Nahki Wells

[sh1t_ref_again]

5 minutes ago, Ciderhead433 said:

How do we manage to turn decent players into the pig swill they play for us 

by having poor head coaches who don't know how to set a team up and make the output greater than the sum of the parts

[Roger Red Hat]

23 minutes ago, bris red said:

I do feel for Wells in a way but there are no excuses for the body language and his lack of effort at times. 

Agreed. I think his sullen appearance is quite a negative, and really may have a depressing effect on the team.

He didn't need to come here, and he certainly gives the impression he'd rather not have done so.

[Sweeneys Penalties]

2 minutes ago, Roger Red Hat said:

Agreed. I think his sullen appearance is quite a negative, and really may have a depressing effect on the team.

He didn't need to come here, and he certainly gives the impression he'd rather not have done so.

which makes me wonder how he passed the "DNA test"

[Roger Red Hat]

Just now, Sweeneys Penalties said:

which makes me wonder how he passed the "DNA test"

I think he passed the panic test.

[Bris Red]

2 minutes ago, Roger Red Hat said:

Agreed. I think his sullen appearance is quite a negative, and really may have a depressing effect on the team.

He didn't need to come here, and he certainly gives the impression he'd rather not have done so.

Agreed. If the figure of £27 k a week is true then you get the feeling he came here begrudgingly and thought F it the money is too good to turn down so i will give it a go. It’s becoming quite obvious that this might of been the case.

[sludge]

33 minutes ago, Ciderhead433 said:

How do we manage to turn decent players into the pig swill they play for us 

Because our recruitment is scattergun, and we don't sign players to fit a certain team structure/way of playing?

[mozo]

One thing I'll give Wells credit for is he is the GOAT of giving away needless fouls!

Has any City player ever been so good at conceding pointless, often dangerous free kicks?!

[SecretSam]

The thing is, remember when we had Maynard up front, but would just hammer the ball to him? He could do nothing with it. Are we really playing in a way that suits him? And it's not like those behind him in midfield are playing like demons.

[SecretSam]

5 hours ago, Phileas Fogg said:

A player like Wells (also see Brett Pitman) requires the team to be set up to generate chances. Natural poachers like these two will score if given chances. There isn’t that much more to their overall game, so if you’re going to buy a player like that at our level you have to mitigate for it.

Both times - with Pitman and Wells - we’ve failed to use them properly. Both have been stuck out on the wing and been accused of being ‘lazy’ or ‘disinterested’ as a result. 

Sure, last night’s error from Wells was a bad one. To me though it looked like a forward who’s out of the groove, not in tune with his teammates and is frustrated. I doubt that would happen if we’d set up to his strengths all season.

Pitman is a good comparison, we never really got the best out of him, but he could finish all day long

[RedRock]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Nicely put.  All about combos.

I spoke to Jack Hunt last season and we briefly talked about combos and he said he played better with certain players in front of him on the RW / RM.  I asked if Marley Watkins was one, he said, yes, because he was physical and made runs that Hunt could pick out.

It’s not rocket science is it!

This Club is just so frustrating at times. 

[bearded_red]

I have to admit then when I first heard about the interest in Wells last January his time at the club is rather turning out as I thought it would and as we've all seen with countless similar players over the years. This was a desperate manager purely rolling the dice and hoping to get lucky(about the only plan our previous Head Coach ever had to be honest) by bringing in a goalscorer into a team that doesn't score enough goals and hoping he'd miraculously sort out that problem all on his own. I think I wrote on here around the time of the signing, we'd signed a penalty box striker for a team that doesn't go in the opposition's box and a finisher for a team that creates no chances. City's issue through the first half of last season was that they played horrendous football and the midfield was a disaster area, it really does take a genius to think selling Brownhill and bringing in Wells would solve those issues..

For the reasons I've listed I have sympathy for Wells when it comes to not being able to even look like replicating his goalscoring form for QPR in our team. The lack of creativity, the lack of any sort of plan, the scattergun team selections and formation changes meaning he is never able to form any sort of partnership with anyone else. I've seen Pitman named earlier in the thread and I think that is a fair comparison, and there have been loads over the years. Forwards that have shown can score goals, but we go round in circles playing them and them not looking dangerous, then playing them out of position, then putting them on the bench, then remembering their goal threat and bringing them back in.. and so the circle starts all over again.

What I have no sympathy for Wells for though is just how bad a player he looks. Would you trust his first touch? How bad is his passing? When he's running with the ball do you just expect him to fall over? Does he have any appreciation to where his teammates are on the pitch?

But like I said, my issue isn't really with Wells. These aren't weaknesses he's recently developed since signing. This isn't a young player we've taken in the hope we can develop his all round game. It was an absolute nonsense signing bringing that player into this club playing the horror football we play. Whenever there is criticism on this forum some bright spark pipes up reminding any critics that they've never been involved professionally so how dare they question the people currently running the club. Well I can tell you now, signing Wells with his strengths and limitations wouldn't have entered my mind.

Having said all that, like so many other forward players that have played with Diedhiou, that clearly isn't going to work. So as Diedhiou is off at the end of the season, why don't we at least try to play a style of play and bring some players into the team that give Wells half a chance of doing what he can do which is putting the ball in the net. Let him play centrally, get some players like Paterson/Palmer/Semenyo/Lansbury close to him and lets try and actually play some forward thinking passing football. As alien a concept as that appears to be to this Head Coach just like it was for the previous one once Bobby Reid had left.

[LondonBristolian]

1 minute ago, bearded_red said:

I have to admit then when I first heard about the interest in Wells last January his time at the club is rather turning out as I thought it would and as we've all seen with countless similar players over the years. This was a desperate manager purely rolling the dice and hoping to get lucky(about the only plan our previous Head Coach ever had to be honest) by bringing in a goalscorer into a team that doesn't score enough goals and hoping he'd miraculously sort out that problem all on his own. I think I wrote on here around the time of the signing, we'd signed a penalty box striker for a team that doesn't go in the opposition's box and a finisher for a team that creates no chances. City's issue through the first half of last season was that they played horrendous football and the midfield was a disaster area, it really does take a genius to think selling Brownhill and bringing in Wells would solve those issues..

For the reasons I've listed I have sympathy for Wells when it comes to not being able to even look like replicating his goalscoring form for QPR in our team. The lack of creativity, the lack of any sort of plan, the scattergun team selections and formation changes meaning he is never able to form any sort of partnership with anyone else. I've seen Pitman named earlier in the thread and I think that is a fair comparison, and there have been loads over the years. Forwards that have shown can score goals, but we go round in circles playing them and them not looking dangerous, then playing them out of position, then putting them on the bench, then remembering their goal threat and bringing them back in.. and so the circle starts all over again.

What I have no sympathy for Wells for though is just how bad a player he looks. Would you trust his first touch? How bad is his passing? When he's running with the ball do you just expect him to fall over? Does he have any appreciation to where his teammates are on the pitch?

But like I said, my issue isn't really with Wells. These aren't weaknesses he's recently developed since signing. This isn't a young player we've taken in the hope we can develop his all round game. It was an absolute nonsense signing bringing that player into this club playing the horror football we play. Whenever there is criticism on this forum some bright spark pipes up reminding any critics that they've never been involved professionally so how dare they question the people currently running the club. Well I can tell you now, signing Wells with his strengths and limitations wouldn't have entered my mind.

Having said all that, like so many other forward players that have played with Diedhiou, that clearly isn't going to work. So as Diedhiou is off at the end of the season, why don't we at least try to play a style of play and bring some players into the team that give Wells half a chance of doing what he can do which is putting the ball in the net. Let him play centrally, get some players like Paterson/Palmer/Semenyo/Lansbury close to him and lets try and actually play some forward thinking passing football. As alien a concept as that appears to be to this Head Coach just like it was for the previous one once Bobby Reid had left.

I think this is a great post and I'm in a similar place. I don't want to blame Wells but I feel he is one of a number of players - other examples are most notably Palmer, last season Nagy and even, to an extent, Diedhiou and that's before we get onto the likes of Szmodzics and Eisa who never had a chance before they were shipped out - where we've signed them without really having a clear plan of how they fit into the team and how we will get the best out of them and then we fail to get the best out of them.

All his career, Wells has demonstrated that he will score goals in a team that is set up for him to play well and struggle to contribute in a team that is not set up for him to play wel.

QPR set up to get the best out of him and did so. We don't and haven't. My major issue is that we should not have signed him in the first place and it is unfair on both him and us to have a player on that sort of salary and seniority who just is not a fit for the team. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

7 hours ago, The hand of RO'D said:

The only striker that complimented fam was Bobby Reid.
 

I do feel the little large combo is a bit prehistoric tho. Give me 2 pacey and energetic forwards who will stretch the defence any day of the week.

Great thing about Reid of course is, as well as all the other good stuff he was a midfielder by trade converted into a striker.

This gives you that much more balance and control IMO than two strikers. Was like two players in one that season.

On your 2nd point, I'd be interested to see what eg Semenyo and Wells could do with maybe Palmer behind. With a 4-3 behind them as you base.  4-3-1-2, that 3 in CM gives Palmer that bit more license, room for risk.

[Guest]

He's obviously a capable Championship striker - just look at his record before us.

IIRC the problem was we weren't creating chances before he came and we did absolutely nothing to alleviate that situation at the time, or since.

For a player who depends on good service it was the stupidest thing we could've done. He was never a good fit and was doomed from the off.  And that's even before we get to the fact he was not going to be a wise investment due to age etc...

I don't think he looks interested - whether he is or not only he knows...

[sh1t_ref_again]

I think until we get hold of midfield, every striker is going to struggle.  I must have posted every game recently that we need to go 1 up front. If we did this I would give wells a try, but I am not convicted by his touch or pace, but the other options are all unproven, apart from Fam who I think is already on holiday waiting his move.

The midfield if contains Palmer who I really like cannot also have Paterson, as they do not offer you much without the ball, Lansbury played as a forward midfielder may be interesting as long as DH does not repeat the mistake of playing him at the back, hopefully we can get some supply, rather than just hitting long balls that ware easy to defend

[redrob]

17 hours ago, Lrrr said:

And at that stage it was Brownhill's transfer to Burnley that made Wells likely, also Posh chairman was wanting more like a guaranteed £10m for Toney in January

Was it though? That sounds like Brownhill was some form of make weight in the deal to bring Wells here. I think it was more a case of well only let you have Brownhill for a reasonable sum of money near the going rate if you let us have Wells or Vydra at a reasonable rate. I.e. We have what you want and you have what we want. So let's cut to the chase and get the two deals sorted in one go. 

[Roger Red Hat]

20 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

but I am not convicted by his touch or pace,

I agree about trying him on his own up top, and I am also innocent.

[E.J.Thribb]

Nicking Wage. That’s my new name for him. 

[Engvall’s Splinter]

8 hours ago, Davefevs said:

This is gonna sound facetious, but do we have another striker in Wells who has failed to build a partnership with Diedhiou....how many partners is that now that Fam hasn’t linked with?

Don't get me wrong, Wells hasn’t been good, but I think sometimes we don’t look hard enough for the root cause of the problem.  Too easy to look at individual performances or goals records and determine someone is the problem.  Good teams play with partnerships and combos.  Last night I saw 5 players press the ball in cohesion, and we won it back.  That hasn’t happened for weeks.  Early season I saw cohesion that created similar types of chances, e.g. Pato and Weimann creating room for Hunt to cross....inevitably to Martin to nod back to Wells.  When was the last time Fam assisted anyone?  Wigan (a) over a year ago.

When Diedhiou plays, pretty much everyone else has to compensate their game so he’s the one in the middle.  Perhaps if it was the other way around it would be Wells breaking into the central part of the penalty area?  Perhaps we’d see Fam making more of the runs I saw at Angers.

As it stands I’d be working hard on finding a way to get the best out of the players who will still be here in the summer.

 

 

Thinking about it, we had a great spell when he was out in and around/leading up to the Man United game didn’t we? We played some nice football back then. 

[downendcity]

5 hours ago, Ciderhead433 said:

How do we manage to turn decent players into the pig swill they play for us 

Years of experience and practice?

[Fammyfan]

He just doesn’t fit into our team which can be said about a lot of our players. This is the frustrating thing about city, we invest in the players but don’t invest in the management and we end up having some quality individuals that cannot impact the game because they’re either in the wrong area of the pitch or not getting the supply needed in the right area of the pitch.

[Loosey Boy]

Got to try Wells up front alongside Semenyo with KP behind them.....think this would work.

 

[BTRFTG]

16 hours ago, Loïs said:

He's obviously a capable Championship striker - just look at his record before us

Save at Bradford his record with us is only two goals off his average (1 in 3.3) The point folks seem to struggle with is what we've seen from Wells this year is what you get. That's it. He hasn't underperformed.

The problem is folks invest huge and unfounded optimism in players who've come from higher leagues never for one moment considering they might not be that good....

[headhunter]

19 hours ago, bearded_red said:

 

Having said all that, like so many other forward players that have played with Diedhiou, that clearly isn't going to work. So as Diedhiou is off at the end of the season, why don't we at least try to play a style of play and bring some players into the team that give Wells half a chance of doing what he can do which is putting the ball in the net. Let him play centrally, get some players like Paterson/Palmer/Semenyo/Lansbury close to him and lets try and actually play some forward thinking passing football. As alien a concept as that appears to be to this Head Coach just like it was for the previous one once Bobby Reid had left.

100% agree with that. Was discussing this very point with DaveFevs last night

[Sheltons Army]

In amongst the numerous mind blowing aspects of yesterday

I can’t get out of my head why in gods name would we bring Wells on with 4/5 mins left at 5-0 down 

Not the fact he made a substitution , and not to open up a debate about Wells himself

 

But why Wells ?

Why not Bell or Pearson 

Firstly I expect Wells was seriously impressed at coming on at 5-0 (Though with his attitude I don’t really care personally) and unlikely to offer anything , and at 5 down does it matter even if he did

Bell or Pearson would have been gagging for a few mins of first team action 5-0 down or not , and if they had one good run , a shot , made a couple of passes, it would for them personally be a positive experience

You never know - they might poke one in and the feeling that would give them going forward - if Wells does it at 5-0 it does little or nothing for him personally at his age

 

Can anyone even suggest a half sensible thought behind using Wells and not Bells or Pearson at that stage of the game  ?

[Toffee dog]

15 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

 

Can anyone even suggest a half sensible thought behind using Wells and not Bells or Pearson at that stage of the game  ?

Holden asks Bells to warm up, so both Bells & Wells get up. Holden says Bells you’re going on, everyone thinks he says Wells & so Wells goes on!

For me Bell should of gone on for the last 20 minutes, the games was lost.

At least he may have woken the Watford defence up.

[Sleepy1968]

47 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

Can anyone even suggest a half sensible thought behind using Wells and not Bells or Pearson at that stage of the game  ?

Not sensible, no. But I've thought for a while that Wells must be on a $$$ appearance bonus, and Holden is trying to keep him sweet.

[Sheltons Army]

18 minutes ago, Sleepy1968 said:

Not sensible, no. But I've thought for a while that Wells must be on a $$$ appearance bonus, and Holden is trying to keep him sweet.

Yes that may have some legs Sleepy

[IAmNick]

41 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

Yes that may have some legs Sleepy

 

1 hour ago, Sleepy1968 said:

Not sensible, no. But I've thought for a while that Wells must be on a $$$ appearance bonus, and Holden is trying to keep him sweet.

If we're at the stage where our head coach is finding ways to bung a player a few hundred quid to try and keep them happy we really are well and truly f*cked!

[Loosey Boy]

The big issue with Wells is that our Head Coach consistently plays him out of position/not to his strengths.

Of late, when playing him up front, he’s paired him with Famara who has been a complete waste of space since a move in January didn’t materialise!

Get Wells up front (possibly with Semenyo) or with KP behind him and I think we could see an improved return from NW....he doesn’t go from being one of the top scorers in the league last season when we signed him to someone who has become so poor.