Akpom - Sheff U

Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
Everything we do is a gamble. It's about picking the right gamble. We have a player who scored the most goals for us since the 1950s. Paying that player an extra 2 to 3 million a year is a far smaller gamble than buying a player for that amount of money.

Let's put it this way. Would you rather the club bought a payero a season for the next three years than give akpom a large contract?
Click to expand...

I dont disagree with any of that.

However I'm trying to point out that there's been plenty of one season wonders, and therefore keeping him is not a magical guaranteed 20 goals a season, especially when in other seasons (in the much weaker Greek leagues) he's barely got into double figures.
 
There have been lots of one season wonders. Juninho for example never got close to the heights of 96/97. A broken leg and a cruciate will do that to you. He was still a good player though. Just like akpom is.

Gestede, like Michael ricketts had limited ability. A player who is effective when played a certain way. I would also question their temperament.

I really don't see chuba regressing to a dreadful player like those two. He has good technique and a good attitude. The only question mark would be confidence and injury's. He may well not reach the heights of last season, but being a realist, he may also surpass those heights.
 
Akpom is not a one-season wonder.
He had 3 very respectable seasons with a very defensive Greek side including scoring the winning goal in their cup final with an overhead kick.
He had a terrible season in the Championship under Warnock being played as a target man. His son was also just born at that time.
Had a bad loan at Hull in the Championship when he was 20.
Was a revelation (briefly) under Wilder as a deep-laying striker then got injured. Was just coming back from injury as Leo nursed him back into the team.

Bad loans while a youngster at Arsenal meant that his career stalled. His very last loan in Belgium, though, saw him scoring at 1 in 2 games leading to his sale to one of the top Greek clubs.

Play Akpom as a second striker in the Championship and he will get you 15-20 goals over a full season. Play him as a loan target man and he'll maybe reach 10. In the Premier league in a struggling side you can probably halve those figures.
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
Everything we do is a gamble. It's about picking the right gamble. We have a player who scored the most goals for us since the 1950s. Paying that player an extra 2 to 3 million a year is a far smaller gamble than buying a player for that amount of money.

Let's put it this way. Would you rather the club bought a payero a season for the next three years than give akpom a large contract?
Click to expand...
You've seen Payero start 6 times. How did you rate Akpom after his first 6 starts?
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
Eh? I didn't rate akpom at all. What's that to do with the price of fish? The whole point I'm making is that we know what akpom can do, that it's a gamble worth taking, and better than spending it on punts.
Click to expand...

And what I'm saying is you don't know what Payero can do after 6 starts. Akpom was a punt. He may be a flop this season without Giles and Archer in the side.
 
Wouldn't it be a wonderful, sustainable world if we were somehow able to harness the unlimited energy of always being right?
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
And what I'm saying is you don't know what Payero can do after 6 starts. Akpom was a punt.
Click to expand...
Again my point is we know what akpom can do. So it's a far better bet to spend your money on akpom. I'm not saying never take a gamble and spend a few pennies on a player. But if it's a choice akpom is obviously the better option.

It's taken us over 50 years to find a goalscorer like this. If you think it's worth twisting on that then I would like to be your bookmaker.
 
It is unlikely that Chuba will repeat his 28 league goals. He is however highly likely to score a lot for a no10 and continue to be a pivotal link man.
He would cost more than £8m to replace even if we could find someone. To persuade them to come would also cost a big wage.
People who have the temerity to challenge are observing:
1. Why no CF?
2. Why no LB?
The Chuba situation is concerning because he was so absolutely brilliant last season, league golden boot and player of the season and our top scorer for 50 years. If fans don’t care what happens to him then that would be strange.
His situation has been pivotal all window. It being so opaque merely accentuates the frustration around 1&2.

I agree with trying to recruit smarter and understand there will be mistakes made too.
I don’t assume we have a divine right to PL status, but do think it should always be our objective.
We got close last season, have a manager to cherish, some good building blocks in the squad, ground/facilities/crowd in place. I would expect the club to build on last season.
My opinion is that AS THINGS STAND (which is what has been repeatedly stated) we look disappointingly weaker, rather than building stronger.

We all have our opinions and are entitled to them.
It is ironic that a critic of anything is then positioned as a critic of everything, by those who will criticise nothing.
 
indeedido said:
People who have the temerity to challenge are observing:
1. Why no CF?
2. Why no LB?
Click to expand...
I think it's reasonably clear that we have two lists of targets depending on player sales and, so far, we haven't sold anyone of note.

It seems also that part of Gibson taking a back-seat is that Bausor & Scott are now working to a budget. I think Gibson will finance a promotion push if he is convinced by B&S. Until then we're trying to deals with relatively little cash up front.

It looks like we had a deal agreed in principle for Giles but got gazumped by Luton and we're now having to readdress that with various previous targets having moved on.

I think that selling Akpom for anything under £10m would be a false economy but if relations between Akpom and the club breakdown we might be forced into a relatively low value sale.

It's not really clear to me what our strategy for buying/loaning players for the 1st team is. Dieng looks a good buy but so far (Giles aside) the club has been pretty water tight. I presume we're going for some combination of experience and loans but I literally have no clue about who will be in our starting line up at the end of August.

So far, this window has been about building for the future.
 
indeedido said:
It is unlikely that Chuba will repeat his 28 league goals. He is however highly likely to score a lot for a no10 and continue to be a pivotal link man.
He would cost more than £8m to replace even if we could find someone. To persuade them to come would also cost a big wage.
People who have the temerity to challenge are observing:
1. Why no CF?
2. Why no LB?
The Chuba situation is concerning because he was so absolutely brilliant last season, league golden boot and player of the season and our top scorer for 50 years. If fans don’t care what happens to him then that would be strange.
His situation has been pivotal all window. It being so opaque merely accentuates the frustration around 1&2.

I agree with trying to recruit smarter and understand there will be mistakes made too.
I don’t assume we have a divine right to PL status, but do think it should always be our objective.
We got close last season, have a manager to cherish, some good building blocks in the squad, ground/facilities/crowd in place. I would expect the club to build on last season.
My opinion is that AS THINGS STAND (which is what has been repeatedly stated) we look disappointingly weaker, rather than building stronger.

We all have our opinions and are entitled to them.
It is ironic that a critic of anything is then positioned as a critic of everything, by those who will criticise nothing.
Click to expand...
Excellent post, on point. Far too many unknowns for anyone to have supreme confidence. Everyone of us hopes the newbies turn out better than anything we have ever had and Carrick has bought a magic wand from Debbie McGee’s attic, but the empirical evidence to date suggests we are weaker (as we keep saying) as things stand, and the unknown future of our best player Akpom to sort.

If we suddenly signed a forward of Archers quality, kept Chuba and grew an Aaron Ramsey over the summer from his DNA and acquired a left back that had Stewy Downings 20 yr old left foot, then I ‘d be very hopeful of top 6 and possibly with luck top 2, and being greedy a young loanee who‘s main claim to fame was being the spit of Souness on the pitch, then I’d say we could maybe even be Champions, but until all that happens……… it is what it is, and that is a bit of a tombola season where we just don’t know what we’re gonna get.
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
There are also shitloads of clubs selling their best player every year and not being able to replace him.
Click to expand...
And I’ll refer you to my post the other day, we revamped our recruitment and talent identification. We’ve spent a lot on it. We didn’t do that for sh/ts and giggles, it’s a strategy. Stop being so negative
 
WilliamMunny said:
Viv, I've also been gaslighted by indeedido claiming that I can't be the same poster I used to be just because he disagreed with me. Don't let his hostility to you and others get you down. You are easily one of the most reasonable posters on here and I for one think your posts on this thread are a breath of fresh air. Keep your chin up and don't let the bar stewards drag you down.
Click to expand...
Gaslighted?
As it happens both you and VAN have always been posters I enjoyed and respected.
That I queried who you were some time ago (once) was because I had such time for your prior posting. Sorry to show an interest…won’t be doing that again in a hurry.
Viv has been a poster I have regularly engaged with, with large overlap of views. I have regularly supported him in discussions, not that this needs be the playground you seem to want to make it.
One thing I have always liked about VAN is his passionate views, even if I don’t always agree. His recent optimistic postings seem blindingly so to me and a little unusual. I merely expressed my surprise at his position.
 
indeedido said:
Gaslighted?
As it happens both you and VAN have always been posters I enjoyed and respected.
That I queried who you were some time ago (once) was because I had such time for your prior posting. Sorry to show an interest…won’t be doing that again in a hurry.
Viv has been a poster I have regularly engaged with, with large overlap of views. I have regularly supported him in discussions, not that this needs be the playground you seem to want to make it.
One thing I have always liked about VAN is his passionate views, even if I don’t always agree. His recent optimistic postings seem blindingly so to me and a little unusual. I merely expressed my surprise at his position.
Click to expand...
You did a little more than that. Aside from having a go at VAN, you called other posters idiots and told them to * off.

I don’t want this place to be a playground at all. People should be free to state their opinions and have those opinions challenged, and challenge other’s opinions. I don’t mind if things sometimes get a little heated, but there’s never any justification for making it personal and telling people that they must be an imposter because they have a different view to what you expect them to have.
 
WilliamMunny said:
You did a little more than that. Aside from having a go at VAN, you called other posters idiots and told them to * off.

I don’t want this place to be a playground at all. People should be free to state their opinions and have those opinions challenged, and challenge other’s opinions. I don’t mind if things sometimes get a little heated, but there’s never any justification for making it personal and telling people that they must be an imposter because they have a different view to what you expect them to have.
Click to expand...
I blocked him for his immature personal name calling behaviour. I won’t take that in the real world from people so I won’t take it here. Block him move on, and let him shout at the wall and wonder why no one ever engages with him
 
I haven’t known him as a poster for too long but it seemed out of character to be personal and abusive from what I’ve seen.

I hope the guy is okay.
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
You're deliberately ignoring the point I'm trying to make around one season wonders (using Gestede as an extreme example) hence the reply.
Click to expand...

Everybody understands that "one season wonders" exist Lizards. In turn surely you understand that there also players who go on to have multiple good seasons yes? Thats not beyond the realms of possibility either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top