[Archived] New Striker Needed?

[Blue n White Rover]

After the failings VS Boro and now Villa. Its come to my attention and obviously many other Rovers fans that a new striker is definately needed. By this I don't mean a fully fit Benni McCarthy or a "confident" Jason Roberts, I mean an out and out goalscorer. We need to be finishing off our chances. The play is there, and we are playing some good football but we cannot afford to carry on like this.

Is this the time where Rovers spend big on a quality forward? Boro have spent on Alves and he gets goals from nothing like he did VS Rovers. Bolton have spent on Elmander, Villa have Carew, City have Jo and Robinho. Without Santa Cruz we are really limited up front. I think its about time we spent on a quality goalscorer. No particular names spring to mind, but definately an area to look at in January.

Your views?

[den]

We needed a new striker before the season began. One or two of us said so then. We now need a left winger, right winger, attacking midfielder as well.

[JAL]

After the failings VS Boro and now Villa. Its come to my attention and obviously many other Rovers fans that a new striker is definately needed. By this I don't mean a fully fit Benni McCarthy or a "confident" Jason Roberts, I mean an out and out goalscorer. We need to be finishing off our chances. The play is there, and we are playing some good football but we cannot afford to carry on like this.

Is this the time where Rovers spend big on a quality forward? Boro have spent on Alves and he gets goals from nothing like he did VS Rovers. Bolton have spent on Elmander, Villa have Carew, City have Jo and Robinho. Without Santa Cruz we are really limited up front. I think its about time we spent on a quality goalscorer. No particular names spring to mind, but definately an area to look at in January.

Your views?

We've got Robbie

[G Somerset Rover]

We needed a new striker before the season began. One or two of us said so then. We now need a left winger, right winger, attacking midfielder as well.

Have you seen some of our defending Den? Thrown a centre back or two in there as well!

Also, If RSC keeps getting these niggling injuries then it will be no coincidence to see us in the bottom 6 or so.

[Amo]

Our forward line is pants. Roque's brilliant, but injured. Benni's out of form and out of shape. Roberts trudges and trudges with little end product. Derbyshire is lively but not prolific. And Fowler...well.... less said about that signing the better.

[EwoodGlory]

That Gallagher at Plymouth is doing alright

[Hughesy]

If we were to go for a striker - Martins would do for me. 24 and bags of pace & power.

[Amo]

That Gallagher at Plymouth is doing alright

Apparently he's "found his division". With the rest of our forward line (sans RSC) joining him!

[T4E]

I was disappointed we didn't spend on a decent striker in the Summer - we've made a striker signing the corner stone of the coming season in the previous 3 Summers and it has given us a huge shot in the arm each time.

[Tom]

It is becomin blatantly obvious we need a striker but the tricky thing now is working out cost v benefit and how much Ince can splash out.

What we desperatly need is pace, personally I would have liked us to have gone for Cisse in the summer.

[Exiled_Rover]

We needed a new striker before the season began. One or two of us said so then. We now need a left winger, right winger, attacking midfielder as well.

Despite the negative reaction it's getting from some fans, I like the system Ince is playing - leaving Santa Cruz upfront on his own with Villenueva supporting him and dropping back into midfield when we don't have the ball. We're crying out for a pacy left winger - I'd say the same on the right, but I'm prioritizing because we clearly don't have any money.

Obviously a striker to compliment Santa Cruz (in terms of tactical options and being able to spell him when injured) is a must and I'd love to sell Roberts and McCarthy in the process, if that's at all possible.

[Hughesy]

Darren Bent if available? Abit of pace and good movement.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

Won the Euromillions have we Hughesy?

[Oklahoma]

I think ROvers have other or should have other priorities.

We have 2 centre midfielders out for the rest of the season, no RM, a poor LM and our defenders are not that good.

if We get a striker, maybe it can be on loan.

[Mr. E]

Can't disagree more really.

The fact is Benni and Roberts are as good as goalscorers as you can find in this league and we are lucky to have them. Their records speak for themselves. We just don't provide good enough service for them.

Santa Cruz on the other hand is gone. His stay at Rovers is just what he needs to survive until he gets to the promised land of City or Villa. So just let him go and forget about him.

Plus, we're not not spending money because we haven't thought about it We're not spending money because our recourses match that of a League 1 club.

[Mafioso]

Derbyshire should be given a run in his position before we can seriously comment on his being a goalscorer. We all know that his finishing is second only to Santa Cruz. His work ethic up front is similar to that of Matt Jansen. Plus he has good skill with his feet and has become stronger in the past couple of years.

Playing him on the right or left wing will work wonders for strikers of lower calibre who wish to get into the team.

Roberts seriously lacks end product. Unfortunatly he seems happy under Ince and he is known to perform well when he is angry at the manager and wanting to prove a point. So get him angry. Hold up a banner offending his mum or sister

Benni seemed to have lost interest but might, just might, regain some form.

Could there be room for Gally (if he can be recalled) or Marcus Marshall from now till January ?

[patrickvalery]

Totally agree that we need some pace upfront. Since Bellamy left we have been sadly lacking in that department. In Villanueva and Tugay we have players who can exploit space with a killer pass. And a pacey striker would create just that. I know that he isn't everyones cup of tea, but i felt Andy Johnson would have been a great signing for us. His pace would have been the ideal foil for RSC.

I think Roberts has had his chance and maybe its time to admit defeat on that one. He consistantly fails to impress, work rate aside. My memory may fail me, but i thought he was brought in before Bellamy left. I could have seen that partnership working quite well, but it wasn't to be and i don't think Roberts has found any sustained form to warrant a place in the side. But i guess if we're thinking about another striker it comes down to whether we keep Roberts' work rate and lack of ability or McCarthy's ability and lack of work rate. Both frustrate me in equal measures.

I don't think we need to strengthen the squad with an attacking midfielder, but granted we are short down the flanks. If, and its a big if, Wolves don't go up then Kightly might be a summer target. However, i suspect we'd have to look abroard in order to keep costs down.

Realistically we will be looking at the same types as we always do. Ones in need of repair. Nugent, Pennant, Huddlestone, Routledge, Harewood, Utaka, Benjani etc...

[Bennisfromheaven]

Santa Cruz on the other hand is gone. His stay at Rovers is just what he needs to survive until he gets to the promised land of City or Villa. So just let him go and forget about him.

Are yhou mad? Santa Cruz is still our player & will be until someone stumps up the money for him. Even if that is in january he is still capable of playing 10 games for us

To suggest that he is gone & should be forgotten about is ridiculous. Accepting defeat before it happens!

[bubblerrovers]

I think it's obvious we need at least 3 players to have any chance of finishing in the top 10, a defender, midfielder and a striker. The thing i worry about more is that the club have swallowed any transfer money we had.

[G Somerset Rover]

Re. Mr E - Roberts one of the top goalscorers in the league?! Can I have some of what your having please mate? Brightened up my day reading that.

[CrazyIvan]

Serious question here, how is Julio looking? I've not been to a reserve game to see him perform but if he's doing well maybe our answer lies there?

[47er]

Totally agree that we need some pace upfront. Since Bellamy left we have been sadly lacking in that department. In Villanueva and Tugay we have players who can exploit space with a killer pass. And a pacey striker would create just that. I know that he isn't everyones cup of tea, but i felt Andy Johnson would have been a great signing for us. His pace would have been the ideal foil for RSC.

I think Roberts has had his chance and maybe its time to admit defeat on that one. He consistantly fails to impress, work rate aside. My memory may fail me, but i thought he was brought in before Bellamy left. I could have seen that partnership working quite well, but it wasn't to be and i don't think Roberts has found any sustained form to warrant a place in the side. But i guess if we're thinking about another striker it comes down to whether we keep Roberts' work rate and lack of ability or McCarthy's ability and lack of work rate. Both frustrate me in equal measures.

I don't think we need to strengthen the squad with an attacking midfielder, but granted we are short down the flanks. If, and its a big if, Wolves don't go up then Kightly might be a summer target. However, i suspect we'd have to look abroard in order to keep costs down.

Realistically we will be looking at the same types as we always do. Ones in need of repair. Nugent, Pennant, Huddlestone, Routledge, Harewood, Utaka, Benjani etc...

Nugent is a worthy suggestion.Career at rock bottom now so would be cheap. He looked really talented at PNE and won an England cap. I thought he'd do well. So maybe he's a North Western lad at heart and his career can be revived. Wouldn't cost the earth to find out.

[den]

Nugent is a worthy suggestion.Career at rock bottom now so would be cheap. He looked really talented at PNE and won an England cap. I thought he'd do well. So maybe he's a North Western lad at heart and his career can be revived. Wouldn't cost the earth to find out.

Clutching at straws with that one 47er.

I never thought he was good enough. Too slow in movement and thought.

[T4E]

Nugent is a worthy suggestion.Career at rock bottom now so would be cheap. He looked really talented at PNE and won an England cap. I thought he'd do well. So maybe he's a North Western lad at heart and his career can be revived. Wouldn't cost the earth to find out.

I'd be happy with that in January. He would likely be cheap.

[CrazyIvan]

Clutching at straws with that one 47er.

I never thought he was good enough. Too slow in movement and thought.

I agree with you there. He hasn't got enough about his game to be a decent striker in the Premier League. He did well in the Championship but that's a completely different league to the Premier.