Josh Sargeant is a prime example of what can happen if you stick with a striker and give them time. Was crap in his first PL season, but Norwich stuck with him and he became one of the most consistent forwards in the Championship.
I think what pushes people to be critical is how other clubs seem to be able to find strikers that can score goals, whereas we consistently struggle to bring goal scoring strikers into the club and have them perform to a decent standard on a weekly basis.
Swansea signed Joel Piroe from PSV in the 20/21 season, despite him having scored 2 goals in 18 at Sparta Rotterdam the season before. He managed 22 in his debut season.
Borja Sainz managed 18 from the left wing last season, having arrived from Giresunspor the season before on a free transfer.
Millwall signed 20 year old Mihailo Ivanovic from Vojvodina, but he bagged 13 in all competitions last season. They also made a decent profit on Zian Flemming.
Clubs around us seem to find these players no problem and then they move on for big profits, whereas we seem to just coast along happy to sign veterans and sick notes as if somehow it'll all come good.
It's like our brain team sat down to watch Moneyball and learn what it's all about and then turned it off when Peter Brand says "Billy, of the 20,000 notable players for us to consider, I believe that there is a championship team of twenty-five people that we can afford, because everyone else in baseball undervalues them" then loaded up Transfermarkt's free transfers page and started making phone calls.
It's difficult to judge any strikers we have had / bring in as we create sod all
