I think most Town fans agree we need one or would like one in realistically were probably looking at a loan option ? Personally I'd break the bank and go for Armstrong from Harrogate any other shouts?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

I think most Town fans agree we need one or would like one in realistically were probably looking at a loan option ? Personally I'd break the bank and go for Armstrong from Harrogate any other shouts?

Not sure we've got £400k to spend!

We've spent the vast majority of the budget haven't we? If the idea was to spread the goals around you would have thought a more attacking and expansive style of play would have been followed.

Whatever the quality of the strikers weve got or will get, we need to play 2 up front to give us half a chance. We are nowhere near good enough at creating attacking play, putting crosses in or slicing through defences. I cannot think of a single gilt edge chance we have created and missed in the games I've seen.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

We've spent the vast majority of the budget haven't we? If the idea was to spread the goals around you would have thought a more attacking and expansive style of play would have been followed.

Whatever the quality of the strikers weve got or will get, we need to play 2 up front to give us half a chance. We are nowhere near good enough at creating attacking play, putting crosses in or slicing through defences. I cannot think of a single gilt edge chance we have created and missed in the games I've seen.

I think one of our main problems is we have no threat in behind which makes us very predictable and we play most of the game in front of the opposition - I'm not sure it's definitely a 20 goal a season we even need - possibly just someone with that pace who Rose can play off ( maybe Wilson was the man to do this ?) Boulding was my favourite at doing that role - teams were scared of that threat which obviously frees up a lot more space for the other players and gave that option to go in behind .

Like you say we don't create clear cut chances and very rarely get 1 on 1s with the keeper like other teams do .

Quoted from Mappers

I think one of our main problems is we have no threat in behind which makes us very predictable and we play most of the game in front of the opposition - I'm not sure it's definitely a 20 goal a season we even need - possibly just someone with that pace who Rose can play off ( maybe Wilson was the man to do this ?) Boulding was my favourite at doing that role - teams were scared of that threat which obviously frees up a lot more space for the other players and gave that option to go in behind .

Like you say we don't create clear cut chances and very rarely get 1 on 1s with the keeper like other teams do .

Absolutely spot on mate . The runners are nonexistent. Rose just heads it back to their defence because no one is making those runs . Imo we need an intelligent player who finds space and can Finish , some one like Orsi but better

I think the system has been somewhat hampered by injuries to Pyke and Wilson. 3 plus a young pro in Essel however is a bit light if the intention was to play 2 up top, unless you looked to use Eisa, Vernam or Khan there.

Whilst I think Armstrong would be a good addition to most teams at this level, I think the asking price is a bit steep.

Quoted from It Bites

Absolutely spot on mate . The runners are nonexistent. Rose just heads it back to their defence because no one is making those runs . Imo we need an intelligent player who finds space and can Finish , some one like Orsi but better

Of course, we are assuming that it's the players not capable or not wanting to run onto headed balls. It could be that's how they are trained/programmed to play.
Take out Abo Eisa stunning goals (I can't remember the last Town player capable of that) and Towns showing has been, to be kind, average.

400K for a league 2 striker is obscene, and we shouldnt be anywhere near it at that price, just shows the money in the league that teams are able to pay that.


I expect a loan move in probably going down to 11 o clock

Our own vulnerability against pace underlines the double jeopardy of having none to deploy against the opposition. Hence we defend rather deep and on transition we find that our forwards have already been marked.

If we had quicker thinking players, good movement and accurate passing as shown by Mansfield and Notts then we could work round our lack of pace. Vernam is frustrated at being closed down so quickly and has failed to adapt. Gnahoua was quick when at Macclesfield but, like Vernam, has lost a yard or two.

Pyke, as Shrewsbury found, is not an instinctive centre forward, more a useful utility sub. We won't get tonked like Harrogate but I foresee lots of grinding draws.

I think we need a Number 10 more than a striker. I really like rose leading the line. He needs a creative player inside or alongside him to really hurt teams in the space he creates.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

I think we need a Number 10 more than a striker. I really like rose leading the line. He needs a creative player inside or alongside him to really hurt teams in the space he creates.

Definitely this. We don't have runners from midfield and the wide players aren't filling the box when the ball is on the opposite flank so Rose is isolated. But give him someone to utilise the chaos that he creates and it's a different ball game.

Ill judge once ive seen pyke and wilson play more, my guess is that hursts masterplan involved one of those two somehow, cant imagine his plan for the season was rose upfront on his own every game and both of those players on the bench

Quoted from headingly_mariner

I think we need a Number 10 more than a striker. I really like rose leading the line. He needs a creative player inside or alongside him to really hurt teams in the space he creates.

I think Rose can do either role.  Be it leading the line or the one who works off someone, he's got the attributes to do both.  But he can't do both, which is what we're asking of him at the minute.  

From the limited bits I've seen of them Pyke looks like someone who wants to lead the line so I guess a pairing of those two would see Rose drop a little, whereas Wilson looks to work off someone which would see Rose go back to a No 9 type role.

Just on numbers alone, we need another striker in.  I just hope it's of high quality rather than a Tom Dickson-Peters type squad filler.

we play one up front that will be rose got pyke wilson when fit that can also play up there unless it's an improvement i dont see the point of another young bench warmer

Quoted from headingly_mariner

I think we need a Number 10 more than a striker. I really like rose leading the line. He needs a creative player inside or alongside him to really hurt teams in the space he creates.

Couldn't we utilise Vernam or Eisa to do that? Why the hell we are playing with one up front when we could make adjustments in the existing squad is baffling.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Couldn't we utilise Vernam or Eisa to do that? Why the hell we are playing with one up front when we could make adjustments in the existing squad is baffling.

Eisa's played there, he looked lost, he's scoring goals out on the left why on earth would you then move him?

Vernam needs to get some confidence back in himself before he's anywhere near the 11 imo

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Couldn't we utilise Vernam or Eisa to do that? Why the hell we are playing with one up front when we could make adjustments in the existing squad is baffling.

Vernams can do the Macatee thing when he’s up to speed . He looks a bit low on confidence and fitness too me . Eisa needs a free role to use that sledgehammer as much as possible

Quoted from Hagrid

Eisa's played there, he looked lost, he's scoring goals out on the left why on earth would you then move him?

Vernam needs to get some confidence back in himself before he's anywhere near the 11 imo

Eisa looked lost full stop at first, but once the first goal went in he got some confidence. Surely he would be even more of a threat and involved behind Rose?

Vernam is not working at the minute so perhaps a change of position would work wonders?

In any event we cannot go on with one striker with our quality of players supporting him so my solution would be to try something different with our current personnel rather than keep playing in a way that is bringing just about zero chances and efforts on goal.

Wherever he would play, without Eisa's spectacular goals we would be really worried.

I  seew Rotherham have just splashed £1 million on a striker from Exeter, perhaps with the goodwill for a former
club legend thery could loan us someone whos going down the striker pecking order, what has hgappened to
Tom Eaves? he was at Rotherham last time i heard and used to be prolific for Gillingham at league 1 and 2 (38 goals in 84 games, scored 14 for Hull at Championship level as well, hasnt done anything for Rotherham, but perhaps  he could get his goal scoring Mojo back at league 2 level? 6ft 3 too, so a physical prescence.

Quoted from GrimPol

Of course, we are assuming that it's the players not capable or not wanting to run onto headed balls. It could be that's how they are trained/programmed to play.
Take out Abo Eisa stunning goals (I can't remember the last Town player capable of that) and Towns showing has been, to be kind, average.

McAtee?

I would have kept orsi .

Quoted from supertown

I would have kept orsi .

You cant shut the stable door after the Orsi has bolted

As a pundit said this week, you have to pay good money for s striker who is likely to score a lot of  goals.

Everybody wants a 20 goals a season striker.  We are unlikely to find anyone good enough that we can afford.  Do we need a prolific striker?  A big risk putting all your money and eggs in one basket?

Ask Chesterfield.

Plymouth and Orient were both champions last season.  Their top scorers only had 13 goals and 10 goals.  Clearly they scored plenty goals from around the team.

This seems to be the way go, and with reduced risk.  Not sure that we have enough scorers who are non-strikers that can contribute as many goals as we ideally need.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

As a pundit said this week, you have to pay good money for s striker who is likely to score a lot of  goals.

Everybody wants a 20 goals a season striker.  We are unlikely to find anyone good enough that we can afford.  Do we need a prolific striker?  A big risk putting all your money and eggs in one basket?

Ask Chesterfield.

Plymouth and Orient were both champions last season.  Their top scorers only had 13 goals and 10 goals.  Clearly they scored plenty goals from around the team.

This seems to be the way go, and with reduced risk.  Not sure that we have enough scorers who are non-strikers that can contribute as many goals as we ideally need.

A couple or so seasons ago we had goalscorers from all over the pitch, something like 8/9 different scores in the first few games. So we know it can be done at BP.

I would always play 2 up front, first it means there is always someone within distance for any knockdowns, also it means the opposition will have to keep 3 if not more often 4 defenders back for cover, that should hopefully create more space in midfield.

Quoted from Captain Sensible

McAtee?

Well yes, I just took him as at peno area scorer. But yes he did score several from outside the area, one I believe was a volley. But he was exceptional two seasons ago, but last season, not so much.

Point taken.

Quoted from GrimPol

Well yes, I just took him as at peno area scorer. But yes he did score several from outside the area, one I believe was a volley. But he was exceptional two seasons ago, but last season, not so much.

Point taken.

That one at Wrexham was alright.

It's mad how we have gone from supposedly creating loads of chances,to hardly any, so we have scored more than we "should have".

Clearly we will not score a worldy every week but I do find it odd that people almost don't count these as real goals.
I agree that we should be/need to create more, Rose needs support 100%. I think we have a top league 2 player in Rose, tbf we have 3 or 4 of them now I would say.
Definitely feels like a bit of height and muscle is what we need, there are still a few of them about.

We don't have to get a 20 goal striker just one who is a  big strong lad who can bring others into play ,

You never know Rose might be able to score 20 given the right service.

Quoted from CSLM

It's mad how we have gone from supposedly creating loads of chances,to hardly any, so we have scored more than we "should have".

Clearly we will not score a worldy every week but I do find it odd that people almost don't count these as real goals.
I agree that we should be/need to create more, Rose needs support 100%. I think we have a top league 2 player in Rose, tbf we have 3 or 4 of them now I would say.
Definitely feels like a bit of height and muscle is what we need, there are still a few of them about.

Tell me about it!

If Eisa's goals had been scrambled near post poke ins by a big striker or thumping back post headers would anyone be saying 'yeah, but you can't count them'?

Of course they wouldn't.

Quoted from It Bites

Vernams can do the Macatee thing when he’s up to speed . He looks a bit low on confidence and fitness too me . Eisa needs a free role to use that sledgehammer as much as possible

How many Vernams do we have?

Been needing a striker for the past 10 years , but with them costing alot of cash we seem to toodle along happy with free agents hoping one will click and bang us 20 goals in, no luck yet but unless we pay big money we will have to be happy with taking punts on strikers and hoping we get someone who costs nothing but all of a sudden bangs them in.

Armstrong from Harrogate is costing 400k so that goes to show what you're looking at when your paying money,  I just don't understand why we never really look at taking strikers from the lower leagues who has a decent record on a cheaper rate hoping they show something whilst with us . Peterborough are the masters at it , taking scorers proven lower down and making big money on them. It works they prove that

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Been needing a striker for the past 10 years , but with them costing alot of cash we seem to toodle along happy with free agents hoping one will click and bang us 20 goals in, no luck yet but unless we pay big money we will have to be happy with taking punts on strikers and hoping we get someone who costs nothing but all of a sudden bangs them in.

Armstrong from Harrogate is costing 400k so that goes to show what you're looking at when your paying money,  I just don't understand why we never really look at taking strikers from the lower leagues who has a decent record on a cheaper rate hoping they show something whilst with us . Peterborough are the masters at it , taking scorers proven lower down and making big money on them. It works they prove that

It's definitely something we need to look at , I mean anyone could have taken Langstaff when he was at Gateshead and he's probably now a 1million+ player and doing really well .

Quoted from grimsby pete

We don't have to get a 20 goal striker just one who is a  big strong lad who can bring others into play ,

You never know Rose might be able to score 20 given the right service.

We need to change the way we play considerably for that to happen.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Been needing a striker for the past 10 years , but with them costing alot of cash we seem to toodle along happy with free agents hoping one will click and bang us 20 goals in, no luck yet but unless we pay big money we will have to be happy with taking punts on strikers and hoping we get someone who costs nothing but all of a sudden bangs them in.

Armstrong from Harrogate is costing 400k so that goes to show what you're looking at when your paying money,  I just don't understand why we never really look at taking strikers from the lower leagues who has a decent record on a cheaper rate hoping they show something whilst with us . Peterborough are the masters at it , taking scorers proven lower down and making big money on them. It works they prove that

Fairly certain we did that with both Hearn and Bogle

Also think 10 years is an exaggeration, last proper striker we had was Wes Thomas who I'm sure would have scored 15-20 consistently for us

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Been needing a striker for the past 10 years , but with them costing alot of cash we seem to toodle along happy with free agents hoping one will click and bang us 20 goals in, no luck yet but unless we pay big money we will have to be happy with taking punts on strikers and hoping we get someone who costs nothing but all of a sudden bangs them in.

Armstrong from Harrogate is costing 400k so that goes to show what you're looking at when your paying money,  I just don't understand why we never really look at taking strikers from the lower leagues who has a decent record on a cheaper rate hoping they show something whilst with us . Peterborough are the masters at it , taking scorers proven lower down and making big money on them. It works they prove that

Didn’t Holloway sign 3 of those…worked like a Tesco 3 for 2 offer on something weird you’ve never tasted before…most of the first packet ends up half eaten in the bin and the other are chucked out unopened…

I think last seasons xg was massively misleading as in some of the home games we had about 5 golden chances in the last few minutes.

Anyway hopefully get someone in to help up top.

It's not popular somewhat understandably but I think Vernam will be a decent threat for us.......not sure when though.

Amond scored plenty

Random shout

Sam Winnall

Quoted from bradzmilne

Random shout

Sam Winnall

Gesundheit.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Been needing a striker for the past 10 years , but with them costing alot of cash we seem to toodle along happy with free agents hoping one will click and bang us 20 goals in, no luck yet but unless we pay big money we will have to be happy with taking punts on strikers and hoping we get someone who costs nothing but all of a sudden bangs them in.

Armstrong from Harrogate is costing 400k so that goes to show what you're looking at when your paying money,  I just don't understand why we never really look at taking strikers from the lower leagues who has a decent record on a cheaper rate hoping they show something whilst with us . Peterborough are the masters at it , taking scorers proven lower down and making big money on them. It works they prove that

In the last ten years we’ve had Andy Cook, Ross Hannah, Omar Bogle, John-Lewis, Amond… McAtee was not an out and our striker but still scored 14 in a season…

Unfortunately for us the days of the home produced players like Drinkell, Wilkinson and Ford are long gone , they were players that produced a lot of goals for us but local talent seems to have disappeared over the last few years.

Quoted from Spurn boy

Unfortunately for us the days of the home produced players like Drinkell, Wilkinson and Ford are long gone , they were players that produced a lot of goals for us but local talent seems to have disappeared over the last few years.

Harry Clifton?!

Quoted from Brummie Codfather

Harry Clifton?!

Stand corrected 👍

Btw guys the 10 years was a tongue in cheek exaggeration lol

Quoted from Spurn boy

Unfortunately for us the days of the home produced players like Drinkell, Wilkinson and Ford are long gone , they were players that produced a lot of goals for us but local talent seems to have disappeared over the last few years.

It hasn't disappeared, the game has just changed. For the worst in my opinion.

An awful lot of local talent is now just hoovered up by bigger and richer clubs than ours.  Of course they didn't go onto make it in the professional game but Adam Drury and Jack Barlow were ridiculously talented at youth level, yet got picked up by clubs with better resources than ours.  Harvey Cartwright is a Grimsby lad, yet ended up over the bridge.

There's countless examples of talented kids from this area who have gone onto be picked up elite Academy set-ups just because they can.  Personally I think their development can be as stunted in that environment as it can be developed with the better resource and facilities.  

Ben Grist is another.  Showed fleeting promise as a youth team player, Leicester City snap him up for a decent fee.  There's very little to nothing that the club can do about it.  That money is great and it can go towards helping develop even more talented youngsters, but that's probably more of the pathway now rather than seeing a steady line of young talent coming through the set-up and into the first team.  In the last 20 years I can only think of 2 of players who have come through the youth set-up from a young age and gone onto make more than 100 appearances, Harry Clifton and Peter Bore.  Danny North is close with 80ish.  That's really telling.  Ryan Bennett made over 100 but joined as a 16-year-old, Mattie Pollock just shy of 50 but another who joined as a scholar.  Nick Hegarty made over 100 appearances but I think he joined as a 15-year-old.

Whichever way you cut it, the return is minimal when you measure it against how many go onto progress into the first team on a consistent basis.

Bradley Wood?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Bradley Wood?

Never played up front and banned from football for another 12 months, but still not the worst suggestion I’ve seen on here this window.

Yes, good shout. Although another I believe came here at 16.  

Don't get me wrong it's a pathway that has worked very successfully.  Gary Croft, Peter Handyside, John McDermott...countless others trod that path.  Was initially thinking of those who have come through from a relatively young age and stayed with the club.

Quoted from Poojah

Never played up front and banned from football for another 12 months, but still not the worst suggestion I’ve seen on here this window.

Ban actually ends in April.  Could get him on a non-contract deal until then, just to monitor his fitness (of course he can't train with the side as part of his ban) and then get him in for the final games of the season.

It's either this or the 'shall we try Efete up front' shouts which I reckon we've got about 3 weeks before they're aired.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Ban actually ends in April.  Could get him on a non-contract deal until then, just to monitor his fitness (of course he can't train with the side as part of his ban) and then get him in for the final games of the season.

His birthday tomorrow! Someone should remind him only a few months left of his ban

Quoted from diehardmariner

Ban actually ends in April.  Could get him on a non-contract deal until then, just to monitor his fitness (of course he can't train with the side as part of his ban) and then get him in for the final games of the season.

It's either this or the 'shall we try Efete up front' shouts which I reckon we've got about 3 weeks before they're aired.

I don't believe he's allowed to use any clubs training facilities. When Boston players got banned for a few months, Jay Rollins was injured and wasn't even allowed to use the club physio for his rehab!

Last striker to come through the ranks and go on to have a decent career would have to be Gary Lund surely?..and surprisingly his brother was actually a better player who turned down Leicester and Arsenal because he "enjoyed a beer, women and night clubs" and didn't want the commitment of being a full time pro...ended up semi pro and a qualified bricklayer in Germany.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Last striker to come through the ranks and go on to have a decent career would have to be Gary Lund surely?..and surprisingly his brother was actually a better player who turned down Leicester and Arsenal because he "enjoyed a beer, women and night clubs" and didn't want the commitment of being a full time pro...ended up semi pro and a qualified bricklayer in Germany.

I'm adding unqualified bricklayer to my CV

Quoted from jamesgtfc

I don't believe he's allowed to use any clubs training facilities. When Boston players got banned for a few months, Jay Rollins was injured and wasn't even allowed to use the club physio for his rehab!

Whilst that does appear harsh, I think it has to be that way as a punishment otherwise it just gets watered down a bit.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Whilst that does appear harsh, I think it has to be that way as a punishment otherwise it just gets watered down a bit.

Absolutely. As it turned out for Rollins, it was a serious injury sustained in the pre-season friendly against us; so his ban and recovery ended at a similar time.

I believe he actually used the Boston physio for his rehab privately so there are means and ways around it, especially at that level where those staff are often part-time and supplementing their income with other work.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Last striker to come through the ranks and go on to have a decent career would have to be Gary Lund surely?..and surprisingly his brother was actually a better player who turned down Leicester and Arsenal because he "enjoyed a beer, women and night clubs" and didn't want the commitment of being a full time pro...ended up semi pro and a qualified bricklayer in Germany.

Super Jack Lester has just spat his tea out...

Probably at the Pontoon after getting dogs abuse from them.