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Yarmouth 9:01 Mon Mar 14
A striker will now take us to the next level

Emenike isn't currently good enough and may not make the grade for the prem. Tries hard, but won't cut it.

Slav needs to find a formation so that Obiang plays each week, he's class. I'd suggest he should be used in place of Lanzini who looks a bit of a luxury player to me. Likewise he needs to find a start for Antonio too - he's got a raw talent & strength that galvanises the team.

But imagine if we brought a 'real' out and out striker - we'd destroy teams. Who it should/could be I don't know.

I think Vardy is a bit lightweight (time will tell) and people like Agguero (I can't fucking spell it) are out of our price range. Kane will stay at Spurs, & Sturridge is injury prone.

So who else could we attract? Open cheque for Lukaku?

Sakho is a very good player but not out and out striker, Valencia doesn't have it.

So, if we get a top class 20+ striker in the summer then I think we'll really take off.

terry-h 10:56 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

icwhs

I think Gold has already said we couldn't pay the wages of someone like Ibrahimovic because of FFP.
The Marseilles guy is a more realistic target.

Stubbo 10:05 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Interestingly, the Marseille president has just come out saying they are skint (again).

Looks like their key assets will be moving on...fingers crossed Batshuayi decides we're the place to be.

icwhs 6:41 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Irahimovic has scored 353 goals in 589 appearances for
Malmo
Ajax
Juventus
Inter
AC Milan
Barcelona
PSG
Sweden
And only 16 of those were when he was kid at Malmo, thats a goal every 1.6 game ratio. And won the title in 13 of his 15 years at those clubs...

icwhs 6:24 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Zlatan would gaurentee us, I think a CL spot, he's never injured that much, is as fit a race horse, banged in untold amounts of goals wherever he's played, with Payet and Lanzini, Antoino and Sahko on the pitch, he'd get 20+ next season.

Remember watching him playing for Sweden in Gerrard's 100 cap game, England fans were singing " you're just a shit Andy Carroll" at him, re the ponytail..

Weren't singing it at the end, he took the piss that night..

How English journalists don't rate him " just" because he's never played here, sums up there inept journalism only.

And just because Bilic answered honestly a few months ago, was just because it was probably true a few months ago, as he never bigs players under contract...

If he's available in the summer, by all accounts he is, according to the Swedish press, he said he wants a new challenge, unless PSG win the CL, then he'd be bound to stay.

. 4:34 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

. . 4:26 Tue Mar 22

. . 4:26 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

I was all for keeping the 3 main strikers we have, (if we can keep 2 fit we should be at the next level) was all for binning Emenike and going for a cheaper 4th choice option from the Championship, however after looking at how much the top goals scorers cost thier clubs (Not 1 less than 10 mil) Emenike looks a steal for 4th choice (unless of course any of the players we have out on loan can fit the bill) stick with what we got and find out why for as long as I can remember we can't keep them injury free

Texas Hammer 1:38 Tue Mar 22
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Our striker injury problems are truly unbelievable. But I really think the lack of a truly steady spell of matches is the only think preventing Carroll from being near the top of the league in goals scored. We have the players to provide service in abundance now. Carroll can and should be a constant threat. The inability of anyone to counter him in the air, and his ability to get on the ball, is remarkable. And he's far better with his feet than he is generally given credit for, as his goal against Chelsea demonstrates.

terry-h 8:03 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

As every striker we sign seems to get injured a lot, the suggestion that Antonio be converted into an old fashioned centre forward seems to have merit, as he hardly ever gets injured.

Willtell 6:13 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

whufcroe 12:01
I stand corrected. I should have said linked with Ibrahamovic....

Yarmouth 4:12 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

I'll get my coat - job done..

whufcroe 12:01 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

"I suspect that is why we have an interest in Ibrahamovic even at the age of 34."

Except the manager has said we don't

ludo21 11:51 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Our problem this season has been injuries.... Valencia, Sakho & Carroll have all had long periods out and missed at least half of the season. None of them has had a settled spell in the side.

Also lost Payet & Lanzini for lenghty spells... particularly unlucky to be without both at the same time.

I don't think there is much doubt that but for those injuries we would be higher in the league than we are now, probably pushing Leicester close.

You would have thought that those 3 strikers and 2 creative midfielders would have given enough depth to have accounted for injuries but perhaps we just need more strength in depth in both positions so that we can cope witha similar level of injury again.

Only problem then is keeping everyone happy in a bigger squad.... where do you find a Payet substitute who is happy sitting on the bench? I suppose Samuelsen could be that player?

Spurs took a huge risk in only having Kane as a front line striker and I can't believe it has paid off (so far).

Pervy McBeer 11:41 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Obiang straight swap for 'Luxury' Lanzini on the team sheet makes complete sense!!

Jesus Christ!!

Willtell 11:39 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

It's a good point but you know that Lukaku would then turn into an overweight, useless, injury prone liability....

penners28 11:36 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

If we want to show we are going to start competing with the big boys...whack in a £50m for lukaku.

Scraper 11:28 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Coz Drogba > Pele hth

Chigwell 11:25 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Our current success is built on players who had something to prove when they arrived at West Ham. I'd rather we trawl around to find more up-and-coming players, with more motivation than reputation, because big-name signings have proven pretty ineffective for us in recent years.

goose 11:10 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Scraper 11:02 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

why stop there?? let's make him the next Pele.
FFS.

Willtell 11:09 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Good observations Stubbo. I think our good early form last season was down to the form of Sakho. And it's well known that this signing was made by Sullivan when BFS decided not to go for him except on loan. Not having a pop at BFS but it does show that you cannot just go by the stats.

Who would have forecast Vardy and Mahrez scoring as they have? Or Payet come to that. I'd expected Sakho, Valencia and Carroll to score more than they have too especially as we are having a good season.

I suspect that is why we have an interest in Ibrahamovic even at the age of 34. He has scored everywhere he's been. The thing is that strikers are best when they come through the youth team imho.

Like Kane at Tottscum. But move him to another club and the magic spell gets broken. I suspect that as the money rolls in the drive and motivation that got them there starts to diminish...

Scraper 11:02 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

Antonio can be groomed into a Drogba.
Of this I'm certain.

Stubbo 10:52 Fri Mar 18
Re: A striker will now take us to the next level

As has been said, very few strikers guarantee 20 goals a season or thereabouts in all competitions, let alone league goals.

Pre-season you'd have said:

Benteke, Lukaku, Aguero, Costa, maybe Giroud, maybe Bony (if played the full season), maybe Rooney if played through the middle, and Kane (assuming his form held).

At this point, we're looking like only Aguero, Kane, and Lukaku of the likely pre-season candidates will get there (plus of course Vardy and maybe even Mahrez).

Just shows the '20 goals a season' striker is a mythical beast. I actually suspect Sakho could do it if he remained fit all season (hasn't happened yet).

However striker is one area we can improve, as all clubs are looking to do.

I'd quite like to see us prise Rondon from WBA who has been effective in an uninspiring side for his first season in the league, Arnautavic from Stoke, and if we're to throw big money at a player then try for Ighalo (although would by no means suggest it would be successfull).

Batshuayi guarantees us nothing...we've seen some big money flops from France with Newcastle afterall...and the striker area is one that is more prone to failure than most. Even a player like Shevchenko, and guys like Falcao...considered world class forwards...have fallen short.

Emineke should not be considered failed yet either...he'll still be getting up to speed, and has plenty of attributes to succeed. He's not Lukaku (potentially, given hes still only 22 the best striker in Europe) or Aguero...but then very few are. Every club is trying to find the next one of those!

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