We've been linked with just about everyone but the Pope this close season. Names keep getting bandied around like a bunch of school kids around the camp fire all looking to outdo each other with tales of the unbelievable. Iâm sure from all the banter back & forth that while some are rated & others condemned there must be someone weâve missed out on that would have been able to fill the gap. The latest name to appear but not with us is Nicklas Bendtner to Stoke as their RECORD £9million signing from Arsenal. FFS, Stoke who seem ready & willing at the first chance to bite our hand off for any of our scraps. Whatâs going on if we canât nail someone for around £10m ? Seriously do we think Bruce is going to actually nail a proven EPL striker to take the heat off Gyan or has he just been blowing smoke around the campfire?
I think Bruce will not sign any strikers by the end of the window, I think he will see how Ji and Wickham settle in then decide if he needs to replace Gyan when he leaves. TBH Wickham wouldn't have came if he wasn't sure he'd be playing.
I think the spending is not over if we get the right player or players. Bruce I think is happy with what he has, options on the left in Steed, Richarson, Vaughn and even Ji and up front with Wickham and JI. He also knows we could do better but its who and at what cost. I honestly think he will try for Johnson because he would be the perfect fit but its a long shot. I dont think he saw value in N'zog and I dont blame him and he will be looking at loans. Its fine saying go for Defoe or the like but he sees Gyan and Sess as our main strikers, I agree with him so would Defoe come as back up, no. Steady nerve boys, if it can be done it will be done.
The thing is Brucey is always saying that we dont rush Ji Dong & Whickham so expects them both to take 6 months for Ji and a season or maybe longer for Whickham, this leaves Sess & Gyan so yes I would be worried if he doenst get another striker of some sort in to help out loanee or permanent I'm not bothered.
This. The cost vs benefits of some of the 'marquee' players has been doubtful to say the least... most of the names I've seen mentioned (e.g. N'Zogbia and Defoe) have either come off average seasons or come with a ****-load of baggage as far as attitude and dressing-room harmony goes. I reckon SB will have finite amount to use this season and probably wants to save it for the January window. That's not to say that a big name wouldn't get me excited but to be honest from what I'm hearing about Ji and from what I know about Wickham I'm already pretty excited for the start of the season... I'm just sorry I won't be back in Blighty until the end of September.
Can I just ask - if we sign a big name marquee striker, does he play ahead of Gyan?? And therefore who is going to sign to play second fiddle?? Bendner is not a patch of the player Gyan is and Gyan and Sessegnong have built a good relationship and know each other well. I think these 2 are going to be very important for us. Gyan scored 10 goals from 21 starts last season (I think) and if we sign this marquee he will probably expect 1st team football and he will not want to sit on the bench - if thngs are working well then how do we fit this extra peg into one of the 11 holes we've already filled?? Don't get me wrong, I think we need cover but I think a proven PL striker may be a bridge too far due to the expectation that they may have
Ok - After my bitch the other day I feel I have recovered. I think we are forgetting Frazier Campbell. When he comes back it'll be like having a new striker. He was just showing signs of his quality assets before he got his injury. I have no doubt he'll be working on his upper body strength while he waits to recover from the injury so fingers crossed he can be the new Danny Welbeck.
I think Sess and Gyan are terrific players but a dynamic strike force? I’m not convinced. I think Gyan is capable of 15 to 20 goals if he remains fit but Sess hasn’t got any kind of previous history to suggest he can net 15 + goals at all. He's a supporting attacking player that can wade in with a few goals to supplement the forwards. I think we will regret not having a more experienced orthodox striker other than 2 unproven lads in Wickham and Won. If they don’t work out in their first season, we are up the creek again as we were without Judas goals for the 2nd part of the season. No goal means no wins. I would have thought after February to April’s collapse, when we couldn’t score in a brothel, SB of all people would be acutely aware of the perils of a weak strike force. That’s why I feel he WILL bring in another striking option before this month is out. I bloody hope anyway.
I think it will be obvious within the first two games how we are going to cope (or not...) If it is ''or not'' then Bruce still has a couple of weeks to sort something...
Neither gyan or sess, as rightly stated, are prolific strikers, however, our midfield didnt score goals last season. I think brucie boy has got a midfield now capable of chippng in 15-20 goals a season between them which takes a lot of pressure off relying on 1 or 2 players up front like we have done. If we get a new striker great, we have until the end of August to sort summit out. If we dont lets just get DW in January.
