[AlbionBest]

Safe to say now that he is nailed on for the striker role until January.

That now a big problem in itself. He's still not really proved himself consistently at this level and is very hit a miss (excellent at Palace but poor since) but now he has no competition for his place.
He was way off the pace in the second half Saturday and seemed to give up at times which is another concern regarding how much of his heart is in the lone striker role.

[vrabbit]

That now a big problem in itself. He's still not really proved himself consistently at this level and is very hit a miss (excellent at Palace but poor since) but now he has no competition for his place.
He was way off the pace in the second half Saturday and seemed to give up at times which is another concern regarding how much of his heart is in the lone striker role.

I wasn't able to watch the Everton game but I thought I read he was active in that game? I agree that he didn't have a good game against Boro but I thought they deserved some credit for that as well.

[barnestormer]

If we have to rely on rondon for goals we are in trouble.

rondon is a good player.in another side giving him service from the wings and through the middle not 30 yards apart he will score loads of goals i hope chadli is the 10 and can link him better than morrison or Saido

[baggie82]

I still haven't changed my mind that Rondon is rubbish. Yes that is a bit harsh as he is good at attacking crosses and will get you ten goals a season but his touch is dog awful, as is his vision and link-up play which is pretty vital with our 4-5-1 system. Our OAP midfield can't play with him as they take an age to support him and he isn't a natural footballer who links. Correct to say he has zero support and is run ragged but I still think we would be much better with Berahino up front and Chadli supporting with Morrision on the right, Phillips on the left and Yacob / Fletcher screening.

[Pie]

I still haven't changed my mind that Rondon is rubbish. Yes that is a bit harsh as he is good at attacking crosses and will get you ten goals a season but his touch is dog awful, as is his vision and link-up play which is pretty vital with our 4-5-1 system. Our OAP midfield can't play with him as they take an age to support him and he isn't a natural footballer who links. Correct to say he has zero support and is run ragged but I still think we would be much better with Berahino up front and Chadli supporting with Morrision on the right, Phillips on the left and Yacob / Fletcher screening.

He is not rubbish he just doesn't fit playing that role, just because he is a big lad doesn't mean he should automatically be amazing at holding the ball up.

If you asked Van Nistelrooy in his prime to play back to goal every game, you would say he was rubbish too.

[baggie82]

Van Nistelrooy was actually very good with his back to goal. I have no issue with Rondon being a "big lad" but the fact he can't trap the ball or pass it and has no vision to link with the midfield is a huge problem. If you can bare to watch the last ten minutes of the terrible game with Boro you will see Rondon get the ball on the edge of the box, Berahino instinctively peels off to the back post looking for the pass. The boro defenders converge on Rondon who smashes a shot straight into them with Berahino free on the left. A half-decent player would have slid the ball left. It wasn't that he was being greedy, he didn't even see Berahino because he has no awareness or vision.

[smethwickw]

I still haven't changed my mind that Rondon is rubbish. Yes that is a bit harsh as he is good at attacking crosses and will get you ten goals a season but his touch is dog awful, as is his vision and link-up play which is pretty vital with our 4-5-1 system. Our OAP midfield can't play with him as they take an age to support him and he isn't a natural footballer who links. Correct to say he has zero support and is run ragged but I still think we would be much better with Berahino up front and Chadli supporting with Morrision on the right, Phillips on the left and Yacob / Fletcher screening.

I'm with you on this. Look at his goals on Youtube and you'll find that almost all are 6 yard box tap ins. He'll never get that service here. He's the wrong type of striker for the style we play. Ironically 2 of our best performances (both wins) last season came when he was suspended.

[MarkW]

Just because he doesn't get enough support in our system doesn't mean he is 'rubbish'. A lot of good footballers (especially strikers) wouldn't thrive in Pulis' system.

[TheJacko2000]

He'll forge a tremendous partnership with Chadli imo.

Saido who?

[Albionic]

He'll forget a tremendous partnership with Chadli imo.

Saido who?

i certainly hope not !
I do think that rondon is smarter than he's given credit for 9he makes some good runs but no-one picks them out) and he and Chadli could have have some potential, (which I think was your point)

[zac]

Just because he doesn't get enough support in our system doesn't mean he is 'rubbish'. A lot of good footballers (especially strikers) wouldn't thrive in Pulis' system.

Completely agree.

There's a half decent player here, i just think we need to give him a bit more service which hopefully the addition of Chadli will do that.

[wba58]

I'm with you on this. Look at his goals on Youtube and you'll find that almost all are 6 yard box tap ins. He'll never get that service here. He's the wrong type of striker for the style we play. Ironically 2 of our best performances (both wins) last season came when he was suspended.

Also one of our best wins of the season, at home against man united, was when he had a blinder. Scored a great goal, and proved he could control a difficult ball into the box, and shoot on the turn (not an easy skill).

[WestBromJim]

Completely agree.

There's a half decent player here, i just think we need to give him a bit more service which hopefully the addition of Chadli will do that.

I'm with you, the guy is so isolated, so far he has had no runners off the ball and little or no help.

No directly comparing him, but I remember how bad Drogba was in his 1st season at Chelsea, I think Rondon will get loads better as the players around him get better.

I think he will be fine.

[wba_1996]

Create chances for him and we'll see that he is the closest thing to a world class striker that we could hope to attract. People are going on like he's the next Rosenberg but he scored 9 goals last season in a team that barely had a shot on target in most games.

Also, he isn't a target man. Remember his debut when he got Terry sent off? Remember when he ragdolled Huth against Leicester like he wasn't even there? Play through balls in behind and let him chase and out-muscle the defenders, and swing decent crosses in for him to attack with his superb aerial ability.

His touch, passing and vision are his weaknesses. We lump balls up for him to control and bring others into play while isolated on his own 40 yards from the midfield, which he isn't suited to. We may as well have kept Anichebe as he was the best chance we had for that tactic to work.   

[smudger 2007]

rondon is a good player.in another side giving him service from the wings and through the middle not 30 yards apart he will score loads of goals i hope chadli is the 10 and can link him better than morrison or Saido

I don't think he's bad just don't rate the guy that much. Some people go on like he's the finished article and a top striker which he's not. I don't think he will score many a season in any team regardless of service. If he gets any more than 10 again this season ill be amazed. He works hard for the team ill give him that but he can't pass or control a ball and his finishing is poor in my eyes he snatches at chances most the time. I hope he proves me wrong and scores 15+. I just can't see it. Play behrahino in his position and he will get more goals than rondon all day long. Hate to admit it but it's true

[WestBromJim]

I don't think he's bad just don't rate the guy that much. Some people go on like he's the finished article and a top striker which he's not. I don't think he will score many a season in any team regardless of service. If he gets any more than 10 again this season ill be amazed. He works hard for the team ill give him that but he can't pass or control a ball and his finishing is poor in my eyes he snatches at chances most the time. I hope he proves me wrong and scores 15+. I just can't see it. Play behrahino in his position and he will get more goals than rondon all day long. Hate to admit it but it's true

I'd go along with you on the 15 goals a year, I think that would be a good target for him.

If you had a Super Kev playing along side him, and a midfield runner, the amount of space he creates by drawing defenders in they would fill there boots.

[PsalmXXIII]

Hate to be the guy that picks out YouTube highlights but it's very telling that in the season before he joined us at Zenit I think the majority of his goals were within 12 yards. The fact he mostly scores headers for us shows that he's not getting the ball where he's used to scoring from. Hopefully chadli plays him in closer to goal and he finds his shooting boots again.

[smudger 2007]

Hate to be the guy that picks out YouTube highlights but it's very telling that in the season before he joined us at Zenit I think the majority of his goals were within 12 yards. The fact he mostly scores headers for us shows that he's not getting the ball where he's used to scoring from. Hopefully chadli plays him in closer to goal and he finds his shooting boots again.

do agree though our support to him and service is shocking think chadli will improve it. And what I've seen of Phillips so far he can cross a ball. Think it that surprises me with pulis. Is that with stoke he hag genuine wingers who used to get to the byline and deliver. We've had these in mcmanaman. And now we have Phillips and he doesn't seem to utilize them in that way be it through them being to deep or not trusting mcmanaman I suppose I find it strange. I remember pennant and etherington being direct beating there man getting to the byline and whipping good crosses in for stoke. We don't seem to be able to do this. Unless old fashioned wing play is a dying art.

[WorcsWBA]

Hate to be the guy that picks out YouTube highlights but it's very telling that in the season before he joined us at Zenit I think the majority of his goals were within 12 yards. The fact he mostly scores headers for us shows that he's not getting the ball where he's used to scoring from. Hopefully chadli plays him in closer to goal and he finds his shooting boots again.

I agree with this. We never really played to Brown Ideye's strengths either.

[Westie]

Rondon in my opinion, is hopeless as a lone striker. Unfortunately, Berahino can't be arsed to put any effort in when he has played alongside Rondon. Best option would be to play either Leko or Phillips alongside Rondon. How about a mad idea? Play Olsson up front with Rondon, better than having him at the back just hoofing the ball upfield to nobody!

[baggie82]

To be fair Berahino has seldom been played as a striker under Pulis. He is usually on the bench or running around midfield. He got ten minutes against Boro upfront after initially being played in midfield which as we all know doesn't suit him. You'd think the coaching staff might notice that between them all...

[Westie]

I despise Berahino with a passion; his performance against Northampton was a disgrace, anyone, and I do mean anyone, could have done better. He should never, never again wear an Albion shirt; put him on 'gardening leave' and let him rot.

[boinging_along]

To be fair Berahino has seldom been played as a striker under Pulis. He is usually on the bench or running around midfield. He got ten minutes against Boro upfront after initially being played in midfield which as we all know doesn't suit him. You'd think the coaching staff might notice that between them all...

We've seen Berahino in action plenty of times since his massive strop - he's been given more than enough chances.

[elmo_in_swansea]

how many goals is that now in the last few games? as a goal ratio this guy could be something in the number 9 shirt!

[dan7heman]

how many goals is that now in the last few games? as a goal ratio this guy could be something in the number 9 shirt!

Hard to see him here beyond this season, let's enjoy him while we can. Top player.