Strikers

[FurtiveFox]

We have got into belief we cannot score goals because our strikers are dire. There is some merit in that but can't help feeling if team was set up properly we would get more out of them.

Sylla has shown enough in the past that we know he can finish if things are put on a plate for him. You want him running around like a mad thing making things happen you will be disappointed.

Washington - most will disagree but whilst his finishing is riss poor he has shown he can play a bit and could work well sniffing around a big guy/someone more clinical. His confidence is shot to the extent in my view he just needs a spell on the side lines but once back could do ok. Could chip in with 10-12 goals. Not great for a striker but to be fair not convinced he is an out and out striker. Peterborough did see us coming ...

Smith - most agree great from bench. For me though I would be curious to see how he would do played in a 4-4-2 with wingers getting a reasonable volume of crosses into the box.

Mackie - I believe someone you can bring on for say last 20 mins to add some energy when opposition defence starting to tire. Starting him all the time has been plain daft.

So yes our options up front not great but could do a lot better with them. We have a good goalie, okish defence and decent midfield so overall not a bad squad. Ideal would be add at least one other striker but even if we did nothing would not be unreasonable to expect this squad to be mid-table. We don't need to be spending loads and some people seem to forget whilst we haven't spent we have kept hold of our key players and added a few over the last year.

[Qprtanpa1]

Agree re Sylla, and using Smith at times as an impact sub. Believe Conor and Mackie need to be benched generally; good lads with mediocre talent at best. What’s missing in your recap are the younguns. Believe we may just have a winner among the bunch. Eze should be brought back and played immediately; Bright and Chair show promising signs of talent if properly developed; Wheeling never been given a legitimate shot to show what he can do. Best we can hope for IMHO is that the Defense continues to steady as it returns to health, the midfield trio actually chips in with a goal here and there, Pavel is played in proper position again, Bidwell is spelled with another player who can actually create some offense, and management makes the tough but necessary call to replace Ollie and Bircham.

[Alanwycombe]

We have got into belief we cannot score goals because our strikers are dire. There is some merit in that but can't help feeling if team was set up properly we would get more out of them.

Sylla has shown enough in the past that we know he can finish if things are put on a plate for him. You want him running around like a mad thing making things happen you will be disappointed.

Washington - most will disagree but whilst his finishing is riss poor he has shown he can play a bit and could work well sniffing around a big guy/someone more clinical. His confidence is shot to the extent in my view he just needs a spell on the side lines but once back could do ok. Could chip in with 10-12 goals. Not great for a striker but to be fair not convinced he is an out and out striker. Peterborough did see us coming ...

Smith - most agree great from bench. For me though I would be curious to see how he would do played in a 4-4-2 with wingers getting a reasonable volume of crosses into the box.

Mackie - I believe someone you can bring on for say last 20 mins to add some energy when opposition defence starting to tire. Starting him all the time has been plain daft.

So yes our options up front not great but could do a lot better with them. We have a good goalie, okish defence and decent midfield so overall not a bad squad. Ideal would be add at least one other striker but even if we did nothing would not be unreasonable to expect this squad to be mid-table. We don't need to be spending loads and some people seem to forget whilst we haven't spent we have kept hold of our key players and added a few over the last year.

Washington could well be much better if coached properly. Has a good first touch but is always head down not head up, and he makes the wrong runs. Plenty of stamina and he'll fight. Never top class but he could be useful if someone worked on him. How about Les? All hands to the pump would help.

[72bus]

this has been done time and time again fox , our strikers are not good enough , we could still be at millwall now and sylla and smith wouldn't have scored, washington has gone to pot , mackie just runs around , olly has tried them all out and probably had them all on the pitch at the same time ... i haven't a clue who he should play against cardiff and what's more to the point i doubt he does either

[Norths]

The Mack and sylla both capable goalscorers at this level in the right system. Definitely time to move Washington on, though.

[FurtiveFox]

Another thing I've missed is the players who have gone backwards over last year. Only one I can think of who has improved has been Luongo.

Pawel was an exciting winger at this level but struggling.

Yeni had loads of problems after he joined but was showing real promise in his cameos but nothing this season.

Sylla gone downhill.

Ariel all but disappeared after showing promise.

Wheeler/Bright hardly given a sniff. Wheeler is 26. Needs to play otherwise pointless having signed him.

Hall - in my view prior to injury his form had gone.

Goss - invisible man yet quite highly rated potential wise by Manure.

Ollie done nothing meaningful with youngsters. Manning and Furlong on fringes and odd games for others. Just don't think he does youngsters.

This will not be all Ollie's fault. Players themselves have to take some responsibility but certainly lot more have gone downhill than improved in his time.

[Hitman34]

Washington could well be much better if coached properly. Has a good first touch but is always head down not head up, and he makes the wrong runs. Plenty of stamina and he'll fight. Never top class but he could be useful if someone worked on him. How about Les? All hands to the pump would help.

right here should be the proof in the pudding.

we kept getting told by knobhead, the dof and uncle that we were buying players to develop.

washington being the classic example. dof les said at the time that washington was not the finished article. "we will need to develop and improve his all round game".

that quote was a year and a half ago. where is the development. he is actually worse now than when we signed him.

not only him but not one of our squad (barring luongo) has made any notable improvement whatsoever.

this tells me the current structure at the the club is not working and is going backwards.

[Hitman34]

Another thing I've missed is the players who have gone backwards over last year. Only one I can think of who has improved has been Luongo.

Pawel was an exciting winger at this level but struggling.

Yeni had loads of problems after he joined but was showing real promise in his cameos but nothing this season.

Sylla gone downhill.

Ariel all but disappeared after showing promise.

Wheeler/Bright hardly given a sniff. Wheeler is 26. Needs to play otherwise pointless having signed him.

Hall - in my view prior to injury his form had gone.

Goss - invisible man yet quite highly rated potential wise by Manure.

Ollie done nothing meaningful with youngsters. Manning and Furlong on fringes and odd games for others. Just don't think he does youngsters.

This will not be all Ollie's fault. Players themselves have to take some responsibility but certainly lot more have gone downhill than improved in his time.

haha we posted at the same time.

its so glaringly obvious mate. only reason why they are allowed to get away with this mess is because the idiot owner is oblivious to what is happening and is swallowing all the shyte that is being told to him down a telephone line.

[Alanwycombe]

This. And when you have one of the best strikers in the Prem on your management team, and you are in trouble, surely the suit comes off for a bit?

[Stanley]

Furthermore the OP has omitted Wheeler of course, who also scored hatfuls of goals for Exeter when played in his best position - and we'll never know if he can do it at this level if he's not played there.

[Pinkie]

We have got into belief we cannot score goals because our strikers are dire. There is some merit in that but can't help feeling if team was set up properly we would get more out of them.

Sylla has shown enough in the past that we know he can finish if things are put on a plate for him. You want him running around like a mad thing making things happen you will be disappointed.

Washington - most will disagree but whilst his finishing is riss poor he has shown he can play a bit and could work well sniffing around a big guy/someone more clinical. His confidence is shot to the extent in my view he just needs a spell on the side lines but once back could do ok. Could chip in with 10-12 goals. Not great for a striker but to be fair not convinced he is an out and out striker. Peterborough did see us coming ...

Smith - most agree great from bench. For me though I would be curious to see how he would do played in a 4-4-2 with wingers getting a reasonable volume of crosses into the box.

Mackie - I believe someone you can bring on for say last 20 mins to add some energy when opposition defence starting to tire. Starting him all the time has been plain daft.

So yes our options up front not great but could do a lot better with them. We have a good goalie, okish defence and decent midfield so overall not a bad squad. Ideal would be add at least one other striker but even if we did nothing would not be unreasonable to expect this squad to be mid-table. We don't need to be spending loads and some people seem to forget whilst we haven't spent we have kept hold of our key players and added a few over the last year.

Actually agree with most of that, but with having what we have thats why we`re struggling with say conceding the odd goal our strikers or midfielders scoring hence losing or drawing too many, being oldskool id have 2 uptop playing off each other but it seems when its been tried it seems our strikers dont seem to know the art of being close to youre strike partner, but i suppose we`ve hardly played with two uptop partnership wise! but agree with everything you say furtive but not that we should be in mid table or anywhere as you have to earn that, i thought we`d be around 9th end of the season so lack of goals is costing us even when we`ve not played well.

[Alanwycombe]

Actually agree with most of that,
being oldskool id have 2 uptop playing off each other but it seems when its been tried it seems our strikers dont seem to know the art of being close to youre strike partner,

But Pinkie, that's called coaching......what your mate is no good at.

[Pinkie]

But Pinkie, that's called coaching......what your mate is no good at.

Is it fook al, ffs if youre any good and play upfront thats something you should have picked up as a kid mate, yes they can coach them things but ffs if they dont know how to play as a striker like that then they shouldnt be a pro!

[Alanwycombe]

Is it fook al, ffs if youre any good and play upfront thats something you should have picked up as a kid mate, yes they can coach them things but ffs if they dont know how to play as a striker like that then they shouldnt be a pro!

But we bought Washington 'to improve him' as he wasn't 'the finished article'......do you honestly think the best players in the world are not coached any more once they've broken through?

[FurtiveFox]

But we bought Washington 'to improve him' as he wasn't 'the finished article'......do you honestly think the best players in the world are not coached any more once they've broken through?

Good lads, run around a lot. kiss badges, beat chests. What more is there?