2017/18 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

[BlueToff]

Some of his first touches last night were beyond his years. He can read the game well, he needs a touch more pace and he's going to be right up there.

He's very quick already - look at the penalty at Anfield or his goal vs Huddersfield, or even the chance last night that he missed at the end.

He does lack a bit of strength and that should come as he fills out a bit.

The main thing is his finishing and his final ball. It's getting better but chances like the one late on yesterday he should be putting away.

 

[Blue Juice]

If he can sort out his finishing we will be onto a proper winner. Seems to have a good attitude and skill set all round

 

[Saint Domingo]

Two of his first touches last night were amazing. The one he pretty much trapped on his face, and the one near the touch line he just killed.

 

[banno]

Fair enough but that argument can be applied even more to Benteke who you want to replace him with.

It doesn't. Benteke will score goals. Is better with his feet and stronger. If DCL wants to go on par with Benteke we will have to wait a few years. I hope you are not implying that DCL is better than Benteke. He may be with time but nowhere near at the moment.

 

[banno]

Two of his first touches last night were amazing. The one he pretty much trapped on his face, and the one near the touch line he just killed.

They were and that is part of his potential. If you played more or less 90 mins per game every game I am sure you would have at least a couple of good touches per game.

We cannot rely on DCL alone at this moment because he is still so raw and it shows just like his couple of decent touches per game. One for the future no doubt but not as a main striker for us. He has been probably our only choice but that doesn't mean he is good enough yet.

 

[Nymzee]

A good question posed to those that don't rate him or don't think he'll ever turn good:

If an offer came in for him in January and we sold him, would you care?

 

[Milkman]

His first touch and technique are superb. He's fast, brave and makes intelligent runs. The comparisons with Kane are fair, we just need to hope his finishing can improve to anywhere near to Kane's level.

 

[Billy Dean]

It doesn't. Benteke will score goals. Is better with his feet and stronger. If DCL wants to go on par with Benteke we will have to wait a few years. I hope you are not implying that DCL is better than Benteke. He may be with time but nowhere near at the moment.

Benteke has done feck all this season. I don't see how anyone could argue that DCL hasn't been better than him this season whatever their opinion of him generally

 

[chippy1722]

Benteke has done feck all this season. I don't see how anyone could argue that DCL hasn't been better than him this season whatever their opinion of him generally

Fully agree, Benteke has been pants for a while, has an attitude problem and goes missing more than Klaasen. I would have the current DCL over the current Benteke all day long. It would cost us 30m + in the hope that Benteke shows us some of the form he did a long time ago.

 

[davids]

Benteke's career effectively finished at Villa .DCL has his all before him

 

[Groucho]

Benteke's career effectively finished at Villa .DCL has his all before him

This is a fair point

 

[MACCA75]

Benteke's career effectively finished at Villa .DCL has his all before him

He scored more last season (15 league goals) than his last two seasons at Villa like.

 

[onlyme]

Benteke's career effectively finished at Villa .DCL has his all before him

He's also Belgian and without wishing to endorse racial stereotypes from past experiences = attitude problems, ie superiority complex. Who did he remind you of when he gazumped the designated penalty taker last week ?

 

[PhilM]

He's very quick already - look at the penalty at Anfield or his goal vs Huddersfield, or even the chance last night that he missed at the end.

He does lack a bit of strength and that should come as he fills out a bit.

The main thing is his finishing and his final ball. It's getting better but chances like the one late on yesterday he should be putting away.

I'm a supporter of Calvert-Lewin because I think his work-ethic and tenacity are exemplary and he's improving all the time under a lot of pressure.

All that has brought a seven goal return which isn't shabby with all things considered, however his finishing prowess is a slight concern to me.

Yesterday isn't the only example but his shot late on as you mention on was tame and from my seat he looked neither assured or composed.

Hopefully that'll come in time so we'll have to see; doubt he'll be the new Kane as some are mentioning but I certainly think he'll be a good player.

 

[Woolly Blue]

DCL will likely become a ten to fifteen goals a season player, lets face it, he may well end up with 10+goals this season, which is his first full season playing up front ( as opposed to the odd game on the wing ).

If we sign a "first-choice" striker, and, in the next few seasons, DCL regularly chips in with 10 goals a season, then, before people write him off as not being good enough for us, they need to ask themselves how many second-string strikers have we had over the last twenty years who've chipped in with that sort of return ?

The answer is "not many".

He should have buried that chance in the second half mind, but that doesn't invalidate what I'm saying, it just illustrates that we could do with someone better as first choice, which would allow DCL to play as a second striker in the starting eleven or get starts on his own to give our first choice striker a rest ... an option we havn't had for quite some time.