not even in the top ten: http://www.independent.ie/life/trave...-34719406.html
not even in the top ten: http://www.independent.ie/life/trave...-34719406.html
But it is now, not 4 years ago. You could say the same about Vardy. How could
anyone be so pessimistic?
I'm not saying it's impossible, it's just very unlikely. Vardy started on his journey from non league at 25, and as a striker facing into his prime years. Amond is 29 now, very much in his prime as a striker, and out of contract. He's had a fantastic season at Grimsby, so presumably can hope for a contract in League Two, or one of the promoted sides/lower ranked sides in League One. It's unlikely that a Championship or Premier League side is going to take him straight to that level.
His best season in League Two yielded 11 goals (2013/14 with Morecambe) so he'll have to improve on that to get another move to a higher club, or get promoted. That's at least one season, if not two, when he'll be 31. Again with an excellent season behind him, he could get promoted at least once. That puts him at Championship level in three years, and he's 32. Very few 32 year old Championship (again assuming he's playing at that level) strikers, with no experience at a higher level, get transfers to the Premier League, so with a promotion, he could be playing Premier League football in four years.
That's a lot of coulds and assumptions. Has any striker, at that age, gone from non league to Premier League in a short space of time?
Vardy is a very rare exception.
Amond - unlike Vardy - has, relatively speaking, failed to deliver at the fourth tier in England, in addition to the top flight in Portugal, over a spell of five seasons. Lots of forwards can drop down a level and then start banging goals in. Doesn't mean they're going to be able to jump four levels overnight.
Look at the previous top scorers in the Conference -
2014/15 - Akinade (31 for Barnet). Scored 23 for Barnet this year in the fourth tier.
2013/14 - Grey (30 for Luton). Immediately moved to Brentford in the second tier, and scored 16. Moved to Burnley and notched 25 this year - but he was only 22 at Luton.
2012/13 - Green (25 for Mansfield). Immediately moved to Birmingham - and after one goal in two seasons (much of which was injury-hit), he was released and is back at Mansfield again
2011/12 - Vardy (31) - and as noted, he's had four years with Leicester at this stage to get to Premiership standard.
2010/11 - Tubbs (37 for Crawley). Has scored 56 goals in 5 seasons since then and is back in the Conference with Eastleigh on loan.
2009/10 - Brodie (26 for York). Has only played one season outside the Conference, scoring 5 for Morecambe.
2008/09 - Mangan (26 for Forest Green). Has played Conference more often than not since, scoring 17 goals in three seasons in the League.
Vardy is the only one of that who's even played in the Premiership. Grey is the only other one who's really made an impact outside the fourth division. No reason at all to consider Amond the next Vardy unfortunately, even ignoring the issue of age.
I am talking about now, he has an eye for goal, seriously someone would be mad to not snap him up and give him a chance.
Lets face it you can splash out millions on a top striker and he can turn out to be useless.
I can't believe nobody is apparently too interest, I have seen no clubs mentioned.
You have to play him in a system that suits him though.
Last edited by tricky_colour; 17/05/2016 at 3:39 PM.
A nicely succinct way of putting it!
As for his age Colonel Sanders was 66 when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Eh, ok.
Not entirely relevant, but there you go.
A goal is a goal an accurate header or shot works just as well in the pub car park and it does in the Bernabéu
Why didn't Villa sign him? He got more goal than the shower of expensive sh*te currently at the club.
Were they better buys? I don't think so.
Where the players they signed from Premiership clubs a better option?
Including Barcelona Man City and Liverpool.
Anyhow someone will come in for him.
"Bag of wind" - excellent.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
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