atypical_boro
Well-known member
They are both good players but I must be missing something if they are somehow irreplaceable.My concern is that if we don't go up next year then Fry and Tav will be sold and we will be in a terrible mess
They are both good players but I must be missing something if they are somehow irreplaceable.My concern is that if we don't go up next year then Fry and Tav will be sold and we will be in a terrible mess
Exactly. Look at Ivan Toney. Banged 31 league goals in last season. People mentioned his name on here a couple of years ago and were scoffed at. Mind you, with the way we play he'd probably be lucky to get 10 for us, but the point stands that there is plenty of talent in League 1.How much would the lad at Peterborough cost? Clarke - Harris? If we had the funds I would take a chance on him.
There are a couple of other issues that need addressing too. It's imperative that we sign a club captain - a leader on and off the pitch. Something we've not had for the last 5 years.I believe Warnock will sign a lot of players this summer for little or no fee (just agents leeches fees) and on short contracts. He will feel he can blend them with the little quality we have, and motivate them to mount a challenge over a season. It is what he has done wherever he has been successful.
If it doesn't lead to promotion, then he will leave, but crucially leave the club with just talented players under contract like Fry, Tavernier, Dijksteel, Bola, Watmore and the better youngsters; allowing a longer term manager to sign the players he wants without the detritus he (and Woodgate) inherited from Monk and pulis and could do nothing about.
We could soon be rid of ALL the Monk/pulis utter tripe. That has been our problem: hideously over paying and overpaying for players we can then not move, and who are just journeymen with attitude.
If Warnock is to stay this last season then I'm sure the plan will be one that looks short term like above, but actually isn't.
He will sign players this summer that will perhaps not excite on paper, but might collectively do so on grass, where it matters.
Given the club is financially crippled and loses money every season in this league, what do people expect?
Great bargains - except they will be perhaps mindful of two things - firstly how many players will they actually be able to see play for themselves - with quarantines etc and secondly they want players that they hope can immediately find their feet and kick on straight away and fit into the life here and the team.
Is it 10 goals this season, in a relegated side; it's decent I think?He really hasn’t got a decent strike rate
He has scored just over 100 goals in over 400 appearances. That is more relevant to meIs it 10 goals this season, in a relegated side; it's decent I think?
you must be missing something then. The defence is porous without Fry. That can be observed by the nature of most of the goals we have let in when he is injured, but also just by basic stats too.They are both good players but I must be missing something if they are somehow irreplaceable.
But what are you saying, that if we lose these players there's simply no way of replacing them with similar (or better) quality?you must be missing something then. The defence is porous without Fry. That can be observed by the nature of most of the goals we have let in when he is injured, but also just by basic stats too.
With Fry 12 cleansheets and 28 goals conceded in 32 games
Without Fry just 1 cleansheet and 25 goals conceeded in just 14 games.
It's chalk and cheese, with Fry we have one of the best defences, less than a goal a game, without we let in nearly 2 goals a game and can't keep a cleansheet.
Now on to Tav, defensively he is second only to Howson in tackles per game from midfield, offensively 3 goals, 4 assists, and more key passes than anyone else in the squad, from just 24 games started. He's top for successful dribbles and second for crosses. He is vital to us.
With Tav we are W13 wins in 28 games with. Just 5 wins in 18 games without him
He has scored just over 100 goals in over 400 appearances. That is more relevant to me
I'm saying they are very, very important to us, two of the better players in this division and still improving. They will be extremely difficult to replace with equal or better. I have seen enough from Tav to believe that if he stays fit next year he will be one of the top players in teh championship and be chased after by Prem sides.But what are you saying, that if we lose these players there's simply no way of replacing them with similar (or better) quality?
I think we have to be realistic, in that the club wont be signing a 20+ goal a season striker - we just don't have that kind of money, unless we strike lucky (no pun intended).He has scored just over 100 goals in over 400 appearances. That is more relevant to me
we don't need to, but this lads best season is 12 in League One, that's despite playing nearly every game. If he comes in as 1 of 3 forwards then you are talking maybe no more than 20 starts and 4 or 5 goals. Not that goals are the only stat we need, I'm just not impressed by his technical ability from what I've seenI think we have to be realistic, in that the club wont be signing a 20+ goal a season striker
He cost us 2mil to loan and the best part of his 50k a week wages. I would say it was a disastrous signing in terms of financially.Personally, I would prefer Jordan Hugill
It's easy to create stats that don't reflect reality. He only played 675 mins, that's the same as just over 7 games. Akpom played more than 3 times as many minutes more than 21 games.4 goals in 30 games in a team that walked the league. Akpom outscored him
I saw him out (95% certain!) with one of our physios near Wynyard a few weeks back when he wasn't going to be playing. I assume if very near the end of his contract and out injured we're working on fitness with him there's a chance of him staying?I had a feeling we'd go for Smith. I just hope it wasn't based on his performance against Wood. He made him look like Drogba. Now if he played like that every week you'd have him.
I watched plenty of Rotherham as they had Wing and on TV every other day. He misses plenty of chances (as did many) and didn't look half the player he did at the Riverside. I guess as a back up he could do a job. I wouldnt want him as first choice No9.
Matt Crooks is definitely one I'd go for. 6 goals and a proper engine on him getting around the pitch. Also tall and powerful (although one of the main culprits for missing chances in final 2-3 games). He definitely gets on the end of stuff though
The Rotherham keeper looked decent whenever I saw him. Viktor Johansson also only 22.
You simply can't judge NML. The guy hadn't played for 6 months and was on holiday in Dubai weeks before we signed him. He was always going to get injured being thrust in.
He was a very good player at Cardiff and I think I saw enough in 9 cameos to suggest he's a decent free. A pre season will do him a word of good. I would rather have him than Holliet.
I struggle to find any forward who has a similar 'ability' to AkpomIt's easy to create stats that don't reflect reality. He only played 675 mins, that's the same as just over 7 games. Akpom played more than 3 times as many minutes more than 21 games.
4 goals in 7 games is much better than 4 goals in 21 games. Huggills failure was not being as good as Pukki which is hardly a failure.
Hugill got 13 goals in 30 the season before at QPR. Would have been pushing towards 18-20 but for a turn hamstring. If you think Hugill is similar in ability to Akpom then I despair
Maybe, he'll be going somewhere, because he has no future at West Ham. If they loan him out to the championship then either it'll be to a relegated side for 40k or to a non-releagated for less. If the relegated teams are not interested, then it's not entirely out of the question that we might see him back here. I think he'd do well in a Warnock side.Hugill has 2 years left on his West Ham contract cost £10 million and no doubt on a very nice contract. Pretty safe to say there is no chance of him coming