the striker we should have signed...

[Strictly Obi]

In the January sales was ummmmm!!!! well i'm not sure but we still should have signed him! whoever he is. There are so many astute fans on this site that say we need more goals, god they're clever! i wish i could state the obvious, but i can't even name this messiah of a striker they keep talking about. Funny thing is they don't seem to able to either! He must be brilliant, and a 30 goal a season striker that wants to play for us rather than a premier or championship team...what a guy!!! Oh my god! i've just had a thought perhaps he IS a premiership player that does'nt mind dropping down to the 1st division for the pennies that we can afford...this is getting better. But wait! where is he. Oh dear! i was getting so excited! SO! Please, please please can one of you city pundits name this player? I have been looking at the leading scorers charts and there does'nt seem to be many 15 plus, let alone 20 plus strikers around.

Perhaps there really was'nt anyone that would have improved on what we have. Or perhaps you are in the "anyone would have been better than what we have" camp, in that case Smith looks better than what we have to me. Or wait for it! Perhaps, yes perhaps you just like a good moan! And why not we are all getting a bit nervous. Does it make you feel better? I thought not! Being negative can be contagious. And when you experience disapointment like we do each season it's so much better to have someone to blame...cue GJ. But perhaps if the fans can be a bit more positive,and cheer from the start of a game, or even louder if we go behind. Then we've done all we can. The rest is fate. COME ON YOU REDS!!!

[dezgimed]

In the January sales was ummmmm!!!! well i'm not sure but we still should have signed him! whoever he is. There are so many astute fans on this site that say we need more goals, god they're clever! i wish i could state the obvious, but i can't even name this messiah of a striker they keep talking about. Funny thing is they don't seem to able to either! He must be brilliant, and a 30 goal a season striker that wants to play for us rather than a premier or championship team...what a guy!!! Oh my god! i've just had a thought perhaps he IS a premiership player that does'nt mind dropping down to the 1st division for the pennies that we can afford...this is getting better. But wait! where is he. Oh dear! i was getting so excited! SO! Please, please please can one of you city pundits name this player? I have been looking at the leading scorers charts and there does'nt seem to be many 15 plus, let alone 20 plus strikers around.

Perhaps there really was'nt anyone that would have improved on what we have. Or perhaps you are in the "anyone would have been better than what we have" camp, in that case Smith looks better than what we have to me. Or wait for it! Perhaps, yes perhaps you just like a good moan! And why not we are all getting a bit nervous. Does it make you feel better? I thought not! Being negative can be contagious. And when you experience disapointment like we do each season it's so much better to have someone to blame...cue GJ. But perhaps if the fans can be a bit more positive,and cheer from the start of a game, or even louder if we go behind. Then we've done all we can. The rest is fate. COME ON YOU REDS!!!

No wonder you don't post much.

I wonder, had you heard of Kevin Doyle 2 years ago?

Nah, me neither.

Good scouting, is the phrase.

[Redtucks]

I wonder, had you heard of Kevin Doyle 2 years ago?

As you say, that was two years ago.

He asked, who was the striker we should have signed THIS YEAR.

[dezgimed]

As you say, that was two years ago.

He asked, who was the striker we should have signed THIS YEAR.

Christ, my point was..

Actually forget it.

Lost cause here.

[Strictly Obi]

No wonder you don't post much.

I wonder, had you heard of Kevin Doyle 2 years ago?

Nah, me neither.

Good scouting, is the phrase.

Whoops you forgot to name the striker we should have signed this yearn not 2 seasons ago

So dezgimed his name is............?

[dezgimed]

Whoops you forgot to name the striker we should have signed this yearn not 2 seasons ago

So dezgimed his name is............?

Again, you completely miss the point.

And I don't know a name, because I am not a professional scout, believe it or not.

[rumbellow]

No wonder you don't post much.

I wonder, had you heard of Kevin Doyle 2 years ago?

Nah, me neither.

Good scouting, is the phrase.

Reading or Bristol City, Ummm let me see, Tough one that.

[dezgimed]

Reading or Bristol City, Ummm let me see, Tough one that.

This is a wind up surely?!

The point is, we find our own Kevin Doyle via efficient scouting, then the choice is Cork City (for example) or Bristol City

I have mates playing that look better than Jevons in the bloody Screwfix League.

Look around.

They're there.

[Slave to the rhythm]

The point is, we find our own Kevin Doyle via efficient scouting, then the choice is Cork City (for example) or Bristol City

Absolutely spot on. The people whining that "there's nobody out there" are really getting on my nerves. If we listen to them, we may as well not bother attempting to strengthen the squad over the Summer because there's no point. According to the happy-clappers, there's nobody out there, and they wouldn't want to join us even if they WERE out there.

Basically, if we listen to these idiots we may as well close the club down now because we are never ever going to sign anybody ever again!!!

Fools, the lot of them.

[greenun]

In the January sales was ummmmm!!!! well i'm not sure but we still should have signed him! whoever he is. There are so many astute fans on this site that say we need more goals, god they're clever! i wish i could state the obvious, but i can't even name this messiah of a striker they keep talking about. Funny thing is they don't seem to able to either! He must be brilliant, and a 30 goal a season striker that wants to play for us rather than a premier or championship team...what a guy!!! Oh my god! i've just had a thought perhaps he IS a premiership player that does'nt mind dropping down to the 1st division for the pennies that we can afford...this is getting better. But wait! where is he. Oh dear! i was getting so excited! SO! Please, please please can one of you city pundits name this player? I have been looking at the leading scorers charts and there does'nt seem to be many 15 plus, let alone 20 plus strikers around.

Perhaps there really was'nt anyone that would have improved on what we have. Or perhaps you are in the "anyone would have been better than what we have" camp, in that case Smith looks better than what we have to me. Or wait for it! Perhaps, yes perhaps you just like a good moan! And why not we are all getting a bit nervous. Does it make you feel better? I thought not! Being negative can be contagious. And when you experience disapointment like we do each season it's so much better to have someone to blame...cue GJ. But perhaps if the fans can be a bit more positive,and cheer from the start of a game, or even louder if we go behind. Then we've done all we can. The rest is fate. COME ON YOU REDS!!!

If you keep spinning that fast you'll vomit from motion sickness.

Toeing the party line is fine, but please produce some tangible evidence of your argument rather than; criticism - BAD, positivity - GOOD. You're destroying the opportunity for reasoned debate. This is a forum, not the village appreciation society. We all support the team at Ashton Gate, and by God, I'll try to scream myself horse on Saturday to try to raise spirits.

Back to the spin wrapped parcel of your thread, what about Leon Best? He scored 10 goals for Yeovil in 14 appearances whilst on loan from Championship side, Southampton. Jermaine Beckford was lent to S****horpe by Leeds, a side from the same level, and he's been an excellent acquisition. Both were virtually unheard of prior to their loan spells.

Why weren't City trying to procure these players? Or was it just fate that took them elsewhere?

[CGS RED]

Just a quick read of our division match summaries, and 2 names come to hand.

Danny Graham[ M'Bro ] on loan to Carlisle, score 5 in 4 matches.

Darryl Duffy [ Hull ] on loan to Sansea, scored 2 today.

There are more, and they appear on the scoring sheets every week, we just don't have one.

[red man dan]

As you say, that was two years ago.

He asked, who was the striker we should have signed THIS YEAR.

Whoops you forgot to name the striker we should have signed this yearn not 2 seasons ago

So dezgimed his name is............?

Oh my god, dezgimed, give up mate, as you say lost cause.

City didnt sign a striker, which means there is definately ABSOLUTELY knowone out there to sign, and didnt you know, Doyle was signed two years ago. What about now? who now hey?

jesus!

[Big Red Rich]

The people on here really makes one wonder, sensible points seriously go over some people's heads.

There are plenty of strikers out there that only a few hundred people know about that will score goals at this level. If there arn't then say goodbye to the wonderfull game. The trick is, scouting out the players like Doyle, Ellington, Eastwood, Kightly etc who are plying their trade at a lower level who will do a job at this level with the potential to be a premiership striker. We did it with Lita, but one swallow doesn't make a summer. Gillespie should have been our Sharpe or similar but didnt make the grade so we carrying on searching. Their must be a half decent striker out there who could hit a cows arse with a banjo.

[Bristol Boy]

We signed Showunmi & Jevons in the close season and they aren't good enough.

Our captain is either Ill, Injured or Incarcerated.

We signed Andy Smith who's never scored a League Goal.

We signed Wayne Andrews who's OK at this level and were unlucky that he got injured.

Myrie-Williams isn't ready yet, although he looked bright on the left wing today.

Best & Beckford are probably the best examples of players we missed out on.

We could have invested in Constantine of Port Vale in January instead of Betsy......I know who I'd rather have in the squad.

We've had this problem for about 80% of the season and it was highlighted when SB & ES were out together.

[Strictly Obi]

ok yes! there ARE players out there, granted. But unproven! IMO I believe if you scout and bring in a player you can never be sure if they will rise to expectations. For instance if they are scoring loads of goals in the "dolly mixture league" they can struggle when it comes to a higher. Likewise if you sign a player playing reserve team matches from a higher league, well quite often they're not up to it either. We saw this towards the end of last season. Good scouting is one thing, but luck does come in to it.

No one is going to re-lease a proven goal scorer. But sometimes you can find a guy that given a chance might just cut the mustard. MY POINT is that good scouting is one thing, but attracting that player to a first division team when there may be premier or championship teams chasing him, is not as easy as many on hear waving there magic wands would have you believe! IF we get in the championship this might change....but untill then...

[southy354]

Both Leon Best and Jermaine Beckford weren't known about and hadn't really done anything in their careers before. Both Swansea and Yeovil took a gamble and it paid off. Our gambles haven't paid off and we've lacked goals.

I don't know any striker we could of bought or loaned, but that is what scout systems are for. It would of been a gamble and it may or may not have paid off.

[BCAGFC]

We really should have gambled the £100k on Pospisil from Hearts, we were still in a very good position in January and all the signs were we would at least be in the play offs. He agreed to join us but wanted a get out clause if we didn't go up, we would have made £100k+ with all the AG sell outs we are having so now big gamble really.

Pospisil is strong, reasonably quick and a proven goalscorer albeit in the Czech League which is a far better standard than CCL1.

BCAGFC

[The Casual Connoisseur]

We really should have gambled the £100k on Pospisil from Hearts, we were still in a very good position in January and all the signs were we would at least be in the play offs. He agreed to join us but wanted a get out clause if we didn't go up, we would have made £100k+ with all the AG sell outs we are having so now big gamble really.

Pospisil is strong, reasonably quick and a proven goalscorer albeit in the Czech League which is a far better standard than CCL1.

BCAGFC

£100K, I think you may want to add a little more to that total and wages, signing on fee etc.

Maybe Plummer would have been the answer, we will never no because he has never been given the chance, JMW sure as hell isn't the answer.

Is it too late for TP to sit on the bench and be given 20 minutes against Yeovil if needed.

Would Jermaine Easter have got the goals to have sent us up already or would his attitude have dampened the team spirit and ruined the team belief??????

One thing is for sure, we are 4 points clear of 3rd and we can not make anymore additions to the squad now, I think it's time for Johnson to take a calculated risk in Artus and Plummer being added to the squad, let's face it cant look any less likely of scoring a goal than the bunch of players we have at the moment?????

[Whale Eye Beef Hooked]

We took a gamble with the guy from Birmingham. He could have done a Best / Beckford but it didn`t pay off.

With Smith, he could have been another Doyle but at the mo the end product isn`t there. We are taking the same gambles as everyone one else, it just doesn`t always pay off. Andy Cole was a gamble and look at what he did. A gamble is what it is, a GAMBLE......

[Portland Bill]

In the January sales was ummmmm!!!! well i'm not sure but we still should have signed him! whoever he is. There are so many astute fans on this site that say we need more goals, god they're clever! i wish i could state the obvious, but i can't even name this messiah of a striker they keep talking about. Funny thing is they don't seem to able to either! He must be brilliant, and a 30 goal a season striker that wants to play for us rather than a premier or championship team...what a guy!!! Oh my god! i've just had a thought perhaps he IS a premiership player that does'nt mind dropping down to the 1st division for the pennies that we can afford...this is getting better. But wait! where is he. Oh dear! i was getting so excited! SO! Please, please please can one of you city pundits name this player? I have been looking at the leading scorers charts and there does'nt seem to be many 15 plus, let alone 20 plus strikers around.

Perhaps there really was'nt anyone that would have improved on what we have. Or perhaps you are in the "anyone would have been better than what we have" camp, in that case Smith looks better than what we have to me. Or wait for it! Perhaps, yes perhaps you just like a good moan! And why not we are all getting a bit nervous. Does it make you feel better? I thought not! Being negative can be contagious. And when you experience disapointment like we do each season it's so much better to have someone to blame...cue GJ. But perhaps if the fans can be a bit more positive,and cheer from the start of a game, or even louder if we go behind. Then we've done all we can. The rest is fate. COME ON YOU REDS!!!

I think the point is that a managers JOB is to go and get players, why should any fan have to come up with names of players?. He aint exactly going to take any notice of what we say is he. He is paid to be a football manager and so the buck stops with him.Savage,Smith,Jevons etc etc were gambels which have not paid off. If we go up he is going to have to find some far better players.

[Portland Bill]

We took a gamble with the guy from Birmingham. He could have done a Best / Beckford but it didn`t pay off.

With Smith, he could have been another Doyle but at the mo the end product isn`t there. We are taking the same gambles as everyone one else, it just doesn`t always pay off. Andy Cole was a gamble and look at what he did. A gamble is what it is, a GAMBLE......

Andy Cole was not a gamble,Smith just managed to get in there at the right time. £500.000 for a Arsenal reserve was VERY good money even for Arsenal at the time.( and yes i do know he came on loan at first).

[Cardy]

We tried to sign Andy Cole on loan in January. The deal had been agreed by both Pompey and the player. Then Birmingham swooped and we missed out (again). This is fact.

[megansdad]

Andy Smith is exactly the kind of player advocated in this thread by those wanting us to have done more - an unproven player who scored goals at a lower level- he has not set the world alight but we did gamble and had earlier gambled on Betsy and Wilson to provide the final ball to the strikers we had in Show me and jevons. Betsy was the source of much speculation and delight when we got him he has so far not been the success we hoped. The fact is that so far none has been a great success while the recruits of others have done more but afraid a lot of nonsense on the thread about not looking - we did we made choices and GJ will be judged by them.

In my view the bigger mistake was letting Stewart go

[red panda]

OK - let me be first to name a name.

We missed out on a striker that was signed by another League One club at the end of January. Since then, this striker has scored 6 goals from 12 starts (plus 1 sub).

Clearly, that is the kind of player we should have signed.

I'm sure everyone on this forum would have been dancing in the streets had we captured him instead.

We could have snapped up this striker had we tried. But Gary wasn't interested.

So he went to another team in our division.

Yet again we missed out.

This player's name, of course, is ...

the

one

and

only

Bas

Savage

Or may be this just goes to show that every signing IS a gamble. There are 92 league managers out there looking for the next big talent. For every Lita/Doyle there are a lot of good prospects (eg Marvin Brown/Steven Gillespie?) who don't quite make it to the next stage.

[Dolman_Dave]

Well lets look across the river for an example of what can be done.

Rovers lost Agogo and they spent £300k on Rickie Lambert. Granted he wasnt fit at the time but he had a good goalscoring record and has improved sufficiently to score against us and get them 3 points yesterday.

If they can do it with a chairman as tight as Dunford, a ground which is an embarrassment and a team stuck in mid-basement obscurity then anyone can, if they have the will and the ambition (we should have the money).

Not saying we should have signed him but £300k is not that much compared to £2m cash for Cotterill and his club were prepared to part with him, something GJ assures us does not happen.

And how much damage could Jermaine Easter have done to the teams morale exactly?! Not heard any rumblings for Wycombe and he seems to have done very well this season, even in the cup games against higher league sides.

In my opinion we took a massive gamble in January and I hope that our chairman is s****** himself as much as I am right now!

[The Casual Connoisseur]

Well lets look across the river for an example of what can be done.

Rovers lost Agogo and they spent £300k on Rickie Lambert. Granted he wasnt fit at the time but he had a good goalscoring record and has improved sufficiently to score against us and get them 3 points yesterday.

If they can do it with a chairman as tight as Dunford, a ground which is an embarrassment and a team stuck in mid-basement obscurity then anyone can, if they have the will and the ambition (we should have the money).

Not saying we should have signed him but £300k is not that much compared to £2m cash for Cotterill and his club were prepared to part with him, something GJ assures us does not happen.

And how much damage could Jermaine Easter have done to the teams morale exactly?! Not heard any rumblings for Wycombe and he seems to have done very well this season, even in the cup games against higher league sides.

In my opinion we took a massive gamble in January and I hope that our chairman is s****** himself as much as I am right now!

True, however I doubt that, as much as Steve L would love us to go up, I can't see it being the end of the world for him.

If we go up he invests a fair few quid in building the club and team and making us into the Man U of the west (can't beleive he said that), however if we stay down he leaves (he said he didn't want to be at the helm of a league one club).

Win-win, I guess :noexpression:

[Dolman Block B]

We tried to sign Andy Cole on loan in January. The deal had been agreed by both Pompey and the player. Then Birmingham swooped and we missed out (again). This is fact.

Cardy, yer aving a tin bath..............