Evan Ferguson F Brighton b.2004

**Olé Olé** · 21/01/2023, 5:28 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Worth a watch

That's funny. Especially when the panel all reckoned that Welbeck should start. I don't mind either way - the lad doesn't need to start every week. Definitely not when he can come on with that inpact. He could be De Zerbi's preferred option but that doesn't mean he will or should start him all the time.

Love Clinton Morrison in the background when Jeff Stelling is saying what a find Ferguson is and Morrison is like "Irishhhhh."

**Olé Olé** · 21/01/2023, 5:34 PM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Probably a good thing that he's a completely different kind of player to Keane so that will hopefully minimise the comparisons. I can see Ferguson potentially having a more successful club career than Keane to be honest. But less successful at international level as Keane set that bar so high that it's near impossible to follow.

If he had the impact of Robbie Keane in terms of goals I wouldn't complain but another reason it is good that he is different to Keane is that he probably is more suited to today's game where side play with one central striker more than Robbie was. That isn't to say he's better - I'm just saying he is gold in today's game. Liverpool shifting Robbie out to the wing when Gerrard played behind Torres was probably an early manifestation of 4-2-3-1 and impacted his time there severely as we know.

**Eirambler** · 21/01/2023, 6:02 PM

Yes, Robbie generally needed to be played in a front two and most teams were switching to a lone striker by the second half of his career. I think that played a large part in him ending up in Scotland and Los Angeles in his later days, he didn't fit the prototype Premier League striker anymore. He was maybe a bit unlucky with the timing as variations of front twos have come back into fashion a bit in recent years, including with ourselves.

Incidentally, also on Keane, I was off work for a few days this week with sick kids and I ended up looking through some of the old threads on here. The early pages of the Robbie Keane thread were unbelievable, the abuse he was getting from posters was ridiculous (I should say mostly by people who don't post here any more). This would have been around 2004-2005 so after he had already starred for us at a World Cup. I had to stop reading it after a couple of pages, it was so far removed from reality.

There really was a clear sense of entitlement with the support base back then that doesn't read at all well looking back on it. If we are to turn a corner in the next few years with the likes of Ferguson, Collins and others coming through I hope we don't see a return of that attitude - though the fair weather bandwagon support that drifted away would be back in force no doubt.

**Razors left peg** · 21/01/2023, 6:05 PM

The let's not get carried away stuff is starting to get on my nerves a bit.... if you can't get carried away with how this kid is playing do you even get any enjoyment out of football

**Jd2793** · 21/01/2023, 6:27 PM

im afraid to say its time to get carried away!!!

**paul_oshea** · 21/01/2023, 6:47 PM

Where's the marking. So much space , good powerful header though. He had to go across from distance.

Another way of looking at it is he finds the spot , the place to be. How often have Ireland hit crosses in like that and we've all gone "who's in there?!" Or " who was that to?!" Especially in the area where he connected with it.

**Razors left peg** · 21/01/2023, 7:15 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Where's the marking. So much space , good powerful header though. He had to go across from distance.

Another way of looking at it is he finds the spot , the place to be. How often have Ireland hit crosses in like that and we've all gone "who's in there?!" Or " who was that to?!" Especially in the area where he connected with it.

The marking is what you got from that? Really?

**passinginterest** · 21/01/2023, 7:21 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Another way of looking at it is he finds the spot , the place to be. How often have Ireland hit crosses in like that and we've all gone "who's in there?!" Or " who was that to?!" Especially in the area where he connected with it.

I think that’s the key. He’s sort of in no man’s land. I think most other players try to make a looping run back in towards the penalty spot, but he makes himself an option by spotting the space in front of him. It’s not the conventional run but it’s a really intelligent one and it gets rewarded.

**pineapple stu** · 21/01/2023, 7:23 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

The marking is what you got from that? Really?

In fairness, he's also called out how Ferguson has a knack for finding a good spot, which looks fairly similar to poor marking if done well.

**Razors left peg** · 21/01/2023, 7:44 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

In fairness, he's also called out how Ferguson has a knack for finding a good spot, which looks fairly similar to poor marking if done well.

Fair enough, I may have jumped the gun.

The other point is true though, he always looks dangerous. Stutts made the comparison to Idah who never seems to be in right place

**CraftyToePoke** · 21/01/2023, 7:58 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

Idah who never seems to be in right place

If it was raining soup, that lad would be outside with a fork.

**pineapple stu** · 21/01/2023, 8:06 PM

Here is the goal btw.

It's fair to criticise the marking, but Ferguson is the one who anticipates where the cross is coming and goes to attack the space. He deserves credit for that. And brilliant placement of the header too.

**paul_oshea** · 21/01/2023, 8:48 PM

Ya it found interesting that the two CBs are looking elsewhere and then at eachother like no one knew where's he come from or who should have picked him up to be fair it didn't look like either faes or armatey should be but the tracking midfielder. It's a very clever run alright. Ireland have been lacking that for a long time now even Robbie would often go back post or front post when it's clear he should have done something different. Ferguson seems to know where to be and that is interesting from an Irish perspective

2:20 for anyone who hasn't yet seen it. https://www.skysports.com/ipad/liveA...#liveblog-body

**Bottle of Tonic** · 21/01/2023, 10:39 PM

Arriving at the right place right time is a sort of innate attribute. Maybe you can coach it but as a player on the pitch it's mainly all about instinct in those areas. I knew it as a forward player who never seemed to be 'there' when I should have been. Ball watching or flat footed. Ferguson looks like a goalscorer who seems to be 'there' when it's needed. High hopes, high hopes.

**SkStu** · 21/01/2023, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Ya it found interesting that the two CBs are looking elsewhere and then at eachother like no one knew where's he come from or who should have picked him up to be fair it didn't look like either faes or armatey should be but the tracking midfielder. It's a very clever run alright. Ireland have been lacking that for a long time now even Robbie would often go back post or front post when it's clear he should have done something different. Ferguson seems to know where to be and that is interesting from an Irish perspective

2:20 for anyone who hasn't yet seen it. https://www.skysports.com/ipad/liveA...#liveblog-body

Agree - it wasn’t about being marked and either way it wasn’t on the CBs at all. They were more or less where they should have been (maybe a touch deeper) in terms of positioning. It was more about how the little fella could have tracked him better but Ferguson really just made a sensational late run from deep around the back of him and the finish was top quality.

Watching the goal again a few times; the run and finish were both top class. Could watch it over and over.

**Eirambler** · 21/01/2023, 11:01 PM

MOTD made a big thing about one of the Leicester centre backs (not Faes, the other one) being too deep and that was what opened the gap. That's probably true to a point, but that gap was small, it was there for no more than a second and he found it just at the moment the ball came across. And followed it up with an absolute pinpoint header in off the far post.

As someone else said, I'm not sure you can coach all of that. At least some of it is just pure natural talent.

**BOOMSHAKALAKA** · 22/01/2023, 8:14 AM

I think those calling for calm heads and not to get carried away are basing it on experience of players bursting on the scene and then falling away but looking at the goal, it's not just his run and finish that's impressive, it's also what he does after he scores.

He doesn't run to the corner flag going ballistic after getting an equaliser. This fella is no show pony. You wouldn't have blamed a young fella going to claim the adulation but Ferguson wasn't having it. He ran in, grabbed the ball and told the other 2 who wanted to celebrate to get the **** out of his way, it was time to focus on getting a winner.

**Eirambler** · 22/01/2023, 8:52 AM

One thing I'll say about this group of emerging Irish players is that a lot of them seem to have an exceptional attitude relative to their ages to the extent that it gets referenced in nearly article or interview you would see about them. In particular Bazunu, Kelleher, O'Shea, Collins, Omobamidele, Knight and Ferguson stand out for this.

**Jd2793** · 22/01/2023, 9:28 AM

Originally Posted by Eirambler

One thing I'll say about this group of emerging Irish players is that a lot of them seem to have an exceptional attitude relative to their ages to the extent that it gets referenced in nearly article or interview you would see about them. In particular Bazunu, Kelleher, O'Shea, Collins, Omobamidele, Knight and Ferguson stand out for this.

id put parrott in that category now aswell. big wake up call at the end of 2021, can see that in all his interviews since

**John83** · 22/01/2023, 8:02 PM

Originally Posted by Razors left peg

The let's not get carried away stuff is starting to get on my nerves a bit.... if you can't get carried away with how this kid is playing do you even get any enjoyment out of football

It mostly seems to be people anticipating it rather than anyone actually saying it, but generally I'd make the distinction between being excited by this guy's obvious potential and the kind of post that more or less assumes that every talented teenager is going to be a world-beater by 25. Ferguson's already done more than any of the talented young strikers of recent years though: of course we're all excited and hopeful.

Originally Posted by Eirambler

Incidentally, also on Keane, I was off work for a few days this week with sick kids and I ended up looking through some of the old threads on here. The early pages of the Robbie Keane thread were unbelievable, the abuse he was getting from posters was ridiculous (I should say mostly by people who don't post here any more). This would have been around 2004-2005 so after he had already starred for us at a World Cup. I had to stop reading it after a couple of pages, it was so far removed from reality.

It continued throughout his career. If he didn't score in a game, there were calls to drop him (for whom, it was rarely clear). We were spoiled with him, and a lot of people hadn't a clue.

I had a little rummage through that thread myself and found this:

Originally Posted by John83

That'd be the level he's scored 5 goals in 6 games this campaign while not really playing consistently at club level, would it? The way people go on about Robbie Keane, I'd fecking love to see a good forward play for us. He'd have a thousand international goals to his name, his first touch would cure cancer and his off the ball movement would be so beautiful as to make grown men weep in joy.