Do we need more attacking options?

Exactly, the reality is we don't have the resources to compete and we're always going to have our top performers picked off. All we can do as a club is keep building our reputation and our income. Bale & Suarez proved that sometimes you only need one world class match winner to be the difference between top 8 and top 4

 

In a word, yes. But this isn't anything new. A lot of us wanted us to sign a forward in the Summer but the club were happy with what we've got. I feel while we're always relying on Pelle then we're always gonna struggle in the second half of the season. We can't expect him to be on top form playing (almost) every game for 45+ games & 9 months or so. It's not his fault, but look how much he (and subsequently we), struggled in 2nd half of last year.

 

When the club signed Long I'm sure they were hoping he'd have more end product and be less injury prone. I'm sure they were also hoping Rodriguez would be fine and return to his scoring ways. Right now we need a player that can play out wide and up top that has pace and scores goals. It will cost a fair bit of money and there is no guarantee the player will click either

 

We've been very unlucky (and he has) with Jay's fresh injury.

Pretty sure the club knew what they were getting with Long though. Been a greatr signing so far imo.

 

I may be alone in thinking that Pelle's form didn't actually drop off last season. He just started being unlucky. Lest that raises howls of laughter, I'll explain.

Strikers (good ones) generally aim shots towards the edge of the goal. The reward is that the keeper has trouble getting to them, the risk is that they hit the post or just miss. Pelle had a streak of hitting the woodwork that was freakish throughout the middle of last season. I seem to recall someone saying in a match commentary that he'd hit the woodwork more than West Ham's entire team. That wasn't him losing form, it was just the rub of the green going horribly and consistently against him. I'd be greatly surprised if it happened again this year.

My opinion only, obviously.

Vin

 

I agree about the aiming at an area of the goal. I thought his form did drop of then (I may have mentioned that before ) but that is a separate issue to the goals being scored or not.

 

Yeah I wasn't really talking goals just general play. Like I said not blaming Pelle he was absolutely knackered as well and there's no one really to take pressure off/challenge him.

 

Would love to see Ryan Seager get a look in. From what i've seen of him for the U21s, he is a typical "fox in the box striker"...It's got to be worth trying him at Citeh and seeing how he copes, maybe it might save us a few quid in January too.

 

Doubt he will. I'd like to see it too, though.

 

The obvious answer is that yes, we need more attacking options. Our defense is pretty solid but we have trouble scoring. And it's always the same... we can score well on counters, we are okay in open play, but the minute the opposition decides to prioritize defense and commit players behind the ball/in the box, we struggle. Our lack of a Suarez or 2014 Hazard is the reason we are fighting for a spot between 6 and 10 instead of 1-4.

But the more practical answer is that no, we don't need more attacking options. We're not going to get a Hazard or Suarez. And if we do get a promising attacker a la Mane, they will leave. I think we're pretty lucky to have Pelle and Davis, even if it's not enough to compete with the top clubs. And hopefully Juanmi or Seager can step up and replace Mane when in some manner when he leaves.

 

Go and get RVP, 32 but only needs one chance to bang it in.

 

I hate this When mane leaves business!
I would keep him until last year of contract.

 

Agree with this Vin. Imho, it was more the creation of clear-cut chances that we struggled with in the later parts of last season rather than Pelle or any one players finishing.

 

Nope, you're not alone. Occasionally previously, I have suggested how many goals Pelle would have got if half post hits had been goals. He would have ended up with 21 or more. I also believe he didn't get the breaks.

 

You should've invited him to one of your talks on making your own luck!

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/14097239.Eight_weeks_out_for_Jay_Rodriguez/

Hopefully Jay will be back in January but it will take him a while to be match fit. A loan signing up front would be good. There must be someone sitting on the bench somewhere who wants to go to the Euros and thinks he may get a chance to play here.

 

I think we can kiss goodbye to JRod for the rest of this season. He hadn't got back from his knee issues when the foot injury struck. Even if he restarts training in January her will need weeks of careful training...don't see him coming until next season (if at all)
Very sad and truly hope we see him back in the mighty stripes tearing up defenders

 

We certainly need a change of plan even if we can't change the personnel. Long played as a the front man last year in the one game that Pelle missed and the team played well. This year when Rodriguez has come on its always as a replacement for Tadic and not Pelle. Neither of these two are natural wingers as such.

If Pelle is being well marked or if he is having an off-day I'd like us to try something different thats all. Mane, Long, Juanmi or even Gaston down the middle.

Remember our first Premier League game at Man City.? No Lambert! Who would have predicted that? Probably not Man City. Then he and Davis came on, wham bam it almost worked.

 

But for a mid table team, we're lucky to have someone of Mane's calibre.

 

We are above just being a mid table team.