Our strikers…… (1 Viewer)

BlueSkiesForever · 2025-08-01T08:34:35+0100

Tbh I think it just comes down to the fact that Wright is good but can we rely on him to start every game for a whole season? No (even if he is fit 100% of the time), and so Simms and BTA will be starting at some point. Is our strike force a lot weaker with one of those two playing? Yes, so imo we should be looking at better options.

I was a big supporter of Simms to begin with but I just don’t think he looks arsed half the time, and I know that’s been said a lot but I genuinely think that is the case. We need quality on and off the bench to make it to the prem and we currently don’t have that in our strikers. Realistically how many games do we win 4-1, 3-0, 5-2 etc? I realise that’s a whole team effort to score multiple goals a game but there’s no way I’m convinced our current strikers (bar-Wright) will convert that many chances per game

Winny the Bish · 2025-08-01T08:37:44+0100

Sky Blue Goblin said:
Just seen someone on X suggest Rudoni play up front if we don’t sign a striker

Stick Rudoni up top and Dabo can finally take his place in midfield

Macca · 2025-08-01T08:45:08+0100

How long is Wight out for? As it stands we are staring the season without a striker

Viktor17 · 2025-08-01T08:47:38+0100

Not going to go deeply to the debate, all 3 strikers have good and bad (plenty of bad!)

what I will say is, playing the 9 role in our team currently and the way we play is hard work - and to be effective you need a specific style and none of our 3 offer that in first instance.

Example - Simms is fairly criticised at times, but in defence, the odd goal kick and long ball and people just expect him to bring it down on a 6 pence or win a towering header - it’s just not that easy. He’s constantly looking for runs in behind, the ball never comes, down to the possession nature. When he does get it, it’s often in places/situations where he’s not at his best or looking ponderous. Simms is also not a lone striker, think that’s pretty clear.

However, this is what we have and it’s up to Lampard et al to get the system getting more out of them for now. It’s fantasy to think we will just flip all 3 of them.

Ccfcisparks · 2025-08-01T08:48:05+0100

Macca said:
How long is Wight out for? As it stands we are staring the season without a striker

What? We currently have 3 fit strikers

Lamps · 2025-08-01T08:53:37+0100

Macca said:
How long is Wight out for? As it stands we are staring the season without a striker

Wright is just back in training but can't see him being ready for a bit. Then hopefully he doesn't have another setback.

Lamps · 2025-08-01T08:55:46+0100

Ccfcisparks said:
What? We currently have 3 fit strikers

We're not talking about eye candy here.

Ccfcisparks · 2025-08-01T09:00:31+0100

Lamps said:
We're not talking about eye candy here.

what

Macca · 2025-08-01T09:21:08+0100

Ccfcisparks said:
What? We currently have 3 fit strikers

"Strikers"

Macca · 2025-08-01T09:21:59+0100

Lamps said:
Wright is just back in training but can't see him being ready for a bit. Then hopefully he doesn't have another setback.

Pressure on Rudoni to continue his form in front of goal

AOM · 2025-08-01T09:25:21+0100

I voted yes.

Wright is definitely good enough.
I'm still in the 'Simms in' camp, but he needs to show some consistency this year and put in performances like he did in the 2023/24 season.
Thomas-Asante I do quite like, but he's more of an impact sub I think.
Bassette needs a loan and regular football for the season.

Sky Blue Goblin · 2025-08-01T09:29:03+0100

I still think our strikers including Wright are much better in a counter/quick transition system where we play balls in behind with pace.

For instance both Simms and BTA best run if the team came from us playing the 5-3-2 where we played a more direct to the strikers due to lacking the widith.

I think all of them are decent strikers but not in this system bar Wright (still would maintain he’s better with his ball to feet which doesn’t exactly match the target man role we have with our crossing, case in point his best performance was Sunderland where Torp was playing through the middle into space for him).

Sky Blue Goblin · 2025-08-01T09:34:37+0100

As on add on to the above, I think either Lampard changes the system to be a bit more risky in our passes for them, or changes the players so the system has the tools it needs to do well.

Since I don’t think Lampard will change in his approach in general (hope he will use the 5-3-2 against stronger teams away from home), I’d think it’s better to recruit if we can

SBT · 2025-08-01T09:51:27+0100

* Wright is a top Championship striker
* Simms has shown goalscoring ability but had a poor season, and it remains to be seen if Lampard will have patience with him
* BTA is a capable role player but is expendable if we feel like shuffling the pack
* Bassette is obviously not good enough at the moment

Of the four, I would say three of them could be considered viable starters for a Championship team hoping to make the playoffs. Those three players have all shown they can play at a more consistent level than they have in the past year.

The team is not wanting for goals in the meantime and there are other areas of the pitch which have seen a lot less investment in recent years. As I mentioned, there is the option to shuffle the pack if needed, and everyone loves a shiny new striker, but I also think the current group is capable of more and the investment could go further elsewhere on the pitch where we already know the current crop has reached its ceiling.

Briles · 2025-08-01T10:26:52+0100

shepardo01 said:
For the current and obvious style of getting the ball wide and then crosses into the box - a "Dion" all day long....

Could actually do with a Cedric Roussel

SkyBlueSteve81 · 2025-08-01T10:34:43+0100

It depends on what you are looking for in a Striker. Most people seem fixated on a striker being a failure unless they score 20 goals in a season but there is much more to it than that. Scoring goals is an important part but so is their overall contribution, workrate, do they improve the performances of others and so on. I don't have any magic formulaes to work this out by the way, just highlighting that a Striker can score 12 goals in a season but elevate the game of others around them so the team is better for it overall.

wingy · 2025-08-01T10:47:54+0100

Viktor17 said:
Here is a classic example of the bad side of social media, people being given a platform to offer "opinions" like that.

Like half the politicians.

Earlsdon_Skyblue1 · 2025-08-01T10:50:48+0100

As a side note, we also need more goals from midfield. Rudoni was doing all the work for everyone else in that respect.

Another reason I want to see more of Torp this season. Not only will he create more opportunities for the strikers, he can actually shoot as well.

TomRad85 · 2025-08-01T12:02:36+0100

Earlsdon_Skyblue1 said:
As a side note, we also need more goals from midfield. Rudoni was doing all the work for everyone else in that respect.

Another reason I want to see more of Torp this season. Not only will he create more opportunities for the strikers, he can actually shoot as well.

Yeh Torp over Sheaf for me too.

Hincha · 2025-08-01T12:07:36+0100

TomRad85 said:
Yeh Torp over Sheaf for me too.

Horses for courses with them two

Would rather Torp against Hull but Sheaf against Derby

TomRad85 · 2025-08-01T12:14:50+0100

Hincha said:
Horses for courses with them two

Would rather Torp against Hull but Sheaf against Derby

Yeh fair enough, I'd agree. But on balance I prefer Torp generally. That extra goal threat is nice and frankly Wright looked a lot better in the lone striker role when Torp was behind him, absolutely hopeless after Torps injury.

fatso · 2025-08-01T12:17:48+0100

Torp has improved massively under Lampard, and now looks the part physically as well, which was a problem when he first arrived.
I think he should be well ahead of Sheaf now.

Warwickhunt · 2025-08-01T12:18:37+0100

When we start to thread the ball the lines we will see our forwards improve! Torp has this skill he's just got to stay fit?

baldy · 2025-08-01T12:24:18+0100

Ccfcisparks said:
What? We currently have 3 fit strikers

He was trying to be 'funny' I think

DT-R · 2025-08-01T13:07:01+0100

fatso said:
Not good enough, there its been said, if we fall short at the end of the season like we did last season, for the want of a decent striker, its down to Frank and Doug for not addressing the one glaring weakness in the squad.

The amount of possession and chances we created over 2 legs v sunderland, we should've won. You can't put that on anyone other than our strikers/forwards.
Hadji, clearly no fucks given and, if reports are to be believed, injured.
Simms, says something if he never got a single minute behind an injured and disinterested Hadji. Not good enough. Not physical enough. Not competitive enough.
BTA, not good enough, simple as that. Ok for a 10min sub against tired legs but not a starter in any form.
If Hadji is going to play on the left it limits EMC game time, but of all of them, I think with game time EMC can be handy on the left. Will he score as many from there as Hadji? Maybe not, but if Hadji is going through the middle, EMC is a decent replacement on the left imo.

People are saying we need wingers before strikers, personally I 100% disagree.
Left side we have Hadji and EMC. Right side we have only Saka, but Rapha is looking decent thus far and could provide decent cover. And long term (Saka injury like before) if we keep MVE, I dont see any reason why we couldn't have MVE and KKH in a duo RB/RW. KKH has already shown from RB he is willing to get forward and score goals. Imagine playing him higher up with MVE on the overlap. Left backs all across the championship will have sleepless nights thinking about it! You'll have professional footballers with PTSD after playing against them

Out and out strikers, Simms, not good enough, BTA not good enough, Bassette, needs a loan/not ready. A striker is a MUST.

Sent from my SM-S711B using Tapatalk

Cally Fedora · 2025-08-01T13:30:31+0100

fatso said:
Torp has improved massively under Lampard, and now looks the part physically as well, which was a problem when he first arrived.
I think he should be well ahead of Sheaf now.

Has he? He’s barely played. Unfortunately he’s two yards too slow. He can create the odd thing but his overall impact is patchy.

fatso · 2025-08-01T13:31:29+0100

100% agree, however I have a feeling that Doug won't want to bring in yet another striker while paying Wright and Simms £100k month each.

Trying to offload non performing strikers is going to be a problem.

Hincha · 2025-08-01T13:46:01+0100

DT-R said:
People are saying we need wingers before strikers, personally I 100% disagree.
Left side we have Hadji and EMC. Right side we have only Saka, but Rapha is looking decent thus far and could provide decent cover. And long term (Saka injury like before) if we keep MVE, I dont see any reason why we couldn't have MVE and KKH in a duo RB/RW. KKH has already shown from RB he is willing to get forward and score goals. Imagine playing him higher up with MVE on the overlap. Left backs all across the championship will have sleepless nights thinking about it! You'll have professional footballers with PTSD after playing against them

Out and out strikers, Simms, not good enough, BTA not good enough, Bassette, needs a loan/not ready. A striker is a MUST.

Sent from my SM-S711B using Tapatalk

You want 5 strikers for 1 position and to play a RB on the wing

Nice one

skyblu3sk · 2025-08-01T14:12:44+0100

For me it depends how leaky our defense is... If they ship goals like the start of the season no, if we are hoping to take games mostly 1-0 then yes with the rest of the team chipping in.

Mucca Mad Boys · 2025-08-01T14:16:18+0100

Earlsdon_Skyblue1 said:
As a side note, we also need more goals from midfield. Rudoni was doing all the work for everyone else in that respect.

Another reason I want to see more of Torp this season. Not only will he create more opportunities for the strikers, he can actually shoot as well.

Nail on the head. Of all our CMs, only Torp offers a goal threat and in the absence of goals from CM, we need more goals from our starters.

There’s an obsession with the strikers when most of the time only one person will be playing in that position. Whereas we have 2 wingers, 2 CMs and an AM. If Rudoni were to get injured, that’s 1/3 of our goal contributions wiped out in one go. Most of the top scorers (top 15 or so) were AMs/wingers rather than strikers last season and 23/24.

After Rudoni and Haji out of the starting 11, Thomas and EMC are tied for our top scorer…

SeaSeeEffCee · 2025-08-01T14:27:51+0100

Looks like Wright was training with the team today.

Offhegoes · 2025-08-01T14:50:04+0100

With the exception of Haji against Sunderland at the CBS league game last season. Did any of our strikers play well in Frank's 4-3-3 system. BTA and Simms stopped scoring when we switched back to that formation.

TomRad85 · 2025-08-01T14:51:03+0100

Offhegoes said:
With the exception of Haji against Sunderland at the CBS league game last season. Did any of our strikers play well in Frank's 4-3-3 system. BTA and Simms stopped scoring when we switched back to that formation.

Haji needs Torp, the others need a miracle.

Sky Blue Goblin · 2025-08-01T14:51:06+0100

Offhegoes said:
With the exception of Haji against Sunderland at the CBS league game last season. Did any of our strikers play well in Frank's 4-3-3 system. BTA and Simms stopped scoring when we switched back to that formation.

No I don’t think so personally

Macca1987 · 2025-08-01T15:00:23+0100

Cally Fedora said:
Has he? He’s barely played. Unfortunately he’s two yards too slow. He can create the odd thing but his overall impact is patchy.

Cally, did you see the game on Wednesday, I know it was only a cameo role from Torp, but he was all over the pitch, chasing things down, wanting the ball etc, I think we need to give him a chance to see how he progresses this term, he didn't look 2 yards too slow to me

Our strikers…… (1 Viewer)

The current strikers? Good enough or not?

Good enough. YES

Not good enough. NO

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