Connor Wickham

[S'hampton Seagull]

As much as I would like us to sign Wickham, the more I think about it the more unlikely it gets.

 

[B.W.]

Sounds a bit limp, doesn't it.

Which is why I think it's highly unlikely to happen.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Why do I keep hearing wickham is only loan? In return for bridcutt and bucker?

I beleive the Wickham part is on top of them paying for Buckley & Bridcutt... say £5m for the 2 plus we get Wickham on loan for the season for free.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

And at present he is not better in my opinion than Ulloa.

Nonsense.

'at present' Wickham looks FIVE times the player Leo does.

Who knows whether that is down to Leo being unfit / short of matches / frustrated / unsettled / whatever, but the Leo of recent weeks is NOT the Leo we know he can be.

 

[TonyW]

Nonsense.

'at present' Wickham looks FIVE times the player Leo does.

Who knows whether that is down to Leo being unfit / short of matches / frustrated / unsettled / whatever, but the Leo of recent weeks is NOT the Leo we know he can be.

He's only had 3 games or so back though.

Form is temporary, class is permanent, and Leo is Class.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

That will never happen. Wickham goes back in the summer and we've lost two of our best players. I trust the club to do the right thing and they'll get the best deal possible for us.

And then if Sunderland get relegated, next season they will tear up the championship using Bridcutt, Buckley and Wickham! Doesn't bear thinking about.

 

[glasfryn]

Nonsense.

'at present' Wickham looks FIVE times the player Leo does.

Who knows whether that is down to Leo being unfit / short of matches / frustrated / unsettled / whatever, but the Leo of recent weeks is NOT the Leo we know he can be.

8/11 for SW says it all, thats SW who were bottom when he joined them and now two points clear and will someone tell me why they Leo and Connor CANNOT BE PLAYED TOGETHER

 

[Sheebo]

He's only had 3 games or so back though.

Form is temporary, class is permanent, and Leo is Class.

Well said. In terms of selling players we must look at the bigger picture. Same with Buckley.

 

[TonyW]

And then if Sunderland get relegated, next season they will tear up the championship using Bridcutt, Buckley and Wickham! Doesn't bear thinking about.

A loan is an absolute non-starter for me.
If they want LB and WB that badly, then they have to give us Wickham - simples.

 

[TonyW]

Well said. In terms of selling players we must look at the bigger picture. Same with Buckley.

A fully fit Will Buckley will tear any team, and I mean any team apart down the right.

He's like a bloody express train.

Would love to know what he can run the 100m in when fit.

 

[seagully]

A fully fit Will Buckley will tear any team, and I mean any team apart down the right.

He's like a bloody express train.

Would love to know what he can run the 100m in when fit.

He'd pull his hamstring before he got halfway....

Seriously though, he is a class act. Looking back at the Newcastle cup game that Seagulls Player had up recently, he was absolutely unplayable when at his direct, pacy best.

 

[upthealbion1970]

A fully fit Will Buckley will tear any team, and I mean any team apart down the right.

He's like a bloody express train.

Would love to know what he can run the 100m in when fit.

Problem is that you get maybe 1 game in 8 where he's that good, with 4 poor performances and 3 injured

 

[LamieRobertson]

Not long to go now is it

 

[TonyW]

Problem is that you get maybe 1 game in 8 where he's that good, with 4 poor performances and 3 injured

I think it's been the injuries that have caused the inconsistency though.

I am only talking about a full fit Buckley, anything else is a poor shadow.

But IF we can get him fit, I would love to keep him.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Our system now is similar to the old one, and isn't 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 but a flex in between the pair. He is ideal for the 'barnes role' not the Ulloa target man but the 'wide forward'. you need a nippy fast player on the other side of the '3' forwards and a technical player in behind with 2 holding players (one defensive one merely deep).

He'd be a great signing but I agree most likely we are realistically only getting him on loan

 

[Gritt23]

A fully fit Will Buckley ......

..... is rarely seen. I have to wonder whether he doubts himself a bit now as well. Does he hold back from running flat out for fear of a hamstring going? For most of this season, he has looked like a player reluctant to knock the ball past the full back and trust his hamstrings to let him go flat out. It could have been that he was coming back before he was 100%, but I doubt we would do that to a player with his injury record.

 

[B.W.]

8/11 for SW says it all, thats SW who were bottom when he joined them and now two points clear and will someone tell me why they Leo and Connor CANNOT BE PLAYED TOGETHER

I agree with you Glasfryn. I think they CAN play together.

 

[TonyW]

..... is rarely seen. I have to wonder whether he doubts himself a bit now as well. Does he hold back from running flat out for fear of a hamstring going? For most of this season, he has looked like a player reluctant to knock the ball past the full back and trust his hamstrings to let him go flat out. It could have been that he was coming back before he was 100%, but I doubt we would do that to a player with his injury record.

Good point though.
If he wasn't quite right, it might explain a few things.

 

[Machiavelli]

8/11 for SW says it all, thats SW who were bottom when he joined them and now two points clear and will someone tell me why they Leo and Connor CANNOT BE PLAYED TOGETHER

The issue is not whether they can play in the same team. The issue is whether they will play together up-front in a pair. The only situation I can see this happen is when we're chasing a game that we're losing, and I'm not that convinced that even then it will happen.
This is because Oscar plays a 4-3-3/4-5-1 system. He has confirmed his attachment to this system regularly. This is what he learnt at Barcelona, and continued the practice with their youth team. This is what he did at Maccabi Tel Aviv, and this is what he's done since he joined Brighton. He tweaks it slightly, but he will not re-form it into a 4-4-2.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

..... is rarely seen. I have to wonder whether he doubts himself a bit now as well. Does he hold back from running flat out for fear of a hamstring going? For most of this season, he has looked like a player reluctant to knock the ball past the full back and trust his hamstrings to let him go flat out. .

I've been convinced for a while that this is exactly the case. He doesn't let himself really go as he has no faith in his hamstrings, not to break down if he does so. And on recent evidence, at Doncaster and Blackpool, his lack of faith might not be misplaced.