Jason Roberts, 0 goals in 10 league appearances for Blackburn, then he's instrumental in getting Reading promoted, the stats are often bollocks in cases like this.
It's the sad old lie of statistics. The truth is that if Campbell had of had the same level of service/assist as Fryatt and Co. he would have had many more goals. It streghtens the argument for Campbell (as he was) but echos, not neccessarily strengthening, my point about Fryatt. Strikers thrill and frustrate us in just about equal measure, the enduring fact being that we need one that can take the ball and net it; the guys we have (not real strikers) get themselves in position alot, but lack the killer instinct. SB is very clear on what is required.
He doesn't get games because they've got Sessegnon, Fletcher, Saha, etc. Just like McLean doesn't get games because we've got Simpson, Aluko, Proschwitz, etc. If Fryatt was fit then either he or Simpson would be struggling to get games at times too. Would you tell a fan of a League 1 club that McLean wasn't good enough for them? It's the same situation. The stats are often bollocks in all cases. We're far too obsessed with goal records. It hardly ever remains the same throughout a player's career. Just like in my reply to glennon, McLean is a perfect example.
Lies, Damn Lies and statistics....................I prefer to use my eyes. Fraizer Campbell is one of the best strikers I have seen in Amber and Black. If he were to play in the Championship today, he would score a shedload of goals once more. How I'd feel about seeing him once more in the Amber and Black is another issue.
He's a striker that can't get into a very poor Sunderland side, a side which has struggled hugely with scoring goals.
Roberts is different as he has a career record of 1 in 3 games. Plus Kean was manager at the time and he was a bit ******ed.
Everybody is saying we need a goalscorer who's a consistent scorer in the Championship. Well, FC was and probably still is. If you look at the players that SB has brought in, if you were given a list of them on June 1st 2012, who would you have been really excited about? Aluko, maybe Elmohammady. SB has got the best out of players which others don't deem to be good enough; everybody was nonplussed about Brady not coming back and when he did, people said it was pointless. Now he's one of the first names on the team sheet. Jakupovic was a non entity but seems to be proving himself well and it's probably only a matter of time until Proschwitz does the same. Sunderland fans said Elmo was ****, but he's been a revelation here, ditto Faye who a lot of people deemed 'past it'. You can't write somebody off based on their goals scored; OLM already mentioned Jason Roberts but there are examples everywhere. Glenn Murray managed 5 goals in 47 appearances for Carlisle, but Rochdale took a punt on him and he finished with 21 goals in 42 games; he hasn't stopped scoring since. Craig Davies, who many on here have on their wish list, moved to League 1 Brighton in 2009 where he hit a paltry 1 goal in 21 appearances and was subsequently released the following summer. He was picked up by Chesterfield, scored 23 goals for them and won a move to Barnsley. You can point at appearances to goals scored, but it honestly means **** all if you are a talented player. We know Campbell has ability, you don't just suddenly forget how to be a footballer (unless your name is Rui Marques). He'd be a quality addition, it's who would make way from Saturday's line up to accommodate him that would be the bigger problem.
I've already answered that point. Steve Morison is the same but I'm sure he'd be a good signing. Do you expect us to sign someone who is getting games at PL level? Why would they want to come to us if they were?
Roberts couldn't play for Blackburn because the owners wouldn't let him due to a contract clause. He was on MOTD at the beginning of January last year saying so, it was about 2-3 weeks before Reading were taken over. Can't think why I'm the one to remember those details
Fraizer Campbell would score plenty in the Championship. As would Danny Graham. Hopefully we'll have them both on our books soon...
No, I don't expect a Premier League striker, I have never said - we need a Premier league striker. We need someone who can convert the plethora of chances we are creating. We need someone who is mobile, can score, is physical and is a presence up front, and most importantly has experience of the Championship. So a Morison/Graham type of striker, or someone else currently playing and scoring in this division. Charlie Austin would be great (but too expensive). Chris Woods would have been perfect as he is exactly the 'sort' of striker we need. Campbell is too slight and physically no different to Simpson or Aluko. Precisely the sort of striker we DON'T want as we have an abundance of attackers that are very similar and in my opinion (certainly with Aluko) better than Campbell. Most teams promoted recently from the Championship have had that physicality up front - Look at QPR Helgusson, Southampton Lambert, Norwich Holt, Reading Hunt and Roberts. We haven't got that, Proschwitz was brought in to do that, which he hasn't, yet! He may well do given time. But we need the back up to bring that physical side to our attacking play, certainly when we go to places where the current attackers get bullied. Fraizer Campbell would address none of the areas we need help in.
So you want to combine our intricate passing with a mobile heavyweight? We don't play the same football style as the likes of Norwich, Reading, QPR and Soton The chances missed on Saturday were mostly due to someone not being quick enough to stick a toe on to a perfectly angled daisy cutting cross. These would be more suited to a FC type of player
If people think Aluko and Campbell play in similar ways then they are wrong. Aluko wants the ball to feet so he can run defenders and pick out passes, he basically plays in the 'hole'. Where as Campbell plays off the shoulder of defenders and gets one the end of things. Campbell is a out and out striker.
The one thing we know Fraizer Campbell can do is score goals regularly at Championship level which none of our existing strikers (Fryatt excluded as we don't know how long he's out for) have managed to do. I think his movement and style along with his finishing ability would be perfect for us. Yes we don't know how much the injuries have affected him, physically they may have taken the sharp edge off his pace, psychologically he may have some reservations but I can't believe he's lost his finishing prowess. Whether we get him or not we'll have to wait and see but if we do I'd be very surprised if he wasn't the missing piece of SB's puzzle.
Simple really , the chance Koren had in the 3rd minute against Leeds one on one with paddy kenny (fat bastard), Campbell would of scored, the chance Meyler had 8 yards out when he scuffed his shot campbell would of scored. Pretty sure he might of got on the end of Elmos cross and timed his run better than Koren who just missed it. Hes a striker hes got great composure in the 18 yard box, hes still quick and has that killer instinct to get into the right places, he'd of had a field day against Leeds. Watching us against Leeds Koren was playing as the out and out striker, Aluko alot of the time came very deep and spent alot of time out wide, no coincidence Koren had a pretty quiet game playing him up top took him away from the action. Crying out for a striker who plays on the shoulder and a striker who does this naturally not a stopgap like Koren, Fraizer Campbell all day long.
How are the players mentioned heavyweight? They're not John Parkin FFS. As Southampton played the best football in the Championship last season IMHO - Lambert can't be described as a 'Mobile Heavyweight'.
