- Aug 18, 2005
- 6,527
- 267
Berbatov, Keane, Defoe and Bent. 2 from 4. Those were the days. The best strikeforce in the EPL. But how were we going to keep them all happy? We didn't. Despite having a ratio of two players for each position, Defoe decided he wasn't getting enough game time and declined a new contract leading to a transfer to Pourtsmouth. Then United and Liverpool came in for Berbatov and Keane and the rest is history.
So we come to the start of this season and we have Crouch, Keane, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko. 2 from 4. Not the best strikeforce in the EPL and how are we going to keep them all happy? And then we sign van der Vaart...
The irony of signing vdV is that he increases the need for another striker but decreases the number of stiker positions we have available on the pitch. vdV is almost a guranteed starter when fit so there is only one slot available. We have four strikers battling for this one slot, and yet none of them really flourish in this role! None of them have the assets to lead the line and get enough goals.
4 into 1 doesn't go and there is no way we can keep them all happy. So we need to sign a striker whilst simultaneously reducing the number of strikers on our books.
Harry still loves Defoe and Crouch but neither of them fit into the new formation we've adopted. I can't see either of them going during this window but if Harry is dead set on 451, or 441 with vdV doing whatever he likes, he may have to get rid of one of them in the long term.
With Keane no longer offering anything in Harrys eyes (on the pitch anyway) I suspect we'd sell/loan him withouth being concerned about a replacement. I don't think the same about Paylvuchenko though. If we wanted to sign someone he'd have to go and, conversely, if we wanted to sell him, we'd have to bring someone in.
All this leave me to conclude that I'm really not sure we'll be able to bring in a striker this Jan. We'd have to shift Pavlyuchenko (finding someone to meet our valualtion could be tricky), find a stiker who fits the lone forward role and is of the required quality and whose clubs are willing to sell half way through a season.
So we come to the start of this season and we have Crouch, Keane, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko. 2 from 4. Not the best strikeforce in the EPL and how are we going to keep them all happy? And then we sign van der Vaart...
The irony of signing vdV is that he increases the need for another striker but decreases the number of stiker positions we have available on the pitch. vdV is almost a guranteed starter when fit so there is only one slot available. We have four strikers battling for this one slot, and yet none of them really flourish in this role! None of them have the assets to lead the line and get enough goals.
4 into 1 doesn't go and there is no way we can keep them all happy. So we need to sign a striker whilst simultaneously reducing the number of strikers on our books.
Harry still loves Defoe and Crouch but neither of them fit into the new formation we've adopted. I can't see either of them going during this window but if Harry is dead set on 451, or 441 with vdV doing whatever he likes, he may have to get rid of one of them in the long term.
With Keane no longer offering anything in Harrys eyes (on the pitch anyway) I suspect we'd sell/loan him withouth being concerned about a replacement. I don't think the same about Paylvuchenko though. If we wanted to sign someone he'd have to go and, conversely, if we wanted to sell him, we'd have to bring someone in.
All this leave me to conclude that I'm really not sure we'll be able to bring in a striker this Jan. We'd have to shift Pavlyuchenko (finding someone to meet our valualtion could be tricky), find a stiker who fits the lone forward role and is of the required quality and whose clubs are willing to sell half way through a season.