MK Dons & Afobe

[diplomat]

For the last couple of years MK have pretended to be play off contenders without really having much of a cutting edge. My memory at the lane was that they came for the draw each time. I also went to the damp squib at their place when we lost 0-1.

However, this year they got Afobe. Now I saw him score against Man U and they had a midfielder (Reeves?) who looks good too. They just put 5 past the dingles. Now, I don't know if Afobe is the difference but from what little I've seen he looks awesome and could move them from eighth to contenders.

My question is this, if he's available (was available) why are we not aware and trying to sign someone like this. Raw pace and power and seems to know where the goal is. ?

 

[wizadry]

For the last couple of years MK have pretended to be play off contenders without really having much of a cutting edge. My memory at the lane was that they came for the draw each time. I also went to the damp squib at their place when we lost 0-1.

However, this year they got Afobe. Now I saw him score against Man U and they had a midfielder (Reeves?) who looks good too. They just put 5 past the dingles. Now, I don't know if Afobe is the difference but from what little I've seen he looks awesome and could move them from eighth to contenders.

My question is this, if he's available (was available) why are we not aware and trying to sign someone like this. Raw pace and power and seems to know where the goal is. ?

Very good question,in which only one man can answer.

judge ,where are you?

 

[Derby_Blade]

I suggested him as a potential loan signing in January, just saying

 

[SwissBlade]

Just googled him and he's had a number of loan moves in the past which haven't been spectacular in terms of goals scored. If you remember, we did try to get mason Bennett on loan with freeman which fell through, so again, perhaps Clough was focused on bringing in a player he knew before rather than an 'unknown quantity' (to him at least)

As for Afobe, it'll be interesting to see how he does over the longer term

 

[blader]

To be fair, it's not just afobe. MK Dons have a side this year. Will Grigg, Reeves, Afobe and that super kid they have (Ali or summat) make an decent forward line. 14 goals already is an impressive haul, they're a side I didn't really consider pre-season but they have started well.

 

[JJBlade]

Look, this guy is an exciting player.
Sheffield United don't do exciting players, we as fans have to be protected from these types of players because if we ever got one all kinds of things could happen, people might stand up in the stadium, there might be lots of that cheering and shouting stuff, some extra people might come and watch and heaven forbid somebody might bring a flag with them.

There's probably some secret banning order on exciting players at Bramall Lane issued by the Council and the Police to keep the crowd at Bramall Lane in a state of permanent meditation.

 

[Hodgyman]

In that case, what a mistake getting JCR was

 

[itsinyerblood]

Look, this guy is an exciting player.
Sheffield United don't do exciting players, we as fans have to be protected from these types of players because if we ever got one all kinds of things could happen, people might stand up in the stadium, there might be lots of that cheering and shouting stuff, some extra people might come and watch and heaven forbid somebody might bring a flag with them.

There's probably some secret banning order on exciting players at Bramall Lane issued by the Council and the Police to keep the crowd at Bramall Lane in a state of permanent meditation.

That really is a silly post JJBlade, it's not uncommon for posters who wish to make a point to airbrush the facts, but I just don't see why you need to corrupt the facts quite so much.

Are you suggesting that Colin Morris, Alan Woodward, Glyn Hodges, John Brayford, and the Legend that is Tony Currie didn't get supporters out of their seats? Even now, we have JCR in a purple patch that's capable of exciting the fans. As for MK Dons, I can't say I associate them with producing players of the type you're referring to, or do you know something about the Dons that makes your claim seem less silly?

 

[The Jackal]

Just had a look at Mk's results so far. IMHO they look to struggle a bit more against any team where the defence puts a shift in. The Blades defence has been doing this and improving with each game. Should be a good game.

 

[JJBlade]

In that case, what a mistake getting JCR was

Ah yes, JCR.
Certainly an exciting player. Wont be successful in his overall stay at United but can be exciting. You can refer back to this post if you like after he makes a million wrong decisions per game, gets dropped, struggles to get back in the team and ends up at Macclesfield.

 

[JJBlade]

That really is a silly post JJBlade, it's not uncommon for posters who wish to make a point to airbrush the facts, but I just don't see why you need to corrupt the facts quite so much.

Are you suggesting that Colin Morris, Alan Woodward, Glyn Hodges, John Brayford, and the Legend that is Tony Currie didn't get supporters out of their seats? Even now, we have JCR in a purple patch that's capable of exciting the fans. As for MK Dons, I can't say I associate them with producing players of the type you're referring to, or do you know something about the Dons that makes your claim seem less silly?

You can add Borbokis, Matt Phillips, Deane and Agana to that mate, so that's nine in the last 50 years and half of them weren't with us for longer than two minutes.

 

[judge]

Very good question,in which only one man can answer.

judge ,where are you?

 

[Kenilworth]

You do realise that Afobe is tarnished goods don't you?

He has worn the uniform of the unclean and as such has a special kind of lurgy that we are not supposed to touch.

Maybe League 1 is his starting level having struggled at Championship level last season - albeit with a shit team around him

 

[itsinyerblood]

You can add Borbokis, Matt Phillips, Deane and Agana to that mate, so that's nine in the last 50 years and half of them weren't with us for longer than two minutes.

With regard to most loan players that's always going to be the case, but your original post clearly mentioned that we don't do exciting players, not the length of time they're with the club. Your comment, specific as it was, suggests that we're entirely different from other teams in that we don't have players who excite the fans.

So what's it to be, we either do or we don't have players of this ilk? Of course there are fallow periods are most clubs, but to suggest we haven't had this type of player is to neglect the facts. Both Deane and Agana, in their first spells at the club, stayed for several years, so not quite the blink of an eye examples you cited mate. Treating facts as if their only use is to confirm your own point of view makes a mockery of your original assertion.

 

[diplomat]

You do realise that Afobe is tarnished goods don't you?

He has worn the uniform of the unclean and as such has a special kind of lurgy that we are not supposed to touch.

Maybe League 1 is his starting level having struggled at Championship level last season - albeit with a shit team around him

To be honest I'd not known that but now you mention it I remember a football heaven with Gray being excited about signing him. So he was at Huddersfield in this league too wasn't he?

I'd not looked him up before I posted. I just saw he scored again and I saw a couple of clips earlier looking fast and awkward. The main gist was how he seems to have added an edge to a team that was always mooted as being promotion contenders but to me didn't have any threat about them (apart from their left back's tackling). From what I'd read I hoped Higdon and McNulty would do this for us but both look a bit off what I'd been led to expect (so far at least)

 

[JJBlade]

With regard to most loan players that's always going to be the case, but your original post clearly mentioned that we don't do exciting players, not the length of time they're with the club. Your comment, specific as it was, suggests that we're entirely different from other teams in that we don't have players who excite the fans.

So what's it to be, we either do or we don't have players of this ilk? Of course there are fallow periods are most clubs, but to suggest we haven't had this type of player is to neglect the facts. Both Deane and Agana, in their first spells at the club, stayed for several years, so not quite the blink of an eye examples you cited mate. Treating facts as if their only use is to confirm your own point of view makes a mockery of your original assertion.

I think that's my point, we occasionally stumble across an exciting player but he usually belongs to somebody else.
I am certainly willing to retract my statement if any United fan under 110 years of age can give me a nice long list of real quality exciting talent that was 1) Our player, 2) Consistently exciting, and 3) Somebody we kept hold of for more than 5 minutes so that his talent was actually associated with our club.

 

[ScoobBlade]

James Beattie, ched Evans, Stephen Quinn ( had is haters but was an exciting talent ), Michael brown, nuddy, tongy on his day. Or we're they all shit ?

 

[itsinyerblood]

I think that's my point, we occasionally stumble across an exciting player but he usually belongs to somebody else.
I am certainly willing to retract my statement if any United fan under 110 years of age can give me a nice long list of real quality exciting talent that was 1) Our player, 2) Consistently exciting, and 3) Somebody we kept hold of for more than 5 minutes.

There, Scoob has added a few more who were here for longer than a tea-break. Deane and Agana was here for a little longer than 5 minutes, as were many of the players that have been cited. Are you sure you your lack of objectivity isn't the problem? Or is it simply that your need to make a point, regardless of the facts, has become your reason to take a pop at the club?

 

[Bergen Blade]

Exciting, quick dribblers are always going to be a bit inconsistent, but they are very important to a team's balance. Neill Collins praised JCR as the one who can take pressure off the defence by running at the opposition, and hence these types can be good from a defensive point of view as well.

They are dependent on their confidence, touch, appetite and physical fitness on the day to be able to get past opponents who specialises in stopping such players. This means that we're not going to see them perform well in every match. That's why it's needed to have more than just a couple of those players in the squad. If one is off form we need someone else to come in and add pace and dribbling, and excitement. I'd put Scougall, Murphy, JCR and De Girolamo in this category. For different reasons we haven't seen enough from these players so far, although JCR has now got in the team and probably showed that he should have started the season as a first choice.

Teams are going to notice his Rochdale performance though, they're going to double up on him and play full backs in wide midfield to help stopping him. This means we need more than one player of this type in form and consistently starting. Hopefully Murphy will get in the mood soon, and Scougall will get fit.

If they need more time I think it's time to include De Girolamo in the squad, I think he could be a good player to have on the bench, especially late in games when defenders' legs are tiring.

 

[cooperblade]

Teams are going to notice his Rochdale performance though, they're going to double up on him and play full backs in wide midfield to help stopping him. This means we need more than one player of this type in form and consistently starting.

Agreed and that's why I don't think we should continue to play Davies on the wing, particularly when we're playing two full backs who don't get forward much.

At the moment, we're a bit easy to defend against. Basham's excellent runs into good areas are providing one of our main threats but his touch often lets him down in those positions.

Once Scougall gets fit, where do we play him? Still think it's difficult to play both him and Baxter (who deserves to be in the side) without playing Baxter as the main striker.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Agreed and that's why I don't think we should continue to play Davies on the wing, particularly when we're playing two full backs who don't get forward much.

At the moment, we're a bit easy to defend against. Basham's excellent runs into good areas are providing one of our main threats but his touch often lets him down in those positions.

Once Scougall gets fit, where do we play him? Still think it's difficult to play both him and Baxter (who deserves to be in the side) without playing Baxter as the main striker.

I think we could possibly see this in a few weeks:

Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins McEveley
Wallace
Basham - - - Scougall
JCR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Murphy
Baxter​

 

[sheffielder]

I think we could possibly see this in a few weeks:

Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins McEveley
Wallace
Basham - - - Scougall
JCR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Murphy
Baxter​

I never thought I would say this, however swap Basham with Doyle then switch with Wallace. If no Doyle, then Reed

 

[Revolution]

I think we could possibly see this in a few weeks:

Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins McEveley
Wallace
Basham - - - Scougall
JCR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Murphy
Baxter​

That team ain't scoring more than a goal a game at best unless Murphy pulls his finger out or the midfield 3 start channelling Michael Brown circa 2003. A big feature of games involving that lineup would be JCR beating his man, putting a good cross in...and no one being within 10 yards of it.

I have just checked and Basham has 6 league goals in 128 league appearances. That's shocking for someone who's playing in a position we need goals from. Even Doyle's scoring rate is better than that.

 

[stannyblade]

I have just checked and Basham has 6 league goals in 128 league appearances. That's shocking for someone who's playing in a position we need goals from. Even Doyle's scoring rate is better than that.

Thats because Basham is shit

 

[Bergen Blade]

That team ain't scoring more than a goal a game at best unless Murphy pulls his finger out or the midfield 3 start channelling Michael Brown circa 2003. A big feature of games involving that lineup would be JCR beating his man, putting a good cross in...and no one being within 10 yards of it.

I have just checked and Basham has 6 league goals in 128 league appearances. That's shocking for someone who's playing in a position we need goals from. Even Doyle's scoring rate is better than that.

As far as I know Basham has never before been played in such an attacking role, where his main task is to get into the box and get on the end of things. I think his attacking value to the team in this role can be measured by how many goals he can score or contribute to (i.e. not just scoring himself, a good run into the box may force a midfielder to track him and consequently open up a room to be exploited by someone else).

I suspect Clough hoped (or is still hoping) that Basham would be chipping in with around 10 goals this season. Would 10 goals from him, to add to his general play, be good enough reason to keep playing him in his current role?

 

[Bergen Blade]

I never thought I would say this, however swap Basham with Doyle then switch with Wallace. If no Doyle, then Reed

Maybe, but we don't know if Wallace will get chances like Basham have, and we would also lose Basham's aerial presence in the box, which can be useful when we don't play a target man.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I think we could possibly see this in a few weeks:

Howard
Alcock McGahey Collins McEveley
Wallace
Basham - - - Scougall
JCR - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Murphy
Baxter​

I could see that, with maybe Davies for Scougall in away games when a tighter formation is wanted. Of course a few goals by Higdon or McNulty might change things a bit

 

[wizadry]

Thats because Basham is shit

I think you will find his goalscoring,or lack of it, is down to him playing CB or CDM.