We need to talk about Foster

[jlup1980]

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.

They should have both been hooked at half time. I said as much on the Turf. However, I actually thought Fofana started to have a little impact on the game and then he was subbed. How Foster got through 90 minutes is anyone's guess.

[Aclaret]

He isn't a winger, talk to Vincent Kompany.
Benson on for Fofana, Foster in the middle....Foster is a striker.

[jlup1980]

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

You can't have Fofana and Foster on the same pitch. They simply don't work together. It's plain to see neither has a footballing brain. It's ok having one of them running the channels and forcing errors (which ironically neither of them did today) if they play alongside someone with a bit more intelligence and guile.

The Foster / Amdouni pairing worked ok early in the season but both have long since packed up for their summer holidays. We need a complete overhaul up front for me, I don't think we can go into next season with any of the current crop as first choice. You find out a lot about your players when the chips are down and I think a few have shown their true colours in recent months.

[jlup1980]

He isn't a winger, talk to Vincent Kompany.
Benson on for Fofana, Foster in the middle....Foster is a striker.

Whether he's asked to play up front, on the wing or at centre half he should at least try. Graham Branch was a crap footballer but at least he tried. Fans can forgive a lot if you show willing. Foster was a total embarrassment today - there are no excuses for not trying.

[warksclaret]

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.

For anyone saying he wont be here next year, who on earth is going to buy someone with well documented health problems. For a buying club this is more of a deterrent than a bad injury

[CrosspoolClarets]

Can this thread revert back to what it was and cease the annoying “he didn’t try” which is both nonsense and insulting? Seen half a dozen posts on it now.

He was very poor, as I wrote earlier, but he did try. Players low on confidence or fitness do look lethargic, that’s different. He was out of position. For me, he played well with Amdouni in the autumn, to then not give Zeki any minutes seems baffling when we needed a win, however out of form he is.

[bobinho]

Not giving zeki minutes is baffling????

Wow.

I would’ve thought that’s the LEAST baffling thing that’s happened in the last 3 months.

[claretspice]

Thought he had a good first half in which he stretched Brighton with good runs across the line from a central starting position. His confidence is clearly low and he was a bit untidy as a result but he carried a threat and, for example, the reverse pass to Odobert for the penalty appeal was really cute.

Early in the second half, for reasons I can't comprehend, we shifted him to the right wing and that clearly doesn't suit him because he's not quite tricky or quick enough to get on the outside and doesnt have the ledt foot to cut inside. He.drifted out of the game as a result.

There's a good player in Foster but I'm not sure we're helping him right now.

[jlup1980]

Can this thread revert back to what it was and cease the annoying “he didn’t try” which is both nonsense and insulting? Seen half a dozen posts on it now.

He was very poor, as I wrote earlier, but he did try. Players low on confidence or fitness do look lethargic, that’s different. He was out of position. For me, he played well with Amdouni in the autumn, to then not give Zeki any minutes seems baffling when we needed a win, however out of form he is.

He didn't try though, that was clearly evident. He set his own expectations earlier this season.

The Foster we saw earlier in the season was running the channels, pressing defenders, forcing errors and working his socks off. He was a real handful and looked every part a PL striker.

The Foster of the last few months has been quite the opposite. He ambled around the pitch today. I doubt he even broke sweat.

[Jamesy]

Can this thread revert back to what it was and cease the annoying “he didn’t try” which is both nonsense and insulting? Seen half a dozen posts on it now.

He was very poor, as I wrote earlier, but he did try. Players low on confidence or fitness do look lethargic, that’s different. He was out of position. For me, he played well with Amdouni in the autumn, to then not give Zeki any minutes seems baffling when we needed a win, however out of form he is.

He was certainly trying today but he kept running up blind alleys. He was trying to go on the outside of the full back each time when cutting inside would or should have given him the chance to beat his man. He isn’t a wide man though as others have said.

[Goliath]

It was more when he was central that his lack of work rate became more noticeable. It's been the same since he returned from injury.
I refuse to blame the management team for that because in my opinion a player should have enough professional pride to ensure he is fit enough to play 90 minutes a week

[claretspice]

It was more when he was central that his lack of work rate became more noticeable. It's been the same since he returned from injury.
I refuse to blame the management team for that because in my opinion a player should have enough professional pride to ensure he is fit enough to play 90 minutes a week

If you are talking about when he went back centrally in the last 15 minutes I think it was more we'd lost our shape by then. I certainly didn't see a problem with his workrate in the first half.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Not giving zeki minutes is baffling????

Wow.

I would’ve thought that’s the LEAST baffling thing that’s happened in the last 3 months.

The leading goalscorer in Europa League last season?

He’s struggled, but let’s be frank, once we conceded, we never looked like scoring again. It was worth a try.

[CrosspoolClarets]

He didn't try though, that was clearly evident. He set his own expectations earlier this season.

The Foster we saw earlier in the season was running the channels, pressing defenders, forcing errors and working his socks off. He was a real handful and looked every part a PL striker.

The Foster of the last few months has been quite the opposite. He ambled around the pitch today. I doubt he even broke sweat.

It wasn’t evident at all. First half, he was fine (but the stats weren’t great nonetheless). Second half, he was out of position and looked lost. Nothing to do with not trying which is the point I was making.

It isn’t lazy playing, it is lazy posting, by us.

[Stayingup]

And Barnes used to get stick!!!

[Rileybobs]

The leading goalscorer in Europa League last season?

Europa Conference League.

[Goliath]

If you are talking about when he went back centrally in the last 15 minutes I think it was more we'd lost our shape by then. I certainly didn't see a problem with his workrate in the first half.

He was quite blatantly just jogging everywhere extremely slowly and making no attempt to sprint. Whether it was out of exhaustion or not is irrelevant really. He should be fitter than he is.
There's certain things that he has the ability to control, his fitness being the main one and at the moment he isn't anywhere near fit enough to play Premier League football which to me says a lot.

[boatshed bill]

There's certain things that he has the ability to control, his fitness being the main one and at the moment he isn't anywhere near fit enough to play Premier League football which to me says a lot.

Do you not remember the stick Ashley Barnes got when playing despite being not fully fit?

[Goliath]

Do you not remember the stick Ashley Barnes got when playing despite being not fully fit?

Barnes was injured. Foster isn't as far as I'm aware.

[Burnleyareback2]

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.

How does the saying go? “Better to keep quiet and let people think you are a dick than to type something and confirm it?” Or something like that…

[KRBFC]

How does the saying go? “Better to keep quiet and let people think you are a dick than to type something and confirm it?” Or something like that…

Maybe you think I’m a dick, I don’t care. As I said the fellas been here for 15 months and had about 4 good games. About time we were fair to our players and judge everyone the same. Be objective and fair.

[Vegas Claret]

anyone else notice the interaction between Foster and Fofana when the later got substituted ? Foster went to shake Fofana's hand MULTIPLE times and Fofana completely blanked him and there is no way he didn't see Foster.

[Ric_C]

Foster is an enigma. And unfortunately I'm getting to the point where I think we need to cut our losses with him.

He was poor last season, but we treated this as a bedding in process.

Started the season like a different player, then got sent off, then missed a huge chunk with his personal issues.

Then came back, looked a world beater for a couple of games, then got injured.

Came back again and has been unfit / awful / disinterested

Maybe a fresh start in the summer, but he really needs to sort his fitness out, as in our setup the striker(s) need to press with intensity, and he is a long way off that at the moment.

[boatshed bill]

Barnes was injured. Foster isn't as far as I'm aware.

Yes, that is correct, but those giving AB stick didn't know it at the time.

[Superjohnnyfrancis]

Head must be scrambled having to learn a different position to shoe horn the ineffective Fofana in.

[jlup1980]

It wasn’t evident at all. First half, he was fine (but the stats weren’t great nonetheless). Second half, he was out of position and looked lost. Nothing to do with not trying which is the point I was making.

It isn’t lazy playing, it is lazy posting, by us.

We won't agree on this I'm afraid. He was plain lazy yesterday, particularly in the second half. A really pathetic display that others in our squad would be slated for. Even Jay tried to press when he came on but the CB had an easy out ball every time as Foster wasn't doubling up. He was just trotting around the pitch. Woeful, absolutely woeful.

[ClaretTony]

He was magnificent at Villa but then the surgery came and to be honest he’s offered precious little in the few games since he came back.

[warksclaret]

The more I read these threads the more I question morale in the camp. What happens at the end of the season might be more entertaining than what we are watching on the pitch

[ksrclaret]

There is clearly a fantastic player in Lyle Foster. At the beginning of the season he looked just about our only player capable of playing at PL level. I think he was also the player with the highest average rating the last time CT calculated it.

I do think next season is make or break for him now though. He’s missed far too much football for various reasons, all perfectly understandable, but the bottom line is we pay him a wage to be out on the football pitch giving it everything he’s got and contributing to goals.

All that said though, the manager needs to look at himself, if he’s got the humility to do that, and question why on earth he’s being played from the right hand side which is clearly not his game and certainly not when he’s just returning from surgery and is not up to full fitness. It’s another inexcusable and inexplicable decision in a season packed full of them.

[Colburn_Claret]

The problem is Lyle and Fofana play the same position, and both deserve to start.
Playing either out of position to accommodate them is a big mistake though.
We could play 2 up front, but as we've seen it just leaves midfield weak and wide open.
I'd prefer to give one an hour, and depending on the state of the game, give the other the last 30+ mins.
I wouldn't dream of criticising Foster because he's doing what the manager tells him.

[KRBFC]

There is clearly a fantastic player in Lyle Foster. At the beginning of the season he looked just about our only player capable of playing at PL level. I think he was also the player with the highest average rating the last time CT calculated it.

I do think next season is make or break for him now though. He’s missed far too much football for various reasons, all perfectly understandable, but the bottom line is we pay him a wage to be out on the football pitch giving it everything he’s got and contributing to goals.

All that said though, the manager needs to look at himself, if he’s got the humility to do that, and question why on earth he’s being played from the right hand side which is clearly not his game and certainly not when he’s just returning from surgery and is not up to full fitness. It’s another inexcusable and inexplicable decision in a season packed full of them.

He’s had about 4 good games in 15 months, one of those he played wide left against City.

Is he good enough to justify starting through the middle? He hasn’t shown it in his time here imo

I see why he’s on the right, just for his legs up and down. I think that’s really all he offers, he runs around a lot and he’s decent in the air.

Whilst he hasn’t contributed anything offensively on the right, the team has looked quite good with just a runner on the right, made a few good defensive interceptions at Everton.

[123EasyasBFC]

He’s had about 4 good games in 15 months, one of those he played wide left against City.

Is he good enough to justify starting through the middle? He hasn’t shown it in his time here imo

I see why he’s on the right, just for his legs up and down. I think that’s really all he offers, he runs around a lot and he’s decent in the air.

Whilst he hasn’t contributed anything offensively on the right, the team has looked quite good with just a runner on the right, made a few good defensive interceptions at Everton.

He was very good at the beginning of the season before his off field issues. When he came back he looked rusty but then Aston Villa away he absolutely dominated the two cbs that game, had a goal disallowed, scored a goal and also made the Villa cb punch the ball away and get away with it. He then has a hernia op and since coming back he really hasn’t looked fit enough. I still think foster now is a better option to lead the line over Fofana

[KRBFC]

He was very good at the beginning of the season before his off field issues. When he came back he looked rusty but then Aston Villa away he absolutely dominated the two cbs that game, had a goal disallowed, scored a goal and also made the Villa cb punch the ball away and get away with it. He then has a hernia op and since coming back he really hasn’t looked fit enough. I still think foster now is a better option to lead the line over Fofana

Foster doesn’t look a threat centrally at all, not sure who I’d chose, I still think the fans need to believe in Amdouni long term, he’s the one who has that something about him imo. The ability I see with Zeki, not sure Foster and Fofana can kick the ball properly.

[123EasyasBFC]

Foster doesn’t look a threat centrally at all, not sure who I’d chose, I still think the fans need to believe in Amdouni long term, he’s the one who has that something about him imo. The ability I see with Zeki, not sure Foster and Fofana can kick the ball properly.

There is clear ability in Amdouni, since muric has come into the side the balls that he has played into odobert in the middle of the pitch would be perfect for Amdouni

[boatshed bill]

I think "we need to talk" about Fofana first.

[Darnhill Claret]

Hernia ops are really difficult to recover from, time-wise. Took Ashley at least 18 months to fully recover.