Cardiffdaffs
Well-known member
Given that his hamstrings have pinged a few times in the past two seasons, I hope we have recruited a sergeant major to give them a “good going over“
Forss medical ongoing now
- Thread starter Hollywood
- Start date
Yes, maybe but I'm far too long in the tooth to have patience while Boro throw money at a series of projects in the hope of unearthing a good player. It's been the top priority for years to find strikers who could score, but we've failed time after time, stretching back to that Brazilian guy whose name I can't remember now. Only Bamford has done anything worthwhile.
I think even the most diehard fan would turn into a glass half empty guy.
Zoophonic
Well-known member
You can be forgiven for being cynical given our recent record of poor acquisitions and doubtless Forss wouldn't have been Wilder's first choice acquisition but that's where we are - good strikers are like rocking horse ****. If you can't buy them you then have to turn a prospect with some basics into one.
Would you prefer we signed another Britt Assombalonga? He was supposed to be our "guaranteed 20 goal a striker" at the time we signed him.... and he cost £15 million + another £3-4 million in wages...
Forss is £2 million (apparently), low wages, 23 year old.... I'd roll the dice on 2 or 3 similar priced signins and hope at least 1 of them pulls it off than waste another £15 million on a flop.
Coventry signed Gyokores for £1 million last year.
BoroMart
Well-known member
Agreed, I'm sure Coventry fans were complaining when they signed Gyokeres or Preston complained at signing Riis with his 18 goals in 75 games in Denmark.
Thing is both were under the age of 23 when signed and many of those games were sub appearances. Most strikers don't really start to break through as goal scorers until they are about 23.
theredrooster
Well-known member
I get what you're saying and can totally understand the cynicism, but the other way of looking at it is we've been so ***** at picking up a decent striker recently the law of averages dictates we're surely overdue to find one.
Alves I think you mean by the way.
Yes, signing a few prospects in the hope one or two of them work out is a valid strategy, although I wouldn't follow it myself. But the season is three days away now, and even if this bloke signs that's ONE striker in the door, with no game time. Getting 85 points becomes harder when you have to do it in 45 games or 44, or 43 or 42.
If you are going to sign 4 strikers hoping to find two good ones then SIGN 4 STRIKERS. Don't faff around signing players that aren't really needed - like defenders - who just fritter the budget. Just address the problem, which is that there are no strikers. And it's even more frustrating that Ikpeazu would be better than any striker on the books, but Wilder won't play him. Akpom and Watmore? Give me a break.
Chutney
Well-known member
I do wonder if the fixation on a "20 goal striker" is a bit old school. Teams often seem to almost have their "personality" wedded to the big name who bangs them in, and that's still the case at places like Tottenham and Liverpool, but look at City - last couple of years there was no obvious front man, and goals were shared around, but Champions League aside it still worked for them. And as for Man U - the "personality" striker was one of their biggest problems last year. Scored a load of goals, but did nothing to improve them as a team - exact same reason why Juve got rid.
Wilder's obviously more about the system than the names within it - a big problem last year was an imbalance between left and right limited the chance creating, and the strikers weren't clinical enough to exploit what chances were made. That imbalance feels like it's been addressed, and it sounds like the one thing no-one has doubts about with Forss is his ability to put chances away.
We obviously need more than just one forward signing, but unearthing a new goalscoring superstar isn't the only way to skin this cat.
Wilder's obviously more about the system than the names within it - a big problem last year was an imbalance between left and right limited the chance creating, and the strikers weren't clinical enough to exploit what chances were made. That imbalance feels like it's been addressed, and it sounds like the one thing no-one has doubts about with Forss is his ability to put chances away.
We obviously need more than just one forward signing, but unearthing a new goalscoring superstar isn't the only way to skin this cat.
Zoophonic
Well-known member
Something in that. I was disappointed that we didn't get the lad from MK who has scored goals from midfield. Scott Twine was snapped up by Burnley and think he will prove an excellent acquisition.
BoroMart
Well-known member
we needed a CB to replace Bamba and Peltier and Wood. It was a free transfer so hardly frittering away
northernrower
Well-known member
It may be misplaced optimism, but I'm elated with this signing. £2m is nothing these days, and I just have a sneaky feeling he will bag a hat full. With Giles and Jones laying them on a plate it looks a sensible signing. The fox in the box we've been missing!
Which strategy would you follow? because "signing a 20 goal a season striker" is living in a dream world. You can't just pluck one out of the air... they demand a high price and high wages, and we've tried and failed with that strategy over and over again... Britt, Fletcher, Gestede, Rhodes... I think we dodged a bullet with turning Dwight Gayle down for this exact reason.
We signed 2 defenders... Lenihan was in the championship team of the season and we got him for free.
Ryan Giles is possibly the best LWB in the league, and we've signed him on loan... So we haven't frittered any budget.
Ikpeazu doesn't play in the system we want to play, so he wouldn't be better than any strikers on the books - CW knows what he's doing.
It's obvious our playing style relies on getting balls out to Jones and Giles, and then firing them into the box.
It's how we utilised Jones last season, it's why we signed Giles (assists), and it's how we've played all pre-season... So we need quicker strikers who are good with their feet (like Forss).
S7DiscoDown
Well-known member
I'm sure Swansea fans were saying "who the feck is Joel Piroe? ' when they spent 1.5mil on him.
It's a myth you need to spend mega bucks on a' name'. All 3 of these forwards cost less than Akpom.
Championship clubs unearth decent young players every year. Then we just think 'why didn't we sign him'
Yet I'm sure clubs are looking at us thinking the same about Spence and Jones. Picked up for nothing and worth a fortune. We just can't seem to nail a CF.
Diego
Well-known member
Such a poor understanding of what’s required.
Perfect examples. We got Spence for free, sold him for £12.5 million. I'm assuming Jones was essentially free too (very small fee), and if Spence is worth £12.5m, Jones is worth £15m all day
.
Jedi boro
Well-known member
So as I see it there’s two ways to look at this
one is to be happy we have finally brought in the front man that all his previous clubs agree that his best attribute is his clinical finishing a skill we have sorely lacked for years now.
Or
Moan or worry about things that not only haven’t yet happened but may not happen.
Crazy to be negative after we sign some one.
one is to be happy we have finally brought in the front man that all his previous clubs agree that his best attribute is his clinical finishing a skill we have sorely lacked for years now.
Or
Moan or worry about things that not only haven’t yet happened but may not happen.
Crazy to be negative after we sign some one.
Chutney
Well-known member
Not to mention the fact (and I keep banging on about this) that you get the impression on recruitment that our midfield is sorted and needs no strengthening whatsoever. It's anything but.
pierrequiroule
Well-known member
Definitely. Wilder says he wants one, I think we need two unless someone like Boyd-Munce is ready to step up.
EDIT Just checked the team list and Boyd-Munce does have a squad number, so looks like he'll be a back-up.
I think our starting midfield is fine. Crooks - Howson - Tavernier.
McGree is a good 1st choice option for Crooks/Tavernier, and I think Boyd-Munce is a good 2nd option.
We do need another CDM as backup for Howson, but I don't think we're desperate for it - We can move onto that once we've signed 2 strikers.
If Boro aren't paying wages to loanees then you are right. But if Boro are paying some or all of their salaries then that's coming out of the budget. Whether it is wages or transfer fees it's in the P&L account.