Absolutely gagging for a striker.....

[Stat Brother]

I am coming to the conlusion that there are some people that think buying players, including strikers is just like playing FIFA 17 or whatever. FFS You CANNOT click a button and buy a striker in the real world. (even if you spend £200m on one, that took time as well)

Some people need to get their noses out of their electronic devices and see how the real world works.

I could answer that, but it would seem Trig already has.

I haven't spent much time on the transfer threads, so most of the whining has past me by. But while I appreciate many will have unnecessarily moaned, I think it is fair to say we've been poor at getting in strikers over the last couple of seasons. We tried an failed to get a striker to compete with Baldock 2 years ago, we tried and failed again last summer, and we're behind other teams in our signings this summer. Of course you don't just press a button, but it looks like we're not doing great at the moment.

To which I'd like to add.
During those failure windows we were repeatedly told the recruitment team were scouting for one of 2 divisions, a fact borne out by the exciting signing of Gross (Who let's not forget was still playing league football while in the process of signing).

How does all that advanced preparation now stack up?
The team is one week from the start of the season, with the perennial weakest aspect of the squad, even weaker than usual.

 

[origigull]

Maybe CH is overly caution where strikers are concerned. Lets say he has at least £10-12 million to spend but he remember the dark days of Norwich and Ricky van Wolfswinkel and the cockup he and his backroom team made in spending the millions on him. It could be getting in CH's mind that he doesn't want to spend £10-12 million on a striker only to get another dud. Defenders and midfielders not so bad if there is a mistake but a £10-12 million striker who is not scoring goal could send the club down. Once bitten twice shy as they say.

 

[Tiger Barb]

I have no doubt the club are doing everything they can to get the player(s) in ..

However, with only one friendly left, I can't imagine that this is where the club wanted to be squad wise.

So either the cluster policy has failed, the market/player demands have moved beyond what the club feel is reasonable or they genuinely feel that there is better value to be had later in the window.

I think that everyone just imagined that we would immediately splash the cash, but that doesn't fit with the long term 'planning' that the club rightly follow.

It's important to remember that this approach has seen us rise to the premier league and I'm sure that it will continue to stand us in good stead in the future.

Whatever happens no one should be disappointed ... what would you rather a season battling to stay in the top division or a season that ended in Hereford ..... ?

 

[Triggaaar]

a £10-12 million striker who is not scoring goal could send the club down

Could. Whereas no striker, will send the club down.

 

[Stat Brother]

Maybe CH is overly caution where strikers are concerned. Lets say he has at least £10-12 million to spend but he remember the dark days of Norwich and Ricky van Wolfswinkel and the cockup he and his backroom team made in spending the millions on him. It could be getting in CH's mind that he doesn't want to spend £10-12 million on a striker only to get another dud. Defenders and midfielders not so bad if there is a mistake but a £10-12 million striker who is not scoring goal could send the club down. Once bitten twice shy as they say.

My gut feeling is that CH would like to do this deal with a player established or at least with some experience playing in England.
Something which is completely at odds with the transfer market.

 

[B.W.]

Could. Whereas no striker, will send the club down.

Well said that man...

 

[Weststander]

Could. Whereas no striker, will send the club down.

Exactly.

It is a gamble to spend on a player, but that's football. Evan Taggart bought duds.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Maybe CH is overly caution where strikers are concerned. Lets say he has at least £10-12 million to spend ...

Seems ridiculous to say it but £10-12 million gets you nothing with regard to PL strikers. You are probably looking at double that as a minimum.

 

[Nixonator]

Seems ridiculous to say it but £10-12 million gets you nothing with regard to PL strikers. You are probably looking at double that as a minimum.

You don't think Hernandez is a PL striker?

 

[Bry Nylon]

You don't think Hernandez is a PL striker?

I'm sorry but what is the point you're making?

 

[pishhead]

You don't think Hernandez is a PL striker?

That really is the exception rather than the rule. When players like Ashley Fletcher go for 6-7 million that's what we're up against domestically.

 

[Nixonator]

I'm sorry but what is the point you're making?

Would have thought it obvious. You suggest PL strikers start at 20M+. I gave you an example of one that cost 15M. Surely he can't be the only one.

 

[Stat Brother]

Would have thought it obvious. You suggest PL strikers start at 20M+. I gave you an example of one that cost 15M. Surely he can't be the only one.

Didn't NSC decide this deal and his £100,000+ a week wages was a case of give with one hand and take with the other.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Would have thought it obvious. You suggest PL strikers start at 20M+. I gave you an example of one that cost 15M. Surely he can't be the only one.

With the inevitable add ons the Daily Telegraph has reported the deal to be closer to £20m than £16m. Notwithstanding that, West Ham have agreed to pay him £140'000 / week so that is in excess of another £1.5m a year for each year of his 3 year contract. I'd be extremely surprised if the Albion agreed to pay a player £140k a week.

Even if you get a relative 'bargain' with regard to the transfer fee, you end up paying in terms of a huge salary. All amounts to the same thing really.

 

[origigull]

Seems ridiculous to say it but £10-12 million gets you nothing with regard to PL strikers. You are probably looking at double that as a minimum.

I can't see CH spending his millions on an established PL striker, they are just too expensive and with their big wage demands. What I was trying to say was that maybe we had a £10-12 million purse to spend on a striker but CH had doubts as to his judgement to spend the said amount considering his failure at Norwich.

 

[Triggaaar]

What I was trying to say was that maybe we had a £10-12 million purse to spend on a striker but CH had doubts as to his judgement to spend the said amount considering his failure at Norwich.

But so what if he has doubts? He still has to buy someone, which he must know.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

No, but are you seriously saying it is OK to start the season in the Prem with only the 3 strikers we have!? Seriously!? I rest my case. You are found guilty of criminal negligence! ;-)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No.

Thats why i didnt say it.

 

[chaileyjem]

I think it is fair to say we've been poor at getting in strikers over the last couple of seasons. .

Except for Murray and Hemed who have scored hatfuls, got us promoted, and cost minimal £££

Or don't they count cos we didn't over pay for Pritchard who we didn't need anyway.

 

[B.W.]

Except for Murray and Hemed who have scored hatfuls, got us promoted, and cost minimal £££

Or don't they count cos we didn't over pay for Pritchard who we didn't need anyway.

I would suggest that we were very lucky to get away with our failure to land Pritchard:

(a) Nobody could predict the season Sam B had, which was way, way better than all of his previous seasons with us, and beforehand with other clubs in the Championship.
(b) Sam B stayed relatively injury free.
(c) Even when he was injured, we muddled through (yes, that's right) with players out of position (weakening the team), and the ill-matched Muzza/Hemed combo...

If we try to muddle-through in the Prem we will come unstuck...

 

[chaileyjem]

I would suggest that we were very lucky to get away with our failure to land Pritchard:

(a) Nobody could predict the season Sam B had, which was way, way better than all of his previous seasons with us, and beforehand with other clubs in the Championship.
(b) Sam B stayed relatively injury free.
(c) Even when he was injured, we muddled through (yes, that's right) with players out of position (weakening the team), and the ill-matched Muzza/Hemed combo...

If we try to muddle-through in the Prem we will come unstuck...

Yep. Agreed .
And nobody suggests we shouldn't strengthen for Prem. (Baldock was injured and we coped. )

But OP can't have it both ways. Either we are good at recruiting strikers or we're not. If not (and it's always an unequivocal not) then ulloa, murray, Hemed and even Baldock have obviously and conveniently escaped their memories.

Because that would ruin their narrative that this years recruitment is a disaster and the current set up can't recruit strikers. Except of course ... murray and Hemed (and baldock and Knockaert) being the most successful forward line / recruitment up front in a generation, if not ever.