Deadbat
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2009
- Messages
- 6,468
- Reaction score
- 37,757
Strikers
Chris Porter Porter always seemed to be on his way out of the club but always seemed to be like the cat that had 9 lives! With strikers leaving, getting imprisoned or being sold; he often (unfortunately some may say) seemed the one constant. In an ideal world he would have left some time ago but circumstances have contrived to keep him here. Sometimes he gets some unfair criticism (like Doyle) but unlike Doyle his performances have been mostly not quite at the level needed. He scores few goals, his hold up play is not the best and is quite weak in the air (looped headers) for someone of his size/build. His overall touch and football awareness is inept at times but he does give a decent shift and I can’t really fault his effort. He has had some decent games for United but not many. The fact he was still one of our main options up front says as much about the rest. He eventually settled down and ended up being a bit of a super (!) sub and made an impact in some games particularly v Forest. You never got the sense he would ever be a first choice though and his United days may now be over.
With Cresswell and Kitson moving on and him having a year option of his contract he remained and started against Notts County. He was rotated between him and Taylor to start the opening weeks but then kind of drifted out as Baxter, King and even Ironside were preferred. He went on loan to Chesterfield but even he struggled to convince there and was not even a regular starter. He came back and got a few goals in the cup run and was the subject or ironic chants in comparison to the more illustrious Villa striker Benteke as we notched a surprise win. In this game he still looked a weak link but then some cool penalties including the one against Forest and another neat finish against Peterborough sensed he had a bit of a renaissance. Clough had signed him before and felt he could do a job in the right circumstances. He has been in and out the team (some may say for a reason) in three years but has scored some vital goals in play off and cup games. He had a great end to the season although mostly off the bench scoring some goals to bring points late in away games but again Clough stated he did not do it enough from the start when he had played.
I don’t think he is totally disliked by United fans and sadly became more a figure of fun for most. The reality is with his contract up and us needing new blood up there he is not even worth retaining as a squad player for me. Certainly not the worst centre forward we have ever had but will be remembered as a mainstay in quite a poor few seasons at the Lane. I am sure he will find a club at League Two or even League One level and if ever he comes back will get a decent reception. He was involved in some memorable games and moments and always did his best. Sadly he was just not good enough.
Grade D+
Jose Baxter A player that had so much promise when he was a kid at Everton making his debut at 16, he got into a few off the field scrapes and ultimately left Goodison Park. He nearly signed for Palace but that did not work out and ended up signing a short term deal at Oldham to try and resurrect his career. He did well here and at a lower league his technical ability and skills stood out. He signed a longer deal and was part of the good cup run when they played both Merseyside teams. He scored 13 goals in 39 games which was not bad for someone who was not an out and out striker.
He started the new season and scored twice against Stevenage but word was he was unsettled and United became linked with him before the board changes. He seemed the right sort of player to go for. Still young, still needing to prove himself and with some ability to open up defence and get goals. I was pleased we signed him and seemed like the sign of better things to come. He began by showing his ability on the ball albeit it in a struggling side but also showed he was not exactly slim line in physique and was definitely carrying a bit of top timber.
He was one of few that stood out in a poor side and at least showed some invention and creativity. He got on the ball and showed he could pass short and long. He also got into good areas and scored a few early goals (such as at Rotherham). Questions started to arise over his best position. Was it as a striker, a midfielder or even a wide man (lacked pace to do this well). Most felt just behind a striker or strikers would suit his talents. You feared when Clough came in with others leaving he may not be his cup of tea. Not exactly a worker you wondered whether he would him in a relegation battle. However Clough recognised his talents and got him in the right position. He was not a regular to start under Clough but eventually got in and scored some crucial goals in home games v Swindon, Oldham and Tranmere as we started to win some games. He still divided opinion with some feeling he did not do enough citing his weight and lack of mobility and others feeling he was not appreciated for his talents when he did get on the ball (ironically I felt he could be quite wasteful in this too!).
However no one can doubt that in the games we won and did well he was often heavily involved in the goals/chances we had. The ball to set up the goal for Flynn against Charlton was a beauty and he got in the right area to score at Wembley. He played in this so called false number 9 position and whilst it was not easy, he at least manfully competed when balls came his way.
Still only 22, there is definitely a player there but he has work to do for me and don’t see him necessarily as this key player everyone makes out. I am not sure he is mobile, fit or active enough to play as a striker up top or as part of a 2 and we probably have to play a 3 in the middle with him just in front to get him in the side. Although if we play as a 4-4-2 he could maybe play as a secondary striker and maybe profit from a proper hold up player or someone who can score goals and get on the end of his undoubted good passing and vision he possesses. I see him being part of things moving forward but would leave him with clear instructions for next season that if he wants to be part of a team going for promotion and being successful then he needs to work harder, lose some weight and get much fitter. 8 goals in 32 games is still not enough for me with his talent. If he does those things he can be an asset as he has showed in glimpses. If he doesn’t he will always find a side in the lower league due to technical ability but will waste some of his talent he does have.
Grade C+
Lyle Taylor Taylor was signed from Scottish football after a prolific season for Falkirk. He had bounced around non-league and had a less than impressive spell at Bournemouth but United saw something they liked as did local rivals Rotherham who nearly signed him before contract talks broke down. He was another of the right age and someone United felt could develop. Worryingly with no other experienced or proven strikers coming in, he became seen as one of the main men expected to get us goals. This was probably too much pressure for him who had never done it at a decent level or in England.
He did ok in pre season scoring a few and looking enthusiastic with ability to run across the back line. However as the season started it quickly emerged that for all the effort he put in; he was simply not good enough. His shooting whilst had power (recall one shot hit the woodwork at Peterborough) was often wayward and he seemed to have no understanding how to play the centre forward role. He did not link with others and looked a bit headless chicken. His touch was not great and he was not fast as he seemed. It stood out for a fairly sizeable guy (6 footer) he was poor in the air but very weak and got brushed off the ball too easily.
He played 20 games but was never an automatic choice under Weir and was in and out of the side. He did not score a goal with poor service not helping. He looked out of his depth and someone you felt was just not good enough with no real positive features to his game other than ‘running around a lot.’ He did finally score (two) when Morgan was briefly in charge in the comeback against Coventry but when Clough took charge he was only used on the bench a few times before he was allowed to leave in late December going back to Scotland to join Partick Thistle. The fact we had little striking options but Clough had seen enough to move him on in such a short space of time probably confirmed what most of us were thinking. Still some reasoned if he did well up there and got some goals he could come back and still have a future at the Lane with another year on his contract. I was not sure what moving there would achieve though as even if he did score up there; it is not a great level and does not convince me he could do it at even League One level. I would have preferred to have seen him going down to League Two even.
He started ok there and got a few goals but has ended the season being on the bench for quite a few games and the goals have dried up. Some still feel we should give him another shot but I think Clough is of the same opinion of me. He is not good enough. Will be surprised if he is not allowed to just leave in the summer (mutual agreement) and may stay up in Scotland where at least he knows he can be a relative success.
Grade E-
Shaun Miller Miller has been a bit of a low risk signing with a small fee and still having time on his sign after showing some promise at Crewe but losing his place and way as they got promoted with Clayton Donaldson and Nick Powell leading the line. He began on the bench but had a few decent substitute appearances and then eventually after an impressive two goals at Notts County in the JPT, got into the side. He had a good run alongside Porter and we went to the top of the league as he showed good finishing, excellent movement and some clever play all round. A bad injury against Scunthorpe as we were flying did not help United’s season at all and soon after it was announced he would be done for the season and well into the next. Many said his loss was worse than Blackman’s which I
could see to a degree but did not entirely agree with.
When he finally came back, we were a struggling side but it was good to see as he came back just around the time Weir left and played against Port Vale from the bench. He had a few appearances but never really looked quite the same and missed a few chances when he had them. He was mainly a sub and never really convinced Clough either although he came on and scored a memorable winner against Fulham with a sharp finish. Despite the lack of striking options; the fact he did not look quite the same meant he was allowed out on loan as he chose a relegation battle over being part of the cup run. He scored on his debut with an overhead kick to win the game against Bradford and got another at Preston and in the final game but his loan side went down.
A few fellow fans said to me he would need longer to get fit but he has now been out 16 months and if he never gets to the level he showed in that brief flurry then not sure he ever will. Maybe the injury has knocked him back or probably more so maybe he was never the player we all thought. Most of his career he has been a squad player in the lower leagues and only scored 1 in 4 at this low level. Perhaps the brief decent spell at Crewe and the even briefer one at the Lane were more out of the norm and the rest of his career has been less than spectacular. It is a shame as he did show something albeit briefly but there is no room for sentiment and he will almost certainly be released this summer. I am sure he will pick up a League Two side, maybe he may even stay at Shrewsbury now they are down.
Grade D-
Chris Porter Porter always seemed to be on his way out of the club but always seemed to be like the cat that had 9 lives! With strikers leaving, getting imprisoned or being sold; he often (unfortunately some may say) seemed the one constant. In an ideal world he would have left some time ago but circumstances have contrived to keep him here. Sometimes he gets some unfair criticism (like Doyle) but unlike Doyle his performances have been mostly not quite at the level needed. He scores few goals, his hold up play is not the best and is quite weak in the air (looped headers) for someone of his size/build. His overall touch and football awareness is inept at times but he does give a decent shift and I can’t really fault his effort. He has had some decent games for United but not many. The fact he was still one of our main options up front says as much about the rest. He eventually settled down and ended up being a bit of a super (!) sub and made an impact in some games particularly v Forest. You never got the sense he would ever be a first choice though and his United days may now be over.
With Cresswell and Kitson moving on and him having a year option of his contract he remained and started against Notts County. He was rotated between him and Taylor to start the opening weeks but then kind of drifted out as Baxter, King and even Ironside were preferred. He went on loan to Chesterfield but even he struggled to convince there and was not even a regular starter. He came back and got a few goals in the cup run and was the subject or ironic chants in comparison to the more illustrious Villa striker Benteke as we notched a surprise win. In this game he still looked a weak link but then some cool penalties including the one against Forest and another neat finish against Peterborough sensed he had a bit of a renaissance. Clough had signed him before and felt he could do a job in the right circumstances. He has been in and out the team (some may say for a reason) in three years but has scored some vital goals in play off and cup games. He had a great end to the season although mostly off the bench scoring some goals to bring points late in away games but again Clough stated he did not do it enough from the start when he had played.
I don’t think he is totally disliked by United fans and sadly became more a figure of fun for most. The reality is with his contract up and us needing new blood up there he is not even worth retaining as a squad player for me. Certainly not the worst centre forward we have ever had but will be remembered as a mainstay in quite a poor few seasons at the Lane. I am sure he will find a club at League Two or even League One level and if ever he comes back will get a decent reception. He was involved in some memorable games and moments and always did his best. Sadly he was just not good enough.
Grade D+
Jose Baxter A player that had so much promise when he was a kid at Everton making his debut at 16, he got into a few off the field scrapes and ultimately left Goodison Park. He nearly signed for Palace but that did not work out and ended up signing a short term deal at Oldham to try and resurrect his career. He did well here and at a lower league his technical ability and skills stood out. He signed a longer deal and was part of the good cup run when they played both Merseyside teams. He scored 13 goals in 39 games which was not bad for someone who was not an out and out striker.
He started the new season and scored twice against Stevenage but word was he was unsettled and United became linked with him before the board changes. He seemed the right sort of player to go for. Still young, still needing to prove himself and with some ability to open up defence and get goals. I was pleased we signed him and seemed like the sign of better things to come. He began by showing his ability on the ball albeit it in a struggling side but also showed he was not exactly slim line in physique and was definitely carrying a bit of top timber.
He was one of few that stood out in a poor side and at least showed some invention and creativity. He got on the ball and showed he could pass short and long. He also got into good areas and scored a few early goals (such as at Rotherham). Questions started to arise over his best position. Was it as a striker, a midfielder or even a wide man (lacked pace to do this well). Most felt just behind a striker or strikers would suit his talents. You feared when Clough came in with others leaving he may not be his cup of tea. Not exactly a worker you wondered whether he would him in a relegation battle. However Clough recognised his talents and got him in the right position. He was not a regular to start under Clough but eventually got in and scored some crucial goals in home games v Swindon, Oldham and Tranmere as we started to win some games. He still divided opinion with some feeling he did not do enough citing his weight and lack of mobility and others feeling he was not appreciated for his talents when he did get on the ball (ironically I felt he could be quite wasteful in this too!).
However no one can doubt that in the games we won and did well he was often heavily involved in the goals/chances we had. The ball to set up the goal for Flynn against Charlton was a beauty and he got in the right area to score at Wembley. He played in this so called false number 9 position and whilst it was not easy, he at least manfully competed when balls came his way.
Still only 22, there is definitely a player there but he has work to do for me and don’t see him necessarily as this key player everyone makes out. I am not sure he is mobile, fit or active enough to play as a striker up top or as part of a 2 and we probably have to play a 3 in the middle with him just in front to get him in the side. Although if we play as a 4-4-2 he could maybe play as a secondary striker and maybe profit from a proper hold up player or someone who can score goals and get on the end of his undoubted good passing and vision he possesses. I see him being part of things moving forward but would leave him with clear instructions for next season that if he wants to be part of a team going for promotion and being successful then he needs to work harder, lose some weight and get much fitter. 8 goals in 32 games is still not enough for me with his talent. If he does those things he can be an asset as he has showed in glimpses. If he doesn’t he will always find a side in the lower league due to technical ability but will waste some of his talent he does have.
Grade C+
Lyle Taylor Taylor was signed from Scottish football after a prolific season for Falkirk. He had bounced around non-league and had a less than impressive spell at Bournemouth but United saw something they liked as did local rivals Rotherham who nearly signed him before contract talks broke down. He was another of the right age and someone United felt could develop. Worryingly with no other experienced or proven strikers coming in, he became seen as one of the main men expected to get us goals. This was probably too much pressure for him who had never done it at a decent level or in England.
He did ok in pre season scoring a few and looking enthusiastic with ability to run across the back line. However as the season started it quickly emerged that for all the effort he put in; he was simply not good enough. His shooting whilst had power (recall one shot hit the woodwork at Peterborough) was often wayward and he seemed to have no understanding how to play the centre forward role. He did not link with others and looked a bit headless chicken. His touch was not great and he was not fast as he seemed. It stood out for a fairly sizeable guy (6 footer) he was poor in the air but very weak and got brushed off the ball too easily.
He played 20 games but was never an automatic choice under Weir and was in and out of the side. He did not score a goal with poor service not helping. He looked out of his depth and someone you felt was just not good enough with no real positive features to his game other than ‘running around a lot.’ He did finally score (two) when Morgan was briefly in charge in the comeback against Coventry but when Clough took charge he was only used on the bench a few times before he was allowed to leave in late December going back to Scotland to join Partick Thistle. The fact we had little striking options but Clough had seen enough to move him on in such a short space of time probably confirmed what most of us were thinking. Still some reasoned if he did well up there and got some goals he could come back and still have a future at the Lane with another year on his contract. I was not sure what moving there would achieve though as even if he did score up there; it is not a great level and does not convince me he could do it at even League One level. I would have preferred to have seen him going down to League Two even.
He started ok there and got a few goals but has ended the season being on the bench for quite a few games and the goals have dried up. Some still feel we should give him another shot but I think Clough is of the same opinion of me. He is not good enough. Will be surprised if he is not allowed to just leave in the summer (mutual agreement) and may stay up in Scotland where at least he knows he can be a relative success.
Grade E-
Shaun Miller Miller has been a bit of a low risk signing with a small fee and still having time on his sign after showing some promise at Crewe but losing his place and way as they got promoted with Clayton Donaldson and Nick Powell leading the line. He began on the bench but had a few decent substitute appearances and then eventually after an impressive two goals at Notts County in the JPT, got into the side. He had a good run alongside Porter and we went to the top of the league as he showed good finishing, excellent movement and some clever play all round. A bad injury against Scunthorpe as we were flying did not help United’s season at all and soon after it was announced he would be done for the season and well into the next. Many said his loss was worse than Blackman’s which I
could see to a degree but did not entirely agree with.
When he finally came back, we were a struggling side but it was good to see as he came back just around the time Weir left and played against Port Vale from the bench. He had a few appearances but never really looked quite the same and missed a few chances when he had them. He was mainly a sub and never really convinced Clough either although he came on and scored a memorable winner against Fulham with a sharp finish. Despite the lack of striking options; the fact he did not look quite the same meant he was allowed out on loan as he chose a relegation battle over being part of the cup run. He scored on his debut with an overhead kick to win the game against Bradford and got another at Preston and in the final game but his loan side went down.
A few fellow fans said to me he would need longer to get fit but he has now been out 16 months and if he never gets to the level he showed in that brief flurry then not sure he ever will. Maybe the injury has knocked him back or probably more so maybe he was never the player we all thought. Most of his career he has been a squad player in the lower leagues and only scored 1 in 4 at this low level. Perhaps the brief decent spell at Crewe and the even briefer one at the Lane were more out of the norm and the rest of his career has been less than spectacular. It is a shame as he did show something albeit briefly but there is no room for sentiment and he will almost certainly be released this summer. I am sure he will pick up a League Two side, maybe he may even stay at Shrewsbury now they are down.
Grade D-
this is the area of the team that needs most work. Cannot see Porter or Miller returning and Taylor too may not return I feel. De Girolamo and Eyre are still young players with the latter a way off and the former still to get back to his best or fully convince Clough after his injury. So in affect we have really with Baxter more a withdrawn player; no strikers going into the season. We need 2 for definite and maybe 3 really with the squads now and injuries etc. Clear we need everything then. Goals, hold up play, height and pace. If we play the same formation then we need to ensure we get it right as whoever is the main striker will have to be strong and mobile for me. Goals are important of course but with the midfielders we have I am not sure they have to be a 30 goal a season man (that would be nice of course). We need a big, strong physical player and one with pace and probably a goal getter too. Not sure you can get all that in one (Brian Deane!) but if we can get 2 that covers such qualities than great. A lot of talk has been about Evans and whilst personally I would rather the club move on (not sure the club needs all the negative media attention after the positivity of last season – cup run etc and no guarantee he would be fit or even ready until the new year at least) you could argue a fully fit and firing Evans fits the bill of many of the above qualities. Strong, quick and a goalscorer. So many if’s with him though as we have said. In an ideal world he would be cleared (if he is innocent) and we sign him and he is like the player of old. That is all unlikely and we need to have players in place for the start of the season.
