20+ goals a season striker?

[beorhthelm]

Potentially - Tomas Rosicky? He's on a free, know's Jiri, a "proper" professional and probably got a good season left in him a la Bridge or Upson, He'd fit the Baldock role just lovely.

this is the 20+ goals striker thread, you must be looking for the midfielder thread. i'd think he be a great addition to the team, the only similarity with Baldock is a lack of goals.

 

[lizard]

It's funny, isn't it?

The success we have enjoyed over the last few years has been built on a miserly defence. This season was a bit of a departure from that, but the gut feel that many of us have is "defence is sound, need more goals."

Ideally we'll score more AND concede less. Maybe we don't need to change too much, however, because of the creativity we added in January:

In our first 23 games of the season we scored 31 and conceded 23, for a GD of +8.
In the second half of the season we scored 41 and conceded 19, for a GD of +22.

However, as compelling as those stats look, we only lost one game of the first 23 and accrued 44 points. In the second 23 games we lost 4 games and accrued 45 points.

I feel the majority of us are happy for Dunk and Goldson's partnership to be given more time to further concrete a central pairing capable of satisfying us for many seasons to come. You have to remember we played a large majority of the season without a 'proper' left back too. Bruno is legendary and Stockers has been great between the sticks. Think we still need a little cover but think next season, if kept together, our defence will be stronger.
That aside, I firmly believe attack to be the best form of defence. Yes we were high scoring this season, which is incredible when you realistically consider how lightweight and lacking in depth our frontline has been.
If we can sign a decent forward or two, with our creativity in midfield we'll be at a whole new level. You don't lose many matches when you score three or four!

 

[Marshy]

[MENTION=206]Marshy[/MENTION]
****ing Murray. Every single time. Sake. This summer's going to drive me mad.

I only keep mentining it because

1. He is much better than what we have.
2. We tried in January so its clear we are interested.
3. He still lives local
4. Other people have mentioned, Crouch and Lambert etc.... I know who i would rather have

 

[chaileyjem]

Said it before, say it again: we have 20+ goals a season strikers on our books on a regular basis. And we always sell them on for a song earlydoors and only retain the duffers.

Who ? apart from Glenn Murray ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Who ? apart from Glenn Murray ?

Murray/Barnes was a superb partnership. As was Barnes/Ulloa. Up front, the Albion never seem to realise what they've got til it's gone. But we'll doubtless plug on with Hemed/Baldock, even tho one isn't mobile enough and one isn't brave enough.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Who ? apart from Glenn Murray ?

Leo had a strike rate of just under a goal every 2 championship games so ~23 in a season.

 

[Marshy]

Murray/Barnes was a superb partnership. As was Barnes/Ulloa. Up front, the Albion never seem to realise what they've got til it's gone. But we'll doubtless plug on with Hemed/Baldock, even tho one isn't mobile enough and one isn't brave enough.

Im pretty sure we wont plug on with Baldock anymore... well not as a starting 1 player anyway

 

[chaileyjem]

Murray/Barnes was a superb partnership. As was Barnes/Ulloa. Up front, the Albion never seem to realise what they've got til it's gone. But we'll doubtless plug on with Hemed/Baldock, even tho one isn't mobile enough and one isn't brave enough.

Yes. But none of them have scored 20+ goals in the Championship or in the Prem come to that.

Who thinks the club won't replace Zamora/Wilson with expensive replacements ? Do you ?

 

[Acker79]

Yes. But none of them have scored 20+ goals in the Championship or in the Prem come to that.

Who thinks the club won't replace Zamora/Wilson with expensive replacements ? Do you ?

Murray has scored 20+ in the championship.

I don't. At least, not expensive by recent big signing standards. But I refuse to subscribe to the 'we must sign an expensive player/must sign a proven striker'. Every expensive player had a moment in their career were they were cheap. Every proven striker had a period in their career when they were unproven.

Ulloa missed a large chunk of the season. Had he been fit for more of the season he likely would have got to the 20 mark. It's one reason why we shouldn't put so much focus on "proven 20+ goal" strikers.

A player like Leo (unheralded, comparatively cheap, successful when provided with chances) is what I expect the club to be aiming for, and what I would like them to aim for. Expensive will only come if we can't find that person and the season gets underway and desperation sets in, and then we'd be hoping they can actually do the job with us (it does feel sometimes that strikers who struggle with us do better elsewhere).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yes. But none of them have scored 20+ goals in the Championship or in the Prem come to that.

With the hugely improved level of service available this eason, they'd ALL have scored 20+ goals.

Who thinks the club won't replace Zamora/Wilson with expensive replacements ? Do you ?

Not talking about replacing Zamora/Wilson. That's a given. Talking about upgrading Hemed/Baldock. Seems to me they've both pretty much hit their personal ceilings and won't take us much further.

 

[lizard]

With the hugely improved level of service available this eason, they'd ALL have scored 20+ goals.



Not talking about replacing Zamora/Wilson. That's a given. Talking about upgrading Hemed/Baldock. Seems to me they've both pretty much hit their personal ceilings and won't take us much further.

I think Hemed is good enough.
Think it unlikely that we'll sign more than two decent strikers this summer, so Baldock will inevitably still be kicking around as a squad player I reckon.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Think it unlikely that we'll sign more than two decent strikers this summer, so Baldock will inevitably still be kicking around as a squad player I reckon.

Sort of like knowingly accepting second best tho eh? Which tends to end up being reflected in the league position. Baldock was part of the problem up front last season and hasn't really kicked on this season. Upgrade needed.

 

[Nixonator]

There are many strikers who could potentially knock 20+ in for us if our squad stays together, Hemed is probably one and i'd like to keep faith with him.

Baldock is another matter, I still like him and think he has a future here as a squad player, but I feel we need to spend the bulk of our funds on this position for next season.

And, dare I say, bring Murray over too.. seems a no-brainer.

 

[BensGrandad]

I do not see Murray as a 46 game starter but an ideal replacement for BZ who will no doubt retire to add to our existing strike force and hopefully a young quick season loan of somebody with the potential of Wilson or Bamford.

 

[lizard]

Sort of like knowingly accepting second best tho eh? Which tends to end up being reflected in the league position. Baldock was part of the problem up front last season and hasn't really kicked on this season. Upgrade needed.

Totally agree. But with Wilson and Zamora needing to be replaced, and I presume COG is a goner too, I think Baldock will unfortunately be retained for cover.
I really hope we sign a couple of world beaters, leaving Baldock at best forth choice, that said, I'd rather we used Hambo or Tilley on the bench if the occasion arrived that we were desperate for ineffective forward cover, or even stick Murphy up top ahead of him.

 

[chaileyjem]

With the hugely improved level of service available this eason, they'd ALL have scored 20+ goals.
.

So we have had one striker on our books 6 years ago who has scored 20+ goals in a championship season.
And none since. So in fact "we have 20+ goals a season strikers on our books on a regular basis." means none in the last 5 years.

Good . we've cleared that up then.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

So we have had one striker on our books 6 years ago who has scored 20+ goals in a championship season.
And none since. So in fact "we have 20+ goals a season strikers on our books on a regular basis." means none in the last 5 years.

Good . we've cleared that up then.

Good grief. You really don't get it, do you? Barber Mini-Me OUT!

 

[BensGrandad]

Everybody mocked COG, me included, but he may have done a job in the last few games to have got us over the line especially against Wednesday with his sheer strength and brawn.

 

[One Love]

There are many strikers who could potentially knock 20+ in for us if our squad stays together, Hemed is probably one and i'd like to keep faith with him.

CH kept faith in Hemed and eventually was rewarded. However he then went back inside his shell when we needed him most. Either that or the quality of the opposition was too much for him.

For a sustained push for auto promotion we must get two new first choice strikers in, keeping Hemed on the bench.

 

[chaileyjem]

Good grief. You really don't get it, do you? Barber Mini-Me OUT!

"we have 20+ goals a season strikers on our books on a regular basis."

i didn't realise you meant they didn't actually have to have *scored* 20 goals in a season. (before or since) . you just think they could/should have.
In which case . fair enough.