We need to talk about Foster

[jlup1980]

How bad can his performances get before we call Lyle out? I think he's been poor for a few months now but today was a whole new level.

Whether it's mental or physical, he simply isn't fit to play at the moment. I can accept a lack of quality or a poor performance, but I can't accept a lack of effort. In my opinion, he was as bad as anything we've seen all season today.

Tresor was getting torn apart (rightly so) his abject, inept, lazy appearances earlier in the season. Lyle was worse today. No running, no desire, no fight, no quality, absolutely nothing other than disinterest. Anyone who thinks we can build a team around this lad next season needs to give their heads a wobble. On current form, I'd sell to anyone willing to give us a fee.

[daveisaclaret]

Not fit and out of position. Not really sure why he's in the team but to be fair I'm not really sure about most of what's going on.

[123EasyasBFC]

First 10 minutes, assignon, odobert and foster looked dangerous but after that foster was a passenger and for the stick amdouni and Tresor have taken this season. Last 3 games fofana, odobert and foster as a whole have been woeful. A lot can be said about the muric mistakes and rightly so but when 3 of your front 4 aren’t at it for majority of games you aren’t going to win.
3 shots on target today and one of them was their keeper kicking it at brownhill

[KRBFC]

He’s not very good, fooled us all with a bright start. He’s been here 15 months and I can count the amount of good games on one hand.

Rodriguez has been awful for 3 years+.

One is from Burnley and the other has mental health problems though so instead let’s hammer Amdouni, the new young lad who’s been here 3/4 of a season.

[clansman]

He should have been hooked 10 minutes into second half. He had an absolute mare. I do feel sorry for the lad but BFC have to come first and I think he needs dropping.

[Bordeauxclaret]

He was awful today and still managed to be our best striker.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

He should have been taken off at half time. He’s been dreadful for weeks and living off the Villa away performance. The whole front line needs a big shake up this summer.

[Goody1975]

How bad can his performances get before we call Lyle out? I think he's been poor for a few months now but today was a whole new level.

Whether it's mental or physical, he simply isn't fit to play at the moment. I can accept a lack of quality or a poor performance, but I can't accept a lack of effort. In my opinion, he was as bad as anything we've seen all season today.

Tresor was getting torn apart (rightly so) his abject, inept, lazy appearances earlier in the season. Lyle was worse today. No running, no desire, no fight, no quality, absolutely nothing other than disinterest. Anyone who thinks we can build a team around this lad next season needs to give their heads a wobble. On current form, I'd sell to anyone willing to give us a fee.

In terms of effort, Fofana was just as bad today, I'm sick of seeing players trot about this season, especially amongst the forward line.

They are often passengers in the game, it's like they are netball players unable to venture into some areas of the pitch.

[bfcjg]

Foster looked totally uninterested today. I feel for the lad but I'm sorry we are a business not a charity, he needs shipping out.

[Rick_Muller]

He linked up well with Odobert in the first half and looked threatening at times too. Fofana for me though looked disinterested and seems like he doesn’t want to be here.

[fungus_the_bogeyman]

Foster’s been poor since he came back. A lot of that can be put down to lack of fitness and being played out of position. The reason he doesn’t come in for as much stick as others is he always puts effort in. Unfortunately we have a bunch of others who don’t give it their all. He’s not one of them.

[beddie]

He should have been hooked 10 minutes into second half. He had an absolute mare. I do feel sorry for the lad but BFC have to come first and I think he needs dropping.

I’ve said roughly that on another thread, he had him on the right and he looked lost, not interested at times yet we had the chance to change it with Benson. I really do question Kompany sometimes.

[Neil]

I can understand (to a point) why Kompany is playing him out wide. He has pace and power.

If the intention is to run into the box at pace rather than put crosses in then in makes some sense, but not enough.

His final ball is sadly lacking, his control isn't the best and I don't think he has a good footballing brain.

As has been said by many people, square pegs round holes.

The fitness/effort thing is another story......

[Hedontplayforyou]

He looks way off it to be fair. Could be physics or mental unfortunately , as we Al know both go hand in hand as well.

[Vegas Claret]

23 year old, first full season at this level and it has been massively disrupted for him. He is playing in what is a pretty poor team, playing with zero confidence and everyone knows strikers require confidence - how is anyone surprised by how difficult he has found it ?

I'm not sure if he will or won't be good enough

[Burnley1989]

He’s not very good, fooled us all with a bright start. He’s been here 15 months and I can count the amount of good games on one hand.

Rodriguez has been awful for 3 years+.

One is from Burnley and the other has mental health problems though so instead let’s hammer Amdouni, the new young lad who’s been here 3/4 of a season.

What a bellend of a view that is, annoyed me that

[KRBFC]

What a bellend of a view that is, annoyed me that

Annoys me too, the truth hurts unfortunately

[KRBFC]

23 year old, first full season at this level and it has been massively disrupted for him. He is playing in what is a pretty poor team, playing with zero confidence and everyone knows strikers require confidence - how is anyone surprised by how difficult he has found it ?

I'm not sure if he will or won't be good enough

The same excuses aren’t given to Zeki, why?

[KRBFC]

I can understand (to a point) why Kompany is playing him out wide. He has pace and power.

If the intention is to run into the box at pace rather than put crosses in then in makes some sense, but not enough.

His final ball is sadly lacking, his control isn't the best and I don't think he has a good footballing brain.

As has been said by many people, square pegs round holes.

The fitness/effort thing is another story......

He was central for most of the game today

[BigJay]

He's being played out of position to be fair The problem for me is Fofana. I'd play Foster and even Jay Rod ahead of Fofana.

[Cirrus_Minor]

He was out if position, again, and probably working himself back to fitness. He has been poor but he was nowhere near as poor as Fofana who has been dire for the last last few games.

[Neil]

He was central for most of the game today

I don't think he was. He wasn't hugging the touchline but he was wide right a lot of the game.

[Vegas Claret]

The same excuses aren’t given to Zeki, why?

Not sure the word 'excuses' is the right word for you to be using.

[ISpeds00]

How bad can his performances get before we call Lyle out? I think he's been poor for a few months now but today was a whole new level.

Whether it's mental or physical, he simply isn't fit to play at the moment. I can accept a lack of quality or a poor performance, but I can't accept a lack of effort. In my opinion, he was as bad as anything we've seen all season today.

Tresor was getting torn apart (rightly so) his abject, inept, lazy appearances earlier in the season. Lyle was worse today. No running, no desire, no fight, no quality, absolutely nothing other than disinterest. Anyone who thinks we can build a team around this lad next season needs to give their heads a wobble. On current form, I'd sell to anyone willing to give us a fee.

Game was screaming out for Benson in that position, but they stuck with Foster who couldnt run

[Muric Leggings]

Did anyone else notice today as Fofana was coming off after being substituted Foster held out his had to Fofana and Fofana totally blanked it, something isn't right.

[KRBFC]

Not sure the word 'excuses' is the right word for you to be using.

A lot of those excuses you used for Foster struggling can be used to describe Amdouni too yet he’s tore apart on here weekly.

[DefourFiveSix]

His ambling about the pitch recently is Rashford-esque.
Thought we had a real player on our hands after the Villa away game - he was a physical monster that day but it seems like a one off game now, he hasn't kicked on at all. Utterly bizarre how he played 90 minutes today. And Fofana wasn't much better.

[boatshed bill]

Did anyone else notice today as Fofana was coming off after being substituted Foster held out his had to Fofana and Fofana totally blanked it, something isn't right.

Fofana is rubbish, can't even knock in a tap in.
Foster has been moved to accomodate Fofana. I can only imagine that the loan deal insists Fofana plays if fit.

[Casper2]

Kompany said we would see the real Foster in the Premier League , we have and it’s not very good .

[Vegas Claret]

A lot of those excuses you used for Foster struggling can be used to describe Amdouni too yet he’s tore apart on here weekly.

Just to clarify so there is no misunderstanding, you are labeling an illness as an 'excuse' ?

[KRBFC]

Just to clarify so there is no misunderstanding, you are labeling an illness as an 'excuse' ?

No mate, absolutely not.

Was talking more about the young player, new league, struggling team etc

[FCBurnley]

He clearly has issues which are not going to go away while he is trying to play football for a team about to be relegated.The club is not helping him by playing him in the team especially out of position.

[kevinlasagne]

cant believe some here are writing him off completely after a short run of bad games where he's been played out of position
the whole attack was sh!t today and v everton, no need to single him out really

[Vegas Claret]

No mate, absolutely not.

Was talking more about the young player, new league, struggling team etc

Ok that's why I asked because I don't want to be pointing fingers as that isn't fair so thanks for clarifying.

As far as Zeki is concerned I can only give my opinion on what I've seen. We all know he has ability but I think there have been too many games where he hasn't shown for the ball, gone missing and hasn't put in enough effort. That's something I could accuse half the team of though in certain games. I think Zeki has been a bit more of a disappointment because he came from a higher level with a bigger reputation and I'd be surprised if he's up for a fight in the Championship (where I think he would be a standout player). You are correct though in terms of your point, there are deffo players that get more slack from supporters than others, it's why I haven't gone in on Muric at all today - it's a team game and only a few have hit a good level with any sort of consistency. Not saying I don't do it and I know I certainly have in the past but there is no real value in pointing fingers at players, I doubt any of them go out to play poorly.

[123EasyasBFC]

Too me now fofana should be on the bench and foster should be back through the middle leading the line. Fofana won’t be with us next season and foster will be key for us next season

[Vegas Claret]

Too me now fofana should be on the bench and foster should be back through the middle leading the line. Fofana won’t be with us next season and foster will be key for us next season

agree with this 100% , if we don't win next week I wouldn't play a single loan player again this season.

[123EasyasBFC]

agree with this 100% , if we don't win next week I wouldn't play a single loan player again this season.

Apart from esteve who is supposedly a perm deal regardless of what league we are in

[Vegas Claret]

Apart from esteve who is supposedly a perm deal regardless of what league we are in

yep I'm already classing him as a permanent signing (I hope!!)

[CrosspoolClarets]

0 shots, 0 aerials won, 0 tackles, 0 dribbles, 10 dispossessed (is that a PL record?).

It was a shocker, no getting away from it.

However, he was good when he returned from his mental health crisis. Poor since he returned from his rumoured hernia, so I suspect it is a lack of physical fitness.

Got to blame Vinny for playing him for 90 each game. We were doing well till he yanked Vitinho from right wing after 2 MOTM performances. I like the lad a lot (Vinny) but he is testing my patience with these weird decisions and any other club would have sacked him by now. I hope that is good judgement on our part because he will learn and evolve, but is too raw at this level as a manager.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Apart from esteve who is supposedly a perm deal regardless of what league we are in

That lad is a diamond.

That tackle today after racing back to a quick striker through on goal - magnificent.

[dougcollins]

Let’s see Foster down the middle with no Fofana in the side.

[Rileybobs]

He was poor last season, then he started this season looking like a completely different player and I was hopeful we had a gem on our hands. He’s then put in another run of very substandard performances which leaves me wondering whether the 7-8 good performances early in the season were the anomaly.

[BurnleyFC]

He’s the worst ‘winger’ we’ve seen this season, and that’s saying something considering how bad our wingers have been.

I genuinely have no idea when Vinny is playing him there. Even more so when Vitinho was starting to look good in that position.

[123EasyasBFC]

That lad is a diamond.

That tackle today after racing back to a quick striker through on goal - magnificent.

Yeah he is raw still but you can see there is some ability there, having his height and left footed is hard to come by

[123EasyasBFC]

He was poor last season, then he started this season looking like a completely different player and I was hopeful we had a gem on our hands. He’s then put in another run of very substandard performances which leaves me wondering whether the 7-8 good performances early in the season were the anomaly.

Hard to judge his early performances based on his personal problems and then then his hernia op. Shoe horning him into the side to keep playing fofana to me is the problem

[NickBFC]

Let’s see Foster down the middle with no Fofana in the side.

This for me. Fofana won't be here next season, we are basically all but down so I would rather play our OWN players with a view to keeping them next season or putting them in the shop window (if possible given how poor we are). Foster is far more dangerous through the middle, he showed enough early in the season that he can be a threat. I think a culmination of his off field problems, the row with SA, our dreadful form and injuries have knocked his confidence. He'll score goals in a confident side in the Championship.

[Rileybobs]

He'll score goals in a confident side in the Championship.

He didn’t last season so this is guesswork. Hopefully he does though as he’s shown in short bursts that he’s got the ability.

[Goliath]

His performance against Villa was the best number 9 line leading display I've seen for us for a number of years. Today however was disgraceful

[beddie]

I’ve criticised Foster on this post perhaps unfairly but the real culprit is Kompany. His team selection including substitutions is shocking. For a man of his intelligence, experience as a player it’s absolutely baffling.

[bobinho]

Foster’s been poor since he came back. A lot of that can be put down to lack of fitness and being played out of position. The reason he doesn’t come in for as much stick as others is he always puts effort in. Unfortunately we have a bunch of others who don’t give it their all. He’s not one of them.

Today he was. Shocking effort levels today. Really, really bad.

Shame. When he’s on it, he’s almost unplayable. Today, he was a different kind of unplayable.