I'm comparing their ages, not their respective ability! My point, fairly obviously, is that some players manage to deteriorate more slowly than others. Their general fitness levels and enthusiasm for the game almost certainly play a part. Kevin Phillips, though possessing nowhere near the quality of Messi and Ronaldo, still scored goals at a good level until he was 40.
The more I think about this signing, and the more overwhelmingly positive comments I read from County, Sheff U and Derby fans, the more it makes sense.
I don’t think he has been signed as a starter. High energy pressing takes its toll on front players. Remember when Val used five subs every game to keep the press on. I suspect he has been brought in as an impact sub. I appreciate it is a gamble, but a gamble that I hope pays off. Let’s wait and see before we start blackguarding all and sundry.
I’m with you on this one. If you look at the variety of goals he scored last season albeit in league 2 but looks to still have all the same attributes in the locker and still looks sharp
Nothing ridiculous about signing a striker on a freebie, who has scored a tonne of goals at all levels, who creates a tonne more, and who swept the end of season awards at each of his last three clubs. It’s not a Sormaz signing regardless. It’s clearly a Hourihane addition. A lad he knows, who he’s played with, in the Championship and on the international scene. A lad who gets nothing but glowing reviews from everyone I know in football, all supporters of each club he’s represented. In fact, I’m proper staggered that I’m having to try and justify signing David McGoldrick. But, it’s an opinions game and I’m sure someone out there rates Sam Cosgrove.
This signing shows major shortsightedness for me, it shows we still have no real long term strategy, something we need to elevate us & get us out of this never ending cycle of managers leaving, shoddy recruitment, & back to square one every season. Whilst he does have obvious quality, he’s in his twilight years, & with a poor pre season recruitment wise again we will struggle to compete at the top end of the table, so what exactly have we signed him for? To help us avoid relegation? Great, he might just do that, hopefully one better & a mid table finish, but then what? No resale value, wasted wages, no development of a player who could earn us £££’s potentially. It just sums up how clueless we are at running a football club, we are in a position where we need to be progressive off the pitch, the best income strategy for us is player sales, that’s what’s going to earn us £££’s & make up for the monthly losses. it’s just constant contradictions as well, high energy pressing football? It’s all well and good saying that, but they’re failing to deliver. It’s just dishonesty at this point.
He has the x-factor. That Adam Hammill quality, the ability to pull rabbits out of the hat. People rightly look at his goals, but that’s not even the part that excites me. His link-up play is absurd and whilst I don’t expect all of DKD, Russell and Phillips to still be here by the end of the window, if they were, my Lord. He’s also extremely good at holding the ball up. Nobody else in the squad offers that either.
Did the signings of Wilkinson and Hendrie show shortsightedness because of their ages? Sometimes you bring someone in for a year or two with the goal to get you promoted and nothing else.
We're going to differ wildly on this and that's fine. There's so much that's ridiculous about it, it surprises me it's not a wider held sentiment., but that's fine too. I hope he does ok, but it's a desperate short term move and I suspect not as cheap as people might expect. And given our supposed approach, I think it makes our Sporting Directors position pointless, irrespective of his aptitude. But hey ho, most importantly we've a crap tonne more to do to get a squad that's balanced and a lot of the deadwood removed that attempts at stymying our substantial losses.
If DKD, Russell and Phillips were all to stay we'd have some serious goals in the side with the addition of McGoldrick. Sadly, I reckon two of them will be gone.
That's all well and good if we can stop conceding. At the moment im not convinced we have addressed this in defence. Unless Sheperd comes back as a world beater
Football was completely different back then. Less emphasis on fitness, none of this pressing stuff, I could go on…. I’m not against experience, but this just reeks of throwing **** at the wall & hoping it sticks in terms of relying on him to get us promoted.
Agree 100%, that back line is still a big worry. Also need another holding midfielder or box to box type. It wasn't just the defence at fault last season, the cover from midfield was non-existent.
If McGoldrick is the only striker we sign this window, then yes, I'd tend to agree with you. I think (and hope) we'll be bringing someone else in, particularly if DKD moves on, which seems nailed on at some point. Someone much younger on a longer contract. Then signing McGoldrick makes perfect sense.