Strange Investment

[areNOTwhatTHEYseem]

35 minutes ago, pat blondeau said:

Stats like that can be skewed a bit by the amount of football he played and obviously the hat trick against Cambridge.

 

From memory he only scored two goals away from home all season at Doncaster and MK Dons. And even the goal at MK was thrown into the net for him by the keeper.

 

I thought he was ok in home games where we were on top and creating chances.

 

But in the away games he started where we were up against it like Wycombe and Sunderland he didn’t really offer anything and was quite easy to mark 

 

I'm surprised we're releasing Berahino, as I thought Moore would want to keep him in the squad as an option, but we have no idea how the conversations between them have gone, or whether Berahino fancies sticking around for another season in League One.

 

Having said that, he was very inconsistent, even when he started to find some form from February onwards. Some games he was a perfect fit, such as the Cambridge match, but in others he was largely anonymous and simply didn't impact the game enough.

 

If everything was clicking and going well for us, then he looked a cut above, but when we were dragged into a battle and needed a bit more physicality and fight up top, he didn't really show enough on a consistent basis.

 

As I say, I still expected Moore to want to keep him, and that may turn out to be the case, but I can't say I'm overly concerned about losing him for next season.

[stocksyuto]

We started off well for the first 5 games then fell away for a large part of the season , we need players that will stay consistent next season he’s not the one 

[pat blondeau]

3 minutes ago, areNOTwhatTHEYseem said:

 

I'm surprised we're releasing Berahino, as I thought Moore would want to keep him in the squad as an option, but we have no idea how the conversations between them have gone, or whether Berahino fancies sticking around for another season in League One.

 

Having said that, he was very inconsistent, even when he started to find some form from February onwards. Some games he was a perfect fit, such as the Cambridge match, but in others he was largely anonymous and simply didn't impact the game enough.

 

If everything was clicking and going well for us, then he looked a cut above, but when we were dragged into a battle and needed a bit more physicality and fight up top, he didn't really show enough on a consistent basis.

 

As I say, I still expected Moore to want to keep him, and that may turn out to be the case, but I can't say I'm overly concerned about losing him for next season.

Yes I’d agree with that.

 

And only the club knows what his wage demands are too

[CircleSeven]

It was an interesting signing and a gamble that ultimately that I’d say came out about evens in the end. I thought we might keep him but also not shocked he’s going. If he was just a bit better and a bit more consistent he could be the player you base your team around but he isn’t quite at that level unfortunately. 
I wish him well though. 

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

55 minutes ago, Holmowl said:

Not specifically aiming this at you, as many have used a similar phrase in the two Berahino threads.

 

Since he came into the side in Feb he’s scored every 90 minutes. Do you think we’ll find better than that?

Have to strike a balance between the strength of strikers and the poverty of defenders. Our strikers were not particularly brilliant yet we were 4 per game or plus 4 on numerous occasions. At seasons end tighten the defence, bolster midfield and find a prolific striker. A blend that everyone is looking for.   

[sheffield_dave]

Berahino was only ever a flyer. 
 

Short term, presumably low cost, low risk, based on a relationship with the gaffer that could have maybe unlocked something. 
 

I think the fact that he played a few games for us and scored a few goals exceeds any reasonable expectations for his time here. 
 

Gregory aside, I think our entire front line needs an overhaul. I think we need a proper partner for Gregory and a game changer off the bench to mix things up a bit. Factoring in the required quality we need, I don’t think Berahino is a long term solution to either of those things. 

[MrTacoSWFC]

He has moments of magic, but I think he was just too light weight. For the physicality of league 1 he got pushed off the ball too easily for me, struggled under pressure. I think it was the right move.. he will probably do the whole 'has a great season with someone else' thing, ultimately for me... the right decision. 

[StudentOwl]

I know that it's a bit harsh to be like "oh he scored loads of goals, but if you take away all the goals I don't want to talk about, he scored very few", so take this with a pinch of salt... but...

 

Of his 8 goals in 31 appearances (not too bad, all things considered), they only fell across 6 games... so straight away you're looking at about one game in every five where he scored. Then look at how many goals he scored in games where it made a difference to the result... I make it two: MK Dons away and Shrewsbury at home. All others he scored in, we won by more than two goals anyway - the only exception being Lincoln City away (loss).

 

So of the six games he scored in, half were games whereby, according to the scoresheet anyway, we won at least semi-comfortably. And that's across a whole season. 

 

I said after the Cambridge game that we shouldn't get too excited, because if you look at the trajectory of his career over the last 5/6 years, it's on a downward spiral, and if he finishes the season in league one having only scored a handful of goals - with the highlight being a hattrick against Cambridge United - then it couldn't really be considered the start of a Berahino renaissance. I stand by that. It takes a lot of effort to start turning around a career that's had such negative momentum for so long, and a bang-average season in League One to me doesn't look like someone who has turned that corner. I hope he does, truly, but I can see why we haven't kept him on. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by StudentOwl

[Owls2k]

The difference he made coming off the bench Doncaster and Bolton was huge, he's a player that just does the simple stuff right.

 

But was he the perfect partner for Gregory? I don't think so. 

[markg]

I rated him. Surprised he has been let go 

[sheffield_dave]

4 minutes ago, Owls2k said:

The difference he made coming off the bench Doncaster and Bolton was huge, he's a player that just does the simple stuff right.

 

But was he the perfect partner for Gregory? I don't think so. 

There’s been other games where he’s been “the obvious change” too and not come on. Don’t need to look any further back than our last fixture to see that. 
 

Ultimately he was here primarily based on the managers faith. I know some will blame Moore, but if that faith demonstrably isn’t there for whatever reason then it is what it is.

[Tewkesbury]

If he stayed it would only ever be as a rotational squad player.

 

Can't see him settling for that.

 

He'll either stay at this level as a regular starter for another team  or move up a level to be a backup in the Championship.

[hangonrose]

2 hours ago, pat blondeau said:

Moore got more football out of Berahino than any other manager has done in the last 6 years so there’s clearly some issues with availability, fitness or attitude with Berahino.

 

And Moore has been working with him every day in training for the last 9 months so you’d say he’s in the best position to make a decision on it 

The same goes for Hutch, who may actually not want to continue as opposed to being forced out...

[ZicoSterland2]

2 hours ago, Holmowl said:

Not specifically aiming this at you, as many have used a similar phrase in the two Berahino threads.

 

Since he came into the side in Feb he’s scored every 90 minutes. Do you think we’ll find better than that?

But his season wasn't just February to May , was his average over the season anything like that ??. Wonder what Gregory did over same period?

[onefurlongout]

Similar to Rhodes I don’t think we played to his strengths. 

[mancowl08]

1 hour ago, onlyonedavidhirst said:

There's other stats that suggests Kamberi was our most effective striker, that Gregory shouldn't start games and that Brown should. 

I wonder if DM decided that in the bigger games against stronger opposition, especially away, that Berahino didn't offer enough to the team and the ball never stuck. Wycombe and Sunderland away for instance. I know he scored at MK, but it wasnt from open play and as the game progressed we created very little so its not so easy to judge from that game. 

Another thought I've had is that DM may have another go at 4-2-3-1 and I don't see where Berahino fits into that system at all, which if that's the intention and DM has been  open with Saido than maybe the striker decided that a place on the bench in case we need to change the system may not be what he wants for next year. Sunderland went up using that system and showed how effective it can be, it would suit NML far more than Berahino, so it's a possibility that DM is considering it. 

Berahino has been a little unlucky being released, but I tend to think DM will have talked to him and between them the prospects for next year for Saido weren't quite what either wanted 

Very good point about the system for next year. I agree, Berahino doesn’t fit into a 4231. Whereas the likes of Mendez-Laing, Paterson, Windass and Gregory definitely do! 

[Holmowl]

1 minute ago, ZicoSterland2 said:

But his season wasn't just February to May , was his average over the season anything like that ??. Wonder what Gregory did over same period?

Berahino was hopeless early season but whatever Moore worked on over the Winter transformed him. So I think it’s reasonable to judge him on his second half of the season output and performance

[mogbad]

2 minutes ago, onefurlongout said:

Similar to Rhodes I don’t think we played to his strengths. 

Or his strengths didn't suit the way DM wants the team to play and that's why he's been released.

[ZicoSterland2]

1 minute ago, Holmowl said:

Berahino was hopeless early season but whatever Moore worked on over the Winter transformed him. So I think it’s reasonable to judge him on his second half of the season output and performance

I think he was average at best only scored in 6 games all season and was totally insignificant in the playoff game at Sunderland. Get a young pacey forward with something to prove in to add that extra energy and impetus. We all have opinions mine is he is no great loss.

[Blatter]

1 hour ago, Sanchez_Jenks said:

A lot goes unseen that will be factored into decisions. Attitude and application in training. Ability to do what the manager and coach asks of you on the pitch. Impact in the dressing room. Integration into the squad and contribution to the culture. All this and agent demands for wages and contract length will have led to a decision. 

 

All the above considered for the Hutch decision too but that is one I feel is stranger than Saido 

It’s the second time a manager has unexpectedly released Hutch. He was also made to train with the kids for a while. I can’t help the feeling that much as we supporters love the man he has a habit of upsetting his managers. Can it just be coincidence?