Centre Forwards

[evertony]

I’m starting to wonder if people wear blindfolds whenever DCL plays for Everton. He’s absolutely rapid. And defences certainly change their setup when he’s playing vs when say Tosun or Niasse play. Yesterday he put two wide, but also put a decent header on target (overlooked above). Yes he doesn’t have that poacher’s instinct (yet) and isn't a world class finisher. But let’s not allow the low goals return to blind us from everything he’s good at.

Defences tend to adapt whoever the opposition are playing up top. My point is DCL doesn’t use what pace he has to any benefit. I can’t recall him tearing a defence apart or really out-muscling them to a point where it won us the game. I don’t dislike DCL but equally I really don’t see him being a breakthrough centre forward for us. That decent header by the way was bog-standard big centre forward food and drink. If that’s his forte he should be burying them not putting them in safe areas for the keeper.
It’s not a DCL bashing session, simply that he’s no different from what else we’ve got. In a few years time I imagine he’ll be seen as another Charlie Austin or Glenn Murray type of forward, nothing more....which brings me back to my point about the potential influence of Duncan Ferguson.

 

[evertony]

DCL is faster than Vardy.

I think he meant Jamie, not Imre.

 

[ijjysmith]

We need Andy Johnson back

 

[Slippin Jimmy]

Centre forwards will eventually be a thing of the past as more clubs opt for the attacking front 3 of an interchangeable line.

No they won't

 

[Slippin Jimmy]

There’s a theme with all the current centre forwards in the squad which is quite telling, and which to my mind explains why we don’t score enough goals to progress from our regular 7th or 8th spot. All of them are big, bulky units with little pace or technical ability on the ball. I convince s myself of it the last few weeks watching Fraser Hornby.

Calvert-Lewin isn’t a natural finisher unfortunately and visibly either hesitates or leaves his decision making in front of goal too late. Yesterday he had two really good chances and neither even hit the target. It’s said his strengths are his running, chasing and harrying but in truth I don’t recall him bullying a single centre half all last season. We keep saying he’s young and he’ll improve yet we’re apparently chasing Leao and Kean for mega-bucks and both are 19-20?

Cenk is a grafter who can finish, but has zero pace due to his build.

Prince Oumar has workrate galore but technically bereft. Again, a muscular frame but limited pace, awareness and ability.

Fraser Hornby - I don’t know enough about the lad to be honest but in the few preseason games I’ve seen him I really don’t see anything special at all. He’s another big lad for his age but one who seems to lack the basic instinct and positioning for a regular goal scorer. Without being too damning I’ve seen handfuls of forwards with his ability at non-league level so just don’t see what we could expect in the future from him.

Ellis Simms seems to be the exception - his goal scoring record suggests he knows instinctively where the back of the net is. Again, I don’t know enough about him to form a solid opinion other than his goal record. With a goal scoring record like his why isn’t he getting preseason game time in the event we’d likely need him in an emergency once the season is underway? Yesterday we had Walcott and Anthony Gordon filling in up front for spells.

There got to be something tangible as to why all the so-called centre forwards at the Club are so similar in terms of pace, mobility, physical stature and limited technical ability. Their general lack of measurable improvement is also a concern.

Is it the fact that Duncan Ferguson is the main attacking coach? I’m a tad baffled by it to be honest as the theme has been prominent for a while under numerous managers so maybe it’s a Club thing too that we prefer a big old fashioned centre forward?

True but it was genuinely the case with every player we had, we just had no clue about decent footballers, lets hope that's a thing of the past now

 

[Paul Chambers]

I’m starting to wonder if people wear blindfolds whenever DCL plays for Everton. He’s absolutely rapid. And defences certainly change their setup when he’s playing vs when say Tosun or Niasse play. Yesterday he put two wide, but also put a decent header on target (overlooked above). Yes he doesn’t have that poacher’s instinct (yet) and isn't a world class finisher. But let’s not allow the low goals return to blind us from everything he’s good at.

He put that header 1 foot to the right of the keeper, it was a very poor effort.

He'd struggle to get into another premier League side let alone the teams above us.

 

[The Reverand]

Vardy is the one we should have broke the bank for a couple of seasons ago - fast , horrible little get and a good finisher.
Instead we spunked ridiculous amounts on championship level players!

 

[OneTrueLegend]

Centre forwards will eventually be a thing of the past as more clubs opt for the attacking front 3 of an interchangeable line.

I think that's just one way of playing, it's a good way of playing, but it's not the only way. I think there will always be a place in football for a Center Forward.

 

[MACCA75]

I’m starting to wonder if people wear blindfolds whenever DCL plays for Everton. He’s absolutely rapid. And defences certainly change their setup when he’s playing vs when say Tosun or Niasse play. Yesterday he put two wide, but also put a decent header on target (overlooked above). Yes he doesn’t have that poacher’s instinct (yet) and isn't a world class finisher. But let’s not allow the low goals return to blind us from everything he’s good at.

I just wish I had a blindfold on when he plays.

 

[Seanjd]

DCL is fast, but I don’t think he knows how to use his pace effectively yet.

 

[Eggs]

There’s a theme with all the current centre forwards in the squad which is quite telling, and which to my mind explains why we don’t score enough goals to progress from our regular 7th or 8th spot. All of them are big, bulky units with little pace or technical ability on the ball. I convince s myself of it the last few weeks watching Fraser Hornby.

Calvert-Lewin isn’t a natural finisher unfortunately and visibly either hesitates or leaves his decision making in front of goal too late. Yesterday he had two really good chances and neither even hit the target. It’s said his strengths are his running, chasing and harrying but in truth I don’t recall him bullying a single centre half all last season. We keep saying he’s young and he’ll improve yet we’re apparently chasing Leao and Kean for mega-bucks and both are 19-20?

Cenk is a grafter who can finish, but has zero pace due to his build.

Prince Oumar has workrate galore but technically bereft. Again, a muscular frame but limited pace, awareness and ability.

Fraser Hornby - I don’t know enough about the lad to be honest but in the few preseason games I’ve seen him I really don’t see anything special at all. He’s another big lad for his age but one who seems to lack the basic instinct and positioning for a regular goal scorer. Without being too damning I’ve seen handfuls of forwards with his ability at non-league level so just don’t see what we could expect in the future from him.

Ellis Simms seems to be the exception - his goal scoring record suggests he knows instinctively where the back of the net is. Again, I don’t know enough about him to form a solid opinion other than his goal record. With a goal scoring record like his why isn’t he getting preseason game time in the event we’d likely need him in an emergency once the season is underway? Yesterday we had Walcott and Anthony Gordon filling in up front for spells.

There got to be something tangible as to why all the so-called centre forwards at the Club are so similar in terms of pace, mobility, physical stature and limited technical ability. Their general lack of measurable improvement is also a concern.

Is it the fact that Duncan Ferguson is the main attacking coach? I’m a tad baffled by it to be honest as the theme has been prominent for a while under numerous managers so maybe it’s a Club thing too that we prefer a big old fashioned centre forward?

...I suspect Ellis Simms is not getting pre-season game time because the coaches and Manager don’t think he’s good enough. His goalscoring statistics are incredible in his own age group, but he’s nowhere as prolific when stepped up to U23. This is common with outstanding goalscorers at schoolboy and youth levels, because the quality of defender and goalkeepers increases.

Hornby is a converted striker and I think that shows. Very useful in the air, particularly with his back to goal and puts in a real shift, I can see him being in demand from clubs in the lower leagues.

I disagree that DCL lacks pace, but we’ve clearly needed a powerful, mobile and pacy striker with real quality since Lukaku left.

 

[ToffeeTim]

We haven't produced a good striker since Rooney.

It's largely due to the type of forward our outdated youth coaches want. Fraser Hornby is just a big target man for Unsworth's long ball system. The style of football is not helping develop technically strong football players.

 

[The Reverand]

I’m starting to wonder if people wear blindfolds whenever DCL plays for Everton. He’s absolutely rapid. And defences certainly change their setup when he’s playing vs when say Tosun or Niasse play. Yesterday he put two wide, but also put a decent header on target (overlooked above). Yes he doesn’t have that poacher’s instinct (yet) and isn't a world class finisher. But let’s not allow the low goals return to blind us from everything he’s good at.

I must be blindfolded then as he’s never appeared rapid to me! In fact if it was still open he could’ve ended up working in there!!!

 

[ijjysmith]

Centre what?

 

[Eggs]

We haven't produced a good striker since Rooney.

It's largely due to the type of forward our outdated youth coaches want. Fraser Hornby is just a big target man for Unsworth's long ball system. The style of football is not helping develop technically strong football players.

...not sure that’s true, Tim. The skill set for a top forward is so special that they rarely come through the ranks. James Vaughan and Anichebe flattered, but Rooney was exceptional and i’m sure the club would love to unearth another gem. Hornby wasn’t a striker when he was signed, and the lads at U18 level are not big target man types.