Strikers..

[Kevin Hogg]

A couple of weeks ago we were all very aware that a goalkeeper and CM player with bite..were required. We still need to bolster the midfield. There were few alarm bells around defensive or attacking options. On paper we look okay both at the back and upfront.

However, there seems an issue about our scoring options. WITH BBBC and Freddy currently unavailable ..and no real sign of regular football we appear short. I believe Neil Harris can, if given a run, poach a few and maybe Tomlin and Benyon could contribute...but there does not appear to be many goals in our forwards this season.

No goals in three competitive matches seems to illustrate the point.

 

[Smiffy]

It is clear that Luggy needs "A big man" up top, to suit his tactics.

Either we get one in sharpish (Assuming Corr won't be ready for a while still) or we change styles.

Creswell up top is not the answer. No offence, but he will not cause the damage Bilel used to do.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Given the current situation, the puzzle I find is why PS loaned in a short striker when it is height we are crying out for. If we had to go with the players we have thats one thing but to have the opportunity to bring someone in and selecting an inexperienced shorty beggars logic. But hey! I hope Assombalonga goes on to score bucket loads for us.

 

[canveyshrimper]

A couple of weeks ago we were all very aware that a goalkeeper and CM player with bite..were required. We still need to bolster the midfield. There were few alarm bells around defensive or attacking options. On paper we look okay both at the back and upfront.

However, there seems an issue about our scoring options. WITH BBBC and Freddy currently unavailable ..and no real sign of regular football we appear short. I believe Neil Harris can, if given a run, poach a few and maybe Tomlin and Benyon could contribute...but there does not appear to be many goals in our forwards this season.

No goals in three competitive matches seems to illustrate the point.

It may also indicate that the forwards aren't getting the necessary supply from midfield.

 

[Angell Delight]

You can't just blame the strikers when it's painfully obvious we have no creativity from central midfield....

I do think Freddy will make a difference as he has always had the ability to create chances for himself but we still need a creative influence in the middle!

 

[Jam_Man]

It is clear that Luggy needs "A big man" up top, to suit his tactics.

Either we get one in sharpish (Assuming Corr won't be ready for a while still) or we change styles.

Creswell up top is not the answer. No offence, but he will not cause the damage Bilel used to do.

But we have changed styles....

Im interested to see how his tactics pan out though as he has changed them and we arent relying on one big man up front anymore, and havent since Dickinson was injured. We also had a good run of form without one.

I do think we need a bigger stiker, ie Corr, to play alongside one of the others but at home Im hoping its not as a lone striker as that just leads to more 2direct passes"

 

[Kevin Hogg]

You can't just blame the strikers when it's painfully obvious we have no creativity from central midfield....

I do think Freddy will make a difference as he has always had the ability to create chances for himself but we still need a creative influence in the middle!

No..am not just blaming the strikers. I said we need more in midfield.
My point is that our strikers do not look to have plenty of goals in them.

We can say "when Freddy, BBBC are fit" for months. We have no idea how many games those two will play..and without them we look a bit lightweight upfront.

 

[danburyshrimper]

Yeah i've been saying all season all we need is a big man up front ... ( Northampton on saturday will have Akinfenwa AND clive platt ) Sturrock has been amazingly successful for a dozen years playing always a big man up top + midfield supporting , i can only think he was bullied into signing Eastwood, Benyon , Harris, Assombalonga when really he would have preferred a Rory Fallon , Paul Benson or a Dele Adebola. This position is crucial to our game plan .

As well as Tomlin played last night its just not working without a big un . The sooner we get cash for Bilel + sort out a big man the sooner we will start to win football matches again.

I predicted we would be bottom of the league after 3 matches ( actually it turned out to be 2 ) + i predicted we will finish in the top 7 .... and i still think we will do .... so dont panic , even if we lose again saturday , keep the faith , Sturrock will sort it + as the song goes .... THE ONLY WAY IS UP , BABY !!!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Jam_Man]

Yeah i've been saying all season all we need is a big man up front ... ( Northampton on saturday will have Akinfenwa AND clive platt ) Sturrock has been amazingly successful for a dozen years playing always a big man up top + midfield supporting , i can only think he was bullied into signing Eastwood, Benyon , Harris, Assombalonga when really he would have preferred a Rory Fallon , Paul Benson or a Dele Adebola. This position is crucial to our game plan .

As well as Tomlin played last night its just not working without a big un . The sooner we get cash for Bilel + sort out a big man the sooner we will start to win football matches again.

I predicted we would be bottom of the league after 3 matches ( actually it turned out to be 2 ) + i predicted we will finish in the top 7 .... and i still think we will do .... so dont panic , even if we lose again saturday , keep the faith , Sturrock will sort it + as the song goes .... THE ONLY WAY IS UP , BABY !!!!! :thumbsup:

If he was it was by supporters not wanting hoof ball.

Paul Sturrock has said already that the game plan for playing at home was being reconsidered which it has.

Even now people are saying we are playing hoof ball when we actually arent. We didnt play hoof ball for the last 6 games of the league last year (although did revert to it vs Crewe out of desperation more than anything). We also didnt play hoof ball vs Accrington until late on with Cresswell.

With us playing 442 I do think we could benefit from having a bigger striker, but we would also benefit from having Eastwood and Harris in rather than what we have had to revert to.

 

[Mick]

, i can only think he was bullied into signing Eastwood, Benyon , Harris, Assombalonga when really he would have preferred a Rory Fallon , Paul Benson or a Dele Adebola. This position is crucial to our game plan .

Any manager who allows himself to be bullied not once but four times into signing inappropriate players is in the wrong job.

 

[onceknownasrab]

No..am not just blaming the strikers. I said we need more in midfield.
My point is that our strikers do not look to have plenty of goals in them.

We can say "when Freddy, BBBC are fit" for months. We have no idea how many games those two will play..and without them we look a bit lightweight upfront.

Eggs all basket one in our. Rearrange to suit. You are right about Freddy and BBBC but theres more. I hope Freddy does a Mark Phillips, overcomes injury and fitness problems and becomes a top gun but there are no guarantees. As for BBBC I hate to be a pooper but personally I think he had his finest/fortunate season the one before last. I thought he was lumbering and only went for a ball played close to him and I seriously doubt he will ever get 20 goals a season in league football again. I know many will clamber to his defence as they rate him but I certainly did not. If he gets 20 a season in the league again I will wave my naked penis to the Directors box in front of a home crowd. Well, probaly more of a wiggle than a wave but then I am not as young as I used to be and the cold air has effects. cough.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Eggs all basket one in our. Rearrange to suit. You are right about Freddy and BBBC but theres more. I hope Freddy does a Mark Phillips, overcomes injury and fitness problems and becomes a top gun but there are no guarantees. As for BBBC I hate to be a pooper but personally I think he had his finest/fortunate season the one before last. I thought he was lumbering and only went for a ball played close to him and I seriously doubt he will ever get 20 goals a season in league football again. I know many will clamber to his defence as they rate him but I certainly did not. If he gets 20 a season in the league again I will wave my naked penis to the Directors box in front of a home crowd. Well, probaly more of a wiggle than a wave but then I am not as young as I used to be and the cold air has effects. cough.

Corr out!!!!!

 

[Jam_Man]

Barnablue the 2nd ? :smile:

 

[JB Shrimper]

I feel the cash coming in for Bilel will be limited as Sturrock shot himself in the foot by openly saying he is not playing for us again. Clubs knowing we need to offload him are going to offer less than if we were to say that if he wants to go but we want to sell at the right price.
Corr, not played for an entire season, this pretty much equates to him taking ages to get back into playing again (presuming he isn't injured again after 5 minutes) so pinning any hope on him to be our saviour is strongly unrealistic.
Freddy will always be a legend but his injury problems are also a concern. I have no doubt when he plays he will show flashes of brilliance, just how often he plays is yet to be seen.
I firmly believe however the midfield is just not strong enough, with Hall likely to depart and no grit we are in for a long season unless something amazing happens in the next 9 days to drastically change things.
I am generally an optimist but I look at the squad with a strong sense of realism!!

 

[Kevin Hogg]

I feel the cash coming in for Bilel will be limited as Sturrock shot himself in the foot by openly saying he is not playing for us again. Clubs knowing we need to offload him are going to offer less than if we were to say that if he wants to go but we want to sell at the right price.
Corr, not played for an entire season, this pretty much equates to him taking ages to get back into playing again (presuming he isn't injured again after 5 minutes) so pinning any hope on him to be our saviour is strongly unrealistic.
Freddy will always be a legend but his injury problems are also a concern. I have no doubt when he plays he will show flashes of brilliance, just how often he plays is yet to be seen.
I firmly believe however the midfield is just not strong enough, with Hall likely to depart and no grit we are in for a long season unless something amazing happens in the next 9 days to drastically change things.
I am generally an optimist but I look at the squad with a strong sense of realism!!

Yes, I agree with much of what you say and hopefully Luggy can strengthen the squad.

I disagree about the manager shooting himself in the foot. Any club interested in Moshni would be well aware that he did not turn up for pre-season and has not been to Roots Hall since May. There is little Luggy can do to hide the facts about Billy No-Show.

 

[Jam_Man]

Yes, I agree with much of what you say and hopefully Luggy can strengthen the squad.

I disagree about the manager shooting himself in the foot. Any club interested in Moshni would be well aware that he did not turn up for pre-season and has not been to Roots Hall since May. There is little Luggy can do to hide the facts about Billy No-Show.

Indeed, we didnt choose for Moshni not to come back, he has put us over a barrel.

 

[JB Shrimper]

O.K I understand your point but it does mean that when West Ham made the offer we probably should have taken it as I think that bid would be high end compared to what we will likely receive now.

 

[Jam_Man]

O.K I understand your point but it does mean that when West Ham made the offer we probably should have taken it as I think that bid would be high end compared to what we will likely receive now.

Personally I think we should have taken it, but thats with hindsight.

If we do get an offer of more than that then it will be shown to be the wrong decision. Only time will tell.

 

[danburyshrimper]

We need to flood the market with rumours of other clubs bidding up for Bilel , prompting Karen Brady to get off her fat back side + sign a cheque for +£250k to take the cult hero superstar off our hands. so here goes...

i heard this from a mate at work who's brother is a Wolves director ...

""Woverhampton Wanderers are considering a substantial offer to take Southend United star player Bilel Mohsni into the championship. The £500k rated utility man made his debut against Wolves 2 years ago having a goal dissallowed and hitting a post in that match. Mohsni is good friends with Wolves' French defender Steven Mouyokolo and is destined for the premiership with his power, speed and class. Southend have turned down several bids for their versatile fans favourite, who scored the Shrimpers' goal of the season award and who scored 18 goals in his 54 appreances at the Essex club despite playing at centre back and on the wing for the majority of those games. "

.....anyone know of other clubs interest in Bil ??? .......

spread the word :winking:

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Apparently I hear that Barca and Real Madrid are tracking the player. I heard from a French/Tunisian guy..he is on some kind of gardening leave in the Paris area and rates Bilel Moshni as the best player that ever lived.