What type of striker do we need?

[mil1lion]

With being linked with so many strikers it got me thinking, what type of striker do we really need? With all the different names being thrown around, they all seem to play different roles.

A number 9 - Another Berbatov type to hold the ball up for players around him to link up with. The trouble I see is, we already have Crouch and I guess it depends if we get Gudjohnsen back aswell. Neither is going to get behind the defence much, and the problem I see there is when Lennon and Bale break forward. It leaves Defoe as the only out and out striker who can really keep pace.

A number 10 - This is the role Forlan is playing for Uruguay. Someone who will play in the hole (in the hole you say?), pull out wide and at times become a 5th midfielder. The thing is, it's also the role Joe Cole likes to play aswell (Giovani for that matter aswell). Personally I would prefer a support striker in this role rather than an attacking midfielder. I think we need a goalscorer, something Keane was doing a few seasons ago.

An out and out striker - Someone to play on the shoulder of the last defender. Effectively an alternative to Defoe and probably a natural replacement to Pavlyuchenko. It would more than likely be someone who can play up front on his own. I can see the appeal for this type of striker, expecially if it is someone strong enough to hold the ball up aswell (Drogba).

A wide striker - The role Bellamy played for City last season. Someone who is going to score goals and suits the 4-3-3 formation. It's where Barca get most of their goals and what Man Utd have missed since Ronaldo left. More than likely someone who comes in from the left and knows where the goal is.

Which of these do you think we really need in this window? Maybe more than 1 is needed.

 

[tototoner]

younger version of Diego Milito

Dzeko would be ideal but if Citeh are after him we will have to jog on

Huntelaar's stock and therefore his price has dropped , still a class act and Arry could bring out the best in him

 

[DC_Boy]

a player who can lead the line in 4-5-1

famously we could have had a younger version of milito two years ago

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I had this conversation with 'Stophe a couple of weeks ago, but we couldn't agree that Berbatov was a number 9 or whether he played as a number 10 coming deep and creating things for others. He wasn't ever really operating as a number 9 for us at all, winning balls in the air, using his strength to hold off defenders etc. He is pretty much a 9.5.

I would suggest we need two strikers really and if we could find another 9.5 from somewhere that would be great. If you combined that with a Forlan type '10 and out finisher', because he is an out and out finisher at club level but he has so much ability and can link things up great at international level (although I suspect with Suarez out he may push up higher). He is maybe a different sort of 9.5 as well.

So I would say a Berbesque 9.5, let's call it 9.25 since he is the taller of the two and a Forlanesque 9.5, which we can call a 9.75. The combination of the two combined with working on the type of attacking movement that you see in the Germany team could see 9.75 + 9.25 = lots of goals.

Maybe I am going a bit nuts with all of the numbers I am looking at for work today. :razz:

 

[danielneeds]

a player who can lead the line in 4-5-1

famously we could have had a younger version of milito two years ago

That's not true, he said he was never interested in a move to England despite Ramos wanting him.

Personally I would go for a number 9 who can play back to goal, but is also an out and out striker. Drogba or a fit Torres (not the half fit pale imitation that is currently limping around the World Cup). I don't ask for much...:grin:

 

[mil1lion]

I've chosen a number 10 and an out and out striker. I've also decided I want Forlan and Lukaku to fill both roles (which will probably change again next week :roll

I would like to see someone who can keep up with the goals Defoe scores and form a good partnerhsip with him. Someone like Forlan has the intelligence to work with Defoe. Plus he scores goals for fun.

I also think we need an alternative to Defoe. He always dips in form, and sadly the same can be said of Pav. So replace him with someone who will keep Defoe on his toes. Lukaku is a different type of player, but someone who can play right up top.

 

[RoyalFlush]

I think Llorente would be a good signing. Big, strong player who would be able to hold the ball up and well and get team-mates involved in attacks. Only 25 years old and would be affordable too.

 

[jamesc0le]

llorente would be cool. we could call him the basque beauty or perhaps, the hulk of bilbao. or the hunk of cheese if he achieves a flop rating.

 

[tony_parkes]

Someone who could play up top on his own in a 4-5-1 AND in a 4-4-2 with Defoe.

It's a big ask and there probably aren't too many of them out there but that is what we need.

 

[kaz Hirai]

purely based on the WC I wouldnt mind Honda, but i realise he has just moved to Russia, plus Harry did admit he was tracking him before hand, so i guess he decided against it.

but we obviously need someone who can play upfront alone in the 4:5:1 formation which we will be playing in the champs league.

 

[Twizzle]

a fucking good one

 

[sunnydelight786]

We need two. One out and out striker and one number 9......

 

[Mattspur]

None of our current crop are quite top notch. I think we could do with improvements on all of them.

Therefore, I have voted for all of the options. :grin:

 

[michaelden]

A Trezeguet type player. Who can lead the line and is prolific

 

[Hoowl]

Based on last season, someone who can stick the ball in the net. We didn't seem to have trouble creating chances, just finishing them.

 

[michaelden]

Based on last season, someone who can stick the ball in the net. We didn't seem to have trouble creating chances, just finishing them.

Que the defoe fans rushing to defend their god

;-)

 

[StartingPrice]

younger version of Diego Milito

Dzeko would be ideal but if Citeh are after him we will have to jog on

Huntelaar's stock and therefore his price has dropped , still a class act and Arry could bring out the best in him

This.

That's not true, he said he was never interested in a move to England despite Ramos wanting him.

Personally I would go for a number 9 who can play back to goal, but is also an out and out striker. Drogba or a fit Torres (not the half fit pale imitation that is currently limping around the World Cup). I don't ask for much...:grin:

This.

a fucking good one

AND THIS:grin:

Que the defoe fans rushing to defend their god

;-)

Well, yeah...but some of us try to look at the bigger picture.
Here are three elements that go into my analysis:
1) We really need a top No.9, really, badly...not just for himself, but to bring out the best in several of our other players;
2) Jermaine Defoe is still relatively young and just coming into his best years (according to the traditional way of reckoning things). There is still room for improvement, as demonstrated last year by the way he developed his upper body strength. We should expect that to be even more noticeable this season and beyond. IMHO he was pretty good until his injury. He was then injured. He was then rushed back to soon. So, I am not reading too much into his second half of season form. For the record, I am not one of those who worships JD by any means. I actually felt that the club were right to sell him, previously (for reasons given at the time), and while I am happy, this season, to wait and see how his upper body strength work brings him on for a second season, I certainly believe that unless he does improve another :shrug: 5 - 10% (through experince, upper body strength, etc), he is not top top quality. So, please, don't just categorize everyone who coupld potentially disagree with you as devotees of JD...it's just lazy;
3) As said at the end of the season, we really need to keep this squad together, and so don't need too many players - 3, including a Goalie (or at most, 4), is, IMHO, ideal. One of them has to be a number 9, again, IMHO. That doesn't leave much room,and there are other areas where improvements can be make and are needed more urgently that attack, especially as, for the reasons given in 2, above, JD may well improve. Some of us remember the years of wholesale disruptions to the squad and don't want to see them repeated, and we especially don't need a completely new strikeforce.

 

[bryanabutler]

a fucking good one

Like it

 

[FITZ]

Someone who can get on the end of a cross, preferably with their head.

 

[bryanabutler]

Mario Gomez or R Lukaku as main ST and S Jovetic as the link man
who can also play in C/M L/M and as a second ST