[Albion] Danny Welbeck out “for some time” after hamstring surgery.

[Pavilionaire]

As I attempted to put a 'comedic' spin on the situation on 01.09.21 with a thread asking when GPott would have no strikers, nobody is playing captain hindsight.



But neither of you have answered the question.

There's a huge gap between the Swiss second division and the EPL.

What did you see in Zeqiri, in all the games he appeared, to suggest he'd bridged that gap?

Because whatever you saw I didn't, and whatever you saw isn't evident to the Augsburg manager either.

What I saw was a lively young man who needed to go out on loan, because despite being better than the Swiss second division, was a long way away from the EPL.

I think the point I and others are making is that while we all accept he isn't the finished article, he is 6 foot 1, he's spent his whole career playing in a striker position and scoring goals - as opposed to being an undersized midfielder or winger pressed into action and being played out of position up front.

Forget about the Swiss second division, things have moved on. He's played 3 times for the Swiss senior side (15th in the world with good players), featured in 9 Prem matches last season and has already scored in the Bundesliga. Only one of the five other Augsburg strikers has managed to do that this season.

And - above all else - he is a whole lot better than Locadia, who - miraculously - is still at the club and featuring in the Prem matchday squad.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think the point I and others are making is that while we all accept he isn't the finished article, he is 6 foot 1, he's spent his whole career playing in a striker position and scoring goals - as opposed to being an undersized midfielder or winger pressed into action and being played out of position up front.

Forget about the Swiss second division, things have moved on. He's played 3 times for the Swiss senior side (15th in the world with good players), featured in 9 Prem matches last season and has already scored in the Bundesliga. Only one of the five other Augsburg strikers has managed to do that this season.

And - above all else - he is a whole lot better than Locadia, who - miraculously - is still at the club and featuring in the Prem matchday squad.

No one will argue the final point, but everything else is up for grabs.

The fact he is on loan despite the chronic lack of strikers, suggests, right now he's not EPL ready, something I don't believe anyone is surprised about.
Hoping he is might even do more harm than good.

Remember a striker is for 5 years not just till Christmas.

 

[chaileyjem]

Andy Naylor reporting that Potter thinks his absence will be in the same ballpark as Alzate. ie: 3 months.

https://theathletic.com/news/danny-...as-brighton-striker-has-surgery/i9Cs5POQdp1Z/

 

[chaileyjem]

The club have to manage minutes for their players. Connolly has been fit all season but has so far played 58 minutes of PL football which he would probably think is frustrating. He's unlikely to start tomorrow and he's technically our 2nd choice although Potter seems fine in playing Maupay and Trossard/Mac/Moder as no 10s alongside or behind and i guess he's comfortable about Locadia coming off the bench in games if it comes to that.. Obviously if Maupay was injured then Connolly would (i assume) lead the line. So even then having an extra striker (Zeqiri say) on the books just in case is really safety in numbers - its also a risk in that its unlikely they are going to get many minutes across a season which affects their development and their value. Last year across all of the season even with a couple of short term Welbeck injuries Zeqiri made only 9 appearances off the bench, he's still yet to start in the PL or score as it happens, and most of the time he didn't play up front anyway.

As for buying another striker. Well its not - they don't think they need another striker or can't see that it would strengthen the team or that they don't see what we see. Or that they don't have the funds. Unless all the credible stories about Nunez etc were wrong . Its that they are clearly looking for the right one at the right price and that didn't happen in the summer or they couldn't make it happen (Clubs wouldn't sell, player preferred another club). Same story for several PL clubs as it happens from Man City downwards.

Presumably they'll be looking in January. Already there are sniffs of stories indicating so.

 

[Swansman]

Easy comment to make, Maupay gets injured or goes off the boil we don't now have another option and 14 points after 7 could become 14 after 17

Nope

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Easy comment to make, Maupay gets injured or goes off the boil we don't now have another option and 14 points after 7 could become 14 after 17

I'll readily admit that we may lose the odd game if Maupay goes missing, but losing ten games in a row? No way Jose.

 

[Pavilionaire]

No one will argue the final point, but everything else is up for grabs.

The fact he is on loan despite the chronic lack of strikers, suggests, right now he's not EPL ready, something I don't believe anyone is surprised about.
Hoping he is might even do more harm than good.

Remember a striker is for 5 years not just till Christmas.

Of the last 25 Prem matches of last season he was included on the bench in every single one and appeared in 9 of those matches. Potter considered him to be one of our 4 striker options, and I think he did OK - certainly better than Locadia and probably a better option than Connolly in those 25 games.

It therefore seems a strange decision to loan him out - an improving player - and not loan out Connolly who regressed last season, both on AND off the pitch.

The questionable handling of Connolly and Zeqiri is reinforced by the Gyokeres situation - having left, the bloke is tearing up the Championship. If we'd have kept him we wouldn't have the problem we've got now.

 

[GT49er]

...... above all else - he is a whole lot better than Locadia, who - miraculously - is still at the club and featuring in the Prem matchday squad.

I've no doubt that if the club could find anyone to take him, they would have done.

Remember a striker is for 5 years not just till Christmas.

Ain't that just the truth in this case - sadly!

 

[Sheebo]

You find some level of sexual assault acceptable.

Pretty gross tbh.

Wow - there’s putting words in someone’s mouth and then there that. Give your head a wobble. That’s pretty gross tbh.

 

[chaileyjem]

I think he did OK - certainly better than Locadia and probably a better option than Connolly in those 25 games.

Zeqiri made 9 appearances, didn't score and half the time didn't play as a striker. Presumably Potter had seen enough. Anyway his hand was probably forced by Locadia coming back into the squad and not landing a Nunez etc.
Squad needed trimming.
Gyokeres - well we'll see and good luck to him but last season he made 30 appearances , scoring twice. Tough game predicting how players develop.

 

[Stat Brother]

Of the last 25 Prem matches of last season he was included on the bench in every single one and appeared in 9 of those matches. Potter considered him to be one of our 4 striker options, and I think he did OK - certainly better than Locadia and probably a better option than Connolly in those 25 games.

It therefore seems a strange decision to loan him out - an improving player - and not loan out Connolly who regressed last season, both on AND off the pitch.

The questionable handling of Connolly and Zeqiri is reinforced by the Gyokeres situation - having left, the bloke is tearing up the Championship. If we'd have kept him we wouldn't have the problem we've got now.

And he would have sat on the bench for the 7 games, so far this season.
He also would have blocked the progress of a least 3 yoof strikers, if he played in games clearly beneath his talent.

Sure he's not exactly pulling up trees in Germany, yet to even get a full 90 mins in, but the 4 games he has featured are still 4 more than here.

The club created the Locadia mess, the club is now having to sit in it, for the greater good - the greater good.


Let's face it if the club had spent £2m on a second division Swiss centre back he'll be a candidate for the Balloon Door, in 5 years time.
The club spending £2m on a second division Swiss centre forward, is a sure sign he's not the player to pin your hopes on.


Neither of us are at our first rodeo begging the question why are you grizzling about the club's ineptitude regarding all things strikers?

 

[Swansman]

I dont see any reason to panic tbh. What this does is that it will get other players a chance to show themselves. While it would be nice to have Danny available I will be very excited to see what others can do with the game time suddenly available. Good depth in the squad and midfielders as well as strikers could play in the role Danny did.

 

[Pavilionaire]

And he would have sat on the bench for the 7 games, so far this season.
He also would have blocked the progress of a least 3 yoof strikers.

Sure he's not exactly pulling up trees in Germany, yet to even get a full 90 mins in, but the 4 games he has featured are still 4 more than here.

The club created the Locadia mess, the club is now having to sit in it, for the greater good - the greater good.


Let's face it if the club had spent £2m on a second division Swiss centre back he'll be a candidate for the Balloon Door, in 5 years time.


Neither of us are at our first rodeo begging the question why are you grizzling about the club's ineptitude regarding all things strikers?

1. I don't think Zeqiri is blocking the progress of any of our youth strikers.
2. There is no good about the Locadia situation - it has been a total disaster from start to finish (and I look forward to that finish).
3. All clubs make mistakes, but the failure to recruit a striker in this last window is a sadly familiar and predictable story. If Maupay gets an injury we are f*cked, and I'm annoyed we're in this position again.

 

[GT49er]

1. I don't think Zeqiri is blocking the progress of any of our youth strikers.
2. There is no good about the Locadia situation - it has been a total disaster from start to finish (and I look forward to that finish).
3. All clubs make mistakes, but the failure to recruit a striker in this last window is a sadly familiar and predictable story. If Maupay gets an injury we are f*cked, and I'm annoyed we're in this position again.

1. He would be if he was getting game time in the U23s, which he might well have been.
3. It's not so much a story as a repetitive grizzle - it wasn't a mistake that Nunez opted to go elsewhere (but it would have been a mistake if we'd actually signed Vincent Janssen!)
2. Now, that was a mistake!

 

[Munkfish]

Welcome back Danny. Missed him badly. Let’s cross everything he stays fit until the end of the season. Tross Maupay and Welbz will cause a lot of problems second half of the season.

 

[OzMike]

Just play him as a second half super sub and he should last the rest of the season.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Eleven minutes, seven touches and one goal.

Thanks for popping in, Danny!