We can do a Norwich next season if we...

[Burgess Hill Seagulls]

1 - Get the ball in the box more often. Yes we play brilliant football at times and long may it continue but when we get free-kicks/oppurtunities on the edge of the box to get the ball across let's take them and box the ball
2 - Another physical 'Holt' esque striker. A physical presence and good with their feet, I know it sounds a lot but there are players out there who can do this (if we don't keep Murray).

Any other ideas?

 

[BensGrandad]

Our existing team, Murray excluded, is not big or good enough in the air to continually hit crosses into the box hence we have tried variations of the free kick with some success. Unless we buy a battering ram type central striker we will have to continue in that manner.

 

[Kazenga <3]

bring back Chris Iwelumo

 

[Brighton M]

I cannot believe I've just read number 1, I really can't.

 

[Burgess Hill Seagulls]

I cannot believe I've just read number 1, I really can't.

How? We will come up against teams next year that can pass as well as us, it's inevitable. We will also come up against teams that won't give us the time or space to pass how we have this year. We need to have another outlook, yes we should look to pass first but we also need to be able to utilize the positions we get in and if we have two wingers with good crosses then I don't see why you would be so against taking our oppurtunities and crossing the ball?

 

[BensGrandad]

How? We will come up against teams next year that can pass as well as us, it's inevitable. We will also come up against teams that won't give us the time or space to pass how we have this year. We need to have another outlook, yes we should look to pass first but we also need to be able to utilize the positions we get in and if we have two wingers with good crosses then I don't see why you would be so against taking our oppurtunities and crossing the ball?

Unless we sign some bigger players we might just as well take the free kick and kick it straight to the keeper and cut out the middle man which is what you are virtually saying we should do. We have been doing that and so have many teams for years and not achieved success so why revert back to those tactics.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Can we? I'd be happy just to escape relegation.

 

[horam267]

We dont want to do a Norwich! We need to build slowly and then reach the top. Norwich have gone up too quickly and have not built the resources or team to compete in the prem. Next year they will be the whipping boys and come straight back down. A few years in the championship without the scare of relegation would be nice to start with!

 

[Burgess Hill Seagulls]

Unless we sign some bigger players we might just as well take the free kick and kick it straight to the keeper and cut out the middle man which is what you are virtually saying we should do. We have been doing that and so have many teams for years and not achieved success so why revert back to those tactics.

True, hence why I said we need to sign a new striker. I do think though that Murray would still have the presence and the jump to win these headers. Also from watching our set pieces this year how many times have we created space with runners and a free header? We seem to do this from more central positions and I don't understand why we can't do the same with free-kicks from wider positions? When you've practised set pieces to the extent that Gus seems to it's seems a waste to only use them properly from central positions..

 

[fire&skill]

We dont want to do a Norwich! We need to build slowly and then reach the top. Norwich have gone up too quickly and have not built the resources or team to compete in the prem. Next year they will be the whipping boys and come straight back down. A few years in the championship without the scare of relegation would be nice to start with!

Totally agree with you; not sure that they'll be whipping boys but I would like at least a season of stability. But then again . . . .

 

[Brighton M]

How? We will come up against teams next year that can pass as well as us, it's inevitable. We will also come up against teams that won't give us the time or space to pass how we have this year. We need to have another outlook, yes we should look to pass first but we also need to be able to utilize the positions we get in and if we have two wingers with good crosses then I don't see why you would be so against taking our oppurtunities and crossing the ball?

We have one striker who can head the ball well, who is quite possibly leaving.

Our centre half's have a CRAP record at goalscoring.

We have NO height in the middle of the park.

Bennett however has got a shitload of assists this season through his crossing.

It's not about getting MORE crosses into the box for the sake of it, which goes totally against the breed of football Poyet has instilled in the team (and which has already seen us beat two Championship teams this season in the cup). It's about getting more quality crosses in - hopefully Noone (and perhaps LuaLua) can work on this. However, they'll need more than just Murray to aim at.

At the moment, with the current squad, chucking balls into the box is not a tactic that works. While we probably do need a more physical option up front (and in the middle of the park, as show against saints), signing a lump for the sake of it purely because Norwich have one, and sending more balls into the penalty area, would be a backward step for sure. There aren't too many "lumps" in this list, suggesting it isn't neccessarily a Championship requirement.

What is quite apparent, as you've agreed, is that we need to ensure Murray isn't our only arial threat - and if he leaves, replacing him is the number one priority, as he's so important to this team when we do need to go high.

 

[Burgess Hill Seagulls]

Agree with you to an extent but I never said about getting more crosses into the box for 'the sake of it'. I was more suggesting that we should utilize our free-kicks, or free crossing chances all over the pitch (especially in wide positions) rather than just through the centre. The set up of our free-kicks in the more central positions have been quality this year with good movement creating space for free headers, why can't we do this out wide as well? Rather than ending up with the ball back at Casper from a potential goal scoring oppurtunity.

 

[Beach Hut]

Priority number 1 is to remain in the Division anything else is a bonus.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Can we? I'd be happy just to escape relegation.

What we should do is get the final list - print it off and give it to Gus.

Safwty next season will do. There are some big clubs in the division above. In fact I have started hoping Bournemouth go up.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Norwich were a Championship team in League One. They had the players - they just needed the manager.

We have mainly League One players. It will take time to build. Good to aim for top six but safety would be brilliant.

 

[Albion Dan]

We dont want to do a Norwich! We need to build slowly and then reach the top. Norwich have gone up too quickly and have not built the resources or team to compete in the prem. Next yearly they will be the whipping boys and come straight back down.

Whilst I understand why you would say that, even one season in the Premiership, if finances are managed sensibly, would pay for over half of Falmer instantly. For that reason alone it would be well worth it, albeit unlikely we would go straight up again anyway next season.