I really worry where the goals are coming from this season - you need about 40 to be competitive in the bottom half, for the life of me I can't see us scoring that many with the players we currently have.
Imagine how their fans would react... it's not worth it to them, when they're getting the extra commercial income and TV money.
I would much prefer us to be buying Ings even if it cost us as much as Osvaldo. He would be an investment for the future and the type of natural goalscorer we need. If we do end up buying Long, then, as always, I will reserve judgement on him until seeing him play for us. I don't think that the fee will be anywhere near £12m, just as Rickie's fee was misreported, it will be nearer what we paid for Pelle. Ultimately it is better to have an experienced Premier League striker in rather than be short up front until Jay returns and it's not as if we cannot afford him.
I mean, four goals in 15 games. FOUR!?!?! Surely, even with this 'tremendous' scouting department of ours, the board can see that this isn't a good investment. I need a lie down.
Rickie Lambert scored 4 goals in 12 months from open play by the end of January and seemed exempt from any criticism last season. Odd.
That's 1 goal in 4. If Lambert wasn't the penalty taker for us do you think his ratio would have been any better? A clue: NO.
Maybe the board aren't so excited about signing a two season championship player who supports the saints. *before I get battered, I have clearly said previously that I haven't seen Ings play more than the goal against us in the cup* My point is the screaming that we haven't signed a player for 10-12m who has never played top flight football. I don't agree without for 10-12m, but FFS people sometimes don't think straight.
As I said, that pretty much converts to 8/9 goals a season. Perfectly respectable in the Premier League.
Not sure he was exempt from criticism actually. His time was coming to an end in our starting lineup IMO. Signing Long is an awful decision.
If Long proves himself to be half the playmaker Rickie was I'll be happy. A forward doesn't have to score tons of goals but he has to bring something to the party.
