smiler
Well-known member
My version of the story,from a very good source, is that Oscar refused Harry Kane and wanted Leroy Lita instead.
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Absolutely gagging for a striker.....
- Thread starter Bring back Bryan wade!!
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Nixonator
Well-known member
Text book miserablists vs apologists.
I'm not sure we are necessarily 'gagging' for a striker. Muzza will do what he does best, hold up play and finish chances provided for him, the question is more will Hemed be able to cover. I've said previously that I hope Hemed will be given the chance, but if I were to wager i'd reluctantly bet against him making the step up. I'm glad these kind of decisions are not mine to make.
I think those saying Gross is as an "ok German signing" are understating it more than slightly. He will surprise many and looks to be a fantastic signing that has probably already made us 15M+ and is yet another prized asset to further secure our financial future. Admittedly based on pre-season alone, he looks to have everything required for that role, which will be the key role for us this season. I definitely think we need another 9 mind, but not the marquee signing people expect. I would be happy with a pacey unknown from abroad who Winstanley & co think could make the jump. If it turns out to be a Knocky/Gross type signing then great, if it's a Manu then we'll still be ok with what we have.
Where I think we need a ready-made, quality signing, and undoubtedly at significant expense, is in CM and that is what concerns me the most with the moves for Delaney and Neto breaking down for different reasons. I think we need to be prepared to lose money on this particular signing and pay over the odds. With Norwood already moving out on loan, you'd think we'd have something quite far along but it's been very quiet since.
I still think we need another wide/forward player as well but this seems at odds with what the club/PB are suggesting. I was very much hoping the Lawrence rumours were true, but it seems like he's off to Derby.
I'm not sure we are necessarily 'gagging' for a striker. Muzza will do what he does best, hold up play and finish chances provided for him, the question is more will Hemed be able to cover. I've said previously that I hope Hemed will be given the chance, but if I were to wager i'd reluctantly bet against him making the step up. I'm glad these kind of decisions are not mine to make.
I think those saying Gross is as an "ok German signing" are understating it more than slightly. He will surprise many and looks to be a fantastic signing that has probably already made us 15M+ and is yet another prized asset to further secure our financial future. Admittedly based on pre-season alone, he looks to have everything required for that role, which will be the key role for us this season. I definitely think we need another 9 mind, but not the marquee signing people expect. I would be happy with a pacey unknown from abroad who Winstanley & co think could make the jump. If it turns out to be a Knocky/Gross type signing then great, if it's a Manu then we'll still be ok with what we have.
Where I think we need a ready-made, quality signing, and undoubtedly at significant expense, is in CM and that is what concerns me the most with the moves for Delaney and Neto breaking down for different reasons. I think we need to be prepared to lose money on this particular signing and pay over the odds. With Norwood already moving out on loan, you'd think we'd have something quite far along but it's been very quiet since.
I still think we need another wide/forward player as well but this seems at odds with what the club/PB are suggesting. I was very much hoping the Lawrence rumours were true, but it seems like he's off to Derby.
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Weststander
Well-known member
That can't be true, as we have £100m per season more cash than the Rams.
Weststander
Well-known member
Maureenho was using it to bitch about rival clubs, the tedious mind games starting a month early. The media and other managers correctly took at as that.
Telford Seagull
Well-known member
Not true at all. Oscar didn't have much to do with either players. The one Oscar wanted was Gerard Deulofeu once he knew Jean Marie Dongou couldn't happen (he didn't want to come). Someone else who is no longer at the club felt other loanees were a better fit, value for money etc. We became interested in Obika due to Nathan Jones, but as he was injured we brought in Lita. Gestede was another name linked at the time. Unsure who highlighted potentially bringing him in.
One if the few players Oscar wanted was Lewis Grabban. I'm sure you could work out which BERK wanted Rodriguez instead.
Tom Hark Preston Park
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- Jul 6, 2003
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Ask you what I always ask anyone using this lazy line with regard to the Albion: who is the player holding up play FOR? Usually the answer is 'nobody'.
Nixonator
Well-known member
Last season or pre-season?
BensGrandad
New member
He has for ages, in fact every time he plays against us.
It's tough to shake the feeling that as every transfer window opens, other than the first AMEX era one, the club has collectively sat back in it's chair, run it's hands through it's hair. and said in exasperation and surprise:-
'Jeeeez strikers are so expensive'.
'Jeeeez strikers are so expensive'.
He played 99 Championship games for us during the AMEX era.
Tom Hark Preston Park
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Both. If your only proper striker finds himself 'holding up play', then there's invariably no troops coming over the horizon to take the strain and receive the pass. Sure sign of a poor side if your designated striker is reduced to 'holding up play'. They're supposed to be on the RECEIVING end, no?
deslynhamsmoustache1
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Tom Hark Preston Park
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Story of the Albion's recent history as regards strikers is that they always ship out the decent ones earlydoors to make a quick quid and hang on to the piss-poor ones WAY past their score-by date.
Bob'n'weave
Well-known member
Very happy with the way the squad is building, strong at the back with good attacking options in a wide midfield. I'm not hoping for an uber striker, I expect a couple of sub-radar canny additions up front to complete the line up before the door shuts. I think we are going to be a handful next season. 
Tom Hark Preston Park
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I'll try again:
Hemed (81 apps, 28 goals), Ulloa (50, 23) , Barnes (99, 22), Murray (38, 23) and Baldock (78, 18) were our key strikers in 12/13, 13/14, 15/16 and 16/17.
3 play offs, 1 automatic promotion, a minimal outlay.. If thats a dearth (ie: shortage ) of "Amex era"* strikers* that didn't deliver then i'm a banana.
Sounds like if we'd had a mix of Andre Gray, Charlie Austin, Troy Deeney, Wood, Assambalonga, Grabban in their Championship primes you'd still be griping.
*If Barnes doesn't count as "Amex Era" even though he played at the Amex 99 times in 2011-2017 then I'm not sure who does.
Cowfold Seagull
Fan of the 17 bus
Oh, in what I feel sure is going to be a long hard season, there are going to be plenty of occasions when poor old Muzza, (or whoever else ends up wearing his shirt), are going to be reduced to holding up play!.
That l'm afraid is the nature of trying to survive a first season in the Premier League.
Very happy with the way the squad is building, strong at the back with good attacking options in a wide midfield. I'm not hoping for an uber striker, I expect a couple of sub-radar canny additions up front to complete the line up before the door shuts. I think we are going to be a handful next season.
This for me.
The_Viper
Well-known member
Agreed, all of them seem overpriced. On the other foot though we have Negredo apparently moving for £6.5 million, Diego Rolan who would be a huge upgrade on Baldock IMO of course for around the same price. There is value out there and there is overpriced crap. We seem to be in the mix for neither.
Tom Hark Preston Park
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Currently I'm not expecting GM to be aimlessly holding up play at all. Expecting GM and Izzy Brown to be served up plenty of juicy chances by Knocky and Solly March. Pretty sure that will catch out a lot of the Premier League cannon-fodder duffers a lot of the time. Despite all the Sky Spin,two thirds of of the Premier League are bang average.