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Connor: Plenty More to Come From Frank
Tuesday, 18th Feb 2014 06:00

Assistant boss Terry Connor believes there's plenty more to come from striker Frank Nouble, who he says has improved his all-round game during his year with the Blues. The 22-year-old was signed from Wolves for a bargain £25,000 in January 2013, Connor having taken him to Molineux during his brief spell as boss.

Nouble is one of a number of frontmen manager Mick McCarthy and Connor could turn to during 16-goal top scorer David McGoldrick’s 10-week absence with a torn knee ligament.

“Frank’s definitely improved,” Connor said, speaking prior to McGoldrick suffering his injury. “He’s improved his all-round game I think when the lads like you it shows you’re doing something in the group.

“We just want Frank to continue the way that he’s going, learning about himself, learning about the game of football and being an effective player when he plays.”

The Blues assistant believes Nouble, who has scored five goals in 19 starts and 28 sub appearances for Town and signed a contract until 2015 earlier in the season, didn’t get the best grounding in the game as a young player.

Having been with Chelsea's academy, the Londoner moved on to West Ham, who sent him on short loan spells at West Brom, Swindon, Barnsley (twice), Swansea, Charlton and Gillingham prior to his permanent move to Wolves in the summer of 2012.

“I think there’s a lot of potential still to come," Connor added. "I think probably in the early part of his career perhaps Frank wasn’t coached effectively.

“I think people saw a big, strong boy and he needs to understand how to play centre forward, how to play in a forward position. And I think he’s understanding that a little bit better now as he gets older.”

In addition to Nouble and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who played 63 minutes for the U21s as they were defeated 2-0 by Charlton last night, another of the strikers who could get his chance in the weeks to come is Paul Taylor, who has enjoyed only fleeting appearances in the first team since returning from almost a year out with a foot injury.

“We want him out on the training pitch, training consistently well and contributing in games,” Connor said of the £1.5 million signing from Peterborough.

“There’s a pool of strikers there now and in many respects it’s every man for himself. If you want to play, you’ve got to do more than the other four.

“And, if you do that on a consistent basis, the way the gaffer works, he’ll put them in the team.

“One week you’ll be missing one, like Paul Taylor was missing through his tooth, or there’ll be an injury to Sylvan or one or two of the other players. We’ve got a pool of them and it’s up to us to use the wisely and get the best of them.”

The Town assistant boss says the lack of goals from midfield this season - six in total - hasn’t been a particular worry while the strikers and defenders have been netting more than their fair share.

“As long as you’re winning games, it’s a concern but not a great one," the 51-year-old former striker continued.

“If there were no goals going in [from elsewhere] and there were no goals coming from that central area we’d be looking at that as even more of a worry, but the team has got its identity and David McGoldrick and Daryl Murphy have carried the brunt of the attacking play and we’ve had defenders who have chipped in with goals as well.

“As long as we’re winning games and we’re producing performances which are good, the midfield players are making their contribution as well.”


Photo: Action Images



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bluefeast added 06:59 - Feb 18
There are far better players than frank in the lower parts of non league football. There is no way on earth he is a championship player.
-1

alexsmith111 added 07:06 - Feb 18
Unless we're bigging him up for summer interest from another club, hopefully!
-6

ArnieM added 07:07 - Feb 18
Nouble is only 22yrs old and has never been coached. Give the lad a chance. Is that too much to ask?
14

northstand78 added 07:17 - Feb 18
Obviously TC see's a lot more of him than we do, but as professional footballers they are highly paid to produce performances. I know they are not machines but they are pampered and looked after like top athletes and thus comes the responsibility of producing a high standard of work for 90 mins. That is the least that fans who pay a lot of money to watch these athletes deserve and expect.

Good luck to Frank, but I just don't see it...
6

Lennyboy added 07:26 - Feb 18
No amount of coaching will help if you haven't got the natural talent in the first place, sadly Frank's talent is somewhat limited.
9

bluelady added 07:29 - Feb 18
I have to say having met him he is a really lovely guy, surprisingly shy and certainly not up himself like many players of today are. He deserves to Clem good, clearly got the right attitude (unlike Taylor it appears)... However like others I am yet to be convinced, being proven wrong would be delightful!
24

essexboy added 07:41 - Feb 18
it's ok going on about all the striker options we have,but they are only as good as the service they get,and let's be honest here,where does the service come from.? We don't have one midfielder with vision able to give a defence splitting pass do we,and until that happens we will always struggle I'm sorry to say.I have been a season ticket holder at Ipswich for over 50 years and we have been brought up to watch clever football,but not anymore.we just don't seem to play to a players strength anymore,just the big boot up front now.
9

Jimmy86 added 07:47 - Feb 18
He is a poor man's shefki kuqi without the goals. Plus there's no way he can play centre forward, because even as a "big strong boy" he gets beaten in the air by people smaller than him and cant win a header. What frustrates people is he seems to be given more of a chance than taylor, yet offers less
6

tractorboydan added 08:09 - Feb 18
@bluefeast

Examples?
Players you've seen play, ideally...
5

ormey75 added 08:21 - Feb 18
Poor mans Heskey and we know how bad he was
-8

50yearsablue added 08:22 - Feb 18
Lennyboy, I'm not a fan of Nouble, he has a long way to go and I wouldn't have him in my team. But I suggest you read Matthew Syed's book Bounce on the myth of talent. Then you might believe he can be coached to succeed.
2

itfcjc added 08:28 - Feb 18
He could hardly offer less
-1

DurhamTownFan added 09:03 - Feb 18
I'd like to question the last paragraph oh TC's comments: 'as long as we're winning games and playing well the midfield are fine', etc

Well, we're not, and they're not which is why we're not winning as many games as we could. Do TC and MM really believe that, or is he just putting up a smokescreen to defend the players?

As for Nouble, well I agree he is pretty poor but I do also like the fact that they're trying to coach him into a better player rather than just spending another load of money we haven't got on someone else.
12

BlueBoots added 09:06 - Feb 18
Can anyone tell me why seemingly a large proportion of Town's fanbase have started to expect every young Town player who pulls on a shirt to be the finished article?

They're not bad players, just inexperienced; whatever players like Nouble, Hyam or our other young players do in training, time on the pitch on a matchday will be at least twice as valuable. I find it sad that part of our club's identity and proud history - bringing young players into the team and having the patience to allow them to learn from their mistakes (and have the odd bad game) seems to be disappearing...

And by the way (as this article is about Nouble), Town's record this season when he has been in the starting line-up - Won 5, Drawn 5, Lost 0...
17

Michael11 added 09:18 - Feb 18
Whatever you might say about Frank, our ratio of wins with him playing is far better than when he doesn't play. Although he isn't great technically, he must be an intimidating player to try and mark as he's so big and powerful. He's still young so has a lot of learning left to do. Plus, he's not a natural wide player so he's still trying to get used to that role.

Surely Paul Taylor has to be in the team for McGoldrick now? If he's not included then there's something seriously more than what meets the eye.
5

ericclacton added 09:19 - Feb 18
Kick your balls footballer man ..........CLACK.
-4

clint_eastwood added 09:31 - Feb 18
I think he's got everything going for him.Just need to work on his first touch....and some consistency.
6

arablue added 09:32 - Feb 18
BRING BACK WICKHAM!!!
2

Kesgraveblue57 added 09:43 - Feb 18
Is it to much to ask why not give Jack Marriott his chance
6

theobald1985 added 09:48 - Feb 18
im all for giving him a chance and never boo him or get on to him when im at the games but i find him very disappointing and i cant understand the comment from arnie above who says he has never been coached-surley he has been coached he has been with clubs and playing football from a young age he will have recieved plenty of coaching, im all for giving our academy youngsters a chance but we have actually loaned out marriot who is better in my opinion and is an academy graduate and we are playing frank who is not in our academy at all-he could become a half decent forward for micks style of play but think mick chucks him in at the moment just because he is a big ol unit.
4

SouperJim added 09:51 - Feb 18
My biggest problem with Frank is he doesn't read the game. He sees something, then he reacts. For a striker who is so dependent on hassling the opposition and forcing errors, this is a very major drawback.
5

thebeat added 09:54 - Feb 18
Like somebodys already said you cant teach football to somebody with no natural talent and Frank has zero im afraid.
Terrible touch, no vision, never wins a header, ( have you seen him jump its comical why arent they teaching him to jump correctly? ) never gets a shot off.
I just dont see what he gives to the team, no way has he improved since hes been here, if he has he doesnt show it when he plays.
He has to think about everything he does including basic kicking of the ball, there is no instinct there at all.
Mark my words he will never make it best we let him go and concentrate on the likes of Marriott a natural goalscorer.
Sorry Frank ive no doubt your a top bloke but your never a footballer.
-2

Mullet added 09:56 - Feb 18
Good to see Town fans have ditched wanting us to coach players, to bring them through and develop them rather than having perfect up-to-speed wunderkind like you get on Football Manager.

I'm furious Nouble only scores goals now and again which give us valuable points and not 40 yard wordlies every week. He really needs to sort that area of his game out. Stop taking advantage of oppo mistakes and grafting Nouble! You should just sit there smashing in screamers like Zlatan would.

Sort it out Mick and TC!
8

OldClactonBlue added 09:58 - Feb 18
"As long as we're producing performances which are good".
Shouldn't that be "If we were"?
If the garbage I've watched is considered good then that explains a lot!!
9

Gingerblues added 10:00 - Feb 18
I am going to throw it out there that McGoldrick injury is a blessing in disguise......here me out.....SEB gets back to full fitness and start scoring a few, we finish 9th. Come the summer everyone has forgotten the 16 goals he scored and he stays at town. Next season with the new arrival of a pacey winger and a goal scoring midfielder and McGoldrick and SEB up front we storm into the playoffs!! As for Frank......90+3 min playoff final winner.....on as a sub, of his knee....its written! :-)
17


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