Our Forwards

[QBG]

A lot of debate recently about our strikers, especially with the whole Boyd rumour. My question is, who is good enough? And I don't mean to set the Premiership alight and take us to Europe, I mean to beat the utter s*** that lives in the bottom half the Premiership. It really doesn't matter against the top teams, we might get the odd win against a top team at Home, but we all know we're gonna play 4-4-1-1 with Nolan in behind away from home against Top 4-6 and play for a 0-0 or a cheeky 1-0.

 

My view:

 

Carroll - Definitely good enough, great in the air, improving slowly on the deck and has a cracking cross on him.

 

Lovenkrands - Great in the Championship, probably a decent player to bring off the bench in the Premiership, still fairly pacy and is good at penalties.

 

Ameobi - Takes a lot of unfair stick in my opinion, not the greatest player in the world but technically I don't think he's that bad. Can hold up the ball, is good in the air and his general all round game is off a decent standard imo. Never ever looks like he's gonna miss a penalty either.

 

Best - The real dilemma. Didn't score in five months of Championship football, though not for lack of trying. Was denied by a very good save at Bristol and cracked the bar against Plymouth. Obviously has talent or he wouldn't be an Irish international, cross against Swansea for Carroll's goal was magnificent. Do we give him a chance or get rid?

 

Ranger - Talented but raw and has some attitude problems if you believe what you hear. Should probably be loaned out to a mid table Championship team where he's going to get experience.

 

Thoughts? Are our current crop of strikers good enough to keep us up? Or do we need some new blood? If so do we need just the one striker or brought in or 2 or 3?

[TaylorJ_01]

Keep Carroll, Lovenkrands and Ameobi (unless we get offered a decent fee)

 

Loan Ranger (heh)

 

Sell Best

 

Reckon we need a pacy striker to play alongside Carroll. I don't mean Lovenkrands btw.

[ponsaelius]

We need to spend on 1 quality forward. It's not gonna happen though.

[Guest toonlass]

To be honest I think that Carroll and Lovenkrands are the only two who are good enough for the premiership.

[QBG]

To be honest I think that Carroll and Lovenkrands are the only two who are good enough for the premiership.

 

Nee Shola?

[HawK]

To be honest I think that Carroll and Lovenkrands are the only two who are good enough for the premiership.

 

Nee Shola?

 

Has he ever been fit for long enough to be relied upon for anything, let alone scoring the goals to keep us up next season?

[QBG]

To be honest I think that Carroll and Lovenkrands are the only two who are good enough for the premiership.

 

Nee Shola?

 

Has he ever been fit for long enough to be relied upon for anything, let alone scoring the goals to keep us up next season?

 

Fair point, and something I forgot to mention. Injuries have always been his main problem.

[ElDiablo]

Think even if Boyd were to come in we'd still need another striker. I'd go for Chopra personally and do everything to try and get shot of Best and Ameobi, who are both shite imo.

[Dinho lad]

Ameobi - Takes a lot of unfair stick in my opinion, not the greatest player in the world but technically I don't think he's that bad. Can hold up the ball, is good in the air and his general all round game is off a decent standard imo. Never ever looks like he's gonna miss a penalty either.

 

[Cajun]

Juries still out for Best imo.

 

 

 

I know I am probably the only person in the world who thinks that though

[cubaricho]

Juries still out for Best imo.

 

 

 

I know I am probably the only person in the world who thinks that though

 

I've still got time for him.

[Cronky]

We need a creative striker who can play in a more withdrawn role, linking midfield and attack. That's the situation vacant.

 

Unless Vukcic fits the bill.

[QBG]

Juries still out for Best imo.

 

 

 

I know I am probably the only person in the world who thinks that though

 

No I think that too

[Cajun]

I know he has shown fuck all so far but I can't help but feel his situation is similar to Carrolls at the start of the season, ie Shola was full of confidence, in form and they both played similar roles so where Shola was getting into the right positions all the time Carroll was left out and looking useless.

 

Now Best arrives, Carroll really starts hitting form and Best looks like he couldn't score if his life depended on it, or get into decent positions.

 

I would feel a lot better judging him if he was playing alongside someone different to him, someone who would be making different runs and getting into different positions.

 

That isn't to say he isn't dog shit, I just think it's hard to tell what he really can do from the chances he has been given so far.

 

As you said QBG he has shown glimpses, even if they have been very few and far between and he hasn't had the luck when a couple of his efforts on many other day would have hit the back of the net. His confidence probably went pretty quickly down hill too.

 

Fresh slate next season, that said if we do get rid of a striker though Shola and Best will be at the top of my list.

[Guest michaelfoster]

Shola's proven he cant cut it in the PL, the Championship is his level. He's about 28 now and if he's never been good enough to hold down a first team place. Id get rid if someone offered £3m tbh

[Cajun]

Shola's proven he cant cut it in the PL, the Championship is his level. He's about 28 now and if he's never been good enough to hold down a first team place. Id get rid if someone offered £3m tbh

 

Me too, he has been injured for about 12 years now.

[jdckelly]

so am i the only one here who likes shola?

[Cajun]

so am i the only one here who likes shola?

 

I don't mind him but he is a liability with injuries. If he had a much better injury record I would have no problems keeping him.

[cubaricho]

so am i the only one here who likes shola?

 

Don't mind him either really, although my heart wouldn't be broken if we let him go.

[SteveMc]

so am i the only one here who likes shola?

 

Don't mind him either really, although my heart wouldn't be broken if we let him go.

 

Handball, offside, needless push, handball, offside, needless push, goal, handball, offside, needless push x10

[CaliMag]

Shola is the most accurate and probably the best on the ball of our current strikers (taking into account his odd style which gives the appearance of someone who is about to lose the ball and fall over)... but he is not mobile and when he doesn't have the ball he doesn't really contribute to the game. He also gets injured (a lot). His best games for us (in the Premiership) were when he was partnered with someone who would do the running and use him as a target but keeping the ball on the ground. I can't see him workig well with Carroll as they are both target men.

 

My preference is Carroll or Shola partnered with Lovenkrands or someone new with pace (so that rules out Boyd who would just be Shola v.2).

 

Best didn't make the cut and I am sure he knows this, but we may not be getting any new strikers so he may be given further chances to prove himself. I don;t think he can do it, but he seems like he would at least put in the effort.

[SteveMc]

I apprecaite that Shola is a decent finisher and that he has a knack of scoring goals.  But I have never seen him as tidy or accurate.  Indeed i'dgo as far as to say that if we go into the seasn with him as a front line striker we are in big trouble.  I like the lad (previous criticism aside) but sadly he isn't quite up to it.  I like the look of Carroll and think Ranger has potential.  We need a real 'top notcher' though if we are looking to survive.

[nufc4eva]

Shola is dump absolute dump. First out the door for me, he is so useless 90% of the time, He lumbers up the pitch, looks like he could not care less, is sloppy and loses the ball all the time. Personally he would be out followed by best. I would keep carroll and loven and ranger and bring in two more if poss

[Ronaldo]

I personally think that Shola is the worst player in the air (over 6') that i've ever seen, he's a fucking shambles.

 

Lovenkrands needs 3 opportunities to score, tends to get bullied off the ball, offside too much and rarely contributes to overall play.

 

Carroll looked pretty fucking awesome as a goal threat in the last 4 months of the season, I was too harsh on him. He'll make a decent premier league player, but he isn't quite the answer, yet. Then again, i won't be too pissed off with him starting next season if he can find 10+ goals.

 

Best and Ranger i'm not even going to bother with, they're less equipped for the premier league than Ali Dia.

[SteveMc]

When all is said and done I think that there is consensus on the view that we need someone to complement Carroll.  That player would ideal be quick and a good finisher. (And cheap!)