[CONFIRMED] WE NEED A GOAL SCORER

Is this another cheese based gag? Edam Le Fondue

 

Late cheeky bid time Gino

 

http://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/wesley-dale.54680/#post-2645728

 

Point noted

 

The topic of this thread seems to be current right now.

Therefore who do we think we could realistically go in for in the January window any suggestions? Also should it be a loan deal or a permenant one?

My opinion is a loan deal, possibly with an option to buy,? Having said that perhaps we are more likely to get a better calibre of player with the straight loan deal of someone from a top club who is not playing regularily for them and wants to get a regular game in order to improve his chances of progressing at his parent club.

 

Almost certainly it's something that the owner will be aware of. We'll have our targets, and our plan. What is also more than likely, is that it will be someone completely off the radar. It is unlikely to be anyone we've know from the Premier League, so guessing will be difficult.

My guess would be a young fringe player from a top European club outside of England, that's if we sign anyone at all.

I'd be surprised if we go for a sticking plaster approach to get us through the season. Our current problem is not fatal, but just frustrating. We'll invoke a long term strategy of buying players that could develop and turn into the next Richarlison.

 

Wouldn't be surprised if we go back in for Emiliano Sala at Nantes. That being said, he has scored 11 goals in 12 games this season in Ligue 1 so I very much doubt his price has gone down.

But I honestly think if the strikers stay fit, we won't sign one in January. Not unless any leave I suppose. It may depend on league position - if we stay roughly where we are, I'd be very surprised to see any squad movement. But if we start to drop down the table and goals dry up, then perhaps they will act. But its well known that the club far prefer dealing in the summer window.

But given Gracia's reputation for working with what he has, I suspect he'll be happy working with Success, Deeney, Gary, Okaka and Deulofeu as his options.

 

At some point Okaka must leave surely ? Even if we end up paying off his contract in some form. What about that chap Penaranda who used to play for Granada ? Where's he now ?

 

I see little point in Okaka being at the club. Trouble is, all other clubs feel the same, hence we're stuck with him.

As for Penaranda, there's a postal strike in Spain at the moment.

 

Or do we just need our midfield to pass the ball better to the forwards?

Forwards shots on target 50%
Midfield shots on target 27%

Yes they have scored a few great goals this season, but would we be better off if they set up the forwards more and shot less?

 

The trouble is, good strikers find space and anticipate where the ball is likely to go. None of our strikers do this.

For example, before that horrendous miss from Okaka in the 92 minute, around the 89 minute, Doucoure fired across a superb ball which flashed across the goal. Okaka was just standing there stationary. He had absolutely no awareness and didn't gamble and make a run to the far post. Had he done so, he would have scored.

You see City or Arsenal do this sort of thing all the time. You don't have to be world class to gamble and make a dart to the back post. It's just basic forward play. Our strikers seem to react rather than anticipate. This is why they do not score many goals, because they rarely take up good goal scoring positions.

 

HB1 I do not disagree with your comments, but there have also been many times when the cross was the best option instead of the poor shot made.

Are the midfielders shooting because they do not think the forwards are in position, or are the forwards not making the runs because they think the midfielder will just shoot?

We have been playing some great football, we just need to get more shots on target.

 

Yes we need another goal scorer - not unlike many teams. Yes we need even more and better balls served in. And - we need midfielders to shoot - especially when teams are bunkering. Until we get another forward in who is a quality finisher, it wouldn't break my heart to see Deeney and Success given a go together.

 

I don't see us buying any strikers. We're looking like a decent shout for a top half finish which is progress and I suspect that's realistically good enough for the owners. More pertinently though, bringing in another striker would hinder the development of Success who is clearly on an upward trajectory and would be more of a hinderance than help next season assuming Cucho comes in. In the absence of anything being broken, steady long term progress as opposed to short term gambles seem to be the Pozzos strategy. And I like it!

 

An additional striker should be in Gray/Deulofeu's role, not Success's.

As for Cucho, I'm still not convinced that he's all that. He doesn't look much of a poacher at any rate, and will still require a fair bit of time before being ready for the PL (if he ever comes here, which is also not clear).

If we were wanting to take a punt on a young striker who can finish chances, then I like the look of Pedro from Fluminense, who we were linked with while negotiating the Joao Pedro deal from them - assuming he recovers from his current injury he looks to have all the attributes to be a complete n0.9. Might end up at a bigger club though.

 

This wouldn't work very well as they are the same type. Come deep to pick up the ball.

 

Not a lot of people agreed with me when I started this thread back in April 18, I wonder how many of you agree with me now see #1 on this thread shown above.

 

I don’t agree with you. As I said in the summer, we need TWO strikers.

 

I won't argue with that

However what I said was that we needed goal scorers not defenders in #1 of this thread and that was my main point I was making

 

It's been clear for more than a year that our priority needs to be both an upgrade at CB and centre forward.

 

Since the end of last season several things have changed on the striking front:
1. We expected Okaka to be leaving, as we have done for over a year. He’s still here and it looks like we’ll have to wait for his contract to run out. Anyone know when that is?
2. Success is back and being given a chance - to little effect. It looks like there’s a player in there somewhere, but in his play he always comes across as a bit dim.
3. Peñeranda has got his work permit but nobody knows if he will be any good, particularly in the Premier League.

Despite all this we are no closer to getting a goal scorer into the team and the one thing that hasn’t changed is that Gray is still really not very good. Somehow we need two new strikers but whether we can afford them I have no idea.

 

We don't need two, just one goalscorer should be enough - we have plenty of players who can be good enough in the support striker role, e.g. Success, Deulofeu, Pereyra, Hughes and perhaps Penaranda. What we've needed (as I've mentioned before) is a Callum Wilson, or peak Defoe type player, who could stretch defences and be more of a poacher. Deulofeu looked as if he could perform that role in the first game in which we tried him in it, however since then he's been doing everything required of the position other than the most important part which is finishing the chances when he gets them.

 

I like how people believe Saturday proved we need a striker but not defenders. Must have the dreamt the two moments where are CB’s were parted like the Red Sea for their goals.

We clearly need both. No more one over the other.

Each game will show a solid case for each one over the other at times - but ultimately, we desperately need both in equal measure.

It’s clear to me - if we want to finish 11th or below, we have the adequate players to do that. If we want to finish higher than that, then we don’t.

 

I think referring to VoR as a person is being overly complimentary.

 

The plan is to stay up at minimum cost. If we are 10 points above the bottom 3 in January, I doubt the squad will be strengthened. Other than Alcacer and Talisca who we know are in their way, of course.

 

Andone, who we've been linked with in the past, has looked pretty good for Brighton when given the chance. Only cost £6mil as well. Nath will no doubt remain angry that we missed out on him.

Brighton are another club, with Murray and Andone, which show that it needn't necessarily cost an arm and a leg to get a striker more capable of sticking it in the onion bag than Troy and Gray (albeit Locadia looks like a big waste of money for them - but that's just further evidence that buying strikers from the Dutch league is incredibly high risk).

 

Early days with Andone - I think he's only scored 2 all season, in the last 2 games. Not sure how many games he's played though.

 

Buying anybody is a risk no matter the cost. £20m is no guarantee of a player doing well in this country. So, do we gamble on a striker that's going to cost £20m but probably has a decent record albeit abroad or do we go down the bargain route and hope we unearth a gem. I suspect we will do neither until the summer

 

True, though he has only featured in Brighton's last 5 games, and only 1 of those was a start - for a grand total of 181 minutes.

 

With this shower, there’s no way we will finish 11th or above so I look forward to more of the same for the rest of the season.

 

Do shut up, you silly little tart.

 

Nice, you’re a credit to the education system

 

And you're a floater in the human gene pool, you whiny little bedwetter.

Mind you, I see you've found a little (well, I say little.............) friend in Dumbo, to keep you company in your perpetual morosity. No great surprise that he's got nothing better to do on a Saturday night, than surf the internet.

 

Gironde or Morata on loan for second half of the season. It will give the recruitment team an opportunity to see what a striker looks like, so they can spend the spring successfully scouting for summer signings.

 

Not Gironde - he's a combination of two strikers, Giraud who is vastly overated and Laslandes who's retired. Don't want either of them. Morata maybe.....