We'll have to agree to disagree on that Loko. Finally replacing Kieffer was very much a priority in my view. I'm pleased with the business we've done / looks like we'll do, but if a forward isn't amongst that it'll be another mistake imo.
I think we're missing a target man for a different option, but I believe in Woodrow, Chaplin and Schmidt to score goals if we can create chances for them. Hopefully Kane and James can do this. If we don't sign a big striker though we might struggle against teams like Stoke again. At least James is a physical presence in midfield (if fit!)
Never said signing a striker wasn't a priority. I actually said I hope we sign one! I just said it wasn't the number one priority. We were negotiating for Whiteman at the same time as Kulenovic, so multiple plates spinning and obviously haven't been able to find someone available who can improve on what we have.
I know it's not our way but I wonder if we may be getting someone who is out of contract? I believe that can happen any time.
It's the midfield that get overpowered against the likes of Stoke though. Yes our strikers struggle against the physicality of their defence, but that's usually because we have to go long having lost the midfield battle. If you win the midfield battle then your more agile strikers shouldn't have to feed off scraps. What the big striker does give you though is the potential to lose the midfield battle and still have an outlet to get up the pitch, rather than it just coming straight back. But at that point if it's Shawcross vs. Carroll (as an example) it's just about which one turns up on the day. Be interesting to see what the new coach does against the Stokes and Cardiffs of the division because Struber never really set us up differently and we knew what was going to happen before we kicked off. Caveat - just my opinion of course. I'm also biased because I hate the phrase 'big man' or 'target man' when all we really need up front is some athleticism.
Not being negative at all as james, kane n woodrow new contract are great but the club has said we were chasing a striker n confirmed that one turned us down. Can only think that we have been let down by a few targets do called it a day.
And I never said that you didn't say that signing a striker wasn't a priority. You said that it wasn't a number one priority - I'm more than happy if that is your view but mine is that it was and still is the thing we needed most. Unless you are an official spokesperson for the club then neither of us know the definitive answer about what the club saw as it's top priorities but the circumstantial very much pointed to them wanting to sign Kulenovic (and Whiteman) as their priorities.
Nobody ever knows the definitive answers when it comes to football clubs. That's why Mowatt and Woodrow were nailed on to be leaving today and we would be left scrambling around from the lower leagues.
Not to labour the difference of views but I think I'm in another place than you on this too. My memory (which is fading fast with age admittedly) of most of those games last season where we were out-'physicalled' by teams in the bottom half is that we still won a lot of ball in midfield and had plenty of possession (eg 63% at Stoke) but had no outlet for it and/or couldn't convert (eg 62% and 23 chances at Reading in February). Conversely those teams mostly simply bypassed midfield and bullied us at the back and from set pieces.
I don't think we were bullied at the back against Stoke. Zonal marking had a lot to answer there with Ben Williams being responsible for Sam Vokes which should just never happen. Williams got blamed but it the tactics for set pieces caused that. Cardiff at home sticks out. Just completely overpowered in midfield, in what was a really poor performance, with a lack of desire, strength and ability too. Reading in February sticks in the mind even more though because it was the coldest game of the season and we adopted Keith Hill tactics of keeping the ball 50 yards away from the opposition goal in a continuous sideways movement. That's where the lack of ability comes in which I hope James and Kane will resolve, and as such get more out of Mowatt, along with the development of Styles. I don't think we were winning the ball as oppose to being allowed to have it. Reading away especially they just let us pass, pass, pass and then picked us off.
