Signing strikers from abroad

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Have any of the strikers we signed from abroad actually worked out?

Looking at the list, it now has RVW, but previously, Maric, Strihavka, Libbra, Giallanza to name a few. They either suffered injuries or weren''t good enough.

Perhaps it''s time to stick locally with our next big striker purchases.

[Daniel Taylor 0]

I don''t think it''s anything to do with them being from abroad it''s about the teams they have been in. Strihavka was brought in by Peter Grant and then had Roeder as manager so unlikely to succeed. Yeah ok not great but that wouldn''t help. Maric was just an odd choice but a minimal gamble as he was free.

We just haven''t targeted the right type of players more often than not and there have been plenty of domestic strikers who have flopped equally.

[Gingerpele 0]

Strihavka only ever played well when I saw him. Roeder just decided he didn''t like him and gave him no chance.

Always surprises me when people call him rubbish or say he was a failure. Sure he didn''t get a chance to do much, but he wasn''t a bad player and was the very first casualty of Glenn Roeder.

[Paul Spector 0]

Not sure you can blame injuries on the fact that they were foreign!

[Dubai Mark 0]

Do Ted McDougall, Ron Davies and Iwan Roberts count?

[Tetteys Jig 830]

I made no association with the injuries being a result of them being foreign. It''s another coincidental thing as far as i''m concerned. Another one for you, Arturo Lupoli.

I just wonder if we have grown as a club enough to be able to exploit what a foreign approach brings up front. They will be used to different youth upbringings on the training pitches and when they are pitched with a largely british based midfield, they are perhaps on different wavelengths.

It seems funny that I used to be frustrated that we never really considered the foreign market when promoted, citing it was too much of a risk. Perhaps Lambert and co were right and perhaps we weren''t as established as we all thought we were. We could have done with Holt staying another year to be honest while the new guys found their feet.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

Yes, we could have done with Holt staying another year - I doubt we''d be where we are if he had, it would only have taken 2-3 points for us to be feeling probably safe.  But actually I think Holt decided to leave, more than the club decided to sell him.  I think he''d had enough of the Hughton style of play and didn''t want to be the 3rd choice striker.

 

As for buying strikers from abroad, it definitely adds another risk, that they may not adjust to the Prem style of play and/or to living here.   But British strikers tend to go for a premium in the transfer market for that exact reason.

[Salopian 1]

There are very few top class English, or even British Strikers. Look at the top 5 or 6 sides. They may have three of four between them. They have cornered the (very small) market.

If we reject overseas players, where shall we get good strikers? Our purse is too small. If Morris or Loza develop, it could be different, but how long would it be before one of the big boys tempted them away?

[Tetteys Jig 830]

Maybe Jordan Rhodes would have been a better purchase for £9m hindsight is a wonderful thing though...

[Tetteys Jig 830]

quote user="It''s Character Forming

Yes, we could have done with Holt staying another year - I doubt we''d be where we are if he had, it would only have taken 2-3 points for us to be feeling probably safe.  But actually I think Holt decided to leave, more than the club decided to sell him.  I think he''d had enough of the Hughton style of play and didn''t want to be the 3rd choice striker.

As for buying strikers from abroad, it definitely adds another risk, that they may not adjust to the Prem style of play and/or to living here.   But British strikers tend to go for a premium in the transfer market for that exact reason.

Holt was also told he wouldn''t be getting as much first team football, so he left. We could have convinced him to stay a year. He''d have been perfect foil for RVW or Hooper.

[Yellow Wal 314]

Jimmy Smith wrote the following post at 14/04/2014 4:29 PM:

Maybe Jordan Rhodes would have been a better purchase for £9m hindsight is a wonderful thing though...

And do you think Chris Hughton would have made him a better player, one who would have scored goals?