Just Back...on the bus.

Quoted from Croxton

He's the dunnage in the McAtee deal. Get's on the bus to keep Luton on side till next May. We don't need a 20 goal striker per se, just someone who has game intelligence, moves defenders around and can cover ground quicker than Taylor. We can stay comfortably midtable if we continue to get midfielders in the box and support the man with the ball. Trying to replicate either Taylor or McAtee or both is impossible.

Stockport are steadying the ship because they have a stock of experienced players to shuffle. We have too many who lack that experience or the fitness to stay the course.

Let’s not cite Stockport as a success story over ours, they’ve won a couple of very winnable home games recently, they’re still behind us and we ripped them to bits a matter of weeks ago. All whilst spending less.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Let’s not cite Stockport as a success story over ours, they’ve won a couple of very winnable home games recently, they’re still behind us and we ripped them to bits a matter of weeks ago. All whilst spending less.

Didn't say they are a success story. Simply alluded to the fact that they have ready made L1/ L2 pros to turn to rather than boys learning the game. They ripped themselves to bits to an extent by two keeper errors and a sending off. Some posters have said that Paul has done well to have assembled two teams with cover for every position. We should recognise, however that injuries and loss of form are more likely to test our resources than Stockport, Bradford and the like.

I actually support the owners policy of steady and sustainable growth and would accept a mid table finish for this squad. If Paul was under any pressure from the owners to get into the playoffs he would surely have brought in some sort of experienced cover for either McAtee or Taylor.  

Play well against Plymouth, best Donny and all will be well again.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

As previously described, Pepple is the 'dunnage' in the McAtee deal. Luton know he's not ready and it's a pity we couldn't have bartered for Mendes Gomes or even Pereira. Just seems a shame that we are effectively wasting loans on other people's cast offs.

...... or you could say, wasting loans on other people’s Pepples.

People waiting for a 20 goal number 9 striker will be waiting a long time. They’re rare as rocking horse excrement, and we don’t play the formation to accommodate one.

IMO we need one as a plan B when games aren’t panning out how we like, or to switch things up every now and then and I think Orsi is that man. Just a shame he was injured at beginning of the season, and I think he’s now I’ll or injured again?

Posters on here saying we’ve failed to sign a striker in 2 years….the game has moved on, what we did do is sign McAtee who offers way more than a typical striker AND still scores a decent amount of goals.

The big test will be to replace both Taylor and McAtee at the end of the season.

Quoted from sam gy

People waiting for a 20 goal number 9 striker will be waiting a long time. They’re rare as rocking horse excrement, and we don’t play the formation to accommodate one.

IMO we need one as a plan B when games aren’t panning out how we like, or to switch things up every now and then and I think Orsi is that man. Just a shame he was injured at beginning of the season, and I think he’s now I’ll or injured again?

Posters on here saying we’ve failed to sign a striker in 2 years….the game has moved on, what we did do is sign McAtee who offers way more than a typical striker AND still scores a decent amount of goals.

The big test will be to replace both Taylor and McAtee at the end of the season.

While I agree that #9s/20 goal a season strikers are harder to sign these days, I don't agree with this idea that football has moved on. Flick through the top scorer lists of the top 5 divisions and it's clear that that's not true. Haaland, Kane, Mitrovic and Toney are the top four scorers in the Prem. J-Rod and Oscar Estupinan in the top five in the Championship. Clarke-Harris and Jevani Brown two of the top three in L1. Andy Cook and Danny Johnson second and third in L2. Langstaff and Mullin top and second in the National League.

Yes these players are rarer than they used to be, especially good ones, but they're by no means a dying breed.

Think it’s the calibre of the player we miss when McAtee is out. Taylor adds value to the team but he’s not quick and he’s not a predator. Better players stay onside and take chances, that’s why we couldn’t finish Bradford or Hartlepool off, and the fact that we wasted chances gives the opposition a lift

I thought Pepple did ok when he came on. he held the ball up well and found a lot more space than Taylor did in the entire game.
he even popped up with a couple of chances but unfortunatly didnt convert but at least he gets in those areas.

I think he will prove a few of you wrong.  he needs a few games and not bit parts.

Quoted from sam gy

People waiting for a 20 goal number 9 striker will be waiting a long time. They’re rare as rocking horse excrement, and we don’t play the formation to accommodate one.

IMO we need one as a plan B when games aren’t panning out how we like, or to switch things up every now and then and I think Orsi is that man. Just a shame he was injured at beginning of the season, and I think he’s now I’ll or injured again?

Posters on here saying we’ve failed to sign a striker in 2 years….the game has moved on, what we did do is sign McAtee who offers way more than a typical striker AND still scores a decent amount of goals.

The big test will be to replace both Taylor and McAtee at the end of the season.

Maybe we should change shorthand from 20 to 15 goal a season striker? I think most people would be happy with that.

Someone like Wes Thomas would be a step up on what we have at the moment, and he was a journeyman on the slide who hated playing here. Not unobtainable by any stretch but maybe requires the management to take a bit of a gamble.