Bikey - Can he change?

[Irvinchangeyaname]

Earlier this season I saw many comparisons betwen Sonko, in the 2004-2004 season, and Bikey. Both raw talents who. given the training and advice from Coppell and the boys would soon be invaluable players to us.

My concern with Bikey though is that his first reaction to a difficult situation is to pull the player back. I've lost count at the number of times Beeks has opted to grab an opponents arm rather than force them out wide. Neither are blessed with blinding pace, but I think at least Sonks had the speed of thought to compensate.

Whilst not wanting to write Bikey off at such an early stage, will his lack of speed and/or judgment ultimately be his failing?

[John Madejski's Wallet]

his tacking and ball control are getting better by the day though. Yesterday he made some great challenges and rather than hoof the ball then played it around people and made some great passes.

Has the potential to be a good, ball-playing defender

//but you're right, he still very 'grabby' with the opposition and needs to learn to push people wide or just leave them alone and hope the keeper can deal with it

[Row Z Royal]

I can easily see Sonko getting into the same trouble with Cliché (as Adie Williams kept calling him yesterday) as BK did. Even Ivar may have done. Sonko's positioning is generally better but BK's less likely to leave a leg sticking out for a Lampard or Ghaly to throw themselves over.

If Ivar wasn't so good with his heading, positioning and general shepherding, I'd have liked to see BK and Sonks out there together. If we get BK to stay on past the summer, this may be the pairing for the future.

[rabidbee]

On the whole, I like Bikey - and I think he's improving. His most worrying characteristic for me, though, is his tendency to stick his foot out, particularly when in the box. If he doesn't have that coached out of him soon, he's going to give away some soft penalties!...

[glass half full]

Bikey appears slow from a standing start and then has to flounder. Contrast that with Harper's energy and running. When Arsenal broke away for their second goal and Baptista muscled Murts (arguably a foul), who had run the full length of the pitch and was almost in a position to cover? Harper! If there is a better box-to-box player in the Premiership, I would like to know.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Bikey appears slow from a standing start and then has to flounder. Contrast that with Harper's energy and running. When Arsenal broke away for their second goal and Baptista muscled Murts (arguably a foul), who had run the full length of the pitch and was almost in a position to cover? Harper! If there is a better box-to-box player in the Premiership, I would like to know.

You mean the harper that should have been covering the guy who was free at the far post??

Watch his run on MoTD...he runs out right tracking the runner on the right (as he should have been) then runs across the pitch towards the ball, was never going to get there and left the other guy totally unmarked. Had Baptista passed across goal then I would have been blaming Harper for that run!

Just running and being fit doesn't mean you're actually effective in any way. And in Harps' case, just pointing and flapping your arms a lot doesnt mean you're having an effect on the tempo and marshalling the team

//Having said that, there were far worse players out there than Harper yesterday

[1871 Royal]

He's 21. He will learn.

[shadesrwrf]

Of course he can.

[1871 Royal]

Of course he can.

[Victor Meldrew]

I,m not sure why Bikey is even playing with RFC having splashed out on Sodje in the Summer and a further £1 million on Duberry a month ago-both specialist centre-backs.
Against Wigan,Man Utd and now Arsenal Bikey has been away with the fairies for about 25% of each game but for the other 75% has looked top class.
I don't know if we can afford to take the lack of concentration as it seems to cost us a goal every game but three of those games have been against two of the top clubs in Man Utd and Arsenal so arguably there are some less daunting fixtures to come.
I really don't think he is good enough in the air to play at centre-back unless he is the second man and we have a better one already in that position in Ivar who reads the game so well.
I very much doubt if Sodje or Duberry would have done much better yesterday but with our main centre-back out injured for the season and being replaced by a makeshift version I wonder what their futures are at our club.

[silas]

There have been a lot of comparisons to Sonko 2004 to Bikey 2007 but if you compare the player Sonko was then to what Bikey is now, Bikey is better.

Bikey may make the odd rash tackle and concede, free kicks/pens but so does Sonko. BK's distribution is far better than Sonko's was back then, and probably is now.

as Alan Partridge always tells me-Bikey will be a better player than Sonko in a few years. I don't disagree with him

[bassavage]

Next year Bikey and Sonko at the back.

[AthleticoSpizz]

BK is doing his apprenticeship in the Premier

Sonks did his a league below


might be worth remembering occasionally



either way, we are blessed

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

Next year Bikey and Sonko at the back.

Please tell me your joking.

Ingimarsson has been outstanding this season and is definately our first choice centre back

[bassavage]

Next year Bikey and Sonko at the back.

Please tell me your joking.

Ingimarsson has been outstanding this season and is definately our first choice centre back

Ok maybe not next year, but certainly in years to come.

[RG30]

I,m not sure why Bikey is even playing with RFC having splashed out on Sodje in the Summer and a further £1 million on Duberry a month ago-both specialist centre-backs.
Against Wigan,Man Utd and now Arsenal Bikey has been away with the fairies for about 25% of each game but for the other 75% has looked top class.
I don't know if we can afford to take the lack of concentration as it seems to cost us a goal every game but three of those games have been against two of the top clubs in Man Utd and Arsenal so arguably there are some less daunting fixtures to come.
I really don't think he is good enough in the air to play at centre-back unless he is the second man and we have a better one already in that position in Ivar who reads the game so well.
I very much doubt if Sodje or Duberry would have done much better yesterday but with our main centre-back out injured for the season and being replaced by a makeshift version I wonder what their futures are at our club.

Sodje was a panic buy, he was only a few players to want to come to us and at £350,000 was a good buy, even for back-up only. Duberry again but to a lesser extent, but Coppell ain't one to change things around. We had a winning formula with Bikey in the defence, so I ain't worried he didn't start with Duberry.

[Coppelled Streets]

Of course he can.

Genius

[Royalee]

He's getting better and the mistakes are becoming less and less. I thought he had an excellent game on Saturday besides the penalty and I think we'd have let far more in with Duberry up against Baptista and the pace of Walcott. I'd definitely keep him at the club and people are forgetting he's still very, very young!

[Gordons Cumming]

either way, we are blessed

[Hoop Blah]

He didn't get booked or sent of which is a start I guess.

He's got better the more he's played but personally I still don't think he's got what it takes as he's too slow and ponderous.

I'd hope that this summer Coppell can attract better quality players to make Bikey surplus to requirements.