Adebola: Can Gary Really Pick Out A Quality Striker?

[martin]

Naturally, like any genuine City fan I am delighted with the job Gary J has done since coming to City. He has devloped so many players inot very good championship level footballers.

The one area I belive his record could come under greater scrutiny is his ability to find a quality forward. My jury is out on the back of Jevons, Showumni, Trundle. Byfield I rate on what I've seen, but his record is not overly impressive.

So will Dele do it? I hope so. I do trust GJ and hope this proves to be a pivotal signing.

By the way I rread and endorse the recently stated views of many on the respective qualities of McIndoe and Elliot. I still maintain that we would be at least 10 points behind our current target if it wasn't for Basso (despite a cvouple of recent blunders). Adriano has been superb and is definately my player of the season.

[Rocky]

As long as people don't expect LOTS of goals from Adebola and get on his back. He is here to create as much as try to get a few.

[mozo]

Naturally, like any genuine City fan I am delighted with the job Gary J has done since coming to City. He has devloped so many players inot very good championship level footballers.

The one area I belive his record could come under greater scrutiny is his ability to find a quality forward. My jury is out on the back of Jevons, Showumni, Trundle. Byfield I rate on what I've seen, but his record is not overly impressive.

So will Dele do it? I hope so. I do trust GJ and hope this proves to be a pivotal signing.

By the way I rread and endorse the recently stated views of many on the respective qualities of McIndoe and Elliot. I still maintain that we would be at least 10 points behind our current target if it wasn't for Basso (despite a cvouple of recent blunders). Adriano has been superb and is definately my player of the season.

Don't you see this as a short-term fix?

Gary says that the summer is a better time to recruit.

[Rudolf Hucker]

I think everyone is getting too hung up on the need for a free-scoring forward in order that a team is successful.

We earned promotion from Division One without one. We're now at the top of the Championship without one. To some extent a 20+ goal scoring striker is a thing of the past. Don't get me wrong, it's great if your team happens to have one - when we had the likes of Goater, Lita, Galley, Cheesley, Bob Taylor it was great and these guys have rightly become City legends (well maybe not in the case of Lita but not for footballing reasons!). The fact is: there aren't many of these guys around these days.

The thing is that when you're lucky enough to have a star striker in the team, everyone looks to him for goals and when he gets injured or suspended or loses form, panic sets in and the team's goals dry up. When Goater was transferred to Man City, our goals supply was effectively turned off and we sort of limped over the promotion finish line. When Bob Taylor was injured towards the end of the 89/90 season, he'd scored 27 league goals and we found goals very difficult to come by thereafter.

GJ has put together his teams at AG with the capability of scoring from all over the pitch - I think that we have 13 different goalscorers this season. Whilst we don't often thump teams 2-0 or more, we are flexible and can mix and match our attack to suit the opposition. This is a freedom which we haven't enjoyed in previous eras.

I think Gary can, of course, pick out a striker of quality. Frankly, I'm greatly relieved that he's not prepared to compromise his standards and bring in someone who could upset the team morale; I'm relieved that he refuses to pay stupid money in the search for goals.

Cue an announcement that he's paying Celtic £5m for Riordan!!! (Umm - that's a joke by the way)

[SE23Red]

Naturally, like any genuine City fan I am delighted with the job Gary J has done since coming to City. He has devloped so many players inot very good championship level footballers.

The one area I belive his record could come under greater scrutiny is his ability to find a quality forward. My jury is out on the back of Jevons, Showumni, Trundle. Byfield I rate on what I've seen, but his record is not overly impressive.

So will Dele do it? I hope so. I do trust GJ and hope this proves to be a pivotal signing.

By the way I rread and endorse the recently stated views of many on the respective qualities of McIndoe and Elliot. I still maintain that we would be at least 10 points behind our current target if it wasn't for Basso (despite a cvouple of recent blunders). Adriano has been superb and is definately my player of the season.

Against his own high standards in other areas of the team no he has not yet sourced a gem for next-to-no money like he has with Basso, Elliott and McIndoe. But what he has done is constantly found players good enough to take us on to the next level. I'm happy we are better with Adebola than we were yesterday with Showunmi, as we are with Trundle and Byfield compared to Smith and Jevons of last season.

The thing he aims for more than anything else in a transfer is value for money, and I think the market for proven strikers is one where that is very rarely found.

[CARLE08]

watch this on youtube if he can score goals like that alot hed be loved http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7OJLUY6Eow&NR=1

go to 5:18 mins coventry vs blackburn fa cup this season gdgd goal

[Rudolf Hucker]

The thing he aims for more than anything else in a transfer is value for money, and I think the market for proven strikers is one where that is very rarely found.

Yup, I'd agree with that. You only have to see the prices for which Andy Gray and Marlon King have moved in recent days as evidence that the January transfer window is a sellers market in which there are few bargains - particularly where strikers are concerned. Desperation drives buying clubs to fork out such inflated prices.

[bucksred]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Guest Patdfb]

I think everyone is getting too hung up on the need for a free-scoring forward in order that a team is successful.

We earned promotion from Division One without one. We're now at the top of the Championship without one. To some extent a 20+ goal scoring striker is a thing of the past. Don't get me wrong, it's great if your team happens to have one - when we had the likes of Goater, Lita, Galley, Cheesley, Bob Taylor it was great and these guys have rightly become City legends (well maybe not in the case of Lita but not for footballing reasons!). The fact is: there aren't many of these guys around these days.

The thing is that when you're lucky enough to have a star striker in the team, everyone looks to him for goals and when he gets injured or suspended or loses form, panic sets in and the team's goals dry up. When Goater was transferred to Man City, our goals supply was effectively turned off and we sort of limped over the promotion finish line. When Bob Taylor was injured towards the end of the 89/90 season, he'd scored 27 league goals and we found goals very difficult to come by thereafter.

GJ has put together his teams at AG with the capability of scoring from all over the pitch - I think that we have 13 different goalscorers this season. Whilst we don't often thump teams 2-0 or more, we are flexible and can mix and match our attack to suit the opposition. This is a freedom which we haven't enjoyed in previous eras.

...

I said similar in previous threads and was shot to pieces.. Totally agree with that^

[Olé]

I think everyone is getting too hung up on the need for a free-scoring forward in order that a team is successful.

We earned promotion from Division One without one. We're now at the top of the Championship without one. To some extent a 20+ goal scoring striker is a thing of the past.

The thing is that when you're lucky enough to have a star striker in the team, everyone looks to him for goals and when he gets injured or suspended or loses form, panic sets in and the team's goals dry up.

Sorry for quoting only portions of it but in all the post-deadline disappointment and gloom this is a really fantastic reality check. You're absolutely right in what you say and just to add to your reminder, each season most divisions have a team that gets relegated abjectly with a 20 goal striker. It's not a badge of honour for promotion or an entry requirement for a higher division.

As far as falling out with Showunmi and signing Adebola I'm not particularly pleased or inspired but the fact remains Adebola is about more than goals and his role - in a team encouraged to contribute from all areas - is to increase production overall not to turn the world upside down himself, which is precisely what Gary was after when he talked about not upsetting things.

The 20+ natural goalscorer is the go-to guy when you need a boost for a team that is otherwise struggling in other areas, as with Denis Smith and Andy Cole. it can mask and overcome other problems. When you're joint top you don't want to mask anything, you want to galvanize your existing unit and from what I've seen of him and know of Gary, Adebola is the man to do that.

At Crystal Palace the actual problem wasn't that we didn't score goals, that was a symptom, the problem was that not only did we not hold the ball up in attack but we didn't in turn bring any of what was a pretty talented middle 5 into play in the final third (and the midfield looked classy at times in the comfort of midfield). Adebola lets them all play their football further up the field.

He's almost the perfect central defender for your frontline, he has all the attributes to 'defend' our position in their final third, which other strikers haven't accomplished and which was giving the midfield and wingers less time to make good decisions around the box. Adebola is not our goalscoring saviour but a catalyst for more end product from six months of fantastic football.

By the way - I'm not denying we lack a true goalscorer but I believe you address that when your midfield also start failing. They're currently giving us their all and getting forward, and to have signed a player now that upsets that line of contribution would have been too much of a risk. In Adebola you have a bit of fine-tuning to a proven unit, just as Betsy was last season.

[chinapig]

Yup, I'd agree with that. You only have to see the prices for which Andy Gray and Marlon King have moved in recent days as evidence that the January transfer window is a sellers market in which there are few bargains - particularly where strikers are concerned. Desperation drives buying clubs to fork out such inflated prices.

I think you have a very good point here and a reported £5m for Marlon King, whom Steve Bruce described as a proven goalscorer (not at Premier League level he's not) proves it. I assume Burnley sold Gray for financial reasons (and no doubt he is on Prem wages now), given they haven't bought a replacement. Despite the constant touting from his agent they did not sign Riordan, and nor did anybody else. That must tell us something.

As to Dele I think you can make a parallel with Emile Heskey (apart from the injury record I hope!). A much derided player but look how his return galvanised England, particulalry Michael Owen. Some strikers may not be prolific but they can bring the best out in others. He can either make a 4-4-1-1 formation work by holding the ball up or in a 4-4-2 it means Lee or Darren will no longer have to play with their back to goal all the time. Short term solution maybe but another piece in the jigsaw. Much easier to strengthen in the summer, when we'll no doubt give Drogba the move he craves.

[Redhyde]

Can Gary Really Pick Out A Quality Striker?

Yes, it's just he refuses to sign ****s no matter if they're quality. he also doesn't seem to like over paying.

We'll be in a very strong position this summer, much stronger than last year in which to sign players for this league or the league above. I think after thsi summer (and next season) is the time to judge.

[downendcity]

Can Gary really pick out a quality striker?

Not sure, and it does seem the one area he hasn't quite had the Midas touch. However, what he has shown repeatedly is his ability to pick out the right players to make a quality team and this is far more important to our sucess.

The nature of the transfer window makes it a sellers market and I wouldn't be surprised if there were strikers he was interested in but where price or players demands were just ridiculous - I saw this morning that Bolton's bid of £7m for Lita was turned down! ( the good news id that they plan to go back for him in the sumer so that could be £2m or so for our transer kitty) The other problem is that if you buy players now with a view to the future you risk paying inflated prices and salaries but what happens to that player if we miss out on promotion? Other players on championship wages will get the hump and team spirit starts to wane?

It seems to me that he's paid a decent price for a proven and decent player who will be able to do the job that Gary want's done, and that he thinks will make that bit of difference - on the basis that Gary understands the teams strengths and weaknesses better than any of us do.

[CHIPLEY RED]

As long as people don't expect LOTS of goals from Adebola and get on his back. He is here to create as much as try to get a few.

Why do you think he should be treated any differently than tyhe strikers we already have. Criticism over their lack of goals has IMO been a major factor in this signing.

I hope for his sake he scores in his first couple of games and keeps scoring otherwise the criticism will come, his confidence will be shot and everybody will be crying out for a new striker as has happened with Trundle.

Good luck Dele cause you will need it if you aren't scoring every other game.

[paulie]

i really hope that people on here don't expect dele to be bangin em in every other game.its just not going to happen,,,sure hes going to get a few but hes not yourprolific goalscorer that people think he is,you only have to look at his stats for that,,and how much did we pay for him !!you just don't get good strikers for that price,even at his age.

BUTthe way i see it ,hes going to hopefully be the final part of the jigsaw,,he will open up the play and I'm sure we will be seeing more goals from our other forwards,as long as he works hard like the rest, i think he could be just what we need to keep pushing onwards,I'm sure that his arrival will see our goal tally start to rise,, but it will be the team ,,not just him,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,welcome dele ,now go do the buisness.

[Chessels Chick]

Taken from Evening Post this explains why GJ went for Dele and let ES go on loan:

City's manager is confident his latest signing will galvanise fellow strikers Lee Trundle and Darren Byfield, who have struggled for goals in recent weeks.

"I'm very pleased to sign Dele, because I just felt we needed a striker to give us experience and a presence in the penalty area," said Johnson.

"We've been looking for a player in his mould for some time and there aren't many of them out there. He's proved in two games against us this season that he is still very strong and a good athlete and he will definitely enhance our squad.

"I really believe his type of game will bring out the best in some of the other lads in our team.

"Some of the boys have played with him before and they believe he can help us. It's good to know they feel like that.

"I asked the boys in our dressing room what they thought and Dele has gone down very well. He'll fit in, no problem."

Trundle and Byfield have scored 11 goals between them this season and Johnson is confident Adebola's presence will increase their productivity.

"I hope he will bring out the best in my strikers, my midfielders and my wide players," said the Londoner. "He's a short-term solution, but he's just what we need in our current position.

"Dele is very good at that target-man role and that's why we've brought him in. He offers us something we've not had previously this season.

"We tried to play big Enoch Showunmi in that role but he probably saw himself as the kind of forward to play off a target-man."

Bits in bold are particularly relevant - Dele not signed just to score goals himself, important that he won't disrupt the dressing room and ES does not work as a target man (no arguments there)

Let's trust GJ on this one shall we??? Or at least give the fella a chance to prove himself first

FTG