Niasse>>>> Benteke big time

This thread is so silly I don't know where to start.

It's as if the outside world decides who we're interested in, who Freedman's been looking at and what Roy is after. They are the ones analysing targets, not the sun, the mirror or sky sports.

Besides that you can argue the players mentioned would return more this season than Benteke anyway.

COYP

Rudi, a back up striker should be one who used to be the first choice but got pushed down the pecking order when you brought in better players to upgrade the side, or a kid with potential and hunger. To spend what could be half the salary of a quality player in order to bring in a bloke to make the bench stronger but do nothing for the quality of the team is madness.

In terms of those other guys being preferable to benteke..., I get that he's not done well this season and I'm not his biggest fan, but I'm sure you'd agree that Everton, Burnley or Leicester would bite our hands off if offered a straight swap for Niasse, Barnes or Ulloa. Form aside, those players aren't good enough to replace benteke, and so will offer very little in terms of pressure on his position to even motivate him.

In someways you are right. We constantly hear managers saying we need to get players in but they have to improve the squad and be the right type of player. RH has said something similar in his various press conferences. He has also said that we need backup numbers as he is happy with his starting eleven. On this basis he may well be happy to have a lesser player as backup and it is for sure that we do need a backup forward. I would not be surprised to see us bring in a relatively, to us the fans , a lesser known player, but you can guarantee he will be the type of player that RH wants which is more relevant than what we tha fans want.

I think you're right and I agree that signing players for the sake of it is a complete waste of money. But I think Rudi's point is that's its farcicle that we get to this stage of the window and even have to conceive that we haven't identified players of a sufficient quality to be back up or first team, we need another striker whatever way you look at it. Let's face it though, it wouldn't surprise many of us if we're attempting a barrel scrape on Wednesday.

I've always been of the opinion that a back up player should ideally be young with the scope to improve and the hunger to succeed. That way you're killing multiple birds with one stone. Budgetary you're at an advantage because they're not deemed to be the "full package" yet. They have qualities that mean they can offer something potentially better than first team options. They can bring energy and unpredictability to games from the bench. Keep first team players on their toes and above all else give us some sort of long term strategy for the future for once, something that we as a club have been crying out for for such a long time.

Edited by Mstrobez (30 Jan 2018 5.34am)

We're the Arthur over ere!

I agree with the title of the post.
However - once the window is shut and subject to who else we get I suspect that Roy will not be a happy man albeit he will be gracious enough not to show it.
Of course it is down to so many factors as to whether we get someone or not but i suspect it will be purse strings that are the main factor.
However - still a way to go yet so you never know!