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

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

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.

But what is your point? Most people on this thread seem to agree that he has potential - or at least are prepared to accept Gus' judgement about a player - but also many suggest that he is not the man we need for next season. He may well go on to be a great player who knocks in loads of goals - but at the moment, would you rather have him in the team for next season or a proven, reliable, established Championship striker? There's no question which you would go for.

 

[Spiros]

I agree with Mr Burns. Whilst I'm not saying we have been weak in attack as we have scored goals for fun mostly.

You have immediately contradicted yourself. Mr Burns point is that we ARE weak in attack. He specifically said 'Forwards have been our weakness this season'. I would agree with your assertion that we also have good midfield and defence (apart from yesterday's comedy defending), but my point is that we have 3 forwards who have scored 50 goals between them so far this season and they are being described as a 'weakness'. What do they have to do in order to not be a 'weakness'?

 

[big nuts]

You have immediately contradicted yourself. Mr Burns point is that we ARE weak in attack. He specifically said 'Forwards have been our weakness this season'. I would agree with your assertion that we also have good midfield and defence (apart from yesterday's comedy defending), but my point is that we have 3 forwards who have scored 50 goals between them so far this season and they are being described as a 'weakness'. What do they have to do in order to not be a 'weakness'?

Your right. They have been the weakest area of the team, but not a weakness.

 

[Finch]

But what is your point?

Merely adding food to thought to the thread title, and not everyone seems to think he has potential. Just a few quotes from the first page:

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

That's a fact.

wood has not got the class......more age won't help that.

He seems a nice lad but he'll never cut it in the Championship

I'm not trawling through stats trying to find a 19 year old who played some games in a team that 'pissed the league', but Shaun Goater did play a bit in a Rotherham team coming up through the divisions and didn't have very good early stats.

 

[Joey Deacon's Disco Suit]

Let's face it, whether any of us think he is or not is just meaningless speculation as we don't make the decisions but as long as people speculate rationally where's the harm in it?

For my money, I'd say he's probably not good enough but would love to be proved wrong. Whether we can afford the luxury of that risk, though, is another matter.

 

[severnside gull]

the weakest member of our current starting X1 is our second striker which is Barnes or Wood.

Incorrect factually as Barnes ratio of goals to games and (surprisingly) goals to shots is superior to Murray's. Wood, with fewer games, also has better stats but as many have suggested he contributes less. Our significant weaknesses have been the ability of the full backs to defend againt deep crosses; the lack of a big ball playing centre back alongside Greer; and the inability of the midfield to hold the ball and move it forward when under pressure from a team pushing up on them

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Incorrect factually as Barnes ratio of goals to games and (surprisingly) goals to shots is superior to Murray's. Wood, with fewer games, also has better stats but as many have suggested he contributes less. Our significant weaknesses have been the ability of the full backs to defend againt deep crosses; the lack of a big ball playing centre back alongside Greer; and the inability of the midfield to hold the ball and move it forward when under pressure from a team pushing up on them

I like Barnes but I'm sorry statistics don't tell you everything. There is no doubt Murray is by FAR the better player then Barnes and Wood.

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

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.

This is spot on, we will NOT finish anywhere near the top half with our current striking options.

 

[big nuts]

Incorrect factually as Barnes ratio of goals to games and (surprisingly) goals to shots is superior to Murray's. Wood, with fewer games, also has better stats but as many have suggested he contributes less. Our significant weaknesses have been the ability of the full backs to defend againt deep crosses; the lack of a big ball playing centre back alongside Greer; and the inability of the midfield to hold the ball and move it forward when under pressure from a team pushing up on them

Based on your theory. England should select their XI based on opta stats? Stats should be used as a guide only, they are in no way definitive on a players abilities. Peter crouch has a better goals per minute ratio then shearer for example.

I would also disagree with your statements regarding our full backs and midfield. Both full backs are more than competent in the air. And our midfield has retained possession incredibly well.

 

[severnside gull]

No, I agree that Murray is our best forward and probably our most complete footballer - my player of the season. I am simply countering the argument that our number 2 and 3 strikers are a weakness in the team.

Regarding the true weaknesses - Painter more than Calderon is not good defending a ball crossed deep beyond (his) post but both tend to get drawn inside a little too easily. Any suggestion that our midfield is as effective against a side pushing on to them is easily countered if you look at games like Tranmere away, Oldham away, Yeovil away, Stoke, Carlisle, Dagenham and Saints. In each of these games we conceded space and possession and allowed the opposing team to attack almost at will. In those circustances you need two things - midfielders who can win possession and make the right decisions on where to pass, and forwards to hold it and not give possession away again. The deeper we have been forced to defend the less able we have been to do either of those things well and with less space/time at the back next season we will need players able to make those judgements consistently. I am in no way criticising the players we have who will quite possibly be able to step up and improve but we also need some additional experience and quality if we really do want to have a go at a top six placing.