The Fleetwood debate

[reamsofverse]

There is a good thread currently running on CL at the mo and I just thought Id ask all of your views over here.

Personally I agree with the fans who are frustrated that we are spending money on a striker when it is in midfield that we need new players.

Alot are seeing him as an investment, a player for the future and not one for next season.

My take on this is I disagree. We already have Dickson learning his trade and now it looks like we have bought Fleetwood for the same reason and although I wish him all the best history is not on his side as when was the last time we had a striker who came through the ranks to hit the big time?

Mendonca, Hunt, Euell, Bartlett? No, they were seasoned proven goalscorers who we signed because of their reputation.

I agree that we need a goal scorer but I would have sold Dickson and Iwelumo to generate funds for another one of the names above.

Im amazed how some fans can put their faith in Toddy, don't get me wrong I am desperate to see him do well but after the injury nobody knows what might happen.

I agree with those who want to see Varney and Gray lead the line next season, but hold on is this based on one good partnership against Coventry last season? I think so.

I think we should just be concentrating on Toddy, Varney and Gray next season as they are the only ones we can rely on therefore forget the rest, they are just making up the numbers so we need a proven scorer still in my book along with a winger and 2 central midfielders, then we might just compete next season.

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[bexleyboy]

He is going to be a good signing. spoke to a Stevenage fan who said he is an execellent player and far to good for non league.
He is not a non league player he as add championship experanice before a bad injury knocked his career back

[ExeterAddick]

it's an interesting one this.

At the end of the day, none of us really know how Fleetwood will perform. He could flop like so many other non league players who try to make the step up, or he could be the next Ian Wright. We'll gain nothing by pre-judging him, so let's give him a proper chance (i think it fair to judge a player based on 10 starts personally).

Obviously, this doesn't stop us having our own personal opinions/predictions. Mine is that he might struggle a bit at this level, unless he can find a goal or two early on to give him a confidence boost. Pards doesn't seem to be one to keep faith in his strikers, so it could be a case of Fleetwood needing to hit the ground running early doors.

For me, Varney and Gray have to be first choice next season, not based purely on Coventry game (which i didn't attend). I think Gray has a good touch and the ability to hold on to the ball giving the midfield time to get forward and his striking partner a chance to make a run; something which is valuable in any team. Varney works his socks off, has got the pace and movement to exploit defences and knows how to finish. The two of them could be a combination which would work well at this level (much like in the Palace game, which i did attend).

As for the other strikers, Iwelumo is a 'last ten minute man', McLeod needs to get fit, then try and rebuild his surely shattered confidence and Dickson needs more of an oppurtunity. I'd be suprised if Todorov manages to go on for much longer. Such serious injuries on both knees will surely effect his ability to perform. If he can stay fit, he'll be a good asset, but i wouldn't bank on it.

However, this debate could prove irrelevent, as with our current midfield i think we could have Drogba and Torres up front and still not score too many more than last season. There's no creativity, which is what Pards really needs to sort out. We struggled at the back end of last season not because our strikers were missing hatfuls of chances, but because they weren't being presented with many. Only Varney really has the ability to create a goal for himself.

I'd like to see a more athletic looking goalie, another centre back to partner Hudson, two good wide players and a box-to-box central midfielder brought in before the Swansea game. The sooner the better.

[reamsofverse]

Excellent post

[swordfish]

Kins has just signed a new contract - I wonder if he's still registered as a player? ;D

I was reading earlier that Ben Watson keeps turning down new contract offers at Palarse. I said to the missus 'now that'd REALLY rub their noses in it - first their captain, now their engine'... But that's surely too much to hope for. Besides which, he's got 12 months left on his contract, so even if he was a die-hard Addick on the quiet, I suspect the 'orange embarrassment' would hold out for about £20m before he'd let him sign for us.

Oh well...

[reamsofverse]

Id give my right arm for Watson and both for Kinsella to roll back he years .

Unfortunately QPR don't have to give anything apart from just flashing the cash

[bexleyboy]

There is no debate on Fleetwood..what people seem to be overlooking is he as played in the championship before so he is not a big risk .....

[manix]

If by the start of the season we haven't strenghtened the midfield a bit, i'd be unhappy but it's the middle of June and as most managers have said, things won't really get going for a couple more weeks. For what it's worth i think we'll only see a maximum of 2 decent midfielders signed (and even then i think these will be heavily influenced by who leaves), as to me, if we address the defensive issues and buy a good quality cm our midfield will look a hell of a lot better.
A punt on a player like Fleetwood seems worth a go as if it doesn't work then it's not the end of the world. We'll have to wait and see but i really believe that Pards will get it right. Patience is a virtue i guess.

[reamsofverse]

Bexley I don't really think that we can attach Championship experience to Stuart tbh mate he only played a handful of games before going on to Hereford and Accrington and finally Forest Green.

Don't get me wrong the guy needs a break and there is every chance that he will get it with us but despite having 7 or 8 forwards now I really do have to sat that there is not a stand out striker amongst them and if not addressed I can once again see it being a problem.

Nothing will happen until July the 1st and onwards but if I were Pardew I would seriously be preparing to off load Bent, Dickson, McLeod and Iwelumo so that we can generate enough from all four to buy a £3m striker in the Ebanks-Blake mould.

On the subject of Wolves, the fella who ran the show in midfield against us not too long back, Karl Henry, I feel would be a very good acquisition if it were possible.

[bingaddick]

Jun 18, 2008 15:18:51 GMT reamsofverse said:

Don't get me wrong the guy needs a break and there is every chance that he will get it with us but despite having 7 or 8 forwards now I really do have to sat that there is not a stand out striker amongst them and if not addressed I can once again see it being a problem.

Reams, what we need is a midfield to supply the strikers. The sale of Reid last year was really crucial.

[reamsofverse]

I agree bing, unless at least 3 midfielders are brought in we can forget it, 2 is the minimum requirement.

However even if we had the best 4 midfielders in the world supplying the amunition for our forwards I still wouldn't be convinced by what we have up front im sorry to say.

Our strikers scored 27 goals between them last year which is a poor return we need a player who can score 20 on his own with the others chipping in as we go along.

[bingaddick]

We can bounce this back and forth but what I would say is that with Reid and ZZ playing well after a slightly shaky start, Pards settled on one up front and that was Big Chris. He scored a few goals which kept him in the team. Varney started the season injured and didn't feature during the shaky start, and then couldn't get a starting birth. Tody looked good as an impact player but he was not fully fit in my view and then his season was ended. McLeod looked raw/tried too hard and Dickson was out on loan.

Reid was then sold. Pards brought in Gray but he took time to settle off the pitch and that affected him on the pitch. Dickson started to show some promise (raw maybe) and then his season ended. Pards then took a huge gamble and brought in the sulker in chief with his serious attitude problem aka Lita (who was out of form when he joined). The point I'm making is that with the exception of Big Chris, none of the other strikers played much or at all when we had a reasonably decent midfield set up based around Reid and ZZ or were struggling in other ways. I therefore cannot tell whether Varney, Gray or Tody, with a decent supply from midfield, can convert the chances. All I can say is that Varney looked good on a number of occasions, Palarse at home being the best. Gray showed the odd flash but didn't feature enough and Tody looked classy to me and could be the best of the lot. As for the others, well they are "bonus" players in my view. Big Chris can, if he gets the right service, score a few and should be an impact player. McLeod could suddenly find his touch, Dickson and now Fleetwood are hungry lads who are really keen to show they've got the ability.

Yes there are better strikers out there but probably beyond our budget. My view is that we won't sign any more strikers, we will get in a midfielder or two and then as fan's we've just got to put up with it and get behind the boys.

[swordfish]

I don't think the strikers are the issue. I hate to use the word.... But the word is 'POTENTIAL'. Against Coventry last game, with all the pressure off and nothing to play for, Varney and Gray looked totally different players - Gray especially. Varney had shown us before what he can do (Palace at home the outstanding example), but they were SO confident! Varney's finish was an unbelievably difficult one, because he didn't wait for the ball to bounce up so he could lob it in a more controlled way; he hit it on the bounce which is far more difficult to control - and what a finish! And his backheel for Gray to score the second? Could anyone have seen them doing that in February or March? No.

I am in total agreement that it's a playmaker (or an Andy Reid) that we're desperately missing. Flog Bent immediately, he's hopeless. Hell, GIVE him away. But Varney and Gray have had time to settle on the pitch now (never mind other circumstances), if Todorov can regain his fitness he's one of the deadliest strikers in the division AND we have Dickson and Fleetwood as the potential go-getters to put pressure on the first team. Iwelumo can do a job, but as a squad member in my opinion.

The way I see it, we've got 6 strikers that could potentially hit 20 goals next season if they're in the first team IF we have a decent playmaker and IF the wingers can take a leaf out of our groundsman's book and actually put some decent runs and crosses in.

Remember, all strikers start somewhere. If you check out Mendonca's stats, he was distinctly average for a good few years and a good few clubs before he started banging the goals in. Not everyone scores goals for their entire career.

WE NEED A PLAYMAKER!!

[swordfish]

I'd just like to add that when I say 'all strikers start somewhere', I'm referring to the fact that Varney, Fleetwood and Dickson are not proven at Championship level. They've all scored hatfuls for goals for their previous clubs, but in lower leagues respectively.

Iwelumo scored 18 goals for Colchester in the Championship two seasons ago, and we all know Todorov's pedigree.