Do we really need another striker?

[peterroyal76]

At this level Holt and Beckford are decent players, I'm not sure about Morisson though. I don't think he really got a look in at Norwich and he didn't really play well at leeds.

[Cypry]

I think most would agree we look lightweight up front. Roberts – injured but apparently making progress and could feature comfortably this side of Xmas, Pog – apparently disinterested well, his agent has been touting him around, in exactly the same way as HRK and Pearce were touted around just after the season finished - doesn't necessarily mean the player is disinterested - on paper he's one of the best strikers in the Championship, ALF – lightweight why do we need a heavyweight? Unless I've completely misunderstood what Adkins is trying to do, we need a striker who can make little runs in and around the box, and someone who's a finisher, not a big lump to hold the ball up when it's knocked into him, Blackman – do me a favour far too dismissive, when I've seen him play in preseason he's looked very good albeit in the #10 role playing just off a central striker. Taking a look at the BBC’s Championship Preview I note the following very decent strikers signed by our rivals:

I'm not as unhappy as some with our options, the biggest problem in preseason has not been so much the poor form of the strikers, rather our inability to create chances for them. Take Swansea for example, we were doing everything right up until the last third of the field, but the final balls from wide, or through the middle were just being delayed a little too long. I think the players haven't quite found the balance between keeping the ball, and taking chances when appropriate to play riskier passes....how many times did we get the ball into the Swansea penalty box? Not enough.....

I think what people are failing to grasp is that an Adkins lone striker is a very different beast to a McDermott lone striker. For McDermott it was all about holding the ball up and working the channels, waiting for support from midfield - I agree, in this role, ALF is lightweight. With Adkins, he's playing the wide midfielders on the wrong side, to encourage them to cut inside, then I expect him to play Gunter and Bridge bombing on outside of those players to get crosses in...this effectively means we've got four players who will play in advanced positions when we're attacking with support from what are effectively wingbacks....

With McLeary, Kebe, Drenthe, McAnuff, HRK, Obita etc all who obviously have the ability to score goals, I'm not so sure that we're as weak in our attacking options as some make out.....

Yes, a 30 goal a year striker would be a lovely luxury to have, but we're Reading, and whilst the Reading way might have been "tweaked", it's still alive and kicking. I can't see us splashing out £5M+ transfer fees on one player which might mean that 30 goal a season man is out of our reach......

[floyd__streete]

Gr8 post Cypry, even if I disagree with you almost entirely ! I am unconvinced that Pog is ‘disinterested’ per se, but he has impressed only sparingly since his arrival and I note his minimal use in pre-season and the less-than-glowing reports from those who have attended pre-season games. Blackman has not looked anything other than poor thus far but I guess in a lower league he starts with a clean sl8.

What I take issue with mostly is this belief that many seem to have that under Adkins we are suddenly going to tikka-takka our way to the title. I won’t enjoy one-dimensional, ineffective sideways football and I think in the Championship you will always need the ‘heavyweight’ option at times.

I can’t see us spending £5 million on a transfer fee either.....and neither would I want us to. But none of those 5 names plucked out through 10 mins of minimal/lazy research by me would cost anything close to £5 million! 5 Championship-standard strikers who would each improve our Championship side, regardless of the ‘carpet football’ many of you are expecting Adkins Reading to play. Particularly - as has been said on this thread - we are one injury and/or one stroppy Russian transfer request away from threadbare options.

[Maguire]

I think people need to forget about Roberts as a solution. I don't expect to see him do anything this season.

Wouldn't be fussed about getting the likes of Stead or Beckford either. We do need one more striker but it has to be the right one.

[Sweet FA]

I really find it unthinkable that those who matter don't have something up their sleeves in terms of another striker. Even if we keep Pog, in real terms we are still two strikers lighter than we were at the end of last season (albeit Church wasn't actually in the PL squad) despite the fact we have more games to play. Pog-off or not, I don't think AZ's wallet has yet been raided for the final time this window.

FWIW I actually really hope we keep hold of Pog, as has been endlessly discussed he was given naff all service last season and playing against top notch defenders for the most part. A mixture of better service (if we can get Royston firing and assuming Adkins has had a positive effect on the other wingers) and weaker defences could well see him scoring for fun. And I think it may only take a few goals and couple of good wins in the opening 4 or 5 games to make him start to change his mind about life in Reading.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

We have all of August, and I can't believe we're not planning something in the striking department.

Perhaps we're dependant on a "chain", with the selling club needing to buy their replacement striker before releasing our target to us, or maybe we're waiting on offloading Pog first....

[loyalroyal4life]

we will get someone in, although it wont be before saturday. I think for some reason the club are waiting to see if POG moves on before making a move, could end up missing out on some of the better names out there, could also be they are waiting for certain prem teams to sign who they want before then picking up their players dropping down the pecking order

[Ian Royal]

I think most would agree we look lightweight up front. Roberts – injured, Pog – apparently disinterested, ALF – lightweight, Blackman – do me a favour. Taking a look at the BBC’s Championship Preview I note the following very decent strikers signed by our rivals:

Jermaine Beckford (Bolton)
Steve Morison (Millwall)
Grant Holt (Wigan)

I’d even take DJ Campbell (Blackburn) and maybe even Jon Stead (Huddersfield) over some of our options! Could we really not compete for decent Championship strikers like these? Yeah yeah, transfer window open until end of August but there are 5 fixtures before then and seeing as how we were effectively told that pre-season started in March I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed!

You're seriously undervaluing the quality of our strikers and over valuing the quality of several others. DJ Campbell? Jon Stead? Fook off.

[floyd__streete]

You're seriously undervaluing the quality of our strikers and over valuing the quality of several others. DJ Campbell? Jon Stead? Fook off.

Hi Ian.

Pog > ALF > DJ > Stead > Blackman > Roberts injured.

Will I be seeing your lovely face on Saturday? x

[Ian Royal]

You're seriously undervaluing the quality of our strikers and over valuing the quality of several others. DJ Campbell? Jon Stead? Fook off.

Hi Ian.

Pog > ALF > DJ > Stead > Blackman > Roberts injured.

Will I be seeing your lovely face on Saturday? x

Not unless you're in Edinburgh watching my niece or Richard Herring perform at the Fringe. You may see me against Watford if you keep your eye out.

[floyd__streete]

Will do. Despite holding you in high regard, I actually h8 seeing you in many ways as your very presence is always absolute guarantee of a defeat, you absolute Jonah

[SPARTA]

I think people need to forget about Roberts as a solution. I don't expect to see him do anything this season.

Wouldn't be fussed about getting the likes of Stead or Beckford either. We do need one more striker but it has to be the right one.

Stead has joined Huddersfield. He would have been terrible anyway. Better off giving Ugwu and Samuel a game.

[Ian Royal]

Will do. Despite holding you in high regard, I actually h8 seeing you in many ways as your very presence is always absolute guarantee of a defeat, you absolute Jonah

Away floyd, away.

And it's not just me. I've seen away victories / draws, it's the strange effect that occurs when we meet at away matches. So you're equally to blame.

[Maguire]

I think people need to forget about Roberts as a solution. I don't expect to see him do anything this season.

Wouldn't be fussed about getting the likes of Stead or Beckford either. We do need one more striker but it has to be the right one.

Stead has joined Huddersfield. He would have been terrible anyway. Better off giving Ugwu and Samuel a game.

That's what I meant - wouldn't have wanted them.

[royallyscrewed]

I really do think it decides on POG. If he stays I can see him giving us a decent goal return and winning over the fans. However if he goes I am concerned that our first choice/ideal targets are not an option now and we would have to take a punt on someone unproven at Championship level. Not to say that wont pay off but it would not give me the excitement and feeling of hope a signing like Lambert would (not that I ever thought he was coming our way)

Plus Roberts claims to be making good progress and I love watching Championship defenders struggle to deal with him!!!

[Royal Biscuitman]

Another striker = No
A better/more prolific striker = Yes

Ask any manager, player (other than a striker) or fan if they want a better/more prolific striker at their club and they will say yes.

There is no place for sentimentality in football, you pick the best team to win a game and budget permitting, you sign players to improve the starting line-up at any given opportunity even if you already have you have 10 strikers in the stands and 5 on the bench.

[FridaysGhost]

QPR have a wage-bill to commit suicide over, a team-spirit that is worse than our coalition Government - and have just bought Charlie Austin (who will score 20 goals minimum in the coming season). Blackburn have spent millions over the last couple of years, are owned by imbeciles and managed on a committee basis which has only survived relegation by the goals of Rhodes (who will score 25 goals in the coming season).

In the betting, the top six teams include Reading but, only Reading are deficient in two strikers. Real fans will remember that we have the (supposed) biggest pockets in the Champ + massive relegation payments that other teams will only dream of. Having spent about 3p so far and having let about 20 players (and their wages) go, we appear to be unable to employ a decent stiker - let alone two. Jokers are suggesting that we are looking for local Sunday footballers.

Anton has said we need to go straight back up and, to do so, we need bloody good strikers. Why can serial-failure teams attract and keep these guys, whilst we dare not even look at them? We should have the pick of Championship players just like we did when we were promoted.

Something stinks!

[maffff]

Yeah, you stink.

[FridaysGhost]

Do bears shit in the Forest? We need two strikers. Sharp might be one but we need a Rhodes or Austin also. Then, we would have the squad to make Promotion likely.

The Pog - was far less good than we were led to believe and wants to stay in the Prem - Unsurprisingly, no-one in the Prem wants him.
ALF - A great impact goalscorer, has never proved himself as a starter and is a 4-4-2 player, which we don't seem to be playing.
Roberts - Surplus to requirements in a Blackburn team that tried to plummet into the lower divisions. Now not a player though being overpaid.
Blackman - Potential to be a good Div 1 goalscorer.

Current Championship strikers 2, one who wants away and one who needs a formation we don't play. WE NEED TWO STRKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Royalcop]

There is no place for sentimentality in football, you pick the best team to win a game and budget permitting, you sign players to improve the starting line-up at any given opportunity even if you already have you have 10 strikers in the stands and 5 on the bench.

You are Harry Redknapp and I claim my five pounds.