Puscas

[WoodleyRoyal]

Gets a lot of bad press on here, but averaging almost a goal every two games for minutes on the pitch in all comps, new country, new style of play, i think he’s done ok. Nearly 15 for the season. Do you class him as as a successful signing?

For me? It’s a yes...

[Snowflake Royal]

He's done ok.

He's had some real stinkers, but they're getting fewer and further between. Don't think he really suits playing up top on his own or combines especially well with any of our other forwards. Plus he still seems overpriced. But it's certainly a first season to build on and he's got time on his side.

[WoodleyRoyal]

He's done ok.

He's had some real stinkers, but they're getting fewer and further between. Don't think he really suits playing up top on his own or combines especially well with any of our other forwards. Plus he still seems overpriced. But it's certainly a first season to build on and he's got time on his side.

So nail your colours to the mast.... Is that a yes or a no? (Sorry can’t see who has voted)!

[karbota]

Big NO.

[CountryRoyal]

He’s been fine but certainly not good value if his fee is to be believed.

[windermereROYAL]

Yes from me, big expectations when he first came in,some Reading fans being Reading fans were quick to jump on him for every miss or below par showing. not an ever present but a respectable 13 goals so far, the troll above can go and do one.

[Zip]

He is definitely improving. His hold up play is much better. He has 13 goals and a number of assists. That’s very decent for his first season in a new League so a success for me,

[Snowball]

Let's not also forget that he has rarely been played to his strengths
and, just as he was looking like coming into better form, games were
halted due to Covid

Barring serious injuries, and alongside a classic big hold-up CF
he should comfortably be a 20-Goal a season striker

[Snowflake Royal]

He's done ok.

He's had some real stinkers, but they're getting fewer and further between. Don't think he really suits playing up top on his own or combines especially well with any of our other forwards. Plus he still seems overpriced. But it's certainly a first season to build on and he's got time on his side.

So nail your colours to the mast.... Is that a yes or a no? (Sorry can’t see who has voted)!

Qualified yes.

[Snowflake Royal]

Let's not also forget that he has rarely been played to his strengths
and, just as he was looking like coming into better form, games were
halted due to Covid

Barring serious injuries, and alongside a classic big hold-up CF
he should comfortably be a 20-Goal a season striker

There's basically no such thing as a comfortable 20 goal a season striker.

We haven't had one in 25 years. Kitson came close but he only broke 20 once.

[Stranded]

Yes he has been. The only people who think not can't get past the fee which whilst large is massively incentive based and the only way we'll pay all of it is if his goals get us up or he scores so many we end up selling a Puscas entering his prime for at least what we paid.

[Snowball]

Shane Long scored 25 goals in 2009-10

I think that is ten years ago, not 25

[Hound]

Yeah he’s done well overall. Purely on goal scoring alone I’d say a success

Undoubtedly his all round game needs to keep improving (and it is) as there have certainly been times when he hasn’t offered a lot

Still a good signing on balance and I’d expect to see a lot of goals from him next season if he’s still here

[From Despair To Where?]

The mythical 20 goal a season striker that every club needs whereas, in reality on average, only 4 or 5 players in the whole Championship achieve it each season. I suppose Jimmy Quinn achieved it twice (once in the league) in 6 years but the last consistant 20 goal a season striker we had was Trevor Senior in his first spell and they achieved that in the equivalent if League 1. No-one's achieved it more than once in the Championship on all competitions (Morley, Kitson, Gylfi, Long) and Kitson was the only consistent 15-20 goal a season striker.

I'd rather have two strikers getting 12-16 each. Means we don't rely too heavily on one source of goals. Out forwards have contributed 40 goals this season, If anything, our midfield have underachieved in that respect.

Puscas has done alright. There has been a lot of expectation generated by the alleged fee and he has been inconsistent at times but, considering the mitigating factors of a new country etc. there's plenty to build on.

[Snowflake Royal]

Shane Long scored 25 goals in 2009-10

I think that is ten years ago, not 25

Come on snowball, you aren't that thick. The implication in "comfortable 20 goal a season player" is he'll get 20+ goals most seasons. If it's might get 20 goals in a season at least once it's a pretty meaningless phrase isn't it.

Long got 20+ goals in 1 season out of about 5 for us, and has only broken 10 in the PL a couple of times. As you well know, my point was that in a quarter century we haven't had a player who has got 20+ goals in more than 1 season for us.

Players that regularly get 20+ goals are rarer than hens teeth at this level. In 25 years we've only had a player get 20+ six times and in five seasons (iirc)

[Snowball]

So now the Nobbers Police don’t need to deal in facts, merely “implications” which are “obvious”...

As far as *I* am concerned, if a player scores 21 or more goals in a season he is “comfortably” a 20-goal striker. END

Does anyone seriously doubt that Long was likely to repeat his 20+ season had he stayed?

However, not my point.

Puscas on 13 with three games left, a new country, new playing circumstances, often played out of position, part-scapegoated, playing in a team that was relegation-fodder then mid-table, a team with a TERRIBLE home record that generally plays it tight away.

He could yet finish on 14/15 maybe even 16 THIS season and it is patently obvious that there is huge growth potential in HIM (as an individual), in the TEAM (making goals easier), in HOW he’s played.

If he stays and RFC finish 8th or better, I would FULLY EXPECT him to be 20+

(Avoiding injuries, of course)

There is nothing outrageous in that suggestion. It is logical, reasonable

Twats might start doing semantics analysis of a post (standard twattishness) just to say “Hey, look at me!” but I doubt if many sane, rational RFC fans would not expect a much better return next season

And a “much better return” would be a goal every 2 games at worse. He is close to that NOW.

That could mean 23 league goals 2-3-4 or so cup goals, so 25+ possible, hence “comfortably a twenty goal season”

[Zip]

We will just have to wait and see but he is definitely improving his all round play and certainly has potential to improve. Overall 29 goals shared between Meite and Puscas is a good return.

[From Despair To Where?]

So now the Nobbers Police don’t need to deal in facts, merely “implications” which are “obvious”...

As far as *I* am concerned, if a player scores 21 or more goals in a season he is “comfortably” a 20-goal striker. END

Does anyone seriously doubt that Long was likely to repeat his 20+ season had he stayed?

However, not my point.

Puscas on 13 with three games left, a new country, new playing circumstances, often played out of position, part-scapegoated, playing in a team that was relegation-fodder then mid-table, a team with a TERRIBLE home record that generally plays it tight away.

He could yet finish on 14/15 maybe even 16 THIS season and it is patently obvious that there is huge growth potential in HIM (as an individual), in the TEAM (making goals easier), in HOW he’s played.

If he stays and RFC finish 8th or better, I would FULLY EXPECT him to be 20+

(Avoiding injuries, of course)

There is nothing outrageous in that suggestion. It is logical, reasonable

Twats might start doing semantics analysis of a post (standard twattishness) just to say “Hey, look at me!” but I doubt if many sane, rational RFC fans would not expect a much better return next season

And a “much better return” would be a goal every 2 games at worse. He is close to that NOW.

That could mean 23 league goals 2-3-4 or so cup goals, so 25+ possible, hence “comfortably a twenty goal season”

Jeez, Snowball, by your reckoning I'm comfortably a sub 2 minute 800m runner because I once did it at the age of 17.

[Snowball]

We will just have to wait and see but he is definitely improving his all round play and certainly has potential to improve. Overall 29 goals shared between Meite and Puscas is a good return.

Agreed, but, as yet, we’ve barely SEEN a strike partnership, a fixed way of playing...

Next season, Bowen has a chance to fully impress his way on the team. This season has been VERY messy.

1 A terrible start which, extrapolated would have RFC bottom on 33 points and relegated. What does that do to confidence at team and individual level?

2 No set strike-partnerships. Meite mostly RW where he doesn’t really want to play, Puscas as a solo hold-up Player more often than not (and he clearly hates it.

I’m imagining a 46-game fit Joao (or his able-bodied replacement) Puscas a free-roaming number 10 (like v Cardiff, just WOW!) and Meite RW (get used to it, mate) getting 12+

That would be an awesome strike force at this level

[Snowball]

So now the Nobbers Police don’t need to deal in facts, merely “implications” which are “obvious”...

As far as *I* am concerned, if a player scores 21 or more goals in a season he is “comfortably” a 20-goal striker. END

Does anyone seriously doubt that Long was likely to repeat his 20+ season had he stayed?

However, not my point.

Puscas on 13 with three games left, a new country, new playing circumstances, often played out of position, part-scapegoated, playing in a team that was relegation-fodder then mid-table, a team with a TERRIBLE home record that generally plays it tight away.

He could yet finish on 14/15 maybe even 16 THIS season and it is patently obvious that there is huge growth potential in HIM (as an individual), in the TEAM (making goals easier), in HOW he’s played.

If he stays and RFC finish 8th or better, I would FULLY EXPECT him to be 20+

(Avoiding injuries, of course)

There is nothing outrageous in that suggestion. It is logical, reasonable

Twats might start doing semantics analysis of a post (standard twattishness) just to say “Hey, look at me!” but I doubt if many sane, rational RFC fans would not expect a much better return next season

And a “much better return” would be a goal every 2 games at worse. He is close to that NOW.

That could mean 23 league goals 2-3-4 or so cup goals, so 25+ possible, hence “comfortably a twenty goal season”

Jeez, Snowball, by your reckoning I'm comfortably a sub 2 minute 800m runner because I once did it at the age of 17.

No, you got older and crapper. Puscas is 24, 3-4-5 years of improvement still in him.

And, as described above, I was talking about next season.

Your argument is bonkers. If Long or anyone got three consecutive twenties, then retired, he wouldn’t keep getting twenties.

Getting 21+ goals = comfortably a 20-goal player.

There would be a different terminology for a player who would do that for 3-4-5-6-7-8 seasons.

NOWHERE did i say a WORD about ongoing seasons, just next season.