StillHateBellotti
Active member
This.
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defence now sorted but we still need a top striker, but who ???
- Thread starter paul pring
- Start date
This.
StillHateBellotti
Active member
I think Heskey, didn't he recently turn down Hull! Will obviously be playing somewhere this year. Just think he will bring the best out of CMS.......
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
On what basis do you think that? Aaron Maclean was apparently his best partner - and he's a 5 foot 7 short arse. Why would Heskey bring out the best of CMS compared to anyone else?
StillHateBellotti
Active member
My own personal view. He has lasted at the highest level because what he can do, he does well. He has the ability to hold the ball. He makes intelligent runs and has a sense of awareness on the pitch. He works hard and is deceptively quick, he draws panicked defenders to him and has created opportunities for the flair players such as Rooney and Owen in the past. His unselfishness in front of goal may have deprived him of a higher goal tally, but it has been a windfall to others. He did even score one against Germany! I am open to all suggestions and sure there are better players out there but just think he fits the bill as Roberts or Lambert did last season. I am sure he would score a few aswell at this level.
Seagull over Canaryland
Well-known member
I agree with this. OK we may be debating which new striker we fancy but this also depends on the tactics. I recognise that Gus knows more about footie that everyone on NSC put together and I love his 'ball on the ground/play it out from the back' style of our play but he does set us up very conservatively away from home, often with one striker who then struggled to make an impact. CMS used to run himself ragged on his own and even Diego Forlan wouldn't score if he can't get the ball.
IMHO in the latter half of last season we tended to play a bit too deep away from home and invite pressure from home sides. If we want to be contenders this season then we cannot afford to throw away points. For example we took the lead against Forest and Donny but sat back and eventually they got an equaliser and put us under the kosh for the last 15 mins. Having conceded the 3 points for a win we could easily have lost both games as we fought a last ditch battle to hang on for a point. Even a poor Barnsley side started to open us up at will because we sat back. It is ok to play deeper and waiting to counter attack but to be effective it needs a Vicente type of player who has the vision to play the early ball to our front men or make an incisive run. Gus often only played one front man giving us limited options and allowing the defenders a bit more time to shut us out. I can recall Vicente receiving the ball and looking up to play in our lone attacker in only to see him surrounded by defenders.
Hopefully our new and more robust defensive back line will tighten things up and if we play a more expansive game the new striker will not be quite so isolated.
Finchley Seagull
New member
This is presumably the point of our new signings so far. With a solid goalkeeper and defence (and also a better central midfield partner for Bridcutt - especially if they are spectacular as suggested) then we will be able to use Noone, LuaLua, CMS, Buckley, Barnes and the new striker to their full potential. That doesn't mean we won't sometimes go back to a more conservative approach but it won't be every away game.
If the midfielder and striker are as good as the three signings so far, I will be delighted and we will have a really good first team.
Tricky Dicky
New member
Whatever I think about Heskey, I always come back to the fact that whenever you ask all the other forwards that's he's played with, and that includes some high porfile names, who their best partner up front has been, they all name him. Now, I don't think they do that just to be kind to a nice bloke, or just being alongside him means they get all the chances, you have to assume there is something about him.
severnside gull
Well-known member
It would be great news for Ashley Barnes for the crowd to have a new whipping boy.
Seriously, Ash was quoted on here the other day as saying that he was looking forward to having someone with aerial strength to play alongside. I'm guessing that he may not know who Gus is after but certainly knows the sort of player being discussed. Heskey is not a bad shout and would certainly make people sit up and take notice - more so than some of the very good but relatively unheard of overseas strikers mentioned. If I had to come up with the name of one player likely to meet all the criteria so far mentioned and who is actually available then big Emile would be my man.
My "outsider" would be Theo Gekas as a current international who made an impact as a sub at the European Championships so has "profile"
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
I like Heskey too, but what you describe isn't going to help CMS. CMS's two big problems last season were his poor finishing and - much bigger than that - his appalling first touch. I don't see how Heskey is going to help with either
severnside gull
Well-known member
A striker who can hold the ball up will buy CMS some time and hopefully some composure
pork pie
New member
tgretton87
Shoreham Beach Seagull#2
- Jul 30, 2011
- 691
Why do we need a target man? We had those fellas on loan last season, who were supposedly target men, who never touched the ball, let alone scored. We want someone who has good touch, and is lethal round the 18 yard box, and whose initials aren't CMS
Correct
We need a fox in the box some one like Van Nistelrooy. Stands on the edge of the 6 yard box and puts the ball in the net with no fuss. CMS to do the running new striker to put the ball in the onion sack.
Finchley Seagull
New member
Really?
I am sure he is glad to have your support! Why not give him a chance. How many players have an average first season at a club and then improve massively after that? With the right strike partner, CMS could be great.
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
He cost us £2.5-3m. I don't see why we should buy someone else to "buy him some time"! I am really hoping CMS has worked on his first touch during the off-season - he's someone you can't fail to like as a person, and I would love him to be hugely successful with us. If he's worked on the two major faults I mentioned he can be a great player for us.
severnside gull
Well-known member
CMS has never stopped working to improve his game from the time he came in to pro football but even at Posh when he was scoring for fun they often had to admit he had a tendency to miss one-on-ones. He is at his best when he finishes instinctively and to do that he has to have space created around him to do his thing when he gets the ball. It's a team game
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
CMS has never stopped working to improve his game from the time he came in to pro football but even at Posh when he was scoring for fun they often had to admit he had a tendency to miss one-on-ones. He is at his best when he finishes instinctively and to do that he has to have space created around him to do his thing when he gets the ball. It's a team game
If he's "at his best when he finishes instinctively" then surely giving him space will give him time to think and he won't be able to finish instinctively? You've contradicted yourself there.
severnside gull
Well-known member
NoI haven't - he needs space when he gets the ball and someone needs to help him create it- a player who can help the ball on over a defence that holds a high line or can drag defenders away if they try to play deep
Stumpy Tim
Well-known member
That's not instinctive though is it. That's basically the opposite of instinctive!
Gazwag
5 millionth post poster
I shouldn't bother pork pie has this "scottish" problem