Are people get all excited about Gary Hooper? He's scores roughly 2 goals every 3 league games (44 in 63 to be precise)... which is impressive. That is, until you realise that Scott MacDonald (ex-Saint) also managed to score 2 goals every 3 in the SPL (51 in 88). Not only this, but Scott's assists ratio was is far better (19 vs 8). In fact, Boro were so impressed by Macca that they paid 3.5 mill, and that was 4 years ago, so these days probs the equivalent of 5-6 mill. One could argue that he has done alright at Boro, but he's hardly set the place on fire, and would he cut it in the Prem? Simply, no. Now, I know comparisons like this can be a little bit deceiving, and don't give a complete picture of someone's playing ability, however, it does somewhat highlight the unreliability of the SPL for appreciating whether a player can cut it or not. My verdict: Stay well clear! He's no better than what we have, and definitely not as exciting as J-Rod.
I haven't said as much, but that is pretty much how I stand as regards Hooper. I rather have a trusted striker from the Championship, frankly. Which isn't going out on a limb much as I'd probably accept someone more readily from League One. The Firm have it that easy in Scotland. Has anyone seen the overall standard of play..? If you have Freesat or SKY, which allows you to watch Scottish football you'll be slightly amazed how poor it generally is. IT, being the SPL, of course. I hadn't seen much prior to a few seasons ago when I got FreeSat, and I watched a couple of Sportscene [?] programmes. I was just a little bit staggered at how poor it was. A reasonablly good striker in a good team against poor opposition will score a hatful, over a season. We don't want reasonably good. If Hooper was doing what he does, in the Championship, I'd say, go get him. Sorry Scots, but it's what I've seen with my own eyes.
All of which makes a lot of sense. However, we don't know who we are after and won't until they have signed. I trust our management to deliver the necessary players as and when they become available at a price we are prepared to pay.
Hooper scored 19 goals for Scunthorpe in 09/10, he can score at Championship level quite comfortably.
Granted, but his record for them was no better than that of Sharp, Lambert, Guly, and Rodriguez. We shouldn't be looking for someone who can 'cut it' in the Championship, but for someone who has potential in the Prem, and who offers more than just the 'poacher' role. He doesn't score from outside the box, he isn't strong in the air, and he doesn't take set-pieces. Neither can he play anywhere else on the pitch. Compare this to Jay-Rod, who does all of the above, and my preference is thus supported by more than just 'goals scored'. On top of this, you have to remember that actual, real quality, doesn't seem to cut it in the SPL. For example our very own Danny Fox and Jos Hooiveld, who were considered pretty crap by most Celtic fans. My conclusion being; do exactly the opposite of what the Scottish do. Just for the record, I found this on a Celtic fansite: "There’s something about the former Gray’s Athletic forward that gives him the look of a quintessentially “British style” poacher. Short (5′ 9″ stocky but nimble, he may also evoke memories of Scott McDonald at his cutting best." I rest my case.
In fairness, he was exceptionally good for Scunthorpe. I'd have thought people would know better than to judge a player from scoring records alone?
Funnilly enough, that's all most Saints [and other neutral] fans seem to remember about MLT, yet he was the master of the best pass; the player with superb vision; the unpredictable player who did something nobody expected [that's why he was unpredictable]; the greatest, most accurate striker of the ball since Charlton; the player with the greatest natural skill of any British player since... take your pick, and yet most fans remember him for his goals alone. In fact, to drive the point home, most people even think he was forward/striker, because he scored so many goals. Now if that's the exceptional. I don't pine for the reasonable.
You could even use Rickie as a modern day example, how many people outside of Southampton know how brilliant he is after you disregard his scoring record?
Not trying to be antagonistic or anything, BUT, exactly how many Scunthorpe games did you get to see that season? It's hardly local is it, and unless you have some sort of relative-connection going on, I can't see for the life of me why you would spend your time watching such an unglamourous outfit. As I said in my argument, I realise scoring charts are not totally reliable, so why re-iterate my own point and use it against me? As to the point being made about Matty, I agree some people are short sighted, but at the same time I think most genuine (not plastic) football fans do realise he had more to his game than just scoring. But at the same time, while he was a genius in our eyes, he was only a very good footballer in the eyes of everyone else. So the argument is; are we simply being biased, or is the rest of the footballing world unable to spot 'world-class' talent?? That being said, I grew up watching Matt and I know I will never hold a player so close to my heart for all that he did for us. Which brings me on to say, it is absolute blasphemy to even mention the likes of Hooper and, yes, I'm sorry, Rickie Lambert in the same breath. They get a lot of goals and are very good players (at least Lambert is - haven't seen enough of Hooper), but no, they do not even come close to the genius that was Le Tissier.
So you can't know anything about other players without watching 90 minutes regularly? How often do you watch 90 minutes of Barcelona matches? Not often, so you better not be caught mentioning how good Messi is, or how talented Iniesta is. I notice you talking about Jay Rodriguez as an exciting prospect, not trying to be antagonistic or anything, BUT, exactly how many Burnley games did you get to see this season? It's hardly local is it, and unless you have some sort of relative-connection going on, I can't see for the life of me why you would spend your time watching such an unglamourous outfit. You don't have to watch a regular 90 minutes to know how good a player is. Reading forums of other fans, reading match reports, watching highlights etc are all ways of learning about players without watching full games week in week out. And also, if you're disregarding my positive opinion of Hooper, then what makes your negative opinion more reliable?
The stats and our guessing if Hooper is up to it or not is neither here nor there it all comes down to Adkins and his own knowledge of the player concerned which was the case with Sharp. Many on here all speculate on transfer issues and players they have no knowledge of other than a few stats and brief clips of them seen on the tv .
Think a lot of us (and I include myself in this) get excited about being linked with a player, decide he must be fantastic because Saints players are fantastic (in our heads), and start fitting him with a shirt and discuss how he fits into the team. Then we feel personally insulted when the player for any number of reasons goes elsewhere or opts to stay where he is. This is the point I decide he was crap anyway and move on to the next best thing.
How many times do you get to watch Barcelona?!! Well, seeing as they feature regularly on several different channels, and every single game of theirs is available online, I'd say pretty much all of them, should you wish, of course. You're right about the 90 minutes thing though, you don't have to watch a player play to get an impression of how good he might be. However to describe someone as exceptional without actually seeing them in the flesh is a bit much, surely? And the reason I am excited at the prospect of Rodriguez is that, as I already mentioned, he scores with his left, his right, his head, from outside the box, makes darting runs, takes on players, plays in several different positions, and is only 22 years old, and thus still has time to develop, which makes me very confident he will cut it in the Prem, despite having only seen him play two times. Hooper, personally, does not excite me in the same way, because he is simply a poacher, of which we already have a good one. My negative opinion, as you call it, is also explained in my first post; it's because he has only scored in the SPL and the Championship, and is a fairly one-dimensional player, the likes of whom, would get pocketed by any half-decent prem defence.
Rather have JRod than Hooper, but it's not just up to us. Probably end up with someone completely different.
The sum of the team I greater than the individual parts and that is why I am happy that NA selects who he sees will fit and improve the team.
Leave it to Nigel> He knows Hooper well. If he thinks he's good enough we should trust his judgement. It's been pretty good so far!!
Kenny Miller , Kris Boyd , Scott Macdonald and even Ally McCoist all scored a shed load of goals in Scotland.... moved south of the border and all of them struggled to score and most of the time they were with Championships clubs. Crikey if we are going to get Hooper go and dig up my dead granny becasue she could have scored a shed load of goals in Scotland and we wouldnt have to pay a fee for her.
