i would suggest that IF or when Koren is unavailable then both Brady and Stewart will start and the tactics / formation be slighty adjusted. dont see it as a problem short term. plus Oli will be back soon as well.
Fryatt goes near the goal, McLean doesn't. I'm not saying they're identical, but that they're very similar. They aren't as chalk and cheese as some people seem to think. The 'running about isn't enough' comment will always come up with McLean but never Fryatt, it could apply to both of them though. I know you're joking, but come on, Fryatt has missed way more simple, close range chances. No one even expects him to score one-on-ones any more. I don't think it will at all. McLean would be harder to replace and you'd always want him in the team. But if we brought in someone who could play the lone striker role Fryatt is playing now (say if we signed Billy Sharp) I'd want him to start ahead of Fryatt. Don't forget, we aren't playing 2 strikers at the moment it's more of a 4-2-3-1, Fryatt is the 1 striker and should make way if we got someone like Sharp, McLean is on the wing and could only be replaced by Brady, Garcia or Pusic. It's all quite academic anyway though because a 'first 11' only ever last a few games nowadays before you pick up an injury and it all gets changed round.
Exactly, we need a bit of squad depth in our attcking third. I think Fryatt has more natural ability than Mclean and is now working hard under NB. I also think he could play either side of a new striker in a front 3
My gut feeling is that we will try and extend robbie's loan until the end of the season but if we can get rid of Oli then we will
If we can find anyone willing to take on the wages of Oli, McShane, Kibane, or Ghilas, they'll definitely be gone, they're all on way more than they're worth.
So if we signed a quality striker, we'd either put him on the wing to accomodate Fryatt, or we'd completely change the formation to accomodate Fryatt? I really don't think he's as good as you seem to think. If it wasn't for Koren's input against Milwall, we'd all be bemoaning another set of unnecessary points dropped due to Fryatt's simple misses. Just like West Ham, and Blackpool, and Macclesfield, and Palace... I've actually got nothing against Fryatt, it just does my head in that everyone bums him so much but can't have any praise for McLean.
I would hope that we'd sign a player to suit the formation we planned to play him in. You rate Mclean more highly than me, which is obviously your opinion and you're welcome to it, but it's Nick's opinion that matters and as the two players he singled out for praise after the game on Saturday were McKenna and Fryatt, I suspect he sees things the same way as me.
nobody desputes the wages angle(Killer apart that is) but thats down to the last regime and there crazy contracts. on the other hand we have Oli now and he would give a much needed areal threat when attacking. plus NB has gone on record as saying he wants to work with Oli.
I'm not saying McLean's suddenly my favourite player, I don't rate him significantly more than others. It's just I see beyond the nonsense sterotype that we have about Fryatt's skill being so superior to McLean's. If McLean has one bad game it's back to everyone bashing him like last season. If Fryatt has a bad game it's an exception to the rule. They are both decent at what they do, they both work hard but don't have a brilliant chance conversion rate. Anyone can see that our biggest problem, and has been for ages, that only Koren in the team can finish consistently. If we're going to get promoted (which is a perfectly realistic aim given the way the defence and midfield have shaped up) we will need to start finishing chances at some point. We could do with a quality striker to do that, but without messing about with the current system that works so well. Fryatt would be the obvious one to replace if we did get someone in as it's his job to finish the chances. If you wanted to replace McLean it'd have to be for Brady or Garcia who would both offer something very different to what he does but it's a completely seperate position to where Fryatt plays. If NB said Fryatt played well on Saturday (even though that comment does interest me because I thought he looked like he was in a huff all game), it doesn't change the fact he almost cost us the game with those chances in the first half. Again. Based on the first sentence you write, and the idea you wouldn't ever bench Fryatt, you must not want us to add another striker unless it's one just to sit on the bench?
I think Fryatt, new striker, Koren & Stewart/Brady will be given a free reign when attacking so there will be no rigid 4-4-2 for example. It is when defending that positioning is important and I think Fryatt would be quite capable of moving out wide to prevent the full back getting the ball
I thought it was just me.... Should dare i say it, a Billy Sharp come in, it would be Fyatt that I would drop. Mclean makes the current system work as he is the one that drops in most effectively when e dont have the ball. Fryatt should have had a hat-trick on Saturday (just in the 1st half)....
We're obviously not going to agree on this one, but personally, I think Fryatt is twice as good a player as Mclean and for that reason I'd drop Mclean ahead of Fryatt. Nick is a great believer in making sure you get your most talented players onto the pitch, which is why the likes of Harper and Adebola won't get a look in now. He's deciding who to sign, he's deciding them based on a formation he wants to play, I'd put a fairly hefty wedge on Fryatt being included in that formation. Just my opinion.
The part we disagree on is that Fryatt is so talented. I'm always trying to convince people it's not just about goals with strikers (because there are so many factors involved) but if the chances are being made and the striker keeps missing, I don't see how it can be excused.
Here's a question for you, if a goal scoring opportunity was being created, would you rather it was Mclean playing the ball to Fryatt, or Fryatt playing the ball to Mclean?
I'm not a great fan of McLean but prefer him to Simpson and will say in his favour he gets through a lot of defensive work with clearing headers when we are under pressure .So until we sign a new striker I say pick him before Adebola because he is more mobile and wins more balls in the air.
There's not a lot in it is there? If it was close range with the keeper on his way and a quick finish needed then McLean, but if it the 'keeper was on his line and it was a little bit further out then maybe Fryatt. You can't tell me Fryatt's not a poor finisher, after all he's done this season. How many times do we let him off and keep teling ourselves he's so special? The Leicester fans told us he was a bad finisher, he's been a bad finisher since coming, what other evidence can you go on?
