Adam Le Fondre - Possible England Call Up?

[Royal Biscuitman]

If Alfie does get a call up I imagine the Reading manager will have a chat with him and keep him level headed, I expect Roy Hodgson will too - something I can't imagine Coppell or McLaren would have done with Shorey.

[floyd__streete]

EngLOLand call up. In the last two or three games we have seen that ALF is as bang-average as the rest of our squad. It's all very well banging in one or two against tired defences when coming on as a sub, but he's shown himself time and time again to be nothing special when he starts games. Sure, the supply line is pretty woeful but he's utterly unable to create a chance of his own volition, like the top strikers at this level do. The fact he does not have the all-round ability to play a lone role has meant we've gone back to the disastrous 4-4-2. Pogrebnyak can't come back soon enough for me.

[joeroyal]

If Alfie does get a call up I imagine the Reading manager will have a chat with him and keep him level headed, I expect Roy Hodgson will too - something I can't imagine Coppell or McLaren would have done with Shorey.

Alf to get an England Call up ? are you mind warping medication

[Royal Ginger]

EngLOLand call up. In the last two or three games we have seen that ALF is as bang-average as the rest of our squad. It's all very well banging in one or two against tired defences when coming on as a sub, but he's shown himself time and time again to be nothing special when he starts games. Sure, the supply line is pretty woeful but he's utterly unable to create a chance of his own volition, like the top strikers at this level do. The fact he does not have the all-round ability to play a lone role has meant we've gone back to the disastrous 4-4-2. Pogrebnyak can't come back soon enough for me.

^ Agreed, every player has a purple patch and that was his. It's very easy to get swept up in the hype. I still believe that Pog is our best finisher, and Roberts is the most creative.

[loyalroyal4life]

EngLOLand call up. In the last two or three games we have seen that ALF is as bang-average as the rest of our squad. It's all very well banging in one or two against tired defences when coming on as a sub, but he's shown himself time and time again to be nothing special when he starts games. Sure, the supply line is pretty woeful but he's utterly unable to create a chance of his own volition, like the top strikers at this level do. The fact he does not have the all-round ability to play a lone role has meant we've gone back to the disastrous 4-4-2. Pogrebnyak can't come back soon enough for me.

^ Agreed, every player has a purple patch and that was his. It's very easy to get swept up in the hype. I still believe that Pog is our best finisher, and Roberts is the most creative.

Think he had his poorest game for us against Villa.

[floyd__streete]

EngLOLand call up. In the last two or three games we have seen that ALF is as bang-average as the rest of our squad. It's all very well banging in one or two against tired defences when coming on as a sub, but he's shown himself time and time again to be nothing special when he starts games. Sure, the supply line is pretty woeful but he's utterly unable to create a chance of his own volition, like the top strikers at this level do. The fact he does not have the all-round ability to play a lone role has meant we've gone back to the disastrous 4-4-2. Pogrebnyak can't come back soon enough for me.

^ Agreed, every player has a purple patch and that was his. It's very easy to get swept up in the hype. I still believe that Pog is our best finisher, and Roberts is the most creative.

Think he had his poorest game for us against Villa.

BUMP.

ALF on his own up front today showed how limited his game is. And he missed an absolute sitter too.

/close thread

[blueroyals]

After watching Lambert today and against Chelsea it makes me want to to LOL at anybody who thought Le Fondre was anywhere near the England squad. If Lambert can't get in it then ALF has/had no chance.

[floyd__streete]

ALF update: my spies tell me that he was totally anonymous yesterday before being yanked off at half time.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Think he touched the ball once.

[mambo3]

What are you smoking?

[Wimb]

tbf I don't think many were ever thinking he'd be a serious candidate to start in an England shirt.

While he's shown himself to be limited as a starter in the top two tiers, I do think he's proved an ability to punish tired defences and has a good knack of scoring goals at important times.

If you take 23 players to a major tournament I can think of far worse than ditching the usual extra midfielder that never gets a game (see Jenas, Jermaine) and bring along a poacher like Alfie for when you're desperately trying to sniff out a goal.

You don't break a 20 year old record for goals off the bench in 'the best league in the world' without having something about you.

Does he deserve a call-up? Almost certainly not right now but a year ago I wouldn't have considered it crazy.

[Sanguine]

There’s no such thing as a player who is ‘good off the bench’. No-one has made an entire career coming off the bench. Equally no-one has lost one because they are not ‘an impact sub’. It’s all bollocks. Le Fondre scored a few goals coming off the bench because he proved himself unworthy of a regular start.

Wimb, you are normally a poster of sense and reason, but the suggestion that you'd take a 'fox in the box' to the World Cup hoping he shins one in the 89th minute, or hammers a tired Paraguayan defender for pace in injury time, is a little ridiculous.

[loyalroyal4life]

Alf is a really poor version of Jermaine Defore...discuss

[Wimb]

There’s no such thing as a player who is ‘good off the bench’. No-one has made an entire career coming off the bench. Equally no-one has lost one because they are not ‘an impact sub’. It’s all bollocks. Le Fondre scored a few goals coming off the bench because he proved himself unworthy of a regular start.

Wimb, you are normally a poster of sense and reason, but the suggestion that you'd take a 'fox in the box' to the World Cup hoping he shins one in the 89th minute, or hammers a tired Paraguayan defender for pace in injury time, is a little ridiculous.

Some fair points but I'll defend my argument against being called ridiculous.....

As I said, in a 23 man squad there's usually a midfielder or a full-back in there that never gets anywhere near the starting lineup and in those circumstances yeah I wouldn't be opposed to a wildcard that's got pedigree with scoring goals (and taking a good penalty as well...) As I said, I wouldn't take him and I don't believe he's worth a place given the fact he's not exactly setting the Championship alight but this time 12 months ago when he was scoring goals against teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle he was at least worthy of consideration for selection in an England team that didn't have an abundance of attacking options.

I'm not sure how much there is/isn't to the 'super sub' argument. What the cold hard facts suggest is that he's got a fantastic goalscoring record off the bench and seems far more effective against a tiring defence, as I said he's got the Premier League record for goals as a substitute not to mention some crucial goals for us in the Championship winning season when coming in as a sub.

Is it all circumstantial?

Possibly but maybe there's just something about Le Fondre that allows him to be more effective and thrive as a sub.

[Sanguine]

Fair points - for me the 'thing' that makes him look better against tired legs is that he isn't actually that good.