- Jun 18, 2006
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Funtime Fridays are what i long for!!
So The Goat has confirmed that we're definitely looking at Gary Hooper! - am i the only one who feels that this isn't the guy we should be going for. I appreciate that he's taken his chance at Celtic and scored some good goals but only a few years back he was struggling at the likes of Southend and Orient and even at the beginning with S****horpe (where he came good in the end).
Ok, ok you could argue that his story has similarities with the likes of Ian Wright - but i'm just not convinced. The SPL is obviously not as strong as the Premiership and i'm not sure he'd cope with the pace or power.
My gut feel is that he's on a good run with Celtic, they've organised a formation around him to keep him scoring and he'll probably do well for the rest of the season - however in the prem he'd probably get found out quite quickly..........a la Jelevic perhaps!
Thoughts?
Potentially, but then I do think he has scored 20+ goals per season consistantly despite taking steps up in leagues, from League 1 to the Championship, and then again to the SPL. So what's not to say he couldnt take the next step up in his stride too.
Realistically, he has a reasonable record in the CL too, and that is a good level.
Wouldn't be my first choice of I'm honest, but I wouldnt rule him out so quickly either.
Someone did make an interesting post last night about what AVB wants from a CF. I was all for someone with more height and presence to take advantage of our wing play, but it was pointed out that AVB primarily wants his striker to work the line hard, all about workrate and putting the ball in the net, nothing more fancy than that. Does Hooper's style tick that box, maybe it appears so.
Incidentally, over the last five seasons (well four and a half since we're only in January), he averages 25 goals per season at a scoring rate of a goal every 1.7 games, which includes 7 in 16 in Europe for those questioning the level he's playing at.