Strikers - do we have enough?

Weegie Addick

Assuming MB is about to follow Big Chris out the door, where does it leave us?

Varney - fast, nippy, no strong aerial presence
Toddy - slow, clever, link-up man, no aerial presence
Dickson - fast, poacher, no strong aerial presence
Fleetwood - small, nippy, no aerial presence
Mcleod - injured for now but no strong aerial presence

That leaves the one and only Andy Gray to win the aerial battles - up front and helping out at the back.

So what happens when he's injured/ suspended/ out of form?

Suddenly doesn't feel like the right mix to me...or have I forgotten someone?

razil

no mate you are spot on which is why its daft to sell Big Chris, but perhaps that is Pards 'style'...

Swisdom

Varney can win a header, Gray can win a header

We need to get away from lumping it up to a biggun' and Zheng is also not a short fella

I think we have enough - when it comes to Corners we will have Hudson + another defender or Fortune in the mix.

Don't forget JJ Shelvey will be taking accurate corners too rather than Darren "Nearpostclearance" Ambrose

West Brom didn't have any huge lumps and played good stuff. Why should we resort to Watford and Stoke style of football?

AFKABartram

i'm not so worried about the ariel presence thing, more the goalscoring ability.

Gray / Varney / Dickson / Fleetwood / Todorov / McLeod

are the five we will be going into the season with.
McLeod is out till something like November
Dickson and Fleetwood have only a couple of games at Champ level between them
Gray failed to impress in his five months here
Varney is liked by fans but from soundbytes, not fully liked by the manager.

That just leaves the gamble that is Todorov. Well short of match fitness according to those at Braintree on sat, and pulled from the Welling game. He seems as if he still has a long way to go to get back to Champ contention, and then there is no guarantees he still has it in him to be successful at this level.

I just worry that there isn't enough goals in the collective. All it needs though is one to hit a rich vain of form though, but i struggle to see a 20 a season one there.

Weegie Addick

I saw some promising signs in a Varney/ Gray link up at the end of last season - it could click and they could both end up with 15-20 apiece - I think they are capable.

BUT, and it's a big one, it feels very over-reliant on those two as the experinced pair at the peak of fitness/ careers. If Gray is out then we have to change the style of play, and everything/ everyone else is a bit of a gamble. Yet this is the area where on paper we have plenty of options!

WSS

Not too bothered by the elusive 20 goal striker to be honest - as long as everyone chips in.

Ebanks Blake, Beattie, Morrison, Agyemang, Stern John all scored 15+ goals last season and their teams were not spectacular.

Obviously it helps but i don't think it is the be all and end all. If Varney and Gray can get 10-15 each with Dicko/Toddy/Fleetwood all chipping in 3-5 goals each with the midfield contributing as well i think that's enough.

Ketman

Think Varney if given a run will easily be our Top Scorer this season. As for the arieal Threat Varney was beating players in the air a foot or so taller than him at Welling with ease. Anyone who thinks Gray has no real ariel threat obviously was not at the Southampton match. Think we should be playing it on the deck anyway, long ball only works if you know how to play it, we tried it last year & were hopeless doing it.

Salad

Varney and Gray will prove to be our best partnership for several seasons .... there's 35 goals there :-)

Off_it

[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]Varney and Gray will prove to be our best partnership for several seasons .... there's 35 goals there :-)

Over how many seasons though?
;o)

Weegie Addick

Ketman, I don't think anyone has said that Gray doesn't have an aerial threat. Varney can be OK in the air, I agree, but not constantly battling a centre half for match after match. Being strong in the air in attack as well as defence is pretty much a necessity in my book - much as I love to see it played more on the ground, you still need to be able to compete for the high balls and get on the end of crosses/ corners (if they are half decent, and that's still another story).

Swisdom

[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]Varney and Gray will prove to be our best partnership for several seasons .... there's 35 goals there :-)

I am inclined to agree.

I look at the mixture of Varney and Gray, McLeod, Dickson, Fleetwood, Todorov and think there are a few clubs would like to have those options
A mixture of pace (LV, IM, CD)
Strength (Gray, Varney, Dicko)
Wise old head (Toddy, Gray)
Finishing (Dicko, Fleet (except against Welling)

We have a combo for most opponents.

I think Izzy Mac will have a contribution this season - desperately unlucky last year

razil

I doubt we'll see McLeod in a Charlton shirt again, and having my doubts about ZZ either.

Stu_of_Kunming

[cite]Posted By: razil[/cite]and having my doubts about ZZ either.

No one can sign him, in England anyway.

Salad

strictly speaking they can but they would have to go to appeal to try to get a work permit

colthe3rd

[cite]Posted By: Swisdom[/cite]West Brom didn't have any huge lumps and played good stuff. Why should we resort to Watford and Stoke style of football?

Ishamel Miller 6'3"
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