Welcome back Benik Afobe

[Wolvensam]

I'm not too sure where the lazy/disinterested thing came from, to be honest. He may have forced a move behind the scenes too (who knows - maybe we thought the price was right) but he didn't submit a transfer request either.

If his attitude really was as poor as was made out, I doubt KJ would have entertained playing him.

 

[YoungWolf]

He most certainly didn’t show it in games. He was just playing in an awful team

 

[lemonjelly]

I'm really not sure about this. That said, he'll have my full support, he's a wolves player, and, well, wolves ay we and all that.
From my extremly limited understanding of twitter, it seems that the players who played with him when he was here originally are happy to see him back.

 

[Carrotdude]

Afobe has quite a languid style so I think that’s where it came from but I remember watching him for Bournemouth just after he signed for them and he was exactly the same.

 

[Jinky]

Lets not forget, Afobe back in the day was dropping deeper & deeper & deeper to try and get involved when we were essentially offering him zero to work with. Bonatini drops in deep to link up the play and to knock balls in to Jota, Cav etc. I see no reason at all why Benik will be unable to link the play like that too - but the difference with Afobe is he also has the pace and general willingness to play off the shoulder too.

I was happy to take him or leave him yesterday, but now it's happened, I can't see any negatives with the signing, if I'm honest.

 

[pr0sl0]

The elephant in the room here, of course, is the color of his skin. Certain stereotypes still linger in the sports world, as much as there has been substantial work has been done to fight them - and everyone has subtle biases they're ultimately unaware they hold.

 

[Jinky]

The elephant in the room here, of course, is the color of his skin. Certain stereotypes still linger in the sports world, as much as there has been substantial work has been done to fight them - and everyone has subtle biases they're ultimately unaware they hold.

With all due respect, what on earth are you on about?

 

[Tony Towner]

Did people think Chris Waddle was lazy / had a languid style because of his mullet?

 

[Johnny75]

Lets not forget, Afobe back in the day was dropping deeper & deeper & deeper to try and get involved when we were essentially offering him zero to work with. Bonatini drops in deep to link up the play and to knock balls in to Jota, Cav etc. I see no reason at all why Benik will be unable to link the play like that too - but the difference with Afobe is he also has the pace and general willingness to play off the shoulder too.

I was happy to take him or leave him yesterday, but now it's happened, I can't see any negatives with the signing, if I'm honest.

Because technically he is nowhere near as good as Leo and he just doesn't have the brain that Leo does. Afobe is about his off the shoulder movement and poachers ability. He's a good goalscorer but a link player? Not that I've ever seen.

 

[Jinky]

Because technically he is nowhere near as good as Leo and he just doesn't have the brain that Leo does. Afobe is about his off the shoulder movement and poachers ability. He's a good goalscorer but a link player? Not that I've ever seen.

I think people are easy to forget. Time will tell, but I really do believe he'll enjoy himself playing with these players.

 

[Johnny75]

I think people are easy to forget. Time will tell, but I really do believe he'll enjoy himself playing with these players.

I haven't forgotten and I agree with your last sentence.

 

[pr0sl0]

With all due respect, what on earth are you on about?

Black players get perceived as lazier, sulkier, more emotional, etc., all the time compared to white players.

Again, better than it used to be, and it's usually not an overt, actively-choosing-to-be-racist thing - more that everyone has biases that they're unaware they hold. Plenty of psychological studies have found that white and black people presented in similar contexts, doing similar activities, tend be have their actions interpreted in different ways.

 

[StuardoWulf]

The elephant in the room here, of course, is the color of his skin. Certain stereotypes still linger in the sports world, as much as there has been substantial work has been done to fight them - and everyone has subtle biases they're ultimately unaware they hold.

Mate with respect just get a grip. Was it colour of the skin made Sako Dicko and indeed Afobe so reveered here.

 

[arklowolf]

22 goals in 46 games for us previously in a fairly poor side. Can't knock it. Welcome back Benik.

 

[Johnny75]

Black players get perceived as lazier, sulkier, more emotional, etc., all the time compared to white players.

Again, better than it used to be, and it's usually not an overt, actively-choosing-to-be-racist thing - more that everyone has biases that they're unaware they hold. Plenty of psychological studies have found that white and black people presented in similar contexts, doing similar activities, tend be have their actions interpreted in different ways.

I don't think it's quite that simplistic but I wouldn't disagree that there are certain bias towards certain players. I would say there is a distinction between African players and European players no matter what skin colour they are, where African players are deemed to be lazy or hard work and this is still in the game today sadly. In much the same way that some people think that white British players work harder than any other player on the planet or are bereft of technical ability. They are, of course, sweeping generalisations, usually made by genuinely stupid people.

I'm not so sure there is a skin colour bias with indigenous populations though.

 

[Johnny75]

Mate with respect just get a grip. Was it colour of the skin made Sako Dicko and indeed Afobe so reveered here.

It's incredibly naive to think there isn't still racial stereotypes in football. Look at Millwall fans for your evidence.

 

[Norman Deeley]

22 goals in 46 games for us previously in a fairly poor side. Can't knock it. Welcome back Benik.

That's the key stat for me. 1 in 2 for us, and I think he'll have a ball playing with Jota, Neves and co. I feel slightly sorry for Leo who has worked his nuts off this season, but we need two strikers.

Would I start him on Saturday? No, I think the front three we had at Ipswich deserve another start and I also wonder if he is 100% match fit. But I'd certainly bring him on with 30 minutes to go...

 

[White Wolf]

The elephant in the room here, of course, is the color of his skin. Certain stereotypes still linger in the sports world, as much as there has been substantial work has been done to fight them - and everyone has subtle biases they're ultimately unaware they hold.

I think you're looking to see something that isn't there IMO. The perception that he had stopped caring came from the fact we were playing like shit and giving him no service, had just sold our best player and failed to replace him with someone capable of playing football, lost his striking partner to a long-term injury, wanted to go to Norwich in the summer, and were up for sale and going nowhere but down.

 

[StuardoWulf]

That's the key stat for me. 1 in 2 for us, and I think he'll have a ball playing with Jota, Neves and co. I feel slightly sorry for Leo who has worked his nuts off this season, but we need two strikers.

Would I start him on Saturday? No, I think the front three we had at Ipswich deserve another start and I also wonder if he is 100% match fit. But I'd certainly bring him on with 30 minutes to go...

He may well start on Saturday if hes fully fit. Us starting the Ipswich game without a striker (and assuming they were not injured) shows that he wanted to try a fluid front three to see if it would work. It did work we played well and won but again we spurned a lot of chances he probably wants to weigh up his system with Benik or a Benik type striker. Nuno will notice that we could have lost points in the last minute scrambles. Its not a criticism of the team its a theory of what Nuno is thinking.

 

[pr0sl0]

I don't think it's quite that simplistic but I wouldn't disagree that there are certain bias towards certain players. I would say there is a distinction between African players and European players no matter what skin colour they are, where African players are deemed to be lazy or hard work and this is still in the game today sadly. In much the same way that some people think that white British players work harder than any other player on the planet or are bereft of technical ability. They are, of course, sweeping generalisations, usually made by genuinely stupid people.

I'm not so sure there is a skin colour bias with indigenous populations though.

Yeah I agree, it isn't a simplistic (if you'll pardon the expression) black and white thing a lot of the time, especially now in the UK - although stuff like what's happened at West Ham does pull back the curtain and show us just how ingrained a lot of stereotypes are within the administrative side of the game, let alone among supporters.