Steven Fletcher

[Night King]

He’s a lot better footballer then he gets credit for on here. Very intelligent at linking up play and great to see 2 wingers running in behind him. The set up that Bullens implemented suits him down to the ground. Hope he stays fit because none of our other central strikers are anywhere near his standard. 

[Holmowl]

31 minutes ago, vulva said:

Played really well but my concern is, across the team, is goals. I’d have liked us to move in Winnall and Rhodes, and bring in a striker capable of scoring 20 - not sure Fletcher will do that. Where is our Pukki, Mitrovic, Abraham etc. 

 

We haven’t looked as full of goals for years. Five in two games and bags of one on ones and near misses.

 

 

[SiJ]

I think he's more a 12 to 15 goal type forward than someone is going to bang in 20 plus.

 

But if you surround him with pace and have the wide players and midfield chipping in, then that should be enough of a goal threat.

 

He's certainly the most suited to playing that lone forward role.

[Holmowl]

21 minutes ago, Walt said:

He was exactly the same last season where he was the fittest I’ve seen him.  Difference yesterday was that he had willing runners getting up in support of him. Lost count of the times I’ve watched him battle on his own against a back four / five with little help as the rest of our lot were sat too deep. 

Said in another thread that I don’t think we’ve got anyone to replace him in that role. 

 

I remember a game late 2017 where Fletcher was up front with Joao. Fletcher won a flick-on as usual near the South Stand halfway and looked round expecting Joao to be after it. Lucas was awol, so Fletch realised in a flash he had to chase after it himself against their full-back.

 

It was the same partnering FF. They played miles apart rather than as a pair. 

 

We played without width. Fletch would too often be found wide left.

 

By contrast, his flick-ones are now being chased down by two willing flying-machines, allowing him to stay more central and to get into the box.

 

We are now doing what other teams have done to us for seasons - getting to the bye-line and rolling the ball into an oncoming striker. Fletcher and Rhodes will relish this.

[vulva]

12 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

 

We haven’t looked as full of goals for years. Five in two games and bags of one on ones and near misses.

 

 

And that might be why we haven't got promoted.  

[SiJ]

6 minutes ago, vulva said:

And that might be why we haven't got promoted.  

We have had a knack of missing some very good chances over the last few years.

 

Being clinical at any level of football is a desirable quality to have.

 

Saw it on Friday with Norwich. Three or four very good chances and they bagged one. Needless to say, they were brutally punished. 

[gurujuan]

14 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

 

I remember a game late 2017 where Fletcher was up front with Joao. Fletcher won a flick-on as usual near the South Stand halfway and looked round expecting Joao to be after it. Lucas was awol, so Fletch realised in a flash he had to chase after it himself against their full-back.

 

It was the same partnering FF. They played miles apart rather than as a pair. 

 

We played without width. Fletch would too often be found wide left.

 

By contrast, his flick-ones are now being chased down by two willing flying-machines, allowing him to stay more central and to get into the box.

 

We are now doing what other teams have done to us for seasons - getting to the bye-line and rolling the ball into an oncoming striker. Fletcher and Rhodes will relish this.

I don’t think the likes of Forestieri and Joao thrive on flicks ons, and to be honest, that sort of attacking ploy is a bit basic. 

Its not the 1970s and I’m glad to say, there’s a bit more to Fletcher’s game this season, he seems to have grown into the role

[Bluesteel]

1 hour ago, vulva said:

Played really well but my concern is, across the team, is goals. I’d have liked us to move in Winnall and Rhodes, and bring in a striker capable of scoring 20 - not sure Fletcher will do that. Where is our Pukki, Mitrovic, Abraham etc. 

 

I think that will be the next thing on the agenda for recruitment with Fletcher, FF both out of contract this summer. 

[GMOwl72]

7 hours ago, thewookieisdown said:

One of our best players of the past 20 years. Incomprehensibly ranked as one of our transfer market failures by some of the thicker brethren. Terrific today. 

 

Personally don’t think he’s a failure by any stretch. He holds up play well and is fully committed when on the pitch and played well yesterday. Where he can certainly improve is his Goals:Chances ratio especially if he’s the top of a front three. We are going to need a hatful of goals from him to get us up.

[Ronnie Starling]

Fletcher was our first line of defence yesterday putting Barnsley defenders under pressure.

[Paul..]

He was absolutely outstanding yesterday, 10 out of 10 performance easily, the workrate and pressing he showed especially in the first half was outstanding, at times showing Murphy in particular how it should be done and Murphy is much younger, the worry is obviously how many games he can put that shift in without it starting to take a toll on his body but that's where the squad comes into play, even if the replacement choices of Rhodes and Nuhiu don't offering anything like what Fletcher can offer. I swear Fletcher even seems quicker over 5 yards than he's ever done, which is impressive at 32.

[Holmowl]

3 minutes ago, uɐıɹɐqɯıɹ⅁ said:

He was absolutely outstanding yesterday, 10 out of 10 performance easily, the workrate and pressing he showed especially in the first half was outstanding, at times showing Murphy in particular how it should be done and Murphy is much younger, the worry is obviously how many games he can put that shift in without it starting to take a toll on his body but that's where the squad comes into play, even if the replacement choices of Rhodes and Nuhiu don't offering anything like what Fletcher can offer. I swear Fletcher even seems quicker over 5 yards than he's ever done, which is impressive at 32.

 

Deffo faster and fitter. His closing down and harrying is outstanding, at ANY age.

 

I think Bully sees full well he will have to manage his prize assets. The Millwall -Luton-Preston 3 games in 8 days is his first real test.

 

Nobody should gripe when their favourite sits one out. It’s not “being dropped”. 

[Paul..]

I think a start for Rhodes will do his confidence a lot of good, yes it's not his ideal role but he's been in and around the squad enough to know what's expected of him, he wasn't brilliant when he came on but on another day he could have had a goal and an assist, you can see from his body language after his miss he's really lacking with confidence which is a shame as he seems to have had a decent pre-season, scored 3 and was getting positive vibes from us fans, the Norwich uncertainty certainly can't have helped but a start and a goal will help him immensely.

[Stoop]

Got to feel for Fletchers new hair transplant though. Can’t be easy to bed a new barnet in with all that ball heading

[poite]

I can't understand it.

 

Fletcher is 32 so I have it on good authority that based on his age he's too old and and past it.

 

Yet he's playing brilliantly well is is arguably the fittest, sharpest player in the team.

 

It's almost like how a player looks after themselves is more important than their age. 

 

It's baffling 

[Walt]

1 hour ago, uɐıɹɐqɯıɹ⅁ said:

I think a start for Rhodes will do his confidence a lot of good, yes it's not his ideal role but he's been in and around the squad enough to know what's expected of him, he wasn't brilliant when he came on but on another day he could have had a goal and an assist, you can see from his body language after his miss he's really lacking with confidence which is a shame as he seems to have had a decent pre-season, scored 3 and was getting positive vibes from us fans, the Norwich uncertainty certainly can't have helped but a start and a goal will help him immensely.

Even with a fit and scoring Rhodes I just can't see him doing the job that Fletcher does. He may well benefit from having wingers in the side but for those wingers to work someone needs to hold the ball up and do the dirty work for this system to work. With the best will in the world Rhodes isn't going tp do that as he can not battle with centre halves, his hold up play is poor and his work when out of possession is a major flaw. He's made a career out of being 'selfish' in a good way meaning that his goals allow him to just get on with what he does / did? best - score goals and not contribute much else.

It looks like he is the first choice to replace Fletcher so it will be interesting to see how we adapt to accommodate him (I think it will have to be us adapting as he can't imo). The most obvious choice to replace Fltetcher would have been Nuhiu imo but then he lacks the mobility, so you are left with Winnall. Maye a fit Winnall back when we signed him cold have done the job as I seem to remember an energetic all action type of player when he was at Barnsley and I think he played that role in a 433?

[Matt_1]

He's been one of my favourites for a while.

 

Big Fletch. Top bloke.

[Bigblueowl]

13 hours ago, Beholder said:

Also thought Rhodes looked excellent when he came on. 

 

Fitter and stronger than I remember

He's a wet lettuce! My nan could push him off the ball. 

He does look fitter though and has got a nice suntan! 

 

[FreshOwl]

Said it in pre season that this will be his year 

 

Looks in the best shape of his career. A real intelligent footballer who IMO has been victim of playing in a poor team over the last couple seasons.

 

someone earlier in this thread said he’d walk into most teams in this division, of course he would. He’s low level PL quality 

[owls maniac]

5 hours ago, vulva said:

Played really well but my concern is, across the team, is goals. I’d have liked us to move in Winnall and Rhodes, and bring in a striker capable of scoring 20 - not sure Fletcher will do that. Where is our Pukki, Mitrovic, Abraham etc. 

This does worry me too. I mean, we’ve scored 5 in 2 games, so can’t be too concerned. But a clinical side would have seriously put the dingles to the sword yesterday. Against good opposition we may only have one or two good chances and we have to bag them.