[Albion] When will we sign THE striker?

[elwheelio]

I think we've done great so far but I think it will be very close in terms of whether we stay up or not. We've not used too many different players this season which might suggest we've not got the best back up options should injuries occur. A striker would no doubt help but we're on a bad run of form (one win in eleven is it?) and it will take a monumental effort to stay up. Having said that, I support CH fully, I'm just not sure we've got quite enough nous, quality or goals to survive.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

Fair point but I don't want us to think that signing a striker is going to guarantee goals and all our problems are over. We still have squad players finding their feet in this league who are all capable of scoring and causing problems for defences. I would rather see an attacking replacement for Brown than a 30 mill gamble. It would be nice to sign a top class front man but I don't think it is the end of our survival chances if we don't. Either way, helluva season, loving every minute of it.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

Making the best of what we have got is why we are sitting 12th in the PL, without a new striker. If we just keep on doing what what we are doing we will be fine. Not at all bothered if we don't get a striker. We are improving all the time as well. Sheets dry here.[/QUOTE]


That is the problem we are not points wise. Unless we start scoring we are headed for The Championship sadly.

Fair point but I don't want us to think that signing a striker is going to guarantee goals and all our problems are over. We still have squad players finding their feet in this league who are all capable of scoring and causing problems for defences. I would rather see an attacking replacement for Brown than a 30 mill gamble. It would be nice to sign a top class front man but I don't think it is the end of our survival chances if we don't. Either way, helluva season, loving every minute of it.

 

[elwheelio]

Fair point but I don't want us to think that signing a striker is going to guarantee goals and all our problems are over. We still have squad players finding their feet in this league who are all capable of scoring and causing problems for defences. I would rather see an attacking replacement for Brown than a 30 mill gamble. It would be nice to sign a top class front man but I don't think it is the end of our survival chances if we don't. Either way, helluva season, loving every minute of it.

Quite right. Unless you buy Aguero or Kane any striker is a gamble and i'd rather we invest wisely rather than take a punt. We'd have been really excited to have signed a Negredo, Hernandez, Iheanacho etc but all have struggled. Let's hope we've something up our sleeves but coming in now and having a serious impact on our games to end of Feb is a big ask.

 

[b.w.2.]

What a bunch of unrealistic over-optimistic idiots post on here... incredible... of course there are no guarantees, but we will minimise our chances of going down with a high quality striker signing. Anybody who thinks and says otherwise is fooling themselves.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bob'n'weave]

What a bunch of unrealistic over-optimistic idiots post on here... incredible... of course there are no guarantees, but we will minimise our chances of going down with a high quality striker signing. Anybody who thinks and says otherwise is fooling themselves.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, ok. It's all about minimal risk/management, we must strengthen where we can and utilise what we have across the board, and at this stage that is all we have control over. Expecting a new striker, no matter how proven, to come in, fit in, stay fit/uninjured and bang them in regularly is rather optimistic too. I'm just saying that we should not write ourselves off with an ever-improving squad and a good loan striker if we don't nail the 'holy grail' up front saviour some seem to think we are f***ed without.

 

[Simontheseagull]

What a bunch of unrealistic over-optimistic idiots post on here... incredible... of course there are no guarantees, but we will minimise our chances of going down with a high quality striker signing. Anybody who thinks and says otherwise is fooling themselves.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's highly unlikely a high quality striker will join a team 3 points above the relegation zone 11 days into the transfer window.

I would expect a high quality striker to wait until towards the end of January before making a decision on whether we are in a good position to avoid relegation. The only alternative would be to pay over the odds in transfer, signing on and agent fees now, and offer ridiculous wages and a generous relegation release clause.

 

[MJsGhost]

Just before West Ham, we'll announce a successful SWOOP for Andre Pierre Gignac, thanks to Knockers whispering sweet French nothings into his ear...

 

[Icy Gull]

It seems that we are all agreed that we are not going to be signing a proven young Premier League quality striker this window either?

If we sign anyone, it’s going to be a calculated gamble on a player who hasn’t actually proved his worth at the top level yet.

Sights lowered but we’ve done OK with the under the radar players signed so far this season, hopefully we’ll be able to continue this recruitment record.

 

[Bob'n'weave]

It seems that we are all agreed that we are not going to be signing a proven young Premier League quality striker this window either?

If we sign anyone, it’s going to be a calculated gamble on a player who hasn’t actually proved his worth at the top level yet.

Sights lowered but we’ve done OK with the under the radar players signed so far this season, hopefully we’ll be able to continue this recruitment record.

100% this. Calculated gamble, not reckless spending on overinflated PL transfer fees is the way to go. I think in TB we have the person best qualified to take calculated risks.

 

[Stat Brother]

It seems that we are all agreed that we are not going to be signing a proven young Premier League quality striker this window either?

If we sign anyone, it’s going to be a calculated gamble on a player who hasn’t actually proved his worth at the top level yet.

Sights lowered but we’ve done OK with the under the radar players signed so far this season, hopefully we’ll be able to continue this recruitment record.

I don't think the sights should be lowered, I don't understand why they should have been that high in the first place.

I'll hazard a guess ALL strikers that were enquired about in the summer, have watched our games and repeatedly said to themselves:-

"I would have scored that".

The squad has the players with the ability to make a half decent striker into a multimillionaire over the next 5 months

If we were Zahahahaless palace with Benteke aimlessly lumbering around up front I'd be praying for a saviour striker who could come in and do it all himself, irrespective of the cost (cos I'm not paying).

 

[Icy Gull]

I don't think the sights should be lowered, I don't understand why they should have been that high in the first place.

I'll hazard a guess ALL strikers that were enquired about in the summer, have watched our games and repeatedly said to themselves:-

"I would have scored that".

The squad has the players with the ability to make a half decent striker into a multimillionaire over the next 5 months

If we were Zahahahaless palace with Benteke aimlessly lumbering around up front I'd be praying for a saviour striker who could come in and do it all himself, irrespective of the cost (cos I'm not paying).

I really doubt that any striker on 100k plus a week will take a big pay cut to prove themselves again and get another transfer to a bigger club over the next year or so. Their agent certainly wouldn’t be recommending it.

 

[B.W.]

Yes, ok. It's all about minimal risk/management, we must strengthen where we can and utilise what we have across the board, and at this stage that is all we have control over. Expecting a new striker, no matter how proven, to come in, fit in, stay fit/uninjured and bang them in regularly is rather optimistic too. I'm just saying that we should not write ourselves off with an ever-improving squad and a good loan striker if we don't nail the 'holy grail' up front saviour some seem to think we are f***ed without.

We are not fast improving... in fact, our form is poor more recently, 1 win in 11 I believe... given this, I really do think we NEED a quality striker... it is NOT a nice to have... it is essential...

 

[Stat Brother]

I really doubt that any striker on 100k plus a week will take a big pay cut to prove themselves again and get another transfer to a bigger club over the next year or so. Their agent certainly wouldn’t be recommending it.

That's my point too, the latest nonsense being Hernandez.
I can see how a squad like palaces' might feel they 'need' someone with proven qualities of Premier League football, no matter how sparse it is.

The Albion don't, but what this squad does need, is an improvement on what it has, which is Championship at best and unreliable.

This squad has created plenty of chances, a player with mobility and an eye for goal would be well on their way to double figures by now.
If they were there already, the club could conceivably be ready to move them on, in the Summer, for 10 times what they paid.

The bar is so low for a Premier League goal scorer, even lower for an Albion one, not doing a deal would make a mockery of gaining promotion, which is why I think it'll happen.
But more importantly why I think (as with many of us) the signing will be greated by the customary 'wwhhhhooooooo'

 

[B.W.]

It's highly unlikely a high quality striker will join a team 3 points above the relegation zone 11 days into the transfer window.

I would expect a high quality striker to wait until towards the end of January before making a decision on whether we are in a good position to avoid relegation. The only alternative would be to pay over the odds in transfer, signing on and agent fees now, and offer ridiculous wages and a generous relegation release clause.

We may well have to pay 'over the odds', but that price will be the market price, no matter how much PB bleats about it... a striker now versus end of window may well be worth the 'extra' money... ask yourself how much relegation will cost, then have a rethink...

 

[Weststander]

I really doubt that any striker on 100k plus a week will take a big pay cut to prove themselves again and get another transfer to a bigger club over the next year or so. Their agent certainly wouldn’t be recommending it.

This.
Which rules out great strikers such as Sturridge.

 

[B.W.]

That's my point too, the latest nonsense being Hernandez.
I can see how a squad like palaces' might feel they 'need' someone with proven qualities of Premier League football, no matter how sparse it is.

The Albion don't, but what this squad does need, is an improvement on what it has, which is Championship at best and unreliable.

This squad has created plenty of chances, a player with mobility and an eye for goal would be well on their way to double figures by now.
If they were there already, the club could conceivably be ready to move them on, in the Summer, for 10 times what they paid.

The bar is so low for a Premier League goal scorer, even lower for an Albion one, not doing a deal would make a mockery of gaining promotion, which is why I think it'll happen.
But more importantly why I think (as with many of us) the signing will be greated by the customary 'wwhhhhooooooo'

This is spot on... especially the bit about why we WILL FINALLY make a quality striker signing... TB is no mug, and the impact of not signing will be too great for even bullsh1tter-in-chief PB to manage...

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

We may well have to pay 'over the odds', but that price will be the market price, no matter how much PB bleats about it... a striker now versus end of window may well be worth the 'extra' money... ask yourself how much relegation will cost, then have a rethink...

You say this like Paul Barber is a total idiot. He knows all this. They aren't sitting on their hands doing nothing. Accusing him of "bleating" is a cheap shot and says far more about you than it really does about how he is going about his business.

Oh, and it's easy to bore on about spending other peoples money isn't it.

 

[Lower West Stander]

You say this like Paul Barber is a total idiot. He knows all this. They aren't sitting on their hands doing nothing. Accusing him of "bleating" is a cheap shot and says far more about you than it really does about how he is going about his business.

Oh, and it's easy to bore on about spending other peoples money isn't it.

Paul Barber knew this in the summer too.

But we didn't sign anyone.

The poll results are quite telling I think in respect of our confidence in the club to follow through on the bleedin obvious. .

 

[Giraffe]

Lets be honest if they really wanted to break the bank and sign a player they should have done it by now. The fixtures coming up from now until the end of February will make or break our season, 5 out of 6 against teams below us. If they really felt they had to have a striker you would get them in start of January and then they'd be up and running for these crucial games.

I really think they feel we can get by without one, so it would only be a good value signing that we get now or nothing at all, not a break the bank massive signing.