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lake district canary

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If Jackson''s chances have been limited this year, then they will be even more so next year. KK is improving with every game and was my MotM against Reading. He has pace, can play up front or on either flank, can shoot with either foot (right foot volley and left foot shot on the run that McCarthy only just tipped around the bar) and is an excellent header of the ball. RvW will be the main striker next year, but KK will get a lot of playing time as well, IMO. The need now is a quality AM who can feed RvW as well as scoring goals himself.

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[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="lake district canary"]If Jackson was to come in to the team over the next few weeks and do well, yeah, you could stick Weimann - and Benteke for that matter.[/quote]You''ve shot your entire debate in the foot with that comment IMHO LDC.  Benteke has been one of the best strikers in the league this season despite it being his first year at this level and in a poor Villa side, he''s already being linked with teams like Spurs, Man Utd and Arsenal, but you''d rather have Simeon Jackson...  Seriously, were you drinking heavily before posting that response or has something been slipped into the water up there for you to make such a ridiculous statement???  From a guy who normally puts well reasoned responses forward, you''ve dropped the ball there buddy and in a MASSIVE way.  Next you''ll be telling us that RVP is overrated and you''d rather have Kamara.......[/quote]

You misunderstand me, Indy.    My argument isn''t that Jackson is a better player than Benteke or Weimann, but that IF he develops as a player and comes on and does well, finds his form, scores a few goals - then he has done well as a support striker.   If our main strike force is RVW, KK and Holt and Becchio next season, then there is a role for a player to be a supporting striker who can do a job in the case of injury, etc etc.   In that scenario I would be happy with what we''ve got - which actually is what I said at the beginning of this thread, so I guess its time for me to shut up on this one.

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="lake district canary"]If Jackson was to come in to the team over the next few weeks and do well, yeah, you could stick Weimann - and Benteke for that matter.[/quote]You''ve shot your entire debate in the foot with that comment IMHO LDC.  Benteke has been one of the best strikers in the league this season despite it being his first year at this level and in a poor Villa side, he''s already being linked with teams like Spurs, Man Utd and Arsenal, but you''d rather have Simeon Jackson...  Seriously, were you drinking heavily before posting that response or has something been slipped into the water up there for you to make such a ridiculous statement???  From a guy who normally puts well reasoned responses forward, you''ve dropped the ball there buddy and in a MASSIVE way.  Next you''ll be telling us that RVP is overrated and you''d rather have Kamara.......[/quote]

You misunderstand me, Indy.    My argument isn''t that Jackson is a better player than Benteke or Weimann, but that IF he develops as a player and comes on and does well, finds his form, scores a few goals - then he has done well as a support striker.   If our main strike force is RVW, KK and Holt and Becchio next season, then there is a role for a player to be a supporting striker who can do a job in the case of injury, etc etc.   In that scenario I would be happy with what we''ve got - which actually is what I said at the beginning of this thread, so I guess its time for me to shut up on this one.

[/quote]

 

ldc, that is point. You think a strike force of Holt, RVW, Becchio, Kamara and Jackson is good enough for the Premier League. No-one else here seems to. Of course you may be right and everyone else wrong, and the person whose opinion really matters is Chris Hughton (assuming etc etc etc). I would, though, be prepared to bet (notionally since this is cyberspace) that we will not start the next PL season (assuming etc etc etc) with that unupgraded quintet.

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[quote user="lake district canary"]My argument isn''t that Jackson is a better player than Benteke or Weimann, but that IF he develops as a player and comes on and does well, finds his form, scores a few goals - then he has done well as a support striker.[/quote]I''m sorry LDC, but that is NOT what you said and the original quote clearly illustrates this and I don''t get why you''ve tried to worm out of this one (actually I do, because it was a ridiculous statement tbh).Even if Jackson plays a few games before the end of the season and chips in a goal or two, he''s STILL not good enough for this level, and the idea that we''d be looking to him for goals and performances if players like RVW and Holt were injured etc is a truly scary prospect (and one that would see us heading firmly down the league).The whole point of having 3rd or 4th choice strikers is that if your main players are injured, then they can come in for a short spell and provide a relatively good level of performance until they return, and a goal shy striker with a highly limited game ISN''T going to do that.Therefore in order to improve we do need to ship out players like Jackson and replace them with people like Weimann etc, because then even if the worst happens, we have more than good enough cover to deal with it. We obviously can''t afford to have 10 mil players sat on the bench, but we can certainly do better than players who struggled for goals at CCC level...

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[quote user="Indy_Bones"]The whole point of having 3rd or 4th choice strikers is that if your main players are injured, then they can come in for a short spell and provide a relatively good level of performance until they return....[/quote]We need players who are not just back-up but actually competing for places (ie Ruddy/Bunn, Martin/Whitaker etc). Unfortunately, Jackson is not good enough to put pressure on our current strikers and force the manager to play him, so with new strikers on the way, it''s clear his future is elsewhere. Good lad but simply not good enough footballer at this level.

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Again I''m like a broken record, but...

If we keep playing 4-2-3-1 we dont need 5 strikers. So RvW, Holt, Kamara and Becchio would do it.

It is always easy to critisize strikers and dream about striker who can score +20 goals, but we really dont lack goalscorers, we lack players that gives the last pass.

We really cant use up 5 places from 25 to pure strikers. (Well Kamara can play as a winger so mayby we could get one more)

Anyway even in 4-4-2 we dont need more than 5 and thats it. So before someone leaves I would say we are fine at the moment.

Another pocket player with better scoring record than Hoolahan would be my main target this season and defensive playmaker.

And what comes to Jackson, I cant really see him here next season and I would give his spot for a youngster like Loza -> and wouldnt buy anyone for that spot <-.

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If I was Hughton I would be looking to get rid of most, if not all our strikers.

Sell Jackson, Martin, Becchio.

Let Kamara go back on loan.

Maybe keep Holt. I''d be disappointed to see him go as he is a club legend but this season he has let the club down and he hasn''t shown many glimpses of his old self.

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[quote user="Lavanche"]Again I''m like a broken record, but...

If we keep playing 4-2-3-1 we dont need 5 strikers. So RvW, Holt, Kamara and Becchio would do it.

It is always easy to critisize strikers and dream about striker who can score +20 goals, but we really dont lack goalscorers, we lack players that gives the last pass.

We really cant use up 5 places from 25 to pure strikers. (Well Kamara can play as a winger so mayby we could get one more)

Anyway even in 4-4-2 we dont need more than 5 and thats it. So before someone leaves I would say we are fine at the moment.

Another pocket player with better scoring record than Hoolahan would be my main target this season and defensive playmaker.

And what comes to Jackson, I cant really see him here next season and I would give his spot for a youngster like Loza -> and wouldnt buy anyone for that spot <-.[/quote]

 

Levanche, do you really think that is all it is? Our strikers have scored seven goals between them this season. That is four fewer than from our defenders. Take the bottom four teams. Reading''s strikers have scored 17, QPR''s 14, Wigan''s 21 and Villa''s 29. That cannot just be because their final pass is better. The quality of the strikers has to be a factor too. I used the example of Benteke and Weimann being better than anyone we have this season, but there are players in those other three teams - Rémy, for one; Koné for another. Has Koné got twice as many goals as Holt just because the service is better?

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[quote user="SnakepitCanary"]

If I was Hughton I would be looking to get rid of most, if not all our strikers.

Sell Jackson, Martin, Becchio.

Let Kamara go back on loan.

Maybe keep Holt. I''d be disappointed to see him go as he is a club legend but this season he has let the club down and he hasn''t shown many glimpses of his old self.

[/quote]

Well considering we are yet to recieve any of the TV money, which by the way, is spread out over the season, not all up front as some people would seem to think.

Sure lets let all of our strikers go including the two players appearing to be in favour with Hughton at the moment in Holt and Kamara.

Yeah.

Great.

Glad some posters on here are not our manager, we''d be relegated and without a squad. Hang on, why did we get rid of Roeder?!!!

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"we lack players that gives the last pass"

 

wrong, I''m afraid

 

We are hampered by playing a system which is targeted towards scoring from set pieces, which have favoured tall defenders and also having defenders in the box at corners and freekicks.

 

That final pass guff is all part of the ''assist'' bollox which does little other than to provide the trainspotters with something to pull their plonker about.

 

Kamara showed how it could be done with his Geoff Hurst world cup final shot in the second half. That was a rarity, usually once a City player gets the ball inside the opposition half he checks and passes it back. Possession is ok if it has a purpose beyond simply possession. For us it is all too often about possession. If we have the ball they can''t score - nor can we, as that would risk losing the ball.

 

Players don''t become bad players overnight. Bad tactics can do that, over a long enough period.

 

 

 

 

 

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[quote user="lake district canary"]  If Jackson was to come in to the team over the next few weeks and do well, yeah, you could stick Weimann - and Benteke for that matter.[/quote]

Ok, Indy, there is my original comment - where does it say Jackson is better than Weimann or Benteke?   My view stands - IF and it is an if, Jackson or any player for that matter and does well enough, it would show the manager and the fans that here is a player who can handle the premiership.  I don''t really care about Weimann or Benteke as they are not Norwich players  and   I am well aware that Jackson still has to find his level, whether its at Norwich or anywhere else, but you could say a lot of our players aren''t up to the standard we require - Johnson - passing,  Snodgrass - too slow,  Fox - not mobile enough,  Hoolahan - too much lacking in a final product - you could go on and on.   On that level you would ship most of them out.   Thankfully football doesn''t work like that.  In the real world players that make up a squad are human beings like everyone else and are striving to do well in whatever situation they are in.  Fans don''t really know what the situation is with this player or that, but the amount of our players that get the "not good enough" treatment on here, its a wonder we''re not still back in League 1.   Players get written off too quickly and although I may have a minority view it is one based on what my opinion is - that the front line is strong enough for next season and the development needed is more in midfield. 

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PurpleCanary:

Ofc not all, but most of it. If our central middlefield wont get in to the advanced positions, wingers wont try to shoot from wider positions it means our lonely striker is playing against at least 3 players if not 5 and that has been our problem this season.

Holt has proven himself earlier and that touch wont go anywhere. He just dont get delivery he needs.

Ofc quality is another factor and our strikers are not the one''s who create their opportunities from nowhere. but that doesnt mean they cant score and be better in other areas than those strikers who dont need good delivery.

For me as RvW, Holt and Kamara are good enought for leading strikers and Becchio is still a question mark. If we dont get rid one of them, we shouldnt buy anyone and even if we buy someone I think it shouldnt be someone like Kamara that most of us have never heard of. And I wouldnt get rid of Holt nor Kamara. They are great assets.

Also I would any time take middlieflder who scores 5 and knows how to pass than a striker who scores 10, and dont offer much else. So if we buy proven quality more than RvW it should be middlefielder or at least striker who isn''t profilic target man or poacher.

Dont know if any of you watched last night Barca vs Bayern, but Messi who can score almost in any game did not get single chance as he had to drop back to get the ball and delivery for central area was very poor at the last third. Lonely striker is very easy to play off if his support isnt causing a threat.

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City1st:

How many times you have seen a pass behind the line or someone from middlefield making a option for wall pass in central area, or a lob over defensive line where our targetman could try to get?

Hoolahan is almost only man in whole team who tries to make these kind of plays. (Well Johnsons tries once in a while, but he just lacks the skill)

It is part of tactical problem as you state, but it is also part of type of playres our roster is missing.

For me the solution of the problem comes from central trio, not from striker. But my opinion is only one of many.

I just think people are at the moment a bit too oldfashioned for crying loud for quality strikers where modern game is developing in a way where there really isnt that much for need for pure strikres, but players who can do so much more than score goals.

My point is that we have enought big men to hold up the ball, we need someone behind them to come and score or make a play for the big man to score.

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="lake district canary"]  If Jackson was to come in to the team over the next few weeks and do well, yeah, you could stick Weimann - and Benteke for that matter.[/quote]Ok, Indy, there is my original comment - where does it say Jackson is better than Weimann or Benteke?[/quote]Tell you what LDC, you keep grasping at straws and making your stance look more ridiculous by the minute and the rest of us will carry on a sensible conversation.Whilst you haven''t categorically stated "Jackson is better than Weimann/Benteke - FACT", it''s blindingly obvious that this is what was initially inferred in your original quote on the subject, and your further attempted retractions around this just don''t hold up (your grasp of english and grammar hasn''t suddenly failed from post to post...)Jackson doing relatively well in the last couple of games absolutely does NOT show either manager or fans that he''s a premiership level player, because it''s been blindingly obvious for the last 2 seasons that he isn''t, and a couple of decent games at this point will not change this in the slightest.Also, trying to draw nonsensical comparisons with other players isn''t going to vindicate Jackson either, as at least the aforementioned players do the primary jobs that they are supposed to do (Johnson - break up play, Snoddy - goals/assists, Hoolahan - linking mid to striker/passing, Fox - distribution etc, etc).Jackson does NOT score anywhere near regularly enough, and his link up play is hardly sparkling either, so he''s already failed in not just his primary job, but also his secondary role as a striker, so what exactly are we meant to be lauding him for - purely on work rate??? (I remember many ''journeymen'' players getting slated because that''s all they brought to the table).The honest truth is that he really is CCC level at the very best, and there''s nothing wrong with that, but the idea of yet another season with him being there as 3rd or 4th choice striker is going too far, and really would show a lack of ambition and wanting to develop as a club - far more so than not extending the ground etc.Now surely you can be honest enough to admit that you went too far in your previous statements, that given the choice you would rather have strikers who can hit double figures each season as our main/backup options, than you would keep Jackson and claim he''s good enough - SURELY you can admit that?

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[quote user="SnakepitCanary"]

If I was Hughton I would be looking to get rid of most, if not all our strikers.

Sell Jackson, Martin, Becchio.

Let Kamara go back on loan.

Maybe keep Holt. I''d be disappointed to see him go as he is a club legend but this season he has let the club down and he hasn''t shown many glimpses of his old self.

[/quote]

In what way?

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[quote user="Lavanche"]PurpleCanary:

Ofc not all, but most of it. If our central middlefield wont get in to the advanced positions, wingers wont try to shoot from wider positions it means our lonely striker is playing against at least 3 players if not 5 and that has been our problem this season.

Holt has proven himself earlier and that touch wont go anywhere. He just dont get delivery he needs.

Ofc quality is another factor and our strikers are not the one''s who create their opportunities from nowhere. but that doesnt mean they cant score and be better in other areas than those strikers who dont need good delivery.

For me as RvW, Holt and Kamara are good enought for leading strikers and Becchio is still a question mark. If we dont get rid one of them, we shouldnt buy anyone and even if we buy someone I think it shouldnt be someone like Kamara that most of us have never heard of. And I wouldnt get rid of Holt nor Kamara. They are great assets.

Also I would any time take middlieflder who scores 5 and knows how to pass than a striker who scores 10, and dont offer much else. So if we buy proven quality more than RvW it should be middlefielder or at least striker who isn''t profilic target man or poacher.

Dont know if any of you watched last night Barca vs Bayern, but Messi who can score almost in any game did not get single chance as he had to drop back to get the ball and delivery for central area was very poor at the last third. Lonely striker is very easy to play off if his support isnt causing a threat.[/quote]Levanche, I entirely take the point about central midfielders not getting into the penalty area to provide a threat. And I accept that when we play one up front being the lone striker is a tough job. But for all that a total of seven goals from our strikers in 34 games is pitiful. It really is. And cannot be explained away by the tactics we have used. It has to say something, unfortunately, about the quality of strikers we have.You think Holt and Kamara are great assets. I don''t get to many games, but from those I have seen, including Reading, if I had to categorise Holt and Kamara I would say they are no better than  top of the Championship quality. Kamara is willing but limited (there may be room for improvement) and Holt is not the brilliant player he was last season. On Saturday, from memory, he provided no goal threat at all in open play. The obvious explanation, sadly, is that age has caught up with him, and that his decline this season will carry on next. He never was going to be a kind of Teddy Sheringham player who could go on and on.I am not advocating getting rid of him, unless we get a decent offer, but I would be seriously worried (assuming we stay up) if we were relying on him to lead the line next season.

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[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="lake district canary"]  If Jackson was to come in to the team over the next few weeks and do well, yeah, you could stick Weimann - and Benteke for that matter.[/quote]Ok, Indy, there is my original comment - where does it say Jackson is better than Weimann or Benteke?[/quote]Tell you what LDC, you keep grasping at straws and making your stance look more ridiculous by the minute and the rest of us will carry on a sensible conversation.Whilst you haven''t categorically stated "Jackson is better than Weimann/Benteke - FACT", it''s blindingly obvious that this is what was initially inferred in your original quote on the subject, and your further attempted retractions around this just don''t hold up (your grasp of english and grammar hasn''t suddenly failed from post to post...)   Jackson doing relatively well in the last couple of games absolutely does NOT show either manager or fans that he''s a premiership level player, because it''s been blindingly obvious for the last 2 seasons that he isn''t, and a couple of decent games at this point will not change this in the slightest.  Also, trying to draw nonsensical comparisons with other players isn''t going to vindicate Jackson either, as at least the aforementioned players do the primary jobs that they are supposed to do (Johnson - break up play, Snoddy - goals/assists, Hoolahan - linking mid to striker/passing, Fox - distribution etc, etc).  Jackson does NOT score anywhere near regularly enough, and his link up play is hardly sparkling either, so he''s already failed in not just his primary job, but also his secondary role as a striker, so what exactly are we meant to be lauding him for - purely on work rate??? (I remember many ''journeymen'' players getting slated because that''s all they brought to the table).  The honest truth is that he really is CCC level at the very best, and there''s nothing wrong with that, but the idea of yet another season with him being there as 3rd or 4th choice striker is going too far, and really would show a lack of ambition and wanting to develop as a club - far more so than not extending the ground etc.  Now surely you can be honest enough to admit that you went too far in your previous statements, that given the choice you would rather have strikers who can hit double figures each season as our main/backup options, than you would keep Jackson and claim he''s good enough - SURELY you can admit that?[/quote]

That''s the second time you''ve misunderstood   me.    I nowhere said anything about what Jackson has done in the last couple of games.  I referred  only to what he might do if he gets another chance in the future.   I never mentioned strikers reaching  double figures either.  

And believe me, I am not clutching at any straws.

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The reason that Jackson doesn''t play is that he can''t play as a lone striker, unlike Holt and Kamara. He can only play as the second striker in a 4-4-2. It''s not dissimilar to Jermaine Defoe at Spurs (And England). Spurs also play 4-4-1-1, the difference is that they''ve got Gareth Bale playing in a free role, and he''s the 3rd highest scorer in the league with 18. So despite Defoe being a great striker, he gets little game time because he doesn''t do enough for the team except score. Jackson even doesn''t do that.Never going to forget Jackson''s hat-trick against Derby (especially the second), but for the sake of his own career he''s better off playing regularly at Championship level.

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"My point is that we have enought big men to hold up the ball, we need someone behind them to come and score or make a play for the big man to score"

 

 

But if the big men are not even receiving the ball how can they hold it up ?

 

Fine to have the team funneling back to form some kind of eight man wall between the opposition and our goal but that''s of little use if they cannot also break ''en masse''. We are playing a ''percentage'' game that is minimalising risk so much that we are not even getting a chance to score.

 

Players are all too often seemingly more concerned about ''doing what they are supposed to do'' that trying what they think might work.

 

Put simply, they are being over coached.

 

 

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[quote user="City1st"]

Kamara showed how it could be done with his Geoff Hurst world cup final shot in the second half. That was a rarity, usually once a City player gets the ball inside the opposition half he checks and passes it back. Possession is ok if it has a purpose beyond simply possession. For us it is all too often about possession. If we have the ball they can''t score - nor can we, as that would risk losing the ball.

 Players don''t become bad players overnight. Bad tactics can do that, over a long enough period.

 [/quote]

Do you think they are bad tactics, or just necessary tactics for this transitional season?

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"Do you think they are bad tactics, or just necessary tactics for this transitional season?"

 

Very well put. I think Hughton''s tactics will become more expansive next season when he has the players that he wants in place. I''m so far unconvinced that he''s an inherently negative manager, but one for whom the dictates of survival mean that a limited budget is being deployed with the prime aim of not losing. Pretty it certainly isn''t.

 

He had enough money in the last close season season to improve the defence, but not the attack. This time he''ll have enough for that, and attacking players will be where the bulk of the budget will be spent.

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Call me insensitive or harsh, but I would happily sell ALL of our frontline this summer!

RVW + 2 others, with wingers/forwards that can cross and score goals to back up/replace Pilks and Snodgrass.

I think CH will prefer to play 4/5/1 reverting to 4/3/3 on the break, and if this is the case the wingers will be the key.

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"Let''s be ''aving you!" - "Do you think they are bad tactics, or just necessary tactics for this transitional season?"

Very well put. I think Hughton''s tactics will become more expansive next season when he has the players that he wants in place. I''m so far unconvinced that he''s an inherently negative manager, but one for whom the dictates of survival mean that a limited budget is being deployed with the prime aim of not losing. Pretty it certainly isn''t.

He had enough money in the last close season season to improve the defence, but not the attack. This time he''ll have enough for that, and attacking players will be where the bulk of the budget will be spent."

This sums up the situation clearly and concisely. I will be very surprised, and disappointed, if we play the same style of football next season.

This season has been about survival.

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Having spent £8.5m on RVW the issue is where is the transfer budget best spent? For me the priority now RVW has been landed is the midfield- unless we sort that and get some pace in there plus a surging attacking midfielder who can run forward with the ball (as MCleary did on Sat when he scored), it won''t matter a jot who we have up front as they won''t get the service, again. Let''s not pretend that we have been creating chances all season, even RVP would have struggled with what our strikers have been given. Some games we didn''t get a shot in on target- so the stats comparing appearances with goals are misleading.

 

I am actually in agreement with LDC, Jackson is the most marginal of the 5 but he was on the bench on Saturday ahead of Becchio so clearly CH doesn''t see him as a no hope. And what is important to me is that you have a portfolio of different abilities to choose from so you can mix it up. We will find it really tough to attract anybody of serious quality to come to Norwich to be a 4th or 5th choice striker. Whoever sits in those roles knows that they are not going to get many chances and are there only as back up or for tactical changes once in a while. An ambitious young striker needs to be in the headlines scoring, and waiting in the wings forever isn''t going to help him. And we shouldn''t be paying top wages wiether to someone not used much. So for me it is either Jackson or maybe a Carlton Morris type from the youth team.

 

If I am to be honest, the biggest question in the front line is young Mr Holt. Much as I have liked him over the past few seasons, in the Prem there is so much need for pace these days that as a main striker you are severely limited if you don''t have it, especially in a 4-5-1. Lumping around and dropping deep searching for the ball is not Holty''s strength which is what he has had to do a lot this season. I could easily see him moving on to  maybe Cardiff or Hull.

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"Do you think they are bad tactics, or just necessary tactics for this transitional season?"
The tactics weren''t necessary last season, and if you want to debate 2nd season syndrome (when we''ve strengthened after the first season) how would you counter Swansea?  I am sure he will look to play more expansively next season, this may come from change of personnel as much as change of formation.

Regarding the strikers:

Jackson - gut feeling is he will be off to a decent championship side.  He is not a regular and if KK has moved in front of him in the pecking order then the signs are ominous.

Holt - Prefer if he stayed, change in manager has obviously hindered him, he is nowhere near the level he was last season, but he is still more likely than any other forward to score.  I think we may well go back in for Hooper, which would spell exit for Holt.

Kamara - Good player to bring off the bench, if we are going to play with only one up front I would prefer to pay money for a younger prospect, if it is 2 players then I would go with Kei Kamara.

Bechio - not seen enough of him to make that call.  Hughton must believe he has more to offer than Kei, which means he is only going to be a squad player, we are unlikely to sell.

Martin and Vaughan must be certainties to leave or loaned out.

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I expect Jackson to go and think that would be right for both parties at this stage in his career.

I would not be surprised if Holt were to move although hope he sticks around a bit longer.

RVW will clearly be first choice.

I would keep Kamara is he''s not too expensive.

I am sorry but i have seen nothing at all in Becchio to convince me he has what it takes to be a premiership footballer and I would be inclined to move him on. Maybe thats me making a snap judgment and is harsh on him but Hughton obviously feels the same as he is not getting any game time.

I think we will bring in one more striker and it needs to be someone with a bit of pace. Holt and Kamara would be fine as the big strikers so would like to see a smaller goal poacher type. Hooper would fit the bill but not sure if we will still be interested.

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[quote user="Gingerpele"]LDC, like I said, it doesn''t really matter what you or any of us think about Jackson. He has hardly even filled the role of squad striker this season. When did he last come on? [/quote]Game before last!

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What I would say about Jackson though is that whilst ultimately I don''t think he scores enough goals at this level to be a genuine option for a team looking to kick on next season (as i hope we will be) he has never let us down when he has played and has actually done better in the premiership than I thought he would do. I also think that in general the team has produced some of its better performances/spells when he has been on the pitch because his movement and energy stretches teams and creates space for others. I therefore think that if we are looking to bring in another striker in the summer (and I hope we are) it should be someone of the Jackson ilk rather than another targetman.

That said i also agree with the comments above that a bit more creativity in midfield and a more positive mindset to go with it would make a difference and probably see an improved return from whichever strikers we end up playing!

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[quote user="NWC"]

Call me insensitive or harsh, but I would happily sell ALL of our frontline this summer!

RVW + 2 others, with wingers/forwards that can cross and score goals to back up/replace Pilks and Snodgrass.

I think CH will prefer to play 4/5/1 reverting to 4/3/3 on the break, and if this is the case the wingers will be the key.

[/quote]

I think replacing Snoddy would be very harsh given the season he has had. Agree we maybe need a pacy option to back up/replace Pilks though. He is brilliant at times but goes completely missing at other times (usually away from home) which we can;t really afford.

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This is an interesting thread. Why when we have improved the squad are we scoring so few goals.

Personally I think it is the mix of personnel especially in Midfield.

How many actually even try to score in open play.

Snodgrass is awesome from a set piece but hardly ever looks like scoring in open play.

Wes plays great football but is a real luxury for a number 10 in this formation with either Kamara or Holt up front keeping the defence occupied it is imperative we have someone in this position shooting if we are playing this formation.

Bennett is potentially a great creator but again doesn''t get enough shots away when playing

Pilks is our number one midfield goal threat but can be hit and miss.

I am not a fan of Howson in midfield in any formation and certainly not as a first choice.

We don''t expect Johnson or Tettey to be the goalscorers although obviously a box to box midfielder is now top of the wanted list for next season.

I would imagine RVW can play as one up or as Number 10 behind say Holt or Kamara that could be exciting.

Also Kamara can do a job out wide giving us the opportunity to be more attacking whilst not risking being in a too open formation.

So in my opinion the current squad plus RVW and a top quality Dembele/Toure type midfielder could transform our team for next season.

Additional cover at LB and CB and maybe another wide midfielder/striker option with real pace like Victor Moses and we couldn''t as for more, could be exciting times.

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