Sorry to bring up what is a stale subject now, but I think we need to keep hold of Cameron Jerome for this Championship season - as a must.
To be fair to the lad, we have had two pretty negative manager's at Blues since Jerome has been with us and, if reports are to be believed, we are about to install one of three managers who like to play attractive, attacking football.
This will be the real test to see what Cameron is all about, and if i'm completely honest, I think he will shine.
Lets not mess about, CJ is a confidence player. Last season his confidence had been shot down in flames by negative football and having little to no service. If you know you are going to have only one or two chances a game - and that's being generous - then there is unbelieveable pressure on you to stick it in the onion bag. Everytime you fail, the pressure increases and your confidence dies.
In an attacking 4-4-2, with service from new signings such as Burke and King and existing players without their defensive shackles like Beausejour and Fahey (remember he is an AMC, not LM), I can see Jerome shining, just like he did at Cardiff when we bought him.
Should he not pull through this season with at least 15 goals - injuries forbidding - then I would accept, to a certain degree, the sort of barracking he has been subject to in recent times. But I can't see this being the case and i'm confident we've got a quality player on our hands.
Cameron Jerome - The Real Acid Test
posted on 18/6/11
Stevecarrstoaster
I really thought was the only one who likes Jerome.
The season before last, when he got 11 goals he played with Chucho up front.
Last season he was used as the lone striker.
Which he aint.
I dont know how any player can score if the ball is hoofed up for a flick on to . . . . . oh shi7, there is no-one to flick it to.
How can he score when he chases long balls into the corners and the nearest team mate is 100yds away still in their own penalty area.
Jerome will score goals with the right partner and the right service.
Not to mention the backing of the fans to get his confidence sky high.
Well said stevescarrstoaster.
posted on 18/6/11
Agreed, it will be interesting to see how well CJ gets on in an attacking formation...
posted on 19/6/11
Unfortunately the rot may already be set in, we have been subjected to boring, defensive and negative football for soooo long the whole club will require physical and psychological training to remind them what attacking football is. Just hope it doesn't take too long.
posted on 19/6/11
i think a high profile player like King will take limelight from Jerome and he needs too start getting confidence back plating 4-4-2 with more time to come from deeper.
posted on 19/6/11
I think it just wishful thinking. Id love it to be true and Id love to get excited about the prospect of him doing what he cant but whatever the managers prefered style of play is the bloke still cant hit a cows arris with a banjo (sorry banjo) os trap a ball or head a ball.
I just dont think he is very good at blues anymore. We need goals
posted on 19/6/11
Well i think CJ could work in the Championship if used right.
As far as negative Managers go i dont think Bruce used him negative in the Championship Bruce played more attacking than McLeish did in the Championship, and McLeish had more attack minded options in the Championship.
In the Prem Bruce did play Negative a bit and fans moaned but its a case of Bruce having to protect a weak defence as lets face it after we got rid of the likes of Cunningham and Upson, Bruce had to rebuild on peanuts and never got backed for some attacking midfield players he had.
McLeish never had the excuses to play 4,5,1, we had a solid CB Paring in Dann and Johnson, we had Carr who has been good, and look at the attacking options that McLeish had most seasons inc last season (Bentley, Hleb, Beausejour) We can all slate Bruce but at least he gave the De Ridders, Kapos and McSheffreys chances while McLeish dropped them because they was not good enough (fair point) played more defence minded players.
And last season proved that the seasons before when Bouzzas, Quincy's Sinclairs, the season before that Kapo's McSheffrey's De Ridders was all dropped because of not being good (I SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WAS ATTACK MINDED)
And low and behold this season more attacking players never got games yet you cant really say they was not quality this time.
BACK TO JEROME.....
Jerome has one strength and yes its workrate and pace but that strength needs to be used, and playing him on his own is just not right.
Jeromes role should always be to simply pull away defenders and cause them trouble for another Striker or/and attacking midfield players to exploit.
But because Jerome is so fast but not aware, the space created is closed fast, and so we need to play 4,4,2, or play with players with pace who can move quick to exploit the space Jerome creates or finally have a side that can push oppenents back under the kosh and thus have more bodies in final 3rd to exploit Jerome.
Thats why Jerome worked with Chucho, its why he never worked well with Zigic, O'Connor and others who do not have pace.
If used right Jerome may never be that killer Striker even at this level, but if used right he would be the perfect foil/destraction for a Striker to take advangtage of.
Go get Wolves SEB and i am sure he and Jerome would cause trouble provied we have wingers who are not stuck in our own half.
McLeish thus for me was the weakest link
The KiD