Quote Originally Posted by the_anticlough View Post
There are some very encouraging signs in his post-match interview... apart from sounding happy enough, committed to working hard and accepting that the Head Coach picks the team

he described himself as 'the best'...(in training, on that day), it's great that he's still got the self-belief and pride to say that - all players, especially strikers maybe, need to think like that

we found out he's having his 1st child very soon. There's nothing like becoming a father for the first time for focusing the mind on your career and what you have to do...

Finally, he'll have increased his standing in the squad and gained some attention/respect. He'll be wanting more of that...
Having won that game for us, what's important now is that he gets some more pitch time over the next 3 games or so...or he'd be forgiven for thinking 'what's the point'. Trust IB to take care of that...

I've been arguing for Sam on here for a while and never stopped thinking he could be a real asset given the opportunity.
Now I think the tide's turned for him at Notts and we're about to see the real player.
I totally agree.

My impression for a while has been that we've got a really gifted and underrated player in Eli Sam but haven't found the way to get the best out of him, and that he could disappear at the end of the season without ever having had a proper run in the team and an opportunity to show what he can do, only to go somewhere else and prove his ability.

Fortunately, I think IB does recognise Eli's potential, has finally found the best position for him (in a front two) and may be ready to unleash him more often, which hopefully will mean Eli goes into any potential contract extension negotiations in a positive frame of mind. We had a similar situation with Adam Chicksen last summer, who had been inexplicably frozen out by Neal Ardley but who chose to stay after IB gave him more game time.