How about Rickie Lambert?

[Jarrolder 0]

With WBA signing a stricker and Lambert pretty much free to leave and rumours of him joining lower league teams surely he''d be worth a go? Yes wages would be high but with the attacking midfielders we''ve got he could work very well? A new Grant Holt?

[ROBFLECK 134]

I would have him in a flash!!!!

[Haggerdoo 6]

Not really what we need - better trying to bring in someone younger hungrier and with more pace - Wells from Huddersfield type player?

[John C 0]

Excellent shout. I think he would be a superb acquisition for the coming season.

[Molly Windley 76]

He`s 34, had his big payday when he moved to Liverpool, played for his home team, got an England cap and I doubt now that he really has his heart in giving it his all for us or anyone else after achieving all his career ambitions.

[king canary 8,758]

Our strikers are all either old, shit, or old and shit.

Lambert is certainly one of those. Possibly both.

[Ginja 43]

I assumed this was going to be a joke thread, imagine my surprise when I found out people were being serious...

[lake district canary 4,831]

[Y] Yeah, I suggested Lambert on another thread and absolutely agree he would fit our present situation as one of three or four strikers.  Low cost relative to people like McCormack and just as likely to score goals. 

[Van wink 2,994]

Don''t write players off because of age, at the right price he could be useful for one season in the Championship.

Does not give me the impression that he''s the sort of guy who wouldn''t give it 100% wherever he was playing.

[norfolkngood 1,174]

i would have him good in the air , can hold the ball up and knows where the goal is

got that extra needle to his play like holt,

not much fee wages might be high though

[Nuff Said 5,970]

How about Grant Holt?

(No, I''m not being serious)

[Ginja 43]

All I can say thank f*ck you people aren''t running the club.

[Mickdundee 0]

Love the way his age is slated. Yet I''m sure the same people would moan if hoolahan gets dropped, who''s the same age.

[lharman7 39]

Why would anyone want a 34 year old striker? Especially when we already have a badly ageing squad.

[norfolkngood 1,174]

the people running the club are looking at Dame N’Doye rather have lambert !!

of course i would like a younger striker but if i had a choice N''Doye or lambert

[ZLF 335]

a couple of years ago maybe but has underwhelmed at WBA last season and not sure he is simply on a downward slope.

[hogesar 10,767]

Nah, not for me. Would feel like getting Grant Holt on the tail end of his career rather than when he was at his best for us.

[lake district canary 4,831]

[quote user="lharman7"]Why would anyone want a 34 year old striker? Especially when we already have a badly ageing squad.[/quote]

Teddy Sheringham scored 20 goals in a season for West Ham...........aged 38Kevin Phillips scored 22 goals in a season for West Brom......aged 35 (and went on scoring regularly to the age of 41)Both clubs in the Championship at the time.

[Ginja 43]

He''s scored 3 league goals in the last two years, one of which was a penalty...

[Mr Apples 1,407]

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF.

Apples

[lharman7 39]

lake district canary wrote the following post at 04/08/2016 6:33 PM:

lharman7 wrote:

Why would anyone want a 34 year old striker? Especially when we already have a badly ageing squad.

Teddy Sheringham scored 20 goals in a season for West Ham...........aged 38

Kevin Phillips scored 22 goals in a season for West Brom......aged 35 (and went on scoring regularly to the age of 41)

Both clubs in the Championship at the time.

And Rickie Lambert couldn''t tie the shoe laces of either of those.

We have an already ageing squad so no thanks!

[Tetteys Jig 851]

To be honest, Lamberts lac of pace wouldn''t concern me as much. We have an excellent, technically gifted, pacy attacking mid and Lambert could be the perfect pivot for it to work with but also one that can win headers and knows where the goal is. We could do far worse than him I reckon. With Sakho joining WBA now, Lambert is probably available for quite cheap as well.

[king canary 8,758]

I know this is a bit of a tangent but those kind of arguments made by LDC do wind me up.

''Because one old striker scored lots once it means this one can too.''

I''m sure if we thought about it we could come up with a whole long list of strikers who were not scoring goals at his age.

Different players, different styles, different abilities. From the evidence of the last couple of seasons he looks to have faded badly from his Southampton heyday and there is little to suggest he will magically turn back time.

Old, slow, and not as quick minded as he once was. We need to invest in younger strikers who could be leading the line for the next 5 years, not on players whose best days are gone.

[lake district canary 4,831]

[quote user="lharman7"]lake district canary wrote the following post at 04/08/2016 6:33 PM:

lharman7 wrote:

Why would anyone want a 34 year old striker? Especially when we already have a badly ageing squad.

Teddy Sheringham scored 20 goals in a season for West Ham...........aged 38

Kevin Phillips scored 22 goals in a season for West Brom......aged 35 (and went on scoring regularly to the age of 41)

Both clubs in the Championship at the time.

And Rickie Lambert couldn''t tie the shoe laces of either of those.

We have an already ageing squad so no thanks![/quote]

Age is no barrier if the fitness and desire are there.  If we are to have four strikers, we will need a mix of age and experience.  As one of four strikers, he has a proven record at this level and would give us valuable back up - and if he could recapture his Southampton form, he could become first choice.   There really is no down side to the thought of him joining us.

[lharman7 39]

Has anyone put a thought into Lamberts wages? We probably wouldn''t even be able to match them and first team football isn''t much of a pull as money is to an ageing footballer.

[king canary 8,758]

@LDC

''If we are to have four strikers, we will need a mix of age and experience.''

Yes but we already have age and experience in the two strikers here- Lafferty and Jerome are both 28/29 with plenty of seasons under their belt. If you want a mix then we need to sign younger players as that is what we don''t have, not make the current crop even older.

[lake district canary 4,831]

[quote user="king canary"]@LDC

''If we are to have four strikers, we will need a mix of age and experience.''

Yes but we already have age and experience in the two strikers here- Lafferty and Jerome are both 28/29 with plenty of seasons under their belt. If you want a mix then we need to sign younger players as that is what we don''t have, not make the current crop even older.[/quote]

With respect to Lafferty, he is not proven at this level, Lambert is.  A striking force of Jerome, Lambert and two youner players would imo be a good balance.  He won''t cost much to buy and if he wanted too much wages then he wouldn''t be a good fit.  But if his motivation is playing football - like Sheringham and Phillips at their ages (and incidentally, I wasn''t comparing them to him in terms of ability, just in terms of age) - then why not?   PS - you say you don''t like my arguments - but what I argue on is generally based on what people are capable of and just because a player goes off the boil for whatever reason for a season or two does not mean you write them off.  Lambert imo has still something to offer.  If he has the desire, he will be looking for a club where he can play an active part, if he doesn''t he will sit out his contract at WBA and take the wages.  It''s largely up to him what he does, but if he wanted a challenge, we could be that challenge and his experience and ability at this level would be valuable.

[lharman7 39]

lake district canary wrote the following post at 04/08/2016 7:00 PM:

lharman7 wrote:

lake district canary wrote the following post at 04/08/2016 6:33 PM: lharman7 wrote: Why would anyone want a 34 year old striker? Especially when we already have a badly ageing squad. Teddy Sheringham scored 20 goals in a season for West Ham...........aged 38 Kevin Phillips scored 22 goals in a season for West Brom......aged 35 (and went on scoring regularly to the age of 41) Both clubs in the Championship at the time.

And Rickie Lambert couldn''t tie the shoe laces of either of those. We have an already ageing squad so no thanks!

Age is no barrier if the fitness and desire are there. If we are to have four strikers, we will need a mix of age and experience. As one of four strikers, he has a proven record at this level and would give us valuable back up - and if he could recapture his Southampton form, he could become first choice. There really is no down side to the thought of him joining us.

Rickie Lambert joining us for (potentially) less money just to be ''valuable back up'' to Jerome is just laughable. Do you think it would inspire the fitness and desire needed? Going out on a whim hoping he would recapture his Southampton form is also amusing! And a huge gamble!

[Dr Greenthumb 794]

Best mate is a baggies season ticket holder and his exact words were "worst striker I''ve seen here since we''ve been in the prem"

[Jarrolder 0]

I firmly believe this season is our only real chance of getting back into the prem for the foreseeable future. A lot of players have agreed to give it a go but for this year only. Klose, Tetty, Olsson/Brady (if they stay), possibly Howson. Then you have the rest of our regular starters ageing another year and getting past their best. This season is our best shot so we need a striker that is proven at this level and doesn’t need time to adapt (foreign signings) and can score goals from the very first game. Yes, I’d much rather a young striker, one that’s hungry, a good investment etc but who realistically is that going to be that can guarantee you goals? The majority of suggestions are a bit of gamble. Hence why someone like Lambert could be worth a shot? If we don’t go up this year I believe our squad will change massively and it will be a period of transition for the younger players to come through.