Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[oldhill_avfc]

Wasn’t the brief for a proven Premier League striker? Is Ollie Watkins really going to come to play as a 2nd or 3rd fiddle centre forward?

What is a "proven Premier League striker" though? We're obviously not buying Kane or Aubameyang anytime soon.

So we're either trying to buy:

(a) the main striker from a club slightly higher up than us. Wood? Maupay? Benteke? Calvert-Lewin?

(b) a reserve striker from the same. Iheanacho? Gayle? Rodriguez? Adams? Barnes?

(c) a relegated striker. Deeney? Wilson? Pukki? Mitrovic?

I reckon that any of the above are probably good for (at best) around ten league goals. And Wesley has probably shown that he's good for around ten league goals. So we're not really upgrading.

The best you can probably hope for is that a player coming back from serious injury suddenly clicks at a new club (like Ings), so that would probably be Wilson. Maybe Iheanacho suddenly thrives being the main striker at a club for the first time. But is a punt like that any more nailed on to succeed than Watkins or a £25m striker from France or Germany?

I'd argue not.

Abraham is probably the only "gettable" player that doesn't fit the above. And even then I reckon he'd be more keen to stick around for another year.

I think the 20 goal a year striker is an almost mythical beast.   They don't exist - at least on the budget we can afford.

If you can get somebody at the 12-15 level you're almost guaranteed to finish upper mid table.

In terms of bang for buck we need more goals from the attacking midfielders/wide players (Jack excepted) - and more from defenders/set pieces.

So if Watkins can play wide and score it's worth a punt.

[robleflaneur]

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Would be o.k as a signing for out wide or cover for main striker. If he comes as number 1 striker I fear we're repeating mistakes of the last decade as I just don't think he's that good, certainly not from what I've seen in the last 5 games when Brentford totally bottled promotion.

He scored 26 goals last season. Pretty good. Worth remembering though that Rudy Gestede scored 22 goals for Blackburn in 14/15 season. Main concern is he dosen't really create much for himself.

Gestede had that one prolific year at Blackburn and before and after struggles to get one in five and woeful technique.Watkins has had a good consistent goalscoring record.
Who creates something for himself apart from Messi and Ronaldo ? Kane and Abrahams don't.His goal in the play offs v Swansea was a long through ball and he used his positional sense and pace to have a long run in on goal,similar to Vardy.That he was able to score goals from the flank and then convert to a more central role,shows that he has skill,pace and intelligence and a competitive mentality to adapt to a more physical role. AEG for instance was unable to do that.As you can guess I rate him highly.

[oldhill_avfc]

All strikers need good players around them but Kane creates a lot for himself with a brilliant first touch - he doesnt score many tap ins

[DrGonzo]

£18m isn't expensive.

[garyellis]

Wasn’t the brief for a proven Premier League striker? Is Ollie Watkins really going to come to play as a 2nd or 3rd fiddle centre forward?

What is a "proven Premier League striker" though? We're obviously not buying Kane or Aubameyang anytime soon.

So we're either trying to buy:

(a) the main striker from a club slightly higher up than us. Wood? Maupay? Benteke? Calvert-Lewin?

(b) a reserve striker from the same. Iheanacho? Gayle? Rodriguez? Adams? Barnes?

(c) a relegated striker. Deeney? Wilson? Pukki? Mitrovic?

I reckon that any of the above are probably good for (at best) around ten league goals. And Wesley has probably shown that he's good for around ten league goals. So we're not really upgrading.

The best you can probably hope for is that a player coming back from serious injury suddenly clicks at a new club (like Ings), so that would probably be Wilson. Maybe Iheanacho suddenly thrives being the main striker at a club for the first time. But is a punt like that any more nailed on to succeed than Watkins or a £25m striker from France or Germany?

I'd argue not.

Abraham is probably the only "gettable" player that doesn't fit the above. And even then I reckon he'd be more keen to stick around for another year.

I think the 20 goal a year striker is an almost mythical beast.   They don't exist - at least on the budget we can afford.

If you can get somebody at the 12-15 level you're almost guaranteed to finish upper mid table.

In terms of bang for buck we need more goals from the attacking midfielders/wide players (Jack excepted) - and more from defenders/set pieces.

So if Watkins can play wide and score it's worth a punt.

This is the conundrum the only proven premier league striker I can think of that we would stand the remotest chance of landing is Tammy. After that its about buying quality not quantity and that is down to the manager and his scouting team. For what it is worth I think Watkins will make the step up. He as mobility and tenacity. He may not have had is best game last night but if anyone was going to change the game for Brentford I thought it would be him. And who knows him better than Dean Smith?

[Big Ming]

It won't matter who we buy as a striker unless we supply them with a steady stream of chances.

There are some strikers who can create their own openings, but  those are pretty rare and very expensive.

[Drummond]

It won't matter who we buy as a striker unless we supply them with a steady stream of chances.

There are some strikers who can create their own openings, but  those are pretty rare and very expensive.

We've created plenty chances though, that's the issue.

[frank black]

Watkins is a classy footballer, make it so Villa.

[Gary Penrice]

I'd be more than happy with Watkins & Edouard.....for starters!

[andyh]

Still need to be linked with a top quality midfielder.
We can’t be continuing with SJM, Dougie and then one of Hourihane/Nakamba

[CT]

If Watkins has more movement than an asthmatic tortoise, then he’s an upgrade on Rudy.

[Dave]

Still need to be linked with a top quality midfielder.
We can’t be continuing with SJM, Dougie and then one of Hourihane/Nakamba

Apparently Gueye is going to leave PSG and Wolves are interested.

Bring him home-ish.

[Percy McCarthy]

Still need to be linked with a top quality midfielder.
We can’t be continuing with SJM, Dougie and then one of Hourihane/Nakamba

Apparently Gueye is going to leave PSG and Wolves are interested.

Bring him home-ish.

Absolutely agree. How are the others from that intake doing? The left-back and the midfielder who went to Italy?

[Dave]

Still need to be linked with a top quality midfielder.
We can’t be continuing with SJM, Dougie and then one of Hourihane/Nakamba

Apparently Gueye is going to leave PSG and Wolves are interested.

Bring him home-ish.

Absolutely agree. How are the others from that intake doing? The left-back and the midfielder who went to Italy?

Veretout was really good for Fiorentina and was pretty good for Roma last season. He's just joined them permanently for €16m.

Amavi is doing fine for Marseille. Playing every game, they were second when Ligue 1 stopped.

[Lastfootstamper]

Amavi pretty much ever present for Marseille, who finished runners-up the season just gone.
Veretout played 32, scoring 6, for Roma as they finished 5th.