20+ goals a season striker?

[Billy the Fish]

I keep seeing this recently yet everyone was raving about our defence except for that sticky patch over Xmas when we played Boro. So who are we going to replace at the back and who are the better players we are likely to get. Got to confess I am struggling to think of a better back line at this level than Bruno, Goldson, Dunk, Bong and Stockdale. Apart from cover do we really expect to get a better defence in next season?

You also have to remember the teams that conceded less than us all play with a dedicated DM which gives the defence extra protection.

 

[fleet]

Did we not score more goals than any other team in the championship? Should we not be thinking about defending better?

 

[Iamapen15]

Well, it won't be Calleri He's going to West Ham by all accounts!

 

[SeafordBHA]

How about an attacking midfielder to play behind the striker. Someone technically very good to unlock the defences.

Thinking someone like Teixeira, don't have someone in that mould currently. Could struggle if lose Knockaert and teams sit back next year.

Wonder where Teixeira will be next year, and is he good enough for us if going for promotion?

 

[Bozza]

Did we not score more goals than any other team in the championship? Should we not be thinking about defending better?

It's funny, isn't it?

The success we have enjoyed over the last few years has been built on a miserly defence. This season was a bit of a departure from that, but the gut feel that many of us have is "defence is sound, need more goals."

Ideally we'll score more AND concede less. Maybe we don't need to change too much, however, because of the creativity we added in January:

In our first 23 games of the season we scored 31 and conceded 23, for a GD of +8.
In the second half of the season we scored 41 and conceded 19, for a GD of +22.

However, as compelling as those stats look, we only lost one game of the first 23 and accrued 44 points. In the second 23 games we lost 4 games and accrued 45 points.

 

[lizard]

Surely the ideal answer to replace BZ as an older experienced proven striker is either Murray, Crouch or Lambert depending on wages required etc. A young striker as No 1 choice is a bigger risk but we have been lucky or the recruitment team proved right with Ulloa and Hemed, In midfield I would like us to go for somebody like Lansbury or Huddlestone as the forward AM to compete with Stephens rather than Sidwell except as a possible back up to Kayal.

Agree with most of that, really think we need to move on from Murray though. A Crouch or Lambert to replace Zamora and a further proven striker to come in and challenge for the starting eleven is a must. I like Hemed and think he will be amazing with a decent partner, that said I'm sorry to say (Straps on tin hat.) I still don't rate Baldock but reckon he'll still be here next season, hopefully as backup in squad rotation.

I think Sidwell would be a good option as backup, but should we be spending our budget on players that aren't going to improve our starting eleven? (excluding development squad players obviously) Although I do struggle to imagine us having another star central midfielder. Maybe Towell will step up, he's looked promising in his brief game time so far, but it's hard to judge on only that. We have seemed to have had a lot of centre mids on the books recently, so I expect a few to leave without being replaced. Think Sidwell and a world-beater would do as replacement.

It's easy to blame the refs, the FA and everyone else for why we didn't make it over the line, but I feel our lack of firepower up top was a major factor. How many games should we have put to bed by half-time? We missed out on the autos by two goals. I'm not moaning or anything, we've had a tremendous season and I'm proud to be an Albion fan and think everyone at the club deserves a massive pat on the back for how far we have come.

I just feel Tony Bloom will see next season as our real chance. The squad is already amazing and presuming we can keep it together and add a little freshness, mainly up top we will be a real contender. Some of the outgoing players will no doubt free up a decent proportion of the wage budget for this to happen.

Another factor is: last season we were not the same prospect to potential players, we'd narrowly avoided relegation. This coming season we are likely to be one of the favourites, that will in itself attract a higher calibre of player. Strikers want to be at clubs where they can score goals, last summer we would have been seen as a poor choice as many had us tipped to struggle, this summer potential players know we are looking for promotion and know with our midfield they will get the chances to do just that.

Let's just hope the recruitment team have another stormer, I'm sure they will.

 

[OzMike]

Whomever is the target let's hope it's done nice and early and not dragged out till deadline day!
This years pre season with most the squad already in place helped the team to bond and think it helped with our great start to the season !!!

Never happens and you know it.

 

[GT49er]

I always thought Goldson was a big tall bloke but he walked past me just before the game Monday and is 5ft 10ins tops I reckon

6ft. 3ins. according to his Wiki entry.

 

[studio150]

Not forgetting Hot Shot Hamish! His relocation costs from a Hebridean island could be a sticking point though...

He would certainly fill the need for a big man

 

[Acker79]

Did we not score more goals than any other team in the championship? Should we not be thinking about defending better?

That is one of the quirks of this season. But our GD was terrible up until we scored a hatful against a pretty much safe Fulham, already relegated Charlton, and a going nowhere QPR, flattering our attack. With all our wins this year, only 4 were by more than one goal. Too often we have dominated periods of games and nothing has come of that dominance. We, as a team, need to be scoring more goals when dominating games. Our inability to do so has led to the weirdness that we're top scorers to be pretty meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Nixonator]

How about an attacking midfielder to play behind the striker. Someone technically very good to unlock the defences.

Thinking someone like Teixeira, don't have someone in that mould currently. Could struggle if lose Knockaert and teams sit back next year.

Wonder where Teixeira will be next year, and is he good enough for us if going for promotion?

Going to Fiorentina

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Said it before, say it again: we have 20+ goals a season strikers on our books on a regular basis. And we always sell them on for a song earlydoors and only retain the duffers.

 

[Worthingite]

My wish list would be

Johnny Russell (for Wilson)
Kemar Roofe/Bradley Dack (for Baldock)

OR

Potentially - Tomas Rosicky? He's on a free, know's Jiri, a "proper" professional and probably got a good season left in him a la Bridge or Upson, He'd fit the Baldock role just lovely.

 

[Machiavelli]

My wish list would be

Johnny Russell (for Wilson)
Kemar Roofe/Bradley Dack (for Baldock)

OR

Potentially - Tomas Rosicky? He's on a free, know's Jiri, a "proper" professional and probably got a good season left in him a la Bridge or Upson, He'd fit the Baldock role just lovely.

I was thinking about Rosicky, but he's played in midfield for as long as I can remember.

 

[BensGrandad]

I was thinking about Rosicky, but he's played in midfield for as long as I can remember.

Does he have the legs at 35 years old as it is much easier for a defender at that age.

 

[Worthingite]

Does he have the legs at 35 years old as it is much easier for a defender at that age.

No different to, say, Zamora?!?!

 

[BensGrandad]

No different to, say, Zamora?!?!

A lot different as a midfielder gets through a lot more miles than a striker.if he is doing the job right. He is the engine of the team.

 

[Murray 17]

I am dizzy reading this thread already.

This is fact.......Work has already started on next year BUT look at last years recruitment. How many of those signed did any of us predict. One or two at the most.. We have a recruitment team with contacts all over and I suspect very few on here will be correct in our predictions.

Its great to have all this speculation because it gives us something to do when there is no football to focus on so yes lets play Fantasy Football Manager but don't be surprised if all our predictions are wrong again

It's fun speculating (and dreaming), but my thoughts exactly.

 

[Worthingite]

A lot different as a midfielder gets through a lot more miles than a striker.if he is doing the job right.

Still think he's got a season left in him. maybe a couple if looked after right

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Hemed and A.N.Other (Murray?) to be the physical striker.

A.N.Other 2 and Baldock to be the smaller, never-stop-running striker.

Knockaert, Skalak, March and Murphy feeding them.

I suddenly can't wait for August.

I would agree, as long A.N.Other and A.N.Other 2 are both first choice with Hemed and Baldock as the cover. A.N.Other needs to be better in the air as well, as we've missed a proper target man, which is a shame with our plethora of wingers.