Benik Afobe

I

Irish Millwall

Well-known member
Surely Benik can't keep getting 90 minutes match after match on his current form. I'm sure that Rowett knows his football far better than me but I don't understand what Afobe offers at present. He did very little last night yet he managed to stay on until the end while Bennett and Burke got hauled ashore. We now have more attacking options with Bennett, Jed, Burke, Freeman and Burey. I know that some of these might not be out and out goalscorers but let's face it, Benik isn't exactly one of those either. The only time he really looks like scoring is when he gets a long ball over the top - apart from that he's missed some really good chances and his passing and distribution just aren't good enough. I don't like to knock the man, I'd love to see him do well, he's got a good attitude. However, I can't see how he can keep all of the other attacking players out of the starting line up week after week. Or is Benik offering something that I'm missing?
 
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Put it this way last season Jed & Bennett scored more goals between them than all the supposed forwards put together.
Goal scoring forwards have thin on the ground at then Den for some time and that really needs to change (obviously).
 
Irish Millwall said:
Surely Benik can't keep getting 90 minutes match after match on his current form. I'm sure that Rowett knows his football far better than me but I don't understand what Afobe offers at present. He did very little last night yet he managed to stay on until the end while Bennett and Burke got hauled ashore. We now have better attacking options with Bennett, Jed, Burke, Freeman and Burey. I know that some of these might not be out and out goalscorers but let's face it, Benik isn't exactly one of those either. The only time he really looks like scoring is when he gets a long ball over the top - apart from that he's missed some really good chances and his passing and distribution just aren't good enough. I don't like to knock the man, I'd love to see him do well, he's got a good attitude. However, I can't see how he can keep all of the other attacking players out of the starting line up week after week. Or is Benik offering something that I'm missing?
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i think he is still worth starting. wouldn't surprise me at all if he scores the next game.
 
I think he played well as a pair with Bradshaw, was starting to remind me of Moro and Gregory, that chemistry of knowing what the other is doing or about to do.

Playing on his own up front is not playing to his strengths, unless our midfield starts to play decent through balls.
 
The same thoughts about Benik crossed my mind at the end of last nights game. It is quite clear that he cannot play as a lone striker with two or three behind him. He needs a partner and that was clearly the case when he was starting to build a fruitful partnership with Bradshaw. He really struggles when he is up front on his own. All my mates in block 29 were screaming at him during the WBA game when he missed three or four very presentable half chances. Then when he scored we were all saying what a great player he was.
GR has a clear choice. He must find another partner for him up front if we are going to see the best of him or try another combination. What he is trying at the moment is obviously not working so it is time to try something new.
 
At the end of the day he is off at the end of the season. We know we wont have any folding this summer, so imo GR should be taking a look at what he has got in reserve, find out who is worth keeping and who to offload. Benik tries, but won't score many, we're about where we'll finish this season so look at the squad players.
 
He had one great chance and fluffed it - he’s had a lot of chances in the last few games and should have more goals.

Unfortunately since Bradshaw has been injured and we inexplicably left this window with no other recognised senior strikers at the club, he now looks set to play up front on his own for the remainder.

Embarrassing from the club really.
 
33lion said:
Unfortunately since Bradshaw has been injured and we inexplicably left this window with no other recognised senior strikers at the club, he now looks set to play up front on his own for the remainder.

Embarrassing from the club really.
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The club tried for loans but couldn't get them, don't know what else they can do if clubs can't agree a deal.
 
3 clubs have bought him for around £10m so he must of had something about him when he was younger, seems to me he had all the attributes except being able to finish and each of those clubs possibly thought that they would be able to improve it.
He is 29 in a few days and probably on silly money at Stoke, I expect he will be one of those journeymen players that never fulfill potential but make several million along the way.
 
According to figures online he is on £30k a week. I can only assume that we are only paying half of that whilst he is with us on loan. At the end of the loan period he goes back to Stoke to fulfil the rest of his contract which I think has another year to run. He is on far too much money for us to even consider signing him permanently so one of two things will need to happen. He will either have to take a considerable drop in his wage demands if we did consider signing him permanently… which looks doubtful with his scoring record this season. Or he will use us as a shop window and find a new club to take him on next season on loan as it looks doubtful that Stoke will want him.
A contract like that is helping him make the best part of £1.5m a year so by the time he gets to 30 he will probably have enough in the bank to hang up his boots and lie in bed all day. Life of Reilly!
 
Peckham Lion said:
The club tried for loans but couldn't get them, don't know what else they can do if clubs can't agree a deal.
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Agreed. In fairness, getting a decent goal scoring forward is the holy grail. Without wanting to let the club completely off the hook, it's tough finding a reliable striker given the money at our disposal. Even getting one on loan isn't easy. If it was, we'd have free scoring forwards at every club.
 
How can you have just one proper centre forward at the club. Absolute joke, you couldn’t make it up. Not even a loan striker. Given up on the season. Forget all the forward options, I’m talking about centre forwards, it’s an art in itself. Unbelievable!
 
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