Good to see Vokes get off the mark today. Always feel we look best with him up top.

But with Vydras pace, Barnes physicality and Woods finishing (when confident and in form) we look very well stocked with all fit and ready. 4 very different and capable options for the first time probably since even Stans time?

Vydras pace and movement certainly gives us an option we have been missing.

A bit more creativity in the centre of midfield and pace out wide and we should be comfortable at this level.

Liking the look of the vokes vydra partnership though and a superb finish from big sam today.

Really ?
I thought they looked pretty poor against the 2 slowest and least technical centre backs I have seen in this league.

Vydra did play well last week though and gives us a different option with his pace and running the channels.

Big Sam has been great for us but not really got going this year.

Wood has been struggling for months now and does not seem the imposing player we saw at the start against the likes of Liverpool at Anfield and Spurs away.

I’m surprised Barnes has fallen down the pecking order so quickly - as in this calendar year he has been our best striker.

Barnes will be back. He always is. And usually better with a point to prove.

If I'm correct our strikers have got 7 goals in 13 matches so far:

Vokes 2, Vydra 2, Barnes 2, Wood 1

Not bad after a slow start.

Its out wide and elsewhere in the team we need to add more. To be fair jbg and lennon have looked good last two games.

Another huge game next week.

Vokes for me all day long. Id gladly see Barnes go in January.

Spijed wrote:If I'm correct our strikers have got 7 goals in 13 matches so far:

Vokes 2, Vydra 2, Barnes 2, Wood 1

Wood has 2 as well. One against Aberdeen at home and the penalty in Athens.

Tall Paul wrote:Wood has 2 as well.

Trying to think of his other one aside from Aberdeen

Spijed wrote:Trying to think of his other one aside from Aberdeen

See my edit.

I think you're missing Barnes's penalty against Aberdeen as well.

Yes, so we're actually doing Ok

out of our current forwards the one who's position I feel is in biggest jeopardy is Wood (due to how we play)

Wood offered nothing today.
Barnes would have been my choice when the change came.
Cardiff are physical.

Wood is really off form and does not compete.

Barnes is buzzing.

There were occasions against Cardiff when Wood didn’t even jump to challenge from Hart’s kicks. If he’s not going to bother doing that then what’s the point of him? I think he’s lazy and he needs a rocket from Dyche. Can’t believe he came on instead of Barnes.

I personally felt that Dyche got his strikers right yesterday. We never had control of the game at any point in the match and just played into their hands by lumping the ball upfield which was gobbled up by their CBs. The only way we were going to score was via a quick break and Cardiff were mugged twice. The 1st one from a very clever quick throw in and cross which was expertly nodded home by JBG the 2nd from a very neat through ball and cross which was expertly nodded home by big Sam. Chris Wood was brought on to chase upfield and keep their CBs honest which he did.
Horrible game to watch but 3 points. Move on.

We rarely won a one to one header anywhere on the pitch yesterday. Fortunately the three we did win counted, Vydra off the line, Guddy and Sam.

We were very poor once again and results shouldn't mask the truth and without Joe Hart in form we wouldn't be crowing today.

The strikers need service to perform and long balls are okay if directly to a player but many of ours are 20 yards away.

Wood is the one who needs a performance to get going as he is innefective at the moment. He looks to have taken lessons from Emile Heskey when challenging for headers.

Next game we will probably face 10 men behind the ball and lumping it won't work. A bit of craft on the floor will suit Wood better.

JohnMac wrote:We rarely won a one to one header anywhere on the pitch yesterday.

One header we did win, and my favourite moment of the match, was Lennon beating Bamba.

I love Barnes, but I think the problem that we are seeing now is that defenders/refs are more aware of his "games" so he's lost a bit of his edge. He has good feet for a big man though.

Wood is undoubtedly our best out and out striker but is out of form at the moment (as happens with most strikers that cost less than £50m), and not getting a huge chance to play himself into form as he doesn't offer the same work rate as Vokes so is a bit of a luxury as we are rebuilding.

Vokes does far more for the team than just score goals, feel he's heavily involved in the team spirit too. While we rebuild and aren't exactly flowing as a team he'll be starting, when more of the team are firing I'd expect Wood to take over.

Always hard to go to a newly promoted side before October and get a win especially an ugly Warnock side. The forwards battled well and we got a win. Things are building every week

Wood just does not seem to be enjoying his football at the moment. We have to trust Dyche to rehabilitate him. Some players need game time to recover their form and others need to be left out and made hungry. I suspect Wood is the former which is troublesome.

Vokes and Barnes have done a great job feeding off scraps ansd hopefully will be rewarded as Defour and Brady return. Vydra has already helped Vokes to find some form and I suspect will work equally as well with Barnes

For those who think Vokes is over and done with he had extreme bad luck not to score against both Olympiakos and Watford. Had he scored a couple of headers in these two everyone would be singing his praises. There is clearly mileage left in him

One things clear. we are far better with two proper strikers up top than hendrick.

Have to feel for him. But it was obvious to everyone that he wasnt suited to the role asked of him and we suffered as a result.

After the Bournemouth game we had to start with Sam and Vydra, I'm surprised we brought on Wood, but he'll find his form eventually.
Our strikers are finding the net again, Lennon and JBG are looking better down the wings, but our big problem now appears to be in centre mid. Despite having a hand in both goals Westwood looked poor as did Cork. I would have started Hendrick in midfield anyway, but under the circumstances I can't see why SD doesn't.

Hendrick is much better in centre mid. The problem is I don't think his form allows him to be ahead of either. Shame for him the form was out of position.

2 more for Agyei in U23 today. One for the future ?

Think on current form, Hendrick and Westwood both have a legitimate claim to be ahead of Cork in the pecking order.

But given that Cork's one of the most obvious leaders and senior players within the team, it'd be a huge call to drop him.

I think on current form (2 league wins out of 2), nobody should be dropped.

FactualFrank wrote:I think on current form (2 league wins out of 2), nobody should be dropped.

On results, definitely not. And certainly nobody deserved to be left out for yesterday given the Bournemouth performance. But there's no escaping that our use of the ball wasn't very good at all, yesterday and generally our midfield struggled to assert itself on the game.

I’d be introducing Defour soon. Harsh on Westwood but he gives us a different dimension and we probably need that at the moment with the games we have coming up.

claretspice wrote:On results, definitely not. And certainly nobody deserved to be left out for yesterday given the Bournemouth performance. But there's no escaping that our use of the ball wasn't very good at all, yesterday and generally our midfield struggled to assert itself on the game.

It's not about just selecting players, it's about man management too. Dropping a player after 2 wins in 2 sends out the wrong message. If we beat Huddersfield with the same team, then that same team faces Man City.

FactualFrank wrote:It's not about just selecting players, it's about man management too. Dropping a player after 2 wins in 2 sends out the wrong message.

Completely take that point. That's why I think its a really tough one this Saturday with no right or wrong answer.

Dyched wrote:Vokes for me all day long. Id gladly see Barnes go in January.

Barnes go. Nooooooo!!!!!!

I’ve banged on about first time crosses for so long on here so was thrilled that both of yesterdays goals came from them. It is the strikers one major advantage. As soon as that ball is taken under control the defender is the boss. With Sam, Ash & Chris we have to keep plugging away with early balls. Good to see JBG getting into the 6yd box for his goal.
Chris Wood being off his best at the moment is the reason we have all 3 big lads, at any time one of them could be in that position, and the addition of Vydra gives pace and, hopefully, goals.