Has Wilf become a bet CF than a winger he is definately the best finisher and times his runs well, maybe if we buy Antoine Semenyo he is LW material, the bits i have seen on youtube he reminds me of Wilf

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn

Not uncommon to see players of a certain quality, hit certain ages and switch positions to better suit their new 'mobility' status.

Wilf doesn't quite look as blistering as before which was very helpful on the wing but I think has all the requirements for a very good CF:

- Not blistering, but still quick
- Strength and determination
- Tricky, if not the trickiest feet
- Can beat a man, can beat several men if necessary
- Can absolutely bullet the ball
- Can now finish astutely
- Can pick a pass if another player in a better position
- Can time a run

I would be keen and I'd also add I'd far more fancy our chances in signing a decent LW than signing an effective CF.

Jut my opinion of course

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I garland these comments with concurrence and praise.

On the two occasions we won at Man C , under both Hodgson and Vieira, Wilf played down the middle .
It is evident that against the top teams where we’re unlikely to see much of the ball, Vieira has shown a willingness to play Wilf as a lone front man.
For me it’s not a long term solution and only to be used for specific games.
In fact yesterday I was hoping that when Ayew came off for Edouard yesterday Zaha would move to the right with Edouard down the middle.
Edouard does his best work in the penalty area and gets his shots away.
Zaha often wants an extra touch as when the ball was rolled across the area to him yesterday and he can be over elaborate.
It could also be argued that Mateta is a better option as a one touch finisher than Zaha.
This is not a criticism of Wilf - he’s skill is there for everyone to see, but occasionally there is one twist or turn too many.
Finishers like Vardy or Aguero have one aim - to hit the back of the net.
Murray was the last genuine finisher we had in my view.
Benteke scored goals in his first season but his movement in the penalty area was not that of a genuine predator and he seemed to lack desire and intent.

Firstly, I agree with much of the rest of your post (which I have deleted from mine for space reasons).

As for the two strikers you are dismissing because they don't trouble top defences etc.:
- All 5 of Edouard's goals in open play last season came against Spurs, Arsenal Liverpool and West Ham (the other was a penalty against Norwich).
- Mateta tends to bully the lesser teams and has a role to play against them IMO.
- Neither striker has been given a long enough run to determine their effectiveness. On the basis of minutes played the two strikers are scoring at the equivalent of 14/15 goals a season in open play. If you don't include one of them in the team, who will make up their goal tally if Zaha plays centrally all the time? I can see Olise getting a few if he's played regularly but beyond that I don't see anyone else.

Edited by doombear (16 Aug 2022 1.24pm)

I would expect Zaha to get goals if he played up top, and also place pressure on Eze and Olise to get more this season, as that seems the next phase of development for them both. If Zaha plays up top we will also have space for an extra attacking wide player or midfielder, who should also be expected to contribute.

I take your point regarding who Edouard scored against, and Mateta being an awkward opponent for lesser sides, but as per my previous post I don't feel like we miss either of them when they don't play.

I know it's early days, and I hope he will develop and do well, but there is a reason we are still linked with strikers even after spending money on Edouard. I thought he really struggled last year.

His disappointing goal return is explained in part by the time he spent on the bench or on the wing, but he spent so much time on the bench and the wing because his all-round game as a centre-forward was so flaky. He seems to lack killer pace and/or the timing of runs in behind, but isn't very good with his back to goal either. He has little obvious penalty box movement (he doesn't nip across the defender at the front post, or peel off to attack the back post etc), and looks instead to get the ball to feet so he can try and use close control and skill to make shooting chances. He seems very much an individualist, and hasn't shown signs of doing the work a centre forward must for the team. If we are going to accept poor team play in exchange for individual skill, might as well just use Wilf up top - he is far more likely to win us a game.

In my opinion, Mateta must wake up and think it's Christmas every day. I just can't believe he ever gets a game, awkward customer to play against or not. Even if you feel I'm being harsh, try this exercise - give all the Palace forwards a nominal score out of ten, or a transfer market value (presuming they all had the same contract length). Then pick the three attacking players who have the highest score/value. I'd be amazed if Mateta was in anyone's most valuable front line. I appreciate that teams need balance and blend, but when it comes to Mateta we are accepting too distinct a lack of quality in exchange for effort.

Edited by TheBigToePunt (16 Aug 2022 2.03pm)