seriously

[Red Robin]

IF we do go up can anybody honestly say the strikers at this club will be good enough or consistent enough over a season to do well.

You certainly need strikers at the next level to hit the net,or you will struggle big time.

We can all see this year our strikers have not performed to a acceptable standard in this division let alone the next.

Wholesale changes I am sure will happen in the striker department to fullfill the rest of the teams potential.

The rest of the team will be fine a quality front line will make all the difference.

[Nibor]

I'd call Jevons and a fully fit Brooker a decent start at the next level.

We'd need to add two strikers with quality to those two, preferably one with lots of pace and one stronger player, to compete at the next level.

However, we need to concentrate on getting there first - and we all know what happened last time we went up and brought in three new strikers but neglected the rest of the squad.

[bh red]

IF we do go up can anybody honestly say the strikers at this club will be good enough or consistent enough over a season to do well.

You certainly need strikers at the next level to hit the net,or you will struggle big time.

We can all see this year our strikers have not performed to a accetable standard in this division let alone the next.

Wholesale changes I am sure will happen in the striker department to fullfill the rest of the teams potential.

The rest of the team will be fine a quality front line will make all the difference.

not bothered about whether any players will be good enough or not for next season until we are 100% sure what league we are in.

I'll start worrying about whether our players are good enough for championship football, once we are actually sure we are there,

personally though think Jevons and Brooker are a good enough foundation for our forward line next season regardless of what league we are in, either way, I'd like another forward in regardless of what league we are in......NEXT SEASON, for the rest of this season I'm happy with what we have

[Red Robin]

I'd call Jevons and a fully fit Brooker a decent start at the next level.

We'd need to add two strikers with quality to those two, preferably one with lots of pace and one stronger player, to compete at the next level.

However, we need to concentrate on getting there first - and we all know what happened last time we went up and brought in three new strikers but neglected the rest of the squad.

Nibor I think the rest of the squad will do well,he needs to get the front line right.

[Nibor]

Nibor I think the rest of the squad will do well,he needs to get the front line right.

I'd say we lack at very the least a left winger, and possibly a central midfielder with experience and strength (assuming Russell goes) if we go up. Defence should be fine as should the right side with both Betsy and Murray IMO.

[Portishead Red]

Brooker maybe, IF he can play more than 2 consecutive games.

The other strikers will be no good at all, sorry to say.

Jevons and Enoch struggle to do it at this level, what are they going to be like against higher opposition WEEK IN WEEK OUT (cup games this year not included as they are one off's).

In other area's of the pitch (with exception of left wing) i think we wil be ok. Cole Skuse and LJ will make the step up, as will Betsy . Defence will be ok, and in Basso and Weale we have 2 quality keepers.

What does everybody else think....

[cheshire_red]

If we go up and Barnsley come down can I recommend two Hungarian players

notably Istvan Ferenczi

http://www.barnsleyfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page...9~38910,00.html

and also Peter Rajczi

http://www.barnsleyfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page...9~38909,00.html

Both work their socks off defending from the front and work extremely effectively as an attacking partnership. With the service we could give them they would be ideal.

[Topsham Red]

they seemed to do ok against Coventry and Boro, whos to say they won't against other similar teams??

But as Ashtonsmate said, lets worry about that when/if we get there, lets get behind the lads for the final push instead of trying to replace them first. - we've got all summer to do that.

[REDOXO]

they seemed to do ok against Coventry and Boro, whos to say they won't against other similar teams??

Exactly. Ok players lift themselves for cup ties but whose to say our forwards wont lift themselves when playing at a higher level....It is amazing how good players get sucked in to playing at the standard of the division they are in...

I would suspect one striker in initially next season and I would be amazed if any were transferred out unless its a financial issue (creating money to pay for better....Possibly JMW if a bid were made) and the manager will make adjustments as the season transpires...

Brooker Jeavons Enoch and Smith all came to this club to play at a higher level and will not want to pass up the opportunity....

However lets get there first.

[Bristol Boy]

I'd call Jevons and a fully fit Brooker a decent start at the next level.

We'd need to add two strikers with quality to those two, preferably one with lots of pace and one stronger player, to compete at the next level.

However, we need to concentrate on getting there first - and we all know what happened last time we went up and brought in three new strikers but neglected the rest of the squad.

You only need to look at the teams promoted out of The Championship to see what's needed.Having said that they aren't good enough for the Prem and the way football's going financially, it'll be Prem-Championship or mostly part time soon enough.The difference between a mid table Championship Team and a Mid Table Prem Club will be £39m in TV Money alone come 2008/9.

We need:Two quality strikers-a wide left midfielder-a quality central midfielder, all in the close season, IF we are promoted.At that level you're probably talking about £3-5m for that.Will we pay it and the wages? I doubt it greatly, although Colchester have done well without spending a fraction of that.

We have:

Brooker:Fit & Firing, he'll do a job with some quality next to him.Question is, can we get him fit & firing?

Showunmi:Seems to have some issues.When he's on song he's menacing without being a bully or a nut case and getting himself sent off.The trouble is, if he splits a toe nail, he doesn't want to play and you can't rely on him or Brooker to be available.From what GJ has said, I don't think their relationship is great and I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold

Jevons:Decent footballer, scores goals & pens, but lacks strength & pace.

Betsy:Winger really or RWB.

JMW:Pacey and left sided but needs regular games to improve.Should we get promoted,an extended loan spell playing as a striker next to a target man or as an out & out left winger would probably be best for him.

Smith:On what I've seen, won't get a contract.

[wellyred]

IF we do go up can anybody honestly say the strikers at this club will be good enough or consistent enough over a season to do well.

You certainly need strikers at the next level to hit the net,or you will struggle big time.

We can all see this year our strikers have not performed to a acceptable standard in this division let alone the next.

Wholesale changes I am sure will happen in the striker department to fullfill the rest of the teams potential.

The rest of the team will be fine a quality front line will make all the difference.

brooker will cut it not sure about jevo he never plays 90 mins and has no pace but who knows es has pace and power but does he have the temperament which i think is his problem

[Redhyde]

Did anyone think Cureton and Iwelumo would have been good enough at that level? Did anyone think they were good enough for ours indeed?

I think our team is built quite well for the championship. Most of the players who have looked good and have been sold have done well there. Coles, Hill, Carey have all at least coped there. This shows IMO that our defence is at least up to it. McCombe, Carey, McCallister, Fontaine, Keogh, Wilson all look very capable which gives us a very solid base.

Therefore i think we will sign "quality" in midfield and up front should we gain promotion. We will have the finances too at least, even if Gary decides not to spend it.

[Guest Ron]

IF we do go up can anybody honestly say the strikers at this club will be good enough or consistent enough over a season to do well.

I feel (although this is nothing new) you are seriously disillusioned if you think that we will be starting next season with Enoch, Smith, Brooker & Jevons as our front men.

[bh red]

You only need to look at the teams promoted out of The Championship to see what's needed.Having said that they aren't good enough for the Prem and the way football's going financially, it'll be Prem-Championship or mostly part time soon enough.The difference between a mid table Championship Team and a Mid Table Prem Club will be £39m in TV Money alone come 2008/9.

reading and sheff utd have done fairly well this season, watford poor but who expected them to actually get promoted, Wigan & West Ham the season before that

We need:Two quality strikers-a wide left midfielder-a quality central midfielder, all in the close season, IF we are promoted.At that level you're probably talking about £3-5m for that.Will we pay it and the wages? I doubt it greatly, although Colchester have done well without spending a fraction of that.

really? we actually need to keep the spine of the team we have now, a major problem last time we were promted was we signed too many players instead of keeping faith with players who got promoted, Goater was replaced, but we never fully replaced Owers or Taylor, we need a player here or there not wholesale changes, SL has said before once we are in the Championship he is willing to seriously open the cheque book, but in league one we can get away with hard working cheaper players (as this season has shown)

We have:

Brooker:Fit & Firing, he'll do a job with some quality next to him.Question is, can we get him fit & firing?

his biggest problem is getting injured due to the physical nature of league one, in the championship it's more about open football where brooker won't be getting clattered every 5mins each week

Showunmi:Seems to have some issues.When he's on song he's menacing without being a bully or a nut case and getting himself sent off.The trouble is, if he splits a toe nail, he doesn't want to play and you can't rely on him or Brooker to be available.From what GJ has said, I don't think their relationship is great and I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold

excellent record this season WHEN fit, think he will be a good squad player next season

Jevons:Decent footballer, scores goals & pens, but lacks strength & pace.

excellent football brain, but doesn't enjoy the phyical battles of league one and get stuck in, will play less than this season but still like to get a dozen goals

Betsy:Winger really or RWB.

once promoted like to swtich back to 4-4-2 and will be alot happier at right wing

JMW:Pacey and left sided but needs regular games to improve.Should we get promoted,an extended loan spell playing as a striker next to a target man or as an out & out left winger would probably be best for him.

agree, worth a loan spell in league 1 if we go up, has quality but needs experience

Smith:On what I've seen, won't get a contract.

very much jury still out, impressed at times and hasn't done alot wrong, how he does in the remaing games will determine next season for him, unless he hits a major scoring streak expect him to be gone if we are promoted

Cureton and Iwelumo are a perfect example, would you swap any 2 of our strikers for those 2? I wouldn't!

[old_man_terry]

spot on, Brooker has developed his game in recent seasons, judging him on his assists this season he has proved himself to be an all round very good player, who can create as well as score goals,

coming back into a team after injuries, you need the match sharpness to take you chances which Brookers has been missing for most of the season due to lack on constant games, however his battling and passing ability has always been their.

it's worth noting that Brookers injury this time was down to him challenging the keeper for a ball and taking a knock,him and Scott Brown are very similar players in that they are both 100% comitted to the team so much so that at times they put their foot in where they shouldn't and others won't but they get injured doing it

[Bristol Boy]

reading and sheff utd have done fairly well this season, watford poor but who expected them to actually get promoted, Wigan & West Ham the season before that

Sheff Utd are on the verge of relegation although Reading have done well, I'll admit.Their strikers were a major part of making them run away winners of The Championship the season before.Wiagn & West Ham spent big in The Championship and in the Prem but, in fairness, their strikers were streets ahead of what we've got

We need:Two quality strikers-a wide left midfielder-a quality central midfielder, all in the close season, IF we are promoted.At that level you're probably talking about £3-5m for that.Will we pay it and the wages? I doubt it greatly, although Colchester have done well without spending a fraction of that.

really? we actually need to keep the spine of the team we have now, a major problem last time we were promted was we signed too many players instead of keeping faith with players who got promoted, Goater was replaced, but we never fully replaced Owers or Taylor, we need a player here or there not wholesale changes, SL has said before once we are in the Championship he is willing to seriously open the cheque book, but in league one we can get away with hard working cheaper players (as this season has shown)

It hasn't shown anything yet.Goater wanted a better package, so left.It wasn't signing the strikers that got us relegated it was having a crap midfield and defence.As you said, we didn't replace Tayloy or sign the striker we should have in Jason Roberts who was on loan and who we should have signed to replace Goater as well as Akinbiyi.Those two up front and a decent centre half and who knows what would have happened.If we sign the above we will be keeping the spine of the side, in act, reinforcing it

We have:

Brooker:Fit & Firing, he'll do a job with some quality next to him.Question is, can we get him fit & firing?

his biggest problem is getting injured due to the physical nature of league one, in the championship it's more about open football where brooker won't be getting clattered every 5mins each week.

Hope you're right

Showunmi:Seems to have some issues.When he's on song he's menacing without being a bully or a nut case and getting himself sent off.The trouble is, if he splits a toe nail, he doesn't want to play and you can't rely on him or Brooker to be available.From what GJ has said, I don't think their relationship is great and I wouldn't be surprised to see him sold

excellent record this season WHEN fit, think he will be a good squad player next season.

Exactly my point 3rd/4th choice

Jevons:Decent footballer, scores goals & pens, but lacks strength & pace.

excellent football brain, but doesn't enjoy the phyical battles of league one and get stuck in, will play less than this season but still like to get a dozen goals

3rd-5th Choice

Betsy:Winger really or RWB.

once promoted like to swtich back to 4-4-2 and will be alot happier at right wing.

Possibly, but the issue is then the two central midfielders being good enough for the Championship and that's contentious

JMW:Pacey and left sided but needs regular games to improve.Should we get promoted,an extended loan spell playing as a striker next to a target man or as an out & out left winger would probably be best for him.

agree, worth a loan spell in league 1 if we go up, has quality but needs experience

Smith:On what I've seen, won't get a contract.

very much jury still out, impressed at times and hasn't done alot wrong, how he does in the remaing games will determine next season for him, unless he hits a major scoring streak expect him to be gone if we are promoted

Agreed

Cureton and Iwelumo are a perfect example, would you swap any 2 of our strikers for those 2? I wouldn't!

I'd have Iwulemo here tomorrow instead of anyone apart from Brooker.Look at his scoring record.Either that or go fo Odejayi at Cheltenham.One goal less than ES this season and playing for a relegation team

[Bristol Boy]

spot on, Brooker has developed his game in recent seasons, judging him on his assists this season he has proved himself to be an all round very good player, who can create as well as score goals,

I think the assists arguement has already been discounted in an above thread

coming back into a team after injuries, you need the match sharpness to take you chances which Brookers has been missing for most of the season due to lack on constant games, however his battling and passing ability has always been their.

He wasn't great early season even before he went away and the only way he's going to get better is by playing games.I don't think he's been great when he has played this season, particularly when you compare his form to previous years.That having been said, he's still the best we've got.

it's worth noting that Brookers injury this time was down to him challenging the keeper for a ball and taking a knock,

He took the knock due to poor control and a lack of pace even after a run of games and it wasn't much of a collision

him and Scott Brown are very similar players in that they are both 100% comitted to the team so much so that at times they put their foot in where they shouldn't and others won't but they get injured doing it

I think the same applies to Orr, McCombe, Carey, Fontaine & McAllister and they haven't had the problems SB has.That was always the excuse put forward for Tommy Doc but his injuries has more to do with lacking physical fitness, pace and lifestyle than commitment.