We're close to the striker!!!

Slade given an interview to Matt dean saying we on the verge of a deal, anyone heard any names

JJ hooper is the obvious one. We know he's on trial, he played in the league above last year which RS stated and it would be permanent. He's perhaps made an impression over the last few days? Anyone else got other ideas??

thats the only one i could think of also SuperDan!

La Liga are allowing Grimsby a late bid for Neymar....?????  

Alex Revell

JJ hopper is obvious, but there is also Jermaine Easter, sylvan Ebanks Blake, chris brown and Ishmael miller who would all seemingly fit the bill

Out of those mentioned i think i would prefer Revell despite his age

JJ hooper

The way he talks about JJ Hooper in the interview makes me think it's not him that he's talking about.

I hope it's someone different (and better) to all those names mentioned.

Would be very pleased with Revell but can't see it happening.

If it was hooper, I don't see why it could potentially take until next week. I imagine the player it currently with a club.

Quoted from Mariner93er

If it was hooper, I don't see why it could potentially take until next week. I imagine the player it currently with a club.

Too late for the Chesterfield game now. Hopefully before the next game though

Slade said in the interview it was a permanent deal for a player who played in league 1 last season. It must be either revell or hooper.

I'd rather have hooper as he looks a raw talent who has the potential to turn into a decent player with the right management. And could be a saleable asset down the line

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

I'd rather have hooper as he looks a raw talent who has the potential to turn into a decent player with the right management. And could be a saleable asset down the line

Agree with Slade and Wilko they could make him a better player.

Not Ebanks-Blake please. He's been a disappointment at every club he's been at.

I'll be pleased with Alex Revell, similar sort of player to Scott Vernon but he scores more goals.

Revels best days are behind him , I'd rather we tried to develop a young player

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

Revels best days are behind him , I'd rather we tried to develop a young player

Like Cardwell?

Ricki Lambert still without a club i believe, or has his legs gone?

Quoted from Perkins

Ricki Lambert still without a club i believe, or has his legs gone?

No, but his bowels have!

Cardwell, asante and rose are all young strikers, so if happily accept someone like revell.

Quoted from Cloudy

Like Cardwell?

Yeah . Why not have another one like hooper who's a bit older but needs more work

Need someone with some experience up front, a clever player who can extract the most out of Jones, with Jones fully utilised we'd be very dangerous.

Vernon ^^

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

Vernon ^^

Since he signed has has only had a handful of good games so hopefully he may come good but I worry that he is all we are relying on.

Felt a bit down in the dumps with the lack of PR and leadership at the club and to a certain extent some of the signings so far. Have been beginning to fear for us a bit.

But every time I hear an RS interview, he fills me with confidence and I hope it works for the players too.

Decent forward and a utility midfielder, we'll be fine.. at the right end of the table..

Quoted from Teesknees

No, but his bowels have!

Please explain.,

Quoted from Perkins

Please explain.,

That made me laugh maybe its an age thing  

It would not surprise me if we sign someone who is not a free agent. There will be players from league 1 last season who may not be in the managers plans for this year but under contract, or a player who has handed in a transfer request at another club rather than push for a place due to new signings and competition.

Like everyone else though I just hope they are a decent player, some valuable experience but nippy enough to cause problems. Someone mid to late 20's would be ideal in my opinion.

I trust the right one will be signed.

UTM

As long as its not Hooper who asked for the week end to think about it,

Then goes and signs for someone else,

No he wouldn't do that would he.?  

Quoted from grimsby pete

As long as its not Hooper who asked for the week end to think about it,

Then goes and signs for someone else,

No he wouldn't do that would he.?  

Poor old Garry Johnson, I`ll bet that wiped the smugness from him

Quoted from grimsby pete

That made me laugh maybe its an age thing  

I think it must be age thing Pete! Ooooh Matron etc

Quoted from StaffsMariner

Not Ebanks-Blake please. He's been a disappointment at every club he's been at.

I'm sure Wolves would disagree!

JJ Hooper

Hairs on my neck are still where they were tbh.

I'd rather have Padraig Amond  

Quoted from chaos33

I'd rather have Padraig Amond  

Good shout, alongside Vernon, would maybe work

Jack Bridge and JJ Hooper

[img]http://i1.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/article248026.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/GR-052.jpg[/img]

Now stop moaning Russ. I said I'd get you a new striker if I had to carry him here myself and here he is.

Every player we sign gets labelled as sh1t by their former fans. If we have signed Hooper, then we'll see what he has to offer. Would be great if he scored the winner against Vale, finishing a cross from Kelly.

Pretty much every player in the bottom 2 divisions has been released by a club at some point so will have one set of former supporters who won't exactly speak highly of them.

It's about our Slade's ability to man-manage and get the best out of said player. And i think that's something Slade is good at. So I'm confident Slade could get more out of a player that's not realised their potential previously.

And if you don't believe in man management then you won't believe how Rotherham ended up in LG 1

Is this happening?

No idea what is happening but Tyler Walker didnt make the bench for Forest's opening fixture.

IF it is to be JJ Hooper then seems a bit odd that it hasnt been tied up yet. RS said about the player must want to be here but with Hooper on trial it would seem strange if he was hesitating.

Who knows

One of the most exciting strikers in an age is already in the building in Ahkeem
Rose. Once this kid gets his chance following international clearance, which he will, then he is going to be one of the best finds in an age as strikers go.

He is absolutely rapid and is a superb finisher. Handled correctly then Ahkeem
Rose is going to be a massive fans favourite

Quoted from 120790

One of the most exciting strikers in an age is already in the building in Ahkeem
Rose. Once this kid gets his chance following international clearance, which he will, then he is going to be one of the best finds in an age as strikers go.

He is absolutely rapid and is a superb finisher. Handled correctly then Ahkeem
Rose is going to be a massive fans favourite

where have i heard that before?

Why would Rose need international clearance? Hasnt he been with us for months on a pro deal?

Quoted from 120790

One of the most exciting strikers in an age is already in the building in Ahkeem
Rose. Once this kid gets his chance following international clearance, which he will, then he is going to be one of the best finds in an age as strikers go.

He is absolutely rapid and is a superb finisher. Handled correctly then Ahkeem
Rose is going to be a massive fans favourite

Did not do much in the pre season games

Quoted from Cloudy

where have i heard that before?

Why would Rose need international clearance? Hasnt he been with us for months on a pro deal?

Because he was born in Jamaica. Yes he signed a pro contract because of his age, even though he was only playing youth / reserve football. But whilst he wasn't in the reckoning for first team football, international clearance wasn't an issue. But I understand that now he is a serious consideration this season for first team squad consideration, that under FA & EFL regs we have to go through an international clearance procedure. It is a formality and will happen, but can take a bit of time.

Going to be a super player though in my opinion

he doesnt need any internation clearance

Quoted from Hagrid

he doesnt need any internation clearance

Well according to a GTFC coach I was talking to at the weekend he does.

The lad hasn't even kicked a ball in adult football for us yet, let's not big him up to much eh? It's all very well and good scoring goals in youth football against defenders and keepers that are never going to make it in the game as opposed to playing against big burly league 2 defenders and good keepers. Darren Mansaram springs to mind.

Slade confirms we have offered JJ Hooper a contract.

Why all the red crosses for the Akheem Rose posts?

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

Why all the red crosses for the Akheem Rose posts?

Because it's made up.

Quoted from gtfc98

Because it's made up.

That's not what Russell Slade has said in his interview with Humberside today. He said Akheem cannot currently play due to a paperwork issue.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

That's not what Russell Slade has said in his interview with Humberside today. He said Akheem cannot currently play due to a paperwork issue.

He's not going to be playing first team is he. He hasn't even played a youth game this season.

Quoted from gtfc98

He's not going to be playing first team is he. He hasn't even played a youth game this season.

Again, have a listen to the interview. Slade clearly states he wants him registered to play competitive football not just reserve and youth.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

That's not what Russell Slade has said in his interview with Humberside today. He said Akheem cannot currently play due to a paperwork issue.

I thank you.

The paperwork issue for the young Rose lad is International clearance in order to make him eligible for inclusion in first team squads. Some people need to chill a bit and get their heads out of their backsides

Ascend have you not got the idea of this board yet,people only want to hear what they want to believe,shatter their bubble and it puts them in a spin

I'm mixed on Hooper, I think his record looks better then his previous clubs have suggested. He's also done it in the league above.

That said, it would be naive to totally ignore the comments as they are pretty scathing. Would be nice to see us get another on board.

We have a tradition of strikers hitting form while playing for us in the last few seasons.

Cardwell, Asante and A New Striker can all have a share of that this year and the fans will be happy.

Good to see an early set piece goal from a central defender - have been missing these in the last 2 seasons with decidedly poor deliveries !!

We have a tradition of strikers hitting form while playing for us in the last few seasons.

Cardwell, Asante and A New Striker can all have a share of that this year and the fans will be happy.

Good to see an early set piece goal from a central defender - have been missing these in the last 2 seasons with decidedly poor deliveries !!

I really wish we would try to re-sign Amond. I think he is exactly the type we lack - a poacher, smaller and nippier than our other strikers, proven in L2, and surely the perfect foil for Vernon, and, likely to thrive on playing with Jones and on the service of  Dembele and Kelly. I think he'd score 20 goals this season in our team. I bet he'd jump at the chance to come back to L2 and to us having been cut loose by Hurst.

Going back for someone is not normally something I'm in favour of. Don't suppose we will.

Quoted from chaos33

I really wish we would try to re-sign Amond. I think he is exactly the type we lack - a poacher, smaller and nippier than our other strikers, proven in L2, and surely the perfect foil for Vernon, and, likely to thrive on playing with Jones and on the service of  Dembele and Kelly. I think he'd score 20 goals this season in our team. I bet he'd jump at the chance to come back to L2 and to us having been cut loose by Hurst.

Going back for someone is not normally something I'm in favour of. Don't suppose we will.

I get what your saying Chaos and in the summer I would have favoured signing him to, but after seeing the way Slade is trying to set us up, I'm not sure he'd fit in. I think it's clear that he favours a sort of 4411 with Jones behind a main striker but I don't see Amond being able to play that solo striking role, I think you need someone with some physicality about them and that isn't his game.

If you bring Podge in, it means paying a decent fee and therefore he'd have to be the main man up front, and that might be at the cost of a Jones or a Dembele to play him with another out and out striker and I'm not sure that's a positive move.

Slade looking for a lennell john lewis type of player. Tall, physical and athletic with pace and a target man.
These type of players may not get you more than 15 goals a season but when we have a 3 pronged attack (kelly, dembele, jones) linking up with and advancing behind can make for a formidable attacking force, especially on the counter attack.

Hopper or Miller (if it is him on trial also) seems to to fit perfectly in this mould, though Vernon is doing ok here at the moment.

Amond scored well, but mainly against the poorer teams - I believe he could struggle back at this level as well as not being a fan favourite for moving on !

Quoted from acko338

Amond scored well, but mainly against the poorer teams - I believe he could struggle back at this level as well as not being a fan favourite for moving on !

I agree with the first part of that.  But not the second.
Purely because I don't really know what went on behind the scenes when he left. . But he certainly showed respect to our fans when he came here with the Hangers.

Agree with the above thoughts, Amond can finish, but needs setting up.  Our default set up seems to rely on a lone front man fighting for the ball and holding it up long enough for support to arrive.
Vernon is doing his best, and doing well enough  in my opinion that we don't need a panic signing with Asante nearing match fitness too.

If a younger, stronger, faster version of him is available for a reasonable outlay then fine, but that's not easy to find.

If Slade can pick up someone with the talent at a sensible cost who he thinks he can keep on the straight and narrow then give it a go perhaps?

Don't agree Lee. Amond showed he could score goals out of nothing, and got all manner of goals: tap-ins, goalmouth scrambles, lucky rebounds, headers, penalties, long-range shots. Admittedly against lower opposition, but if you've got that in your armoury and can score (what 15?) goals for a relegated team, you have the wherewithal to prosper in League 2.

Slade may be setting up in a 4-4-1-1 (or 4,3,2,1) because he thinks he doesn't have the right personnel for other formations.

Having not seen JJ play I have no idea really but from what I've read so far he doesn't sound like a hold up back to goal type forward. If we sign him I'd probably expect him to play off Vernon/another if we are in for two.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Don't agree Lee. Amond showed he could score goals out of nothing, and got all manner of goals: tap-ins, goalmouth scrambles, lucky rebounds, headers, penalties, long-range shots. Admittedly against lower opposition, but if you've got that in your armoury and can score (what 15?) goals for a relegated team, you have the wherewithal to prosper in League 2.

Slade may be setting up in a 4-4-1-1 (or 4,3,2,1) because he thinks he doesn't have the right personnel for other formations.

Fair points KM, good debate though

Quoted from lee65

Fair points KM, good debate though

Yep. Agree on that mate.  

That's what I was getting at Kingston.

You'd have thought that a 4-3-3 (or some variation thereof) ought to be possible with a more athletic and mobile front man available. I think we have the basis for a capable enough midfield 3 for the first time in a while which does give options elsewhere.

That said, Slade seems to be setting up to play a more defensive style allied to fast breaks, so perhaps we'll continue to mostly see a packed midfield? Regardless, I'd expect us to continue with the same slightly defensive formation tonight that we've seen in pre-season. Question is, what sort of a team will Derby put out?