For a big guy he didn't win too much in the air but when he had it at his feet he generally found a teammate with a pass. I can see why he's carved a career at this level but not progressed any higher. I think he deserves respect for what he's achieved.
He's not tall though, only 5' 11. Probably 5'11 wide too!
I had never seen him in real life before and assumed he was just a big lump who holds it up and wins a lot in the air etc but I was surprised how good his touch and link up play was. Fair play to him.
I thought he was very good in the first half, linking up play and barely wasting a ball - especially as he was up against two of the best central defenders in the division.
Like his team, though, he ran out of steam as the game wore on although, in his case, at least he had the excuse of being several years older than his colleagues (Mackail-Smith excepted).
Sure I read somewhere 14 of his 18 Goals last year were headers. Thought we didn’t screen him enough first half, and was too eager to beat him to the ball, which wouldn’t happen due to the size. Second half Pearce sussed him, and started to nick the ball in front of him.
I thought he was brilliant last night, made it very difficult for our back 4 and won stuff he had no right to, a credit a Wycombe side whoe played with spirit, commitment and I hope stay up.
He played the full 90 minutes too, and it wasn't as if he didn't do any running either. There's a great moment from him around the 47 second mark in the highlights
When you think of some of the con artists nicking a living who have played for us in the last decade or so this guy earns his money.He knows his strengths and limitations and uses them. He is their Carlo and what's not to like? A breath of fresh air in a shit football World
Always impressed with the amount of headers he wins in the box from different angles. I know he’s big (massive even) but he’s not the tallest and the number of times the ball comes in to him 5 or 6 yards away and he still connects with it.
Watching the highlights back on Valley Pass, it looks to me he got away with more than his fair share of shoves in the backs of defenders. This is a skill most decent target men possess, though, to be fair.
Watching the highlights back on Valley Pass, it looks to me he got away with more than his fair share of shoves in the backs of defenders. This is a skill most decent target men possess, though, to be fair.
A lot of the challenges to me seemed more to be defenders bouncing off him rather than shoves!
Watching the highlights back on Valley Pass, it looks to me he got away with more than his fair share of shoves in the backs of defenders. This is a skill most decent target men possess, though, to be fair.
A lot of the challenges to me seemed more to be defenders bouncing off him rather than shoves!
Well I think that’s partly why he gets away with it, referees think the same thing, but there were definitely a few unpunished pushes.
Love watching him, he has a great first touch and good awareness. But he’s a master at the little shove, and when you’re shoved by Akinfenwa, you stay shoved.
Love watching him, he has a great first touch and good awareness. But he’s a master at the little shove, and when you’re shoved by Akinfenwa, you stay shoved.
Love watching him, he has a great first touch and good awareness. But he’s a master at the little shove, and when you’re shoved by Akinfenwa, you stay shoved.
Reminds me of the sort of player that as an 11 year old i'd turn up on a sunday morning to find out i was marking and i'd think hang the fuck on, this kid is at least 17.
Sure I read somewhere 14 of his 18 Goals last year were headers.
Thought we didn’t screen him enough first half, and was too eager to beat him to the ball, which wouldn’t happen due to the size. Second half Pearce sussed him, and started to nick the ball in front of him.
I'm sure Bowyer would have been well aware of this. That's why our defensive line was so far up the pitch. They're heavily dependent on him and he's not the sort of player to be making threatening runs.
Reminds me of the sort of player that as an 11 year old i'd turn up on a sunday morning to find out i was marking and i'd think hang the fuck on, this kid is at least 17.
Reminds me of playing Sunday football and one of my mates who was taller (and i’m 6’1”) and a lot wider. One week we had a friendly match. He and I were both playing as central defenders (in the days before I found out I could score more goals playing as a forward - go on Nabby, you know you can). Anyway the first half was a bit one sided as nothing was getting past us. It was a friendly so to make a game of it the solution was to split us up and I went and played on the other team. At one point, out of frustration of watching my new team mates bounce off my mate for the umpteenth time I had to scream at them ‘ffs, try going around him, not through him’. A bit like Costa, he never had to move much because he was like a magnet to a forward with the ball, they always went to him, and lost.
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Like his team, though, he ran out of steam as the game wore on although, in his case, at least he had the excuse of being several years older than his colleagues (Mackail-Smith excepted).
Thought we didn’t screen him enough first half, and was too eager to beat him to the ball, which wouldn’t happen due to the size. Second half Pearce sussed him, and started to nick the ball in front of him.
This geezer was top drawer last night.
Doffs cap again.
https://www.skysports.com/football/wycombe-vs-charlton/393562
your tits are offside
Respect.