If Cisse gets injured...

I think we've had a good window, but if we think about it - If Cisse gets injured, we have Gouff next in line, who IMO doesn't look like a striker than will be able to play by himself up front. After him is Shola! Who isn't much of a goalscorer, just a target man.

We better just hope Cisse stays fit. He's our only poacher up front, and we still have Europe to think about!

 

This is spot on. If he gets injured, we're knacked. An unproven Gouffran, Shola, and Ranger when he's not locked up. This should have been addressed.

 

We could stick Willo up top and tell him he's defending for the opposition - we'd score loads of goals.

 

Hahaha that would be tactical genius. Surely beyond Pardew's tactically inept mind.

 

No need to be so negative here. Cisse's injury record is good, it's not as if we are tempting fate, like BA who (we are led to believe) could have gone at any time. He doesn't play in a position where he is likely to be injured from a crunching tackle (e.g. midfield) and we have the goals from midfield now we haven't had for a while with HBA, Cabs, Marv and sissoko. I think Gouffran might not be a similar striker but I think we could play the same way with him up top alone. Decent finisher and pace to get on to through balls.

 

But we really won't know when somebody is injured. Too many factors come into play. Too big of a risk to take I think.

 

Obviously if he gets injured we are a bit down to the bones upfront but his record of injuries is very good and like hand of tiote says he's not the type of player to put him self in the way of a crunching tackle so I'm not to worried.
Europe is a whole different matter. I have a feeling Cisse will be playing mainly EPL games and we'll try and blood Ranger and Campbell along side Ameobi. But if im wrong (which is very possible because no-one knows what Pardew is thinking, not even himself) and he does end up playing 2/3 times a week he will burn out quickly and will be more likely to get injured.

I just think we will be concertrating on staying in the league and putting Europe on the backburner for a while with our reserve/youth team. If we are still in the comp when we are all but mathematically safe then we will start pushing on that front again.

 

Good shout Tash.
I do feel HBA could play, short term as a point man though, possibly even Ober.
I'd even consider sticking Saylor up there as he once went on a run of scoring for us.

 

Our French version of Walcott?

 

Bit unfair on Gouffran. He's only had one game

 

I'd Stick Ben Arfa upfront if Cisse ever got injured. He is the only viable option and he would score goals - more than Shola, Sammy, etc

 

I think the quality of our midfied now gives us a bit of slack with our strikers.

Clearly an additional striker is something we shoudl be acquiring in the next window. Getting one in this window would have been nice, but it may have been that we could not get anyone of good quality and good value. Even if Cisse were out for a time, I think we could manage with Shola as a focal point, with most of the goals coming from mid field.

Shola is reasonably good at bringing others into play. Ahead of a midfield of Gouffran/Marveaux, Sissoko, Cabaye, Tiote, HBA, we should have reasonable firepower.

 

I think we'll find Cisse will start to come good in the 2nd half of the season. Think it may take Gouffran a few games to bed in, but he will chip in with a couple. As said in an earlier post, Cisse has a decent injury record.........touch wood :O

 

Why do people still keep banging on about Nile ranger playing?

Am I the only one that would rather have sammy in the team over him?

Ranger is below scum of the earth...lower than pond life!

 

And he isn't even talented. He's fast. Talent and speed aren't the same thing.

I would say though chaps, that some other clubs are in a similar position to us. Swansea have how many recognised strikers? 1? Liverpool are still knackered if Suarez gets injured because Sturridge is pretty useless, and Borini's just rubbish. If Demba Ba gets injured for Chelsea, they have no recognizable striker in their vast squad... Just a life-size blonde blow-up fetish doll with wobbly legs...

We aren't alone. We are in a precarious position, but we aren't alone.

 

I reckon I could be a better option than Sammi. Lazy,greedy so and so. Loan him out now.