I'm coming round to thinking that he just doesn't do enough to be afforded a start every game. He had a decent 10 minute spell at start of the second half, but his positional sense is terrible. To take 2 set pieces like he did and fail to even lift the ball high enough to clear the first defender, is simply woeful. I've heard how he's lost weight and gained fitness. I'm not seeing it. He's struggling every second half. Beggars belief that a player like Hammill was let go, when we have no wide options. When Thiam scored V Oxford , I was full of optimism for him, but I really don't think he's doing enough. I'd love him to prove me wrong.
I do think he's fitter than he was and isn't 'blowing out of his arse' in the second half. There is a problem that in the second half he isn't involved as much but I think that's because of the way we play rather than his fitness. We tend to focus on one side for oe half ten switch for the second, it's why we only tended to get 45 minutes of effectiveness out of players like hammill too. Not sure why we do it but we always seem to
I agree with Fired. He played quite well in short spells yesterday but he doesn't have enough of an impact on cold hard goals and assists - really did think the 2 against Oxford would have got him going but 7 games later and it hasn't.
It's amazing how much he struggles to lift the ball off the floor. Even his goals were low shots. For the record, I like Thiam and was defending him last season in that I could see potential if he got fit (which he has improved at) but I just don't understand why he struggles to put crosses in.
Thiam hasn’t been great every week but he’s been better than a fit Isgrove would have been imo. I didn’t get the furore and excitement when we signed him last year - he didn’t pull any trees up in his loan spell. Couple of assists and a single goal, albeit a memorable one. He’s never fit, and he’s not that great when he is. I’d take thiam over him any day. I’d like to see Hedges soon though. And the Hammill ship has sailed but he’d have been an asset too.
A fully fit Isgrove is streets ahead of Thiam in my opinion. He suits a pressing game down to the ground. Sadly, as you say, he’s never fit and I’m not sure we’re going to see a fully fit Isgrove any time soon.
This is exactly how I feel about him. And i agree that Isgrove would be a lot better suited to our style of play. Sadly I don't expect to see him anytime soon.
I think you are right he would suit our pressing game but will he chip in much in terms of goals and assists? I doubt it in our promotion season in the best barnsley teams since 2000 he managed 1 goal 0 assists I think. And people have blown smoke up his arse ever since.
Really don’t get the hype about Isgrove, I’m yet to see him play particularly well since he’s returned to the club - and you can never rely on him to be available, he’s injured more than he’s fit.
Thought he was pretty decent second half actually, worked quite hard and very nearly scored with that shot you referred to First he kept coming inside and offered very little width which was incredibly frustrating but he certainly wasn't as bad as some made out