Donacien on Akinfenwa: You Have to Take Away His Strengths
Monday, 25th Nov 2019 13:05

Right-back Janoi Donacien says Town need to concentrate on their own game when they face Wycombe in what he says is a “big game” at the top of League One on Tuesday, while also keeping one eye on the visitors’ assets, not least man-mountain striker Adebayo Akinfenwa.

“It’s a big game now,” Donacien said after the Chairboys stretched their lead at the top of the table ahead of the Blues to five points on Saturday, although with Town having two games in hand.

“I’ve played against Wycombe many times, they’ve got their strengths, we’ve got ours. We’ll hopefully take three points.

“We’ll just concentrate on us, we know what we can do. It’s all about us at the end of the day.

"We’re not worried about what Wycombe have got, what Wycombe are going to do, what’s going on in the future. It’s just our game that matters to us. We’re fine where we are.”

Regarding the prospect of facing 37-year-old 16-and-a-half-stone, strongest-man-in-football Akinfenwa, the St Lucia-born defender said: “It’s a battle but you have to take away his strengths.

“Push up, have a high line because if you drop deep he’s just going to hold five, 10 players off and bring the ball down. So you have to push up, have a high line and just compact it around him.”

He added: “If you can hold 15 players off, not many people can do that. But we’re just going to have to try to make it as difficult as we can for him.”

Photo: TWTD

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ThatMuhrenCross added 13:19 - Nov 25 Akinfenwa sounds like exactly the sort of player we need to get out of this division. Too often we've looked lightweight against some of these defences.
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DurhamTownFan added 13:22 - Nov 25

Nobody can hold off 15 players, surely!!

My wife's family are from Wycombe, and I've watched this guy a lot. Fair play to him for making a great career out of his 'strengths' (ta-dum). But Donacien is right: if you get wound up by him and try to make it a battle, you can only lose. The number of goals they score when defenders try to gang up on him. You literally can't beat him to a header because he's so wide, you can't get close enough to his head!

Wycome know their strengths. They keep it simple, play it long, and stick in the loose balls. A high line and some good passing football is in order, but we have to be careful not to get dragged into a physical fight. It will be an interesting to see how it pans out...

PortmanTerrorist added 13:26 - Nov 25

Does Janoi not think others have considered that approach ? Akinfenwa keep on doing the biz and if enough of our players are not 8 or 9 out of ten, as on Saturday, then we cannot expect to keep getting results.

We have done well to be where we are with the injury list we have had, but recent results show we need something close to our first 11 to start thinking of winning this league.....or beating Wycombe on current form. KVY and Norwood back will make us favourite tomorrow.....but evens otherwise.

OldClactonBlue added 13:47 - Nov 25

God forbid that we resort to trying to play to a massive guy up front. We don't need someone like that, we just need to keep the ball and move it quickly. Woolfenden has to start because our other CBs are a liability with the ball, and it all starts from quality possession at the back. I agree we need another front runner but he needs to be another quick player who can make the step up next season.

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herfie added 15:18 - Nov 25 Defend from the front. Then fast, accurate, passing with max movement off the ball to create angles etc. Get back into shape pronto when possession is lost. Win individual battles, make good decisions when opportunities to get into their area come along. But, most of all, BELIEVE! COYB!
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ITFCsince73 added 15:47 - Nov 25 We have the captain fantastic Chambo not only Marshalling the team, but leading the defensive line. What could possibly go wrong....
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