They're reffing Dike like they reffed Shaq in the NBA. I know everyone says he's the ideal target forward for the championship, but I'd rather he play almost anywhere else.* He has a huge physical advantage in any other league in the world where it is a foul when you body slam a guy. *Unless there's some other even worse "let the boys play" pos league out there I'm unaware of, then I also don't want him to play there.
Love that his voice sounds kinda dorky too on top of it all. Like my cousin in Wisconsin who really loves his new pig smoker. Very tempted to get an iFollow for Barnsley which is something I never thought I'd say. His only touch video was just over a minute of actual action; I wonder what the other 29 minutes of his shift were like. If he can start getting some of those calls he'd be like 3x more dangerous. From what little we've seen he probably averages 2+ could-be-penalties a game.
Given that Barnsley has won all 4 league games Dike has played in, they just might break into the promotion playoff spots soon. Also, given what I've seen from some Barnsley fan posts they seem to think he's instrumental in this. His loan runs through the end of the Championship season, so if they manage promotion and Dike continues to do what he's been doing for them then perhaps they'll splash the cash and keep him. Of course, their biggest transfer fee paid is like $2.5M...24 years ago. In the last 10 years they haven't paid more than $1.5M, but of course they also haven't been in the first division in decades either.
One of the more immediately successful loans we've seen of late. He arrived and immediately started paying dividends, fit right in and the level isn't close to beyond him. I agree with the tweet calling him a tank. Sometimes I think we underestimate what a player who can physically dominate a defender brings to the table. Even if someone stops Dike a few times, he has the strength and perseverance to keep coming back at them and that is physically draining for anyone to have to bang with him for 90. A lot of defensive guys like getting physical with forwards, but it's often because they are the physically dominant player. Dike turns this around and will physically punish defenses. Makes for a long day at the office.
That only works if it is accompanied by really good ball control. Center forwards are rarely 1-1 with defenders, so if the control isn’t excellent, the ball is gone. Dike’s control looks pretty good, so hopefully he can use his strength.
Just having to body up to a big, strong guy all game long wears down a defender in the same way that chasing down a fast player does. Sure, to do anything ultimately skill is required and I'm not saying Dike doesn't have skill. To my eyes, he is actually more skilled than what I see him get credit for. I've seen some nice control and passing out of him at times. Just pointing out how much physical dominance can make things difficult for the opposition to deal with and can open up space as players start to wear down or think twice about trying to get physical with a guy who they know will beat them at that game. Dike with only his skill and without the physically dominating athletic ability would not be anywhere near the player he is. Players need to use the physical traits they bring to the table to their max. Skill is great and necessary, but you also want to maximize what you bring physically and play in areas of the field where those traits are most useful. What Dike brings to the table physically is strength and power and I'm very happy to see him use those traits effectively.
I'm impressed how much punishment he takes and dishes out. Yeah, I can see CBs not wanting to tangle with him for a full 90 minutes.
Beyond the obviously physical force he brings, Dike's also got really good positional awareness and knows how to use his strength to that end. He's had a few opportunities in the videos I've seen where he's created an opportunity just from being in a place he knows he can hold off the defender for a shot; they've all been bad misses (first touch roughness, plus he's got that defender hanging off of him), but he's creating from nothing.
Lots of heart, physical strength and athletic, good IQ, and enough skill to get by. If he can be an elite finisher in the air, we can call him McBride 2.0.
For sure. And given his limited experience at any pro level, there's significant upside. Tbh, I can't remember the last time I saw a player have as many aerial wins as Dike gets. He also did a good job directing his flicked header passes to teammates in dangerous positions.
It will be interesting to see once Barnsley hit the 50pt mark which appears to be relative safety in the 'ship if they allow Dike a little more freedom to be direct. Haven't seen him take many chances on goal from outside the box based on his Orlando highlights and his 2 appearances with Barn I've been able to catch. Is that even a part of his game for those who have watched him closely?
The growth he's made in such a short time is really impressive. Remember, this is a guy who didn't make his pro debut until July late in the MLS is Back tournament. The entirety of his pro career is 3 MLIB sub appearances, 17 regular season games (15 starts), 2 playoff games, 1 USMNT sub appearance in a friendly, an FA Cup sub appearance and 4 Championship games (2 starts). Counting playoffs the national team, cups and tournaments along with league games in 2 countries, he's still just played 28 games with only 19 starts. Before August or September, about 90 percent of hardcore American soccer fans had no idea who he was and before the College Cup in December if 2019, probably 99 percent of said fans knew he was. And, before UVa he didn't play in the USSDA but was playing USYSA and HS soccer. Yes, in the spring of 2018, three short years ago, Daryl Dike was playing high school soccer. In Oklahoma. The point is, he's raw but his learning curve is impressive as he seems to just process information and evolve. His upside is unknown. Might be Danny Dichio, a fringe EPL but mostly Championship level player. Might be Brian McBride, a consistent scorer for good but not great EPL teams and solid with the national team. And if we allow ourselves to dream, and Dike keeps improving, it might be Benteke, or, gasp, Lukaku. Obviously the physical gifts are what catches your attention with Dike. Players with his size, strength and agility are rare, especially in a striker. But he's got a really good soccer IQ (as well as an overall IQ, it seems) and has soft feet and the vision to make good passes and an an above average finishing touch. There's a lot more there than just a big, strong kid. We've never had a player like Dike. Even Altidore was different though he's the most obvious comparison, as Jozy was discovered much earlier and, while big and strong, didn't always play like a classic target player (and had enough skill to not have to always do so). I'm really excited to watch Dike grow and see where he maxes out. But I don't think we'll be seeing him in MLS again for a long, long time.
Isn't MLS pricing him very high, like $20M? This a lot of money for someone who might need time to adjust to the EPL or any other very top league.
Good post. I didn't have any idea how he came to the fore! Hard to believe that this guy was playing HS soccer 3 years ago. Smart people with good physical attributes often make the greatest leaps in performance in sports. He sure seems like a smart guy and he's clearly got some high-end physical traits. He's no slouch in terms of his touch, either (though I'm not writing to my mother about it). Fingers crossed that he'll progress by leaps and bounds no matter where he is playing. Dike has jumped way up my (granted, very short) list of players that I'm really rooting for. High hopes, indeed.
What do you think Lukaku will sell for this summer? Now, assume Dike is one third as good as Lukaku; what will that resale value be?