EPL interest: 🚨 #EXCL | Newcastle, Everton and West Ham are monitoring the situation of English striker Folarin Balogun.🔴#AFC 🏴⚫#NUFC 🔵#EFC ⚒️#WHUFC pic.twitter.com/WU4pe7Awgu— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) March 24, 2023
Balogun 🇺🇸 deleted all his pictures with an England jersey on Instagram.— Tactical Manager (@ManagerTactical) March 27, 2023 Apparently, Balogun has deleted all his pictures with an England jersey on Instagram. very interesting developments lately!
Southgate saying he needs to wait because it wouldn't be fair to cap him ahead of players who are scoring in EPL. This why they have lost some of these battles recently for players with multi-country eligibility. Its an arrogance. A manager admitting to mismanagement. Matt Le Tissier could have played for multiple teams as a Channel Islander. He waited and waited for England. One of the best goal scoring midfielders in premiership history. He finished an amazing career with 8 whole caps over 3 years. Probably one of the best penalty takers ever. Seems like those England teams of the 90's could have used someone that could take a penalty. I guess Harry Kane will play forever and they are willing to take a bet on Ivan Toney (pun intended). Move on Flo. They appear willing to.
I would love to see a video of him playing some of those 7 v 7 small games and a group photo with smiles afterwards …. The funny clip of Wes with CP really shows how strong the bond with these players can be. I hope Flo joins them.
It's having principles and respect for the rest of the squad. If players don't want to play for England then they shouldn't play for England.
England's managers have always been stuck on "work rate", which Le Tissier didn't have. Plus, he wasn't much of a defensive player. And he played for Southampton, not a Big Club. But those are just excuses for the mediocre English managers of the time (80's and 90's).
That is fine but a bit rigid. As a Yank, I'm glad Southgate feels that way. This isn't a linear process. If someone much younger is starting to show "special" talents, you might bring him in even if he won't yet play a big role. Anyway, super glad Southgate feels the way he does.
I have a few honest questions of ignorance as I've only seen a handful of goal highlights. For those of you who have watched a bit of him this season, how much of Balogun's success is due to him (technique, skill, quickness, intelligence, etc.), and how much is due to players providing him service? Is there a budding star of a winger or midfielder at Reims too? Or is Balogun simply doing more than other players would to turn opportunities into goals?
Yeah it’s possible that it’s a combination of both respect for the squad and arrogance/rigidity. Balogun is nowhere near as good as Kane, and Toney is more proven, but you’d think that Southgate would want a look at him in camp to see how he stacks up. Maybe he outplays guys like Toney and Ollie watkins. That unwillingness to give new guys even the smallest chance breeds complacency very quickly.
He’s given Bellingham plenty of PT. I highly doubt he thinks that way about ligue un. I think it’s a pretty straightforward case of England having solid depth and Southgate not giving much thought to the post-Kane era.
GPT-4's Ode fo Folarin. (Generative AI is getting pretty amazing.) In twenty-twenty-six, it came to pass, A hero rose, with skill and class, Folarin Balogun, a name to revere, A talent so bright, the world would cheer. Born in New York City, a dual heart, Two nations beckoned, each a part, England called, a choice to weigh, But destiny whispered, "USA." The USMNT, their dreams ignited, In Folarin's prowess, they united, A striker, a leader, a force untamed, He wore the stars and stripes, unashamed. In twenty-twenty-six, the world converged, As Folarin's journey and dreams emerged, The World Cup stage, a battleground, Where heroes and legends would be crowned. From group stage battles to knockout trials, Folarin's fire drove him for miles, A lion's heart, a soaring eagle, His goals and passion, without equal. The world took notice, the fans they roared, As Folarin's legend further soared, With every strike, a tale was spun, A nation united, their hopes as one. The final whistle, the moment near, He led his squad, without a fear, The world stood still, a hush descended, As Folarin's quest was fatefully ended. The ball took flight, a flash of light, As Folarin's shot pierced through the night, A goal so sweet, the world did gasp, For in that instant, victory's grasp. The World Cup won, a dream fulfilled, Folarin's name forever instilled, A hero born, the stars aligned, Two nations' fates, forever entwined. So raise a cheer, let praises ring, For Folarin Balogun, the USMNT's king, In twenty-twenty-six, the world did see, A legend's rise, a tale of victory.
They all train and mix at St. George's Park during international breaks, so he would have already had a good look at Balogun. I think for the Arsenal and England staff he's rated at a similar sort of level as Nketiah.
The biggest thing to me is he’s actually underperforming his underlying numbers. I’d ne concerned if he was scoring a bunch of goals but his xG numbers were much lower. 2022-2023 🇫🇷 Ligue 1 xG LeadersFolarin Balogun (18.5)Jonathan David (18.1)Kylian Mbappé (17.4)Alexandre Lacazette (14.4)Wissam Ben Yedder (13.5)Lionel Messi (13.2)Loïs Openda (12.5)Habib Diallo (11.8)https://t.co/WssJJtmIBs— ⚽ FBref ⚽ (@fbref) March 22, 2023
Aren‘t guys like Saka and Toney relatively new and have been given the chance in the last 12-18 mths? Really don‘t know so am asking. Think they are. I don‘t know what‘s going on but an alternative might be that he simply looked very eh in the Cship on loan. He didn‘t look a cut above at all. He is a bit smaller I believe physically than other options in the EPL? How many options can you bring in? I don‘t know. England has always been very arrogant about their league, their place in the sport also. This is way before all the money and foreign coaches, players and TD‘s who have taught them to play in a more continental way. There were decades, and I mean decades (70‘s, 80‘s, 90,s, 2000‘s) of stubbornly playing a very English, less tactical and technical style, then the rest of the world. Maybe the English/Southgate don‘t value a one off season performance in France like they would at an English club? I don‘t know? Just spitballin but for whatever reason it‘s fine by me. I will also echo the Turner comments and those of Musah. Basically said he has to want to be here. Just as important as talent. CCACAF can be a drag. I hope we get some closure either way soon. It‘s better for team TBH.
Also, Nat fan kryptonite everywhere, you can only bring in so many players to work with to try and create some kind of unity for a National team. Was also just reminded of what an associate said about Jaden Sancho. I know most here watched him when Puli was there. He was dominant at times and mostly very influential. Right? Well, we have seen him in the EPL fora bit now. Many blamed dysfunctional Man U at first but is it? My associate said that the extra speed and physicality of the EPL are just a bit too much too much for him right now. He has quality but he hasn‘t shown that extra gear needed for the EPL that will make him consistently effective. Interesting thought now and can‘t help but wonder if that is something that has come into play with Flo.
weird...I see it the other way. if a player can exceed Xg that shows they are adding something speical to the equation.....and if they arent scoring as much as they should be,.....they are lacking something. a striker cant really control how much xg they get...thats the thing. there's nothing a forward can really do...to have a lot of xg other than being messi and dribbling through an entire team when they get the ball....right? *but i do get your point - if a player has low xg and high number of goals - it is very likley a flash in the pan and wont be repeated...a la pefok and union berlin.....but still my point above alos holds merit.
I think strikers do have some control over their xg. For example, Pepi had the intelligence to attempt the run, and the physical ability to complete it last night. I’m not sure that Dike would’ve been able to even get an attempt there. I think xg are a useful stat, but I think one season is not enough to really judge a striker, especially if you factor in how balogun was relatively unimpressive in the championship last year. by underperforming xg but still hitting a high number, I wonder how much of the production is about him, and how much is just about him being in a system that sets him up to score a lot of goals. conversely, overachieving on xg in one season can mean a flash in the pan, but doing that consistently from year to year just means you’re a good finisher. I think balogun would be unwise to go back to the EPL next year. I think he needs to find somewhere that’s a moderate step up from Reims. That could be a better French team, or perhaps on of the better teams in Serie A. Going back to Reims would be better than going to the EPL, imo. He needs to give that at least one more year, and be very picky with his landing spot, imo.
If the pass wes hit (very difficult pass!) wasnt perfect.....pepi doesnt get a goal or even chance.....so, no. I disagree. Strikers cant pass to themselves. When zendejas and pulisic were dribbling off their shins the entire first half what exactly was Dike supposed to do??? i read comments online from a lot of people wanting dike subbed out but again---- the team wasnt creating for any striker last night. Not Dike, not pepi, not haaland, not balogun. (yes Pepi scored...but how many good chances did he get? that one...and 1 half chance later) also, you cant know how much the change from dike to pepi threw the defense off...perhaps the switch in styles and the fact that the CB zavaleta was injured just before pepi's goal had a lot to do with it (i think it did) ---- which is why xG is meaningless for me. I know everyone badly wants a number to put on assessing players ...but a good one doesnt exist. it's really funny to me if people think Balogun will change a lot ..... the team has a problem in creating chances...not finishing them. Dike, Pepi, Sargent, etc are all good finishers.....they will score when the opportunity presents itself...it just rarely does. But yeah I agree with a lot of what you said - - over multiple seasons - a good finisher will have a higher goal tally than xG....over time...it will even out...but how do you use tht now...cant exactly wait 5 years to see who outperforms when picking a roster....it is meaningless and shouldnt be used.
90%??? thats way too high... if you think it is 90% then Balogun is better than Kane....Kane is not exactly the world's best mover. But ir read you say kane is waaaay better than Balogon (I disagree, a lot)
I’m not trying to put Dike down or get into a debate about him and Pepi. I’m simply saying that there’s an xg for the goal Pepi scored, but that xg only exists because he actually took the shot. Another forward (such as Dike) might not have made that run or effectively gotten around the defender to get the shot off, in which case they not only wouldn’t have scored a goal, but also wouldn’t have registered an xg for that play. The larger point being that strikers can and do influence their own xg number.
Who else was Le Tissier eligible to play for? Some channel island team not actually recognized by FIFA? Anyway, he had a very nice career, and scored some amazing goals, but let's not pretend there weren't other parts of his game that weren't drawbacks. Anyway, it funny to see Southgate get slagged since he has pretty much revaitalized the team, for all his limitations as a manager. Frankly, they outplayed France and were unlucky not to get at least extra time. They made the Euro final and yeah should have probably won, and you can blame Southgate for 2nd half decision, but well he also got them there. England are doing fine. Kane is still only 30, right? And pace has never been a factor in his game, so there is no reason he can't play at this level for several more years, possibly into the next World Cup, and being one of the best strikers in the world, no chance any manager would drop him. Balogun is doing what he can, but lets not pretend Ligue 1 is as tough as the Premeir League. I don't see what the "mismanagement" is here. Frankly, it seems like they are being pretty open and honest about where Balogun is in the striking hierachy right now and letting him decide based on that.