Wasn't that effectively introduced at the start of Neils Adams' reign? We had a football executive board consisting of Ricky Martin as Technical Director, Barry Simmonds on recruitment and scouting, Neil Adams and David McNally. Presumably that structure continued with Alex Neil's arrival, I don't imagine he was in a strong enough position to do away with it when he joined. Perhaps it's a case of right idea, wrong personnel.
Bloody hell. Ross McCormack is actually a genuine rumor?! I think that was just a name flung about?! I know we are pretty desperate, but we want better than the strikers we already have! Oh no, no no...Not for me that!
Just looked up his stats for last season. Surprising. 19 Goals, 17 in the league. Didn't think he got that many. Not a bad return. Still think Hooper and Grabban are about the same level.
I think Hooper or Grabban would score as many if they started every game for Fulham. I just don't think he's an improvement. Jerome is our best Striker at the moment. We need someone his equal or better, not someone as good as out 2nd and 3rd choice strikers. If we are going to get desperate and just pick a striker we can get so the board can say "we bought in a striker" I think that would be a waste of money. Something I do keep thinking. Now Chris Martin has been away, matured, got regular starts, scored regular goals. He works so hard, he's over 6ft, in the Prem he's a home Grown player, international call ups....anyone else wondering if he'd be good? I'd be pretty intrigued to see it.
No no no no Chris Martin just NO reason he's done well is because he's away from his dickhead mates that were a bad influence on him. You bring him back it's just got the potential to go horribly wrong
I also think that Dwight Gayle is a decent player, he just doesn't fit Pardew's longball/counter attacking football. But he also isn't a backup to Jerome, so I'm not convinced he's what we need
But is Neil after a player like Jerome? I think he might be more interested in a Grabban style upgrade. After all he was picking Grabban ahead of Jerome to start with. Not sure if that would make Gayle a more viable option or not? Bah!
A quick look at newsnow suggests McCormack has signed a new contract with Fulham, and that Gayle has rejected Bristol City as we've had a bid accepted by Palace.
I know I dismissed McCormack, He's a good striker, but He's another massive risk. Gayle, We see what he does on Match of the Day, and has Prem playing and scoring experience. I would rather him. Still not someone Id lose my S**t over, but he is an improvement to our squad. So if every other target fell through and we got Gayle....I'd be pretty satisfied.
Gayle isn't very good. Ask any Palace fan. I imagine he must be what, fifth, sixth choice there now? His reputation (if he has one) is borne from that performance against Liverpool which prevented them taking the title. He'd be a poor signing, especially given the price tag supposedly around his neck, who wouldn't give us anything we don't already have on board.
I would be happy to go with Jerome Grabban Wolfswinke and Hooper loaning Lafferty out to pay his wages and if he hits form recall him if needed. The players better than what we have are too expensive or wouldn't join us and the others are no better than what we have and still expensive. McCormack or Rhodes would probably cost us 10 mil
I have seen a lot of comments and videos from Palace fans saying he never got the chance he deserved. Now, they have gone up a massive gear with all the money from staying up for this long. They are a few steps above us. Palace fans really respect him for what he did when they were back when we were. Him being down the pecking order doesn't say he's rubbish. It shows where Palace are now. They are pulling in players like Cabaye. We are a long way off that stage.
Wasn't he their top scorer last season? I'm starting to wonder if we should abandon the striker hunt and focus on a centre back. £5-6m would go a lot further on a defender than a striker.
You've misjudged their 'respect' for him. They've got a soft spot for him - a bit like we did with Cody McDonald for example. Some of our fans said the fat lard bucket Becchio deserved a chance because he wasn't being played - but the reason he didn't play was because he wasn't good enough. Managers don't freeze good players out of their team - they find a way of accommodating them unless otherwise impossible. Nobody is saying Gayle is rubbish - that's your word, not mine – but he's no better than what we have and therefore not worthy of spending any sum, let alone £6-10m on him. He's being linked to Championship clubs because realistically that is where he is best suited for his abilities.
