January Window

[Foreveram]

3 minutes ago, Marriot Ram99 said:

Not too pleased we have not got a striker in to replace Osula. Could see a scenario where it could cost us. Imagine going into the play offs, 2nd leg of the semi final or the final and the game goes to extra time one of them are injured leaving the other to have to play the whole 120 minutes. 

Mcgoldrick gets cramp after playing 100 minutes and can barely move and we have to play a winger upfront instead, Barkhuizen hasn't got the touch or the strength and I'm not sure NML would be a good lone striker either. We then lack a focal point and lose the match costing us promotion, same could happen last game of the season if top 2 is on. 

If Mcgoldrick is out for many games and we just have Collins are chances of going up are definitely slimmer, we'll just have to hope Mcgoldrick can play most matches and we can win without having much upfront. Will be interesting to hear what Warne has to say about things in the striker department. 

You have a vivid imagination.

[Gerry Daly]

3 minutes ago, Marriot Ram99 said:

Not too pleased we have not got a striker in to replace Osula. Could see a scenario where it could cost us. Imagine going into the play offs, 2nd leg of the semi final or the final and the game goes to extra time one of them are injured leaving the other to have to play the whole 120 minutes. 

Mcgoldrick gets cramp after playing 100 minutes and can barely move and we have to play a winger upfront instead, Barkhuizen hasn't got the touch or the strength and I'm not sure NML would be a good lone striker either. We then lack a focal point and lose the match costing us promotion, same could happen last game of the season if top 2 is on. 

If Mcgoldrick is out for many games and we just have Collins are chances of going up are definitely slimmer, we'll just have to hope Mcgoldrick can play most matches and we can win without having much upfront. Will be interesting to hear what Warne has to say about things in the striker department. 

Nobody was available that was good enough its as simple as that. A lot of people thought a period of consolidation and avoiding another relegation was the aim this season. Now look at us, going to be disappointed if we miss out on automatic and have to settle for the play offs! 

[Carnero]

Some of the people complaining seem to totally ignore the fact that we can't pay transfer fees, can't pay loan fees and can't even pay agent fees. It's not easy to find a forward that would improve the squad that doesn't cost us a bean other than wages. If there were none considered better than the option of playing Dobbin, Barkhuizen or NML as an emergency forward if required then it is what it is! Grow up!

[Caerphilly Ram]

11 hours ago, Andicis said:

Come on now. We're in February, him scoring a brace in October is pretty irrelevant. He is playing pretty regularly in a winning side and can't seem to get any consistent number of goals. He isn't good enough. He was worse than tepid yesterday, he stunk the place out. 

Him scoring a brace in October may be irrelevant in terms of his current form, but it’s relevant to our season, without his goal contributions we’d be at least 4 points worse off.
It’s fair to say he isn’t in the best form at the moment, but the way that some people are apparently writing him off is baffling to me. He is a part of the squad, he has contributed to where we are so far this season and will no doubt contribute more before the season ends. The fact he has scored 7 league goals for us shows that he can score at this level. I would like to see less of him charging into the channels and more of him staying central, in the 18 yard box, bullying defenders and working on his movement/staying onside. If he does that he’ll probably shin one in from 3 yards and his confidence will pick up.

 

[Marriot Ram99]

10 minutes ago, Gerry Daly said:

Nobody was available that was good enough its as simple as that. A lot of people thought a period of consolidation and avoiding another relegation was the aim this season. Now look at us, going to be disappointed if we miss out on automatic and have to settle for the play offs! 

I'd be happy to finish 3rd or 4th on a good points total like 85 points and then hopefully we go onto win the Playoffs. Now we are in this position we should be doing everything we can to try and get promotion because I think this is a good chance and there is no guarantee next season will be any easier when it's unlikely we will have Knight, Cashin and probably Bird here and Mcgoldrick is going to have to do well to be as influential next season at 36.

[Alty_Ram]

9 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

I would like to see less of him charging into the channels and more of him staying central, in the 18 yard box, bullying defenders and working on his movement/staying onside. If he does that he’ll probably shin one in from 3 yards and his confidence will pick up.

 

Understood. Of course, if someone leads the line well then it's not all about the exact goal tally as they create a platform and create lots of opportunity for others but for me, I'm just not seeing enough of him offering us that platform as the ball doesn't seem to stick with him nearly as well as I'd hoped, he doesn't score many goals and he doesn't seem to really threaten much in the air either.

McGoldrick's touch, guile and movement as a focal point just makes us so much more threatening as a team, particularly when we are playing snappier attacking football. With Collins we look all too predictable but not even in a good Steve Howard sort of way. i.e. you know what's coming but can you actually stop it ?

[TomTom92]

Can’t help but think a lot of people I’ve brought the media line about us not being able to pay for agents, fees etc so that rules us out. 
 
So there’s no other striker in England or Scotland that’s of the same standard as Osula, on roughly the same money and with no need for a fee? Don’t believe that for a second.

Who we could’ve brought in might not of been a world beater but as others have alluded to if it’s that or having to stick Barkhuizen up there I know which one I’m picking.

[Tamworthram]

4 minutes ago, TomTom92 said:

Can’t help but think a lot of people I’ve brought the media line about us not being able to pay for agents, fees etc so that rules us out. 
 
So there’s no other striker in England or Scotland that’s of the same standard as Osula, on roughly the same money and with no need for a fee? Don’t believe that for a second.

Who we could’ve brought in might not of been a world beater but as others have alluded to if it’s that or having to stick Barkhuizen up there I know which one I’m picking.

So you believe that PW is aware of players, of the same standard (or above) as Osula, available with no fee (agents or otherwise) but he has chosen to pass on them?

No disrespect intended but, if that is the case and PW feels we are better off not signing them, then I kind of trust his judgement more than any of us on this forum.

[ram59]

It's sometimes difficult to quantify a player's contribution to the team. Goals and assists are 2 simple stats that sometimes are misleading and don't always tell the whole story.

Collins work rate is enormous, he helps out at the back, but more importantly, he's constantly closing down defenders and not giving them time to get comfortable on the ball and make accurate passes forward. Collins is our first and very effective line of defence. He's the kind of player who would disrupt a team playing our old style of playing out from the back. He has contributed massively to our impressive goals against figures. But there is no easy stat available, telling us how many times he has forced defender into a poor pass.

 

[Curtains]

1 minute ago, Tamworthram said:

So you believe that PW is aware of players, of the same standard (or above) as Osula, available with no fee (agents or otherwise) but he has chosen to pass on them?

No disrespect intended but, if that is the case and PW feels we are better off not signing them, then I kind of trust his judgement more than any of us on this forum.

Oh great .
 

[TuffLuff]

4 minutes ago, TomTom92 said:

Can’t help but think a lot of people I’ve brought the media line about us not being able to pay for agents, fees etc so that rules us out. 
 
So there’s no other striker in England or Scotland that’s of the same standard as Osula, on roughly the same money and with no need for a fee? Don’t believe that for a second.

Who we could’ve brought in might not of been a world beater but as others have alluded to if it’s that or having to stick Barkhuizen up there I know which one I’m picking.

Issue isn’t just money but also game time. We probably beat quite a few teams to White because with Bird’s injury plus any other injuries we pick up we can probably guarantee 10+ games where he will play. Any striker, that came in we couldn’t do that without having a significant injury to McGoldrick or Collins.

The financial consideration is what Leigh Curtis said, if we underspend this year then there is better chance for the EFL to look at us more favourably in summer meaning Warne has more chance to assemble his team, especially if we are still in league 1 and Bird + Knight are then sold.

[Caerphilly Ram]

24 minutes ago, Alty_Ram said:

Understood. Of course, if someone leads the line well then it's not all about the exact goal tally as they create a platform and create lots of opportunity for others but for me, I'm just not seeing enough of him offering us that platform as the ball doesn't seem to stick with him nearly as well as I'd hoped, he doesn't score many goals and he doesn't seem to really threaten much in the air either.

McGoldrick's touch, guile and movement as a focal point just makes us so much more threatening as a team, particularly when we are playing snappier attacking football. With Collins we look all too predictable but not even in a good Steve Howard sort of way. i.e. you know what's coming but can you actually stop it ?

I agree that McGoldrick is the better option and makes us a better team when he plays. Collins isn’t the same type of player and has some limitations in comparison and also has a couple of attributes to his game McGoldrick doesn’t (the aggression, work rate etc).
I think there’s an aspect with Collins of him trying too hard, racing around wanting to impress, throwing his arms in the air when it doesn’t go his way, that’s why I want to see his play a little more focused. Do the pressing, lead from the front, balanced with playing as the central striker to get on the end of crosses and knock downs to Knight/Hourihane or whoever because he doesn’t have the touch or guile to drop into that slightly deeper position and create space for the likes of Barkhuizen and NML.

Essentially we need to adapt to the strengths (however) limited of either of the main strikers as and when they play. I am all for a constructive conversation about his limitations and strengths, but I’ll never get the need for some fans to simply ignore the good and slate the player completely, it’ll always happen I know, just seems irrational to me. People have poured scorn on Dobbin, Hourihane, Bird, Forsyth, Sibley, Davies at various points this season and all continue to contribute to the team. I am quietly confident Collins will still contribute to our continued success by the season’s end 

[Loughborough Ram]

Leigh Curtis is guessing about the EFL looking favourably on us. Having see how they operate, i think that it is far more likely that they will leave the restrictions in place as long as they possibly can, for fear of other clubs complaining, regardless of how compliant we have been.

[Yoxoram]

I think that was a brilliant transfer window. None of our talented young players (Cashin, Knight etc) left. There was a late rumour about Cashin and Bournemouth but fortunately nothing came of it.

[ramsbottom]

God I love how quickly things go tits up around here.  10pm a week ago we were going to catch Weds in second, and now because we lost to a West Ham side who could afford to have a £100m rated player on the bench we'll be lucky to scrape a top half finish??!?!??!?!?!   

Have we not all forgotten that 6 months ago we were about to go out of business???  Our owner put forward a business plan that must be adhered to when bought the club, that cannot change.  Yes we have good gates, but until the plan is reviewed in the summer, we can't pay even £1 or a player, whether that's a loan or permanent signing.  What were people seriously expecting from this window???

I'd rather we didn't sign a striker if it potentially sees us breaching what we agreed with the league and incurring further penalties.  Just because CM9 or Kenneth Zohore are available doesn't mean we should sign them, or even afford them if we wanted to.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, TomTom92 said:

Can’t help but think a lot of people I’ve brought the media line about us not being able to pay for agents, fees etc so that rules us out. 
 
So there’s no other striker in England or Scotland that’s of the same standard as Osula, on roughly the same money and with no need for a fee? Don’t believe that for a second.

Who we could’ve brought in might not of been a world beater but as others have alluded to if it’s that or having to stick Barkhuizen up there I know which one I’m picking.

Can you please enlighten us less informed observers with some of the names of the available players who we have missed out on as a suitable replacement for Osula?

[Ramarena]

I’m still waiting for Lyle Taylor to be announced.

Where is he?

[Ram-Alf]

4 minutes ago, Brailsford Ram said:

Can you please enlighten us less informed observers with some of the names of the available players who we have missed out on as a suitable replacement for Osula?

Chris Martin ?

[TomTom92]

9 minutes ago, Brailsford Ram said:

Can you please enlighten us less informed observers with some of the names of the available players who we have missed out on as a suitable replacement for Osula?

Can’t be bothered to back up my statement with facts but it’s a sad state of affairs if there isn’t an Osula replacement out there, he was hardly Harry Kane.

[kash_a_ram_a_ding_dong]

18 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

I agree that McGoldrick is the better option and makes us a better team when he plays. Collins isn’t the same type of player and has some limitations in comparison and also has a couple of attributes to his game McGoldrick doesn’t (the aggression, work rate etc).
I think there’s an aspect with Collins of him trying too hard, racing around wanting to impress, throwing his arms in the air when it doesn’t go his way, that’s why I want to see his play a little more focused. Do the pressing, lead from the front, balanced with playing as the central striker to get on the end of crosses and knock downs to Knight/Hourihane or whoever because he doesn’t have the touch or guile to drop into that slightly deeper position and create space for the likes of Barkhuizen and NML.

Essentially we need to adapt to the strengths (however) limited of either of the main strikers as and when they play. I am all for a constructive conversation about his limitations and strengths, but I’ll never get the need for some fans to simply ignore the good and slate the player completely, it’ll always happen I know, just seems irrational to me. People have poured scorn on Dobbin, Hourihane, Bird, Forsyth, Sibley, Davies at various points this season and all continue to contribute to the team. I am quietly confident Collins will still contribute to our continued success by the season’s end 

I've seen a huge amount of running around but rarely challenges effectively,mostly fails to win headers and unfortunately doesn't distribute the ball well at all.

He's lost as a lone striker and 7 goals at this point in the season for our number 9 doesn't bode well at all for him with his other current weaknesses.

Unless we are able to use him as part of a front two or he is able to adapt I can't see his tally improving much over the remaining games.