The Foster Paradox

[KRBFC]

Adebayo was far more impressive for Luton last season than Foster was at any stage for Burnley, netting 10 times from just 27 matches. This season he has played 7 matches and simply can’t buy a goal.
If Foster was dominating PL centre halves last season and finding the back of the net regularly he wouldn’t be playing for Burnley in the Championship.

The thing with Adebayo (and Morris) is that even if they aren’t scoring goals they’re an absolute handful for a defender, they will cause problems and create for others. It was the exact same with Barnes in his last season here, he wasn’t prolific but defenders never had an easy game with him.

In comparison Foster must be so easy to play against, defenders hate movement and Foster is so lazy and static. He’s not physical or brilliant in the air. Technically he’s so poor so you can let him drop deep and pick up the ball in space.

[Vegas Claret]

The thing with Adebayo (and Morris) is that even if they aren’t scoring goals they’re an absolute handful for a defender, they will cause problems and create for others. It was the exact same with Barnes in his last season here, he wasn’t prolific but defenders never had an easy game with him.

In comparison Foster must be so easy to play against, defenders hate movement and Foster is so lazy and static. He’s not physical or brilliant in the air. Technically he’s so poor so you can let him drop deep and pick up the ball in space.

Read the Luton forums about Adebayo....

[BigGaz]

He’s having an awful awful season.
And worryingly he’s getting worse every game at the moment.

Last weeks performance against Portsmouth was so bad that I was expecting him to be on the bench today. Unfortunately Flemming not playing means we have no other viable options.

I thought our failure to sign another striker was going to leave us short and we definitely look it right now. Hopefully we can stick around the top 6 until January and then go into the market. I can’t see any one team pulling away from what I have seen so far. We certainly don’t look like doing.

It's a fair comment. I said in the match thread that as we're likely to be playing sides that are going to sit in against us and not give us much then he's not the right profile. That supposed 25m from Ipswich looks more and more appealing.

Easier said then done I know but we need someone a bit cuter in and around the box and that has to be a priority in January. J-Rod, Charlie or Ings except 10 years younger.

[KRBFC]

Read the Luton forums about Adebayo....

I can imagine they’re hating on him atm because they think he doesn’t want to be there, I watched the Plymouth game and he was a handful still.

[Vegas Claret]

I can imagine they’re hating on him atm because they think he doesn’t want to be there, I watched the Plymouth game and he was a handful still.

I watched it too, he looked like a league two brawler with very little quality. When he's on it he is decent for sure though

[willsclarets]

The only bright spark I've seen from him was when flemming came on against Portsmouth. He looked far more mobile, and took up space where he could receive the ball running at defenders.

Sacrifice Hannibal or brownhill for a 10, and you'll see more from Foster. He's simply not a lone striker.

[KRBFC]

Another really below par performance, I don’t think he won a single duel all night, didn’t get on the end of any crosses and couldn’t pass 5 yards again.

He did however move abit more and did have a good run behind which ended in a poor effort chipped over the keeper, I think a clever striker knocks it to the side and let’s the keeper collide into him.

[quoonbeatz]

He had a decent enough game tonight, held the ball up and laid it off well in the second half until he cramped and him not giving up on a ball that was going out to set up Anthony for an attack was excellent. He’s clearly not playing with a lot of confidence and we’re not really set up to give him a lot of chances.

[Blyclaret]

Hope to god Ipswich come back in for him. Sick to death of his no shows.

[Burnleyareback2]

He just isn’t getting service at all. Really think once the squad starts to gel we need to get 2 up front.

God knows how many crosses we manufactured tonight but only 1 or 2 players v at least 4 defenders in the box.

That striker that can play alone and hit 20 goals is +£20m and then sold in January.

Worked hard tonight, hope he is fit again for Saturday.

[Ric_C]

Starting to lose a bit of patience with him. He shouldn't be getting cramp after 60 mins. Also last season he was bullying defenders at times, he seems to have regressed in his physicality again this season. Truth be told he had that purple patch last season, but apart from that, he's not offered much.

[willsclarets]

I actually thought he did alright. Much less static and linked play quite well. The movement from all our attacking players in the first half was much better, which gives Foster different pockets to occupy.

Still don't think he's a lone striker though.

[Vegas Claret]

Another really below par performance, I don’t think he won a single duel all night, didn’t get on the end of any crosses and couldn’t pass 5 yards again.

He did however move abit more and did have a good run behind which ended in a poor effort chipped over the keeper, I think a clever striker knocks it to the side and let’s the keeper collide into him.

He won quite a few duels, held the ball up multiple times and brought others into play, he headed a few through balls out wide too. Your agenda is blinding you tonight

In terms of goals, we create nothing at all from him. Name me a striker that scores every week when he rarely gets more than one chance......

[KRBFC]

He won quite a few duels, held the ball up multiple times and brought others into play, he headed a few through balls out wide too. Your agenda is blinding you tonight

In terms of goals, we create nothing at all from him. Name me a striker that scores every week when he rarely gets more than one chance......

I lost count of the amount of good crosses Pires put into the box first half, you think it’s just coincidence Foster didn’t get on the end of any of them?

Good strikers get on the end of those crosses and create chances for themselves. Good strikers also don’t give the ball away every time they try to pass 5 yards.

Btw he won 2/9 duels tonight according to opta stats

[Vegas Claret]

I lost count of the amount of good crosses Pires put into the box first half, you think it’s just coincidence Foster didn’t get on the end of any of them?

Good strikers get on the end of those crosses and create chances for themselves. Good strikers also don’t give the ball away every time they try to pass 5 yards.

Btw he won 2/9 duels tonight according to opta stats

have a look at the highlights of Man City tonight and look at the SITTERS Haaland missed - arguably the best in the world, also often criticized for not holding the ball up, giving the ball away, not doing enough off the ball to help the team.

If Foster was amazing he wouldn't be playing for us.
I'm not completely defending Foster btw, I do think he can do better but your constant criticism of him in a team that does nothing for him is laughable

[jojomk1]

Left with little or no support through the middle again
Hanibal is not playing as a No 10 - he was coming back as far as our own penalty area to pick up balls
Koleosho constantly coming inside and losing the ball with Anthony only slightly better
Foster is not the finished article by a long way but without service/support he is on a hiding to nothing from a lot of people on this messageboard

[Shaggy]

I’m sorry but there is plenty of opportunities for Foster to get the ball in favourable positions, his movement and positioning isn’t good enough. A good striker has a knack of being in the right places at the right times and Foster just isn’t. Hes way too static and his hold up play isn’t good enough to play the target man.

Our play in general is slow and safe but one of the contributing factors is there are no options available for the wingers/midfielders to hit so the safe option is always taken instead. Forster needs to create space for himself and make himself an option. The only time Foster looks decent is when he presses forcing a mistake. Unfortunately this cannot be done all game.

[Elizabeth]

I thought he looked leaner, stronger and more mobile tonight.
I don’t think he has the positional sense in the box to be one of the top Championship strikers this season but with the addition of our currently injured more creative players he has every chance of improving his goal scoring.
Keeping him fit and healthy is the challenge for the management team.

[jlup1980]

I lost count of the amount of good crosses Pires put into the box first half, you think it’s just coincidence Foster didn’t get on the end of any of them?

Good strikers get on the end of those crosses and create chances for themselves. Good strikers also don’t give the ball away every time they try to pass 5 yards.

Btw he won 2/9 duels tonight according to opta stats

I think Jay Rod is past is, but I said at half time that I felt he would have scored from one of the crosses in the first half, because his movement in the box is generally better.

Foster didn't get on the end of a cross all night because 90% of the time he ran towards the back post and made himself virtually impossible to find. The closest he came was the only time he ran to the front post early in the second half. It doesn't take a genius. He just needs to put himself in a position to be found.

[RVclaret]

Foster was good last night. Dynamic, linked play cleverly at times on the half turn and showed lateral and vertical movement. I’d agree with his box movement but I’d say that’s as a team, we’re getting in some good ‘cut back’ type positions but that actual cut back is 90% of the time fired into their defence. Hopefully he and we work on having players attack different spaces. I hope he’s not injured for Saturday.

[taio]

Foster was good last night. Dynamic, linked play cleverly at times on the half turn and showed lateral and vertical movement. I’d agree with his box movement but I’d say that’s as a team, we’re getting in some good ‘cut back’ type positions but that actual cut back is 90% of the time fired into their defence. Hopefully he and we work on having players attack different spaces. I hope he’s not injured for Saturday.

Foster was was average last night, rather than good or excellent. I hope he's fit for Saturday because we need him available and to improve.

[RVclaret]

Foster was was average last night, rather than good or excellent. I hope he's fit for Saturday because we need him available and to improve.

Foster was good last night, borderline excellent first half and just needs a goal or 2 for a confidence boost.

[Luppy]

Said after first game, he won’t get 10 goals all season. His movement is almost non existent in build up play and his “noise” in and around the danger areas is practically non existent. We desperately need a striker come early January

[taio]

Foster was good last night, borderline excellent first half and just needs a goal or 2 for a confidence boost.

I believe you are over-stating Foster's performance last night. He wasn't excellent in the first half and wasn't good overall. This is played out in the player ratings on here and elsewhere. He was average.

[RVclaret]

I believe you are over-stating Foster's performance last night. He wasn't excellent in the first half and wasn't good overall. This is played out in the player ratings on here and elsewhere. He was average.

I believe you are understating his performance. He was good overall.

[Luppy]

I lost count of the amount of good crosses Pires put into the box first half, you think it’s just coincidence Foster didn’t get on the end of any of them?

Good strikers get on the end of those crosses and create chances for themselves. Good strikers also don’t give the ball away every time they try to pass 5 yards.

Btw he won 2/9 duels tonight according to opta stats

Couldn’t agree more. His noise in the box is practically non-existent - an Austin / Payton he isn’t. A good centre back who can read the game will coast through 90 minutes against him

[Rileybobs]

Thought it was generally more of the same for Foster in the first half aside from a good run in behind where his second touch took him well wide of the goal and spurned the chance. He was really starting to get into the game after the break with some good movement and a couple of good bits of hold up so it was a shame to see him pull up.

That said, he definitely wasn’t excellent and I agree that his movement in the box is one of the reasons why we’re not getting on the end of any of the numerous crosses and pull-backs we put in last night.

[Winstonswhite]

I believe you are understating his performance. He was good overall.

He wasn’t poor but he wasn’t good either. He did the absolute minimum expected- a couple of good lay offs, a couple of good runs, a couple of poor attempts at goal.

You can accept that if it’s once in a while, but it’s not. That was one of his better performances!

[taio]

I believe you are understating his performance. He was good overall.

Along with many other people, which should tell you something.

[claretonthecoast1882]

At least with Foster being the new target Trafford is being left alone for the majority of the time.

Has it been decided who the next target is if Foster isn't selected as some seem to want.

[Dark Cloud]

It's very hard to judge him atm. He's definitely not a lone striker that's for sure and I really can't decide if he's any good or not, even after plenty of games now, but given genuine support from another attacking midfielder and playing as a "duo" could be a whole different thing. Vokes and Ings, Vokes and Gray for example. They weren't being asked to play up on their own.

[RVclaret]

At least with Foster being the new target Trafford is being left alone for the majority of the time.

Has it been decided who the next target is if Foster isn't selected as some seem to want.

Egan-Riley seems to be heading into that territory

[beddie]

Us old uns have seen some fantastic centre forwards play for Burnley over the years, unfortunately Foster at present isn’t one of them, not aggressive enough for me and his positional play needs improvement. Keeping him fit will be a priority though.

[jlup1980]

At least with Foster being the new target Trafford is being left alone for the majority of the time.

Has it been decided who the next target is if Foster isn't selected as some seem to want.

I hate this idea that Foster is a target, or the new boo boy. He's not. Did anyone boo him or really get on his back last night? I didn't hear anything around where I sit. Yes there were grumbles of disappointment at times, but only the same that we heard for the rest of the team. The fact he's consistently underperforming is the problem.

He wasn't awful last night, but he certainly wasn't good or excellent... which is backed up by the ratings thread. He was average, which is an improvement, but it shows how poor his performances have been in general when some are suggesting a couple of nice bits of control and a couple of well timed runs equates to an excellent game. He's the main striker in a team that dominates the ball; he should be involved a lot more than he is.

[KRBFC]

have a look at the highlights of Man City tonight and look at the SITTERS Haaland missed - arguably the best in the world, also often criticized for not holding the ball up, giving the ball away, not doing enough off the ball to help the team.

If Foster was amazing he wouldn't be playing for us.
I'm not completely defending Foster btw, I do think he can do better but your constant criticism of him in a team that does nothing for him is laughable

You’re wrong for thinking the team does nothing for Foster it’s not the case but I see why you think this. Foster should have been on the end of those crosses, he’d of had a couple of tap ins. Maybe if he won more than 2/9 duels and didn’t keep conceding possession, he might have got a 1 2 or the ball might have returned to him later in the move.

[The Hung Juror]

Irrespective of your views on Foster, we need a striker in January. Rodriguez is not the alternative off the bench.

[aggi]

have a look at the highlights of Man City tonight and look at the SITTERS Haaland missed - arguably the best in the world, also often criticized for not holding the ball up, giving the ball away, not doing enough off the ball to help the team.

If Foster was amazing he wouldn't be playing for us.
I'm not completely defending Foster btw, I do think he can do better but your constant criticism of him in a team that does nothing for him is laughable

I think if Foster was scoring a goal a game rather than a goal every seven (and 2 in the last 20) people would be more forgiving of his overall play.

Maybe it is the formation (having Hannibal in at number 10 doesn't help and it may all come good when Flemmng comes in), maybe it is Foster's lack of ability.

But ultimately it doesn't really matter. Parker has his way of playing (and it's a style where centre forwards usually score a lot of goals) and if players don't fit then they need to be replaced.

Personally I don't think he has the movement or the instinctive ability to be a striker who will regularly get double figures in a decent league but we shall see.

[vinrogue]

2 goals in the last 20 if that is correct by aggi is just not good enough for our No 1 striker. He must improve and that means scoring goals which he just doesn't look like doing at the moment. Last night a chap around me in the Longside said he is just making the wrong final choice, passes when he should shoot and gives it away too often. It was hard to disagree and if it is just confidence then I hope he gets a hat trick on Saturday and the tide turns, for him and for us.

[getbennyon]

2 goals in the last 20 if that is correct by aggi is just not good enough for our No 1 striker. He must improve and that means scoring goals which he just doesn't look like doing at the moment. Last night a chap around me in the Longside said he is just making the wrong final choice, passes when he should shoot and gives it away too often. It was hard to disagree and if it is just confidence then I hope he gets a hat trick on Saturday and the tide turns, for him and for us.

What that chap in the Longside doesn't understand is that if Foster made all the correct choices he wouldn't be playing for Burnley.

Foster was a needless signing at the time, he's never remotely looked the part(bar one freak performance at Villa). He's limited and we need to move on from this failed experiment.

[snapcrackleandpop]

He has made 148 career appearances and scored 24 goals which says to me he will not come good - this is his good.
But would loved to be proved wrong.

[KRBFC]

The best striker in the league btw

One good run aside what an another awful performance. He thinks he’s too good to run the channel and think he’s this brilliant drop deep technical superstar.

Look when Anthony had a shot on target because he had nobody to pass too, look where Foster is, outside of the box. And why did he not square it to Flemming for a tap in?

[Goalposts]

It’s no longer a PARADOX…..

[clansman]

I think today my patience with finally ran out. There is an argument that he doesn’t get support but he has absolutely no sense of where to be in the box and his constant collapsing in pain is boring and gets no sympathy from refs.
Desperate for a striker.

[KlyBfc]

If people think swapping Foster out solves the problems our last 3 home games have highlighted they will be disappointed

[BabylonClaret]

It's looking more and more like he's just not really good enough. I thi k KRBFC should give the drum a rest but frankly he's looked anonymous in around 80% of games for us.

People can point to the fact that the system doesn't help him but he doesn't help himself either - rarely finds any soace in the box, never tried to run channels, drops deep and 90%of the time fails to protect the ball. You can go on. And he was pretty anonymous in his first season - despite playing in the best team in the league which (according to many) was way ahead of where we are right now.