The Spreadsheet and Strikers.

Totally agree.

Or Scunthorpe

 

Sunny Scunny that's abroad isn't it? Josh Morris is a good player tbf.


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But they are unproven, Miquel Mossto, Some guy called Christianson, disasters !!! Just getting used to living in the UK for many of these players is a massive culture shock and even the best of foreign players can take time to adjust. We need players who are going to hit the ground running

 

Compared to other positions, lower league goalscorers are pretty rare as clubs snap them up at the first sign of being semi-prolific. You can always find a promising young centre back or pacey full back in League Two who hasn't quite got his break yet. But with forwards, as soon as they hit the net a few times clubs tend to swoop very quickly. I think our best and possibly only option currently is a Prem loan in the Fletcher, Abraham style. Armstrong was a great capture but it just never quite happened. We'll get a few Noubles and Nile Rangers here and there but I doubt we have much other choice. Looking down the leagues, I see very few forwards I'd be happy to spend £1million on. There seems to be a dearth of striking talent. Bradshaw shows how difficult the step up is and he excelled in League One. I'd be happy with a Prem loan, a Paddy Madden type signing and then a one, particular, decent investment in a striker with some pedigree. I'm not saying splash millions but just one really good forward could make our season given the potential supply. I hold my hands up as to where that purchase would come from, potentially look abroad.

 

Danny graham?
I'd rather have Errol bomber graham

 

I agree with this, we must have the most English team in the top two leagues, that spreadsheet needs to be upgraded to include Johnny Foreigner types.

 

Brentford have done excellently following a similar strategy to us recruiting abroad. Most of the aged strikers we have signed have been either moderate successes or failures. Would you spend several million on Jon Mackey or Andy Gray? Both ok players but in today's market without spending daft money would be out of our reach.


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But where do all the 25+ year olds go? They can't just disappear. Logically only so many can be in the league above us

 

You don't just have the league above you have every other team ( with the possible exception of Burton) in our league who are more able to recruit that type of striker.

You also have your archetypal lower division journeyman let's call him Jamie Cureton. There's little in the middle let's be honest.

Think of one realistic target that we can afford that would come to us and would be worth breaking our structures for. I used Walters earlier not because we could realistically sign him but because he reminds me in all aspects of Wilkinson. We are a million miles from him.

Kodja and Hogan at Villa players in their prime mid 20s not much change out of 35 million with wages included. Fletcher on his 40k a week at Wednesday Hooper ditto. The talent pool is thin for forwards.


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We have been successful in the British market because we have followed a tried and trusted plan. First of all our scouts watch the player and report on him, not once, but over and over again throughout the season. Each report is logged away for the future, for the time when we need someone for that position. The manager will then review the reports and compare them to the sort of player he needs. It is not quite as simple as saying, we need a striker and that one will do. The manager will be looking for someone who fits the identikit picture, someone who fits in with the style he wants to play, someone of the right character, someone who is the right age, will respond well to training and who wants to improve. Finally, we want someone who wants the job on a three year contract at a wage that is below the market rate, because he sees that he will improve and that the club will not stand in his way when the time is right to move on.

When we talk about players from outside the UK, we do not have the scouting system and the repeated reports on form, our manager is probably not familiar with the player, the player does not know our reputation and it is hard to explain the ethos of the club when the player is interested only in the money now. It is not impossible, but it is much harder to get the right man, which is why we have failed so many times in the past.

I am not sure why another wave of panic has hit the BBS this week. As I understand it, the summer transfer window is open until the end of August.

 

I definitely agree with your last paragraph but then again it's silly season isn't it?


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I feel that the business that Hecky does over the next week or so will define our season, and Heckys future as Barnsley Manager. I bet that he is sat with 3 piles of potential signings. One pile will be experienced Championship/Premiership players who have the experience, but are the most expensive. A second pile of foreign strikers, more keen to come but untested in English football who may find it culturally tough to settle. And a third pile of Loan players. Untested at this level, not our player who may or may not give 100% for the cause, we have all seen these type of loan players.
If my it was me, I would forget trying to buy the lad from Blackpool,I think we have enough of that type of player, plus I dont want to see our club put more Brass in the Oystons pocket. Put that money together with whatever cash we have ear marked to sign striker and try to buy the best most experienced striker we can afford. Offering an attractive basic salary, the same or similar to Hammills but with strong incentives for goals scored appearances and assists.
No foreign player for me unless they come over now and undergo at least two weeks trial. They are just too bigger risk.
Then two six month Loans, ideally from a top six club with the parent club paying the loan players wages.

 

I've mentioned him a few times now, but I think James Vaughan (Bury) would be a good shout, last year of his contract. Although I see Sunderland might be after him now.

 

Rickie Lambert anyone fancy signing him ? Late developer who went on to represent England. Could be positive role model to our current crop of lowers league hopefuls. Knows where the net is if could get him motivated.
Or is it 3 seasons too late ?

 

I suspect we're saving our loan slots for young Premier League strikers and wingers - maybe Harry Wilson (wing) at Liverpool for example, and McBurnie. Not sure on other possible strikers, doubt we'd have a chance with Fletcher. However we certainly need to buy at least one to give some continuity.

Are there any decent ones that are free agents? Probably not.