BRISTOL CITY: Striker signing a priority for Robins in January transfer window.
By a_stockhausen
Kyle LaffertyBRISTOL City manager Steve Cotterill has made no secret of his desire to recruit a striker during the January transfer window.
And recourse to statistical analysis suggests the acquisition of a proven Championship goal-scorer represents the most reliable means of helping the Robins pull clear of relegation trouble during the second half of the season.
Although City have conceded more goals than any other side in the second tier, recent events suggest their biggest problem is at the other end of the pitch.
Since winning promotion from League One, Cotterill's team has scored 22 goals in 25 league games. The last 10 outings have yielded a meagre five goals, only one of them from open play, and that trend suggests the recruitment of a striker must be deemed a priority this month.
Certainly, City fans seem to agree, according to the results of a Bristol Post poll conducted over the Bank Holiday weekend.
We asked City fans to vote on which position most urgently requires strengthening if the Robins are to stay in the Championship.
And 50.52 per cent said they thought the club should make signing a striker a priority. That compared with 24.35 per cent who felt a creative midfielder was most needed, while 15.97 per cent voted for a holding midfielder.
Just 5.24 per cent felt the acquisition of a goalkeeper was most important, while 3.93 per cent wanted a defender.
Cotterill tried in vain to sign a proven Championship goal-scorer last summer, only to miss out on Dwight Gayle, below, Andre Gray, above, and Yann Kermogant.
Crystal Palace and Brentford accepted bids in the region of £6m for Gayle and Gray respectively, while a deadline day attempt to lure Kermogant from Bournemouth fell through at the eleventh hour.
Reading striker Simon Cox has come and gone in the meantime and City's manager is now actively seeking a forward who is able to complement Aaron Wilbraham, Jonathan Kodjia and Kieran Agard.
The loan market represents a more viable financial option in the short term and a number of Premier League players are likely to be made available this month.
Among those unable to hold down a first team place and apparently surplus to requirements is Kyle Lafferty, the Northern Ireland striker who has hardly featured since Norwich returned to the top flight last year.
Eager to play regular football and prove his fitness ahead of June's European Championships, the 28-year-old Irishman has been linked with a loan move to Leeds United.
A majority of City fans would welcome a player of Lafferty's ilk with open arms. But the task of attracting such players to Ashton Gate remains a difficult one.
Majority shareholder Steve Lansdown's billionaire status notwithstanding, the Robins will surely be hard-pressed to lure proven goal-scorers from Premier League clubs while they remain engaged in a relegation battle. If signing those players was difficult in the summer, it will be even more so in January, in what is traditionally a seller's market.
And that is the Catch-22 situation Cotterill must find a solution to if he is to inspire a sustained upturn in fortunes during the second half of the campaign.
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...ity-Robins/story-28461169-detail/story.html#1
By a_stockhausen
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Kyle Lafferty
And recourse to statistical analysis suggests the acquisition of a proven Championship goal-scorer represents the most reliable means of helping the Robins pull clear of relegation trouble during the second half of the season.
Although City have conceded more goals than any other side in the second tier, recent events suggest their biggest problem is at the other end of the pitch.
Since winning promotion from League One, Cotterill's team has scored 22 goals in 25 league games. The last 10 outings have yielded a meagre five goals, only one of them from open play, and that trend suggests the recruitment of a striker must be deemed a priority this month.
Certainly, City fans seem to agree, according to the results of a Bristol Post poll conducted over the Bank Holiday weekend.
We asked City fans to vote on which position most urgently requires strengthening if the Robins are to stay in the Championship.
And 50.52 per cent said they thought the club should make signing a striker a priority. That compared with 24.35 per cent who felt a creative midfielder was most needed, while 15.97 per cent voted for a holding midfielder.
You must log in or register to see images
Just 5.24 per cent felt the acquisition of a goalkeeper was most important, while 3.93 per cent wanted a defender.
Cotterill tried in vain to sign a proven Championship goal-scorer last summer, only to miss out on Dwight Gayle, below, Andre Gray, above, and Yann Kermogant.
Crystal Palace and Brentford accepted bids in the region of £6m for Gayle and Gray respectively, while a deadline day attempt to lure Kermogant from Bournemouth fell through at the eleventh hour.
Reading striker Simon Cox has come and gone in the meantime and City's manager is now actively seeking a forward who is able to complement Aaron Wilbraham, Jonathan Kodjia and Kieran Agard.
You must log in or register to see images
The loan market represents a more viable financial option in the short term and a number of Premier League players are likely to be made available this month.
Among those unable to hold down a first team place and apparently surplus to requirements is Kyle Lafferty, the Northern Ireland striker who has hardly featured since Norwich returned to the top flight last year.
Eager to play regular football and prove his fitness ahead of June's European Championships, the 28-year-old Irishman has been linked with a loan move to Leeds United.
You must log in or register to see images
A majority of City fans would welcome a player of Lafferty's ilk with open arms. But the task of attracting such players to Ashton Gate remains a difficult one.
Majority shareholder Steve Lansdown's billionaire status notwithstanding, the Robins will surely be hard-pressed to lure proven goal-scorers from Premier League clubs while they remain engaged in a relegation battle. If signing those players was difficult in the summer, it will be even more so in January, in what is traditionally a seller's market.
And that is the Catch-22 situation Cotterill must find a solution to if he is to inspire a sustained upturn in fortunes during the second half of the campaign.
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTO...ity-Robins/story-28461169-detail/story.html#1
