18 points? Don't know where you're getting that from. 38 will be enough this year. 4 wins and a couple of draws will do it. Can't see us not getting that.
Kinda. But Shane Long also puts the 'central' in central striker; he's a really poor finisher from angles, whether with his feet or his head. With enough space he'll invariably track to a spot where he has the whole of the goal at his mercy, but that hasn't been happening. And thus this season, a lot of his chances have involved a defender close enough to move him wide of the frame; a lot of players will still finish those, and one can argue that Long ought to, as well, but sliding one into the corner really isn't his thing.
We were never offered them on loan.But Wanyama never wanted to sign a new contract, despite being offered one. So he wanted to leave.
Sometimes I think defenders say 'Don't worry too much about him he'll miss' I remember two centre backs in a team I was playing for saying that about the opposition's centre forward, it was true too, if he'd have taken his chances we'd have lost by about six as it was we won.
Regarding Gabbiadini, I'd be happy to have him, but it merits mentioning that he isn't a pure striker, either. In fact, I'd suggest his best role would be in our old two-quasi-striker 4-3-3 thingy, with one striker nominally playing wide, as we did with Lambert/Jay and Pelle/Long at times. He can do striker things, but probably isn't going to be ideal if we want to isolate him as a lone striker and sling crosses in the general direction of his head.
Well if it means having to supplement him with also signing a striker to play through the middle, and a CM who breaks into the box, then I'd be totally cool with that.
I have never, not once, heard that story before. And I bet it wasn't told by anyone who was there. I had a run-in with someone the other week who was pronouncing to all and sundry that Mané desperately wanted to stay at Saints and Reed forced him to leave because Reed is paid based on the amount he can sell players for. In a couple of years someone's going to be on a forum somewhere stating that as "fact". Vin
Sorry Craig, I think you misunderstand where we sit in football. I'm not being rude, just it isn't that simple.
I understood the striker complaints earlier in the season when they were missing gilt-edged chances, but what chances did they even have today? It's nowhere near just as simple as 'Buy a striker ffs', unless that striker is going to both create his own chances from nothing and score 15-20 goals a season. Cos those are dime-a-dozen...
Indeed. A striker is a good first step, but it's no panacea. We need someone who can drive us forward in the middle of the park.
