Cannon?

[FifeBlade]

So, stats after 40 minutes, 8 touches of the ball. Absolutely 110% not acceptable, first home game of the season.
If we can, get him away.
1 Point and a clean sheet, ah well.
Birmingham will turn a few over this year, big strong team.
UTB

 

[Houston_Blade]

Not defending Cannon, because he really does seem to have very little in the way of redeeming features as a Championship footballer, however we lumped the ball at two absolutely massive centre halves for most of the game today.

He did one really funny thing first half though, got in front of the big donkey on the right, got his body in exactly as you should, then it just hit him and went out for a goal kick

 

[Bladethebrian]

He’s crap

 

[Barnette]

No idea why we played him and Bamford up front together today...similar players who were both awful

 

[Younger Dryas Blade]

Time to stop flogging a dead horse. I wanted him to succeed, I haven't called him out or written him off. Until now.
He offers nothing.

 

[Mario1889]

Wilder should be made to pay back the £10m he wasted on Cannon.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

His consistent inability to even contest 50-50s is impressive

It's this that is going to rightly turn the fans hostile towards him if we don't do the sane thing and take whatever the fuck we can get for him before the window closes

 

[Nagima]

We bought a player for £10M who can only score if we play a through ball on the carpet. But we don't play that ball. You can see him ready to go but only O'Hare could slip him in. With 4231, Cannon isnt the one. So he is not on the pitch even if O'Hare is in the 10 spot because he can't play up on his own. With 442. He plays but O'Hare is on the wing so he never gets the ball he wants. He seems incapable of adapting and incapable of physicality even though he is not small.

It fries my brain to think about who scouted him and Brewster. To get a scouting job you need to get qualified. To coach and/or manage you need your badges. With Selles 6 games losing streak playing 433 without the players to do it, and with our history of wasting money. It says a lot about the people designing and running these courses.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Not defending Cannon, because he really does seem to have very little in the way of redeeming features as a Championship footballer, however we lumped the ball at two absolutely massive centre halves for most of the game today.

He did one really funny thing first half though, got in front of the big donkey on the right, got his body in exactly as you should, then it just hit him and went out for a goal kick

In the second half, Cannon cleverly stole a few yards, getting a head start on his marker to chase a ball in behind. Only to be caught by the centre-back, beaten to the ball, and then — to add insult to injury — blown up for offside.

Much like Brewster and Ched Evans, he clearly has ball striking ability, but I think the best way to kick-start a player like him is to drop down a level, join a good side, and simply learn how to score consistently. Brewster has clung to this level and is no closer to fulfilling his potential. Evans took the step down and was phenomenal before disaster struck—and Billy Sharp is another prime example to learn from.

Sadly, Wilder seems hell-bent on giving him every opportunity to justify that enormous price tag, which ironically might end up hindering both the club and the player.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

And to Wilder if he reads this - what would 2016 Chris Wilder have done with an underperforming, half hearted dud who was an obstruction to our success?

 

[Nagima]

And to Wilder if he reads this - what would 2016 Chris Wilder have done with an underperforming, half hearted dud who was an obstruction to our success?

There is a strange psychology with Wilder. The rise was direct and decisive. Did all the praise the first season in the PL inflate his ego? Did he just have the right players who were resilient in the face of his criticism. Did season 2 in the PL make him insecure?

He is not the same manager as back in 2016. He is more stubborn, more of a whinger, and a poorer decision maker. You could say he was back in form two seasons ago when we got to Wembly but that would overlook the final 10 games or so of the regular season, where we lost 3 in a row and Wilder was having a go at the fans.

 

[Old Programme seller]

With the financial position that we find ourselves in perhaps CW will do for now, the owners gamble last season has put us back no end and it seems like they aren’t going to put their hands in their pockets so we’re up shit creek. Our best hope is that other teams fail with their spending and crash and burn while we just sail in the seas of mediocrity until we either get sold again or we can mount a challenge for 8th place play off but I can’t see that happening for some time.

 

[Boothy762]

Its a sackable offence to stick with Cannon. Itll get toxic quickly if he keeps starting him

 

[originaltrueblade]

As soon as you see Cannon on team sheet you think mmmm ten men today then. Then when he plays you think yep ten men today. He needs to go as he would struggle in National Lesgue

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

Not defending Cannon, because he really does seem to have very little in the way of redeeming features as a Championship footballer, however we lumped the ball at two absolutely massive centre halves for most of the game today.

He did one really funny thing first half though, got in front of the big donkey on the right, got his body in exactly as you should, then it just hit him and went out for a goal kick

He's just like one of those kids who comes to training and has all the attributes to be a great player, yet in a match situation just completely shits the bed and turns into the shadow of his training persona.

To try to defend Wilder, you can only assume Cannon is ripping it up in training, yet come game time he completely shits the bed.

Can be the only explanation.

 

[mattbianco1]

So, stats after 40 minutes, 8 touches of the ball. Absolutely 110% not acceptable, first home game of the season.
If we can, get him away.
1 Point and a clean sheet, ah well.
Birmingham will turn a few over this year, big strong team.
UTB

Fantastic tactics from Wilder today.

Their 2 CBs are both listed as 1.91m tall online - both taller than Bamford, which means definitely taller than Cannon.

We tried to play it in the air all day to the front 2 so it was never going to work. I bet the Birmingham staff were delighted with our tactics.

We had 1 shot on target and that was when O'Hare threaded it through on the floor to Bamford... shit, shock, horror

 

[Keen Blade]

Fantastic tactics from Wilder today.

Their 2 CBs are both listed as 1.91m tall online - both taller than Bamford, which means definitely taller than Cannon.

We tried to play it in the air all day to the front 2 so it was never going to work. I bet the Birmingham staff were delighted with our tactics.

We had 1 shot on target and that was when O'Hare threaded it through on the floor to Bamford... shit, shock, horror

We were pumping it up in the air coz we had no clue what else to do.
And naturally it got us nowhere.
Utter garbage from management & coaching.
The owners have no clue about soccer , so CW stays coz they can't see his deficiencies and can't afford a change even if they did see them.
Its like watching a car crash in slo-mo.
How have we got here ?

 

[Peaktrade]

Wilder has a knack for taking strikers who score goals, come to us then goal drought. Leaves and all of a sudden They score again
Let these stats do the talking!

Rhian Brewster : Swansea 20 games 10 Goals
Sheff U 106 games 8 goals
Derby 30 Games 7 goals

Oli McN: Barnsley 17 games 9 goals
Sheff U 146 games 26 goals
(blip in Spain then) Hull 37 games 17 goals

Tom Cannon: Stoke 22 games 9 goals
Sheff U 51 games 7 goals

Wilder clearly has a certain profile of player
I was surprised we bought Campbell because he had pace
Mooss was another but the kebab shop and personal life was more important

I mean we should question how imbalanced the side is too.. literally barely no wingers but since he’s come back an obsession with 2 CDMs..

The answer for canon is though.. leave, A) you will do your own career a favour
B) you aren’t for our Wilder.

 

[Danny_Blade]

It will be interesting to see if it really does turn toxic soon if CW keeps picking Cannon.

The last time he kept picking a player that was really not cutting it was during the second season in the Prem when he kept picking Lundstram. But that couldn't turn toxic (at least in person) because there were no fans in the stadium due to Covid.

Yes, he still played Cannon all of last season but we got away with it more due to still having Brooks and Hamer, but now they've departed results this season are going to be harder to come by (if we don't end up signing some creativity before the window shuts) and so persisting with Cannon will just make it even more apparent that it doesn't work.

 

[originaltrueblade]

He's just like one of those kids who comes to training and has all the attributes to be a great player, yet in a match situation just completely shits the bed and turns into the shadow of his training persona.

To try to defend Wilder, you can only assume Cannon is ripping it up in training, yet come game time he completely shits the bed.

Can be the only explanation.

Or maybe it’s because he spent 10M on him

 

[JPBrods]

It’s simply not worth spending eight figures on a striker if you’re a championship club. £10-20m buys potential that struggles to materialise. Only clubs dropping north of £20m on forwards ie premier league teams are buying with the knowledge that they are getting a proven player. Think of the money we’ve lumped on forwards that could have bought an incredible midfield. The fact our best strikers didn’t cost anything really says it all - bad value proposition.

 

[Esteban Cambiasso]

So, stats after 40 minutes, 8 touches of the ball. Absolutely 110% not acceptable, first home game of the season.
If we can, get him away.
1 Point and a clean sheet, ah well.
Birmingham will turn a few over this year, big strong team.
UTB

One was much better than him when he came on

 

[Bladesman]

And to Wilder if he reads this - what would 2016 Chris Wilder have done with an underperforming, half hearted dud who was an obstruction to our success?

That's the worry he hangs on to them now. Rather than respect the fans along with the player in question and move them on.

 

[diplomat]

In the second half, Cannon cleverly stole a few yards, getting a head start on his marker to chase a ball in behind. Only to be caught by the centre-back, beaten to the ball, and then — to add insult to injury — blown up for offside.

Much like Brewster and Ched Evans, he clearly has ball striking ability, but I think the best way to kick-start a player like him is to drop down a level, join a good side, and simply learn how to score consistently. Brewster has clung to this level and is no closer to fulfilling his potential. Evans took the step down and was phenomenal before disaster struck—and Billy Sharp is another prime example to learn from.

Sadly, Wilder seems hell-bent on giving him every opportunity to justify that enormous price tag, which ironically might end up hindering both the club and the player.

Evans didn’t ’take the step down’ he was relegated as the main striker in one of the most dysfunctional teams/seasons we’ve ever had. Don’t make out he made a choice.

 

[Pandev]

Cannon gets the blame. Bamford was no better yesterday. Everyone has decided that everything is Cannon’s fault but we do not play the right style of football that suits him. We looked no better when Campbell came on.

If Cannon goes somewhere else he will score goals. We don’t have the creativity that helps his game. In fact now Hamer has gone we have no creativity.

 

[Pedro's Winger]

When you stop thinking Cannon is a professional footballer and accept he's a comic turn he's genuinely amusing to watch

 

[Davalon]

I've stuck up for Cannon but I given up on him now tbh.

Our forward line looks increasingly weak.

No idea who's in the pipeline but without creative reinforcements and another striker, I can't see us troubling the opposition goal too often.

 

[Deadbat]

Cannon gets the blame. Bamford was no better yesterday. Everyone has decided that everything is Cannon’s fault but we do not play the right style of football that suits him. We looked no better when Campbell came on.

If Cannon goes somewhere else he will score goals. We don’t have the creativity that helps his game. In fact now Hamer has gone we have no creativity.

What style of play suits him?

Ball into feet he loses it, ball over the top he cant run quick enough. Tussle for headers he loses. Balls into the box he takes too long and fluffs the few chances he gets (see Mansfield last week).

He played at Stoke, Preston, Leicester and his goalscoring record was not great at those clubs maybe only ok at Preston. So he has been other places and not scored goals.

Hamer was here (and Brooks) and he was shit last year.

Don't mean to pick on him but he offers nothing. We will see less of the ball amd create even less this year so need strikers to be a presence, hold up, chase and/or press. He does none of those.

He needs to be moved on before his value drops even more. Otherwise he stays here for 3 years and goes for nothing like Brewster.

I think the best case scenario is we move him on loan in January and hope he flukes a few goals and someone like PNE give us a million quid.

Do agree Bamford was equally poor yesterday but at least had two efforts. Granted poor finish on the 2nd.

 

[Nedski]

Fantastic tactics from Wilder today.

Their 2 CBs are both listed as 1.91m tall online - both taller than Bamford, which means definitely taller than Cannon.

We tried to play it in the air all day to the front 2 so it was never going to work. I bet the Birmingham staff were delighted with our tactics.

We had 1 shot on target and that was when O'Hare threaded it through on the floor to Bamford... shit, shock, horror

We're desperate for a strong DoF who has the balls to tell Wilder that this is crap.

We're absolutely lightyears away from the overlapping centrebacks, creating overloads on the wings, organised chaos where everyone knew their role and executed it brilliantly. We've not had any form of system or tactics since then. Brooks' comment about Selles "giving them roles so they actually knew what to do" spoke volumes.

I'd love to know what loanees like Donovan think of our training and match prep compared to what they are used to.

 

[Racing Blade]

Wilder has a knack for taking strikers who score goals, come to us then goal drought. Leaves and all of a sudden They score again
Let these stats do the talking!

Rhian Brewster : Swansea 20 games 10 Goals
Sheff U 106 games 8 goals
Derby 30 Games 7 goals

Oli McN: Barnsley 17 games 9 goals
Sheff U 146 games 26 goals
(blip in Spain then) Hull 37 games 17 goals

Tom Cannon: Stoke 22 games 9 goals
Sheff U 51 games 7 goals

Wilder clearly has a certain profile of player
I was surprised we bought Campbell because he had pace
Mooss was another but the kebab shop and personal life was more important

I mean we should question how imbalanced the side is too.. literally barely no wingers but since he’s come back an obsession with 2 CDMs..

The answer for canon is though.. leave, A) you will do your own career a favour
B) you aren’t for our Wilder.

In fairness, I think there were three or four penalties in the Stoke total (which we neglected to pay any sort of attention to), so he was hardly ripping it up.

We've sometimes been guilty of bringing people in on the strength of a single performance against us. Reda Khadra and, well, Ruben Selles, being examples.

For Stoke, at The Lane, Cannon was easily marked out of the game and posed little sign of threats in the form of pace, movement or link play. Our recruitment team must have been looking the other way.