Akpom

[newyddion]

Sounds like a good footballer though doesn't he, Chuba Akpom. Google him and there he is in his Arsenal shirt, "Nigerian professional football player"...

All factual. But in reality he's a striker who was loaned out to two different league one teams, didn't score for either...

Somehow managed to then get loaned out to 4 different championship teams AFTER not scoring in league one, didn't score for 2 of those either...

Jonathan Franks, Luke Williams and Curtis Main all have better goal scoring records for Boro and look what happened to them.

are you suggesting footballers names might be key to their success snd longevity.

Like if Cristiano Ronaldo was called ‘Ian Wideberth’ he would have been stuck in div 2?

Can we apply this to plain named players in our own squad?

Jack Robinson should give Jobriath Rubette a whirl for a few seasons?

 

[Manhead]

I bet we want shot of Uche / Akpom and Hall. Yet I can't fathom why they have not been involved?

The squad size is on it's ar*se. These 3 are all better options than the kids.

I was always a bit surprised that Wilder didn't look at Akpom. I mean I'm guessing he's never seen him in training.

Seems bizzare for me, surely it's in the clubs interest to get them in the shop window too?

 

[Manhead]

Ikpeazu is the one I don't understand. Relatively low earner, probably happy to be here. Is a decent plan B or C and is actually quite good on the ground at times (eg v Mansfield and Cardiff)

Spot on. There where games at the end of last season crying out for someone like him to come on and mix things up. He's no superstar but I think he is better technically than he gets crrfit for, can certainly cause defenses problems on this league.

 

[Ash88]

are you suggesting footballers names might be key to their success snd longevity.

I am suggesting it has some impact. Not on their football ability obviously, but on the hype/expectation they bring to a club.

Martin Payero, 22 year old wonderkid from the mean streets of Argentina. The fans loved him at Banfield, after playing for River Plate's academy at 14.

OR... Mark Peters, 22 year old academy product from Grimsby. The fans loved him at Barrow, after playing for Everton's academy at 14.

Same player, different name. Which do you sign?

 

[Scrug]

The squad size is on it's ar*se. These 3 are all better options than the kids.

Not a chance. 100% Kav would outscore Akpom over the course of a season, he’s the worst ‘striker’ I’ve ever seen at the Boro.

I said before we signed him that I used to live in Hull and go to their games. I watched Chuba a lot, an not once did he ever look remotely threatening.

Two seasons I’d seen him in the championship, one for Boro, one for Hull. 8 goals.

If we’re struggling to get players in so badly that he’s our contingency we’re in trouble.

 

[Rofesleg]

I am suggesting it has some impact. Not on their football ability obviously, but on the hype/expectation they bring to a club.

Martin Payero, 22 year old wonderkid from the mean streets of Argentina. The fans loved him at Banfield, after playing for River Plate's academy at 14.

OR... Mark Peters, 22 year old academy product from Grimsby. The fans loved him at Barrow, after playing for Everton's academy at 14.

Same player, different name. Which do you sign?

Payero played for Argentina at the Olympics. Who did Mark Peters represent internationally?
Believe it or not there are South American footballers (and even British footballers with fancy foreign names) who don't play at the highest level or identified as the next big thing by English teams.

 

[Druss_The_Legend]

Everything You Need to Know About Arsenal's Pre-Season Sensation Chuba Akpom

Chuba Akpom joined Arsenal at the age of six. That means that when he was first part of the Gunners’ academy, manager Arsene Wenger already had his first domestic double under his belt and was on his way to a second...

syndication.bleacherreport.com

Just looked at a couple of old articles on Chuba Akpom the one I have shared is from 2015 when he was 19 and starting to "break through to senior football". It sounds to me that he was someone who physically developed earlier than his contemporaries and used that as an advantage at youth level, where it seems he struggled was making the step up to senior football where he needed a bit more than being quicker and stronger than most of the players he was playing against(it suggests this in the article), he must have other things to his game or he wouldn't of made it so far in Arsenal academy.
My thoughts are that he maybe didn't need to learn the extra skills to succeed at senior level as his natural physique carried him through youth level. Where as someone less naturally fast and strong at a young age would of had to concentrate on the other aspects of the game to compete and became better all round as a player once they physically caught up. The last Paragraph is pure speculation and opinion on my part.

 

[S7DiscoDown]

Not a chance. 100% Kav would outscore Akpom over the course of a season, he’s the worst ‘striker’ I’ve ever seen at the Boro.

I said before we signed him that I used to live in Hull and go to their games. I watched Chuba a lot, an not once did he ever look remotely threatening.

Two seasons I’d seen him in the championship, one for Boro, one for Hull. 8 goals.

If we’re struggling to get players in so badly that he’s our contingency we’re in trouble.

He's not the 'worst' I've ever seen and that's by a long shot. The list is long and plenty on that front

Rudy still holds that record for me.

Especially when you throw in he cost 6mil and probably as much again in wages for 6 league goals in 4 years.

You have to wonder why we bought Akpom looking at his stats? He's never scored goals.

 

[Ash88]

Rudy still holds that record for me.

Rudy's goal every 347 mins beats Akpom's goal every 405, but he did cost an extra £3 million so you're probably right.

I think only Connolly has a worse record than Akpom of all of our strikers over the past five seasons.

 

[laughingboroboy]

He's not the 'worst' I've ever seen and that's by a long shot. The list is long and plenty on that front

Rudy still holds that record for me.

Especially when you throw in he cost 6mil and probably as much again in wages for 6 league goals in 4 years.

You have to wonder why we bought Akpom looking at his stats? He's never scored goals.

Will always hate Rudy everything he did/didnt do and that price tag/wages.

But for our worst striker in 'recent' years, this guy has to be No.1

Ps must of been windy that day!!

 

[Otto42]

He's not the 'worst' I've ever seen and that's by a long shot. The list is long and plenty on that front

Rudy still holds that record for me.

Especially when you throw in he cost 6mil and probably as much again in wages for 6 league goals in 4 years.

You have to wonder why we bought Akpom looking at his stats? He's never scored goals.

Exactly this. We knew what we were getting when he signed, so really can't hold that against him. To me he's definitely not the worst I've seen.....I remember Billy Woof and isn't even the biggest waste of money (remember Guedioura - not a forward I know!). It may be more that he was given the option of training with the first team or finding another club, has tried to get fixed up with PAOK but it hasn't materialised so has come back to training.

Big Uche deserves a place on the bench imho, aren't we allowed five subs this season - always gives his all and could be useful as a plan X in the last five minutes chasing an equaliser!

 

[MoggasDog]

Akpom is shocking. I honestly don't think Hartlepool would get much use from him.
As stated above, he has made a career from being 'ex-Arsenal' for some bizarre reason.

 

[festa5]

Payero played for Argentina at the Olympics. Who did Mark Peters represent internationally?
Believe it or not there are South American footballers (and even British footballers with fancy foreign names) who don't play at the highest level or identified as the next big thing by English teams.

Exactly, he's an Argentina youth international that was very highly rated following a strong season in the Argentina top flight. The way some go on you'd think we'd just picked up some random kid from the streets of Buenos Aires..

And as you say there are absolutely loads of exotic names further down the leagues. Particularly of African origin.

In our own youth teams we have:

George Citau
Bryan Akono Bilongo
Jeremy Sivi
Kamil Conteh
Afonso Lindo
Yacou Traore

Not sure I've heard anyone clamouring for these lads to start ahead of anyone else based on their "name".

 

[Ash88]

Not sure I've heard anyone clamouring for these lads to start ahead of anyone else based on their "name".

So make the same case for Chuba Akpom?.... A player who's failed to score at 5 different league one and championship clubs. Yet we sign him for £3 million?

I'm not saying it's just "the name", that's silly.... but it's partly just "who he is", being ex-arsenal, having a great agent and marketing team - it's nothing to do with his footballing ability.

A good example is how in 2019 (3 years ago), he switched allegiance from England to Nigeria... England, who he's never played for at senior level, and Nigeria, who he's never played for since...

In actual football terms, his boots on a football pitch, it means absolutely nothing... But there's dozens of articles about it when you search his name, because it "looks good".

 

[festa5]

So make the same case for Chuba Akpom?.... A player who's failed to score at 5 different league one and championship clubs. Yet we sign him for £3 million?

I'm not saying it's just "the name", that's silly.... but it's partly just "who he is", being ex-arsenal, having a great agent and marketing team - it's nothing to do with his footballing ability.

A good example is how in 2019 (3 years ago), he switched allegiance from England to Nigeria... England, who he's never played for at senior level, and Nigeria, who he's never played for since...

In actual football terms, his boots on a football pitch, it means absolutely nothing... But there's dozens of articles about it when you search his name, because it "looks good".

I think that's exactly it. Ex Arsenal who was quite highly rated as a youngster. I think that's the key point. I suppose maybe it's more that his name is memorable. So you hear about this promising youngster from Arsenal and the name sticks.

That's no excuse for our scouting/recruitment team mind. Or Warnock. Not only were his stats a red flag, I find it very hard to believe someone watched him and thought, yep that's our man for £3m. He's also perfect for Warnock-ball. I have no idea what they were thinking.

 

[newyddion]

I am suggesting it has some impact. Not on their football ability obviously, but on the hype/expectation they bring to a club.

Martin Payero, 22 year old wonderkid from the mean streets of Argentina. The fans loved him at Banfield, after playing for River Plate's academy at 14.

OR... Mark Peters, 22 year old academy product from Grimsby. The fans loved him at Barrow, after playing for Everton's academy at 14.

Same player, different name. Which do you sign?

Did James Lea Siliki come with more hype and expectation than Matt Crooks?

 

[VestasBoro]

I honestly think Coburn and Kavanagh have more about them than Akpom, so if he's back in training i'd be amazed if he featured - even on the bench - before either of those, in fact i'd go as far to say i'd be quite annoyed if he got any minutes ahead of the two young lads we've got.

It will just be a case of he's contracted here, he's just doing his job and staying fit so when he goes its a quick smooth transfer, everyone wins. He must be a fairly sound lad, no ego and not slagging the club off, everyone knows he's going and it's an amicable situation otherwise CW wouldn't have him around, ala Spence.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

Wasn't the issue with akpom that there was lockdowns and we couldn't just go see him play so had to rely on video footage?

 

[Nosmo-King]

Should never have signed the useless gadgie- yet another very poor buy

 

[Alzi]

So make the same case for Chuba Akpom?.... A player who's failed to score at 5 different league one and championship clubs. Yet we sign him for £3 million?

I'm not saying it's just "the name", that's silly.... but it's partly just "who he is", being ex-arsenal, having a great agent and marketing team - it's nothing to do with his footballing ability.

A good example is how in 2019 (3 years ago), he switched allegiance from England to Nigeria... England, who he's never played for at senior level, and Nigeria, who he's never played for since...

In actual football terms, his boots on a football pitch, it means absolutely nothing... But there's dozens of articles about it when you search his name, because it "looks good".

I'm confused why you keep referencing his Nigerian heritage and his name like they don't sit well with you?

If your argument had solely been is he overrated because he was a product of the Arsenal academy then you'd have a valid argument. He's a lad from London who isn't quite good enough for our team, it's a bit odd and getting a bit uncomfortable that you keep making anymore of it than that.