Chris Wood is not good enough for the Championship....

[severnside gull]

Have to say that I think Wood is easily good enough for the next step up but he is still very young and the season has caught up with him. He looks like someone who has hit the proverbial wall.

My feeling is that he is still another season away from being physically and emotionally ready to play 40+ games and retain consistency but would make a valuable support striker in a championship squad.

Whether that is enough to meet our needs for next season I'm not sure but I certainly wouldn't write him off entirely.

What we will need is some experience combined with someone able to finish clinically in the air (where we have perhaps been least effective) as well as on the ground. If they can score penalties that would be a bonus (our most consistent penalty taker this season? Wood of course)

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

Well maybe you should make a request then, and give the dates that no one can make a comment that can't be considered a love in.

Maybe even in that ask everyone to f*** off for a couple of weeks, and ask Gus to be the only poster, as he is the only one qualified to make a comment about a player.

Or maybe just maybe for a week or two dont come on here and celebrate on your own with a box of tissues

This is a public board. People are allowed their own opinions. If you dont like to hear them, its not hard to find a solution is it

Here we go again, the return of the keyboard warrior.

You are welcome to your opinion, however wrong it may be.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I think he is a decent young player with potential and has done quite well considering this is the first time in his career that he has been playing regularly.

Fair point, but that's not what we are going to need in The Championship. Differenmt debate if he was our player, but he is not. I don't want to see him back from WBA next season because there are simply better and more suitable options for our needs.

Wood fails to make anything happen and when he gifted a chance generally misses it, he is not the answer.

And all that can (perhaps) be excused by the fact that he is young and learning his trade - but we don't need one of those in the first team at this time.

Have to say that I think Wood is easily good enough for the next step up but he is still very young and the season has caught up with him. Whether that is enough to meet our needs for next season I'm not sure but I certainly wouldn't write him off entirely.

Agreed - foolish to write him off, but it's all about what this squad will need next season in the Championship - and for my money it is not Wood. Totally agree with the other comments about him being slow. Staggeringly poor in the air (does he ever win a header?). Profligate. Can find the odd good pass and does score sometimes - but so would other strikers given the same chances.

Nice guy it seems - not for BHA at the moment. Thanks for your efforts this year, good luck in the future.

 

[Spiros]

Forwards have been our weakness this season

I'm sorry but out of all the rubbish spouted on this thread this has plumbed a new low. Murray has bagged over 20 and Barnes is nearly at the 20 mark as well. Wood has made double figures in half a season. How the hell does that make 'forwards our weakness'?

 

[ROSM]

How great it is to be an Albion fan where we have a board full of largely disparaging comments about players who have worked their socks off for the club this year. Sadly these overshadow the more rational balanced comments on here which may well reach the same conclusion (he's not for us next year) but don't use the same level of hyperbole.

In my view, Wood (like Barnes) is not the finished product but 10 goals in half a season tells a good story. He's not seemed the same since coming back from the New Zealand trip.

Whether he could/should be with us next season depends on who else stays/goes. If Murray goes then we'll need two strikers in at least (assuming we keep Barnes and Adgestein) so if we sign a really experienced one with a great track record then we may well keep Wood as 3rd choice behind new guy and Barnes. If however Murray stays then I see him and ano new striker being first choice and Barnes being the first reserve which means Wood will be highly unlikely to join in my view.

 

[JJ McClure]

He had a very poor game yesterday. I felt like he should've been accompanied by pinball machine sound effects his first touch was so bad.
However thinking back to Peterborough at home it was the opposite as he was great and all those first touches seemed to find an Albion shirt.
As others have said, he's clearly not the finished article but he is only young and should get better. Whether he's worth a punt on next year I just don't know.

 

[peterward]

Yesterday was same as saints away....... no Murray and we look weak up top. Murray isn't just a better finisher, his running off the ball causes havoc and pulls defenders out of position.

I don't see what Gus sees in Wood personally, he looks wooden to me but what do I know.
I am not going to pretend I know better than Gus or Tanno and say 'bye bye Wood' don't come back we don't want you. I am going to put my faith in our management and their reading of how well Wood may or may not make the grade and fit into our overall team/style of play. We have just romped the league with these players who include wood and the 3 strikers worked well.

He is still only a teenager, a loan with the ability to cancel/send him back to WBA, would be a risk free answer to the question of if he can make grade. Rather than just writing him off. We can give the kid a chance and find out.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

We can give the kid a chance and find out.[/B]

At the expense of giving that place in the side (or on the bench) to a proven goal scorer in The Championship? I don't think so. Not next season - not if we have aspirations of any kind.

 

[Blues Rock DJ]

At the expense of giving that place in the side (or on the bench) to a proven goal scorer in The Championship? I don't think so. Not next season - not if we have aspirations of any kind.

Agree, next season's not appropriate for work experience! Didn't Barnsley send him back before he came to us ?

 

[ROSM]

Agree, next season's not appropriate for work experience! Didn't Barnsley send him back before he came to us ?

No - WBA recalled him as the loan was not doing anything to aid his development. Di Matteo had more faith in Gus' ability to work with Wood and develop him.

 

[big nuts]

I'm sorry but out of all the rubbish spouted on this thread this has plumbed a new low. Murray has bagged over 20 and Barnes is nearly at the 20 mark as well. Wood has made double figures in half a season. How the hell does that make 'forwards our weakness'?

I agree with Mr Burns. Whilst I'm not saying we have been weak in attack as we have scored goals for fun mostly. Our attack hasn't been as good as either our midfield which has been the best I have ever seen watching the Albion, or our defense and keeper which has kept numerous clean sheets and in the most part especially when Greer has played has been rock solid and resolute.

If we our going to improve next season, my main signing would be the player that replaces the weakest member of our current starting X1 and that player is our second striker which is Barnes or Wood.

 

[ROSM]

I agree with Mr Burns. Whilst I'm not saying we have been weak in attack as we have scored goals for fun mostly. Our attack hasn't been as good as either our midfield which has been the best I have ever seen watching the Albion, or our defense and keeper which has kept numerous clean sheets

We have won more games than any other league/premier club in the country this season. Only Southampton can match us if they win all their games and we lose/draw both of ours.

We've won 6 games by a single goal to nil (and most of them came in march), but of the other TWENTY TWO wins, 16 were by at least a 2 goal margin.

I think that shows a well balanced side where all departments have contributed significantly.

 

[big nuts]

We have won more games than any other league/premier club in the country this season. Only Southampton can match us if they win all their games and we lose/draw both of ours.

We've won 6 games by a single goal to nil (and most of them came in march), but of the other TWENTY wins, 16 were by at least a 2 goal margin.

I think that shows a well balanced side where all departments have contributed significantly.

Agreed. You need all elements of your side performing well to win a league by the margin we have. I'm not being critical of our strikers as they have consistently produced the goods. It's just my opinion they have been outperformed albeit marginally by a sensational midfield and a magnificent back five.

 

[Finch]

It's worth remembering that he's only 19; at his age Barnes was playing in the Conference for Salisbury/Eastbourne, and Murray was playing for Workington.

I'm not sure what some people expect from a 19 year old. If he'd played the full season (instead of half) and got 16-18 goals I wonder what people would be saying. If he was much better he wouldn't have got loaned to us.

That said, he served his purpose, I don't think its what we need for next season, unless we sign him as a 3rd choice for the future, and I don't think he would come very cheap. So there will be better options out there.

Whatever Gus wants will be fine by me.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Agreed. You need all elements of your side performing well to win a league by the margin we have. I'm not being critical of our strikers as they have consistently produced the goods. It's just my opinion they have been outperformed albeit marginally by a sensational midfield and a magnificent back five.

Very well put.

Put another way, if we had Zamora of the League 1 Championship team under Adams / Taylor, how many goals would he have bagged? I don't think he would have broke Wards record of 36 (I think) but we would have talked about him getting close.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Apart from the odd penalty, which, give him his due, he has been pretty good at he has not shown anything for his size, no first touch and can't finish. Thanks for your efforts Chris but no thanks next season!

This. We need better quality in the Championship and can make better use of our wage budget.

 

[Icy Gull]

He really doesn't excite me at all and seems to have no idea where the goal is most of the time. Nowhere near the quality of Barnes and light years behind Murray

 

[Finch]

This topic piqued my interest, so I wiki'd recent successful strikers in the Championship and looked at their records at ~19. Its a quick and badly laid out look, and I don't vouch for its accuracy. Just something for interest to get and idea of what Championship level strikers were like at 19.

Danny Graham - now 25 years old, scored 23 in Championship this year

Age - appearance (goals ) club

At age 19 - 09 (2) Darlington
At age 20 - 14 (0) Derby
At age 21 - 07 (1) Leeds / Blackpool

Simon Cox - 23 years old, scored 35 in 62 for Swindon before moving to WBA

At age 19 - 21 (3) Brentford / Northampton

Hard to do it for Shane Long as Reading were in premiership 21 (2).

Grant Holt was not setting the world on fire at Halifax, Barrow and Sengkang Marine? (did start tapping them in for Barrow in next few years though).

Jason Scotland between ages of 22-25 for Dundee 50 (8), not sure earlier.

Kevin Doyle at age 19 - 10 (0) for St Patricks Athletic

Kevin Davies at age 19/20 - 64 (7) for Chesterfield

Riccardo Fuller, earliest I can find is age 21, 8 (0) for Crystal Palace.

Dean Windass at 21-23 was 73 (13) for Hull (did well for North Ferriby United before that)

Jamie Cureton, good season 17 (4) at 19 in premiership, then 17 (2) for Norwich / Bournemouth following season.

 

[Icy Gull]

This topic piqued my interest, so I wiki'd recent successful strikers in the Championship and looked at their records at ~19. Its a quick and badly laid out look, and I don't vouch for its accuracy. Just something for interest to get and idea of what Championship level strikers were like at 19.

Danny Graham - now 25 years old, scored 23 in Championship this year

Age - appearance (goals ) club

At age 19 - 09 (2) Darlington
At age 20 - 14 (0) Derby
At age 21 - 07 (1) Leeds / Blackpool

Simon Cox - 23 years old, scored 35 in 62 for Swindon before moving to WBA

At age 19 - 21 (3) Brentford / Northampton

Hard to do it for Shane Long as Reading were in premiership 21 (2).

Grant Holt was not setting the world on fire at Halifax, Barrow and Sengkang Marine? (did start tapping them in for Barrow in next few years though).

Jason Scotland between ages of 22-25 for Dundee 50 (8), not sure earlier.

Kevin Doyle at age 19 - 10 (0) for St Patricks Athletic

Kevin Davies at age 19/20 - 64 (7) for Chesterfield

Riccardo Fuller, earliest I can find is age 21, 8 (0) for Crystal Palace.

Dean Windass at 21-23 was 73 (13) for Hull (did well for North Ferriby United before that)

Jamie Cureton, good season 17 (4) at 19 in premiership, then 17 (2) for Norwich / Bournemouth following season.

How many of those were in a team that pissed the league and created loads of chances though?

 

[theonesmith]

This topic piqued my interest, so I wiki'd recent successful strikers in the Championship and looked at their records at ~19. Its a quick and badly laid out look, and I don't vouch for its accuracy. Just something for interest to get and idea of what Championship level strikers were like at 19.

Danny Graham - now 25 years old, scored 23 in Championship this year

Age - appearance (goals ) club

At age 19 - 09 (2) Darlington
At age 20 - 14 (0) Derby
At age 21 - 07 (1) Leeds / Blackpool

Simon Cox - 23 years old, scored 35 in 62 for Swindon before moving to WBA

At age 19 - 21 (3) Brentford / Northampton

Hard to do it for Shane Long as Reading were in premiership 21 (2).

Grant Holt was not setting the world on fire at Halifax, Barrow and Sengkang Marine? (did start tapping them in for Barrow in next few years though).

Jason Scotland between ages of 22-25 for Dundee 50 (8), not sure earlier.

Kevin Doyle at age 19 - 10 (0) for St Patricks Athletic

Kevin Davies at age 19/20 - 64 (7) for Chesterfield

Riccardo Fuller, earliest I can find is age 21, 8 (0) for Crystal Palace.

Dean Windass at 21-23 was 73 (13) for Hull (did well for North Ferriby United before that)

Jamie Cureton, good season 17 (4) at 19 in premiership, then 17 (2) for Norwich / Bournemouth following season.

Interesting read. As you say, no concrete evidence- but then there never is in the study of development. I think he has a lot of potential- and I have expertise on my side, with Gus Poyet, staff at WBA and staff in NZ also supporting him and thus my claim. However, unless we can actually sign him for us permanently for a reasonable fee next season, I would prefer to develop our own players.