We persisted with Wyke and Johnson got the best out of him. Stewart used hia strengths and got the best out of himself here by adapting to how we wanted to play, particularly the spell under Neil. It is not like every centre forward recently has been treated badly, in fact they have been treated fairly I would say. However, the ones we brought in for this season have been poor choices by the recruitment team. They are simply not ready, or able, to play at this level. Mayenda and Hemir look miles away from championship football. To persist with one of those two this season would have been plain daft and no coach would have done so. The target was set when Speakman said nobody wants to be in the play offs. But then he signs strikers that are barely league one ready in reality.
The Gyokeres comparison seems odd. He had half a season loan at Coventry. He made 19 appearances, 12 as sub. They signed him the following summer. He scored plenty in his first full season and more the second. It wasnt as if they played him for 20 games without any contribution and then changed how to play with him. It doesnt work like that in my experience, strikers have to adapt to the team, not the other way round. Bobby Robson changed the way Shearer played at Newcastle as he wanted him 5 yards deeper to receive and run at defenders, in addition to playing on the shoulder, as that made the team better.