H2Owl Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 For me it's obvious we need to get a striker in January. Antonio playing up top has worked to an extent because he offers us a different dimension with his pace- Running at defenders and giving us a threat for balls in behind/over the top however IMO he will be much more effective on the wing. Given time i think he could adapt to playing up front when he finds more composure in front of goal but at present i don't see him as someone who is more effective at finishing chances than he is at creating them. I'd prefer to see him and Helan on the wings with Madine/O'Grady/Sidibe up top with a new signing in January- A Ryan Lowe(esque) or Kenny Miller type of player. Just wondering what peoples thoughts have been on seeing Antonio down the middle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JonTheOwl66 Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 It's worked pretty well. I'd say he's similar to Marshall in that he can play in several positions - for different reasons. Most people won't have watched Antonio that closely - but on Tuesday, make sure you do. It's been clear for some time that Antonio has played as a 'forward'. Similar to Cristiano Ronaldo, he is joining the front two to make a front three when we attack. He also makes little darting runs in between the full-back and centre back, which, with his pace, has created a ton of chances - which over time he will learn to finish. I never realised just how fast he actually is, but he's by far the fastest at Hillsborough for some time. It's something we should look to exploit. As his overall game develops, he'll become better and better. Once that final ball 'clicks', he'll be a Premier League player. His throw ins annoy me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnbloodaxe Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Reminds me of Walcott... Antonio will do damage up front when he learns a little composure and chooses the right option just like Walcott is learning to do... We should run with Antonio up front for several games to see if it comes quickly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wilyfox Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 he's shown that pace is an asset up front - as if we didn't already know; but i don't think his finishing is clinical enough to play as a striker. prefer him on one flank with either Helan or Lee on the other. a striker has to be priority in january. defence has improved, Prutton and McCabe doing well in the middle. Helan proving to be a revellation LM. upfront is our obvious cause for concern. collectively, our strikers haven't delivered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2Owl Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Reminds me of Walcott... Antonio will do damage up front when he learns a little composure and chooses the right option just like Walcott is learning to do... We should run with Antonio up front for several games to see if it comes quickly.... Good comparison with Walcott. It's early days for Antonio playing up front and he certainly has time on his side. Given time i'm sure he will be able to play up front or on the wing. The only worry i have is we don't have that time this season. With a striker on the books who already has composure in front of goal we're not far off from turning draws into wins and losses into draws (or even wins) which given the nature of the Championship would drastically improve our league position. He's certainly shown enough over the previous games to warrant a debate on whether he could adapt to the striker role long term. Either way a striker in January surely has to be a priority. I'd like to see a centre half to come in too for the inevitable times when Gardner is out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crookesowl Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Antonio has far more power than Walcott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wilyfox Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 i wouldn't make too much of the comparison with Walcott. Theo is quicker and a better finisher. As much as i love Antonio, they're a league apart in more ways than one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest totemowl Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 All the chavs on the kop would chant he's no striker. I also think he might lose that spot to Bothroyd when Bothroyd makes his comeback on Tuesday. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Johnbloodaxe Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 i wouldn't make too much of the comparison with Walcott. Theo is quicker and a better finisher. As much as i love Antonio, they're a league apart in more ways than one. Thats why Antonio is playing in this league, I'm not suggesting he plays for Arsenal.... but he can be the Championship version... If we had Walcott then I wouldn't care about strikers nor would anyone else. So the comparrison in a league below is a relevant one IMO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wilyfox Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Thats why Antonio is playing in this league, I'm not suggesting he plays for Arsenal.... but he can be the Championship version... If we had Walcott then I wouldn't care about strikers nor would anyone else. So the comparrison in a league below is a relevant one IMO... i don't think he could replicate in the championship what Walcott's doing in the prem. with his pace and power, Michail causes teams problems - but that isn't transforming into goals. of course Walcott is the better player, that wasn't my point. he has 14 goals in 20apps this season; Michail has 5 in 28. he's not a lower-league equivalent - but is still a fantastic player for us. i don't see the similarity between the two of them, other than the positions they're played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KurtG Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 (edited) How can you even remotely compare Antonio to Walcott? Antonio's miles better. Edited December 30, 2012 by KurtG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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