One To Watch: Marvin Emnes

A few injuries are starting to creep into the squad and so the need for a big squad is crucial. Ours will be tested this Saturday but due to the busy transfer period in Summer, I am confident that we can replace the likes of Grounds, Donaldson and Kieftenbeld even if it won’t be our strongest squad. Tomorrow brings the challenge of Blackburn Rovers who have had their struggles this season mainly due to switching managers and players leaving based on financial reasons.

However, they have also brought players in and one of these players I have chosen to be my one to watch this week. I am from the North West and a lot of my colleagues support Blackburn so having questioned them all until they were bored to tears, I have selected the player that we all believe to be the most dangerous. Marvin Emnes is on loan to Blackburn from Swansea City but despite the disappointment in the North West that they did not capture him on a permanent deal, it seems to have been an inspired signing. He has made 3 starts for the club with a further 3 appearances from the bench and this has resulted in 3 goals. Considering the lack of creativity in the current Rovers side, he has added movement and it gives the midfielders a target.

Marvin is a Premier League quality player and so it is almost obvious that he will be a threat to our backline. He has quick feet that often bamboozles defenders and he is pacey than most people give him credit for. Once he has the opportunity to beat his man, he more often than not takes it and then he unleashes a shot. What I do admire about him, is that his shots are often placed using the side foot. Too many players try and blast the ball into the back of the net. However, goalkeepers are only human and if you have the skill to place the ball accurately into any of the four corners, more often than not it will result in a goal.

The problem that we will face is that they are high on confidence. Despite being towards the bottom of the Championship table, they have picked up past in their last few games and especially in their most recent fixture, they played some good attacking football. Sometimes, it’s about waiting for players to gel and it looks like they are getting into some sort of stride. Despite this, we have looked capable of scoring a lot of goals this season. On Tuesday we scored 2 and everytime we play, I am expecting goals. So for a leaky defence like Rovers, I should anticipate that we can outscore them tomorrow.

In terms of Emnes, if we restrict them to crosses, his ability to head the ball is not where it should be as a striker so I very much doubt he can beat our centre backs in the air. He also does need support and he needs to be in and around the box. If he drifts deep or wide, then he is out of the game so that is what we should look to do and the tactics that should be implemented. I will be disappointed if we don’t get three points.