Unfortunately for everybody else, just as one baby-faced assassin departs in the shape of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United seem to have unearthed another. In Fraizer Campbell, currently on loan at Hull, they have a fresh-faced talent who has burst on to the Championship scene so well that the Tigers, who have never been in the top flight before, are going into the last match of the season still fighting for automatic promotion.
My first impression was that he was still raw. It struck me that he needed to have a picture in his mind when he received the ball, telling him exactly what to do with it, as once or twice he looked unsure, which meant that laying it off first time wasn't an option. However, as the game against Barnsley wore on, his first-touch play improved and it was his brilliant back-heel that set up Dean Windass for City's third.
He is blessed with real pace and in a tight match this proved to be decisive as he took a defender by surprise, touched the ball and drew the foul for a dead-cert penalty. Chasing lost causes such as this came naturally to him and, with Caleb Folan, his fellow centre-forward on the night for the first time in eight games, combined in a partnership, even in its infancy, of genuine potential.
Hull defend from the front and the front two chased and harried defenders all night. He took up intelligent positions when not involved in build-up play and even in a very crowded penalty area he had one or two decent efforts on goal from balls supplied from the flanks.
Comfortable coming short and holding the ball up, although I'd like to see him relax more on the ball, he also runs the channels very well. He was rarely caught offside and was very quick to face opponents up and put them on the back foot.
He could position himself better from defending clearances and I would like to see him bring players into the game quicker but these minor criticisms are really just nitpicking. As the game wore on he became virtually unplayable for his defender who, by the end of the match, was almost frightened to make a tackle, such was the uncertainty that Campbell had generated.
One moment summed up his threat: receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty box, he instantly turned to face two defenders and shimmied past one, then, at incredible pace, left the other standing. Maintaining his composure, he hit a shot on the run with his weaker foot that the keeper did well to parry. There was so much to admire about him - he worked so hard for his team-mates and got goalside of the ball at every opportunity. He also constantly worked a deep-lying Barnsley midfielder from the wrong side.
He has scored 15 times in 33 games for Hull and has already played in the Belgian top division for Royal Antwerp where he was nicknamed "Souper Campbell". With his attitude and ability, don't bet against more top-flight football coming his way.
Age 20
Born Huddersfield
Position Forward
Height 5ft 11in
Weight 12st 4lb
From Manchester United trainee
Pace 9/10
Heading 8/10
Shooting 8/10
Positioning 9/10
Team responsibility 9/10
Valuation £1.5m
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/apr/29/hullcity.championship?gusrc=rss&feed=football
讓其他人感到不走運的是,曼聯隊似乎又挖掘到了一位正如蘇斯克查那樣的娃娃臉殺手,那就是費沙金寶。金寶目前被租借到了英冠的胡爾城,他在英冠賽場上的大放異彩也使得原來從未名列前茅的胡爾城如今在本賽季的最後一個月仍有機會獲取直接升級的名額。
我對金寶的第一印象是,這小子還嫩著呢。讓我尤為無語的是,他在接球的時候一次又一次地顯得不知所措,他的大腦似乎需要一幅圖來告訴他該如何處理,對他而言似乎沒人任何停球的概念。不過,在對陣巴恩斯利(Barnsley)的比賽當中,他的一腳觸球明顯進步不少,正是他的腳後跟妙傳讓迪恩 . 溫達斯打進了胡爾城的第三粒入球。
金寶擁有著非凡的速度,在肉搏戰中起到了關鍵作用──他以出乎對手意料的趟球過了一名後衛,造成犯規,裁判的點球判罰宣告了對方的死刑。金寶和他的前鋒搭檔卡勒布 . 弗蘭(Caleb Folan)雖不夠默契但極具潛質的八場比賽的首次合作,已經讓對方的後衛一次次地像這樣犯錯了。
整場比賽,胡爾城的這兩名奔跑不息的前鋒在對方半場就開始了積極的逼搶。金寶的聰明的跑位讓他避免了防守隊員的糾纏,即使在人員密集的禁區裡,他也能覓得一兩次隊友從邊路輸送來的射門良機。
費沙金寶能夠像柱式中鋒那樣舒服的接應拿球(儘管我更希望看到他放鬆地踢球),也能夠移動到空檔處尋找機會。他很少被吹越位,並能夠快速地甩開面前的防守隊員。
金寶的跑位恰當,使得對方防守隊員無法輕易將球解圍。雖然我希望他能做到帶領隊友更快地適應比賽節奏,但這些要求對他來說有些吹毛求疵了。一旦比賽開始,坎貝拉變得難以防守,以至於臨近比賽結束,對方防守隊員因為恐懼坎貝拉的靈活多變甚至不敢上前搶斷。
現下總結一下坎貝拉的恐怖之處︰在禁區邊緣拿球,立即轉身面對兩名後衛並盤過一個,然後,用風一樣的速度再過一個,身後的後衛呆若木雞。他在跑動中鎮定地用弱勢腳打門,對方的門將做出了精彩的撲救才避免失球。坎貝拉值得讚賞的地方太多了︰他為隊友們做出了不懈的努力,幾乎爭取到了每一個可能進球的機會。他甚至不斷地去騷擾一名回撤較深的巴恩斯利中場。
他曾經在比甲的安特衛普隊效力,被球迷稱為“超級金寶”(Souper Campbell,Campbell是一家知名的食品罐頭公司,生產湯);如今金寶在胡爾城出場33次,打進15球。憑著他的態度和能力,毫無疑問會在更廣闊的舞台上大顯身手。
年齡 20
出生地 哈德斯菲爾德(Huddersfield)
位置 前鋒
身高 180
體重 約為78公斤
來自曼聯青訓營
速度 9/10
頭球 8/10
射門 8/10
無球跑動 9/10
團隊責任感 9/10
身價 150萬英鎊 |