Worst attacking options since January 2000

[Royalwaster]

Real shame to be honest because I think Lita spearheading this 4-5-1 would have really worked. In his excellent spell in the PRem, a number of those games he was a lone striker. Also with a more passing game and Matejovsky playing these defense splitting passes, he really could have benfitted from that, whilst also being our number 1 striker. That little ego boost he seems to need to bring the best out of him. It's no surprise he's scoring goals for Middlesbrough, he's a good striker for this level.

He has scored two in his last game (one from a pen), but how many has he got before that. He's not been exactly prolific has he?

[CMRoyal]

Real shame to be honest because I think Lita spearheading this 4-5-1 would have really worked. In his excellent spell in the PRem, a number of those games he was a lone striker. Also with a more passing game and Matejovsky playing these defense splitting passes, he really could have benfitted from that, whilst also being our number 1 striker. That little ego boost he seems to need to bring the best out of him. It's no surprise he's scoring goals for Middlesbrough, he's a good striker for this level.

He has scored two in his last game (one from a pen), but how many has he got before that. He's not been exactly prolific has he?

He's playing really well though, and will score a lot more goals.

[Vision]

Real shame to be honest because I think Lita spearheading this 4-5-1 would have really worked. In his excellent spell in the PRem, a number of those games he was a lone striker. Also with a more passing game and Matejovsky playing these defense splitting passes, he really could have benfitted from that, whilst also being our number 1 striker. That little ego boost he seems to need to bring the best out of him. It's no surprise he's scoring goals for Middlesbrough, he's a good striker for this level.

In the past I've also believed that "main man" theory about Lita but he's got 3 in the last 3 games since Kitson signed on loan and they played alongside each other in a 4-4-2, so I'm not sure that can the contributing factor here.

FWIW Rasiak has as many goals in half the starts playing in a worse team.

I agree Lita is a good striker at this level but then Dave Kitson is even better but having him around for the last throws of last season didn't seem to improve things much.

Either way its a bit of a moot point really given that Lita himself said he'd decided in January he had no intention of staying with us despite his public comments at that time.

[Hoop Blah]

I think we should've got someone in on loan as something like this was always going to happen, especially with the number of games over the Christmas period.

If there really was nobody available then fiar enough, but there must've been someone who'd have been willing to come and sit on our bench and provide the cover we clearly haven't got within the squad already.

...I can't wait to see Kebe playing upfront on his own!

[Wycombe Royal]

If there really was nobody available then fiar enough, but there must've been someone who'd have been willing to come and sit on our bench and provide the cover we clearly haven't got within the squad already.

I'm sure there is, but the clubs aren't willing to let them go on loan. Now that you can have 7 subs it seems to have limited the players available for loan.....

Like I have said previously, who was loaned out that:
a) would have wanted to join us
b) was a "link" type of striker
c) was good enough

[Ian Royal]

Dave Kitson?

And I know nothing about the in and outs of other teams.

[Hoop Blah]

I agree, I don't think anyone else did move, I'm just a bit amazed by it that's all.

I don't think the player we got in really needed to be that 'link' player we keep hearing about either.

With Hunt out injured, Sigurdsson and Rasiak a bit ineffective after 60 minutes, and Long and Church not quite up to the task, I think any type of forward should've been on our shopping list to cover to January.

We do have limitations though, and we have to live with that unfortunately. I'd still like to think Rodgers was being a bit bold and trying it on with Chelsea to get the likes of Sturridge for a months match practise before the ACN kicks in.

[Big Foot]

If there really was nobody available then fiar enough, but there must've been someone who'd have been willing to come and sit on our bench and provide the cover we clearly haven't got within the squad already.

I'm sure there is, but the clubs aren't willing to let them go on loan. Now that you can have 7 subs it seems to have limited the players available for loan.....

Like I have said previously, who was loaned out that:
a) would have wanted to join us
b) was a "link" type of striker
c) was good enough

Welsh striker Sam Vokes joined Leeds on loan from Wolves. I think we should've been sniffing round him, always liked him since the early part of his career at Bournemouth.

[Royalee]

Noel Hunt, Raziak, Long, Church - have we ever had a worse selection of forwards?

Well yes, but not, I would say, since January 2000 when we were labouring along with Scott, Williams, McIntyre and an unfit Forster.

In February 2000, we signed Martin Butler and since that point have always had forwards that looked capable of scoring and at least one that might get 20 plus in a season. I look at the current crop and doubt any will score 20 and also doubt more than one of them will get to double figures.

I like Hunt but in no way is he suited to a lone striker role and he won't be creating many chances himself. Raziak is a Championship journeyman and Long and Church are not up to it at this level.

The fight for survival starts here and it's all about games like yesterday's and scrabbling enough points together to limp home. Two years ago we were thumping Liverpool. That's the brick by brick for you.

Enjoy

Church and Rasiak >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Goater and Owusu

[Royalee]

If there really was nobody available then fiar enough, but there must've been someone who'd have been willing to come and sit on our bench and provide the cover we clearly haven't got within the squad already.

I'm sure there is, but the clubs aren't willing to let them go on loan. Now that you can have 7 subs it seems to have limited the players available for loan.....

Like I have said previously, who was loaned out that:
a) would have wanted to join us
b) was a "link" type of striker
c) was good enough

Welsh striker Sam Vokes joined Leeds on loan from Wolves. I think we should've been sniffing round him, always liked him since the early part of his career at Bournemouth.

I'd take him or Pitman over Long tbh.

[Hoop Blah]

Vokes would've been a good signing, although he moved back in October so I think it's a bit harsh to bring him in to a conversation about moves post Long's suspension and the loan deadline.

I think we should've been trying to get him though, as post Hunts injury we were always a forward or two light.

Same goes for Marcus Bent in my opinion. Kitson, as much as I liked him as a player needs to go somewhere other than here as there's too much history and pressure on him here. They say you should never go back for good reason.

[Wycombe Royal]

THanks Hoop Blah for savingme the time from responding to those suggestions.

In an ideal world (Not Ideal's world obviously) we would have brought in another striker. They made enquiries about strikers they had indentified but were turned down.

Could you imagine the outcry there would have been on here if we had signed some nobody just so we had another striker on the books because there were the best available?

And yes it probably would have been the same people that would have moaned under that scenario as the ones that are moaning now, because that is just the type of person they are.......

[Schards#2]

Noel Hunt, Raziak, Long, Church - have we ever had a worse selection of forwards?

Well yes, but not, I would say, since January 2000 when we were labouring along with Scott, Williams, McIntyre and an unfit Forster.

In February 2000, we signed Martin Butler and since that point have always had forwards that looked capable of scoring and at least one that might get 20 plus in a season. I look at the current crop and doubt any will score 20 and also doubt more than one of them will get to double figures.

I like Hunt but in no way is he suited to a lone striker role and he won't be creating many chances himself. Raziak is a Championship journeyman and Long and Church are not up to it at this level.

The fight for survival starts here and it's all about games like yesterday's and scrabbling enough points together to limp home. Two years ago we were thumping Liverpool. That's the brick by brick for you.

Enjoy

Church and Rasiak >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Goater and Owusu

Goater Owusu Kitson Morgan>>>>>Church Rasiak Long Hunt

[Royalee]

Not really - Morgan Owusu and Goater were all shite - at least Noel Hunt, Church and Rasiak are all reasonable in terms of their performance, Kitson obviously being better than anyone mentioned but he's only one player. Noel Hunt's probably the best player out of this crop of forwards and he's injured - take Kitson out of the first lot and they're absolutely atrocious. I'd take the second lot as there's only one bad player in there (Long) rather than three.

[Deadlock]

Oh well I have some brilliant encouragement for you Para Handy, I promise that as soon as Brendan Rodgers is sacked I shall put my RTG's back on and go back to being positive. Until then, you can chalk it up to being BR's fault.

That's your problem Ideal. You see everything as Brendan's Rodgers fault. To me that's a typical response of a fan only used to the Premiership years.

Nah, it's just Ideal's way. Many years ago, before the Mad Stad was even built, Mr. Mad agreed to a Q&A session over IRC (I think). After several questions about the new stadium, Ideal pops up and asks "When are you going to sack Jimmy Quinn?"

At the time he did at least have the excuse of being an excitable teenager.

[Platypuss]

Oh well I have some brilliant encouragement for you Para Handy, I promise that as soon as Brendan Rodgers is sacked I shall put my RTG's back on and go back to being positive. Until then, you can chalk it up to being BR's fault.

That's your problem Ideal. You see everything as Brendan's Rodgers fault. To me that's a typical response of a fan only used to the Premiership years.

Nah, it's just Ideal's way. Many years ago, before the Mad Stad was even built, Mr. Mad agreed to a Q&A session over IRC (I think). After several questions about the new stadium, Ideal pops up and asks "When are you going to sack Jimmy Quinn?"

At the time he did at least have the excuse of being an excitable teenager.

"eivindes: Hi. Okay, here's the questions. 1. When or will you ever get rid of Jimmy Quinn? 2. Will you provide money for improving the team? I would really like to see Reading sign Norwegian striker Rushfelt who has scored 7 goals in the last 9 games in the norwegian premiership.

JOHN M: when they have selected a player that they would like to sign, then they will talk to myself and my board. "

Plus ca change!

[Ian Royal]

Noel Hunt, Raziak, Long, Church - have we ever had a worse selection of forwards?

Well yes, but not, I would say, since January 2000 when we were labouring along with Scott, Williams, McIntyre and an unfit Forster.

In February 2000, we signed Martin Butler and since that point have always had forwards that looked capable of scoring and at least one that might get 20 plus in a season. I look at the current crop and doubt any will score 20 and also doubt more than one of them will get to double figures.

I like Hunt but in no way is he suited to a lone striker role and he won't be creating many chances himself. Raziak is a Championship journeyman and Long and Church are not up to it at this level.

The fight for survival starts here and it's all about games like yesterday's and scrabbling enough points together to limp home. Two years ago we were thumping Liverpool. That's the brick by brick for you.

Enjoy

Church and Rasiak >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Goater and Owusu

Goater Owusu Kitson Morgan>>>>>Church Rasiak Long Hunt

Kitson > any of Church, Rasiak, Long, Hunt

Hunt & Rasiak > Goater, Long ~ Owusu, Church >>>>>>>Morgan

So in a word: No.

[Royalee]

In terms of performance I'd probably rate Church above Goater, Owusu and Long too.

[RoyalBlue]

THanks Hoop Blah for savingme the time from responding to those suggestions.

In an ideal world (Not Ideal's world obviously) we would have brought in another striker. They made enquiries about strikers they had indentified but were turned down.

At the end of the day, there is always a final reason why we are turned down and that is because we won't pay the money!

Everyone has their price but we never, ever have the budget!

Watch the pennies and the pounds look after themselves might well turn into save a few pennies and it will cost you many pounds in the longer term.

Vokes would've been a good signing, although he moved back in October so I think it's a bit harsh to bring him in to a conversation about moves post Long's suspension and the loan deadline.

I think we should've been trying to get him though, as post Hunts injury we were always a forward or two light.

Same goes for Marcus Bent in my opinion. Kitson, as much as I liked him as a player needs to go somewhere other than here as there's too much history and pressure on him here. They say you should never go back for good reason.

There are exceptions. I seem to remember that God2's return (Trevor Senior) was pretty successful for all parties.

[Ian Royal]

In terms of performance I'd probably rate Church above Goater, Owusu and Long too.

No where near proven enough at scoring IMO. He hasn't kicked on - partially due to knocks and has never had a good scoring pedigree to back that up with.

If he can start putting them away he's probably the best striker we have though.