Didn't sound like Stewart did much today and Koren had an off day. It's becoming clear that we are forced to rely too heavily on these two players to create the chances and goals because Fryatt and McClean can't. Barmby needs to solve this problem because although we seem to be dominating games there is no cutting edge and the strikers are wasting the efforts of the other players. We need one big striker who can create havoc in opposition defences and one consistent goal poacher (Sharp?) who can take full advantage of that havoc.
Think that was Craigs point. We are creating chances, but not putting them away. At the risk of waking up the Leicester nutters we need a Gary Linaker type. Or even Windass!
I agree.... Josh King or Sharp for the poachers...plus Jutkiewicz or Vokes for the big guy role....how much are we willing to spend though.
I agree. But we then have to revert to 4-4-2 which i dont mind doing but i arent sure we have the personnel in midfield to do that well.
Fustarting how we are dominating games yet failing to take our chances! Billy Sharp would be perfect, then maybe another striker on loan (i've heard Sam Vokes mentioned). We should have taken 6 points off Burnley yet have come away with none.
Burnley have Austin 8 goals, Rodrigues 7 and Vokes 2 in 5. Paterson has just scored 2 in 2 games. no wonder they are breathing down our neck now. Yet apart from those forwards i dont think one of their midfield or defence would get in our team but any of the 4 forwards would do. Sort it out Nick and the Allams and quickly.
I don't think that we do need to spend. Couple of young strikers in, Hammill, and De Vries along with the mystery midfielder and we'll be fine!
Well, ok yes, Hammill & De Vries will help, but which "Couple of young strikers"? My fear is that we get a couple of untested lads who will be great in two or three years, but don't cut the mustard today. Look at Cullen scored for fun in the reserves, couldn't get into the Bradford team! Now if we can find a young loan striker (Josh King) who does score for us - great. What we don't want is another Altidore or, God Forbid, Manucho who we play for 5 games and then realise is **** (or at least not going to get us goals) and then find we are too far behind to catch up. In this division, if you don't make it this year, all your best players haemorrhage away to other clubs and you have to start again. The longer we stay in the Championship, the less chance we have of getting out (upwards anyway). I think.
There is obviously a gamble in taking young lads, but we could find another Frazier Campbell that takes us up!
Today was the worst game yet for finishing, we could have had half a dozen, but everyone's finishing was wayward, even Koren had a off day, he uncharacteristically missed more than everyone else put together.
^^^^ This. Decent strikers can be bought for decent prices, but goalscoring strikers cost a lot more and like most clubs that's what we need now. Fryatt is a proven goalscorer, McClean was prolific at Peterborough so the problem isn't the individuals it's the blend. Basically they don't work together and my guess is both need a big bullying partner to create space and chances for them. But even with that said we also need that third goal poacher who will keep them both on the bench until they sharpen up and start scoring.
Lets be fair to Fryatt was he given a single oppurtunity today from the midfield? No. Was Mclean? No. Did Koren miss a very easy chance? Yes. Did Hobbs and Chester both have oppurtunities? Yes. The problems where creating them today, Burnley did what we used to be good at griding out 1-0 victories. The solution is not to go out and splash money which we don't have it is to find the cheaper option which from what i know he is doing with the three signings we all know about, and all three are very good players who will make a difference.
Burnsey on Blunderside keeps going on and on about how City are better placed now than in 2007/08. But then we had Fraser Campbell sticking them in. We don't have a Campbell today, therefore we are destined to finish outside of the top 6 this term, unless we bring in a decent goal poacher in the same mould. It depends on how badly the Allams want Prem football.