Just a little follow up to the return of Zohore (allegedly) to fitness thread. Unless we're prepared to spend a lot of money on a striker, I think we'd be better off sticking with Paterson up top. He's much more of a handful for defenders than Ken even though perhaps he doesn't tend to attract the purists. Unless he gets injured, I'd play Pato up and around the penalty area with players like Reid, Murphy, Harris and Ward buzzing around him. He's not seen as "class" but then how do you define class? Here's a little (true) story about something that happened a couple of years back. My wife brought home a shiny red and chrome (very expensive!) kettle. Took it out of the box and set it up on the worktop in the kitchen and said "There, what do you think of that?". Maybe I said the wrong thing but I asked "does it boil water?" The moral of the story is if it does the job fair enough, but if you want it to do the job and look nice as well, you need to spend the money. If spending a dose of cash is not an option in January, we need to get the best from what we've got - and that includes Ken. Another £6M January splurge on a Madine lookalike especially at Prem level will piss everyone off apart from not helping matters.
Paterson has scored 3 in 4 at PL level as a makeshift striker. He has a knack for goakscoring so unless Zahore suddenly finds himself again and as Ward/ Madine just get 5-10 minutes, Paterson has to stay up top. In January which strikers are going to be available? Incidentally he’s playing for the Scotch tonight and is at full back in the line-up
Pato booked after 8 minutes and lucky not to get sent off later. Jocks 2 up and Albania down to 10 men. Don't mind if Pato sees red or gets subbed as long as not injured.
I don't think a another striker in January is the answer. We need to get some midfielders in on a permanent deal for the following season. Easier said than done given we are relegation candidates. Neither Arter or Camarasa will sign permanent deals if we are relegated, so get some new blood in now, ones for the future who can spend the remainder of the season learning from Arter and Camarasa. We need to look long term and not short term. If we can get some quality youngsters or through the ranks, that will be better than throwing money at a striker who may or may not do the business.
Taff - agree no guarantees that a new striker will solve it all, but it's a question of how much the club wants to stay up and the ultimate cost of the choices. Should we chance it and see if Warnock and the current squad with a few astute inexpensive additions can pull off survival or do somethong more positive to improve that chance? My point in all this was that another half hearted over priced option like Madine at this level would be pointless. You either go for it or stay away. Let's take a hypothetical case. Now that Jokanavic has had the elbow from Fulham, his fellow countryman Mitrovic is pissed off and Ranieri has other ideas of his own. Mitrovic wants away and Fulham would be happy to get their money (£22m?) back. Would and should the club consider buying him? He'd provide exactly what we lack, at a cost admittedly and no guarantees, but it would be a serious attempt to ensure another £100M next season in the Prem. Maybe we should just shore up the existing squad with a right back, a genuine No.10 and a maybe take a chance on an "elite" club promising youngster who can't get a game on loan for up front?
A long term approach is what's needed. For the defence I'd suggest we need a full back line. Bamba can't have too many season left in him, of the rest who is premier league standard? Joe Bennett and Sean Morrison both in their late 20s. So they're good for another season or two, the rest... Jazz (never fit) Richards, Manga, Connolly, Cunningham and Paterson. If he could stay fit is Richards Premier League quality? Manga is doing a sound job at right back and hasn't had too many clangers thus far. Connolly, getting on a bit, not going to get into another premier league first team. Cunningham can do a job, but not an automatic choice. Paterson is being employed in other areas and will become the utility player of the team.
Every team in the league is looking to strengthen. For me, evolution rather than revolution. A few changes each window. As for the original question, if we can't spend in January, I'd like to see pilks (who can also cover the right flank) and Healy brought into the 25. Madine should be one casualty but it would be an admission of failure from Colin so don't see it happening.
City are in the bottom 3 just as much due to conceding soft goals than not scoring enough. All Arsenal’s goals should have been avoided. The 2 goals by Burnley were so bad and cost the team 3 points. The one at Spurs another point. The one by Leicester another point. City got away with the horrendous defending for Brighton’s goal. Until the team either stops these defensive blunders or Warnock gets in defenders with PL ability. We all like Morrison and Bamba for their effort and pride in the shirt but stand back and look at how clumsy they are at defending. Manga should come in at CB with one of the above dropped. Peltier is so so but better than Manga at RB who is wasted there. Ideally a decent attacking RB should be bought in January. As for LB, Cunningham hasn’t shown me anything to justify him being ahead of Bennett.
