Tom Cannon....again.

[Scoips]

We were noticeably less direct last night than we have been most of the season, presumably because it was Cannon and not Bamford or Ayew up top. That said, to the best of his ability he is now consistently challenging for headers and jumping well.

He just can't hold it up, which is a big problem.

I can't agree with this. A couple of weeks ago I praised him for actually jumping for a few headers. Last night I thought he just regressed into backing in to the centre halves and making no effort to actually win the ball. We have to find a better striker in January.

 

[Danny Blade]

One of my favourite goals was that Jamie Ward winner away at Southampton on a Tuesday night, they had just equalised in injury time and he went down the other end and got the winner.

Yes I think that was his first goal for us after transferring from Chesterfield?

 

[71Blade]

I can't agree with this. A couple of weeks ago I praised him for actually jumping for a few headers. Last night I thought he just regressed into backing in to the centre halves and making no effort to actually win the ball. We have to find a better striker in January.

its like playing with 10 men i was going to sat 9 men and include Chong but he runs loses the ball but runs, im at the point with Cannon cash in get what you can when Ayew is offering more in the brief glimpses its time to cut your losses. Waste of a shirt i am sorry to say

 

[Æthelstan]

I can't agree with this. A couple of weeks ago I praised him for actually jumping for a few headers. Last night I thought he just regressed into backing in to the centre halves and making no effort to actually win the ball. We have to find a better striker in January.

Cannon does this a lot.

He'll have a game or two where he looks surprisingly solid and make us think that he might have something to offer.

Then, he decides to bring us back to reality by making some of the worst defenders and goalkeepers look competent with his inability to do literally anything you'd expect from a striker.

When Bamford is back, I'd rather keep Diaz up front with him. Diaz, in just two games back in the role of a forward, has shown far more, so if he ends up back as a winger I'll scream.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

I thought he did make the effort and won his headers a couple of times, but he was out jumped by bigger defenders.
No shame in that.
He chased down well and offered himself, but received little service.
Expecting him to win hoofed balls against big defenders is crazy.

 

[Bartleby]

Irony (ish) was the best spell he had was when he was on loan to Preston, they managed to find him with confidence and the ability to score an array of goals. For whatever reason similar to Billy Sharp in his 2nd spell at a similar age (Billy scored 8 in 51, Tom is on 10 in 63 appearances) it’s not working, if he had all the attributes or even some more he wouldn’t be with us still. We have to appreciate the quality of the players we have, in the PL the vast majority of strikers would have scored the chance in the 1st half that BBD powered over the bar but as a group of players we are no where near that level.

If he was a striker that scores he wouldn't be with us?

 

[metalblade]

I thought he did make the effort and won his headers a couple of times, but he was out jumped by bigger defenders.
No shame in that.
He chased down well and offered himself, but received little service.
Expecting him to win hoofed balls against big defenders is crazy.

True but play it to his feet, and it bounces off him, he couldn't trap a bag of wet dog poo. He did bring one ball down beautifully then blazed it 20 feet over the goal.

 

[Guiseley Blade]

The opinion that 'he makes good runs & needs through balls' is such a myth.

I watched closely last night, yes he made runs but they were never in space or with a free passing lane for the ball to travel along the ground. Literally running into blind alleys.

Then on the off chance he was played through he was out paced and out fought. When he had an opening to shoot, row Z.

Genuinely like playing with 10 men.

 

[KMC-1889]

Cross posting this because last night was an egregious example of the Tom Cannon myth.

Post in thread 'Preston 2 United 3 - summary/ratings'
https://www.s24su.com/forum/threads/preston-2-united-3-summary-ratings.108066/post-6532716

 

[AdamSufc1997]

We never make decent chances to our strikers. Not sure what he can do just hoofing it up to him

 

[JohnDenver]

The opinion that 'he makes good runs & needs through balls' is such a myth.

I watched closely last night, yes he made runs but they were never in space or with a free passing lane for the ball to travel along the ground. Literally running into blind alleys.

Then on the off chance he was played through he was out paced and out fought. When he had an opening to shoot, row Z.

Genuinely like playing with 10 men.

I like the improved work rate and attitude of Cannon this season, but I suspect you’re right on the runs he makes. I watch him and think his movement would be great if he had real pace. But he doesn’t and never will.

Reminds me of a young Billy Sharp, when Blackwell had him fruitlessly running channels. In a few years he might adapt his game and become a quality poacher. But there’s a lot to learn.

 

[Snake]

As a wise old philosopher once said to me, and I quote "He's fucking shit!"

 

[wavy-blade]

I watched the match and it was a Preston commentator and he said I can’t believe how quiet cannons been and I thought to myself he’s like this every bloody match .
He must’ve been good for them at some stage. I just don’t know why it’s gone wrong. We need to get rid he’s had long enough. we’ve played so many matches with 10 men with him in the team.

 

[Blade In Flame]

As a wise old philosopher once said to me, and I quote "He's fucking shit!"

Thank you. Normally I just get referred to as a moaning old git.

 

[Akrotiri_Blades]

If he was a striker that scores he wouldn't be with us?

At 23 if he is banging them in week in week out in the championship, he would have been snapped up for the Premier League, Osula didn't need to show much to get a Premier League club deal.

 

[LurkerBlade]

Defended him in the past but he was very poor last night, involved in the link up for Peck 2nd but a passenger for the rest.

Did think he got into slightly better positions but BBD and Ayew both closed defender down better last night which has been his biggest redeeming factor in the last few weeks.

 

[JohnDenver]

I watched the match and it was a Preston commentator and he said I can’t believe how quiet cannons been and I thought to myself he’s like this every bloody match .
He must’ve been good for them at some stage. I just don’t know why it’s gone wrong. We need to get rid he’s had long enough. we’ve played so many matches with 10 men with him in the team.

My old man is from Preston and he called him Tom Cannot.

 

[Badger Blade]

Defended him in the past but he was very poor last night, involved in the link up for Peck 2nd but a passenger for the rest.

Did think he got into slightly better positions but BBD and Ayew both closed defender down better last night which has been his biggest redeeming factor in the last few weeks.

The fact that Peck flat out refused to give him the ball on the second goal spoke volumes to me when there were a few opportunities to if he wanted.

Cannon was screaming for the ball and Peck's response was one of "like fuck am I giving the ball to you" and promptly stuck it in the top corner. Cannon didn't even react when the ball hit the net.

Cannon is the sort of player who could be parachuted into Huddersfield/Stockport/Pigs and look like a world beater in League One but step up to the Championship and look miles off the pace.

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

One of my favourite goals was that Jamie Ward winner away at Southampton on a Tuesday night, they had just equalised in injury time and he went down the other end and got the winner.

Wait... we've won away at Southampton before?

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

True but play it to his feet, and it bounces off him, he couldn't trap a bag of wet dog poo. He did bring one ball down beautifully then blazed it 20 feet over the goal.

Edited it to read more accurately mate.

True but play it to his feet, and it bounces off him, he couldn't trap a bag of wet dog poo. He did bring one ball down beautifully then blazed it 20 feet over the goal because he can't shoot for fucking toffee!!

 

[Lowen]

Just sell, we don’t even need to bother replacing him until the summer as there are five better striking options already in the squad.

 

[BangorBlade]

Just sell, we don’t even need to bother replacing him until the summer as there are five better striking options already in the squad.

We can't go through the season relying on just Bamford, JTW we could well do with a bringing in a couple of strikers, a month or so ago I thought Cannon was going to go on a bit of a goal run..... but that stopped.

 

[Maurice Maurice]

Edited it to read more accurately mate.

True but play it to his feet, and it bounces off him, he couldn't trap a bag of wet dog poo. He did bring one ball down beautifully then blazed it 20 feet over the goal because he can't shoot for fucking toffee!!

Are you talking about Cannon or BBD? Neither one of them is blessed with great ball control, in fact as bad as Cannon is I'd say Diaz is one of the worst in the squad. We don't play the strikers in very well and with their limitations that doesn't help, that's why we need better and if we sacked both of these off I wouldn't be sad.

I'm hoping for big things from One but from what I've seen he's not looked great with basic ball skills either. He's big, quick, powerful (when fit) and direct so fingers crossed he'll bring something more than winning a few headers like Cannon and running up and down for 50 minutes then blowing out of your arse like Diaz.

 

[Lowen]

We can't go through the season relying on just Bamford, JTW we could well do with a bringing in a couple of strikers, a month or so ago I thought Cannon was going to go on a bit of a goal run..... but that stopped.

Bamford, BBD, Onè, Ayew and Campbell is a serviceable set of striking options at this level, I’d be more interested in a winger.

 

[KMC-1889]

Bamford, BBD, Onè, Ayew and Campbell is a serviceable set of striking options at this level, I’d be more interested in a winger.

Especially if we put Peck in the 10 and have a single striker.

 

[uTurn]

I have shared this video previously somewhere but these were the goals he scored whilst at Preston, a couple of tap ins (although one was a well timed header), he showed pace and strength and dribbling skills, it's strange why that has dropped, although he has shown the odd flair here and there.

I had just found this video and was going to post it myself, only to then see that you beat me to it by a significant margin!

The key points to note for me is that a lot of those goals are a result of him being out through on goal by a through ball, to get him in a one-on-one scenario. We never, ever play those sorts of passes to our strikers nowadays. Yes, he should be doing better with the opportunities afforded to him, but, considering the club will have certainly had access to this footage in some capacity prior to signing him, why did we bother splurging so much money?

We simply do not play football in a manner which encourages greater performances from Cannon. Under Wilder, we've always, in some manner of speaking, been a side that channels the ball into wide areas, before looking to create high-value opportunities to score. And regardless of whether we've had success or not, that is not a style of play that suits Cannon.

We signed a striker who thrives when playing in one specific manner, whilst not utilising said style of play ourselves. How did we reach the point of saying "yep, let's get him in"?

To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, the club was so preoccupied with whether or not they could (sign Cannon), that they didn't stop to think if they should.

The consequences now are that the club is heavily out of pocket on a player that isn't delivering, the player is struggling to survive in a team that operates in a method that totally opposes his modus operandi, and a fan base that broadly seems him shite as a result. So nobody is happy.

I feel bad for Cannon. From what I've heard from him, he seems a sound lad. But the reality is that we should never have signed him in the first place.

 

[Bladesman]

Cross posting this because last night was an egregious example of the Tom Cannon myth.

Post in thread 'Preston 2 United 3 - summary/ratings'
https://www.s24su.com/forum/threads/preston-2-united-3-summary-ratings.108066/post-6532716

He should at least be a fox in the box but he is shit at that as well.

BBD showed against Wrexham what making a late run into the box can do. Cannon is just static and doesn't anticipate a rebound. BBD had to graft hard last night defensively but look at the movement and space he created for himself for that early chance he got in the first half. That was the only real chance that came his way he still but got into space and gave himself a chance of putting it away.

If Cannon is here for a while can we at least get Sharp in as a coach and show him what he needs to be doing. At 22 he should be doing much much better.

 

[Iceybabey]

Just noticed Cannon won the header to BBD before he first-timed it around the corner for Peck to run on to before he stuck it top bins.

A key header?

 

[Blade In Flame]

Just noticed Cannon won the header to BBD before he first-timed it around the corner for Peck to run on to before he stuck it top bins.

A key header?

 

[Balham]

The only thing more baffling than Wilder deciding to spend £10m on Tom Cannon is the bizarre delusion that by playing him, somehow, he’ll come good.

Brewster mk2. Add McBurnie into the list and Wilder has pissed £50m up the wall on strikers who score fewer than once every 10 appearances.