Stiking Options From Within The Squad

[maidenheadred]

I don't think we'll be able to sign a loan striker 'just like that'. Fit, proven goalscorers and normally scoring goals for their own teams afterall - and most of the loan strikers we've tried in the past have been crap.

In the meantime, how about McCombe as an emergency option? Thought he caused Forest loads of problems when he switched at the weekends, and he'd certainly help us make the ball 'stick' up front - which i think it a bigger problem than the finishing abilities of strikers #2 and #4 at the moment. End of the day - we have quality all over the middle and back of the park: if somebody could help bring those players into the game by keeping the ball on the edge of the area, am sure the goals will continue to flow.

Don't think we should start this way on saturday, but if on 60mins #2 and #4 and still not getting a sniff, i think i Fontain for JMW swap and the Big Fella playing target man might be the best (and only?) option we have.

Alternatively: Scott Murray played an excellent 2nd 45 at bournemouth as a striker... we've got Brown, Wright and JMW to chose from on the wings: i wouldnt be too upset to see him start with Jevons on sat...

[GUERNSEY TAFFY RED]

Heres one for you Gary,

Top-scorer Leon Knight has been put up for sale by Swansea City.

The striker, 24, was omitted from the squad that won 3-2 at Chesterfield on Saturday, with rumours rife that he had breached discipline at the club.

Manager Kenny Jackett insisted that the decision was a purely tactical one, but he has now transfer listed Knight, saying he has not worked hard enough.

The player joined from Brighton for £125,000 in January and has scored 20 in 37 games, seven this season.

But he arrived at the Liberty Stadium with something of a bad-boy reputation.

It's disappointing because he's a tremendously talented player with an outstanding goal-scoring record, but he's not a player with a future at Swansea

Swansea manager Kenny Jackett on Knight

He signed for Brighton from Chelsea for £100,000 in August 2003, the London club keen to jettison the talented 5ft 5in, nine-and-a-half-stone front man for disciplinary reasons.

His move from the Seagulls to west Wales on a two-and-a-half year deal followed a series of arguments with manager Mark McGhee, although Brighton were keen to include an undisclosed sell-on clause in the contract.

Swansea played Rory Fallon and Lee Trundle at Chesterfield - the latter scoring two goals - with no front man selected on the bench.

"To get out of this division we need to work, scrap and battle through," Jackett told BBC Sport Wales.

"I think that Leon could have worked harder. There's no single incident, but it's best for Leon and the club that we let him go.

"It's disappointing because he's a tremendously talented player with an outstanding goal-scoring record.

I moan because I'm a winner and it means so much to me

Leon Knight

"But he's not a player with a future at Swansea. I don't see him wearing the shirt again, a clean break is best for all.

"I'm looking at the overall mix of players, how they interact and respond to each other.

"With [swansea striker] Adebayo Akinfenwa injured there is a space in the squad up front, but hopefully we'll be able to fill that."

Knight says he was surprised and disappointed by Jackett's decision, and denied rumours of unrest in the dressing room.

"Kenny says I didn't work hard enough and that I moan too much," Knight told BBC Sport Wales.

"We're all entitled to our opinions, but I'd say that my goal-scoring record says different. I moan because I'm a winner and it means so much to me.

"There have been all sorts of rumours in the media about fights in the dressing room, but I'm too old for all that. The players, fans and chairman have all been great here.

"I'll just have to keep fit and either get a loan move out or look for a permanent transfer in January.

"I'll be all right. I'm sure I'll get another club and carry on scoring for them."

[maidenheadred]

Heres one for you Gary,

Top-scorer Leon Knight has been put up for sale by Swansea City.

The striker, 24, was omitted from the squad that won 3-2 at Chesterfield on Saturday, with rumours rife that he had breached discipline at the club.

Manager Kenny Jackett insisted that the decision was a purely tactical one, but he has now transfer listed Knight, saying he has not worked hard enough.

The player joined from Brighton for £125,000 in January and has scored 20 in 37 games, seven this season.

But he arrived at the Liberty Stadium with something of a bad-boy reputation.

It's disappointing because he's a tremendously talented player with an outstanding goal-scoring record, but he's not a player with a future at Swansea

Swansea manager Kenny Jackett on Knight

He signed for Brighton from Chelsea for £100,000 in August 2003, the London club keen to jettison the talented 5ft 5in, nine-and-a-half-stone front man for disciplinary reasons.

His move from the Seagulls to west Wales on a two-and-a-half year deal followed a series of arguments with manager Mark McGhee, although Brighton were keen to include an undisclosed sell-on clause in the contract.

Swansea played Rory Fallon and Lee Trundle at Chesterfield - the latter scoring two goals - with no front man selected on the bench.

"To get out of this division we need to work, scrap and battle through," Jackett told BBC Sport Wales.

"I think that Leon could have worked harder. There's no single incident, but it's best for Leon and the club that we let him go.

"It's disappointing because he's a tremendously talented player with an outstanding goal-scoring record.

I moan because I'm a winner and it means so much to me

Leon Knight

"But he's not a player with a future at Swansea. I don't see him wearing the shirt again, a clean break is best for all.

"I'm looking at the overall mix of players, how they interact and respond to each other.

"With [swansea striker] Adebayo Akinfenwa injured there is a space in the squad up front, but hopefully we'll be able to fill that."

Knight says he was surprised and disappointed by Jackett's decision, and denied rumours of unrest in the dressing room.

"Kenny says I didn't work hard enough and that I moan too much," Knight told BBC Sport Wales.

"We're all entitled to our opinions, but I'd say that my goal-scoring record says different. I moan because I'm a winner and it means so much to me.

"There have been all sorts of rumours in the media about fights in the dressing room, but I'm too old for all that. The players, fans and chairman have all been great here.

"I'll just have to keep fit and either get a loan move out or look for a permanent transfer in January.

"I'll be all right. I'm sure I'll get another club and carry on scoring for them."

**** it. let's buy him.

Short term contract, read him the riot act before, and lets get at least a season out of him, and 20 goals.

if we need a longer contract to get him, then at least we know we'd get our money back: goalscorers will always command a price, no matter how much of a ###### they are.

[Nibor]

I'd rather have an unfit loan striker than play Murray up front or lose McCombe from central defence.

Playing up front for 10 minutes at the end of the game is a much different proposition from starting in that position, and if we pickup another injury that's what it'll be.

We don't need to sign a loan striker "just like that". Our injury problems have been known for several weeks. I find it hard to believe there aren't strikers somewhere in the football league not getting games for their first XI right now that would be marked improvements on playing Murray or McCombe up there.

[Bristol Boy]

I don't think we'll be able to sign a loan striker 'just like that'. Fit, proven goalscorers and normally scoring goals for their own teams afterall - and most of the loan strikers we've tried in the past have been crap.

Over the years we've had some players in on loan who were excellet value-Robert Fleck & Mark Robins were two examples of that.This is a time when Managers need to call in favours and if you look at the injuries the players have, I don't think they'll be back until Mid November, at least.

In the meantime, how about McCombe as an emergency option? Thought he caused Forest loads of problems when he switched at the weekends, and he'd certainly help us make the ball 'stick' up front - which i think it a bigger problem than the finishing abilities of strikers #2 and #4 at the moment.

We could try it, but it strikes me that we're clutching at straws here.As an option for ten minutes it's worth a go and I disagree that it caused Forest loads of problems-a little difficulty yes.We didn't create one clear cut chance in the second half-with or without McCombe up front.It also makes us one dimensional whoosh merchants and some of our football goes out the window.

End of the day - we have quality all over the middle and back of the park: if somebody could help bring those players into the game by keeping the ball on the edge of the area, am sure the goals will continue to flow.

That's why-with Cotterill sold and TWO strikers out on loan-one keeping a team above us & TWO injured-A loan should be here already.It's an emergency, nobodys fault, just one of those things-However, we need to act-We aren't playing badly, particularly at home-but we lack a cutting edge

Don't think we should start this way on saturday, but if on 60mins #2 and #4 and still not getting a sniff, i think i Fontain for JMW swap and the Big Fella playing target man might be the best (and only?) option we have.

As you say, that may be the best we can do with what we've got

Alternatively: Scott Murray played an excellent 2nd 45 at bournemouth as a striker... we've got Brown, Wright and JMW to chose from on the wings: i wouldnt be too upset to see him start with Jevons on sat...

I've done that one to death in another thread.In short, I think it's a bad idea because when we've done it in the past, 45 mins at Bmth excluded, it hasn't worked when Murray was in form and confident.Currently he's neither.Murray won't hold anything up for you either.

I'd rather have an unfit loan striker than play Murray up front or lose McCombe from central defence.

Playing up front for 10 minutes at the end of the game is a much different proposition from starting in that position, and if we pickup another injury that's what it'll be.

We don't need to sign a loan striker "just like that". Our injury problems have been known for several weeks. I find it hard to believe there aren't strikers somewhere in the football league not getting games for their first XI right now that would be marked improvements on playing Murray or McCombe up there.

Spot On-Christ Nibor, we agree we must both be wrong then

[maidenheadred]

I'd rather have an unfit loan striker than play Murray up front or lose McCombe from central defence.

Playing up front for 10 minutes at the end of the game is a much different proposition from starting in that position, and if we pickup another injury that's what it'll be.

We don't need to sign a loan striker "just like that". Our injury problems have been known for several weeks. I find it hard to believe there aren't strikers somewhere in the football league not getting games for their first XI right now that would be marked improvements on playing Murray or McCombe up there.

.. my cyancism is based only on years of mostly crap loan signings.

and our injury problems until the last week or so looked to be nearing an end.... its in the last 10 days we've found out they're both properly crocked.

[no_merde]

**** it. let's buy him.

Short term contract, read him the riot act before, and lets get at least a season out of him, and 20 goals.

if we need a longer contract to get him, then at least we know we'd get our money back: goalscorers will always command a price, no matter how much of a ###### they are.

From IC Wales

"...Publicly, Jackett has insisted there are no problems with Knight's attitude and that the former Chelsea trainee was dropped from the trip to Saltergate for football reasons only.

However, we have learned from highly-placed sources at the club that Jackett actually left Knight behind in South Wales because his behaviour in recent weeks has contributed to an erosion in team spirit that threatened to derail the club's promotion push...."

###### that! We don't want him coming in a ###### up all the good work GJ done to sort the mental attitude of the squad out.

[Seend Red]

**** it. let's buy him.

Short term contract, read him the riot act before, and lets get at least a season out of him, and 20 goals.

if we need a longer contract to get him, then at least we know we'd get our money back: goalscorers will always command a price, no matter how much of a ###### they are.

Who cares if anyone likes him, were not in a popularity contest!! he is garanteed to score 20+ in a season at this level!! Buy Buy Buy!!

Maybe we could loan him until Jan and then do a swap deal for Jevons in January

[Guest SarahB]

Who cares if anyone likes him, were not in a popularity contest!! he is garanteed to score 20+ in a season at this level!! Buy Buy Buy!!

Maybe we could loan him until Jan and then do a swap deal for Jevons in January

No Need Jevons will be ok once Brooks is fit

[Rodney]

Bristol Boy

You missed Mccombes glaring sitter then! when he had an un challenged header in th 6 yard box.

[maidenheadred]

Over the years we've had some players in on loan who were excellet value-Robert Fleck & Mark Robins were two examples of that.This is a time when Managers need to call in favours and if you look at the injuries the players have, I don't think they'll be back until Mid November, at least.

... they're the only two in the last 15 years though, if i remember rightly.

what about Craig Fenton, Calvin Andrew, James Quin, Craig Maskall andSean McCarthy? 3, maybe 4 goals between them for 20+ games?

i agree with nibor that there is likely to be *something* out there at some point this season.. just don't think we can shout "get a loan signing johnson" and expect him to materialise right now.

[GUERNSEY TAFFY RED]

No Need Jevons will be ok once Brooks is fit

We can't keep assuming that Jevo will be ok once Brooks is fit, we have to act now or i seriously think that we will slowly slide back down the table, we only have to drop a few points and we could quite easily be in the lower half of the table come christmas time.

[GrahamC]

... they're the only two in the last 15 years though, if i remember rightly.

what about Craig Fenton, Calvin Andrew, James Quinn, Craig Maskell and Sean McCarthy? 3, maybe 4 goals between them for 20+ games?

i agree with nibor that there is likely to be *something* out there at some point this season.. just don't think we can shout "get a loan signing johnson" and expect him to materialise right now.

I presume you mean Craig Fagan? He wasn't quite the disaster some made out joining us when we were in a trough, he scored plenty subsequently for Colchester and is now playing in the Championship at Hull.

As for Andrew, he was never fit after his first game for us but scored on his first game back at Luton and if he was available again now, how could he be worse to have on the bench than what we've currently got?

With regard to your final point, it's not as if this is something that has just materialised, though, is it? Brooker has missed the last 5 games, Showunmi 7 out of the last 10, so if you're going to send 2 strikers out on loan because you've fallen out with one and think the other won't make it, that's plenty of time to get someone in on loan in my book.

[Seend Red]

No Need Jevons will be ok once Brooks is fit

You just can't resist can you-genius

[GUERNSEY TAFFY RED]

As much as i like Gary Johnson and what he has done at this club so far, this is one big balls up and he has to hold his hands up to this one. He needs to get a striker in now, not when it's too late. Come on Gary, you make out you're such a great man manager, prove it, let's see you put Leon Knight in his place.

[Seend Red]

As much as i like Gary Johnson and what he has done at this club so far, this is one big balls up and he has to hold his hands up to this one. He needs to get a striker in now, not when it's too late. Come on Gary, you make out you're such a great man manager, prove it, let's see you put Leon Knight in his place.

Would be the iceing on the cake if we could get Leon Knight down the Gate-Seems unlikely though

[maidenheadred]

As much as i like Gary Johnson and what he has done at this club so far, this is one big balls up and he has to hold his hands up to this one. He needs to get a striker in now, not when it's too late. Come on Gary, you make out you're such a great man manager, prove it, let's see you put Leon Knight in his place.

shhhh! we're in third, and all this "shock/horror" stuff is triggered by us losing 1-0 in a narrow game to the top of the league side! we arent slipping down the table - we're still picking up points!

its not a balls up - its a temporary pain in the arse. i remember similar hyperbole around Basso being a second rate keeper (remember our argument nibor?). people were shouting that GJ had messed up in selling Phillips, but as it is Basso has cost us arguably 1 point this season at huddersfield - and won that back with a wonder save vs. Oldham!

am going to start responding to the the inevitable "member of the blind faith club" retort with my own "member of knee jerk reaction club"!!

[Seend Red]

shhhh! we're in third, and all this "shock/horror" stuff is triggered by us losing 1-0 in a narrow game to the top of the league side! we arent slipping down the table - we're still picking up points!

its not a balls up - its a temporary pain in the arse. i remember similar hyperbole around Basso being a second rate keeper (remember our argument nibor?). people were shouting that GJ had messed up in selling Phillips, but as it is Basso has cost us arguably 1 point this season at huddersfield - and won that back with a wonder save vs. Oldham!

am going to start responding to the the inevitable "member of the blind faith club" retort with my own "member of knee jerk reaction club"!!

I think Taffy is right, Jevons isnt the answer long term so we need more striking options regardless of Brookers injury. We will continue to lose points especially away from home due to our lack of fire power.

If we can bring some in then let do it now rather than later.

[Nibor]

shhhh! we're in third, and all this "shock/horror" stuff is triggered by us losing 1-0 in a narrow game to the top of the league side! we arent slipping down the table - we're still picking up points!

For me it wasn't, it's been obvious for a while that we're short of strikers and Brooker was miles away from fitness. The club have known how much progress he and Showunmi were not making all along.

its not a balls up - its a temporary pain in the arse. i remember similar hyperbole around Basso being a second rate keeper (remember our argument nibor?).

I do and I stand by it. I don't think he's very good, his form has improved recently for sure and credit to him for that but I still think he makes too many mistakes and the odd blinding save doesn't make up for them.

[Roger Red Hat]

No Need Jevons will be ok once Brooks is fit

I have to say that SB & PJ didn't look like a good pairing to me on the odd occasion they've been together.

[Bristol Boy]

.. my cyancism is based only on years of mostly crap loan signings.

last season you could say that.Over the years we've had some good 'uns

and our injury problems until the last week or so looked to be nearing an end.... its in the last 10 days we've found out they're both properly crocked.

Not the case.Look at ES's appearance record for City and it hasn't boded well.The prognosis on Brooker was six weeks from day one-That's proved correct

[maidenheadred]

I presume you mean Craig Fagan? He wasn't quite the disaster some made out joining us when we were in a trough, he scored plenty subsequently for Colchester and is now playing in the Championship at Hull.

As for Andrew, he was never fit after his first game for us but scored on his first game back at Luton and if he was available again now, how could he be worse to have on the bench than what we've currently got?

With regard to your final point, it's not as if this is something that has just materialised, though, is it? Brooker has missed the last 5 games, Showunmi 7 out of the last 10, so if you're going to send 2 strikers out on loan because you've fallen out with one and think the other won't make it, that's plenty of time to get someone in on loan in my book.

re Craig Fenton: for all i know he might have won the noble peace prize after leaving us - all i know is that he scored one goal only!

re Andrew - an unfit unproven striker isnt better than what we've got, in my opinion.

re injuries - yeah, maybe. but we only really learned of the severity in the last few weeks, and i'm still not convinced there is a 20 goal stiker out there for loan.... not now, or 5 weeks ago.

[Bristol Boy]

I have to say that SB & PJ didn't look like a good pairing to me on the odd occasion they've been together.

I'd have agreed up to Vale away when the looked very good up to Brooks injury.I'm still not convinced but I hope that was the beggining of a decent partnership.We'll see.

[maidenheadred]

For me it wasn't, it's been obvious for a while that we're short of strikers and Brooker was miles away from fitness. The club have known how much progress he and Showunmi were not making all along.

I do and I stand by it. I don't think he's very good, his form has improved recently for sure and credit to him for that but I still think he makes too many mistakes and the odd blinding save doesn't make up for them.

still think we should invest £100k in another keeper though? or should have at the time..?

[Bristol Boy]

Bristol Boy

You missed Mccombes glaring sitter then! when he had an un challenged header in th 6 yard box.

I didn't miss it, he did.

He didn't make the cross so it wasn't a glaring sitter.He missed contact with it by about two feet-Probably because he's not a striker

[GUERNSEY TAFFY RED]

shhhh! we're in third, and all this "shock/horror" stuff is triggered by us losing 1-0 in a narrow game to the top of the league side! we arent slipping down the table - we're still picking up points!

its not a balls up - its a temporary pain in the arse. i remember similar hyperbole around Basso being a second rate keeper (remember our argument nibor?). people were shouting that GJ had messed up in selling Phillips, but as it is Basso has cost us arguably 1 point this season at huddersfield - and won that back with a wonder save vs. Oldham!

am going to start responding to the the inevitable "member of the blind faith club" retort with my own "member of knee jerk reaction club"!!

This has not come after losing 1-0, this has been brewing for the last 3 or 4 games now, we seem unable to finish teams off lately, even games we have won, we should have won with bigger margins, a good goal difference could determine who finishes second or third this season. The manager knew we were having problems in the striker department and has admitted today at how frustrated he is with the situation, it's no good feeling frustrated, go and bloody do something about it. We may not be slipping down the table at the moment but it will only take a few draws and all the other teams around us to keep winning and then we most certainly will. This is not a knee jerk reaction but something i have heard countless city fans complain about for the past few weeks.

I want to be proven wrong that we have depth up front but as far as i can see we have no strikers on the bench and we only need jevo or williams to get injured and we are up the creak without a paddle. In essence GJ has ballsed up big time for not ensuring adequate cover up front.

[Dolman_Dave]

Leon Knight - NO! You think Phillips and Stewy were bad for team spirit, this guy is in a different league.

McCombe upfront - NO! You lose him at the back. He did'nt have a clue what runs to make on Saturday and he looks pretty useless at heading the ball TOWARDS goal. The chance he missed was a brilliant clearance! Would need a lot of coaching to be considered even a bit-part striker.

What we need is strength, pace and some goalscoring ability. Someone along the lines of Akinbiyi would be ideal as already mentioned. I would'nt even mind having McCammon back, although he is a bit injury prone too. Leon Knight has the last 2 but will not hold the ball up. Also he is a complete and utter p***k!

[Bristol Boy]

... they're the only two in the last 15 years though, if i remember rightly.

what about Craig Fenton (Who), Calvin Andrew, James Quin, Craig Maskall andSean McCarthy? 3, maybe 4 goals between them for 20+ games?

i agree with nibor that there is likely to be *something* out there at some point this season.. just don't think we can shout "get a loan signing johnson" and expect him to materialise right now.

Jason Roberts was great and we made a massive mistake in not playing, then signing him.The rest is history suffice to say, he didn't stay, he didn't partner Akinbiyi the next season, we got relegated, Ward got sacked and that shows the effect that A DECENT LOAN signing can have in the overall scheme of things.

Don't forget we made some real $hite permanent signings over the years as well.

These injuries didn't happen last week and whether we made a mistake in not acting will be clearer when we look back in 3-4 games time.

I'll look at this at the end of November and if we're still in two cups and we're still 2nd in the League, I'll be surprised and happy.

This has not come after losing 1-0, this has been brewing for the last 3 or 4 games now, we seem unable to finish teams off lately, even games we have won, we should have won with bigger margins, a good goal difference could determine who finishes second or third this season. The manager knew we were having problems in the striker department and has admitted today at how frustrated he is with the situation, it's no good feeling frustrated, go and bloody do something about it. We may not be slipping down the table at the moment but it will only take a few draws and all the other teams around us to keep winning and then we most certainly will. This is not a knee jerk reaction but something i have heard countless city fans complain about for the past few weeks.

I want to be proven wrong that we have depth up front but as far as i can see we have no strikers on the bench and we only need jevo or williams to get injured and we are up the creak without a paddle. In essence GJ has ballsed up big time for not ensuring adequate cover up front.

Correct

[GUERNSEY TAFFY RED]

Leon Knight - NO! You think Phillips and Stewy were bad for team spirit, this guy is in a different league.

McCombe upfront - NO! You lose him at the back. He did'nt have a clue what runs to make on Saturday and he looks pretty useless at heading the ball TOWARDS goal. The chance he missed was a brilliant clearance! Would need a lot of coaching to be considered even a bit-part striker.

What we need is strength, pace and some goalscoring ability. Someone along the lines of Akinbiyi would be ideal as already mentioned. I would'nt even mind having McCammon back, although he is a bit injury prone too. Leon Knight has the last 2 but will not hold the ball up. Also he is a complete and utter p***k!

Your opinion and you're entitled to it,

How can you say for sure that Leon would be bad for team spirit, we get him on loan for a month, we can easily get rid of him. We take a chance on him, if it pays off good, if not, we tried.

[maidenheadred]

I want to be proven wrong that we have depth up front but as far as i can see we have no strikers on the bench and we only need jevo or williams to get injured and we are up the creak without a paddle. In essence GJ has ballsed up big time for not ensuring adequate cover up front.

in fairness, not many clubs have four top quality strikers.

we have two (got to give jevo benefit of the doubt - he's done it in the past); but cruel injuries are affecting us.