Probably me, notso. Yeah unproven in the prem, but proven abroad. - which is likely to be the case with whoever we get this summer. What I was getting at is that they didn't cost fortunes and have the basis of working over here too. (Most of them anyway.)
Also, Brandy Chastain is a better commentator than most. She makes decent, if slightly obvious analyses "Brazil look like a collection of talented individuals"--and unlike Hope Solo, she doesn't make a complete twat of herself. (Not that better commentator than most is saying much. There's little to choose between American commentator's flaming ignorance or most British talking heads, who mostly play cliche Bingo. You know, they have twenty phrases they think they need to say in the course of a match ("asking questions of the defense" "a perfectly weighted ball", etc.) and think their job is to find a vaguely appropriate place to say them.)
Judging by some of the bids going in for strikers, perhaps it's not surprising that we've yet to sign one. Not only have Wolves turned down a £10m bid for Steven Fletcher, but Sunderland appear to have gone back with an increased offer of £12m. For Fletcher. No, seriously. Stop laughing.
I think he'd have made a good signing for us but not as a lone striker. But for £12mill I'd expect Doyle, Jarvis and a jar of Terry Connor's tears thrown in.
i want us to play Gio on the wing and try Bale upfront..i cant see us not getting ripped off with the ridiculous prices being brandied about.
Bale's half as a striker in the US was dire, Dona. I could see the thinking behind it, but the reality was completely non-productive. I think it'd be a waste of a good player, unfortunately. Wouldn't surprise me to see Dos Santos on the right, though. Villas-Boas seems to like wrong footed wingers.
He was trying to play as a lone striker and was isolated which meant he was back to goal which nullified his pace. It wouldn't have worked unless Bale had been playing that position regularly and it showed that he wasn't sure when and where to be making his runs or that he had the close control. It's not something worth persisting with unless we got another winger of Bale's quality, otherwise we're weakening our best attacking outlet.
True PNP......is it just me or does Bale look out of sorts unless we are having a storming team display? i just think this season we are going to get a few experimental line ups which will leave a few fans disgruntled...i said i will back AVB...and i will..so i try to see the positives in his thinking...such as Bale upfront..as you say..looks good in theory.....3rd summer running and we cant find that STRIKER we all want.
Saha still has something to offer, but not to us, unfortunately. Incapable of playing the lone role or linking up with our only other senior striker, Defoe. He'll do a job for someone else though, if he can stay fit.
Last season we dillied and dallied in the transfer market both in the summer and the winter one. It's reasonable to say the lost points from our lateness and inaction cost us a CL group place, which is worth what £30m minimum, besides the prestige, etc. Seems like a false economy going on there. It seems once again this window 'we've lost our way and don't know where to roam'. Yes Levy keeps us solvent, but he also keeps us short of silverware. One Carling Cup in 11 years is poor going for a club of our stature. Despite AVB's admirable claims that he's going to take the Cups and Europa seriously, he'll need to be a magician rather a manager to win owt with the depleted squad we currently have.
One way or another I'm sure we will sign at least one more striker. There is no point in Levy investing money in AVB, Vertonghen and Siggurdson without providing AVB with the players to compete. Levy will just do it in his own way.
I make you right, and it wouldn't surprise me to see us get that striker on Aug 31, having frittered away more points due to our window inactivity. To have a decent chance of silverware we need two more strikers, the idea of players like Defoe, Bale or Kane playing as a lone striker fills me with depression, and is not a winning idea, IMHO.