stevegull wrote:
I was just thinking about that comparison when I read your comment. After a bit of limited research from myself I think the comparison of Rene Howe to Grant Holt and Rickie Lambert is a tad far-fetched.
The key difference between our tank and the aforementioned Premier League pair is that Holt and Lambert scored goals regularly in the lower leagues and then tagged onto a team that rose through the leagues (as opposed to getting a straight move to a top division club). Rene Howe had a fairly fruitful early career (scoring over 50 goals for Bedford and Kettering) but since then suffered a fairly lean spell as he joined Peterborough and got farmed out (the best tally in a season for Howe was just 10, and sparse offerings other than that).
Lambert and Holt both started scoring regularly when they played together for Rochdale - both at 24 years of age and both had previously had relatively average careers so only a couple of years earlier than Rene. Lambert got 26 in about 150 for Stockport and Macclesfield while Holt came through non-league before playing a handful of times for wednesday over a couple of years getting just 3 goals. Even after that Holt then did only ok at Forest in League 1 before going to Shrewsbury while Lambert had a 3 year spell with Rovers in Leagues 1 and 2. Both were 28 when they moved to bigger clubs in League 1 who then won back to back promotions.
I don't see too much difference between all three - all big men that while they aren't pacy are quicker than they look but all three have handy feet, hold the ball up well, bring others into play and are natural finishers. I would say Rene hasn't proved to me as much of a poacher as the other two although that is as much how we play in that he is up top on his own and often ends up provider rather than always in the box. I'm also not sure if Rene is quite as good in the air.
I'm certainly not saying Rene is a Premier league player now - however at the same time, while Holt and Lambert were scoring regularly (like Rene now) they were still lower league players even beyond Rene's current age. Its only after moves to large clubs in league 1 which happened to get back to back promotions, of which the two played a big part, that they find themselves in the Premier league.
If Rene works very hard then I think he could make it in the championship. He has all the right strikers attributes apart from pace. He bullies defenders, holds the ball up well, distributes the ball neatly and cleverly and is composed in front of goal. This is rare for league two players, who generally only a few parts to their game.
Maybe this is as good as he gets, but I suspect he will get the chance to prove himself in a higher league.
I don't know anything like enough about the guys you mentioned to draw any comparisons, Exile, and my research would extend no further than Wiki (been "revising" for some God-awful test all day and have run out of arsed). I can only really direct you to the paragraph below in possible explanation.
Sexy, I'm all for Rene, he's lovely for us, but I'm not sure that the the attributes you mention, which he undoubtedly possesses, are sufficiently well developed to see him progress through the divisions. He simply doesn't make it look easy enough to signal him out as a real prospect for the upper echelons.
Do you know anything Roadrunner? You've been pretty handy with inside info before. Im sure the club is running around behind the scenes trying to push through a contract. In almost every game this season Rene has been the best player on the pitch, and in my opinion has done enough to warrant interest from the bigger league 1 clubs. Getting him under contract would be a real coup, as, if any larger clubs are lurking, they'll be itching to grab him on the cheap in jan. I agree with ferrarilover though in that Rens personality and playing style suit his 'main man' position here.
brooker wrote:Do you know anything Roadrunner? You've been pretty handy with inside info before. Im sure the club is running around behind the scenes trying to push through a contract. In almost every game this season Rene has been the best player on the pitch, and in my opinion has done enough to warrant interest from the bigger league 1 clubs. Getting him under contract would be a real coup, as, if any larger clubs are lurking, they'll be itching to grab him on the cheap in jan. I agree with ferrarilover though in that Rens personality and playing style suit his 'main man' position here.
No Sexy Gulls, of course not. But if he is under contract, the bid would have to be a lot higher, as we wouldnt be pressured into selling or risk losing him for free.
my source says he is more than happy here, of course he could sign a new contract and leave, but my understanding is that with the nipper on the way he is very happy to stay, im sure he could do with another season here before moving on, and would he want to be like eunan warming the bench.
Lambert, Holt and Howe are similar in their build up play and their ability to bully defenders, but the difference is Lambert and Holt are very good poachers too in and around the box, whereas Rene isn't. He'll never score the same amount of goals.
