Hemed and Baldock

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Hemed looked like he was in the mood last night. 17 goals is not a bad return so whilst he may not be up there with Andre Gray he's worth sticking with. Baldock has been disappointing recently and needs to have the game of his life on Monday. But in any case two new strikers (minimum) in the summer is an absolute must.

 

[GT49er]

Telling quote from Guy Butters on SCR last night when Hemed came off for Wilson in the first half. Said something like 'No great loss, he's not very mobile'. Glad it's not just me who thinks that then....

Is Guy Butters really the right person to criticise a player for being 'not very mobile'?

 

[GT49er]

Even before injuries once again these 2 looked no danger at all. Of course if they find themselves in space they can score but as far as giving defenders hard time forget it. Our central defenders have done very well all season but sure they would be happy to be up against our gentle 2 compared to hard time they are given week after week. They nearly all seem to have more strength, shield ball better and are quicker.

That would be the 17 goals a season Hemed we're talking about, right?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Is Guy Butters really the right person to criticise a player for being 'not very mobile'?

Um. good point, well made

 

[GT49er]

What about Wilson ??
Spent most of his time on his back and is s poor impression of a centre forward
Baldock works hard but isn't up to this standard sadly
What we need is a Ramirez/ Forrestorri / Lansbury to play that Number 10 role

...........and I wouldn't be too surprised if we had one of them next season (and/or the likes of Kodjia from Brizzle City). Ramirez might not be too popular though - and he'd probably get sent off in his first match for us for knocking a card out of a referee's hand!

 

[amexer]

Yes thats the one. Able to score when in space but hopeless on ground if defender anywhere near him

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I had a downer on ballsack all season. Was shouted down by certain nscers but then empty vessels make most noise. He is not good enough for top end championship. 4 goals (but he was injured they bleat, we hadnt lost when they played together zzzzz) to them I say idiots.

Hemed I love as he will run thru brick walls but he is def second striker material. We need a striker in the summer.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I've got to say, this is the one area of the pitch, along with central midfield cover, that I think we'll really need to be looking to improve next year. Apart from our strikers, I don't see any teams in the league better than us, but I'd take a lot of the other forward lines.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

...........and I wouldn't be too surprised if we had one of them next season (and/or the likes of Kodjia from Brizzle City). Ramirez might not be too popular though - and he'd probably get sent off in his first match for us for knocking a card out of a referee's hand!

I think it's quite clear Hughton won't be bringing in a number 10. He wants to play two conventional forwards.

 

[BensGrandad]

The man we needed lives in Brighton and not chasing him or if we did not hard enough is one of the 2 main reasons we are in this position not promoted already. Middlesbro had goal scorers but still brought in Ramirez , Nugent and Rhodes who did we bring in at the last moments of the loan deadline.

 

[GT49er]

I think it's quite clear Hughton won't be bringing in a number 10. He wants to play two conventional forwards.

Number 10......second striker. Pretty interchangeable, really. A lot of 4-4-2 is effectively played as 4-4-1-1. Like Hemed spearheading the attack with Baldock supporting him.

 

[murraymints4brighton]

Baldock a running is good, he creates space for others and defends up the pitch. If you have someone influencing and scoring alongside him he's a great asset. In Hemed we have half of that so I agree with the OP. Ulloa as an example could pick the ball up and take a man on depite him not being that quick.

Really think not getting Glenn Murray in has cost us along with the Zamora injury. Needed that big match striker.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Baldock a running is good, he creates space for others and defends up the pitch. If you have someone influencing and scoring alongside him he's a great asset. In Hemed we have half of that so I agree with the OP.

As always recently, the side appears to be BRISTLING with forwards who 'create space for others' or who 'hold the ball up'. The question begs to be asked: who are they creating space FOR or holding the ball up FOR? Correct answer: the well decent forwards like MURRAY, BARNES and ULLOA that we flogged on earlydoors. Said it before, say it again. we only retain the DUFFERS.

 

[el punal]

assuming we don't progress from here - we just have to hope we can keep the rest of the team together and TB can spend some dosh on some decent strikers. our front line is why we haven't gone up automatically.

Strange that we somehow managed to be joint top scorers in the league. Now I wonder how we did that?

 

[Nixonator]

I've got to say, this is the one area of the pitch, along with central midfield cover, that I think we'll really need to be looking to improve next year. Apart from our strikers, I don't see any teams in the league better than us, but I'd take a lot of the other forward lines.

We'll need to hold onto the best 2 midfielders in the division first before we think about improving.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

To me, far too much time was wasted on trying to get those South Americans, who didn't want to come, to sign for us, effort that should have been spent on getting an established Championship or out of favour Premier League striker. I was disappointed that we didn't go in (or if we did, harder) for Gary Hooper, especially with Hughton's Norwich connections. Yes, I hear all the "but Tony's put in xxx millions", and "he'd have cost £40,000 per week" stuff, but surely that sort of investment would have been worth it, selling the player if we didn't go up. After all, we were prepared to go for the former option, weren't we?

I think Tony Bloom faces a stark choice - carry on with the "prudent" approach and keep nearly getting there or go for it once and for all. No I am not suggesting doing a Pompey (they were paying players twice what Hooper was meant to be on). Yes, maybe it's unfair to expect Tony Bloom to fund it all, but then maybe he needs to look for other investors. I don't mind being shot down in flames - this is not necessarily a criticism of Bloom, and it's his club anyway, but it's clear to me the cautious approach doesn't work. Okay, we only missed out on goal difference, but a top forward, who would have really finished off poor sides like MK Dons, whom we totally dominated in the second half, but only just scraped a win against, would have got us over the line.

 

[BensGrandad]

We'll need to hold onto the best 2 midfielders in the division first before we think about improving.

That will be a problem plus holding on to Goldson as I am sure there will be offers coming in for him

 

[London Irish]

They have both overachieved this season and when you think for Baldock that's scoring 4 goals it's a tribute to Hughton we got third. Hemed is not such an enormous loss as Knocky so I'm happy to go with the flakier class of Wilson or Murphy/Skalak if they get picked up front.

I just hope we get an opening 45 minutes to be proud of on Monday because the last 3 games the team have not peaked to put it mildly

 

[el punal]

To me, far too much time was wasted on trying to get those South Americans, who didn't want to come, to sign for us, effort that should have been spent on getting an established Championship or out of favour Premier League striker. I was disappointed that we didn't go in (or if we did, harder) for Gary Hooper, especially with Hughton's Norwich connections. Yes, I hear all the "but Tony's put in xxx millions", and "he'd have cost £40,000 per week" stuff, but surely that sort of investment would have been worth it, selling the player if we didn't go up. After all, we were prepared to go for the former option, weren't we?

I think Tony Bloom faces a stark choice - carry on with the "prudent" approach and keep nearly getting there or go for it once and for all. No I am not suggesting doing a Pompey (they were paying players twice what Hooper was meant to be on). Yes, maybe it's unfair to expect Tony Bloom to fund it all, but then maybe he needs to look for other investors. I don't mind being shot down in flames - this is not necessarily a criticism of Bloom, and it's his club anyway, but it's clear to me the cautious approach doesn't work. Okay, we only missed out on goal difference, but a top forward, who would have really finished off poor sides like MK Dons, whom we totally dominated in the second half, but only just scraped a win against, would have got us over the line.

I repeat, from an earlier post, we are joint top scorers in the league - what more do you want?

 

[Seagull kimchi]

If people didn't see how useful Baldock was for us last night when the shit hit the fan and defense was our priority - I'm surprised, he was a major reason we still have a pig in hells chance on Monday. OK, his job is to create and score - but the all round shift he put in last night when we we're on the brink of annihilation was admirable.