Tony Elsby
New Member
After being so close to a brace at Crewe this might not be the right time to ask but is Connolly really a centre forward?.
Talented, awkward, a handful even spectacular at times but Levein, to my mind, has a problem. Certainly the Scowcroft/Conolly combination looked better than anything else so far, but do they have enough goals in them?
Specific coaching, better team shape and closer support may turn things in their favour - and I hope so because both seem good value, honest-to-goodness footballers.
But will they muster 15 goals each in a season or a combination of 30 goals between them which is the yardstick for success. I know it may sound daft but, exciting as it looks, Connolly hits too much woodwork and has too many near misses.
Is he rather like Huckerby, Harewood etc - someone who flatters to deceive, someone who looks dynamic but doesn't quite register the goals that he ought to.
Dickov was almost the opposite. Terrier-like, awkward but never what you'd call classy. But, just like Cottee before him, he was always getting "tiddler" goals, little, unspectacular tap-ins or simple 15-yard finishes, often with the minimum of fuss.
I remember an old Leicestershire footballer who was similar. Frank Sheard. People used to ask what I saw in him when I was his manager. I'd answer "18 goals plus every season".
He never looked anything but keen and committed. He wasn't fast nor particularly skilful to look at. But he was always there when the ball was in the box and it went in the net off his shin, off his backside whatever.
Can Connolly learn the skill or will he be better supporting Scowcroft and a more natural striker? What does the forum think. Are the current players capable of scoring enough goals (even accepting that two SHOUD) have been enough against Crewe?.
Talented, awkward, a handful even spectacular at times but Levein, to my mind, has a problem. Certainly the Scowcroft/Conolly combination looked better than anything else so far, but do they have enough goals in them?
Specific coaching, better team shape and closer support may turn things in their favour - and I hope so because both seem good value, honest-to-goodness footballers.
But will they muster 15 goals each in a season or a combination of 30 goals between them which is the yardstick for success. I know it may sound daft but, exciting as it looks, Connolly hits too much woodwork and has too many near misses.
Is he rather like Huckerby, Harewood etc - someone who flatters to deceive, someone who looks dynamic but doesn't quite register the goals that he ought to.
Dickov was almost the opposite. Terrier-like, awkward but never what you'd call classy. But, just like Cottee before him, he was always getting "tiddler" goals, little, unspectacular tap-ins or simple 15-yard finishes, often with the minimum of fuss.
I remember an old Leicestershire footballer who was similar. Frank Sheard. People used to ask what I saw in him when I was his manager. I'd answer "18 goals plus every season".
He never looked anything but keen and committed. He wasn't fast nor particularly skilful to look at. But he was always there when the ball was in the box and it went in the net off his shin, off his backside whatever.
Can Connolly learn the skill or will he be better supporting Scowcroft and a more natural striker? What does the forum think. Are the current players capable of scoring enough goals (even accepting that two SHOUD) have been enough against Crewe?.
