Wish he could!
Finished
Wish he could!
Austin is the metro, it was alright at first, but over the years people realised it was a pile of s hit.
He must hate those puma tops though. As they make him look Cyril Smith rather than a muslces rippling Cyril Regis.
Austin was always a great finisher going right back to his days in non league with Poole...........their fans always raves about him whenever Stourbridge fans got chatting with them.
I’ve always thought of him as a “one touch” finisher as I’ll try to explain.
I came up with this terminology to describe myself at my own lowly level of football in Sunday League and indoor football playing up front.
If I had time to think or a finish needed two or three touches to control the ball or manipulate it into a shooting position I was useless.
If however it was a cross or a through ball or a volley that had to be finished with just that one touch I was useful at my level.
I’ve watched a lot of Austin goals from previous years and many of his finishes are clinical headers or volleys or touches in off crosses that just required one touch.
The way we play requires an Odemwingie type forward who’s quick on the turn and has nimble feet and sharp movement.
Austin has lost his youthful movement which is diminishing him as a player as well.
In the right side at the right level he’d still get 20+ a season but in truth he’d be better off at Sunderland or Portsmouth in League One.
I feel for him tbh because I don’t think he’s not trying.
I agree - I think he cares and he is trying..... it’s just not working for him. Seemed desperate to score last night .....and should have got a couple.... but seems to be lacking confidence..... mind the ball he put Philips through on goal with his outside foot was pure class..... but age is diminishing what was once a great player. Remember him scoring 2 or 3 against us at QPR quite a few seasons ago...was unstoppable back then..
When Charlie was signed the club knew full well he lacked general fitness and game time conditioning. I have it on good authority it was thought he'd be able to play himself back into fitness not only through extra training but with game time minutes under his belt. Unfortunately it appears his body is no longer responding in the way it once did.
Age is a number, biological age is not. Essentially it's the rate at which the body ages and life catches up with us. We are all different but the only way (in my opinion) he'll get back to anything even remotely like what he was before would be to live like a monk, something which I don't think he's ever done. Personally I believe his biological age has caught up with him.
The mind is clearly still willing but the body doesn't appear to be so. That in itself has had a significant impact on what was formerly his greatest asset. His timing. When your timing goes it doesn't matter how fit you are as your body and mind are out of synch'.
Think of a car. It doesn't matter how finely tuned your engine is, if your timing belt goes you're not going to get very far. With the correct maintenance there's still a few miles left under Charlies bonnet and there'll still be the occasional ride out in the sun. Sadly for both him and us though I feel his days at the Grand Prix end of the game may have been and gone.
That made me laugh but agree! You could see the frustration on his face. Sadly apart from the goal, Kanu fared no better and constantly gave the ball away. I find it incredible after not having a decent striker in the championship we are no further forward. Why send Tolloch on loan? Was Leko any worse than Austin or Kanu? Robinson is not a forward in my opinion and my view of him in the Championship was average at best!
We need this sorting quickly as we will head in one direction!!! On a positive note - Button looks much more confident in his positioning than Johnstone!
If someone asked again - would you take Berahino back! Well anything needs to be looked at rather than what we have as poor is an understatement. 50K grand a week for Zohore - well Dowling should be on his bike for that one!
Yes, the way we play is all very well if you have the players that suit that style, unfortunately we are lacking in that respect. Austin, however, should not have missed that almost open goal last night. I don’t think it a lack off effort on his part, though.