That's about right. The good news, I suppose, is that his coach had the faith in him to give him a 30 minute run in a game that he clearly (judging by his face and body language on the sideline) had a strong interest in winning.
looks like dike posting up on corners is going to result in auto foul calls if the protection kepa received today is any indication
He didn't do anything his 1st couple bench appearances in MLS either. Then exploded from his 1st start. So if he keeps getting opportunities, you figure he'll eventually run w/ them. And from the training reports, you'd think he gets those chances. or if the treatment over most an MLS season was an indication
I might have missed something, but by my count here is the full accounts of the times he touched the ball: --Had a nice first touch layoff to a teammate to set up a pretty decent shooting opportunity at the top of the box. --Slipped trying to dribble past Zouma and kinda got a shot away while falling down, but it was partially deflected and easy for Kepa to come grab. --Hit a bouncing ball way over the goal from a sharp angle, but was offside anyhow. Verdict: Still better than his appearance against T&T
I thought that was a really good play, especially on that field. Second best shot they had in the second half.
The BBC radio comm Chris Waddle mentioned that he had been on for 15-20 minutes and hadn't touched the ball, but then commented positively about his frame and strength. Pretty sure they said he earned a free kick just before full time, in addition to the touches mentioned above. Great opportunity for him and look forward to seeing more of his play in The Championship.
That answers the question as to whether the coach likes him. Playing against the top team in the Championship in his first start is quite trusting.
Dike assist 😍— Ollie (@ollieg21296) February 14, 2021 Apparently he hit a shot so wide it turned into an assist.