We signed Stewart when he was like 24, Gallagher will be 29 a few weeks into the season. He hasn’t even managed double figures in the last 6 seasons, only hitting it once when he got 11 goals in his first season with Blackburn. If he’s not really scored goals for 7 consecutive seasons at this level through his best years I’d wager he’s not going to start now.
To be fair to hemir when he was getting minutes at the end of games last season he looked ok. We've all seen him proper grafting in the off season so fingers crossed Regis can work with him get him proper motivated and he can kick on.
Been at the same club with mostly the same style of football too, could change at a new club in a new system. Luton are after him and they've just came down, there must be something in his abilities that makes him wanted
I still think we should go for Hardie from Plymouth. About as close to Ross Stewart as I have seen. Runs the channels well, leads a press, holds it up and is a very tidy finisher. I think he would be absolutely perfect for us. I would also bring Gelhardt back. He was as hard a running centre forward as you would see, even playing with that injury. He got in all the right places to get the chances to score as well, but fluffed his lines a few times. Almost like he was flashing at them. Any decent coach solves that problem quickly, getting into the positions is the harder thing to teach.
In fairness I wouldn't actually want Gallagher, was just making he point that goals aren't everyhting nowadays
I think the best bet for us signing a striker is a PL loan but from a player who's already "done it" at this level. So Cameron Archer, Tom Cannon, Ross Stewart or Jay Stansfield. The problem is, if any of those 4 are available on loan, its not an exaggeration to say the whole division will want them. The alternative is to take a punt on a loan which isn't as experienced. But then you can end up with a Burstow. Or you go out and sign one of them. But then you're looking at the type of money that will require us to make a sale first. Long story short - without a sale the only strikers worth signing will be loan ones. And the only loan ones worth signing will have significant competition, likely from clubs able to offer more in wages. So, and I hate to say it, we need patience.
Overly simplistic to just say those four equal one player. It's true to an extent, but then you need to start talking about the effects on wage budget - and more importantly wage ceiling. One massive marquee signing that is well above the levels of the others we have across the squad would tend to go hand in hand with a budget busting wage. And that will bring with it a queue of existing squad members looking for a pay rise.
I like Gelhardt but he massively needs support alongside. More of a 10 imo and I think we’ve got enough in that sort of area.
I feel he was badly managed and motivated after making a big move from Portugal. TM hardly made things easy for him during and after the Ipswich game.
What makes you think we can't be shopping in and around the 5 million mark or over ??? It can not be ffp as we are now back to an almost clean slate in that regards so in effect we could have a transfer/operating kitty of over 30 million without sales according to Kieran maguire on the last you tube vid I seen. Not saying we would be sensible to spend that but funds are available if needed and that is before any player sales. The truth is it is hard to predict value for money as for every Ollie Watkins their is a Jack Rodwell so yes I would like them to get a great striker in but they gave to be the right striker for our new HC and to fit our team ethos and how we want to play. Let's hope they manage to find a cracking player who hits the ground running or maybe one of the ones brought in last year now feels settled and tears the league up this year. As we have seen some of the best players ever have had poor first seasons CR7 was crap at United in his first season, Robert Pures had a terrible first year at Arsenal to name 2.
Because no club in the championship is spending that much on a singular player without making a sale first. Just doesn't happen.
Was just about to ask what kind of money Szmodics would go for, shot his name into google to see who’s interested in him and his Wikipedia page says he plays for.. Sunderland AFC
I got the impression from last night that if the right player becomes available they wouldn't hesitate to spend the money. It felt to me that it wasn't dependent on sales either
For me the distinction is that its the right player for the right price, and the problem is that affording the right price isn't going to happen without a sale.
As I say the impression I got was nothing is dependent on sales if the right player that ticks all the boxes is available. Just how I have interpreted what was said, could be massively wrong on my part
Yeah I might not be explaining myself very well. And obviously I wasn't there so not saying you're wrong. I think its fine for the club to say that if the right player becomes available at the right price, we will sign them. And don't need a sale to do so. My point though is that that scenario is very very very unlikely to happen. As getting the right player for the right price isn't likely. They'll either be not the right player, or not the right price. The reality is we'll likely have to end up signing either not the right player (like we did last summer) or sign the right player at an inflated price (which will probably need a sale). But if a club does make a player available at a sensible price then we won't.
