Simon Church

[Archie's penalty]

Impressed with his performance on Saturday. Looking good for the future all round tbh.

[melonhead]

worked really hard, won a hell of alot of flick ons, and held play up well.
really pleased with his recent development. just needs confidence

[facaldaqui]

Did he get a nick for McAnuff's second? It's difficult to tell from Reading player, but the ball seemed to slightly change direction, which may have deceived the goalie.

[ZacNaloen]

worked really hard, won a hell of alot of flick ons, and held play up well.
really pleased with his recent development. just needs confidence

Was knackered for the last 15 though, should have gone off instead of Le Fondre really

[teignmouth hoops]

Am I missing something, Church never beats his defender in the air, generally he’s the wrong side, his first touch is woeful, he has no strength when leaned on by defenders and has very few shots for a centre forward, oh and we play to his supposed strengths not Alfies. On the plus side he’s our top scorer, although only one of those goals against Leeds was a crafted goal. He runs all day long and has loads of enthusiasm, well so have I, but I don’t expect to be turning out for the royals. We seem to be going back down the feed the goat and he will score (only he didn’t) route. We desperately need a centre forward who can win the ball and hold it up, then link up with team mates, like Stevenage’s on Saturday

[Pepe the Horseman]

[Barry the bird boggler]

[RoyalJames101]

[marcusopp]

Right. Simon Church.
Clearly a good finisher (leeds away, wednesday at home last year).
What's wrong with the rest of his game?
I've not gone to many this season (work), but he looks like a sulky, disinterested 5 year old.
Like you've all said, he's our top scorer though.
I think maintain what I said at the start of the thread. Out of his depth.
Most of the strikers would have scored half a dozen goals with Kebe and McAnuff on the wings.

[madstadblues]

During the 2nd half on Saturday there was a moment where Charlottes exposed the key weakness in his game (compared to Shane - who BR claimed "couldn't trap a back of cement") which is core strength. Charlotte tried running around the outside of the defender nearest the East stand and didn't have the muscle to out shoulder the defender and get past him & get a shot off on goal (which he is good at) This is a key attribute which you need to create your own chances (if you haven't got blistering pace). That low centre of gravity / core strength & pace in a striker together with a creative midfielder is what we are missing.

BTW with regard to Mr Rhodes - I thought the quality of service to him was pretty good..

[Svlad Cjelli]

Right. Simon Church.
Clearly a good finisher (leeds away, wednesday at home last year).
What's wrong with the rest of his game?
I've not gone to many this season (work), but he looks like a sulky, disinterested 5 year old.
Like you've all said, he's our top scorer though.
I think maintain what I said at the start of the thread. Out of his depth.
Most of the strikers would have scored half a dozen goals with Kebe and McAnuff on the wings.

I'd say he spends too much time out wide or back looking for the ball - he's trying to be a bit of evrything instead of a pure striker.

[Wimb]

Right. Simon Church.
Clearly a good finisher (leeds away, wednesday at home last year).
What's wrong with the rest of his game?
I've not gone to many this season (work), but he looks like a sulky, disinterested 5 year old.
Like you've all said, he's our top scorer though.
I think maintain what I said at the start of the thread. Out of his depth.
Most of the strikers would have scored half a dozen goals with Kebe and McAnuff on the wings.

I'd say he spends too much time out wide or back looking for the ball - he's trying to be a bit of evrything instead of a pure striker.

^^^ they've been making similar points on BBC Berks all season, saying how Chruch is trying to do too much, so that by the time he actually gets the ball he's knackered and doesn't quite know what to do with it.

Still have hope for him, it's easy to forget just how young the guy is but there's only so many times a player with potential will turn into the finished article.

He could well just end up a bit like Stuart Lovell or Lee Nogan, a decent striker with 10ish goals a season but who never really establishes himself as a top striker in the second tier and above.

[teignmouth hoops]

He's not that young in football terms he's 23

[melonhead]

still 5 years off his peak=quite young

[Sarah Star]

I'd say he spends too much time out wide or back looking for the ball - he's trying to be a bit of evrything instead of a pure striker.

^^^ they've been making similar points on BBC Berks all season, saying how Chruch is trying to do too much, so that by the time he actually gets the ball he's knackered and doesn't quite know what to do with it.

Still have hope for him, it's easy to forget just how young the guy is but there's only so many times a player with potential will turn into the finished article.

He could well just end up a bit like Stuart Lovell or Lee Nogan, a decent striker with 10ish goals a season but who never really establishes himself as a top striker in the second tier and above.

Yeah Simon, stop thinking and just do it...

... as someone on here once told me.

It worked for me anyway!

[Extended-Phenotype]

Simon’s touch is more careless than Kate and Gerry McGann on holiday. The only way he could find his way into a box is if he hung himself, and he still manages to spend over half the game offside.

So frustrating to watch.

[mr_number]

Simon’s touch is more careless than Kate and Gerry McGann on holiday. The only way he could find his way into a box is if he hung himself, and he still manages to spend over half the game offside.

So frustrating to watch.

Think this is actually the main problem right now - we bought ALF thinkking he was going to be the fox in the box we needed, but he is more of a link up player than expected, and all of our strikers are a little scare to hang near the goal. Which is weird, because it was a skill I mastered when I was seven (tho admittedly offside was less of an issue on the park than it is in professional football)

[Basingstoke Royal]

As me and a few others have been saying - offers nothing and shouldn't be anywhere near the first team. (being polite)

Alf and Hunt have to start.

[Handsome Man]

Played well tonight and we won.

[Snowball]

ALF Played well tonight and we won.

Corrected for you.