Tea Light in the Dark Universe: Bobby Wood at Hamburg

A high difficulty shot with his left from the corner of the right side of the 18.

 

There should be no argument.

Hamburg in the first 10 games = helpless team. Very few chances created. 4 goals. No victory. Wood was suspended for 3 games in the 9th game.

Hamburg last 6 games = 11 points from 18. One loss. 10 goals. A much much improved team. Creating lots of chances. Wood was available from the 13th game, sat on the bench in that game because in-form striker (Gregoritsch) scoring 2 in prior match. The same for 14th game, Gregoritsch scored 3 in last two. He started 15th game = scored. Him not starting tonight was unexpected but it did pay off at the end. He's still Hamburg main striker.

I've watched all hamburg games this season. They look a completely different team in the last two months. Nothing to do with Wood playing or not. Hamburg are 4th in BL table based on the last 6 games (second best attack on that period). The team was playing crap, now they are starting to fulfil their potential and play good football.

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5 - @HSV scored 5 goals following from counter (same as @FCBayernEN) – only @RBLeipzig_EN has more (7). Riposte.

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 20, 2016

2 - Hamburg managed to score 2 goals in each of the last 4 BL games. A quick look at the development of @HSV’s offense. Comparison. #HSVFCA pic.twitter.com/5pHgrpl9Jl

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) December 10, 2016

 

Ive watched a few Hamburg games this season, and this is the first time they have been somewhat fun to watch. Reminds me of Bob Bradley's USMNT. Not good in possession, but excellent on the counter. This game was calling for Bobby when he came on, Schalke were pressing to equalize, and Hamburg was showing signs of a second on the counter. If they can maintain this style, I think it could really suit Bobby and he could influence the game a lot more.

Edit: He was also excellent with his hold up play, and turned his man a few times with his back to goal as well. My 2 cents.

 

4 goals in 13 Bundesliga matches. 6 goals in 15 matches overall. Not too shabby on a side akin to relegation fodder

 

I've watched every game Bobby has featured in and the team is inevitably better with him on the pitch. He holds the ball up better than their other forwards and has shown he can create without much service. Their problems have clearly been in midfield and defense.

Stats wise, he's been their best attacker. He has 6 goals in in 917 minutes while Grigoritsch has 3 and 2 assists in 894 minutes. The only player that's similar in productivity is Nicolai Muller who has 4 goals and 3 assists in nearly 1400 minutes. Stats aside, from what I've seen, Bobby is better at running at defenders and stronger on the ball up front than any of Hamburg's other fowrards. Bobby's one of their best players.

 

Always a good sign...

 

Hopefully he can move to a big club like Munich 1860...

 

the stutter step(s) and eventual chop was equally lovely. Just pretty all the way around

 

Bobby Wood is twice the player of that stiff Gregorich. No, really. That guy is so stiff in his movement.

I'm sorry you watched the games without Bobby. Must have been tough.

 

The man is an American "craque."

 

When Auby moves along, they, Dortmund, are gonna need somebody. With what they get fr him, they can get BW and a defender or two.

 

Be still, my heart.

 

might be a step too far for him. He'd need a solid season or 2 at least for a move to a CL club unless Dortmund plan to have him as maybe a cheap super-sub on the books.

 

I think he would thrive w service and talent around him. You can't concentrate on him too much. We can dream.

 

No, you can't look at it in a vacuum.

Bobby started 8 games where they scored 4 goals and conceded 21

Bobby didn't start 8 games and they scored 10 goals and conceded 10.

It is never that simple as numbers and you can't pin everything on one player, but don't think a coach isn't aware.
It is just interesting, that's all and for me makes it not so surprising when he doesn't start. Doesn't mean he isn't a quality player.

 

BuLi games he started:

At home vs. Ingolstadt --tied 1-1, Bobby scored, HSV should have won.
Away at Leverkusen --lost 3-1, Bobby scored, but it was a hard match.
At home vs. Leipzig --lost 0-4, could have been more. Totally outclassed, Bobby invisible.
Away to Freiburg --lost 1-0, Bobby was ok but couldn't score, should have got a point.
At home vs. Bayern --lost 0-1, very good HSV game, Bobby was always dangerous.
Away at Hertha --lost 2-0, another tough match.
Away at Köln --lost 3-0, Bobby got a red in the 58', when it was 0-0. May have cost 'em the game.
Away at Mainz --Bobby started, scored one, then Danny Latza scored 5 and they lost 3-1.

So out of 8 games, there were four they were unlikely to get any points from, Bobby or not: @ Bayer, vs. Leipzig, vs. Bayern, @ Hertha.

@ Köln & @ Mainz were more accessible, but still two losses there were sort of expected.

Bobby started in the toughest games.

 

Thanks, I did want to look closer at that. Plus, he just started 3 days ago so not a big surprise he didn't start today.

 

Agreed. I think he can replace Ramos as the number 2 center forward but I just don't think he has the top end skills to be a number one guy on a Dortmund caliber team....and there's no shame in that.

 

Funny you said that....the only bit of this game I saw was Bobbys goal, but the first thing I thought was "that's a Bob Bradley era USA goal." Just the shape of the team and the way he drifted wide and looked for the ball behind, was very familiar. Looked like Davies or Donovan making that kind of run...

 

and that, kiddies (and parents of kiddies) is why it pays to work like f#*king hell to become two-footed.

This one's a marvelous goal with great composure at the end - he knew what he wanted to do - and he's scored a belter or two with his right.

The lad has all the tools and is getting better all the time. I can see him in a CL club or the EPL in 18 months.

 

I mean...is he left or right footed?

 

Dunno. 99.99999% of even top-level players naturally favour one foot over the other, but the very best work non-stop from early childhood to develop their other foot.

A few "left-footed" players - like Santi Carzola IIRC - become better on their second foot because they're really very good on their right foot, become 90-95% as good on their left, and since good lefties are hard to find, they wind up at LM or LCM using their left nearly all the time.

It's something the continentals take much, much more seriously than the Brits. I remember Gary Lineker admitting how embarassed he was at Barcelona when passes to his left foot kept bouncing away. As a kid, nobody had ever been bothered as long as he was scoring goals.

He started working - damn hard the Spanish said - on his left but it was a bit late at 26. "I could swing it" was the extent of his progress.

 

He's right footed.

 

When is so evenly distributed does it matter but, if you must know for sure then the only way to tell is by which hand he shakes hands with or high-five's.