I think some people are being harsh on Campbell. The season after he left us he was a pawn in the Berbatov deal. Then he was signed as a back up forward striker for Sunderland, a proven Prem club. Then he had two serious knee injuries, but came back and was played wide. There are tons of players who have had two serious knee injuries and gone on to have good careers. Alan Shearer, Roy Keane and Brazil Ronaldo didn't have bad careers after serious knee injuries.
There's no doubt he has (or had) it, however I dont think he is the player we need right now. Sure he would be a decent addition to the squad, but is he the player who is going to bag 10-15 goals in half a season? Thats what we need now.
Ok, but he is struggling to get a game for an incredibly ****e Sunderland team, a team that are doing their best to flirt with relegation. They are also a team that can't score goals? That goal against Man U doesn't count either - it was on its way in and he headed it from at least 6 inches out. He's too similar in play to what we have currently, Danny Graham actually proved he coud score and play in the Prem by notching a decent tally last season for Swansea. He is a miles better option than Campbell, based on each players respective goal stats and current formation and style of play.
He has made 13 appearances this season and scored once. So no, he doesn't score every time he comes off the bench.
He's made eleven league appearances this season, he came off the bench for ten of them, scoring once. If he does come back, he'll be one of the best strikers in the league and our chances of promotion will increase dramatically.
Campbell is a good player on stats - currently he is a bit of an unknown commodity. I disliked the manner in which he turned his face from us (or was it Brown/Horton), but life goes on. I just don't want to see us prostitute ourselves for him again, there are more options available. Some talk aboutr his and Meylers injury similarity; the vast majority of Mackems I know (alot) rate Meyler, but not Campbell. If he comes then fair enough, but I would rather not go back to them days,
I beg to differ, he's a different player, we're a better side. He won't be any better than what we currently have at the club.
He's made 13 appearances, doesn't matter that the other 2 weren't league games. Someone further up suggested he comes off the bench and scores. The reality is he doesn't, he scored once.
I don't get the clamour with Danny Graham. He is on his way out of Swansea as he is deemed not suitable to Laudrups tippy tappy football style, so we want him to fit in with our tippy tappy style. We don't need to buy a striker now as we would be overpaying. We need the next Fraizer Campbell - some hungry young striker from a Premier League team on loan. I don't have a name, but that Guidetti had he not been on loan at Feyenoord would have been an option
He played only a few minutes in several of those games, it says absolutely nothing about his ability.
I just want a striker who can get in the box and has the ability to finish. With brady and elmo the person doesnt need to be a wonder goal scorer. If that is campbell so be it, if it is graham so be it. We need someone that is for sure.
His record since he left us is ****e. http://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=47122&season_id=141 Clearly if you're only getting 'minutes' in a game rather than starts, then that says a lot about his ability. That's how it works with players here that don't get minutes on the pitch isn't it? McLean for example?
His Championship record reads 15 goals in 34 games and we're in the Championship, that's the only stat you need. Simpson, McLean and Proschwitz don't come close to having his ability.
We know his ability, it's the form that is open to change. All of these arguments are very similar to what will turn over in the mind of SB (or any manager), so futile they are not. Who thinks he actually wants to come back here? It won't happen, believe me; but if I'm wrong then he will have one hell of a point to prove! Edit: just an after-thought, but the goal difference is hardly insurmountable for a team that has had such a problem scoring! We need that striker, it is as simple as that!
