.......... unless we sell some of the first team squad. I've thought about this and there's no way Short will buy another striker when we've spent multi-millions on players still here, Wickham, Graham, Ji, Fletcher, Altidore and also brought in Borini. I also seriously believe that Fletcher & Altidore are a better bet until the end of the season as they know the club and can score with better service. Having said that, the current 'Poyet system' won't produce endless chances, we're more likely to win games with the odd goal. Bringing in a new man, who would need time to settle, could be self destructive. If he fails to score in his first half dozen games that wastes January, which could be a good month, and takes us into a tricky February wondering whether to stick with him or bring back someone we dropped. TBH, I'm of the opinion that we persevere with what we have although I know that won't be a popular view. We're playing as a team and I don't want to see too much disruption. We all know Fletcher can score goals and that Altidore & Borini have a role to play and should score more. I'd personally like to stick with the current strikers and get them playing to their potential, support them better and score goals from midfield. While I'm rambling on I have to ask, why aren't we scoring any goals from corners? And, which free scoring striker would come to a team bottom of the league?
on your fixture predictions re/results , wouldnt these be on the basis of the forwards we have now and not on any names plucked out of thin air who may or may not join the club. I would suggest by the look of your predictions you think points will be had with what we have here now
I agree , I don't think he will even consider it and look at other areas, mainly for the reasons you have stated, as for the scoring from corners we did score from 2 in the the 3-4 Chelsea game. However after that I am struggling to remember one.
You're right, I'm basing my guesses on roughly what we have now, I don't believe there'll be any 'season changing' signings. We're more likely to bring in people like Alonso who are fractionally better than what we have. I can't see a massive change in our win rate but I can see a very slow improvement in our league position whereby we narrowly escape relegation. Sunderland are settled and have a good team ethic, changing that too much will be self destructive imo.
My personal opinion is that we will buy to bolster what we already have, maybe an attacking LB, a creative midfielder or maybe two. I do think we need a striker with pace, as we are woefully short on pace up front at the minute. Fletcher will score goals, no doubt about that, but something's not quite right with him just now. He's not fully fit and his lack of pace was very evident against Everton. Antidote? Jury's still out for me, I don't see him as an out and out striker, more of one half of a double act where he will feed Fletcher and act as a foil for him. That will probably only happen in home games, which is why I reckon we could do with some pace for when we're away from home. Who? There's not many obvious candidates is there? None in our price range anyway.
Thought Borini was more of a striker, but for him to play that role would probably mean Johnson playing, and he ain't been very good of late. Not Danny Graham recall please.
If we did look at strikers then for obvious reasons, no recognised striker would give us a second glance. We would really be looking at the Championship and the likes of Jordan Rhodes.
He's got 13 so far like. Ain't watched any championship footy, so no idea is there are anymore highly rated. 1 Ross McCormack Leeds United 16 2 Danny Ings Burnley 13 2 Jordan Rhodes Blackburn Rovers 13 3 Craig Bryson Derby County 11 3 Troy Deeney Watford 11 3 David McGoldrick Ipswich Town 11 3 David Nugent Leicester City 11
Danny Ings, had forgot about him. I'm sure he's only 21-22 but a good finisher with pace. Well from what I've seen on the Saturday night championship highlights anyways.
Altidore about 2 goals in about 40 premiership games. I appreciate that 28 were with Hull but it's a shocking record and I personally don't see a premier league player in him. Fletcher doesn't look interested or maybe he struggles with the way Poyet wants to play? Borini has hardly been clinical but I do think he has potential and more suited to our style now. I would like to see us look at another striker for the 2nd half of the season because teams where their highest goalscorer has 3 goals, generally go down.
A player who divides the fans opinions. Some rate him some don't, i'm with the latter. Yet somehow manages to score for his country. Baffling. Maybe it just another case of being with the wrong club, style of play etc.
Think we have a little wage budget free from the sale of Sess but we'll need to sell more to free more budget.
GCMackem left back post #34 copy of a newspaper article. Bottom of column 1 mention of a striker. `This won`t be the last piece of business Poyet conducts over the next 4 weeks with a striker his priority.`
Good! But who? It looks like we'll have to spend silly money which means clearing a few out first. And whoever it is won't have time to bed in. Needs to hit the ground running and get 10 - 12 in the last half of the season.
No idea mate, I just noticed it in the article. Seems to be plenty going on behind the scenes though.
As I've been saying we don't need a striker, given the right opportunities Fletcher and Altidore will score, we need to buy a winger and/or a creative AM to play in front of Catts and Ki
I think Ji, Gardner and possibly whickham may be sold, marvrias and karlsson will go out on loan, Vaughans deal will be made permanent. Cesar deal looks to have cooled as he's on £50k pw and westy should be back before the window closes. Bridcutt, Alonso, poyet jnr in then forlan is not beyond the realms of possibilty with the uruguay connection. We talk about defoe every window, will never happen. Welbeck wont ever come back, same as rose. comm has highlighted the goalscoring records of the championship strikers, too risky to take a punt on them imo. So will we sign a striker? probably imho but the only clue atm is forlan and havnt seen anything on that for a good while now
Sell Johnston, Wickham, Ji and Gardner (if we can) and bring in an attacking midfielder and a striker/finisher..this I believe has been obvious for some time! p.s. Short will have to add some mullah to the sale proceeds