Jephcott or Ennis (merged thread x 3)

[Balham Green]

I think we are held back by the weakness of our forward line last night being a good example. Dominated the game against shocking opposition but how often did we work their keeper? A promotion chasing team would have scored 4 or 5. We got into so many good situations but didn't develop them. Just won't get those opportunities against half decent sides.
Hardie often seems quite happy just to win a corner and we all know how successful they are.
Not sure how the op is so enthralled by Ennis on the basis of that 20 mins. In fact in the last minute we had a very good break with men spare but he failed to find any of them with his final ball. Quite Hardieque!

 

[Balham Green]

Like people are saying it's way too early to judge Ennis. However, one thing he does have is pace.

I look at Jephcott and Hardie and l see different qualities this season.

With Hardie he has created numerous assists with his awareness. He also has decent pace.

With Jephcott he has finished off his opportunites really well.

I look at our front two and think can they fire us up into a top 10 team next season. I'm just not sure. I think you ld like to see more power and strength in our front line and sometimes find, especially in second halves of games, we need a forward to hold it up better which allows the team to move up the park.

I think the valuations of Jephcott for over a million are way over the mark currently. I think he needs to add more involvement to his game when he is not scoring.

Anybody have the stats on Hardie's assists? Happy to be proved wrong but I suspect not very many.

 

[Pogleswoody]

Is thee a poll??

Anyone for Ennis?? :coat:

 

[Liskeard Green]

The answer is both.

I'm not sure there's a scenario at the moment where Jephcott and Hardie don't start but Ennis's pace off the bench is a good option to give us another dimension.

Jephcott is the most Tynan-like player we've had since the man himself. Not the quickest, not always involved but a real knack for being in the right place at the right time and sticking it in the net.

I suspect Hardie has been frustrated lately because all strikers prefer to be scoring but he does a lot of good running and pressing and he's set up Jephcott plenty of times. Hopefully last nights goal will put some wind in his sails and he can go on a good run. He's a great finisher and last nights effort was reminiscent of the Hardie from the end of last season.

Looking further ahead, there's a real possibility that neither of them will be here next year. I would have though RL bought Ennis in that context as much as anything.

COYG

 

[Adam R]

Last year, i recall LJ adding assists to him game by dropping deep and turning towards goal and releasing Hardie. That hasnt really happened this year - yet. Not sure if its the system this year, not as much space as in L2 or just things havent clicked yet. But you cannot deny LJ his scoring ability and goals per game and shot accuracy stats are second to none (according to the bbc 0.84mins per goal, and 70% shot accuracy).

If we can get the two of them firing in the same game, or even alternates, we are in for a treat - Ennis will keep them both honest and I expect the others two to find game time hard to come by.

 

[Darren Stoneman]

I am speechless ( well not literally)

We have craved to have the leading scorer in the league for years, we now have him and because he has not scored for three, not thirty but three games we should leave him out!

Luke should be getting nothing but praise from the green army, it is his movement which not only creates goals for himself, but makes the space and occupies the thoughts of defenders to allow the likes of Hardie and Pan to score.

People say he looks lost, I am happy that he looks lost if he scores 15 goals, having watched Harry Kane since he was a youngster he is so similar to Luke and if Luke becomes half the player Harry is then he will be a star

With the year he has had, the pressure of being the messiah and the mental pressure of COVID, I think the boy has done himself proud.

I did say at the start of the season, he will be fine unless after a couple of a quiet games fans get on his back, please lay off

 

[philevs]

Jephcott is a 100% tryer, his ground coverage is phenomenal and the reason he frequently gets taken off after 70 mins is he’s fairly exhausted, and now we have options RL prefers not to make him overdo it and get injured.
Jephers is a great space-finder and is now involved in making lots of goals as well as scoring them. Our shape is not the same when he’s off the pitch.
We have no-one else who finishes like he does, and as we see from the league, there aren’t many like him around.
If he was a flash in the pan he wouldn’t have been scoring regularly for 12 months, it makes me wonder just what proof some people want!

Ennis looks very good, will be interesting to see how RL uses him,Hardie and Jephers.

 

[BiggyGreen]

Jephcott and Hardie are forming a great partnership, which is very promising considering their age and relative lack of experience.

By their body language they seem enjoy playing with each other and both of them work extremely hard for the team.

With the addition of Hardie's pace and Jephcott's deadly eye for goal close in, L1 teams currently respect ( possibly fear) them.

Hope Ennis does well, but we are in a lucky situation upfront a the moment and I think RL is managing the situation well just now.. Look at the problems Michael Owen had by being overplayed at a young age.

Bet Mr Nouble is a great guy to have around, but as somebody else mentioned Byron Moore is a clever, experienced and skilful player who prefers playing upfront and would be my go to sub/starting partner for either LJ or RH.

Only problem is where Pan Cam is our " Viera", BM can be a bit "Deli Alli".

 

[Green Painter]

I wouldn't trust those bbc stats 0.84mins per goal!! That's some going

 

[Ponty]

I don't think Ryan Lowe would consider resting Jephcott because he's got three blanks. He'll get his touch back sooner rather than later in my opinion.

Premiership strikers sometimes have barren spells and then start firing again.

Ive never heard of a footballer saying he wants to be rested,. especially a striker who's going so well, he'll be keen to add to his tally and I think his manager should show faith and loyalty to that player.

 

[philevs]

I wonder if RL sees Ennis more as a cover for Jephcott than for Hardie, given that Ennis has come on twice to replace Jephers?
It could be due to Jephcott’s phenomenal work rate leaving him the one who needs replacing first.
For me, from what I’ve seen, with his pace Ennis looks more like a natural Hardie replacement.

 

[Kentishgreen]

I assume he’s there in case Jepphers leaves soon or for the end of the season when Hardie’s loan expires

 

[xmastree]

I assume he’s there in case Jepphers leaves soon or for the end of the season when Hardie’s loan expires

I assume he's there because we need a minimum of 3 decent strikers to rotate.

 

[DenverDugout]

Is Jephcott all what he is cracked up to be as he is the leading goalscorer in our league or is the quality of attackers and defenders not that great.. Some times when I watch him play he reminds me of Jimmy Greaves for those that can remember him who did nothing for 80 minutes and then suddenly he pops up in the 6yard box and hits the winner. Jeffers is similar although his game is developing as he now hold the ball up and draws a foul and allows us to get up the pitch. The next couple of games will be a good indication as to how much he as improved becaise he will be up against reaonable defenders at our level. I quite like the strikers at our disposal and any two of them will in my opinion score a lot of goals now that Nouble as left us and the long punt from defence to attack is gone and we play entertaining football like we saw agaiinst Accrington.

 

[Biggs]

Is Jephcott all what he is cracked up to be as he is the leading goalscorer in our league or is the quality of attackers and defenders not that great.. Some times when I watch him play he reminds me of Jimmy Greaves for those that can remember him who did nothing for 80 minutes and then suddenly he pops up in the 6yard box and hits the winner.

For me, it's like someone has created a Harry Kane mould and put him in it (and no I'm not comparing him to Kane or saying he's as good). It's the same feeling that he doesn't seem great at any one thing, but is always in the right place, always has the right finish, and can also drop back and play a lovely through-ball to Son-Yeu... I mean, Ryan Hardie or Niall Ennis.

Just missing the long-range strikes that Kane can pull off regularly, something to work on next