We've still not signed a decent striker...hope I'm wrong

Surprisingly enough I am not a lower league scout with a specialism in forwards. As to your question. What’s my budget. How much in transfer fee? How much in wages.

Do I think they are good signings? Yes. Do I think that combined they will get the goals that Cole & McAtee got absolutely not.

 

We've got what we've got.

 

Love how you are writing them off already and pining for the likes of McAtee, when both have far superior records than McAtee before we signed him.

McAtee had scored a whopping 8 goals in L2 before he joined, yes a total of 8. 0 in L1.

DKD got 22 in L2 last season alone. Well over double what McAtee had in his entire L2 career. Yet DKD apparently hasn't got it in him to replace the goals McAtee got.

Let's actually wait and see what he can do before we start saying he's not good enough.

 

Apologies I missed the word regularly off. Do you think you would automatically think that an attacking player who failed to impress at this level with Burton is a sure thing for goals given his previous failures?

McAtee was loaned from a PL club. DKD has kicked around lower leagues for years.

I think he is a good solid signing. I’m just not bigging him up to fail.

if we had signed on a free a player with an equivalent goal scoring record at this level people would have a very different view.

 

No one is writing them off. I think both represent good solid squad players. I don’t see DkD offering much that Phillips doesn’t but I’m interested to see if Clarke plays them both on a pivot taking the pressure off both.

 

indeed and that was my point and I won’t be the one slagging them off if they don’t score 20 goals. We are a lower league team that attracts lower league players and with DKD potentially a really good one.

 

You do realize players can improve over time right? Yes he didn't do superbly well at L1 before but he's dropped down leagues improved and joins us a better player than he did when he was here before.

McAtee did join us from a team higher up. But his entire career was spent in lower leagues, mainly national league, where Luton signed him from! He had never kicked a ball above L2 level and only had played one season there cos Luton sent him straight back to Grimsby.

You're moaning at us getting the best performing player in from L2 last season, who has a far far better record than McAtee did prior to us getting him last year and can't provide any suggestions whatsoever as to who'd be better...... No idea what you want, do you just like to moan for sake of moaning? Not sure what there is to complain about here.

 

Again I’m not moaning. I think both are good solid signings.

You are just the sort of person who will big them up now and then be slagging them off when they don’t live up to you fevered expectations.

If you can confirm my budget I will provide you with some alternatives. If not and you are suggesting I can sign anyone in world football then I’m going for Haaland

 

Jamie Vardy spent 6 years in the lower leagues when Leicester bought him. He had never played in the Championship and was stepping up from the Conference. He seemed to do well for Leicester in the Championship and Premiership.

 

Well the fee is around 700k according to Yorkshire post for this lad.

And we all know Humphrys was a free.

I don't have fevered expectations. I'm going to wait and see how they do in a reds shirt before I make claims that they cannot possibly replace what's been before them and that they can't possibly be good enough cos they've not come from a team above us in pyramid.

I'll make my judgements on them once they've actually played a number of games for the club.

But based on what they've done last season or so, they should be more than good enough.

 

Again that’s not what I said. Neither had the experience of being a regular scorer in this in this league. If SH is the Cole replacement in 79 games he scored less than Cole did last season. Does that mean he can’t improve or contribute of course not. As for DKD seems an interesting signing and I can see playing with a double pivot to be a strategy that can work if that’s what we do. Do I expect him to score as many as McAtee probably not. Does he need to depending on formation probably not.

You still haven’t told me how much I have to spend on a forward. The price we paid for an attacking CM is irrelevant. I’d also need to know wages. Length of contract I could offer. Bonus structure any other clauses.

 

We'll never agree so I'll leave it here. No point arguing.

I just don't see how you can come to the conclusion that these cannot replace those from last season when DKD in particular has a far better record than he predecessor did before he signed here.

McAtee had barely scored a goal in the EFL, nevermind L1. Yet he came, slotted in and did really well last season hitting 12/13 goals ish in league.

DKD is coming off a season where he got 22, he's bang in form and entering prime of his career. Absolutey no reason why he cannot match or better McAtee from last season. Doesn't mean he absolutely will, but on paper it's a better signing than McAtee was for us this time last year.

SH and cole is maybe a different argument, I agree. But also have to factor in the fact SH plays out wide a lot which reduces his goal tally. But I'm sure SH is a better all round player as Cole often got criticism for not being that good.

 

I do understand the disappointment. Against a stated aim of signing three strikers they've signed one striker and two attacking midfielders. That's not to say all won't prove to be fantastic additions. But I don't think those disappointed should be attacked, despite the dour tone they bring.

 

It’s all about opinions mate and I respect everyone’s.

Not one for engaging in arguments.

I said I’m impressed with who we’ve signed but for me we if we’d have gone out and signed someone similar to Joe Taylor I’d be banging that promotion door. Someone with similar abilities.

Teams who go up this season I’ll guarantee will have an out and out goal scorer or two that share the load. The ones expected to challenge already do.

We are hoping on sharing the goals out and also pretty reliant on Watters and Jalo hitting some kind of purple patch in my opinion. Two players who didn’t play regular last season. I just think in the strikers department…..we look at our weakest since we returned to L1.

Is DKD a McAtee replacement or does he play deeper similar to Phillips?

Will Watters or Jalo get the goals Devante Cole scored?

Hoping Cosgrove gets between 10-15 a season.

Big questions that surely will be answered in the coming months.

Clarke is no mug. No doubt he will be happier with his additions and I’m pinning my hopes that he gets a tune out of them all but for me……a decent window but the goals haven’t been replaced.

Hope I’m wrong.

 

I think 1 more striker was needed but happy with our business yesterday.

 

The last prolific striker we signed was Andy Dallas at non league level and look how that ended up. DkD got 23 last season, you can call him 'not a striker ' all you like but he was always going to be as good as we could afford.. And Humphreys.. like Cosgrove Watters Cole McAtee Norwood.. is another broken toy who may do well here. If he was all things to all men he wouldn't be here.
The two additions make us better than we were last week. Which is all you can ask

 

Yeah….id go with that. I’m hoping my post doesn’t come across as too negative.

If we sign Freddie Ladapo I’d be a tad happier.

 

We may still have another surprise up our sleeve.. a Ennis or Roberts you never know..

 

Roberts went Northampton on loan so can't be him but Ennis still possibly

 

We made it to Wembley in a season where our top scorers were Cole with 15 goals and Norwood with 11. We've got enough to be competitive.