Noah Okafor

[PhoenixUnited]

As usual some fans are very quick to slag off players, like some were doing when we signed new ones during the summer and they trying to gel with new team mates. If they dont do it from the first minute of the first game, they are labelled useless and a waste of money.
We can`t and never will get all our signings perfect, some will work out well, and some won`t. Its a TEAM game and right now the TEAM are doing well. No need to start picking out individuals and putting them on the scrap heap.

That's a fair point and I can accept that there are some of our bretheren given to knee jerk reactions with new or existing players or things related to the club generally. .

By the same token though if we see a shortcoming in the team or individuals, indeed anything to do with the club, it is right and proper to raise an issue. That is partly what this forum is for?

Just now, we are half way through the season. The players and the manager have had adequate time to settle and to gel. Us fans have had a goodly period to make up their minds about the lie of the land and come to a view about where we might end up in May. Some things we find OK or acceptable and others not to our liking.

I don't have a problem with seeing differing views on things so long as it is not personal or vindictive. I can agree with some views and not others, respond sometimes, chuckle on occasion and ignore stuff when it is out of left field.

It'd be very boring if all of us were on the same line of the same page of the same book would it not?

[weasel]

Hasn't got a goal or assist in 3 months (and has started basically all the games in that time)

1 if you give him the Man City one but 1 in 3 months.

Not convinced by him at all.

Run really fast, head down, poor shot/cross/ get tackled.

Needs a spell out of the side imo.

I'd have given him an assist for DCL's tap in v Chelsea. If Okafor doesn't get to the ball then DCL isn't scoring. Shows how stupid the assist thing is as Aaronsen gets an assist for Stach's goal v Liverpool where Stach receives the ball, runs past a player, or two, and then slams the ball home.

[weasel]

That's a fair point and I can accept that there are some of our bretheren given to knee jerk reactions with new or existing players or things related to the club generally. .

By the same token though if we see a shortcoming in the team or individuals, indeed anything to do with the club, it is right and proper to raise an issue. That is partly what this forum is for?

Just now, we are half way through the season. The players and the manager have had adequate time to settle and to gel. Us fans have had a goodly period to make up their minds about the lie of the land and come to a view about where we might end up in May. Some things we find OK or acceptable and others not to our liking.

I don't have a problem with seeing differing views on things so long as it is not personal or vindictive. I can agree with some views and not others, respond sometimes, chuckle on occasion and ignore stuff when it is out of left field.

It'd be very boring if all of us were on the same line of the same page of the same book would it not?

I think it is all about having a bit of patience, judging a player not just when they are having a bad run but also after they have had a good run too (hopefully Okafor will have one). Is DCL the stiker who was blazing penalties over the bar, snatching and missing chances or the striker who has scored a goal a game for the last few matches? He is somewhere in between. Many fans wrote DCL off but then suddenly the footballing gods smile on him and he gets tap ins v Man City and Chelsea and with his confidence back he bangs a few more in. Might be the same for Okafor, just needs one to go in and then might have a run of goals, he was unlucky v MU his overhead unfortunately being at a great height for the keeper to save it but it was a great effort.

We see it all the time with striker. Piroe a great example. Had a run of games without a goal and then bangs in 4 v Stoke. Amazing what a goal or two does for a striker. Same with Ollie Watkins, misses sitter after sitter during a barren spell then suddenly scoring for fun.

[Cjay]

Weird thing to post

Clearly saw Leon's poll.

[1964white]

Weird thing to post

Clearly saw Leon's poll.

Why our poll, CJay?

[CHAPELALLMAN]

I think it is all about having a bit of patience, judging a player not just when they are having a bad run but also after they have had a good run too (hopefully Okafor will have one). Is DCL the stiker who was blazing penalties over the bar, snatching and missing chances or the striker who has scored a goal a game for the last few matches? He is somewhere in between. Many fans wrote DCL off but then suddenly the footballing gods smile on him and he gets tap ins v Man City and Chelsea and with his confidence back he bangs a few more in. Might be the same for Okafor, just needs one to go in and then might have a run of goals, he was unlucky v MU his overhead unfortunately being at a great height for the keeper to save it but it was a great effort.

We see it all the time with striker. Piroe a great example. Had a run of games without a goal and then bangs in 4 v Stoke. Amazing what a goal or two does for a striker. Same with Ollie Watkins, misses sitter after sitter during a barren spell then suddenly scoring for fun.

Trouble is that the bad run has been going on a long time. This from Cjay's comments about him at the time that we signed him ;

" Big things were expected last season but he struggled, just 1 goal to show in 400 odd minutes at the start of the season then injuries struck. Was deemed surplus by the time he returned and was loaned to Napoli but barely played.

He is a direct, pacey and versatile player able to play anywhere across the front line but best on the left cutting in.

A tricky winger able to get fans out of their seats. Downside is he's yet to show consistent form outside of Austrian football (flashes in Italy) and hasn't got close to the heights that were expected a few years ago.

But more of an issue is he's made of biscuits and has been injury plagued basically his whole career "


And DCL has turned his form around this season with about the same amount of game time that Okafor has had. That's the difference. We could still be waiting for Okafor to improve by the end of the season with him having started nearly every match. He's already had half a season to show more promise, yet he consistently gets 4s and 5s in the ratings on here and elsewhere. Even with Harrison, he used to have one really good game in say 4 or 5.

[White Riot]

Hasn't got a goal or assist in 3 months (and has started basically all the games in that time)

1 if you give him the Man City one but 1 in 3 months.

Not convinced by him at all.

Run really fast, head down, poor shot/cross/ get tackled.

Needs a spell out of the side imo.

Each player needs to earn a starting place, but Noah seems guaranteed a start whatever he does.

So far he's not produced for us, and yet we have Tanaka, Gnonto and Piroe who helped us to get promoted hardly given a kick now.

That's down to Farke.

[White Riot]

Weird thing to post

Clearly saw Leon's poll.

I guess he's not a fan of Joy Division, The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen

[Cjay]

Why our poll, CJay?

Was a joke . . . . .

Still weird thing he posted.

[White Riot]

We've had over half a season of Noah Okafor with little production.

Gnonto and Tanaka have produced at this level for us, and Piroe was a key man in getting us promoted.

Is it not worth giving them an opportunity to show us what they can do? Rather than just plodding on and hoping Okafor will come good by the end of the season.

I'm not saying to completely discard Okafor, but to give others a shot and see who makes the best case to be a starter.

[pjm2019]

Each player needs to earn a starting place, but Noah seems guaranteed a start whatever he does.

So far he's not produced for us, and yet we have Tanaka, Gnonto and Piroe who helped us to get promoted hardly given a kick now.

That's down to Farke.

i am not a great fan of Gnonto but would like DF to play him from the start up front with DCL

[White Riot]

i am not a great fan of Gnonto but would like DF to play him from the start up front with DCL

Yeah, when we've got options to replace an underperforming player why not try them?

Okafor hasn't pulled any trees up.

[Barlow Boy]

[media] [/media]

[The Subhuman]

Always forget he's Swiss

[Cjay]

Swiss media reporting Noah Okafor was left out of the team earlier vs Norway because of a training ground knock as a precaution.

[1964white]

Along with Ao, Okafor had a terrific first-half.

[PhoenixUnited]

Along with Ao, Okafor had a terrific first-half.

Fair enough NO had arguably his best game for us so far this season. Considering how unfit he looked in the last game he looked in surprisingly good nick.

However, here we are in April and he really ought to be in top physical condition and able to play full games. As it is, he's just about managing about half and hour if he starts the match before he is blowing hard and barely makes it into the second half before he comes off looking knackered and limping. It ain't enough in my book.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Fair enough NO had arguably his best game for us so far this season. Considering how unfit he looked in the last game he looked in surprisingly good nick.

However, here we are in April and he really ought to be in top physical condition and able to play full games. As it is, he's just about managing about half and hour if he starts the match before he is blowing hard and barely makes it into the second half before he comes off looking knackered and limping. It ain't enough in my book.

As well as that, he's amazingly fragile in terms of incurring injuries. He even managed to sustain another injury whilst on international duty.

He's not worth anything like what we paid for him.

[wilsdenwhite]

When all is said and done if he scores the winner at Old Trafford or scores the goal that that wins the s/f / final or scores the goal that keeps us up then I will consider it evens for this season. Until then I agree with the above 2 posts.

[weasel]

Fair enough NO had arguably his best game for us so far this season. Considering how unfit he looked in the last game he looked in surprisingly good nick.

However, here we are in April and he really ought to be in top physical condition and able to play full games. As it is, he's just about managing about half and hour if he starts the match before he is blowing hard and barely makes it into the second half before he comes off looking knackered and limping. It ain't enough in my book.

I think at times though he is blowing hard after having done a sprint. You can be fit as an overcooked potato but if you do a sprint you may be blowing for a bit afterwards rather than if you are jogging. So just cos he may be blowing at times doesn't mean that in a couple of minutes he couldn't put in another lung bursting run (note the terminology).

That said would definitely be good to see him putting a run of games together.