Berahino fitness?

[Holmowl]

1 hour ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

Mendez-Laing just needs a 'keeper to chuck one in like the Franchise FC goalie did for Berahino and he'll be up and running.

 

Hope it’s as simple as that because I do think Moore will use NML up top. It’s more about the team.

 

The reason we barely scored when he played up top wasnt his own poor finishing. It was that we effectively had 3 WBs and a striker (Richard Curtis’ box office flop).

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

44 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

Hope it’s as simple as that because I do think Moore will use NML up top. It’s more about the team.

 

The reason we barely scored when he played up top wasnt his own poor finishing. It was that we effectively had 3 WBs and a striker (Richard Curtis’ box office flop).

 

Yes, he drifted wide at times, but mostly he ran beyond his strike partner and was our most advanced forward when he's played up there thus far. A player with his pace is going to pop up all over the final third looking for space, rather than sitting centrally and looking for the ball into feet - I can't imagine Moore would play him up there if that's what he's looking for in a particular game.

 

The average player positions show that for the most part, he was playing as a striker rather than as a wingback:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, he's better out wide, but he has his uses through the middle as well, and has been an important part of some really positive attacking performances from us in recent weeks.

 

Moore is managing the squad, including Berahino and Mendez-Laing, brilliantly as far as I can see.

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

1 hour ago, prowl said:

I hope he stays here.

 

We've got the option to extend his contract for next season, apparently.

 

I assume we'll be taking it up, as it seems the hard work he's been putting in behind the scenes has really started to pay off in the past few months.

[Sambo89]

When we signed him, I honestly thought, why? Trying to build a team and someone with his reported attitude comes in and can potentially disrupt everything. 

 

Then he started playing for us and he was shocking. No strength, no first touch, no end product. 

 

Then he changed, Moore and the coaching staff have worked wonders with him, he's got strength, pace, first touch is there, scoring goals and looks full of confidence. 

 

I love it when somebody proves me wrong (in a good way).

 

Has anybody else noticed how many players are playing with a smile on their face lately as well? They all look like their enjoying their football and enjoying their time at the club. Complete opposite of last season, with a lot of players seemingly just strolling around, not giving a shiny shïte. 

 

Hopefully we're onto something here, and even if we don't go up this season, maybe we can keep a lot of what we have going into next season and we can win the league. 

[FlyingOwl]

I like him. He’s someone who can definitely go missing in games but he’s very clinical with the chances he does get. Him and Gregory are perfect together cos Gregory is the busy one getting about. 

[markg]

4 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

Moore spoke about having to rebuild Berahino's strength and fitness back in February...

 

 

 

This quote in particular stands out:

 

"With Saido, we feel that he started well when he first came but we realised that the level of football he’s been playing in the last couple of years is probably not of the physical level that it is here.

 

“What I can say now is that he is a far stronger, more robust player because he’s someone that, behind the scenes, has put in a lot of work.

 

“He’s far better when I look at him now compared to when he came in with the power and strength that he’s got now.

 

“In terms of him as a player that can score goals, I’m very happy with him and I’m sure that, should chances drop to him if he gets that game time, he’ll put the ball in the back of the net.”

 

It seems Moore's faith in him is paying off now, doesn't it?

 

From the outside looking in, we won't know the full ins and outs of it, but if Berahino is putting in extra work behind the scenes and is still reacclimatising to the intensity of English football, then it may well be that he's not quite up to 90 minutes week in, week out. 

 

Still, he's played about 57% of the available minutes since that Donny game, and our results since then have been great, averaging 2.18 points per game.

 

It's always tempting from the outside to assume a player who's doing well should be playing more, but I'm sure Moore has his reasons for managing the squad, and Berahino, in the way that he is doing. And it's hard to argue with the results.

 

I'm just glad that Moore's faith in Berahino is being repaid, when so many on here were wanting him out of the club earlier in the season.

 

It's a great bit of management.

Exactly this. Credit to DM 

 

 

[fpowl]

5 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

Moore spoke about having to rebuild Berahino's strength and fitness back in February...

 

 

 

This quote in particular stands out:

 

"With Saido, we feel that he started well when he first came but we realised that the level of football he’s been playing in the last couple of years is probably not of the physical level that it is here.

 

“What I can say now is that he is a far stronger, more robust player because he’s someone that, behind the scenes, has put in a lot of work.

 

“He’s far better when I look at him now compared to when he came in with the power and strength that he’s got now.

 

“In terms of him as a player that can score goals, I’m very happy with him and I’m sure that, should chances drop to him if he gets that game time, he’ll put the ball in the back of the net.”

 

It seems Moore's faith in him is paying off now, doesn't it?

 

From the outside looking in, we won't know the full ins and outs of it, but if Berahino is putting in extra work behind the scenes and is still reacclimatising to the intensity of English football, then it may well be that he's not quite up to 90 minutes week in, week out. 

 

Still, he's played about 57% of the available minutes since that Donny game, and our results since then have been great, averaging 2.18 points per game.

 

It's always tempting from the outside to assume a player who's doing well should be playing more, but I'm sure Moore has his reasons for managing the squad, and Berahino, in the way that he is doing. And it's hard to argue with the results.

 

I'm just glad that Moore's faith in Berahino is being repaid, when so many on here were wanting him out of the club earlier in the season.

 

It's a great bit of management.

They couldn’t get him out because he’d played for two clubs this season it was reported on the radio in January I think

 

im not sure if it’s how the Belgium league fell with registration there was something in it that meant he couldn’t be transferred 

 

either way glad he’s not berahino for me is a goalscorer in the absent of windass he’s the nearest thing we have to 20 goals a season striker 

 

and I think it’s a fair shout to say if he carries this fitness on into next season or started the season with this fitness and would have played 40 off games we would be seeing those 20 goals 

 

can see him getting maybe up to 4 more before this campaign is out 

[prowl]

1 hour ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

We've got the option to extend his contract for next season, apparently.

 

I assume we'll be taking it up, as it seems the hard work he's been putting in behind the scenes has really started to pay off in the past few months.

We might have an option but if he wants away he will go. The option means we will get a fee.

 

I'm hoping he wants to stick around because he's found a home here. He's done the bright lights and big wages and it all went pear shaped for him. Maybe he's got enough money put aside that he doesn't need to go that way again. If we go up he can get a good wage here and have a supportive environment.(wishful thinking.)

[McRightSide]

Sounds like finally people understand that Moore feels NMLs pace to affect the game is why he is picked, not because he thinks he’s our second best striker 

 

Also, Berahino is quickly becoming the new Heffernan. He improves rapidly when he’s not playing

[Holmowl]

2 hours ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

Yes, he drifted wide at times, but mostly he ran beyond his strike partner and was our most advanced forward when he's played up there thus far. A player with his pace is going to pop up all over the final third looking for space, rather than sitting centrally and looking for the ball into feet - I can't imagine Moore would play him up there if that's what he's looking for in a particular game.

 

The average player positions show that for the most part, he was playing as a striker rather than as a wingback:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, he's better out wide, but he has his uses through the middle as well, and has been an important part of some really positive attacking performances from us in recent weeks.

 

Moore is managing the squad, including Berahino and Mendez-Laing, brilliantly as far as I can see.

Fair play for all that. But I still totally disagree. NML just doesn’t know how to play striker, and if Moore does go back to that our goals will dry up.

[Ian_D]

"Proper goal-scorer."  Says it all for me.

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

22 minutes ago, McRightSide said:

Sounds like finally people understand that Moore feels NMLs pace to affect the game is why he is picked, not because he thinks he’s our second best striker 

 

Also, Berahino is quickly becoming the new Heffernan. He improves rapidly when he’s not playing

 

I agree with your first point, but you're being a bit harsh with your second, even if I get the point you're making.

 

Berahino is contributing and is being well-utilised by Moore. The coaching team have worked wonders to get into his head and get him fit and competitive like they have, and he deserves a huge amount of credit for putting in the hard work, too.

 

It just makes me chuckle that Moore brought him to the club, stuck by him when some on here were claiming he, 'isn’t a footballer', is 'the new Kachunga', is 'a sack of crap' etc...yet some of those same posters are now questioning Moore's decision not use him for more than the 57% of the available minutes he's played since that Donny game in February, as if playing him for 90 minutes every game is some kind of magic bullet, or even a realistic option in the first place, without access to the info. necessary to make that judgement.

 

Does anyone on here honestly think they rate Berahino more highly than Darren Moore does?

 

Because I seriously doubt I do, and having seen the comments from many quarters when Moore was the only one sticking by him earlier in the season, I'd be amazed if anyone on here could say that they do, either.

 

For me, this is making an issue of nothing - we're on a run of 24 points from the 11 matches in question.

 

Moore is selecting the players he feels are best placed to help implement his tactics and contribute to the game on any given day.

 

Sometimes those tactics change during the course of a game and he uses players from the bench to try and swing things in our favour, or attempt a different approach. And for the most part he's getting it right.

 

Very right.

 

2.2 points per game right.

 

Automatic promotion form right.

 

And still we have some who reckon they know better than him.

[briggowl]

8 hours ago, Holmowl said:

I thought he was a waste of space early season

You weren't wrong, he was awful. 

 

Credit to DM who knew him and took a punt that he could transform what was a stagnating career.

[Owls2k]

When Berahino gets the ball he 9 times out of 10 does the right thing with it. Nothing too fancy, that's what made us so much better when he came on against Bolton.

 

NML played 5 games as CF and missed countless chances and scored 0. Berahino stars and scores within 10 mins, all by doing the simple thing. Hititng the target. 

 

Yes he drifts in and out of games, but we need to do better at finding him. 

 

NML marauds about to get the ball getting in everyone's way when he's playing CF, so I wouldn't want SB to do that. 

 

That said I would have brought NML on earlier the other night, because he is great at carrying the ball which is crucial when you're defending deep. 

[McRightSide]

So who are we playing upfront against Wycombe?

[Philb125]

4 minutes ago, McRightSide said:

So who are we playing upfront against Wycombe?

I’d still start him next game. His finishing was atrocious last night, but his link up game, chasing down defenders, stretching their defence was very good IMO. 
 

Him and Gregory are out starting front two of it’s up to me. 

[Southie_Owl]

27 minutes ago, Philb125 said:

I’d still start him next game. His finishing was atrocious last night, but his link up game, chasing down defenders, stretching their defence was very good IMO. 
 

Him and Gregory are out starting front two of it’s up to me. 

Agreed,  I just don’t think we play as well whenever Paterson is starting.  Gregory and Berahino are natural forwards so start with them and see what happens 

[bladeshater]

We need better next season 

[ZicoSterland2]

Very wasteful last night , if we don't go up keep but if we do then we will need better. We can't have 20 shots and 4 on target and players missing from 4 yards . In a higher league it would cost us dearly.

[TheSlicer]

Thought he was unlucky last night with the goals. 
 

Played well imo