John McCarthyMad thread this.
Critiquing our very own number 9, after he has just won U21's.
Number 9's come in all shapes and sizes with different strengths and weaknesses. Harry Kane for example has never had terrific pace.
One thing they do tend to have in common though is can they finish?
Jay's goal against Bradford was out of nothing. His run and finish against Charlton. Have you ever seen Vardy score a goal like that? I haven't. His composed finish against Stevenage away in cup. There are many others.
All different types of goals. He is 22. He will get better and improve, and he runs his socks off for team.
I'm glad we have him.
KRO.
You never saw Vardy score a goal out of nothing? Were you in a coma between 2015 and 2021?
John McCarthyMad thread this.
Critiquing our very own number 9, after he has just won U21's.
Number 9's come in all shapes and sizes with different strengths and weaknesses. Harry Kane for example has never had terrific pace.
One thing they do tend to have in common though is can they finish?
Jay's goal against Bradford was out of nothing. His run and finish against Charlton. Have you ever seen Vardy score a goal like that? I haven't. His composed finish against Stevenage away in cup. There are many others.
All different types of goals. He is 22. He will get better and improve, and he runs his socks off for team.
I'm glad we have him.
KRO.
Do agree with your post having read through this thread. We’ve just had a player win a U21 Euro’s, has that ever happened before?! I get that there a couple of question marks about how he will be in the champ with Davies. But that is a tactical question not an ability one. He does everything you want a modern striker to do which is why Fulham rated him but also why he was in England U21 in the first place. He’s a good player, and yes it’s easy to argue strikers aren’t clinical. But he’s had a decent return in both seasons with us. He’s also young, he’s still got plenty of time to become more polished.
newblueIt’s not just that. It’s people actually starting a thread like it hasn’t been discussed as infinitum already. And as Rab mentioned, the timing this time is mental. He’s just been part of a team that has won a European competition. Instead we get newsflash comments about him being a nine because he isn’t strong and instinctive, and he only really thrives as an inverted no 10 coming off the left and only really when he has class players around him. FFS.
Yes, but seeing him with exactly the same issues for a different team highlights it that's all. He made everyone around him play better and was very important in England winning the tournament but no one really saw what he can do. He's a top player so I want everyone else to see what we see. I want the best for him and I want the best for Blues and I don't want those two things to be mutually exclusive.
I mean i've compared him to Vardy in build and pace but Vardy has mostly played for teams set up to counter attack whereas that hasn't been the case for Stansfield recently. I just don't see him as a number 9 and watching him for England recently (in that role or as a wide forward on the right where his defending was weak and not suited to his game) confirmed that for me. I think starting the thread was valid so I did.
John McCarthyMad thread this.
Critiquing our very own number 9, after he has just won U21's.
Number 9's come in all shapes and sizes with different strengths and weaknesses. Harry Kane for example has never had terrific pace.
One thing they do tend to have in common though is can they finish?
Jay's goal against Bradford was out of nothing. His run and finish against Charlton. Have you ever seen Vardy score a goal like that? I haven't. His composed finish against Stevenage away in cup. There are many others.
All different types of goals. He is 22. He will get better and improve, and he runs his socks off for team.
I'm glad we have him.
KRO.
No one has said they want rid and I think all have stated their love and admiration so this 'glad we have him' etc is unnecessary. That's not the debate.
I’m not too sure about specific players, but he’s probably not the absolute best we could possibly have, is he?
Maybe a more experienced striker coming towards the end of their career, who excels in the things Jay doesn’t. Who knows, Alfie May COULD be that player but we really don’t know yet (at championship level)
I love the lad, just not want him to develop into the player I know he can be, and to do that he needs some support.
I we’ve got a bit of a problem when it comes to Jay Stansfield – and I say that with nothing but respect and admiration for him as a player.
First off, massive congratulations to him for playing such a selfless and important role in helping England U21s win the Euros (I think it’ll be overlooked by the wider football world). That says a lot about his character. He’s been a talisman for us – not just for what he does on the pitch, but also for what he represents under Knighthead. He embodies the direction the club is trying to go in, and that’s a big reason why we signed him.
But the problem – or rather, the challenge – has become clearer through his recent performances for England.
For me, he’s not a natural number 9. He doesn’t have the instinctive movement or striker’s mentality that someone like Jamie Vardy has – even though they share some physical similarities like pace and build. That’s not a criticism, just an observation about his most effective role.
Out wide on the right, he works hard and puts in the extra yards, but defensively he can be a bit vulnerable. He gets beaten too easily at times, which can expose us.I know that wasn’t his role last night and he was just putting extra yards but that was highlighted for everyone to see last night.
His best position, in my opinion, is as an inverted forward on the left – in a counter-attacking setup, like what we had under Eustace. But in a more positive, possession-based system –like Daviesball – playing him there creates a different issue: you lose the chance to play a natural wide man to hold the width, or another proper inverted left winger. You lose out on an, Anderson, Gray, and, I’d even prefer Hansson in that role.
So I think, for the time being, we’ll continue to see Jay used as a number 9 – even though I don’t think that’s where he’s at his best. As he develops, he might grow into a central number 10 role, but I do think we’re heading toward a bit of a dilemma: where do we play him, and how do we get the best out of him in this team?
Just to be clear, this isn’t a dig at him. It’s not about his ability or effort – far from it.
In fact, there were so many halves of football last season where I thought, we’ve been decent, but we’re missing something – except Jay. He was often the standout. I’m a proud Blue, and I love players who leave everything on the pitch. He plays with heart, and the fact that he can create something out of nothing – and do it regularly – is incredible.
Maybe he just needs a bit of a break. He’s young and super fit, and I know he’ll probably get a week off, but honestly, I’d give him three and tell him not to think about football at all. Let him recharge properly – he’s earned it.
You lost me when you said Stansfield has similar pace to what Vardy used to have.
Ridiculous.
It won't be May, he will be impact sub at best.
WorcesterbluesI’m not too sure about specific players, but he’s probably not the absolute best we could possibly have, is he?
Maybe a more experienced striker coming towards the end of their career, who excels in the things Jay doesn’t. Who knows, Alfie May COULD be that player but we really don’t know yet (at championship level)
I love the lad, just not want him to develop into the player I know he can be, and to do that he needs some support.
Ok, what more experienced striker coming towards the end of their career that is better than Jay Stansfield is going to join us?
I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for at least 1/2 names if you’re saying a lad who has scored 40 goals in 2 years isn’t good enough.
I didn’t say he wasn’t good enough? I said we need more from him in the final third, and that he has limitations and I’d like us to have another striker that’s better than him, so he can learn from them. Just because he works hard and we love him doesn’t mean we can never have an open discussion about what we can do differently to be better.
I think you are forgetting, without kicking a ball yet everyone backs us to be a top 6 championship side. That’s streets ahead of where we’ve been for a long time and we can’t keep players in the side unless they are really doing their bit, and for me I think Stanno has to produce a bit more quality than he has done recently. How many of last seasons top half does he start for? I reckon only 4/5 of the top 12.
Do you think CD, Knighthead and the recruitment team are all sat there saying Jay is everything we need, we don’t need anyone else and we don’t need to get more out of him? Unless you think they are fully satisfied with him, don’t question other fans.
Don't think anyone disagrees that we need another and different type of forward. We've failed to replace Che ever since he left. If we could get a forward like that to complement Jay and Jay him, then we'd be some force attacking wise
Easier said than done though, unless there is a foreign target we don't know about.
It's about time we cracked this issue.
WorcesterbluesI didn’t say he wasn’t good enough? I said we need more from him in the final third, and that he has limitations and I’d like us to have another striker that’s better than him, so he can learn from them. Just because he works hard and we love him doesn’t mean we can never have an open discussion about what we can do differently to be better.
I think you are forgetting, without kicking a ball yet everyone backs us to be a top 6 championship side. That’s streets ahead of where we’ve been for a long time and we can’t keep players in the side unless they are really doing their bit, and for me I think Stanno has to produce a bit more quality than he has done recently. How many of last seasons top half does he start for? I reckon only 4/5 of the top 12.
Do you think CD, Knighthead and the recruitment team are all sat there saying Jay is everything we need, we don’t need anyone else and we don’t need to get more out of him? Unless you think they are fully satisfied with him, don’t question other fans.
What striker doesn’t have limitations. But again the question remains, what striker is better than him that would join us?
There’s two types of people mate, those that bring problems and those that bring solutions. Don’t be the first.
And I disagree. 4/5 of the top 12. Which teams isn’t he starting for? He scores the equivalent at least of top goal scorer of all but 5 teams last year, when he was playing 2 years ago for a relegated team..
Ricky BlottoThe internet is shit
Because someone thinks something you don’t?
1951vintageEasy solution…play 2 up front!
Is the correct answer, only took five pages for someone to be brave enough to say it. You're gonna get right pelters now mate 🤣.