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[Albion] There is ZERO chance of SIGNING anyone today.









Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Also in The Sun apparently. This is what the BBC football site has to say:

West Ham and Fulham lead the race to sign Blackburn Rovers' 24-year-old English striker Adam Armstrong, who has been valued at £25m, but the two London clubs face competition from Brighton and Everton. (Sun)

I see just the three hurdles

£25m
West Ham
Everton

Other than that all good :smile:
 










DarrenFreemansPerm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sep 28, 2010
17,452
Shoreham
I see just the three hurdles

£25m
West Ham
Everton

Other than that all good :smile:

The only advantage we have really is that he more likely to be our first choice striker, he’d be behind DLC and Richarlison and Everton and Antonio at West Ham assuming they were the only strikers there.
 








Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
23,702
Brighton
Can add Newcastle to that list. Rumoured interest and he's a Geordie.

It’s interesting.

At some stage, Newcastle had both Armstrong & Toney in their squad but they weren’t the finished articles.

They both had to drop to League One then do ‘Championship’ time. Newcastle gave Armstrong 3 ‘loans’ before flogging him to Blackburn for just £1.75m, they clearly believed he’d never be Premier League class.

Armstrong has had Championship goal returns of 6, 10, 5, 16 & 28. That’s five seasons. Is he ready for the EPL now or just having a good season?

We also need to be careful here, maybe Connolly & Zeqiri are like Toney & Armstrong? Do they need 4 or 5 seasons in League One/Championship to learn their trade properly?

Such tough decisions.
 


vagabond

Well-known member
May 17, 2019
9,804
Brighton
Would take a chance on Armstrong.

It’s always going to be a bit of a punt getting a Championship striker, buts that’s the market we’re in. It’s sadly unlikely we can get a Tammy Abraham, Giroud or Aguero.
 




Hotchilidog

Well-known member
Jan 24, 2009
9,136
Unless he’s a Maupay replacement, I’m out. We don’t need another small striker.

Height is not the criteria by which you judge a striker anymore, it's technique and finishing. The age of the big man up front has gone now that the game is played mostly on the ground. Just look at City who despite being massive cry babies have managed to forge their greatest success with short quick and technically astute forward players. This season they have even dispensed with having a recognised striker at all.

Can the guy finish without having to take half an hour to get the ball under control is the criteria that I am interested in.
 


DarrenFreemansPerm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sep 28, 2010
17,452
Shoreham
Sorry.We will have to agree to disagree

I have seen nothing in Watkins that convinces me me he is worth the fee or wages Villa are reputed to be paying him

If we were really in for him,we dodged a bullet

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Watkins has been overly impressive considering the reported fee and wages, however, taking a very superficial look at him he’s scored 14 league goals in his debut PL season. If Armstrong didn’t look impressive but bagged us 14 goals I’d struggle to not be pretty chuffed. Tag Watkins’ 6 goal onto Maupay’s record and that could be another 6 to 12 points.
 


DarrenFreemansPerm

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sep 28, 2010
17,452
Shoreham
Height is not the criteria by which you judge a striker anymore, it's technique and finishing. The age of the big man up front has gone now that the game is played mostly on the ground. Just look at City who despite being massive cry babies have managed to forge their greatest success with short quick and technically astute forward players. This season they have even dispensed with having a recognised striker at all.

Can the guy finish without having to take half an hour to get the ball under control is the criteria that I am interested in.

This. With bells on.

Aguero, too short to be a striker?
 




goldstone

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 5, 2003
7,179
...... We also need to be careful here, maybe Connolly & Zeqiri are like Toney & Armstrong? Do they need 4 or 5 seasons in League One/Championship to learn their trade properly?

Such tough decisions.

Connolly probably, but it's a bit early to tell with Zequiri who has had a limited number of sub opportunities and little chance to show whether he is yet Premier League ready.
 


Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
23,702
Brighton
RE: Armstrong

Newcastle have a 40% sell on clause with Armstrong. That’ll mean they’d probably get a 40% discount on what we’d pay. First dibs for the Geordies.

Looking at the lad, he seems to be very similar to Connolly in size, style and speed, just a lot more confident in front of goal at present. But he scores so many tap-ins (think Maupay Leeds goal), penalties and deflected shots, I just don’t think he’d have the luck or skill in the Premier League against elite defenders so score most of these goals:

https://youtu.be/iTOCQIX-ViM
 




One Teddy Maybank

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 4, 2006
23,008
Worthing
Height is not the criteria by which you judge a striker anymore, it's technique and finishing. The age of the big man up front has gone now that the game is played mostly on the ground. Just look at City who despite being massive cry babies have managed to forge their greatest success with short quick and technically astute forward players. This season they have even dispensed with having a recognised striker at all.

Can the guy finish without having to take half an hour to get the ball under control is the criteria that I am interested in.

But it reduces your option if you have no height whatsoever, and consequently is more easy to defend against.

Obviously for what we would be paying the points you make are a given


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 




B-right-on

Living the dream
Apr 23, 2015
6,741
Shoreham Beaaaach
But it reduces your option if you have no height whatsoever, and consequently is more easy to defend against.

Obviously for what we would be paying the points you make are a given


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think we do alright for height from set pieces at the moment. But like posted above, the days of needing Andy Carroll, Heskey or Crouchy as your striker are long gone. Doesn't suit our 100 touches in the oppo half style of play.

It's still a gamble with a Championship striker, better to spend £25m on one or £35m on a top Euro club striker and a gamble on that.

Glad it's not my money.
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,367
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
Height is not the criteria by which you judge a striker anymore, it's technique and finishing. The age of the big man up front has gone now that the game is played mostly on the ground. Just look at City who despite being massive cry babies have managed to forge their greatest success with short quick and technically astute forward players. This season they have even dispensed with having a recognised striker at all.

Can the guy finish without having to take half an hour to get the ball under control is the criteria that I am interested in.

But City have plenty of goals in their midfield - we don't. Our midfield's scoring, assists and shooting accuracy stats are comparatively poor even when you look at it against Southampton, never mind City who can rely on Gundogan and De Bruyne to score or assist. And they move players everywhere, Could we really play Lallana as a false 9 like KDB has or Gross alternating between CM, CAM and LF like Foden? Even on Tuesday our goals came from Trossard playing as a LF and from our two big centre backs.,

Drop down just a couple of places and you find Chelsea who have the option of Werner's pace or Giroud's height and finishing or Abraham's somewhere in between. A bit further down and Spurs have Kane who isn't small.

You need options.
 


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