What kind of Striker do you want?

[Day]

Pace. Someone that terrifies defenders, doesn’t need the ball played to feet, has the vision to spot spaces to run into, leaving defenders on their backsides in his wake. 

Someone that’s genuinely exciting to watch, not frustrating to watch. 

[Derbados]

Honestly, I’d enquire about the availability of Vydra on loan, he’s lethal at this level and he has something Waghorn lacks severely. . . He’s clinical, ridiculously clinical

I’d also look to see if Rhian Brewster is available, although Swansea maybe back in for him 

One thing we haven’t produced from our academy yet that’s bore any fruit is a striker, I’m hoping JHI will be the first. Give him an opportunity 

[Ghost of Clough]

No new CF. Stick with Marriott and Waghorn battling it out for first choice. Backed up by Trialist and maybe Bennett, with Rooney emergency CF

[Uptherams]

25 minutes ago, Hathersage Ram said:

But at what cost to how I feel we want to play, he is immobile, slow, and slows everything down. It would be a retrograde step if we actually gave it a second of thought. A lot depends upon Marriott's fitness and attitude, if he could remain fit and motivated for 80+% of the season then he and Waghorn alongside a new wide player would be my preference. 

 

I don't disagree. But very uncertain times. 

[Dean (hick) Saunders]

Claudio Cannigia type (spelled rong im shure)

[Anag Ram]

oh sorry

 

Cauley Woodrow

Think he'd fit in well 

[duncanjwitham]

8 minutes ago, Derbados said:

Honestly, I’d enquire about the availability of Vydra on loan, he’s lethal at this level and he has something Waghorn lacks severely. . . He’s clinical, ridiculously clinical

The only period of success Vydra had here was playing in the same position Sibley is playing, not as a striker.  And it was in a completely different kind of system too (much more direct, less possession-focused).  When we tried to play possession football with Vydra in the team, we struggled - he can't hold the ball up, he disappears for huge lengths of time, and the whole team suffers for it.  How clinical he is, or how many goals he could score, is irrelevant if we never get the ball to him.  I have exactly the same reservations about Marriott in this system, and any other "hang on the last defenders shoulder, run in behind" type of striker.

IMO we got very lucky with Vydra - his signing was a bad mistake, that we got away with, because we went with a manager that suited his style (at the expense of almost every other good player we had).  He had one good season and we sold him at peak value.  If we'd carried on with McClaren (or a similar style manager), he'd have gone down the Anya route, and we'd have made a major loss on him.  (But we'd have still had Hughes, or sold him for closer to his true value, and got the most out of Martin instead of loaning him out etc etc.)

[Millenniumram]

Couldn’t disagree more with those saying a new striker isn’t important. Marriott doesn’t offer anywhere near enough in general play to be playing for a top 6 challenging club, and Waghorn’ wastefulness in front of goal makes him an off the bench against tired legs type player only. Don’t think we can consider Hector-Ingram a first team option just yet, and while Whittaker is an option, there’s debate as to whether he’s best up front or out wide, and we haven’t seen enough of him to be sure of his quality yet.

With Martin gone, we are definitely short an option up front, and a starting option at that. ST, along with RW, are the two remaining priority positions for signings imo. If we have any money I’d put most of it into signing a proper top quality long term new striker. We can bring in a loan to fill in the RW slot, the best championship wingers tend to be loans from big clubs anyway.

[Kyle guest]

Sam Lammers/Kenneth Zohore will do nicely, zohore being a more realistic option, can both hold the ball up well & score goals, fits the mould of the type of striker we will be looking at imo 

[Andicis]

12 minutes ago, Kyle guest said:

Kenneth Zohore will do nicely, zohore being a more realistic option, can both hold the ball up well & score goals, fits the mould of the type of striker we will be looking at imo 

Kenneth Zohore is an atrocious footballer, his control is abysmal and he doesn't score many goals - even at this level. Plus you'd have to assume he's on a reasonable wage. I'd be gutted with that signing.

[DCFC_Sloth]

I am curious to know if Waghorn has features this preseason? He was in the media stuff, but could be moving him out to bring in another forward?
 

For what it’s worth, I’d be happy enough to see us start the season with Marriott, Rooney, Waghorn, Whitaker and trialist as striking options. I think that the real area we need an overhaul is out wide and if there is money to be spent I’d rather see it go there. Having a CF who isn’t rapid isn’t such an issue if there is pace in other areas, we just have a slow squad which exasperates that problem. 

[Shuff264]

1 hour ago, Andicis said:

Kenneth Zohore is an atrocious footballer, his control is abysmal and he doesn't score many goals - even at this level. Plus you'd have to assume he's on a reasonable wage. I'd be gutted with that signing.

He's an absolute donkey, 12 goals is his best championship season

[Shuff264]

I'm happy enough with our options.

Marriott is clearly a brilliant finisher, yes he has had fitness problems

It's important that whoever is playing up front that we play to there strengths, too many times in the past we've launched hopeful balls to Marriott only for a 7 foot defender to swat them out the air

Marriott, Waghorn, JHI and Whittaker is fine. Perhaps not brilliant, but its not where I'd be spending my money atm.

[cannable]

1 hour ago, David said:

Pace. Someone that terrifies defenders, doesn’t need the ball played to feet, has the vision to spot spaces to run into, leaving defenders on their backsides in his wake. 

Someone that’s genuinely exciting to watch, not frustrating to watch. 

Unless you find an absolute gem then, even a top end Championship striker whose main asset is pace (Gray and Grabban spring to mind) tends to have a frustratingly bad touch 

Plus, if we’re gonna be possession heavy then our centre-forwards needs to link up first and foremost. Pace isn’t frightening when the opposition are dug in and defending deep.

[Sparkle]

Pace, heading ability, can score regularly with either feet and can control the ball perfectly - it doesn’t exist in the championship does it? So we will be missing parts of that whoever we bring in so we may have to have two people who can do bits of it and swap them round.

[Sparkle]

3 minutes ago, Shuff264 said:

I'm happy enough with our options.

Marriott is clearly a brilliant finisher, yes he has had fitness problems

It's important that whoever is playing up front that we play to there strengths, too many times in the past we've launched hopeful balls to Marriott only for a 7 foot defender to swat them out the air

Marriott, Waghorn, JHI and Whittaker is fine. Perhaps not brilliant, but its not where I'd be spending my money atm.

Marriott was a dreadful finisher last season - I hope he improves x 10 

i still think Whittaker needs a loan even if it’s for half the season 

[Day]

Just now, cannable said:

Unless you find an absolute gem then, even a top end Championship striker whose main asset is pace (Gray and Grabban spring to mind) tends to have a frustratingly bad touch 

Plus, if we’re gonna be possession heavy then our centre-forwards needs to link up first and foremost. Pace isn’t frightening when the opposition are dug in and defending deep.

Let’s be honest, all players will have flaws at this level otherwise they would be top class players. Just got to find the ones with the least. 

Not all teams are like Forest, scared to play sitting in their own half, you can get a game now and again where pace will unlock opportunities for us. 

It’s not an option we have right now

[duncanjwitham]

3 minutes ago, cannable said:

Unless you find an absolute gem then, even a top end Championship striker whose main asset is pace (Gray and Grabban spring to mind) tends to have a frustratingly bad touch 

Plus, if we’re gonna be possession heavy then our centre-forwards needs to link up first and foremost. Pace isn’t frightening when the opposition are dug in and defending deep.

That's the thing - we won't get a championship-proven, big, strong, quick striker that can hold the ball up, link up play and score goals.  If any of those actually even exist, they'll cost way more than we can afford, and will just go to a prem club instead anyway.  So we either take a punt on a lower league one, if we can find one, and hope he can step up (knowing he'll just move on and upwards in a season or two if he does).  Or we take a striker that can't do one or more of those things.  They're ether slow like Martin, or have a poor touch like Gray and Grabban, or don't score enough like Waghorn, or can't hold it up like Marriott.  The trick is picking which deficiencies you can live with, and for me link up play and goals is more important than pace, given the way we're playing.  Especially if there's pace elsewhere in the team.

[Kernow]

The striker position becomes less of a problem if you have genuine quality on the wings.

Having someone who is pacy and direct, and looks to go outside the defender instead of cutting in will make the world of difference.

Too often last season we were too isolated up top and we didn’t have the pace to get the ball away from our half for any considerable amount of time. If we have wingers who can stretch the game, put the opposition on the back foot, and get the ball around the box, every single one of our strikers are going to have more joy and all of a sudden, we won’t look so light up there.

[Shuff264]

10 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

Marriott was a dreadful finisher last season - I hope he improves x 10 

i still think Whittaker needs a loan even if it’s for half the season 

I doubt he'll go on loan

Management team have kept those they believe good enough at the club, the rest have left on loan.

Cant see why that would change now unless they no longer think Whittaker is up to it