Daryl Dike at West Bromwich Albion

Fun guy. Edmond, OK rep!

 

I’m sure if we asked all the former players here about their high school coaches, that we’d have some funny answers. Mine was a football coach who knew very little about soccer and taught “history” (a bunch of kids sitting on desks doing nothing for an hour). All of us club players actually ran the team.

 

It's like after 2017, someone demanded that every single player we have be eminently likeable.

 

I thought the states took the L in that one.

 

it's always like that in sequels to prep folks for the final film in the trilogy

 

With his build, the wear and tear on his knees will be an issue to be managed. If it's managed well, the old cliche about the sky being the limit for him really will apply. The threshold ability is there, as is the soccer IQ, and the mentality is there as well - in spades. He's very relaxed in a "guy who loves the pressure of the truly big games" way, and he's clearly pretty bright: I wouldn't put much money on him not being able to play the false 9 really well. In fact, I wouldn't put any money on it at all.

The key will be which Top 12 side is willing to swallow hard and reshape their frontline around him. If it works (his body cooperates, the coach is really good, the rest of the side has real quality, etc.), we're looking at a CL striker, and a pretty good one

 

This guy is tenacious. Curious to see him with the skilled attackers the USMNT could put around him. Barnsley seem to tailor their entire style around hoofing it forward to him which hey cool but he is a bit of a donkey. Might not really matter too much given his tenacity and other attributes if he has skilled players getting it to him where he can hold off his man and finish.

 

Since this is Yanks Abroad...I’ll focus on the type of club and the type of players I’d like to see him play with.

imagine having to play against Dike when he’s paired with....to pick some totally random European club players....that number 10 at Chelsea....and perhaps one of those young attackers from Dortmund or Lille. Support that line with a couple of two way midfielders....someone from say Juve and another from a team like Valencia. Anchor that midfield with a solid 6....I think there’s a dude at Leipzig that would fit the bill. Now you can get really ambitious, and see if you can poach a great attacking right back from a team like Barcelona. With those seven players you could bargain hunt...and maybe buy a left back from some crappy premier league team like Fulham. Throw in a couple of center backs and a goalie....and that team is gonna be tough. Our yank abroad Dike would shine at that club.

 

What are the chances of him being in the running for club Player of the Season if he can help them qualify for the play-offs?

 

Just a heads up. No Barnsley on the weekend on ESPN plus. If you want to watch Dike on Sunday, you can watch him on ifollow Barnsley. Ive purchased a game before. Camera work isn’t the best but the announcers are pretty good. I think it’s a way for the teams to make some cash during the pandemic.

https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/ifollow/

 

Hard to say, but probably not great. Daryl likely would need to score 4-5 times more before the playoff to have a shot. He currently has 8 goal involvements, all goals. And then he’d need to make an impact in the promotion playoffs.

On the offensive side, Dike’s probably behind both MF Alex Moffat ( 8 Goals, 7 Assists) and FW Cauley Woodrow (11 Goals, 5 assists) who each have double his goal involvements. (6 of Woodrow’s goals are penalties). Both have over or near 3,000 minutes, with Moffat serving as captain and clocking over 3,400 minutes.

On the defensive side, Mads Andersen has been excellent at center back playing the most minutes for the team (over 3,600 minutes so far this season in 41 starts). He’s also chipped in with 1 Goal, 5 Assists. Polish defender Michal Helik has played over 3,300 minutes and scored 5 goals.

The goalkeepers have not been great, and the team’s defensive record is middle of the road quality overall. So if he stays hot there is an outside chance. But as you know, these type of awards usually go to players who have been with the team for the full season.

 

Wow, what an amazing dream! Do you think it will ever become true?

 

Well....I’d have to hit a billion dollar powerball....then go to Vegas and bet it all on black. If I win...I’ll buy a club and make it happen. Of course....I’d also have to find a manager that doesn’t view a lineup that is so obvious that it makes itself as something that doesn’t properly display his creative managerial and tactical genius. But with that team....managers would be a dime a dozen.

 

Interesting, but has the "rumored" fee been anything other than $20M + 20% sell-on fee, so how did it "grow"? The rest makes sense, if Barnsley goes up, "it's achievable". Given that they'll get 200M pounds over 3 seasons, they can afford it, if they go up.

 

I think it’s 24 for a month that pretty much ends the season.

 

honestly the only two parties that could know the whole truth seem like they have completely different interpretations of it. so bizarre.

 

I think if he leads them deep into the playoffs he's a shoo in.

 

I'll say it right now. Dike should pass on a transfer to Barnsley regardless of their league status at the end of the season.

 

Here’s how I interpret this.

1. The fee is lower than the rumors.
2. Barnsley can afford it if they get promoted.
3. They cannot afford it if they don’t.

To me, that suggests low 8 figures (in dollars.). 14, 15, something like that.

 

And we hope they don’t get promoted. DD deserves to take a step up and see what happens

 

I've been thinking about the first part of Dane's comment, about how the transfer fee "grows on its own", and earlier, I couldn't think of any instance where the rumored amount has grown. It was always $20M + 20% sell-on. Then I remember. $20M is only 14.5M pounds, but I've seen alot of UK reports that the total is 17M pounds. Maybe that's what Dane is referring to. We'll find out soon enough.

 

Dike will benefit most if he can help Barnsley get promoted. After that, there will be loads of interested clubs (though it sounds like there might be already). Barnsley might well be able to afford the transfer fee, but Dike might like the salary (and higher quality play!) that another club could offer. OC has an obligation to sell Dike to Barnsley if the price is met, but Dike isn't obligated to sign for them.