Lewis Dobbin

[coalman]

He stretches play, commits defenders and can play on the half turn. In the last couple of weeks he's also shown the strength to bother defenders. Really pleased to see him growing into the team.

[Patches O Houlihan]

Our press in the second half was superb. There were moments when it was clear QPR just didn’t know what to do to break it.

A week uninterrupted on the training ground will have really helped for that, but Dobbin’s speed, stamina, agility and willingness to run will have helped considerably too. 

Larin does work hard on the pressing but you can also see that his frame requires him to pace himself a bit in order to remain an effective goal threat. 

As I said in the other thread great that Dobbin is putting pressure on Larin, and giving us another option for the playing style, and that his team mates have clearly bought into too.

[AlexLaw76]

He has been pretty good...and is making a difference. His work rate is superb and his movement creates a fair bit of space.

We just have to hope the opposition do not adjust to stop his effectiveness whilst Larin is out.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Still not protecting the ball enough for my liking. There was a spell towards the end of the first half when it bounced off him 2 or 3 times and it put us back under pressure. Yes, he looks ok when he’s got space to turn, if he’s going to play up top alone he needs to protect the ball better. Worked extremely hard and was the main trigger for a better second half pressing performance. But to suggest his performances are promotion level is hopeful in the extreme. 
 

He's gone from pony to promising, but I’d have Larin over him everyday of the week. He’s not putting pressure on Larin or Azaz, no way he starts in a must win game if everyone’s fit. He may end up as a genuine alternative, but he’s not there yet. 

[Badger]

4 hours ago, coalman said:

He stretches play, commits defenders and can play on the half turn. In the last couple of weeks he's also shown the strength to bother defenders. Really pleased to see him growing into the team.

Not sure about the strength, a couple of times he seemed easily outmuscled and knocked off the ball.

Was unlucky not to have a goal to his name which would have done his confidence a world of good.

Improving, and glad we’ve adapted play a little to suit, but he isn’t the CF we need especially if Larin is unavailable. 

[BarberSaint]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Still not protecting the ball enough for my liking. There was a spell towards the end of the first half when it bounced off him 2 or 3 times and it put us back under pressure. Yes, he looks ok when he’s got space to turn, if he’s going to play up top alone he needs to protect the ball better. Worked extremely hard and was the main trigger for a better second half pressing performance. But to suggest his performances are promotion level is hopeful in the extreme. 
 

He's gone from pony to promising, but I’d have Larin over him everyday of the week. He’s not putting pressure on Larin or Azaz, no way he starts in a must win game if everyone’s fit. He may end up as a genuine alternative, but he’s not there yet. 

There was one time where he let the ball bounce on his right foot which was planted on the ground. He killed it, moved it back a foot or so from where he wanted it to be but was blocked off by the QPR player while making his turn.  Excellent skill, just a shame it didn't come off. His header was bloody good, too.

[beatlesaint]

He’s certainly a hell of a lot better than he was back in August/September.

 

[Saint Fan CaM]

He’s improving for certain and importantly I think he’s got attributes that Archer didn’t have, such as turning on a sixpence and decent pace. I do believe that by January/February he’ll be giving Tonda big selection headaches if the whole 1st team is available. His improved form has coincided with our rise up the table and a pretty decent goal difference - it will be difficult to separate out these factors, maybe to the point that it will take an injury to drop him to the bench.

Edited Sunday at 12:37 by Saint Fan CaM

[skintsaint]

1 hour ago, beatlesaint said:

He’s certainly a hell of a lot better than he was back in August/September.

 

Its almost like new signings sometimes take time to settle in to a new squad.

[Oldandtired]

4 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Its almost like new signings sometimes take time to settle in to a new squad.

...and need to actually play in games to improve.

[SuperSAINT]

Dobbin has replaced Archer as the Saints player that I’m desperate to do well.

Gutted he missed that chance.

[bpsaint]

2 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Dobbin has replaced Archer as the Saints player that I’m desperate to do well.

Gutted he missed that chance.

Said in the match thread if he could finish his one on ones we’d have made up the minus 4 by now. Really want him to do well but it’s hard not to look at Archer who now has 6 in 7 on loan and not think what was the point of signing such a similar player.

[Patrick Bateman]

13 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Said in the match thread if he could finish his one on ones we’d have made up the minus 4 by now. Really want him to do well but it’s hard not to look at Archer who now has 6 in 7 on loan and not think what was the point of signing such a similar player.

Not sure they are that similar - Dobbins ball control especially close up is brilliant. He sorts the finishing (confidence?) out and he'll be a very very good player.

Archer is a decent player to have off the bench, but I think their attributes are different. 

Edited 13 hours ago by Patrick Bateman

[bpsaint]

3 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Not sure they are that similar - Dobbins ball control especially close up and brilliant. He sorts the finishing (confidence?) out and he'll be a very very good player.

Archer is a decent player to have off the bench, but I think their attributes are different. 

Find them very similar myself, in terms of stature and the way they play slightly off from the side rather than through the centre. Felt that was part of the reason Archer went out on loan because of how alike they were.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

9 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Said in the match thread if he could finish his one on ones we’d have made up the minus 4 by now. Really want him to do well but it’s hard not to look at Archer who now has 6 in 7 on loan and not think what was the point of signing such a similar player.

 

5 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Not sure they are that similar - Dobbins ball control especially close up and brilliant. He sorts the finishing (confidence?) out and he'll be a very very good player.

Archer is a decent player to have off the bench, but I think their attributes are different. 

Agreed. Dobbin is much more versatile across a front line. Archer is the more direct attacking threat.

If you combined them both...

well, you'd be rightly arrested for your fiendish experiments on human subjects. What is wrong with you?! 

[saintant]

Poor attempt when one on one tonight - surely he only had to lift the shot for a certain goal. I get that it's in the heat of the moment but he needed some composure. Good strikers rarely miss those opportunities. Having said that he did some decent stuff and was a big improvement on Mubama but so would Long John Silver have been.

[Badger]

9 hours ago, bpsaint said:

Find them very similar myself, in terms of stature and the way they play slightly off from the side rather than through the centre. Felt that was part of the reason Archer went out on loan because of how alike they were.

Agree there are several similarities. Neither are a CF, or can be relied on as a regular scorer. Both overpriced, shortarses, who we could have done without.

With Archer he is meant to be a striker, it’s less clear what Dobbin is intended as, he’s not a CF, not a winger, and doesn’t seem to be an Azaz deputy. But in his defence he does provide some energy and movement, and is an improvement on Mubama 

[Turkish]

Wasn’t Dobbin meant to be the Azaz alternative? Weird if so as he’s nothing like him. 

[Saint NL]

Dobbin is a weird sort of player that he looks better on the half way line than he does in the area.

[Jack]

Has to be said that his lack of composure has probably cost us 4 points since the international break. It can’t all be put on him I know, but you need your centre forward to put away their one on ones more often than not, and he hasn’t.