Lee Angol

He's had to change his game to be able to still play at this level. With the state of his knee, he cant really sprint anymore, he has to play cautious otherwise he isn't going to play anymore, we knew this when we offered him a deal so more fool us than anything.

The same leg has had an ACL & MCL tear along with hamstring tears, so it makes sense he wants to prolong his career. However, he isn't a wide man and asking him to play there and cut inside is a pointless task. Angol only ever looked good playing up front but with his ability, he'll need a partner. It's looking like Oliver is also a striker who needs a partner, as playing on his own with only attacking midfielders 20 yards away doesn't suit him. As most of Olivers touches in a city shit seem to be head high, 35 yards from goal trying to hold up for others. At some point, to get the best out of our strikers we need to go 2 up top in my opinion, as it looks like Cook and Harratt also worked well as a 2 for the last 10/15 last night.

 

Time and time again he ignored a player overlapping him who would have supplied crosses for Oliver but he consistantly ignored him and cut inside trying to take a player on or give a stupid 3ft pass to a marked player. In denying the ball for crosses he actually made Oliver look surplus as he relies on crosses to score. What a mess we are up front

 

Observed the same myself. The number of times Ridehalgh passed him on the left only for Angol to cut in to the middle and make a safe boring pass. Looks devoid of any confidence right now.

 

You are simply not going to get the sufficient goals and assists from Angol that his historical record shows..

I know I harp on about Angol and the season that Josh Wright doubled his goal and assist record at Orient in 19/20 but with Gilliead and Angol in (or around) the match day 11, you have two players whom SIMPLY are not going to get you the goals or assists needed.

 

If we had Osadebe and Walker, Angol/Young wouldn't be starting as many games.
I doubt Angol was intended to be first choice this season. More a 4th/5th choice for the attacking midfield positions.
If we defend the free-kick properly and get the last second winner is Angol still so out of form?
Seems an over-reaction for me.
As you say, history tells us that he is not a 20 goal a season attacker.

 

Agreed. I think Angol was intended to be one of a number of attacking bench options, not a regular starter. The loss of Osadebe, Eisa and Walker has left us very short of creativity. An in-form Angol is someone who can do the unexpected and make things happen. Unfortunately, he is clearly not in form at present.
Having said that, he still looked twice as threatening as Young did yesterday. Young looked completely out of his depth.

 

You can stick any player anywhere on the field, but they become less and less of an asset the further away from what their prime role is. I'm not sure why we are hanging Angol out to dry on the wing, it's just not what he does well. Similar with Oliver, doesn't look suited at all playing the lone striker. People say we have options to change formation but generally a manager will have a preferred system and will more often stick to it.

 

And yet Young looked excellent on Saturday when he came on and in my opinion deserved to start last night

 

I sense with Young he is the sort who will be very up and down, still a young lad finding his way.

To be fair to him he does try to make things happen but this makes him look even worse when he's having a bad one

 

The nature of the beast for wide players. Not everything they do will come off, being consistent in that position is tough.

 

I've never thought he was that good in the first place. add in his injury problems and its a bit of a yikes signing to put so much stock in, particularly when adams wanted him as the main man.

 

Very similar to Chapman in a way but I'd 100% prefer these lads trying things to Gillead when he was played in a forward role and most of the time looked scared to even cross the ball, let alone beat a player so instead played a simple pass inside or to the full back.

 

I think during that second half, Angol had the ball more than anyone else in a city shirt, and actually often found that sacred space between the striker and midfield which no one else seemed to bother to do.

The dive and the foul were ridiculous but I don't believe he was as bad as some made out. Just wish he'd stop trying that round the corner pass that he attempted far too often and became predictable