On 02/10/2018 at 00:51, enigma said:

We could have had Higuain in summer but turned him down. He pretty much said as much himself after joining Milan on loan. I think it was probably fair to give Morata another crack under a different coach seeing as he was the club's record signing for a striker. 

Interesting - I got the distinct impression that he preferred to go to Milan because he 'felt more wanted', or something like that. 

33 minutes ago, DaRick said:

Interesting - I got the distinct impression that he preferred to go to Milan because he 'felt more wanted', or something like that. 

 

https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/03/gonzalo-higuain-reveals-snubbed-chelsea-join-ac-milan-7795020/

Edited October 5, 20187 yr by enigma

13 minutes ago, enigma said:

 

https://metro.co.uk/2018/08/03/gonzalo-higuain-reveals-snubbed-chelsea-join-ac-milan-7795020/

This passage stands out:

"Speaking about Chelsea’s approach at his unveiling, Higuain explained: ‘I have huge respect for Sarri, but he was the only one who wanted me at Chelsea. ‘Here at Milan everyone wanted me. The motivation and conviction they showed at Milan was fundamental.’"

 

Higuin might have been good for our chances this season, but wouldn’t have been a good long term choice. I’d rather us plan ahead better than that. Let’s be honest, none of us seriously thought this was a title challenging year (and still don’t realistically).

Reports in The Telegraph that we have tabled a bid for Usain Bolt.

We could do worse. Quicker than Morata. Better finisher than Giroud.

7 hours ago, just said:

Reports in The Telegraph that we have tabled a bid for Usain Bolt.

We could do worse. Quicker than Morata. Better finisher than Giroud.

The celebration needs working on, though.

On 06/10/2018 at 02:19, Kentonio said:

Higuin might have been good for our chances this season, but wouldn’t have been a good long term choice. I’d rather us plan ahead better than that. Let’s be honest, none of us seriously thought this was a title challenging year (and still don’t realistically).

He would have been if he turned out to be the difference between fourth and fifth though. Which very well could be the case come may.

If we are going to sign anybody good, it will need to be an unheard of player who isn't already at a big club. January signings rarely work, especially in the striker position. Even Anelka, who turned out to be a decent signing, only scored one league goal when he joined us in January.

If a striker is going to be signed, it needs to happen in the summer. We took the risk, we gave Morata and Giroud a try and it's already looking like a risk that won't pay off. 

37 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

If we are going to sign anybody good, it will need to be an unheard of player who isn't already at a big club. January signings rarely work, especially in the striker position. Even Anelka, who turned out to be a decent signing, only scored one league goal when he joined us in January.

If a striker is going to be signed, it needs to happen in the summer. We took the risk, we gave Morata and Giroud a try and it's already looking like a risk that won't pay off. 

A Kepa sort of signing: completely off everybody's radar, young, talented and ready for the starting line up (don't mention the fee though).

56 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

If we are going to sign anybody good, it will need to be an unheard of player who isn't already at a big club. January signings rarely work, especially in the striker position. Even Anelka, who turned out to be a decent signing, only scored one league goal when he joined us in January.

If a striker is going to be signed, it needs to happen in the summer. We took the risk, we gave Morata and Giroud a try and it's already looking like a risk that won't pay off. 

A blatantly stupid risk to take.......they really thought Sarii would just come in and Flex his wand and bang our strikers are quality. How the board told themselves 2 average strikers would make us lethal or contenders is just incompetence........and we may well pay a high Price for this decesion if we land outside top4. I really think we could have got Cavani, wouldnt cost a bomb, not super happy at PSG and would have given us a bit time to search for a younger forward come sumer.

Rodrigo Moreno IMO, perfectly suited to our style

3 hours ago, Valerie said:

A Kepa sort of signing: completely off everybody's radar, young, talented and ready for the starting line up (don't mention the fee though).

Kepa was one a lot of radars but I think we were the biggest club who actually needed a keeper after the victims signed Alisson. 

A decent and regular goalscoring striker seems an often repeated conundrum at our club and it's quite baffling why. It's not as though we haven't thrown good money at it for goodness knows how many years.

I hark back to the days of Dixon, Speedie, Durie, Wilson et al who would bang in goals left right and centre. I go back a lot further than that mind, but don't want to digress too far.

Seriously though, it seems so often the case we buy a proven goalscorer and they then fall to sh*t.  Fleck, Sutton, Scheva, Torres...the list goes on.

The two options we have now are Morata and Giroud, both of whom were bench warmers at their previous clubs. Of the two I would say Giroud is the better option because he offers a bit more, and that's not saying a lot. As much as I would like to see Morata step up and succeed here it's just not happening is it ?  He seems so weak both mentally and physically and regardless of the price we paid for him that's simply not good enough.

Having got that off my chest I shall go back to my beer and celebrate the fact that we at least avoided re-signing Lukaku and we are still undeafeted.  Onwards and upwards.

 

 

Icardi is the only top option that fits all the criteria right now;

young, not tied to any top top club, bangs in goals, not a 1 season wonder.

even today, just scored the winner in the milan derby and seems to score often in big games.

just seems like the perfect signing atm, despite his somewhat offputting personality

If we want someone in the tradition of 'most of the strikers we've signed this century' then the answer is clearly Christian Benteke

49 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

If we want someone in the tradition of 'most of the strikers we've signed this century' then the answer is clearly Christian Benteke

It's just natural progression, it's inevitable we sign him. Welcome Christian.... 

17 hours ago, WeatherMan said:

..................... celebrate the fact that we at least avoided re-signing Lukaku and we are still undeafeted.  Onwards and upwards.

 

 

About time it was said

I think the time has come to look for an alternative solution at least until January, but maybe even until the summer as I can't see us bringing in a quality striker midseason. 

Morata has scored a couple of decent goals, but his overall game is so out of sync with the team, he plays one touch when he should be holding it up, he tries and fails to hold it up when he should be laying it off, and his finishing is utterly abysmal. 

Giroud isn't much better, he had a good game against Cardiff, but since then he hasn't contributed much at all, his main strength is to link play with his back to goal, but teams are able to stop balls into his feet, because he has no pace to threaten in behind, so centre backs go tight, and holding midfielders block passing lanes to him. He looks even less likely to score than morata.

Personally i would want hazard to stay in the role he is in since he has excelled so far this season. I would like to see pedro play up top, he lacks the strength to use his body to hold the ball up, but he has speed and technique that can stop him getting involved in physical battles with centre backs. He has great movement and he can finish better than anyone at the club. Just let him play on the shoulder of the last defender, and make those clever runs in the channels. Most of the crosses we put into the box are on the ground, so I don't think we need a big target man. We need someone with good anticipation, and an eye for goal. 

I know there is plenty of opposition for a false 9 on here,but it wouldn't be a false 9. Sarri managed to turn mertens into a lethal poaching striker, and he has similar characteristics to pedro.

Id use the Europa league to experiment, hazard is out injured by all accounts, so I'd love to see CHO pedro Willian as the front 3. 

 

Either we get Icardi in Jan or it could get well tough this season......we the only Club at top level with no strikers.

Getting a world class striker in January isn’t that straight forward. Teams don’t want to lose their best players in the middle of the season. 

We may as well recall Batshuayi and give him a chance until the end of May. 

8 minutes ago, atomis said:

Either we get Icardi in Jan or it could get well tough this season......we the only Club at top level with no strikers.

It ain't happening. He will be worth just as much to Inter in the summer so there is no reason for them to sell now, it would just mess up their season. I doubt Icardi would even want to leave at this minute, he's their captain and they are in the Champions League.

Someone mentioned bringing in strikers in January does not often work, like Anelka that first season. The other option is to use Hazard and Pedro (alternate) as the central striker especially while we have a number of attacking MFs - Willian, Barkley , RLC and perhaps CHO. Use Giroud and Morata when plan A does not work.

Edited October 23, 20187 yr by Strider6003

Batshuayi with a CL goal. Bet he scores more than Morata and Giroud combined come the end of the season.

Edited October 23, 20187 yr by ducavis

22 minutes ago, ducavis said:

Batshuayi with a CL goal. Bet he scores more than Morata and Giroud combined come the end of the season.

I she playing as a second striker or up front on his own?

2 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

It ain't happening. He will be worth just as much to Inter in the summer so there is no reason for them to sell now, it would just mess up their season. I doubt Icardi would even want to leave at this minute, he's their captain and they are in the Champions League.

Yeah I know mate, its just bewildering to me how such an imortant position was overlooked by the Club. How they thought our strikers gonna deliver in such a ridiculous League is way out there for me. I wish we could Icardi but yeah fat chance.......we'll have to suffer till summer, and suffer we will judging by the stuff shown so far. Bats cant possible any worse can he...........