[Albion] Evan Ferguson

[Springal]

Yes agree.

Look, he was poor yesterday. The worst i've seen him. But I remain convinced he'll be a top striker.

Giving him up and binning of to Coventry didn't work with Gyokeres and Evan has done miles more than he had at that age.

He needs games, he needs to learn his trade, he needs the space to have the bad games which all inexperienced players will have.

A loan to Coventry to reproduce what Gyokeres did is exactly what he needs isn’t it ?

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Needs a Champ loan next season.

 

[Stat Brother]

I can't help thinking he'd have buried the header Welbeck fluffed seconds before Evan came on - then the whole narrative changes.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

I can't help thinking he'd have buried the header Welbeck fluffed seconds before Evan came on - then the whole narrative changes.

You know what they say about Aunties and bollocks....

 

[Stat Brother]

You know what they say about Aunties and bollocks....

They're also more likely than Welbz to score 4 goals?

 

[macbeth]

i would argue his presence in the box last night was what made it possible for adingra to get on the end of those couple of chances he had. had some poor touches but i absolutely would keep the faith and i do not think loaning him out is a wise suggestion. he’s proven he can score goals at this level, we’d loan him out and there’d obviously be an inevitable clamour to recall in january, so why bother?

 

[brighton_tom]

Young player has inconsistent form, shocker. He’s obviously going through a period where his confidence is not there but we’ve all seen lots of brilliant performances from him and some top goals, enough to know the kid has got what it takes. The important thing is to trust that he will regain form and help encourage him.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Young player has inconsistent form, shocker. He’s obviously going through a period where his confidence is not there but we’ve all seen lots of brilliant performances from him and some top goals, enough to know the kid has got what it takes. The important thing is to trust that he will regain form and help encourage him.

If only he'd got a toe to that chance (on the line) v Sheffield Utd.

 

[Right Back]

Evan will come good. How good was our England international defender at the same age? Was Lewis in league 1 then or couldn’t regularly get in the team in the Championship? Evan is learning at the highest level and I would keep doing that rather than a loan.

 

[Scoffers]

Don't they say class is permanent, form is up and down, or something like that

For me, we've seen enough to know he's a real talent, he just needs to be managed through this period to rediscover his mojo

 

[Stato]

The old cliche about strikers is that it doesn't matter that they are missing chances, if they are in the right place to be missing. My worry about Evan's lack of form is that he doesn't often seem to be in the right place to miss, he's getting fewer chances. His shooting accuracy has actually improved, but he's gone from averaging just under two shots a game in 22/23 to 0.79 in 23/24. This could be the way we're playing, the missing wingers etc. but it could also be that Ferguson's anticipation and movement has not been what it was last season. It's good that Welbeck, who excels at finding that kind of space, is still singing his praises. Lots of very good strikers have had barren runs. Hopefully, to coin another cliche, he just needs a goal.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Of course has plenty of promise. However at the moment Undavs movement in box and taking of chances would be better

The old cliche about strikers is that it doesn't matter that they are missing chances, if they are in the right place to be missing. My worry about Evan's lack of form is that he doesn't often seem to be in the right place to miss, he's getting fewer chances. His shooting accuracy has actually improved, but he's gone from averaging just under two shots a game in 22/23 to 0.79 in 23/24. This could be the way we're playing, the missing wingers etc. but it could also be that Ferguson's anticipation and movement has not been what it was last season. It's good that Welbeck, who excels at finding that kind of space, is still singing his praises. Lots of very good strikers have had barren runs. Hopefully, to coin another cliche, he just needs a goal.

Probably more due to the fact that he tends to get chucked on as an impact sub/striker more often than not nowadays

 

[CheeseRolls]

Evan is a quality finisher, a terrific prospect and an absolute asset to the club. Some of our fans are acting like spoilt bastards, but it is alright as it acceptable to feel entitled* when you have paid for a ticket.

*entitled - we should be beating teams like Roma, Fulham and Wolves.

You can look at RDZ's substitutuons last night two ways. Either it was a desperate last throw of the dice to win the game, or it was a quiet acknowledgement that the game was gone. Either way moaning about a striker struggling for form, is not going to help, especially during the game.

 

[GT49er]

In hindsight a half season loan starting in January might have been a good idea, but I doubt the suggestion would have been anything but widely poo-pooed on here!

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Because he hit the ground running and looks like a 35 year old farmer named Patrick who just picks up 3 sheep at a time and lobs them onto a trailer whilst asking his wife if they have any of those "fancy chocolate digestives" left, it's so easy to forget he's only 19 and is only now having that completely understandable and expected dip in form/confidence (maybe), that young players do at all levels, let alone the Premier League.

The fact we've already seen what he can do is insane. Normally at this age they play like he is now and you look for the glimmers of hope to clutch onto. Connolly would produce a lovely finish or make a great run in behind and you'd think "there's a player there". We already know how good Ferguson is.

I personally think it's actually good for a player to have a time like this. Not for one moment suggesting he's got cocky, but a little bump in the road can do a world of good in the long run.

 

[portslade seagull]

The problem for Ferguson is he has to play due to lack of striker cover and it's a case of getting through this poor run of form

 

[Weststander]

He'll come good. His proven finishing at possibly the highest level is a rare gift.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I have to admit to having concerns about our teenage scoring sensation, (last season anyway), l realise he is still very young and consstency is lacking, but he needs a goal badly.

My concern is down to his workrate, or ratjer lack of it, he no longer seems to be prepared to bust a gut to get on the end of scoring chances, his head has droped

 

[scwiffy]

It could also be that without Mitoma and March, the quality and/or style of service has changed? Adingra in the last few months doesn't really cross into the box, neither does Buonanotte and Estupinan is all over the place. Our main wingers are both cut in and shoot players or (as demonstrated last night repeatedly) pass back to your fullback players. Adingra has had a great 1st season, but he has not been good since coming back from AFCON.

Ferguson's goals tend to be from getting to the byline and cutting back to him, snapshots after a touch or getting the ball to him on the run into the box, NONE of which we're providing to him at the moment. Add that to the fact that he's now being properly marked and you have a young player that's trying to force the issue himself.

You are onto the right thing here, but for me its not about delivery its to do with the wide threat + teams figuring out RDZ more.

The main culprit is the lack of space which Ferguson (and most strikers) thrives in. The greater the threat of our wide players the more opposition defenses need to commit to them, this in turn opens out the opponents defense and makes space for the striker. Due to injuries we haven't seen this space open up for the strikers this season, that space is what most strikers need, it gives them areas to exploit and more time on the ball (in fact Ferguson's wonder goal against Newcastle is a prime example of this). Young strikers in particular need this.

The lack of space is not just due to our wide players though, its also the way opponents now deal with RDZ ball tactically. We are respected more now and teams will happily sit back against us, West Ham set the blue print here and RDZ hasn't found the answers (in fact there's an argument that its not RDZs fault and that you really need top Man City style players to break down sides like this). Either way, this means there is a lot less space for any of our attacking players, least of all a young Ferguson (himself now more respected) crowded out in the box while his teams mates play it around him, trying to make the most of quick passes and flicks.

One answer to this is for Ferguson to become more of an aerial threat so our crosses and service to him become a source of goals, but that is very difficult for a 19 year old to do against powerful experienced premier league defenders. Developing this skill takes a long time IMO.

 

[DJ NOBO]

In hindsight a half season loan starting in January might have been a good idea, but I doubt the suggestion would have been anything but widely poo-pooed on here!

There’s always been a loud anti-loan brigade on nsc, who presumably see it as a sleight against the player. Check the Connolly thread from days gone by.
There are plenty of examples though of successful Well-managed loans.
The persevering approach is nice but it may not be in the club’s or players interests to do that .
A half season Loan for Evan next season could work if this season peters out for him . Long term he is our future . Superb talent