[Club YouTube] David McGoldrick signs for the Reds! ✍️

Shaking my head at this signing. I know years of mismanagement have put the Club on its arse and we are still in freefalll - yet to reach the bottom, but good grief. In comes McGoldrick - presumably as the replacement for DKD. Bewildering.

 

What i will say after reading Notts County forums is that no one has a bad word to say against him and they all agree he’s still got the quality and ability to play in league one.

 

I know. I had to ask the internet.

It said: “The term "BC" (Before Christ) is used to denote the years before the traditionally accepted year of Jesus' birth. While the calendar system uses 1 AD as the year after Jesus' birth, historical and biblical evidence suggests Jesus was likely born a few years earlier, possibly between 6 and 4 BC. This discrepancy arises because the system of dating years using BC and AD was established later, and the calculations made at the time had some inaccuracies.”

 

Also, anyone care to explain what a “low block” is? Other then just getting men behind the ball?

 

I actually think I know why, even without google. It was a Roman Emperor who got into Christianity who decided the calendar should start from Jesus' birth. To calculate when Jesus was born he looked back at all the previous Roman Emperors since the birth of Jesus and how long they were in charge. But he missed one. An Emperor that was only Emperoring for about 4 years.

Obviously the klaxon is now sounding on the QI screens.

 

Emperoring

Love it.

 

Aye, but you'd be shaking your head if we signed Jude Bellingham, announced free beer in the Ponty for the whole season, and then you received a phone call from Mila Kunis asking you to meet her in the local Holiday Inn for an afternoon of rumpy pumpy.

TBF I'd probably be shaking my head as well, but it would be in disbelief. Half the posters on here would still find something to moan about!

 

Does he fancy a game down at Oakwell?

 

Have we met? Didn't think so.

 

It’s sitting in your own third with a compact shape, trying to frustrate the opposition and prevent them from getting the ball into dangerous areas. I’ve attached an image so you can see what it looks like on the pitch.

Last season, we always tried to play on the front foot, but with our inconsistent high press and players switching off, we’d often end up either conceding or getting stuck in a low block, not by design but because we’d lost control of the game.

I’m sure Conor is more than happy to sit in a low block during the final minutes when we’re protecting a lead. And now, with McGoldrick linking play, wingers offering pace and width, and (if he stays) DKD in the centre, we’re actually getting the the tools to counter (if koroma turns up too) with intent.

That’s miles better than last season’s approach. Which was mostly hopeful long balls to Humphrys with no support, leading to constant turnovers and no real threat on the break. As he said himself after signing for Bradford:
"That was one of the main things that the manager wanted to clarify — that the way he wants to play is not at all with me as a target man."

 

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/david-mcgoldrick/bilanzdetails/spieler/35416/gegner/349

5 goals in 13 games against us.

Not bad, but not Andy Cole.

EDIT!!!!!

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/andy-cole/bilanzdetails/spieler/3238/gegner/349

Cole got 10 goals and 2 assists against us in just 7 games.

 

I'd get that return if I played against our back line last season and I’m 56 years old

 

He will most definitely outscore Humphrys this season.
The bar as not been set too high at 9.
Yet those that were moaning we didn't pay him more, are moaning we signed a 37 year old .

 

Yeah it's was just called 'dropping back' no new wheel invented here.

 

Now I've slept on it, I can only see him being 37 as only the 1 con.
The pros far outweigh them. He's probably going to be the best natural finisher we've had since Woody. His experience as a "streetwise", get in the defenders' faces b*****d will make him invaluable in this league. Hourihane will be in his element. We needed this, I think. If he can be a regular DKD will thrive

 

You can all most hear it "goal scored sponsored by Eden mobility David Mcgoldrick" somebody got to make it happen.

 

I hope he does well. I really do. And yes, we can say it's just for a year. And yes, we can say it might help the other forwards on. And yes, we can say he might link up well with Dunn (though him still being here is probably unlikely). We can say he's probably not on much (though I suspect he'll be on more than people realise).

But he's not far off 38 years old. He's 3 and a half years older than our head coach... who says his own legs went a year ago!

We're supposed to be playing high intensity football. I never though he was especially mobile even back in his Ipswich days, but there's no way he can offer the front foot intensity a press or counter press requires.

It smacks of desperation. A lack of planning. An absolute absence of strategy.

Throw this forward a year, maybe even to January. We're recruiting for a striker again. But we have no possible asset to offset losses that we'll continue to be carrying. If we've sold three of DKD, Phillips, Connell and Russell we're not going to have much in the way of assets to sell to subsidise our excesses.

There's still a lot more work to do this window, but the inward business and lack of outward business is concerning and doesn't feel like it's following any preset plan, any identified strategy or conforming to a pre determined footballing philosophy.

If we're being this scattergun with some loans probably offered to us and someone so old they could be glue next year and a mate of the head coach... why do we have a Sporting Director?

 

Welcome tut tarn David lad. Prove the doubters wrong.

 

The notion that McGoldrick can’t play in a high-intensity, high-pressing style of football overlooks key aspects of his game that have been evident throughout his career. While he may no longer possess the pace he once used to (he was a winger for the first half of his career), his football intelligence, work rate, and positioning are critical for effective pressing. During Sheff Utd’s successful Premier League campaign under Chris Wilder, McGoldrick was a vital component of a high-tempo, press-heavy system that relied on coordinated pressure and spatial awareness rather than just raw speed. He scored 8 times, their top scorer.

More recently, during his spell at Derby County, he thrived in another side that played high up the pitch, not only contributing to their pressing shape but also scoring 25 goals in a single season - just a couple of years ago, at this very same level - proving he still has the energy, sharpness, and understanding to succeed in a high-intensity setup.

Dismissing him as unsuitable for this style is both reductive and inconsistent with his recent performances. And/or suggests those with such an opinion have not really watched him over the years and are basing it on the age of the man. He’s scored 55 goals in the last three years. Sam Cosgrove has scored 64 in his entire career. Despite a 10-year age difference. And for me, that’s who he’s replaced.

I wouldn’t expect him to be starting every week. But he’s averaged over 2,800 minutes over the last three campaigns. That equates to about 30 full 90’s. It’s more than Max Watters manages.

This is genuinely the first time I’ve been excited enough about a signing that it’s increased my desire to attend matches. I mean, I already want to watch my team regardless. But to get to see such a talent has been rare in recent times. I had to watch Clement Rodrigues and Cosgrove last year.

And finally, it doesn’t show a lack of planning or strategy. It clearly shows the club are allowing its head coach to recruit players he wants. Just as Duff was allowed Norwood.

Happy to take all the pelters in a few months if this turns sour. But convinced that won’t happen. He really is that good. Can’t wait to see him light up Oakwell!

 

I hope he does ok for 12 months. It's still a truly ridiculous signing. It still probably doesn't rank in the top 5 most ridiculous signings since Sormaz took post. Maybe that's why senses have collectively been deadened.