Following our star Eastwards. Lincoln City away, Boxing Day 26th Dec 1500 hrs.

[BWFC_Insane]

The only sitter (and I’d probably not call it that) that anyone missed was Charles on the follow up shot after they’d blocked a (I think) Morley effort.

Don’t recall Bod having a chance bar a header that a defender blocked right in front of him.

Bod was past the defender and headed sideways into him, the defender wasn't between him and the goal. It was a free header from about 8 yards out. Absolute gimme and a terrible header.


Screenshot 2023-12-27 175231.png

He got stuck under the ball sure. Could have done better. But I’d not call it a sitter.

In the same way I wouldn’t call Vic being played clean though by Maghoma and his dreadful touch letting the defender back in ‘a sitter’. Even though for the money we paid for him I’d be expecting a striker in that price bracket to do far better than that.

Charles had our best two chances of the game and they were both similar and he snatched a bit at both of them - one in each half. Also went clean through but put it just wide of the far post first half but that was probably tougher.

[GhostoftheBok]

He got stuck under the ball sure. Could have done better. But I’d not call it a sitter.

In the same way I wouldn’t call Vic being played clean though by Maghoma and his dreadful touch letting the defender back in ‘a sitter’. Even though for the money we paid for him I’d be expecting a striker in that price bracket to do far better than that.

Charles had our best two chances of the game and they were both similar and he snatched a bit at both of them - one in each half. Also went clean through but put it just wide of the far post first half but that was probably tougher.

I think an 8 yard free header is a sitter. He just took his eye off the ball. His face was level with the ground and I think it came off the top of his head.

It's not about Vic and Charles. Bod is a good player for the level and so are the other two. It was definitely an easy chance, though. Free header, 8 yards out and a clear sight of the entire flight of the ball. Doesn't get much easier when we're talking headers. Unless no header is ever a sitter.

[BWFC_Insane]

He got stuck under the ball sure. Could have done better. But I’d not call it a sitter.

In the same way I wouldn’t call Vic being played clean though by Maghoma and his dreadful touch letting the defender back in ‘a sitter’. Even though for the money we paid for him I’d be expecting a striker in that price bracket to do far better than that.

Charles had our best two chances of the game and they were both similar and he snatched a bit at both of them - one in each half. Also went clean through but put it just wide of the far post first half but that was probably tougher.

I think an 8 yard free header is a sitter. He just took his eye off the ball. His face was level with the ground and I think it came off the top of his head.

It's not about Vic and Charles. Bod is a good player for the level and so are the other two. It was definitely an easy chance, though. Free header, 8 yards out and a clear sight of the entire flight of the ball. Doesn't get much easier when we're talking headers. Unless no header is ever a sitter.

When the ball arrived he was twisting and facing away from goal so by that point I think a clean header on goal was very difficult. He got caught under the ball. Maybe timing of the run was not right.

But it’s still not a chance as good as the two Charles spurned and even those probably aren’t sitter category for me. Charles’ miss just before half time against LO is probably what I’d class as a ‘sitter’. However it’s not worth arguing about definitions of a sitter. I could simply say that on the day none of the strikers did particularly well and hard work doesn’t totally compensate for a raft of missed chances or fluffed lines.

[GhostoftheBok]

When the ball arrived he was twisting and facing away from goal so by that point I think a clean header on goal was very difficult. He got caught under the ball. Maybe timing of the run was not right.

But it’s still not a chance as good as the two Charles spurned and even those probably aren’t sitter category for me. Charles’ miss just before half time against LO is probably what I’d class as a ‘sitter’. However it’s not worth arguing about definitions of a sitter. I could simply say that on the day none of the strikers did particularly well and hard work doesn’t totally compensate for a raft of missed chances or fluffed lines.

I'm fairly certain that if Vic had come off the bench to control a ball near the 6 yard box that ended up 20 yards from him and then miss an 8 yard free header you'd be marginally more critical...but there you go. It was excellent movement by Bod to get free in the box to bollocks the header up. On another day he buries it.

We can move on.

Their drummer was miles better than ours. Don't know if he was in the cadets band or some such, but he was excellent. Can we loan him in in January? Found myself nodding along to him.

[BWFC_Insane]

When the ball arrived he was twisting and facing away from goal so by that point I think a clean header on goal was very difficult. He got caught under the ball. Maybe timing of the run was not right.

But it’s still not a chance as good as the two Charles spurned and even those probably aren’t sitter category for me. Charles’ miss just before half time against LO is probably what I’d class as a ‘sitter’. However it’s not worth arguing about definitions of a sitter. I could simply say that on the day none of the strikers did particularly well and hard work doesn’t totally compensate for a raft of missed chances or fluffed lines.

I'm fairly certain that if Vic had come off the bench to control a ball near the 6 yard box that ended up 20 yards from him and then miss an 8 yard free header you'd be marginally more critical...but there you go. It was excellent movement by Bod to get free in the box to bollocks the header up. On another day he buries it.

We can move on.

Their drummer was miles better than ours. Don't know if he was in the cadets band or some such, but he was excellent. Can we loan him in in January? Found myself nodding along to him.

If Vic manages a first touch within 20 yards of himself it’s notable because it’s so rare. Let alone anything else.

[Worthy4England]

There were quite a few that bumped 20 yards off Bod, TBF. But only if you were watching...

[TANGODANCER]

We place too much emphasis on what our strikers do in front of goal, and not enough on what they contribute elsewhere. All our frontmen have roles to play as a team. That's why we win. See our list of goal scorers who don't wear designated front men shirts.

[BWFC_Insane]

There were quite a few that bumped 20 yards off Bod, TBF. But only if you were watching...

One or two aye. Also a couple of lovely touches.

I don’t think on the day any strikers can be said to have had a great day tbh but we won anyway.

[GhostoftheBok]

Seems the gaffer was happy with Vic: "He attracts people around him, he holds the ball up well, and against Lincoln I thought he had one of his best games in a good few weeks. He looked back to his best and razor sharp again."

I imagine he was also very happy with Morley. What Evatt calls "detail" was missing at times, but Lincoln was the first game where I thought Aaron "got it" for 90 minutes...cue Kenneth Williams noises. He fully understood his role and consistently made the correct decisions. Some technical execution was off, but he grasped what he needed to be in a winning side vs Lincoln. I thought it was a massive step along the path for him. Evatt seemed to have put the shackles on him a bit and asked him to play within his passing game for the good of the team and he was professional throughout. I'd expect next time he'll be given more freedom as a result.

[BWFC_Insane]

Seems the gaffer was happy with Vic: "He attracts people around him, he holds the ball up well, and against Lincoln I thought he had one of his best games in a good few weeks. He looked back to his best and razor sharp again."

I imagine he was also very happy with Morley. What Evatt calls "detail" was missing at times, but Lincoln was the first game where I thought Aaron "got it" for 90 minutes...cue Kenneth Williams noises. He fully understood his role and consistently made the correct decisions. Some technical execution was off, but he grasped what he needed to be in a winning side vs Lincoln. I thought it was a massive step along the path for him. Evatt seemed to have put the shackles on him a bit and asked him to play within his passing game for the good of the team and he was professional throughout. I'd expect next time he'll be given more freedom as a result.

Evatt suggests that hard work is all he needs up front and is sacrificing other things in Charles’ partner for a player who just works hard. I don’t find that unreasonable. However, it also means the ‘we can’t have a physical presence in midfield as they need to play able to play’ line doesn’t work either. If we can have a striker who is just a workhorse we could also in appropriate games have a physical monster in midfield to do the donkey work.

I agree that Vic draws players the issue I have is it takes him so long to control it and then even longer to decide what to do with it that it loses us lots of momentum.

For me what we could do with as an option up front is someone with real pace who knows how to use it. Ideally one who also will run at defenders. There are games where Vic backing in or Bod using his quality works but I also think there are games where we could stretch teams more with that option and I’d like to see it tried. CMG I guess could play it but he’s away now.

[GhostoftheBok]

Evatt suggests that hard work is all he needs up front and is sacrificing other things in Charles’ partner for a player who just works hard. I don’t find that unreasonable. However, it also means the ‘we can’t have a physical presence in midfield as they need to play able to play’ line doesn’t work either. If we can have a striker who is just a workhorse we could also in appropriate games have a physical monster in midfield to do the donkey work.

You keep digging that hole, you absolute whopper.

[GhostoftheBok]

For those interested in reality, these are the actual quotes from the BN

“I’d pay more, knowing what I know now,” he said, “I’d pay more for him.

“We are happy with Victor, we think we get a lot of value for what we paid. Dion is the same and you can go right the way through our squad – I can give you price tags if you want, but I can something for nothing, they are worth a lot more now.”

“We want Victor to score, of course we do, but there are so many more parts to his game,” he said.

“He attracts people around him, he holds the ball up well, and against Lincoln I thought he had one of his best games in a good few weeks. He looked back to his best and razor sharp again.

“He has been carrying one or two niggles and sometimes you have to spread that pressure around, and Jon (Dadi Bodvarsson) has stepped in and done great.

“I have no issue with Victor, I know he will score goals and I know what a good partner he is for the rest of the centre-forwards.”

Not that "all he does is work hard", but that he's a quality player and we will get him scoring goals. "So many more parts to his game" and "I know he will score goals" can be twisted into "just works hard" when you're massively invested in a player failing and are desperate to finally be right about something.

[boltonboris]

My long and short of it, is:

I'd rather have Adeboyejo in my team than Bodvarsson right now

[boltonboris]

(But both have a role to play)

[Worthy4England]

For me, Evatt sees Vic as one of two starters and Bod as an off-the-bencher, other than rotating niggling injuries. One's got three years left on Contract, the other has 6 months. Bod, IMO isn't bringing anything stand out and isn't scoring lots in L1 games. I like them both, but other than a stupid money bid, I'd be fall-over surprised, if Evatt didn't think Vic would likely still be starting in 36 months time and Bod is at pastures anew. (Just to cheer Insano up, I reckon Evatt will have Dan here longer too).

What I don't see him doing is offering Bod three years and "cutting his losses" on Vic and Dan, to bring a "proven journeyman" in.)

[GhostoftheBok]

There are 10-15 a season just sat on that far post waiting for a ball in to Vic. He's consistently available there.

It's gone in with real quality about half a dozen times and he's scored 4 from it.

It's a replicable goal that we can rely on if we can just figure out that ball in. The run is there.

It's a two-part problem. Quick ball up the flanks and then the speed and quality of the ball in from the flank. We know we can do it, because we have done. There are other goals there for him, but that looks like being the banker.

We've figured out how to get Dion goals. We made adjustments to make Dion better. Finding Vic in the box is the next puzzle with a massive pay off.

He himself can do more, but the whole team needs to make some slight adjustments to hit those runs.

[Worthy4England]

Aye, the only point really was, I think he'll try and resolve how to get that 10-15 extras, way before he's likely to say "well that was a waste of transfer funds, better buy a new one..."

[GhostoftheBok]

Aye, the only point really was, I think he'll try and resolve how to get that 10-15 extras, way before he's likely to say "well that was a waste of transfer funds, better buy a new one..."

Yup. Early on in the season Vic was averaging just over 2 shots per game and was scoring goals.

Now he's on about 1 shot per game and isn't. Dion has double the shots per 90 and double the goals.

Not rocket science, this one.

[Prufrock]

Agree with a lot of that. Feels like Vic's goals have come from about a combined 6 yards.

The one we have found a fair bit is the controlled possession, get to the byline, hard and low. Could do more.

And then there's that one on the break that's effectively a long range 2v1 that needs early quality in behind for a 1v1. That's been on a lot but don't remember us ever really finding it. Definitely more goals for him in this team.

[BWFC_Insane]

Evatt suggests that hard work is all he needs up front and is sacrificing other things in Charles’ partner for a player who just works hard. I don’t find that unreasonable. However, it also means the ‘we can’t have a physical presence in midfield as they need to play able to play’ line doesn’t work either. If we can have a striker who is just a workhorse we could also in appropriate games have a physical monster in midfield to do the donkey work.

You keep digging that hole, you absolute whopper.

I will keep having an opinion. If £500K gets you someone who can’t trap a ball but runs round a bit then it is what it is. For the money we spent I’m expecting much more as I suspect are most fans. I see what he offers it’s just not enough for the outlay. For a free or low fee or a 20 year old it might be ok.

I just don’t see anyone offering anything like what we paid for him on the market. Maybe we will be fending them off in January or whatever but I along with many fans do not see that happening.