The counter argument to not giving Fink a fair chance to impress comes in two words: Ali Al-Hamadi. Never given a chance to really show us what he could do at Wycombe despite obviously having something about him… being kept out of the team by a player many thought was pretty inferior (Tjay de Barr… apologies @inflikted)… let go for his own benefit and because it was pretty embarrassing keeping him around and not using him… goes on to instantly score shed loads, big money transfer up the leagues, plays in the Premier League..
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Very true, there’s always that. I do hope and want Fink to come good, just like with every player that joins the Chairboys, but whether that’ll happen here or at another club, we’ll just have to wait and see.
It’s worth remembering that none of us see Bradley Fink in training or behind the scenes. Michael Duff will be fully aware he’s a high-profile signing and despite this, clearly doesn’t fancy him as a starter.
It’s all very well @Chairboys80 calling out yet another manager as absolute crap (it’s amazing we’ve made it to League One considering the dross we’ve been lumbered with over the last decade) but he’ll be bellyaching within minutes if Duff starts Fink and we don’t win games.
A loan out would seem to be the most sensible option. We don’t have the luxury of five-game trials.
Al Hamedi 100% showed much more than what Fink has. Remember him playing against Bristol City in a cup game and he looked like he had something about him. Fink looks a million miles off it and that isn’t going to change. I’d place him at National League level at absolute tops
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With the majority of players signed in the summer and last Jan becoming a flop, i have heard that in training Fink actually looks alright. More than the likes of Tilley Westergaard Taylor Huggins who all look terrible. His finishing in training is top notch, but the issue is his physical side of the game not being suited for the league 1 rumble and tumble. That is something duff is trying to work on him with, in terms of his movement away from defenders so he doesn’t end up in a physical battle. His lack of ability to win headers even in training is also a concern. Apparently his confidence is completely shot however, and has got worse as the weeks have gone by. But this started from not really having a pre season and being injured on multiple occasions during the season. For me i have not seen anything to say he will improve, but it sounds like he is the only one they feel can with promising signs, unlike the rest of the squad. Again i know many people have sources and some we can believe some we cant, but mine is at the training ground most days so i would like to take his word for it.
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Have heard similar re: Fink. It’s public knowledge that Duff is trying to work with him on the intricacies of leading a line in L1 and I’ve heard this is happening in training but it’s hard going. Maybe he’ll turn out to be a lethal fox in the box but he’s got to do some of the nasty stuff too, this isn’t the same as playing Duisburg U21s.
Duff has been a pretty open book in terms of his comments and actions.
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So I have waited for a while to comment on Saturday so here goes.
Got the 9.28 from Wycombe up to Brum, quick pint in the All Bar One before getting the train to Burton. Off the train and straight into the Roebuck and a lovely pint of Pedigree. Friendly staff and an amusing sign.
Next off down the road a little way and into The Devonshire Arms (thanks @petef1 for the recommendation). What a nice, cozy, friendly boozer. Had a pint of Bass… which I haven’t seen outside of Ireland since the 70’s/80’s. Met some very chatty Burton fans and I did call it that it had 0-0 written all over it…they didn’t agree and thought we’d win.
Down the road some more and into the Spoons….wish we hadn’t as beer was crap, I did however meet our dedicated football police officer in there, nice chap as were the local plod in there. Apparently The Beech was the dedicated away pub and they kept suggesting we headed up there…..we ignored them but interested if anyone went to the Beech? Went back up to the Devonshire instead and then uber to the ground. Nice cheeseburger in the ground.
As for the game…..absolute pony.
Uber back to the Roebuck another Pedigree and then walk over the road to the station and onto the train and home by 8.30pm.
Really enjoyable day out…except for the match. Fearing the worst for the Chrimbo period.
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I don’t think this is the hot take you think it is. Ali Al Hamadi has never played well above League 2 level, which is probably Fink’s level at the moment.
His movement will have to be incredible to avoid getting into physical stuff!
He poked a few goals in the champ for the stand out team, but he’s stalled a fair bit and is now back at the same level as us.
I can’t remember a player where at the time barely anyone said anything about him starting, but as soon as he started scoring a lot (in the division below) so many said they’d always rated him.
I can’t remember if it was glasshalfful or Chas who said he was the only player they’d ever seen at pro level sprint off for the ball without even looking where it was headed first.
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Beware of posts predicting we are too good to go down
Every team needs to get the magic 50-ish points, no matter how good they think they are. Football is full of teams who finished in the relegation places at the end of the season thinking they were too good to go down.
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In Al-Hamadi’s case, we were trying to play him mostly as a target man, which he was not.
I vaguely recall him looking a little better on the wing, with decent pace and ball control, but I also recall aerial play being far from one of his strengths…which probably made him look worse than he was when we were hoofing it up to him all the time.
All my hot takes sizzle. My hot takes are all smoking hot.
Here’s another one: I’ll be delighted if / when Tilley is despatched from the club on Jan 1st. I’ve never taken against a player faster than I did him, starting in his signing video where - as I think I said at the time - he looked like he’d wandered in from an all-day drinking session in a Wetherspoons in Magaluf.
I haven’t seen the video in question, but can you imagine any player like that being signed by GA?
Definitely.
A few weeks ago it looked impossible and the playoffs much more likely.
But this recent run has been a bit of a wakeup call and we need to quickly get back on track.
As while 12th sounds miles off bottom 4 talk, the relegation zone is only 3 points away.
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I agree on Tilley. I had to leave the Huddersfield game early to get a train just before 5.00 from Wycombe. Tilley got on same train in his squad tracksuit whilst game was finishing. Not impressed
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That is madness unless it was just some other herbert with no idea with all the gear.
As I can’t pretend i’d recognise Tilley at all.
And yet Westergaard was in the starting 11 the last time we actually played well (and for 20+ mins first half very well) (Rotherham away)
They won’t be watching. They said the other day that they were no longer going to waste the time and money watching this dross (or words to that effect). And they would never ruin their credibility by going back on what they say
We are gonna be stuffed by Cardiff City come New Year’s Day!!!