I'd put money on a big part of the attitude towards him is cos he's not English. Any English player scoring 74 goals for multiple clubs across the EPL and they'd be raving about him!
Two more goals for Woody will see him have the most PL goals for Forrest behind Brian Roy.
Woody already holds the record at Burnley with 46, I can't see anyone breaking this anytime soon as the next closest is Ashley Barnes with 42 and Sam Vokes on 17.
Maybe I'm overreacting but does anyone get pissed off by the way English commentators talk about Wood. Caught this from Martin Tyler:
“There’s somebody, who’s a perfect example not just for football but in life. He knows his job. He works within those limitations, he’s given himself, he doesn’t try to do anything he knows he’s not capable of. And he’s turned from being what at best might have been a decent championship player into a proper premier league goalscorer.”
So what he doesn't try take ons who gives a shark. Probably lots of prem attackers who don't and don't get the same treatment from commentators.
I don't even think it's just English commentators, I think it extends to the English in general. The attitude towards him here is a disgrace really, they talk about him as if he's some chancer from the championship who's just come up for a few seasons.
Slight rant imminent, but I got chatting to a guy at a league one match a little while ago, and he completely laughed at me when I said his side's ineffectual front line needed a bit of big Chris Wood up top. He said, "I wouldn't say that too loudly around here". When I pressed him as to why he just said, "because he's shark". Imagine a THIRD DIVISION club's fans sharkting on a bloke who's scored 74 goals in a league they've never even got close to being in, absolute madness. Completely anecdotal of course, but honestly that seems to be the common perception of him and it grinds my gears
I lived in the UK a long time ago in the late '90s, but yeah your 'average' English football fan I found pretty insufferable. Limited knowledge of players and teams outside Blighty. Not that I had much either - but they had grown up with Europe and Real Madrid just across the Channel, I hadn't.
I mean you'd see it every WC or Euros, huge expectations placed on their team, with little analysis that the opposition come the big knock games, often just had better players.
I remember 1998 and being in a Ladbroke Grove pub when Beckham got sent off, and grown men around me in tears, after the pen shootout loss. I quietly quite enjoyed it.
Don't tell them we have to beat powerhouses Samoa and Vanuatu to qualify for the World Cup. You will never hear the end of it.
On the other hand I remember meeting an older Swiss guy in a southern France camping ground, who was a Zurich Grasshoopers fan. The sort of an super intelligent dude who spoke 4 languages, and was a massive Wynton Rufer fan. He'd followed Wynton's career closely at Bremen, and knew eveything about Oceania's player of the 20th Century.
I'd put money on a big part of the attitude towards him is cos he's not English. Any English player scoring 74 goals for multiple clubs across the EPL and they'd be raving about him!
Do you think he'd have made England squads these past few years? I do. He might be 5th or 6th down the pecking order but those types of players include Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney, Dominic Solanke, Patrick Bamford and Danny Ings not so long ago. I think he'd have been in with a shout.
I'd put money on a big part of the attitude towards him is cos he's not English. Any English player scoring 74 goals for multiple clubs across the EPL and they'd be raving about him!
Do you think he'd have made England squads these past few years? I do. He might be 5th or 6th down the pecking order but those types of players include Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney, Dominic Solanke, Patrick Bamford and Danny Ings not so long ago. I think he'd have been in with a shout.
Yeah I tend to agree, he might not have been a starter, but he'd certainly be in the mix - he may not be a super star but he is so reliable that you can count on him scoring when you need him to,
Yeh. The Guardian this week were making out like he’d missed a bunch of tap ins and that was the key takeaway from a game won 1-0 after he’d scored.
Can’t agree more with all the BS talked about Wood. Most of it comes from an anti-Dyche, anti-Burnley thing. (And look how good McNeil is. Can’t be much worse than fapfest Fernandes at United)
Some of it comes from short memories after his Newcastle stint, and because the haters were loud then.
I think also there’s a good proportion of folk in the UK who do appreciate him, but you don’t hear them as much.
TBF there’s a lot of ignorance about teams outside the top 4-5.
Forest were great on attack and have improved their defense with Milenkovic and Moreno. Despite this so many predicted them being relegated, when it was clear watching them that wasn’t likely. Results in the last year at Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge underline their collective strength.
Yeh. The Guardian this week were making out like he’d missed a bunch of tap ins and that was the key takeaway from a game won 1-0 after he’d scored.
Can’t agree more with all the BS talked about Wood. Most of it comes from an anti-Dyche, anti-Burnley thing. (And look how good McNeil is. Can’t be much worse than fapfest Fernandes at United)
Some of it comes from short memories after his Newcastle stint, and because the haters were loud then.
I think also there’s a good proportion of folk in the UK who do appreciate him, but you don’t hear them as much.
TBF there’s a lot of ignorance about teams outside the top 4-5.
Forest were great on attack and have improved their defense with Milenkovic and Moreno. Despite this so many predicted them being relegated, when it was clear watching them that wasn’t likely. Results in the last year at Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge underline their collective strength.
sound like what you are meaning in the first half of your post, is that there are some right twarts in UK football circles
Yeh. The Guardian this week were making out like he’d missed a bunch of tap ins and that was the key takeaway from a game won 1-0 after he’d scored.
Can’t agree more with all the BS talked about Wood. Most of it comes from an anti-Dyche, anti-Burnley thing. (And look how good McNeil is. Can’t be much worse than fapfest Fernandes at United)
Some of it comes from short memories after his Newcastle stint, and because the haters were loud then.
I think also there’s a good proportion of folk in the UK who do appreciate him, but you don’t hear them as much.
TBF there’s a lot of ignorance about teams outside the top 4-5.
Forest were great on attack and have improved their defense with Milenkovic and Moreno. Despite this so many predicted them being relegated, when it was clear watching them that wasn’t likely. Results in the last year at Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge underline their collective strength.
sound like what you are meaning in the first half of your post, is that there are some right twarts in UK football circles
It’s just the big clubs sell papers so they dominate papers I guess. And the papers dominate impressions. If someone gets a reputation it’s hard to lose it. Tbf, Wood operating where he does certainly misses his share of chances and something egregious goes viral easier than collecting goals and points. And people remember the viral clip, and ignore the rest.
I mean there were a number of good half chances that might have been a goal otherwise this game. Palace defended well, clearing a half chance off the line, and intercepting a great back post ball. Wood got to another cross, but couldn’t get a strong connection and hit too much on a header putting it up and over. But none were easy finishes. Another day he might have got two there with less Palace concentration or more anticipation of Anderson.
But yeh, here it’s Eurosnob, there something of the Eurosnob too perhaps? There’s Pep inspired football and Klopp or German inspired football and if you don’t fit those boxes you’re old fashioned.
I’m sure a lot of the Fever know a lot more than me about the culture, this is an impression from never living in the UK.
Preety sure he is in the last year of his contract, so a great time to be scoring
Believe his new wife has Nottingham roots, so with a baby on the way and looks like guaranteed premiership next season, logic says he will stay where is unless Man U come calling.
Been to more clubs then most in his career when young, so some stability would no doubt be good at this time in his life. Playing at the highest level and with a manager who likes him
While this was Forest’s first home win of the term, their away form is such that they’re sitting in eighth place with 13 points from eight games, having already taken points off Liverpool and Chelsea.
The next thing to look for is a contract extension. Wood’s current deal expires at the end of the season and there’s no way they’re going to let that drift into January without locking him down. The brother’s earned a payrise, that’s for sure. According to the rumour mill, discussions are already underway.
More goals in a better league but hasn’t played European football like Rufer did. A better national team record than Rufer as well.
I think it's fair to say he's edging close. Rufer had more substantial achievements in his name, and was tie top scorer in the champions league to no other than Koeman, that's a hard stat to match. But in terms of longevity in top flight and consistency I think he's easily matched and arguably surpassed Rufer.
Chris Wood currently has the same number of Premier League goals as Manchester United and more than Ipswich, Crystal Palace & Southampton https://t.co/C2xCmHXKzx
More goals in a better league but hasn’t played European football like Rufer did. A better national team record than Rufer as well.
I think it's fair to say he's edging close. Rufer had more substantial achievements in his name, and was tie top scorer in the champions league to no other than Koeman, that's a hard stat to match. But in terms of longevity in top flight and consistency I think he's easily matched and arguably surpassed Rufer.
Wood's done incredibly well, and both his goals were great, but don't let recency bias take over here.
A more realistic comparison might be Ryan Nelsen.
Both Wood and Nelsen played very well, for a long period of time, for middling top-flight clubs. Rufer was a glamour player for a high flying club at a time when the Bundesliga was better than the EPL. Even his years in the Swiss League shouldn't be looked through the lens of today. Back then, the Swiss League was comparatively stronger than today.
