't get me wrong, but... I wonder how Le Mans fans feel? Drogba left Le Mans at 24 with a not dissimilar goal scoring record to the one Frank has now because he couldn't get in the team.

Nouble bashing is pointless and mostly misguided, in my humble opinion. We should be nurturing the lad, and i'm sure MM and TC are doing just that. If he keeps doing a job (i honestly think he's been good in every game i've seen him play) which means he keeps playing and improving at this level, he will be a different prospect with the confidence and guile of a couple more seasons maturing. And he could easily be another Ebanks-Blake (in his prime) or maybe even better by the time he's 27 or 28.



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Monkey_Blue added 11:07 - Aug 15
I would say there there is no mystery with Taylor... We all know MM's problem with him, he doesn't work for the team. He's also hugely over-rated by some people on here. I also agree with ITFCOYB on big frank. His work for the team isn't appreciated as it should be and he could potentially be a good players for us. Like with Mings, Frank went on the Michael Johnson course at Burton pre-pre season which tells me he has the right attitude required to improve, unlike Taylor.
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Blue041273 added 12:10 - Aug 15
Agree with you Monkey Blue, there is no mystery with PT. He has had ample time and opportunities to make an impression but didn't. The manager clearly didn't rate him and some on here use this fact as a stick to beat him with. Time will tell if PT has any kind of future in the game. But I am inclined to back MM's judgement on this one.
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luke_38 added 12:59 - Aug 15
Whenever I've seen PT play I thought he done well and put in a shift. The mystery to me though is why mick slates him so badly. He must of done something to really annoy him. Oh well we move on. I back Mick though, so whatever he feels best is good enough for me
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tractorkent added 05:25 - Aug 16
Since MM took over I have been worried about his refusal to buy a playmaker.MM is a good champoinship manager who saved us from relegation. However, football has changed these last 15 years.Whist, I appreciate hard work is a must for every footballer you also need to ba good technical player esp in central midfield
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Monkey_Blue added 10:56 - Aug 16
tractorkent If Jonny Williams was available MM would give him a piggy back to portman road. We lack a little flair, but we don't have a lack of decent technical players. With MM's budget he has to be pragmatic and make sure the players he has put the maximum in.
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dirtyboy added 12:33 - Aug 19
Taylor is overrated, good with the ball at his feet and that's about it, never see him get his head up enough and see what's going on around him, it's a team game. No doubting his actual footballing ability and his workrate is decent, but if you were judged on that alone, I can think of any number of local league footballers who would 'make it' but there's more to it than that.
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nassyboyitfc added 11:45 - Aug 20
Should have signed Billy Sharp
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nassyboyitfc added 11:45 - Aug 20
why didn't we appraoch Chelsea for Patrick Bamford?
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