Portsmouth eyeing Wootton swoop

[Elite_Pie]

No, never thought that Pedro, seems to be a thing with younger fans - comes up on here, Magpie Circle and now NC Talk...

He's been here 1 year 3mths and hasn't had a fair shot at showing what he can do. I think in football if you're a nice guy, laid-back, easy going, and English isn't your 1st language, a lack of gravitas can hold you back in a football squad where you have big characters vying for the coaches/media/fans' attention. This can lead to a squandering of talent. We know this happened with Ruben. Hear how the B'Wood manager called him the most talented player in the NL? Well that was true 13 months ago, but it didn't stop coaches not picking him for 17 out of our 42 league games last season!
I have no doubt at all that something like that is happening with Elisha Sam. Can't deny it works both ways though, when you're given the chance, however limited, you HAVE TO take it.

I just don't see what Eli Sam offers, he doesn't seem to have an actual position and I don't know how he would fit into our usual formations. He might get the chance of a start soon in the FA Trophy games, but I would be very surprised if he makes any sort of impact at Notts.

That's not meant to be a dig, just my opinion.

[the_anticlough]

I just don't see what Eli Sam offers, he doesn't seem to have an actual position and I don't know how he would fit into our usual formations. He might get the chance of a start soon in the FA Trophy games, but I would be very surprised if makes any sort of impact at Notts.

That's not meant to be a dig, just my opinion.

Yes, noted and respected. The odds are actually against it now (making an impact).

Here's mine though - Eli Sam has actually got more potential to be the promotion winning striker we need than Kyle Wootton.
The heights he could potentially reach are higher than the level Wootton could ever aspire too. There's something of the Thierry Henry about his style and there's no doubting he has better technical ability than many forwards we've had at Notts over the years. There are many things getting in the way of this, including confidence, lack of determination as well as us not being able to afford giving a player 5-6 games to find his feet.
I think we've been wasting a talent and a hundred comments telling me I'm wrong won't change my mind about that

[jacobncfc]

I actually really like Sam and he has provided us with some really good moments during his time at Notts. His problem appears to be consistency and often struggling to read the game. Head down bearing in on goal you'll always fancy him to score. Unfortunately we have a manager who goes by the mantra defend from the front attack from the back. Halifax's winning goal when they came from 2-0 down with 10 men was a prime example. Their player who created the chance was allowed to literally walk past Sam without any challenge, it almost looked like Sam wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. It's the one area of his game I feel he needs to work on, unfortunately other than at training he's not really getting the chance to improve by playing games.

This. Sam’s a decent footballer, skilful and can finish. But he’s grown up in leagues where there’s generally a different style of play to our one, which is all about intensity and pace. He’s struggled to come to terms with that IMO, and not done what Ruben has and adapted his game to become effective in this environment.

Whether he could do given more of a chance is a sort of pointless circular argument, because from his limited chances he’s never really looked like doing it.

[durhampie]

I actually really like Sam and he has provided us with some really good moments during his time at Notts. His problem appears to be consistency and often struggling to read the game. Head down bearing in on goal you'll always fancy him to score. Unfortunately we have a manager who goes by the mantra defend from the front attack from the back. Halifax's winning goal when they came from 2-0 down with 10 men was a prime example. Their player who created the chance was allowed to literally walk past Sam without any challenge, it almost looked like Sam wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. It's the one area of his game I feel he needs to work on, unfortunately other than at training he's not really getting the chance to improve by playing games.

He is useless and the sooner we off-load the better.

[PedroTheFisherman66]

I just don't see what Eli Sam offers, he doesn't seem to have an actual position and I don't know how he would fit into our usual formations. He might get the chance of a start soon in the FA Trophy games, but I would be very surprised if he makes any sort of impact at Notts.

That's not meant to be a dig, just my opinion.

I think that's the point Elite.
We have a player in our squad that doesn't seem to fit at present. I dont think we have a budget that allows us such a luxury and I still believe there must be some talent in there waiting to be deployed.
I just think centre forward (with coaching)might be an untried option...and it's a position where we are lacking...

[matt_magpie]

Yes, noted and respected. The odds are actually against it now (making an impact).

Here's mine though - Eli Sam has actually got more potential to be the promotion winning striker we need than Kyle Wootton.
The heights he could potentially reach are higher than the level Wootton could ever aspire too. There's something of the Thierry Henry about his style and there's no doubting he has better technical ability than many forwards we've had at Notts over the years. There are many things getting in the way of this, including confidence, lack of determination as well as us not being able to afford giving a player 5-6 games to find his feet.
I think we've been wasting a talent and a hundred comments telling me I'm wrong won't change my mind about that

I have to say I haven’t seen the technical ability from him at all, his touch has been found wanting quite a few times when he’s been given a chance. I won’t slate any of our players but for me the best thing would for him to go out on loan, if he has the potential he needs game time and he’s getting none at the moment sat behind Wooton and Mitchell.

[ncfcog]

I have to say I haven’t seen the technical ability from him at all, his touch has been found wanting quite a few times when he’s been given a chance. I won’t slate any of our players but for me the best thing would for him to go out on loan, if he has the potential he needs game time and he’s getting none at the moment sat behind Wooton and Mitchell.

He’ll lead us to FA Trophy glory!

[countygump]

He’ll lead us to FA Trophy glory!

Hope so. He has ability, unfortunately as of yet we've been unable to eke it out of him on a regular basis. If you compare Wooters now to when he first came to us, he has progressed as a player and now as well as a goal scorer, he's a damn decent hold up player. I was rather hoping we could do the same with Sam. Still only 24 and half way thru his connie, so, time yet.

[magpie_mania]

I just don't see what Eli Sam offers, he doesn't seem to have an actual position and I don't know how he would fit into our usual formations. He might get the chance of a start soon in the FA Trophy games, but I would be very surprised if he makes any sort of impact at Notts.

That's not meant to be a dig, just my opinion.

Exactly my thoughts.

Bit of a round peg and all that.

[kill_the_drum]

No, never thought that Pedro, seems to be a thing with younger fans - comes up on here, Magpie Circle and now NC Talk...

He's been here 1 year 3mths and hasn't had a fair shot at showing what he can do. I think in football if you're a nice guy, laid-back, easy going, and English isn't your 1st language, a lack of gravitas can hold you back in a football squad where you have big characters vying for the coaches/media/fans' attention. This can lead to a squandering of talent. We know this happened with Ruben. Hear how the B'Wood manager called him the most talented player in the NL? Well that was true 13 months ago, but it didn't stop coaches not picking him for 17 out of our 42 league games last season!
I have no doubt at all that something like that is happening with Elisha Sam. Can't deny it works both ways though, when you're given the chance, however limited, you HAVE TO take it.

Sorry but I strongly disagree.
To suggest our current manager and back room staff are overlooking him because he’s laid back and foreign is ridiculous and quite frankly, an insult. How do you even know he’s laid back?
I’m really not one for criticising players, and I see potential and ability of quite a lot of our fringe players, but Sam isn’t one of them. He’s tall but certainly not strong. I’ve seen him score a couple of goals, but have never seen him have a good game. The worldy he scored was lucky. Not because he didn’t mean it but because he wasn’t hauled off at half time!
He has a fair shot of showing what he can do every week in training, and he obviously fails to do that more than his team mates.