2017/18 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

[TrixyStevens]

A work in progress.

 

[riddick]

I said it back in October, he reminds me of a "Costa-lite" type player without the goals.



Which are really kind of important.

 

[Huyton Layne]

Could have been worse. Could have missed the Solanke chance. Now that was a sitter.

 

[Barnfred 55]

And nobody’s saying it’s not valid, simply that it is, by definition, a comparison.

OK. Lets just differ again mate. This time on the definition of comparison.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

Seriously now, how CAN you miss this?

 

[Zatara]

Yesterday is the sort of cameo we should be seeing from the guy at this stage in his development. He needs a lot of work on the training ground on aspects of his game, mainly composure in front of goal and also making the right runs to get into goal scoring positions. Also decision making.

Some of that you can learn from experience and from playing with and against top strikers. It's the composure side that concerns me but I'm not giving up on him yet. I've seen him score some good goals so he has it in him.

It's a pity Southgate has had solanke and Abraham in the England squad. DCL really needs the exposure to superior forwards like Kane to learn from / watch in training. Hopefully he's got Rooney and Ferguson showing him a few things he needs to focus on.

It was a very Calvert Lewin performance yesterday. The lad has a great attitude, puts himself about but ultimately lacks composure and technical skill at the key moment.

When watching the game with my brother I said they would win, it had 2-0 Liverpool written all over it in the 2nd half. Bolasie's head had gone and we couldn't stop them marauding forward. Calvert Lewin changed the flow of that game, he won 7 or 8 tackles, got us further up the pitch and stopped Clyne from bombing forward which the allowed Baines the space he needed in the game.

The missed chance was really poor. He has to work at that. I don't think he will ever become a Harry Kane or even a Tosun as I'm not sure you can teach that. If you compare his miss to Tosuns miss, they are chalk and cheese, one is inches away another is a complete hack. He can get more composed though. Crucially I think he needs to build on his strengths, i.e. timing of jumps and timing of runs. He is incredibly powerful and leaps as well as anyone I have seen post Fergusan (Cahill and Speed were good too but smaller). If he can work at that, he will score more goals with his head. Likewise the better he gets at running channels the more of a hassle he will be, and he will help Tosun.

Like I've just said in the Davies thread, you can't expect young players to be finished articles (the only one I remember who was was Rooney) but you look at strengths and see are they improving. He has improved massively this season so obviously has a good attitude and also has fantastic physical stats.

For those who remember Marcus Bent, I see a lot of him in Calvert Lewin. A big lad, with a great attitude who worked tirelessly for a team who was 3rd at Christmas and 4th at the end of the season. I think he is already ahead of Bent in many aspects of the game (much better in the air and probably a slightly better finisher) but probably needs to learn to time runs better. I always felt we jettisoned Bent too soon and never really replaced him (Johnson was the closest we got for a brief period). I think most squads need a forward like Bent, who can hassle defences, turn long punts into offences weapons, run channels and get on the end of crosses.

I wouldn't be averted to him going to Holland for a loan, where I think the technical aspects of his game will improve and he will likely play most weeks as a number 9 which will help him.

While I'm gutted he missed a sitter, I also think he was a central reason in us avoiding a defeat yesterday and it's great to see a lad who's just turned 21 really fancying a derby game.

It's a tricky one really...if he went to the championship then it would be another Abraham situation I think where he would score a tonne of goals and really stand out...the same in Holland.

Somehow he's either got to be a consistent bench option for us at centre forward OR he needs to go to somewhere that's not particularly slow but could help him learn the technical side and composure...id plump for Germany.

 

[kithnou]

Could have been worse. Could have missed the Solanke chance. Now that was a sitter.

He’s got that on his CV too mate. You’ll find it under the previous experience column.

 

[kithnou]

Seriously now, how CAN you miss this?

I’m not criticising the miss. It’s the complete deer in the headlights fluff that he delivers when presented with the opportunity to make a name for himself.
Not up to it.

 

[toffee-L]

He crosses the ball better than he shoots. He put in a pearler to Bolasie in the City game that should have made it 1-1 and the ball for Rooney's header on the opening day against Stoke was another great cross. He's not a striker, at least not a lone one. That attempt against Liverpool was useless, it's got nothing to do with age he just has no composure in front of goal at all. I fancy him to score a lot more when he has headed chances as opposed to one's with his feet which says it all.

 

[Big Fat Sam]

He's crap. But hey he's English so let's all pretend he's not absolutely woeful.

 

[Barnfred 55]

It's a pity Southgate has had solanke and Abraham in the England squad. DCL really needs the exposure to superior forwards like Kane to learn from / watch in training. Hopefully he's got Rooney and Ferguson showing him a few things he needs to focus on.




It's a tricky one really...if he went to the championship then it would be another Abraham situation I think where he would score a tonne of goals and really stand out...the same in Holland.

Somehow he's either got to be a consistent bench option for us at centre forward OR he needs to go to somewhere that's not particularly slow but could help him learn the technical side and composure...id plump for Germany.

I see where you're coming from Zat but he's nowhere near ready for the England squad yet, but I agree Kane would have been ideal for him to work with and learn from. One of the reasons I was happy with Rooney coming back is I thought he would be great for working with the likes if DCL on the training ground. Not sure that is happening though. Certainly haven't heard any stories coming out of FF to that effect anyway.

Completely agree though that if we were to loan him anywhere, the Bundesliga would be my first choice. They have a completely different attitude to introducing young players to the first team and there's no doubt their league is more technical than ours.

Interestingly I saw an interview with Lothar Matthaus a week or so ago and he reckons that's about to change. He says with more managers like Poch, Klopp and Pep in the Premier league prepared to give youth a chance, coupled with us having the best youth players in world football, that we'll be a force by the time the 2022 world cup comes around. We'll see.

 

[toffeejack]

He crosses the ball better than he shoots. He put in a pearler to Bolasie in the City game that should have made it 1-1 and the ball for Rooney's header on the opening day against Stoke was another great cross. He's not a striker, at least not a lone one. That attempt against Liverpool was useless, it's got nothing to do with age he just has no composure in front of goal at all. I fancy him to score a lot more when he has headed chances as opposed to one's with his feet which says it all.

That header to win the game vs limossol at the death was utterly terrible.

 

[jonnyg]

what's wrong with having a Danny Welbeck type in your squad?

Nothing, useful player to have, but think expectations of him need to be managed

 

[Zatara]

I see where you're coming from Zat but he's nowhere near ready for the England squad yet, but I agree Kane would have been ideal for him to work with and learn from. One of the reasons I was happy with Rooney coming back is I thought he would be great for working with the likes if DCL on the training ground. Not sure that is happening though. Certainly haven't heard any stories coming out of FF to that effect anyway.

Completely agree though that if we were to loan him anywhere, the Bundesliga would be my first choice. They have a completely different attitude to introducing young players to the first team and there's no doubt their league is more technical than ours.

Interestingly I saw an interview with Lothar Matthaus a week or so ago and he reckons that's about to change. He says with more managers like Poch, Klopp and Pep in the Premier league prepared to give youth a chance, coupled with us having the best youth players in world football, that we'll be a force by the time the 2022 world cup comes around. We'll see.

To clarify, I don't think he'd warrant a full call up either

Just to have in the squad for experience like Solanke and Abraham have got (who have been far worse than DCL)..

Agree on the rest of your post 100%

 

[toffee-L]

That header to win the game vs limossol at the death was utterly terrible.

Yeah I forgot about that one, was right behind that one too although that is one of many games this season I've tried to permanently etch from my brain! His headers at home against Watford and away at Arsenal were pretty good though.