Troy Parrott F AZ Alkmaar b.2002

[Jolly Red Giant]

I read a story about how the Ferencvaros Ultras actually dressed up as stewards and attacked the AZ fans, it wasnt stewards employed by the club
That is the story the club put out - both anti-fascist groups in Hungary and the Dutch fans said they were stewards. Even if it was a case the weren't official 'stewards' - it is pretty clear that the club did nothing to prevent this from happening. Remember, the president of the club is a party director of the far-right Fidesz party of Hungarian prime minister Orban for the past 20 years and a vice-president of the far-right party for the past ten years. Ferencvaros President Gábor Kubatov has been vocal in calling for Fidesz to establish it own paramilitary army modelled on the Nazi SA. By the way - up until recently Fidesz were in the same European Parliamentary group as Fine Gael.

[pineapple stu]

Scores again, in a win against MacNulty's PEC Zwolle

Turning into a consistent scorer lately. 7 in his last 11 games, and those across 7 different games.

[elatedscum]

second top scorer in the league, 5 behind Sem Stijn of FC Twente. you'd love him to push for a golden boot.

it'll be interesting to see who HH goes for in March - you could easily see any of Parrott, Idah, Ferguson, Szmodics, Cannon or Robinson start depending on how the next month goes

[Fixer82]

second top scorer in the league, 5 behind Sem Stijn of FC Twente. you'd love him to push for a golden boot.

it'll be interesting to see who HH goes for in March - you could easily see any of Parrott, Idah, Ferguson, Szmodics, Cannon or Robinson start depending on how the next month goes

I think Robinson is finished with us.
He doesn’t have much to offer.
Parrott and Ferguson and hopefully Cannon are the future

[elatedscum]

I think Robinson is finished with us.
He doesn’t have much to offer.
Parrott and Ferguson and hopefully Cannon are the future

Ah he did well in his last game for us against Greece, he's still in his 20s and he's scored 6 in his last 8 games for his club and he's in double figures for the season.

[Eirambler]

Robinson is arguably our best performing striker at his club this season, relative to the strength of the league he's playing in and the standard of club he's at within that league.

[Demesne Lad]

Robinson: 58 Championship and 6 Premier League goals so far. Not spectacular for a player just turned 30, but not shabby either.

[seanfhear]

I am not sure that his hamstrings are that reliable, to be adding international football to the football work-load !

[Fixer82]

I just don't see him being effective for us. He drives me insane not he pitch. He's done well for us. But I don't see much of a future for him in a green shirt. I would take a fit an sharp Obafemi over him any day, but that's obviously a rarity

[Razors left peg]

I just don't see him being effective for us. He drives me insane not he pitch. He's done well for us. But I don't see much of a future for him in a green shirt. I would take a fit an sharp Obafemi over him any day, but that's obviously a rarity


I read this first without the context of previous messages and thought you were saying you'd take Obafemi over Parrott and I honestly thought you had lost you mind :D

[irishfan86]

My main concern with Parrott and it’s less of a concern than just a reality is that I’m not sure he can lead the line as a lone forward, especially if we are playing on the counter.

I suspect he’ll be used in situations where we’re chasing a game and need a second striker up top or when we’re playing against inferior opposition.

Not a bad guy to be coming on in those situations I just don’t know if he has the pace or physicality to lead the line alone for 90 minutes if we have less of the ball.

[Razors left peg]

My main concern with Parrott and it’s less of a concern than just a reality is that I’m not sure he can lead the line as a lone forward, especially if we are playing on the counter.

I suspect he’ll be used in situations where we’re chasing a game and need a second striker up top or when we’re playing against inferior opposition.

Not a bad guy to be coming on in those situations I just don’t know if he has the pace or physicality to lead the line alone for 90 minutes if we have less of the ball.

But he has been leading the line as the lone striker for his club for the last 2 seasons and done very well. Im not sure he has the raw pace to ever be a top level Premiership striker but I wouldnt be surprised to see him end up at a top club in Italy

[Rayzor]

My main concern with Parrott and it’s less of a concern than just a reality is that I’m not sure he can lead the line as a lone forward, especially if we are playing on the counter.

I suspect he’ll be used in situations where we’re chasing a game and need a second striker up top or when we’re playing against inferior opposition.

Not a bad guy to be coming on in those situations I just don’t know if he has the pace or physicality to lead the line alone for 90 minutes if we have less of the ball.

Totally agree with this. Think Parrott was born in the wrong decade, think he would be a tremendous 2nd withdrawn striker, aka Sheringham,, Beardsley. Etc. Not sure he has the presence to play as a lonel striker or the speed to play out wide in a top league.

[Razors left peg]

The lad is 2nd top goalscorer in Dutch Eredivisie and 3 goals in Europe this season while playing as a striker, but lads on football forum still think he cant play as a striker. Strange world!

[Eirambler]

It's all about the level he can play centre forward at though, obviously he can play it at some level. Eredivisie isn't a great standard, if it's in the context of us needing to beat Hungary to make a WC playoff, Hungary are better than almost every team in that league.

[Razors left peg]

You have players being sold from the Dutch league for big money all the time. It might not be one of the top 5 leagues in football but it's one of the better feeder leagues. If you do well there it's a good stepping stone to better things. I just find it stupid for anyone to say he's not a striker when he clearly is

[~YTM~]

Only issue I'd have about Parrott leading the line as a lone striker is do we have the midfield and wide players to support him.

[samhaydenjr]

I read this first without the context of previous messages and thought you were saying you'd take Obafemi over Parrott and I honestly thought you had lost you mind :D

If we could get February-September 2022 Obafemi back, he'd leapfrog Parrott in my mind - has an Irish player ever produced two moments in one game as audacious as his goal and assist against Scotland? Even Robbie?

[Razors left peg]

If we could get February-September 2022 Obafemi back, he'd leapfrog Parrott in my mind - has an Irish player ever produced two moments in one game as audacious as his goal and assist against Scotland? Even Robbie?

His candle burned very bright for a very short space of time. He'd be a top class striker if he keep on the trajectory of how good he was for those few months

[irishfan86]

The lad is 2nd top goalscorer in Dutch Eredivisie and 3 goals in Europe this season while playing as a striker, but lads on football forum still think he cant play as a striker. Strange world!

To be clear I have no doubt he can play as a striker. The issue is can he play there effectively for us, who will inevitably have less of the ball when it matters most. In a premier league context, he’s the kind of forward that would thrive at a top 5 club but I don’t think would be effective at all in the bottom half of the league. I’m not happy about it but we are in a bottom half of the league situation and I don’t think his skillset is optimal for what we require.

To be clear I hope I’m totally wrong about this and he goes on to be prolific for us.

I have watched a few of the European matches where AZ is the underdog and Parrott has in some of those matches been coming off the bench, not playing from the start which factors into my assessment.

[nigel-harps1954]

We are now at the stage where the 6th highest ranked league in European football "isn't a great standard".

[seanfhear]

We are now at the stage where the 6th highest ranked league in European football "isn't a great standard".I might even get a game there myself ! (wink)

[Eirambler]

We are now at the stage where the 6th highest ranked league in European football "isn't a great standard".



Yes, of course. There are five higher ranked leagues. There are 96 clubs in those leagues. If each of those clubs has a core squad of 23 players, that's 2200 players playing in more highly ranked leagues.

That's before you factor in the difference in standards within smaller leagues like the Eredivisie, where you have a small group of teams that are closer to being on a par with the bigger leagues, and are the clubs that keep the leagues coefficient up, while other clubs in the same division are a much lower standard.

Meanwhile we're trying to put together a squad that can hold it's own against the best countries in Europe and beat the mid ranked countries so that we can get back to qualifying for things again. To do that we need to be picking from the top five leagues in the main. Parrott isn't playing in any of them, other than a couple of token sub appearances for Spurs he never has. Hopefully he can get there, but right now he isn't.

[seanfhear]

Yes, of course. There are five higher ranked leagues. There are 96 clubs in those leagues. If each of those clubs has a core squad of 23 players, that's 2200 players playing in more highly ranked leagues.

That's before you factor in the difference in standards within smaller leagues like the Eredivisie, where you have a small group of teams that are closer to being on a par with the bigger leagues, and are the clubs that keep the leagues coefficient up, while other clubs in the same division are a much lower standard.

Meanwhile we're trying to put together a squad that can hold it's own against the best countries in Europe and beat the mid ranked countries so that we can get back to qualifying for things again. To do that we need to be picking from the top five leagues in the main. Parrott isn't playing in any of them, other than a couple of token sub appearances for Spurs he never has. Hopefully he can get there, but right now he isn't.Not all the, teams /players, in one league would automatically fall in to the positions that you have posted !

[Eirambler]

Not even in the slightest. Parrott's a decent squad option but he's done literally nothing to date that suggests he should be our go to centre forward. Hopefully he gets there but scoring against Heerenveen and Zwolle week in week out doesn't automatically make him a top striker - one of the other leading strikers in that league this season flopped at Hibs last year. What it does do is potentially open up a move for him to a bigger team or league and we'll see how he goes if he gets that move this summer or next. But we need to stop building up relatively minor continental European leagues into something more than they are.

Right now Evan Ferguson at 75% is still comfortably ahead of Troy for the centre forward spot. Hopefully he can get there in time, but for now he either plays in a support forward role for us, plays as a sub, or doesn't play at all.

[Razors left peg]

Not even in the slightest. Parrott's a decent squad option but he's done literally nothing to date that suggests he should be our go to centre forward. Hopefully he gets there but scoring against Heerenveen and Zwolle week in week out doesn't automatically make him a top striker - one of the other leading strikers in that league this season flopped at Hibs last year. What it does do is potentially open up a move for him to a bigger team or league and we'll see how he goes if he gets that move this summer or next. But we need to stop building up relatively minor continental European leagues into something more than they are.

Right now Evan Ferguson at 75% is still comfortably ahead of Troy for the centre forward spot. Hopefully he can get there in time, but for now he either plays in a support forward role for us, plays as a sub, or doesn't play at all.

Funny how you don't mention his goals against Ajax or even Roma... but I suppose that doesn't fit the narrative

[pineapple stu]

Can we agree it's a good league, but not a great league Bill?

(I can't agree that the second top scorer in a league renowned for producing decent young players - albeit not with a 100% success rate - has done "literally nothing to date [to] suggest he should be our go to centre forward". It's not as if the other options are pulling up sticks either. There's not a massive amount between our options at the moment.)

[EalingGreen]

We are now at the stage where the 6th highest ranked league in European football "isn't a great standard".I would take your point generally, but would also make one major qualification.

There is a big drop-off between the top four leagues (England UEFA Co-efficient: 106.624), Italy (92.918), Spain (88.025), Germany (83.081) and the fifth (France 67.379).

Fair dues, Netherlands (64.150) aren't too far behind France, but even there there is a further qualification. Namely that those UEFA ratings are based on the performances of each country's teams which have qualified for Europe, with all entrants averaged out. And while the top four each have 7 or 8 entrants, the Netherlands only having 6 means that their league's depth isn't so tested, points-wise, as the bigger leagues. Which only reflects further what we all knew already, namely that once you get past Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV, there is a much greater drop-off in quality than you see between the top teams and the rest in the top four leagues. This top-heavy variability in quality, which understandably reflects respective differences in population, is also to be seen eg in Portugal and Belgium, reaching its culmination in Scotland.

Where does this leave TP? It seems to me that after falling away somewhat from the immense potential he originally showed at Spurs, he's now working his way back nicely at AZ, so that if he continues down this path, he's got to be a contender for the top three Dutch teams.

Whether he could go beyond that to a big team in a big league, must be debateable, since he might still reasonably need a season or two to adjust further and you simply don't get that at that level.

All that said, from where I sit as a Spurs fan who has kept an eye on his career even since he left us, he's surely good enough for regular starts for a middling international team like ROI - I'd have him like a shot for NI, were he one of ours!

[Eirambler]

Funny how you don't mention his goals against Ajax or even Roma... but I suppose that doesn't fit the narrative

No they're encouraging, that's what we want. But, similar to Idah, he's not playing that level of opposition week in week out. The Eredivisie is a good place for showcasing potential talent and hopefully he can get the move to a bigger league before too long. If he moves to a mid table Serie A team or somewhere like that and scores regularly there, that obviously changes everything. But right now, he's still a decent poacher at a lower level and unless Ferguson has an absolutely disastrous start at West Ham he'll still be the red hot favourite to start against Bulgaria.

[Razors left peg]

No they're encouraging, that's what we want. But, similar to Idah, he's not playing that level of opposition week in week out. The Eredivisie is a good place for showcasing potential talent and hopefully he can get the move to a bigger league before too long. If he moves to a mid table Serie A team or somewhere like that and scores regularly there, that obviously changes everything. But right now, he's still a decent poacher at a lower level and unless Ferguson has an absolutely disastrous start at West Ham he'll still be the red hot favourite to start against Bulgaria.

Ferguson at his best has the potential to be our best ever striker, even better than Robbie in my opinion but he has a lot to do to show that right now. I just find it silly the constant need to denegrate other leagues when other countries who beat us on a regular basis are happy to pick players from these so called lesser leagues.

[Eirambler]

But the Dutch don't even pick many players from that division - and it's their own league. Outside of Ajax and PSV it's just the occasional squad player that gets in for them, no starters that I'm aware of. And I'm not saying he shouldn't be making our squad - he's absolutely there on merit. I just don't see the justification for starting him at centre forward.

[Razors left peg]

Brian Brobbey from Ajax is in the Dutch squad. Funnily enough he's been linked with Spurs recently... but Parrott has a far better record than him

[tetsujin1979]

The UEFA Club coefficient ranks AZ the 40th best club in Europe - https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/trank2025.html
Using Eirambler's standard of 23 players per squad, that puts 920 players ahead of AZ's squad.

[pineapple stu]

But the Dutch don't even pick many players from that division - and it's their own league.
We're not Holland though.

I'd have no qualms with Parrott starting against Bulgaria tbh. Or Ferguson or Cannon. Beggars can't be choosers.

[Olé Olé]

Sorry for interrupting.

Scores a penalty v Galatasaray.

[Razors left peg]

Sorry for interrupting.

Scores a penalty v Galatasaray.

Doesn't count... Galatasary play in a league even lesser than Holland and it was only a pen

[Eirambler]

I'd sub him on in the second leg against Bulgaria if it was going to pens! :)

Him, Cannon and Idah off the bench to take penalties, and maybe Mark Travers to go in goal. We'd have our first shootout win in years.

[Diggs246]

The UEFA Club coefficient ranks AZ the 40th best club in Europe - https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/trank2025.html
Using Eirambler's standard of 23 players per squad, that puts 920 players ahead of AZ's squad.

If that's what we've been working off! Stuttgart are 104th on that list? ( 5th in the league)

Aston Villa 54th

Makes no sense right?

[Drummerboy2]

Personally I think he would be a good partner for Ferguson on the Irish team. He has the ability to link up play and we haven't got many forwards who have that in their locker. He is just 23 and will get better.

[elatedscum]

Personally I think he would be a good partner for Ferguson on the Irish team. He has the ability to link up play and we haven't got many forwards who have that in their locker. He is just 23 and will get better.

Might need a bit more pace from the front 2. I really wish Michael Obafemi would get his **** together. Ditto Aaron Connolly, not meaning to sound harsh re addiction issues. Our pacey lads are Idah and Cannon until Obafemi reverts to his old self.

[Razors left peg]

Might need a bit more pace from the front 2. I really wish Michael Obafemi would get his **** together. Ditto Aaron Connolly, not meaning to sound harsh re addiction issues. Our pacey lads are Idah and Cannon until Obafemi reverts to his old self.

A fully fit Ferguson is quick. He might not be Obafemi but hes a lot quicker than you'd expect

[elatedscum]

A fully fit Ferguson is quick. He might not be Obafemi but hes a lot quicker than you'd expect

If you were to list all the premier league strikers, I'd be pretty sure he'd be in the slowest 33% for top speed and slowest 25% for acceleration.

[tetsujin1979]

First Irish player to score four goals in the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 15 years
1890542341359898929

[Razors left peg]

If you were to list all the premier league strikers, I'd be pretty sure he'd be in the slowest 33% for top speed and slowest 25% for acceleration.

I'd like to see the stats on that, I've always thought he's fairly fast

[SkStu]

I'd like to see the stats on that, I've always thought he's fairly fast

He's definitely no slouch and has a good short sprint without doubt - but i reckon speed/pace comes middle of the pack when it comes to the attributes that will (i believe) make him a great striker. Obafemi, Connolly, Szmodics all faster, i'd say. Him and Idah probably similar (edge to Ferguson).

[Eirambler]

Might need a bit more pace from the front 2. I really wish Michael Obafemi would get his **** together. Ditto Aaron Connolly, not meaning to sound harsh re addiction issues. Our pacey lads are Idah and Cannon until Obafemi reverts to his old self.



I've more or less given up on Obafemi. This season looks like another write off - that's three in a row. He'll be 25 and in League 1 at best next year unless he has a massive last three months of the season.

[pineapple stu]

I'd like to see the stats on that, I've always thought he's fairly fast
I suspect everyone's pretty fast these days though. The real speed merchants might stand out but the rest are no slouches at all

[Razors left peg]

I've more or less given up on Obafemi. This season looks like another write off - that's three in a row. He'll be 25 and in League 1 at best next year unless he has a massive last three months of the season.
Yeah me too, he's basically only ever been good for 1 half of a season

[elatedscum]

I suspect everyone's pretty fast these days though. The real speed merchants might stand out but the rest are no slouches at all

Off the top of my head, thinking of the team’s obvious number 9s, the following lads are incredibly fast:

Liverpool - Nunez
Newcastle - Isak
Man City - Haaland
Aston Villa - Watkins
Spurs - Solanke

Then, in the very fast tier, you’ve got:

Everton - Calvert Lewin
Chelsea - Jackson
Southampton - Archer
Man Utd - Hjolund

Visibly well above average:

Wolves - Hwang
Leicester - Vardy
Brentford - Wissa
Ipswich - Delap
Arsenal - Havertz

The rest:

Brighton - Wellbeck
Fulham - Jiminez
Forest - Woods
Palace - Mateta
West Ham - Fullkrug
Bournemouth - Evanilson (haven’t seen enough of him)

I reckon Evan is probably about middle of the back in the rest column. That would put him 17th or 18th overall if you replaced him with Fullkreug as West Ham’s striker. And I wouldn’t ever describe him as slow

I remember seeing him play against Liverpool 23s back in 2021 and he looked quick enough and I also watched an Ireland 21s game back around the same time with David Okagbue (either 2021 or 2022) who was in the same underage team as him and he remarked how much faster he had gotten - but at senior level, I can’t remember ever thinking he showed real pace ever. Centre backs are generally so fast in the premier league these days that an average lad looks nearly sluggish…


He's definitely no slouch and has a good short sprint without doubt - but i reckon speed/pace comes middle of the pack when it comes to the attributes that will (i believe) make him a great striker. Obafemi, Connolly, Szmodics all faster, i'd say. Him and Idah probably similar (edge to Ferguson).

Idah is significantly faster than Ferguson and is also faster than Szmodics and Connolly

[elatedscum]

Here’s how Idah compares to Europe’s elite strikers this season in the champions league:

(Source uefa website)

Haaland 36.56
Mbappe 35.67
Gyorkes 34.55
Nunez 34.31
Alvarez 34.29
Idah 34.25
Sesko 33.84
Watkins 33.00
Pavlidis 32.91
Boniface 32.28
Havertz 32.25
Guirassy 32.12
Lewandowski 32.09
L Martinez 30.66
Kane 30.35