The Freddie Eastwood Enigma
With Freddy Eastwood's hat-trick on Saturday, we have to ask why he has failed to find the net regularly since his move from Wolves in 2008.
A prolific striker at Southend with 60 plus goals in 123 odd games. His last season at Southend, ironically at this level, he netted 17 goals in a side that was relegated.
So why have the goals dried up, well delving back through his Southend career might give us some clues.
At Southend he played with the likes of Matt Harold, Richie Foran, Wayne Gray, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Shaun Goater. Three of which could be described as target men, the others being more fleet of foot. None of his strike partners got anywhere near his goals tally and excluding Goater, are not prolific goal scorers.
So what can we conclude, at Southend, Freddie was the main striker and his fellow strikers worked to create the chances for him. The team was built around him, at Wolves and Coventry this was / is not the case.
Having watched him play up front with Morrison last season, it was apparent that the two players can't play together, they are too similar, both poachers not providers. They don't work off each other or have any form of understanding. A Best / Morrison or Best / Eastwood combination works better as they are different types of players.
Freddie's first game up front with the new 'Leon Best' was Saturday and it seemed to work especially for the third goal.
So for Coleman to get the best of Freddie he needs to play with Best or another central striker who can compliment him and create chances for him not another poacher like Morrison.
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As a Southend season-ticket holder, I can tell you that Freddy found it very difficult to strike up a decent strike-partnership with anyone, other than Shaun Goater. He scored goals alongside Wayne Gray and Lee Bradbury, and those players were definitely in the side to help Fred, but I wouldn't say that either were brilliant partners for him.
As Southend it wasn't just the strike partnership which was built around him, it was the entire team. We'd get the ball into him early and let him create his own chances. If you get a chance look up the 'Freddy Eastwood Collection' video on Youtube and you'll see that a typical Eastwood goal for us involved him picking the ball up 35 yards from goal, beating two players and then shooting early from outside the box and beating the keeper at his near post. He had this swagger to him. He'd shoot from anywhere. He was essentially the opposite of the player who you've seen at Coventry for the past 18 months who has had no confidence, who has been shunted out wide and who has turned himself into a workhorse.
Other than Stan Collymore, Fred is probably the most gifted player I've ever seen in a Southend shirt. He gave us three years of amazing memories, single-handedly shot us up two divisions and then scored THAT goal to knock Manchester United out of the Carling Cup. His hattrick on Saturday would have been celebrated by Shrimpers everywhere just as much as our win over Hartlepool at the same time was. I really hope he can kick-on from here and be the success that he should be.
Many thanks Beefy, and as a Cov fan, I wish you and your team all the best.
Freddy's confidence took a real beating following his Wolves experience. We'll have to see if the hat-trick was a one off or not, but it should let Chris Coleman see what you have advised, that he is a forward, not a wide man. I like Freddy, as his work rate and unselfish nature always shone through and he was happier to play than not to play.
I think we had a similar issue with Andy Morrell, who we played on the wing and never got to see his goal scoring ability. We now have some wide men of merit. He is undoubtedly quick thinking and quick footed, and it's in the 18 yard box that the speed can be best converted to hitting the onion bag.
PUSB.
Good to hear from a Southend fan on what they thought about Freddie, and how fits into a team. Lets hope he doesn't end up like Collymore!
It interesting that the there are only a few fans who dislike Eastwood. As he works hard for the team, never moans or remonstrates with fellow team mates, i think fans overlook his lack of goals like with Adebola.
I wonder if this is the start of a run up front for Freddie, if Best moves on, who will be up front for the City as Eastwood and Morrisson does not work?