Luuk de Jong signs for PSV

[Big Geordie]

Way too early to judge de Jong. He looks to have something about him - good touch and link up play. Just needs more game time.

[joeyt]

So when isn't 'way too early'?

[Wullie]

It's not too early if you're going to have to make a decision on whether to spend that sum of money on him in eight or nine games' time.

[arnonel]

I still rate him

[Guest Howaythetoon]

He's a decent footballer, but doesn't look like a decent goalscorer and we will need a decent goalscorer. Can we afford to have a decent enough footballer who won't get among the goals? I'm not so sure we can. He is obviously short of confidence in the striking/scoring department, though and that isn't helping him nor our cause RE goals. He linked up well with Remy against Hull and I like how he can drop deep and play that kind of role, but he will probably still cost a fair few quid and I'd rather that kind of money being used to try and retain Remy along with whatever else it would take to keep the Frenchman.

[Varadi]

I've been reading a lot of praise for him in this thread but I have to be honest I'm just not seeing it - seems to lack pace and power and doesn't even look close to actually scoring a goal.

 

If we have a budget to spend reasonably big on a striker this summer, I don't think he should be it.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Let's not forget that Demba looked poor in his first few games for us. He's a young lad that's adapting to the league and building confidence, I'm convinced he'll come good and will be a worthy squad player.

[Wullie]

Let's not forget that Demba looked poor in his first few games for us. He's a young lad that's adapting to the league and building confidence, I'm convinced he'll come good and will be a worthy squad player.

 

A worthy squad player for ~£8m?

[Dave]

Not sure on De Jong yet but another striker that can't score is the last thing we need. As pointed out, we're fucking allergic to spending money on strikers* for some stupid reason so we need to be dead sure.

 

*Strikers signed for more than £1.5m in the entire Ashley tenure: Xisco, Cisse.

[matta]

Not seen him today, but we're not scoring. He has until the end of the season obviously, would be nice if he is the man we need. Unsure.

[Disco]

Even if we do sign him we'll need at the bare minimum one more forward anyway, sigh.

[Ronaldo]

Thing is, as much as I like him, we can't afford to compound our crap midfield with a striker who doesn't score.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Thing is, as much as I like him, we can't afford to compound our crap midfield with a striker who doesn't score.

 

We can though, if we actually add another striker who does score to go alongside him.

 

But its already been established how much of a makeover the team needs in the summer and none of the things we all know we need at a bare f*cking minimum will probably happen.

[Ronaldo]

Garbage, man. We can't keep putting all our stock in one striker because we become fucking toothless when the inevitable happens. We need three goal threats out there at a minimum.

[r0cafella]

Garbage, man. We can't keep putting all our stock in one striker because we become f***ing toothless when the inevitable happens. We need three goal threats out there at a minimum.

 

Which would also require tactics with some sort of dynamism.

[Guest Roger Kint]

Garbage, man. We can't keep putting all our stock in one striker because we become fucking toothless when the inevitable happens. We need three goal threats out there at a minimum.

 

Thing is for the reported £8m or whatever we could get any of 4/5 Championship players that would score more alongside another Ba/Remy(a chance on Ings or Rhodes maybe). Its a lot to ask our mob to pay that for someone that so far seems to head a ball harder than he kicks it when we still need a main striker to come in as well(and probably one other too)

[TRon]

Striker in not scoring when receiving fuck all service shocker.

 

Even without service Cisse made the keeper make two saves despite being in no sort of form for over a year. De Jong's a nice player but shows no appetite for goals whatsoever. He's like the poor man's Peter Crouch, and Crouch is pretty shot shy as well.

[Curtained Wasp]

Harsh to judge him with such piss poor service.  Also difficult to imagine this is the place where he'll get his confidence back. 

[Guest neesy111]

Harsh to judge him with such piss poor service.

 

That eventually just becomes an excuse.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

Remy manages to score with the same quality of service. de Jong hasn't looked like scoring yet.

[Wullie]

I'd be a lot more confident about him if he didn't have a weaker shot than Michael Owen's pea-rollers.

[Ryan_Taylor]

Be nice if he manages a goal some time soon like...

[cubaricho]

Harsh to judge him with such piss poor service.  Also difficult to imagine this is the place where he'll get his confidence back.

 

Pretty much.

[Rebellious]

He won us a fair few free kicks, we just had no one to take them properly. He didn`t stop running and links up well. He would be worth about 5mill to take over Shola and Cisse`s squad position. He seems to be unable to properly take a shot with any power though.

[Cajun]

Said from the start it is pointless trying to asses a player based on a 6 month loan. I doubt we would have spent the £6m or whatever it was on Debuchy based on last seasons form and I reckon most would have thought we dodged a bullet.

 

We only have own one striker that I have any confidence in scoring and he is playing babysitter for the full backs.