Tell me I'm being paranoid, please

Yes its the striker thing again, wont say why we need one we just do and everyone knows we do, so why dont we have one?

This is my concern, my puzzle. When Bent left us Quinn went on record to say we would break the transfer fee to replace him. Bruce said we needed a striker and MON said how we needed a striker.

We have now had 3 windows, one of them a long summer window, and all we have managed is a last minute panic deal for Bendtner.

I just dont believe that 2 managers with the experience, knowledge and contacts of Bruce and O'Neill have not given a list of potential targets. With the world of football to go at surely they, between them, have a list of some sort so I honestly dont think its Bruce or O'Neills fault that we have not got one.

We had become used to Quinn and Walton at the AoL working away, talking to targets, selling the club, this window nothing, where is Short, where was Quinn.

A number of strikers were available and indeed moved but we seemed to put everything into a striker that wasnt available with no plan B, why.

I'm not having a go at anyone, I have no idea who I should be having a go at.

Could it be that after years of having decent but not exeptional managers who we gave big bucks to we now find a manager who we all feel can take us forward but are about to let down because we cant give him the tools.

Now come on you exoerts, put my mind at rest, tell me all is well behind the scenes, tell me not to worry.

I support MON 100% and only hope and pray the club can.

 

Syd, you're being paranoid.

We'll be ok this season, lets see what happens in the summer lad.

 

What about Conor and King Dong ? Both strikers and signed in the summer, we now also have Frazier back.
Dont worry, be happy.

 

I feel a little of what you are saying Syd, a big name striker would have been high on my list this window but we dont know the finances at the club or MON's long term plans.
Look at it another way, this could be a time when one or even two of the young strikers makes a name for themselves, this is their time and the stage is all theirs!
No pressure of relegation, a solid defence which has conceded not many, a midfield full of work with some and threat with others its all there for them!

 

Yea - I'm sanguin about it... I don't think Davies was ever sought to be a prolific scorer so much as to bring the young'uns on. Bruce dicked around when we should have been in for the finished article in the summer but if O'Neill isn't panicing about it then I won't, (also despite what people say about not wanting to keep a player who doesn't want to play for you it was absolutly criminal the way Bruce let first Bent and then Gyan go without any plan to replace them).

January buys make the fans happy but in retrospect often look like bad business where clubs pay over the odds for people who are over the hill or from some poorer continental league in the hope they come good... that's how it is with strikers, they cost too much and you never really know what you're getting. I think QPR have panic bought and while Cisse was more fun than a barrel of monkeys I remember being well and truly pissed off with him at times. He was like a proto-Balotelli it seem sto me in retrospect.

I think Bridge could recover his form under O'Neill, it seems to me that his private life really knocked him off his game and he's certainly been a class act in the past. Don't really know much about Kyrgiakos but he seems to have been well liked wherever he's been and at 6' 4" he surely looks the part! Besides, both of these are on loan as cover... which I'm glad we got because it was starting to look dodgy.

 

Its a team game and as a bit of perspective we have more goals than Villa, and we all know who playes for them. We only have 3 less than Newcastle and they have the best striker in the world apparently.

Don't worry Syd, we will go 8th tonight. Just imagine how good we will be when MON signs a 20 goal a season man in the summer.

 

It is perhaps the fact that crowds have been way below expectations (worst league gate for a long time expected tonight) that means we havn't got the money to invest in players.

 

Bobby Zamora, P D Cisse, Djibril Cisse, Marvin Sordell, Pavel Pogrebnyak, Saha, Pavlyuchenko, Billy Sharp, Richard Vaz Te, Nicky Maynard

All forwards, all moved in the window, all would have improved our goal threat.

Im not criticising MON as I don't know the full situation but im very disappointed that we haven't brought in an additional forward. We saw last year that one result can be the difference of about 4m, only 1 or 2 of the above cost more than that.

 

Syd - I'm sorry mate, but you are being a little paranoid. Having said that, I stress 'a little'. Only 'a little'.

The situation with a striker is not that easy. It's no good quoting what Bruce and Quinn said a year ago - the situation then was, if the striker didn't score, then Sunderland wouldn't score. Today, under MON, that's no longer the case - there are goals going in from Larsson, Vaughan, Gardner, McClean, Sessegnon, etc. So let's forget what was said a year ago. Let's look at where we are now.

What's holding SAFC back right now is investment. 80% of our income goes in wages,and that isn't healthy. WE NEED more investment. Investors NEED publicity, and the publicity machine (mostly tv) NEEDS characters. And, at the moment, Sunderland is sitting on a monster. Unfortunately, he is out on loan at Al-Ain. The central issue facing this club right now is ... Asamoah Gyan.

He is television magic. Every single time he scores a goal - and he scores quite a few - the tv cameras zoom in on his dance. On his shirt. On the investor's logo - it doesn't take a genius to see why investors like him, does it? Cameras zooming in on their logo is why.

With television, comes investors. And, with investors, comes a reduction in our wage/income ratio. I'm disappointed - like you - that we didn't get a stand-in striker. But, be fair, syd, MON did try for Davies and got sh*t on. What else could he have done?

As everyone on here knows, if I think a SAFC manager is defective, I WILL bloody well say so. But I can't, in all honesty, criticize Martin O'Neill for this. The required goods simply weren't on the market, and you can't blame the man for not buying what isn't there.

You're paranoid, syd ... but it is understandable.

 

Agree, I know that alot of people can't get to games due to finance/circumstance or geography but those with no good excuse not to go are holding the club back but still like to moan about transfers. We regularly got 40k + in the championship so where the f are they. to quote Deliah 'lets me avin you'd

FFP means that the fans are more important than ever.

 

My guess is why we have not bought a striker is cash! MoN will have to sell before he can buy. This is the only explanation that is credible, as I am sure that MoN knows as well as us an experienced goal scoring striker is needed. It may have cost to get rid of SB and the well is now dry.

Until we get 14 more points I will not think we are safe, Norwich are ahead of us in the league, they have a decent CF, more than we have, and I cannot see where the goals will come from. We played poorly against Swansea and Boro and still managed a win and a draw. Let's hope we are better tonight, we will have to be with the games coming up. The big Greek lad will be needed for the aerial bombardment at Stoke, then CMs for the game against the Gooners. I just struggle to see where our goals are coming from, Vaughan injured, Campbell cannot be expected to score every game or to play every game either.

I worry we will regret not bringing a striker in, could be MoNs first mistake.

 

Maybe the powers that be feel their fingers got burnt when Bruce spent 8 million on a "prospect"!
That money could have been spent on a proven striker.

 

I hope im proved wrong but I think the Whickham deal is the worst the club has made for an awful long time, not the lads fault though. I can't see anything other than him flopping and being sold on for a fraction of what we paid. Francis Jeffers mark 2

 

since O'Neill took over we've scored 14 goals from 8 games in the league, if we keep this up i'd be overjoyed, so don't worry syd, we've got goalscorers all over the pitch

 

THB. You can only buy whatss available. A lot of what is available is over priced ****e. A lot won't come up north, A lot are ****ing greedy twats and go for the money. It's been said many a time that the summer is the time MON will have assesed everyone. Know who needs replacing and have a good look at who to bring in. Relegation fears are all but over. We should finish mid table. Roll on summer.

 

There might be a plan in place to buy a striker in the summer, we might be getting Gyan back in the summer.
Hence no need to buy in January.

 

I think you are being a tad paranoid.

Would it have been good to get a striker in on loan? yes.

However, I dont think MON or Quinn will want to buy a striker until the summer, and the Gyan situation is sorted out. It seems like MON is fairly sure that Wickham will come good as well, and he thinks Bendtner could become a good player if he gets his head down. Campbell could also grab us 10-15 goals a season as well IMO if he stays fit.

Why spend 15 million on a striker now, if we could already have front line choice of

Gyan, Bendter, Wickham, Campbell, Ji, Noble (strengthened up from his loan), Cook (see Noble)

beginning of next season?

It seems like the club is looking to keep our academy products coming through, and I am all for it.

edit:

I also dont think any of the strikers that did move this window would be worth big spending and a long-term contract - with maybe the exception of Pav.

MON might have made offers for any number of strikers, but he wont come out and say that will he? He plays the cards close to his chest, and that can only be good imo

 

Well thank you, pack of ****ing bastards, just coz I ask you to call me it does not mean you should.

I dont blame MON at all and yes we are scoring from all over the pitch, but what about the ones we miss, Campbells goal on Sunday would not have been scored if he was not on the field, it was a goal scorers goal.

My only fear is that we cant back MON in the summer, lets hope I'm wrong.

 

Just stopped by to say you're being paranoid Syd.

Probably grey haired too after recent events. (Off the pitch.)

 

Im still thinking of what to call you as the other were too tame