No sign of the promised striker

[British Bulldog]

I have to disagree, Murphy put in an excellent ball across the face of the 6 yard box and both Zamora and Hemed didnt gamble or even go for the ball. We need a striker that would have thrown everything into getting a touch on that.

A decent delivery would be to the striker not one he has to risk injury to get too, Look at knocky's crosses the other day right to the player.

 

[BensGrandad]

The pass by Knockhaert to BZ was inch perfect to his strongest foot and in his stride nobody could hope for more other than repeats in future games.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

The pass by Knockhaert to BZ was inch perfect to his strongest foot and in his stride nobody could hope for more other than repeats in future games.

Absolutely, a fine player, loved Knockeart in his Leicester days. Could be quite a key signing, and very surprised that no one else appeared to be in for him.

All we can hope for now, is that a striker, or strikers, old or new, will be able to convert those telling chances that he creates.

 

[perseus]

1. A striker has never been promised.

2. Despite that, I believe the club are trying hard to add more firepower but they'll only do so if:
i) The striker is better or 'different' to what we already have.
ii) The deal represents value for money. That doesn't mean being cheap, but means not being ripped off.

Agree

i) this means a taller striker instead of the midgets
ii) this means

in the age group 22 to 25 perhaps 26 with a possible resale value, or an older player (31) on a shorter contract. I do not know of many examples where the older striker has performed in similar cirumstances and we already have Bobby Zamora, and because of the high wages for ex-PL, I tend to rule this out.

Does it have to be a strong target man striker? It could be a highly mobile striker with a bit of pace, 6 ft tall and able to run into space and off the shoulder of the defender and pose a threat from set peices from the free kicks,

PS: Can Sidwell drop back into defence of we push Dunk forward for corners etc? Thinking of the home games which will be close and none of them are straightforward wins.

So think of a 6ft striker that is mobile rather than a target man?

 

[perseus]

Last seven home games: Leeds, Wednesday, Reading, Burnley, Fulham, QPR, Derby. Then Boro away.

We are going to need a bit of quality to get the wins and be in with a chance in these games. I hope we can compete as then it will be exciting.

Season tickets for these games? If you are a casual visitor this would seem a good value buy?

 

[nwgull]

I wouldn't have thought Southampton would be paying any player over £60,000 a week let alone £100,000 a week.

David Gold tweeted implying that his wage demands were £100k, which was why West Ham didn't go for him.

Even if he isn't getting quite that much, it'll still be in that region, which is well beyond what we or any other Championship club could afford to pay for 4 years. The 4m transfer fee is only a fraction of the cost.

 

[BensGrandad]

David Gold tweeted implying that his wage demands were £100k, which was why West Ham didn't go for him.

Even if he isn't getting quite that much, it'll still be in that region, which is well beyond what we or any other Championship club could afford to pay for 4 years. The 4m transfer fee is only a fraction of the cost.

That being the case what would the price be for McCormack or Rhodes as many are suggesting.

 

[atomised]

Rhodes would be upwards of the 42k he currently receives. Mccormack I would guess at 35-40k

 

[JBizzle]

David Gold tweeted implying that his wage demands were £100k, which was why West Ham didn't go for him.

Even if he isn't getting quite that much, it'll still be in that region, which is well beyond what we or any other Championship club could afford to pay for 4 years. The 4m transfer fee is only a fraction of the cost.

I thought they didn't go for him because David Sullivan loudly proclaimed that he's "got no knees"

 

[BensGrandad]

Rhodes would be upwards of the 42k he currently receives. Mccormack I would guess at 35-40k

Plus £8m to £10m transfer fee spread over a 3 or 4 year deal makes them both very expensive and probably out of our reach.

 

[perseus]

So think of a 6ft striker that is mobile rather than a target man?

Someone quick, youngish and can shoot with both feet. That rules out Murray who is old, not quick enough and can only shoot with his right foot. (James Wilson nearly fits the bill, just needs a bit more strength, but he is not ours. Hemed would be well OK with a bit of extra pace to help him elude defenders)

Calleri doesn't. He is overly right footed and not tall enough for the occasional header.

Rhodes is quicker than Ulloa, but not quick enough for the huge dosh involved.

McCormack is quick enough but not tall enough and too old.

So think of a 6ft striker that is mobile rather than a target man?

Boro have got three : Adomah, Kike and Stuani and then bought Nugent who is nearly there. So perhaps we could buy one?

 

[British Bulldog]

Someone quick, youngish and can shoot with both feet. That rules out Murray who is old, not quick enough and can only shoot with his right foot. (James Wilson nearly fits the bill, just needs a bit more strength, but he is not ours.)

Calleri doesn't. He is overly right footed and not tall enough for the occasional header.

Rhodes is quicker than Ulloa, but not quick enough fior the huge dosh involved.

Is it fun living in Percy world?

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

Patrick Bamford is up for sale and Chelsea want a sell on clause
Fox in the box and proven at this level !!
He is your man TB !!

 

[perseus]

Patrick Bamford is up for sale and Chelsea want a sell on clause
Fox in the box and proven at this level !!
He is your man TB !!

A good call. Tall enough, young enough, quicker than most of the contendors. It would not be my essential choice though. I've only seen him a few times and he did not look especially sharp and mobile as he ought to be.

We have to do as well if not better than our rivals and I'm sure if he is of the standard of Abel Hernández (Hull) ?

 

[marshy68]

A decent delivery would be to the striker not one he has to risk injury to get too, Look at knocky's crosses the other day right to the player.

Agreed Knockaerts pass was perfect, but are you really suggesting that running into the 6 yard box to try to get on the end of a great cross is too much to ask our strikers to at least attempt for the fear of injury? Zamora gave up running after claiming a foul and as for Hemed......

 

[AmexRuislip]

We could always ask El Presidente for striker funding.
I might be wrong, but is he or she the NSC accountant?
http://www.northstandchat.com/conte...-of-the-Albion-finances-(goes-on-a-bit-sorry)

 

[fat old seagull]

Someone quick, youngish and can shoot with both feet. That rules out Murray who is old, not quick enough and can only shoot with his right foot. (James Wilson nearly fits the bill, just needs a bit more strength, but he is not ours. Hemed would be well OK with a bit of extra pace to help him elude defenders)

Calleri doesn't. He is overly right footed and not tall enough for the occasional header.

Rhodes is quicker than Ulloa, but not quick enough for the huge dosh involved.

McCormack is quick enough but not tall enough and too old.

So think of a 6ft striker that is mobile rather than a target man?

Boro have got three : Adomah, Kike and Stuani and then bought Nugent who is nearly there. So perhaps we could buy one?

I'm never quite able to get my head around people thinking being tall is an asset in terms of goal scoring.
It's my view that being on the 'short side' is an advantage, in that they each have low centre of gravity.

Pele.
Maradonna
Messi
Greaves
Best
Owen
Dagleish.
Suarez
Aguero
Peter Ward and heaps of others......all under 6 ft
Each the best of their era, even today prob the best striker on view is Vardy!

Small is beautiful

 

[chaileyjem]

In my opinion, and that is all it is, teams with weaker squads and limited options when they lose key players suffer more when the going gets tough, Feb - Apr. As I say it's just an opinion and I'd rather be facing the play-off push with the squads of Derby, Burnley, Boro etc. It's not a citicism of the team, any players or a lack of faith, just an opinion.

In both 12/13 and 13/14 Albion despite having not the strongest squad in the league and with injuries in both seasons hit peak form in the 2nd half of the season going on runs to make play offs.Or "when the going got tough" as you put it.
In contrast Derby collapsed last season post Feb including losing to us of course which I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Personally I think Murray on loan till the end of the season is the most likely scenario.

He still lives locally, will get less and less game time at Bournemouth and ticks a lot of the boxes for us.

With no game this weekend, we have enough options up front to keep us going till the loan window re-opens and we can maximise the number of games to take us up to the playoffs.

This would be the most realistic option but will Mr Bloom bite his lip as to say and say hey Glenn I was wrong about you Sir ? Answer >>>>> NOPE !

I truly hope I am wrong, but will Glenn want to come back here too ?

 

[perseus]

I'm never quite able to get my head around people thinking being tall is an asset in terms of goal scoring.
It's my view that being on the 'short side' is an advantage, in that they each have low centre of gravity.

Pele.
Maradonna
Messi
Greaves
Best
Owen
Dagleish.
Suarez
Aguero
Peter Ward and heaps of others......all under 6 ft
Each the best of their era, even today prob the best striker on view is Vardy!

Small is beautiful

Not saying that. I said I agree with Bozza that the striker needs to be something different from what we have already got. We have got the small forwards with the low centre of gravity. So for something different we could need/want

1) a lump of a target striker (as a focus point, but more than likely someone to lump the ball up to in the style of Burnley and Ipswich)

or alternatively

2) a mobile striker with a bit of pace that can run into positions to collect through balls and crosses, and not get bashed up by the opposing defender.

James Wilson almost fits the bill but needs to be a fit stronger against the thuggish central defenders. Tomer Hemed fits the bill but needs to be a bit quicker to find space.

Knockaert is one I would choose with the low centre of gravity ahead of Baldock.

But I would have Lualua playing second striker, acceleration, bulk and not short and a change of direction and an ability to shoot with both feet. (Same build as Suarez.)

Main striker does have to be a two touch target man but be like Zamora and take the ball on the half turn. Striker is not a priority until we get injuries with the two last games and the play-offs.

Pace really helps to get clear of the defender. Sharpness of thought is worth half a second for a half chance.

We need a bit of height for the set pieces.