Niall Ennis

[BillyStubbsTears]

Our record in league matches when he's started

P11 W7 D2 L2 Pts23 PPG 2.1
Title winning form.

In games where he hasn't started

P11 W2 D5 L4 Pts 11 PPG 1.00
Relegation form.

For God's sake, wrap that bas**rd up in cotton wool between games.

[dickos1]

His fitness is imperative to us, we’ve nothing else at the moment

[drfchound]

Is the lad capable of playing in all the games to the end of the season?

[ian1980]

Our record in league matches when he's started

P11 W7 D2 L2 Pts23 PPG 2.1
Title winning form.

In games where he hasn't started

P11 W2 D5 L4 Pts 11 PPG 1.00
Relegation form.

For God's sake, wrap that bas**rd up in cotton wool between games.

Wow, that is a stark contrast.

You might expect a bit of a variation but that is quite dramatic. And not over a small number of games either.

[Jonathan]

I think the reason for the contrast is twofold.

1. Ennis is a good player. Unselfish in his movement, hard working, stretches defences, suits how we want to play and helps the team massively.

2. His stand ins in the last couple of months have been absolutely shocking.

[NewDonny]

I think the reason for the contrast is twofold.

1. Ennis is a good player. Unselfish in his movement, hard working, stretches defences, suits how we want to play and helps the team massively.

2. His stand ins in the last couple of months have been absolutely shocking.

Agree with all of that.

I have said it many times on here already, having a quick, strong CF is imperative to the way that we play, its our foil off which we play both in attack and defending from the front. He's not technically brilliant, he's not that great in the air either, I don't think he will score you a lot of goals either, but he has pace, is very strong, has massive desire and makes an absolute nuisance of himself with the opposition CH's giving the other 3 attacking players something to feed off and aim for.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Including games where he's either started or come on as sub, our record is:
P17 W8 D5 L4 Pts29 PPG 1.71 Comfortable play-off form

Where he's played no part:
P5 W1 D2 L2 Pts 5 PPG 1.00 Relegation form (admittedly, a small number of matches)

PS: Thanks to RA's excellent ITEN piece for spurring me to dig these number out.

[The Beast]

He was awesome against Shrewsbury, tormented them all night, great build up play, my man of the match.

[BillyStubbsTears]

By the way, when he's come on as sub (6 times), we have once come back to draw after he came on (Rochdale) once come back from behind to win (Rotherham) and once lost a lead (Accrington). So that's a net +2 points.

When he's started a game and been substituted, we have once lost a lead (Coventry - a game in which he ran them ragged in the first half). So that's a -2 points effect.

Those facts would skew the effect of his presence even further to the positive.

He's becoming a talisman. Assuming we DO sign another striker, given the formation we play, that striker unquestionably starts on the bench while Ennis is fit.

[RoversAlias]

Including games where he's either started or come on as sub, our record is:
P17 W8 D5 L4 Pts29 PPG 1.71 Comfortable play-off form

Where he's played no part:
P5 W1 D2 L2 Pts 5 PPG 1.00 Relegation form (admittedly, a small number of matches)

PS: Thanks to RA's excellent ITEN piece for spurring me to dig these number out.

Happy to inspire BST, and thank you!

His display really impressed me the other night. I doubt it will happen, but if Wolves ever deem him surplus to requirements there I'd be delighted for us to sign him.

[Cramby10]

This backs up my conversation with a mate the other day that had we recruited appropriately in the summer up top then we would be pissing this league.
I say this with huge hindsight as I fully backed DM in the summer but the deficiency up front became more and more apparent. These stats back it up. Had we any sort of adequate back up instead of the frankly embarrassing cardboard cut outs then we would be flying.
I just hope DM grasps the initiative and sorts it this month as even now if we win our games in hand then we’re back in the mix. In my opinion, such is the poor standard of this league I still strongly believe it’s there for the taking.

[IDM]

Don’t forget that Sterling was seen as a great signing when he arrived - and also that the delay getting him “over the line” was because he was on the verge of breaking into the Spurs first team.  It was a wow moment welcomed by forum users.

That the then for a bad injury is just bad luck.

But it could be argued he was “recruited appropriately”..

[Cramby10]

Don’t forget that Sterling was seen as a great signing when he arrived - and also that the delay getting him “over the line” was because he was on the verge of breaking into the Spurs first team.  It was a wow moment welcomed by forum users.

That the then for a bad injury is just bad luck.

But it could be argued he was “recruited appropriately”..

if you read what I said, I said he had my full backing in the summer and it’s only with huge hindsight that it has been shown up to not be good enough. Just the two bodies was clearly not enough.

[Pancho Regan]

Good point IDM, and one which is easily forgotten.

I was very impressed with Sterling on the very brief occasions I saw him.
We really have had bad luck and I'm quite surprised we are still in a decent position despite the misfortunes we've experienced.

But the 'Ennis stats' seem to confirm my belief that without additions to the squad we're one injury away from mediocrity, or worse.

[jackthelad]

Ennis is brilliant, few question marks over his fitness potentially. That’s something he’s got to prove over the next half of the season.

But when he is fit, we are a different team, he’s not a out and out goal scorer that we need but he tires defences and is a handful. Quite strong too for a young lad.   He just needs a good partner so his workload isn’t so tough.

[IDM]

Don’t forget that Sterling was seen as a great signing when he arrived - and also that the delay getting him “over the line” was because he was on the verge of breaking into the Spurs first team.  It was a wow moment welcomed by forum users.

That the then for a bad injury is just bad luck.

But it could be argued he was “recruited appropriately”..

if you read what I said, I said he had my full backing in the summer and it’s only with huge hindsight that it has been shown up to not be good enough. Just the two bodies was clearly not enough.

I wasn’t having a pop, just highlighting the fine margins between struggling for players and having a top quality forward playing every week..

It wasn't as if we weren’t looking for others, either..

As for bad luck and things being beyond our control, just look at Idah.!

[turnbull for england]

Without poking the Marquis bear again,  just show how rare his fitness levels / lack of injuries  resulting  in almost omni presence are, especially in players that really put themselves about.

He was something of a one off really     

[Metalmicky]

JM was a 'one off" for Donny - which is reflected in his record for Pompey to date......

[jackthelad]

JM was a 'one off" for Donny - which is reflected in his record for Pompey to date......

His record was fantastic for us, because he fitted into our system well.Play to his strengths and he will score goals at this level.Simple.

[adamtherover]

Without poking the Marquis bear again,  just show how rare his fitness levels / lack of injuries  resulting  in almost omni presence is especially in players that really put themselves about.

He was something of a one off  really     

one thing i didnt realise till the other day,  JM was never injured, never subbed,  90 mins every week, very rarely suspeneded etc...,  Someone posted the arsenal away game team sheet on FB this week, to try and compare that team to ours,    JM was on the bench with alfie starting as the lone striker,...  no idea how that came to be.....

[Chris Black come back]

That team away at Arsenal was a full ten points behind where we are now. Perhaps good players, dreadful team.

[BillyStubbsTears]

The only injury I can remember Marquis getting was a bang on the head at Bradford in 20189. He had to miss the next game because of head injury regulations.

Regarding the Arsenal match, we'd lost at home to Scunthorpe the weekend before. Marquis and Williams were truly dreadful that day and I think Ferguson dropped them for the Arsenal game to make a point.

[Chris Black come back]

Ferguson had an abysmal record against Scunthorpe United in the league. We played them four times under him. Lost 3 and drew 1, with the draw coming courtesy of a 90min equaliser by Alfie Beestin, which was the only goal we scored against them in those four games. Dire. 

[RoversAlias]

Ferguson set up at Arsenal knowing full well we'd have none of the ball. He put May up front to hustle the Arsenal defence and Kongolo behind him to run at them with the ball. Both played well that night, it proved a shrewd decision by the manager.

I was more impressed by our display in that 1-0 defeat against a top, top side than I was with many of our victories during that time period.

[BillyStubbsTears]

That was the night I realised Alfie May wasn't actually possessed of blistering pace. There was a long ball played up to him on the halfway line in the 2nd half and he must have had a 5 yard start on the defender (might have been Maitland-Niles)...who caught him up ten yards outside the box. It truly looked as though May was running backwards.

Mind, the lad played well overall.

[StocksArmy]

Ennis or Marquis?

[scawsby steve]

Ennis or Marquis?

Absolute no brainer. John Marquis with his 60 odd goals hasn't been replaced by anyone.

[drfchound]

Without poking the Marquis bear again,  just show how rare his fitness levels / lack of injuries  resulting  in almost omni presence is especially in players that really put themselves about.

He was something of a one off  really     

one thing i didnt realise till the other day,  JM was never injured, never subbed,  90 mins every week, very rarely suspeneded etc...,  Someone posted the arsenal away game team sheet on FB this week, to try and compare that team to ours,    JM was on the bench with alfie starting as the lone striker,...  no idea how that came to be.....

Adam, there was just the one occasion on which JM was substituted.
I think it was at Gillingham when he made way for Boocock for the last few minutes.