2018/19 Cenk Tosun

[BlueToff]

I think he's done fine so far. He links the play quite well, puts a shift in etc.

Can't get on board with people saying it doesn't matter if he doesn't score though. It absolutely does. It's fine that he hasn't scored yet, but just being neat and tidy and getting the odd assist isn't enough for a striker you've paid £25m for. All of the attacking players need to be contributing regularly, both with goals and assists, I don't believe for a second that Silva will be happy if he still hasn't scored after the next couple of home games.

Also find the idea that we're not creating chances to be a bit bizarre. He needs to do a little bIt more to actually get chances in my opinion. You can't just wait for someone to pull a ball back to you at the edge of the 6 yard box to call it a chance, you need to find yourself bits of space where you can get a shot away, go past people either with or without the ball to get yourself through on goal, use your strength to outmuscle defenders and take them out of the game, or get your head on things that you weren't really the favourite for. He needs to improve on that side of his game in my opinion, as he can sometimes seem a bit like a Jelavic type, just excelling at one touch finishing but not likely to get you a goal unless someone lays it on a plate.

Again though, I don't say that to criticise him, he's been pretty good so far.

I think the way we’ve played so far in away games has been to utilise the strengths of our wingers (when they’ve been on the pitch!).

That has meant, to an extent, Tosun dropping off to create the space in behind, and he’s done well.

Definitely agree that goals matter and when a chance does come to him (which bar the one v Wolves where he should have played in Theo, there hasn’t been one I can think of) he takes them.

I’m confident he will. He’s had a good start to the season.

 

[Papa Shango]

I think he's done fine so far. He links the play quite well, puts a shift in etc.

Can't get on board with people saying it doesn't matter if he doesn't score though. It absolutely does. It's fine that he hasn't scored yet, but just being neat and tidy and getting the odd assist isn't enough for a striker you've paid £25m for. All of the attacking players need to be contributing regularly, both with goals and assists, I don't believe for a second that Silva will be happy if he still hasn't scored after the next couple of home games.

Also find the idea that we're not creating chances to be a bit bizarre. He needs to do a little bIt more to actually get chances in my opinion. You can't just wait for someone to pull a ball back to you at the edge of the 6 yard box to call it a chance, you need to find yourself bits of space where you can get a shot away, go past people either with or without the ball to get yourself through on goal, use your strength to outmuscle defenders and take them out of the game, or get your head on things that you weren't really the favourite for. He needs to improve on that side of his game in my opinion, as he can sometimes seem a bit like a Jelavic type, just excelling at one touch finishing but not likely to get you a goal unless someone lays it on a plate.

Again though, I don't say that to criticise him, he's been pretty good so far.

He obviously needs to get some goals, and he will. But he doesn't need to be a Lukaku, Lineker or a Latchford (hmm maybe we should buy strikers who's name begins with L...). None of which actually brought us any silverware.

He will be happy if he hasn't scored if we win all our games as it never matters as much then. Missing chances all over the place is the time to worry.

 

[blue61]

He obviously needs to get some goals, and he will. But he doesn't need to be a Lukaku, Lineker or a Latchford (hmm maybe we should buy strikers who's name begins with L...). None of which actually brought us any silverware.

He will be happy if he hasn't scored if we win all our games as it never matters as much then. Missing chances all over the place is the time to worry.

I knew we should have signed Shane Long.

 

[Lanolin]

He obviously needs to get some goals, and he will. But he doesn't need to be a Lukaku, Lineker or a Latchford (hmm maybe we should buy strikers who's name begins with L...). None of which actually brought us any silverware.

He will be happy if he hasn't scored if we win all our games as it never matters as much then. Missing chances all over the place is the time to worry.

No he certainly doesn't need to score 25 goals a season, but he needs to be a consistent threat and able to win us tight games/put to bed games we're ahead in. If he's not then I don't think the manager will be happy.

As I said, there's more to it than just missing chances. He needs to show an ability to put the ball in the net when he gets it 20 yards out, or to run onto a ball from the half way line and slot, or get on the end of a cross that looked beyond him. Just bagging when you get a clear chance laid on for you is fine but it puts a lot of pressure on the other players around you to tee you up. If you look at his assists for Richarlison and Walcott so far, they've still had plenty to do when he's played the pass. In my opinion that's the type of thing he needs to do as well, turn decent passes into goals. You can't just wait around for tap ins and then claim you never get any chances.

 

[Simon Buttle]

No he certainly doesn't need to score 25 goals a season, but he needs to be a consistent threat and able to win us tight games/put to bed games we're ahead in. If he's not then I don't think the manager will be happy.

As I said, there's more to it than just missing chances. He needs to show an ability to put the ball in the net when he gets it 20 yards out, or to run onto a ball from the half way line and slot, or get on the end of a cross that looked beyond him. Just bagging when you get a clear chance laid on for you is fine but it puts a lot of pressure on the other players around you to tee you up. If you look at his assists for Richarlison and Walcott so far, they've still had plenty to do when he's played the pass. In my opinion that's the type of thing he needs to do as well, turn decent passes into goals. You can't just wait around for tap ins and then claim you never get any chances.

Yes, the few long shots he has had have been pretty poor tbf, but running onto a ball from the half way line? would help if we actually had someone who could play a ball like that from the halfway line, im guessing that is what Gomes is for. Also not easy getting onto the end of crosses when the standard of them from both Baines and Coleman so far has been shocking and that's being kind imo. Cenk managed to score goals in a BFS hoofball system last season so i have no doubt he will score as the season unfolds. Too many on here want him to be a 20 goal a season man and i really don't think we are playing that sort of system, i think Silva wants goals to be more spred throughout the team.

 

[Lanolin]

Yes, the few long shots he has had have been pretty poor tbf, but running onto a ball from the half way line? would help if we actually had someone who could play a ball like that from the halfway line, im guessing that is what Gomes is for. Also not easy getting onto the end of crosses when the standard of them from both Baines and Coleman so far has been shocking and that's being kind imo. Cenk managed to score goals in a BFS hoofball system last season so i have no doubt he will score as the season unfolds. Too many on here want him to be a 20 goal a season man and i really don't think we are playing that sort of system, i think Silva wants goals to be more spred throughout the team.

Sorry I don't think I made that very clear. I mean more that he needs to do some of those things, not all of them.

Basically I'm just saying that the 'he hasn't had any chances' line is not necessarily the good thing that some people paint it as. Ask any top striker and they'll tell you it's not a worry when a player is missing chances because it shows they're getting into good positions and getting shots away, it's a worry when they aren't getting chances, because it suggests that they're not quite doing things right.

I really want to stress that i'm not trying to have a go here, and I have no issue at all with him going 3 games without a goal, I just think there are some areas for improvement and I hope he can show an ability to make some chances for himself rather than always relying on good service.

 

[streeky]

Yes, the few long shots he has had have been pretty poor tbf, but running onto a ball from the half way line? would help if we actually had someone who could play a ball like that from the halfway line, im guessing that is what Gomes is for. Also not easy getting onto the end of crosses when the standard of them from both Baines and Coleman so far has been shocking and that's being kind imo. Cenk managed to score goals in a BFS hoofball system last season so i have no doubt he will score as the season unfolds. Too many on here want him to be a 20 goal a season man and i really don't think we are playing that sort of system, i think Silva wants goals to be more spred throughout the team.

Best post on this thread. Far too much sense for us lad .

 

[Bob Elstone]

Works hard, holds it up well and brings others into the game - see Walcott goal against Bournemouth.

Goals will come when the delivery from wide is improved.

 

[JordanGT4]

I didn’t rate him much at first but his worth ethic can’t be knocked and he’s grown on me. If Bernard hits the ground running tho I wouldn’t be surprised seeing richarlison goin got up top and tosun drop to bench

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

He's won possession in the attacking third more times than any other player in the league so far this season (7 times incase you're interested).

In the modern game, it's not all about scoring goals for a centre forward. Personally speaking, I can tell already with Cenk there's something new apparent with his all round game this season. We all know he can slot (see Valencia) but for now I'm going to embrace his different role.

 

[SteStocksDJ]

We don't need him to get 20+ a season

If he gets 15+ and we get Rico and one or two others with 10+ we will be ok.

 

[bring the ghost on]

Goals will come when the delivery from wide is improved.

The delivery from wide and set pieces has been very good so far this season, in fact quite a few of our goals and best chances have come about as a result of this.

Cenk can certainly finish, but I think our wide players are actually operating on a different wavelength to him and they seem to be setting up chances for each other/other players (see Richarlison's third goal, for example) more so than they are for Cenk.

 

[MikeH72]

It’s a shame he’s slower than death because every other part of his game is solid, and with his finishing ability he’d be one of the most dangerous strikers in the league if he could get in behind like Walcott does.

 

[Lanolin]

The delivery from wide and set pieces has been very good so far this season, in fact quite a few of our goals and best chances have come about as a result of this.

Cenk can certainly finish, but I think our wide players are actually operating on a different wavelength to him and they seem to be setting up chances for each other/other players (see Richarlison's third goal, for example) more so than they are for Cenk.

This is what I was saying yesterday. We've scored 3 goals from crosses in 3 games, and Sigurdsson's set pieces were getting praised to the hilt by everybody last week, and yet people are trying to claim Tosun couldn't possibly have scored because we're not putting good balls into the box.

It's really weird I think. Rather than just shrugging it off and saying it's fine that he hasn't scored because he's still contributing, people feel the need to come up with mad excuses like 'Silva said he absolutely hates it when strikers score and he's told him to stay out of the box or else' and 'we haven't created a single chance all season and the only reason we've scored 6 goals in 3 games is because Hans Segers has been in goal for every team we play'.

Tosun's doing fine at the moment (apart from defending corners) but there's nothing wrong with wanting a little bit more from him.

 

[Saint Domingo]

He's won possession in the attacking third more times than any other player in the league so far this season (7 times incase you're interested).

In the modern game, it's not all about scoring goals for a centre forward. Personally speaking, I can tell already with Cenk there's something new apparent with his all round game this season. We all know he can slot (see Valencia) but for now I'm going to embrace his different role.

He’s actually doing the job that Siggurdson and Gaza supposedly do yet they get praised for this (even though they don’t do it) and Tosun doesn’t (even though he actually does). When you’re the scapegoat you are the scapegoat though.