Player Watch Player Watch: Dominic Solanke

[CookieYiddo]

At £65m he has not been a “brilliant” signing. He has been an ok signing. And we clearly needed cover for Richi. But, surely we could have found someone to hold the ball up for less money.

For £65m, we need a goal scorer - in addition to someone holding the ball up.

I agree with this. I think he is a great player and i do expect his numbers to improve over the season but as of right now i do agree, he does some really excellent work but he is a 65 million quid striker. He needs to be scoring goals

 

[Trix]

At £65m he has not been a “brilliant” signing. He has been an ok signing. And we clearly needed cover for Richi. But, surely we could have found someone to hold the ball up for less money.

For £65m, we need a goal scorer - in addition to someone holding the ball up.

I've not always agreed with everything you post but I have always believed you had a good understanding of the game and players. If that's all you think he is doing for £65mil I think I'll have to re-evaluate my opinion.

 

[HildoSpur]

At £65m he has not been a “brilliant” signing. He has been an ok signing. And we clearly needed cover for Richi. But, surely we could have found someone to hold the ball up for less money.

For £65m, we need a goal scorer - in addition to someone holding the ball up.

He is the best pressing striker in the league - that alone is meaning he is doing a fantastic job for us. Do you really think all he offers is holding up the ball?

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

I've not always agreed with everything you post but I have always believed you had a good understanding of the game and players. If that's all you think he is doing for £65mil I think I'll have to re-evaluate my opinion.

It was a short cut for all the off the ball work. I think he has done a fantastic job with the non-scoring aspects of the job - better than I expected. But he was expensive and we need more than just good work rate.

 

[easley91]

People need to see how much he presses the GK and CBs on a regular basis. Oh and his strength when holding off players, he has wriggled past two or three defenders at time with the ball. He is a lot better than I think I gave him credit for. He'll get his goals sooner or later. But what he contributes to the team is much more than just a goal output.

 

[Trix]

It was a short cut for all the off the ball work. I think he has done a fantastic job with the non-scoring aspects of the job - better than I expected. But he was expensive and we need more than just good work rate.

I'll put it this way. If we'd have been given him on loan to this point and had to make a decision now on whether or not to spend that amount of money on him I'd definitely still buy him, and I wasn't keen at all when we actually signed him.

 

[mil1lion]

I don't see anyone saying he's shit or anything like that. Just asking for me goals from a centre forward playing in a very attacking team which is fair. That's not to say we don't appreciate how hard he works or understand what he brings to the team. It's just funny how people complain about us not taking the next step and yet we can't expect higher standards of signings. If we want to get to the next level we need more it's simple as that. Hopefully he hits that level as it's still early days but you can't join a big club and not be under pressure to perform at a top level.

 

[Yiddo1982]

It's not like he's missing chances though

 

[mil1lion]

But not getting chances is a concern. You have to ask how can the forward get into better positions. Not how can players pick him out all the time.

 

[muppetman]

Kane and Son have spoiled us I think.

Considering our success rate with signing strikers , I'm fairly happy with what I've seen from him so far. I would like (and suspect he would very much like) to see him scoring more goals, but we are a better team with him up front.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

It's not like he's missing chances though

Isn’t this also a worry.. Johnson and Werner have been guilty of wasting good goal scoring opportunities which means they’ve got into goal scoring positions. Solanke ain’t missing goal scoring opportunities because he isn’t getting into positions to miss.

 

[spurs mental]

One season wonder

Absolute nonsense

 

[spurs mental]

Isn’t this also a worry.. Johnson and Werner have been guilty of wasting good goal scoring opportunities which means they’ve got into goal scoring positions. Solanke ain’t missing goal scoring opportunities because he isn’t getting into positions to miss.

But the others are also not creating the opportunities for him, but his movement and work on and off the ball is creating chances for them too.

 

[soflapaul]

It was a short cut for all the off the ball work. I think he has done a fantastic job with the non-scoring aspects of the job - better than I expected. But he was expensive and we need more than just good .work rate.

His hold up play, strength and speed forces other teams to defend often with two players and sometimes 3 against him. That in turn creates space and time for some of our other players which is especially important when you're other. players are struggling with keeping the ball near their feet.

The big problem is him getting any service at this point in time. as he's definitely not receiving balls in the areas that he's most dangerous in, The jury is out not because of his play, but how he fits in with the other players on the team.

 

[SaiboT]

Absolute nonsense

Haha as far as today it is a fucking fact.

 

[Misfit]

He'd doing his job in our system bloody well so far. Over a season he'll score the goals he should score on top of his work rate and pressing.

Some people online, not here but elsewhere, need to put all thoughts of H out of their mind. Entirely different animal.

 

[G Ron]

Isn’t this also a worry.. Johnson and Werner have been guilty of wasting good goal scoring opportunities which means they’ve got into goal scoring positions. Solanke ain’t missing goal scoring opportunities because he isn’t getting into positions to miss.

I think it says way more about how we’re set up. This system favours the wide forwards and so I’d expect the bulk of our goals to come from those positions. Solanke is tasked with doing a lot of our dirty work, dropping deep to help defend, holding up the ball and laying it off to others to feed the wide players etc.

I think a lot of our fans are unfairly selling the guy short.

 

[mil1lion]

Kane and Son have spoiled us I think.

Considering our success rate with signing strikers , I'm fairly happy with what I've seen from him so far. I would like (and suspect he would very much like) to see him scoring more goals, but we are a better team with him up front.

Spoilt my arse, we've had the likes of Greaves, Klinsmann, Allen etc over the years. It should be standard we set ourselves.

 

[Mr Pink]

He'll score against Villa.

 

[spurs9]

Solanke scored what? 19 goals for Bournemouth? We know he can score a lot golas if given the chances.

I get the impression that the role he’s asked to play slightly hinders him from getting in to scoring position.

It’s just been a coupe of months. He’s in a new team, at a higher level, under a new manager, and he’s already fitting in really well. Let’s have some patience.

He also only scored 4 in his first 11 last season, so 2 goals in the next 4 games puts him on par for last season.