I certainly welcomed Billy to the club, 26 goals last season in a team that without him has languished (more goals than Beckford in the League), and he was a free transfer. It definitely seemed good business, and surely no-one could have thought badly of the deal when it came off?
Currently though, Paynter seems to be struggling for one reason or another. There seem to be several theories as to why but the most credible from what I've seen of him so far this season are a lack of sharpness, despite having a fair bit of game time and a struggle when playing alone up top. He had his foil, and some would say more technically able partner alongside him - Charlie Austin at Swindon. Despite acting as a target man, a hold up player you'd have thought for Austin at times (as well as obviously banging the goals in himself) he only managed 6 assists last season (and similar single figure tallies for all previous seasons). Its possible despite his strength and aerial ability he wasn't fulfilling that role at Swindon at all.
Maybe then, we're using him incorrectly as a target man/hold up player and that he sees himself as possibly an out and out striker - working best as part of a two up top. He certainly looked more comfortable when Gradel joined him upfront and looks better with McCormack buzzing around him. We also don't know if Austin was the runner, the one who did the pressuring and closing down at Swindon, so we don't really understand Billy's game completely - its hard to judge him. Because of his stature though, he's used as our Becchio alternative, and Simon sees McCormack and Somma as the club's finishers - the more poacher type players at the club who you'd want the ball falling to. Currently in the system we play there's not even room for them, let alone Paynter - if he does indeed see himself as the pure goalscoring type.
The one thing you can say for sure about Paynter and Austin at Swindon though is that they knew each others game and were used to each others game. Billy hasn't had the opportunity to settle into the starting eleven or build up a relationship with a strike partner - as we play one up top and Becchio is everyone's first choice just now.
He can hold the ball up, he can win headers, but so far I don't see that he contributes what Becchio does when he's in the side. Becchio most importantly uses the ball more intelligently and brings people into an attack more effectively whilst Paynter currently seems to have a slight delay in decision making, where Luciano just plays the pass more naturally.
I said in my Arsenal Match Review that I thought there were opportunities for Billy to put himself about a bit more than he did - throwing himself into low crosses and hassling their defenders far more when they had the ball at their feet or when he left them a free header. There is an argument this could be down to match sharpness, having only made a handful of starts and eleven appearances total, but he did seem oddly lethargic on Saturday against Scunny as well as against Arsenal (albeit against a far quicker side in comparison). It would be unfair to suggest he isn't trying when we don't know if he is "match sharp" whatever that is. As a professional though, I'd have thought he is fit and Grayson sees him as sharp. What you can't argue against though is that Becchio puts himself about more, it's just how he plays. Further to this, I'll repeat we don't know if hassle was his game but if he's to be our Becchio alternative he needs to get about the pitch far more and make his presence felt.
Then there's the comparisons with Somma and "why is Paynter getting picked ahead of him?" as Somma has 7 in 8 starts now. Well while I believe Somma can do a job holding the ball up, it's not his game. He showed he can do it against Donny, very well - intelligently shielding the ball, and bringing the midfield into play nicely, but against Cardiff and Bristol City he struggled on his own up front. Given the ball into chest high and below I'd back Somma but the longer ball play we utilise isn't suiting to Davide's game - hence Simon using Paynter when Becchio is unavailable. The argument if any should be McCormack vs Somma - as they're more similar players. I'll reiterate that Davide is the best finisher at our club - if you could pick any for the ball to fall to it just would be him. Seeing Paynter alongside Somma might be nice.
To summarise this waffle, Paynter should be given chance, we can't judge just yet as his record (although inconsistent - only scoring three at Championship level at the age of 21, though) is good. The goals should come given time. He may be lacking sharpness and possibly a touch of confidence and he may be playing in a slightly unfavoured role when up top alone, so the best should still be yet to come from him but he does still have a fair bit to prove - especially when trying to fulfill Luciano's role.
Also in a similar way, McCormack faces the same challenges as having still something to prove, despite past ability - for one reason or another his Leeds United career is yet to click fully.
Just a note
What is unfair at the moment, regarding Paynter as an example, is to say something along the lines of: "he doesn't try", "he's rubbish" etc. those are obviously nonsensical comments to make about someone's fledgling career at our club when we've seen relatively little of them and for one reason or another they haven't hit it off yet (despite having proven abilities at past clubs). Players get what is seen to be their whole game judged far too early. You can't rule someone out so definitely in so little time.
What annoys me however is when fair criticism, observation about someones current game (fit/in form or not) is shot down as "you should get behind your team" by others as well as proclaiming fans raising their opinions on players are not real fans at all. Football is about opinion, hence the many blogs and forums - and it isn't wrong as a fan to talk about a player's current game in any way - as long as it is done fairly and objectively - taking factors into account and justifying what's said.
Just because opinions clash, doesn't mean they're not as much as a fan as the next person. It's good to discuss, and I don't proclaim to be right either but everyone is sharing opinion, and there is a comments box below if you disagree! I like to discuss, and hopefully I, myself, am adhering to the rules I set for what I write of fair, thought out debate - leaving the complete unfair nonsensical stuff to the odd post on a forum. I hope!
