Akpom told he can leave

[Andy_W]

Back in January, Kane and Bamford were near the bottom of chances converted but the top for goals scored. I wouldn't mind either at the Boro.

Exactly.

It's why Britt scores/ scored as often as he did, but actually looked quite a poor player. He was good at being in the right place and not a brilliant finisher, but he got himself some chances, more than most, which is why he was often top scorer here and at Forrest. Last season was a write off mind, he'd had enough of us not creating and looked like he'd downed tools, giving him the captaincy was the last throw of the dice. Fletcher was a better finisher, but was too weak physically and too soft in the head, not good enough at getting in the right areas. A combination of the two would have been good, but it's rare.

Stuani was probably the best I've seen at boro, for timing a run, it's a very difficult thing to do. People called him a good finisher, but I don't think he was, he just got his runs and awareness right, so got himself easy chances to finish, very clever.

 

[bear66]

Exactly.

It's why Britt scores/ scored as often as he did, but actually looked quite a poor player. He was good at being in the right place and not a brilliant finisher, but he got himself some chances, more than most, which is why he was often top scorer here and at Forrest. Last season was a write off mind, he'd had enough of us not creating and looked like he'd downed tools, giving him the captaincy was the last throw of the dice. Fletcher was a better finisher, but was too weak physically and too soft in the head, not good enough at getting in the right areas. A combination of the two would have been good, but it's rare.

Stuani was probably the best I've seen at boro, for timing a run, it's a very difficult thing to do. People called him a good finisher, but I don't think he was, he just got his runs and awareness right, so got himself easy chances to finish, very clever.

Interesting point about Stuani. How he suddenly appeared from the wing to 5m from goal, with no one around him.

 

[viv_andersons_nana]

Interesting to see some posters saying Akpom links the play or has good movement. From what I've seen he is barely ever in the right place to take a chance. He doesn't hold the ball up or win headers and is often outmuscled by defenders. As was said earlier, look at the difference Coburn made when he came on against Sheffield Wednesday. He won the throw that led to a corner but just nudging into a defender and forcing them into a mistake. It was a tiny thing but it made a big difference in the game as we eventually forced them into conceding a corner, from which Coburn scored a header. I've never seen Akpom pressurise like that.

I think he came on and won an important header against Cardiff. He got five goals, two were in his first three games - so he got three more across a whole season. Two this calendar year. I don't see any clever movement really, or hard graft. He doesn't make chances for himself, doesn't get the ball and turn and run at defenders, doesn't play other people in or run the channels. This isn't personal but I just think he is out of his depth at Championship level. He doesn't have the physicality or nous to thrive in this division, especially in a Warnock team that favours a target man to play off(he should never have been bought really). There were games when Bolasie was wanting to whip in an early cross and Akpom was nowhere to be seen. If he had nous then the lack of muscle mightn't matter so much, or vice versa. But he didn't show either of those things IMO.

I think he will end up back in London, Millwall or Luton or someone will take him for a knockdown fee or season-long loan. He has had a poor season for us but good luck to him wherever he goes next.

 

[asredastheycome]

To be fair to Akpom, I think he's the kind of guy who would rather play.

Not many Arsenal youth players from Canning Town head to the Greek league to prove themselves, be much easier to go on the Championship circuit and have a few beers.

I don't think he's the kind of character to clog up the reserves for a few seasons and enjoy the payday.

When did we last have first team squad members "clogging" up the Reserves. Last two I can remember playing on a regular basis was Yannick Wildschut and Emanuel Ledesma. Both would probably be first team starters now

 

[kuepper]

Can't see anyone wanting him, Warnock's signings have been tosh

 

[indeedido]

When will the club realise we can't turn a non-scoring striker into a goalscorer? Even less so if we lack creativity.

Timing a run, being right place right time, situational awareness, being able to find space where there is none.....all "stats" which never get mentioned, but which are all extremely important to have, and largely come naturally and are unable to be coached.

Everyone bangs on about finishing, but finishing is pointless if you don't get in the position to finish.
I'd rather have a guy that gets himself 10 chances and scores three (30%), than a guy that gets himself 2 chances and finishes 1 (50%).

Jepson was off looking at a lad they think might be better than your ratios.
Ronnie was raving about him. He was starved of service, scored a hattrick from the only couple of chances he had.
Understandably they're keeping things quiet, there's another club interested.

 

[Jonny Ingbar]

Exactly.

It's why Britt scores/ scored as often as he did, but actually looked quite a poor player. He was good at being in the right place and not a brilliant finisher, but he got himself some chances, more than most, which is why he was often top scorer here and at Forrest. Last season was a write off mind, he'd had enough of us not creating and looked like he'd downed tools, giving him the captaincy was the last throw of the dice. Fletcher was a better finisher, but was too weak physically and too soft in the head, not good enough at getting in the right areas. A combination of the two would have been good, but it's rare.

Stuani was probably the best I've seen at boro, for timing a run, it's a very difficult thing to do. People called him a good finisher, but I don't think he was, he just got his runs and awareness right, so got himself easy chances to finish, very clever.

Agree with this and I thought this was the reason why he was played in a wider attacking position by AK - play him centrally and those runs are far more difficult to achieve.

But then he scored a load of goals as a central striker in Spain, so that theory was pretty much debunked!

 

[Humpty]

Akpom runs some intelligent lines when we break forward. I wouldn’t particularly say he takes up good positions in the box, always seems to be a second or so off the pace in that respect.

 

[Mendieta14]

Exactly.

It's why Britt scores/ scored as often as he did, but actually looked quite a poor player. He was good at being in the right place and not a brilliant finisher, but he got himself some chances, more than most, which is why he was often top scorer

This is a great point. I often spoke to people about Akpom vs Britt.. Britt might miss the chance but Akpom wouldn't have even been in the position to miss in the first place.

 

[BoroMart]

This is a great point. I often spoke to people about Akpom vs Britt.. Britt might miss the chance but Akpom wouldn't have even been in the position to miss in the first place.

net result is still neither scored

 

[Caesium137]

Jepson was off looking at a lad they think might be better than your ratios.
Ronnie was raving about him. He was starved of service, scored a hattrick from the only couple of chances he had.
Understandably they're keeping things quiet, there's another club interested.

Ferran Torres?

 

[Andy_W]

Interesting point about Stuani. How he suddenly appeared from the wing to 5m from goal, with no one around him.

That's exactly it.

It's seemingly the hardest thing to do, you have to basically be really sneaky, and understand how the defender thinks. If you know where he's expecting you to be, you just don't go there. But, the thing is, you have to lure them into a false sense of security initially, let them think they have you covered/ marked, but when the time is right make the move. You see it quite often if you look at defenders faces when serial goalscorers score, they just look shocked at the strikers position, as they just never expected them to be there (as they thought they had them covered), the striker just let them think they're covered.

Always looks easy on the TV too, but it's the 0.2 seconds of timing that make the difference.

 

[Andy_W]

This is a great point. I often spoke to people about Akpom vs Britt.. Britt might miss the chance but Akpom wouldn't have even been in the position to miss in the first place.

The thing is you can have that conversation with people, but loads just don't understand it. The thought that the guy that misses more, could be much better (result wise), goes way over their head.