| Can’t believe I’m saying it but 08:33 - Dec 27 with 1176 views | ringwoodblue |
I’d happily swap Hirst, Azon and Akpom for Moore, Windass and Bamford right now. They are all proven goalscorers at this level and pose a real threat which our options clearly don’t. |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 10:35 - Dec 27 with 1037 views | mellowblue |
If you could guarantee their fitness, maybe as a sort term fix. The age profiles are wrong really, but if they fired us to the Prem, Ashton would have more lolly to spend in replacing them (probably badly again). |  | | |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 14:47 - Dec 27 with 944 views | _CliveBaker_ |
Appreciate what you’re saying, after a couple of years of not doing a lot Bamford is in some good form, as is Moore. In Bamford’s case I think he’s probably enjoying being a bigger part of something and having a manager putting some faith in him.
I do think it’s too easy to look at other teams and think ‘I wish we had him’ though, we generally don’t see their off days or notice them as much when they happen. 2 of those 3 are in a Wrexham side that’s midtable and has 1 win in 6. There’s more to it than Windass & Moore of course, but they’re a part of that.
I don’t think we’ve got a formidable forward line at this level by any stretch, we’ve got Hirst who is ‘good’ for the championship, but little more than that IMO, and Ivan Al-Hamadi backing him up who looks absolutely miles off it to me. I’m not sure any of those 3 would improve us massively though. |  | | |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:14 - Dec 27 with 877 views | Herbivore |
Moore was a downgrade on Hirst when both were here in 2023/24. We looked a better side with Hirst in than with Moore as Moore doesn't have the mobility or workrate we need. Neither does Bamford. It's easy to list a couple of strikers who are scoring a few goals and fawn over them but it's a bit of a simplistic way of looking at things. |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:15 - Dec 27 with 874 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
I can't imagine there are many teams in this league who haven't got a better 3 options than us for that position. Hirst isn't particularly stand-out and the drop-off without him is notable. |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:19 - Dec 27 with 854 views | GlasgowBlue |
I said in the summer we should have taken. an old warhorse for something a bit different in the squad. |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:26 - Dec 27 with 822 views | Herbivore |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:15 - Dec 27 by Nthsuffolkblue |
I can't imagine there are many teams in this league who haven't got a better 3 options than us for that position. Hirst isn't particularly stand-out and the drop-off without him is notable. |
You think most sides have a better trio than Hirst, Azon and Akpom? I know they've all underwhelmed this season, as we have as a side in general, but I would imagine that most teams at this level would have bitten your hand off for our striking options at the start of the season. | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:33 - Dec 27 with 761 views | bournemouthblue |
Windass isn't really a striker, Bamford is a strange player also, he didn't really suit Leeds towards the end
Moore maybe but he got a plum deal at Wrexham |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:39 - Dec 27 with 730 views | BloomBlue |
Szmodics, Akpom, Clarke, Hirst and Philogene are all proven goalscorers at this level. |  | | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:44 - Dec 27 with 716 views | Mark |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:39 - Dec 27 by BloomBlue |
Szmodics, Akpom, Clarke, Hirst and Philogene are all proven goalscorers at this level. |
It is disappointing that we can't get goals out of our two Golden Boot winners, Akpom and Szmodics. I thought those two would score loads for us, but we are still waiting. |  | | |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:08 - Dec 27 with 659 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:26 - Dec 27 by Herbivore |
You think most sides have a better trio than Hirst, Azon and Akpom? I know they've all underwhelmed this season, as we have as a side in general, but I would imagine that most teams at this level would have bitten your hand off for our striking options at the start of the season. |
Coventry: Sims, Mason-Clarke, Wright, Thomas-Asante
Boro: Conway, Strelec, backed up by Sene
Hull: Gelhardt, McBurnie, Joseph, Destan
Preston: Jebbison, Osmajic, Keane, Smith
Bristol City: Riis, Cornick backed up by 3 big blokes
Millwall: Ivanovic, Langstaff, Coburn + a young lad who has played youths for England
QPR: Burrell, Kone, backed up by an experienced player and a youngster
Stoke: Mubama, Bozenik, Sam Gallagher
Derby: Morris, Brereton-Diaz, Brewster, Agyemang, backed up by Salvesen and Jackson
Soton: Armstrong, Archer and Stewart backed up by a 21-year-old
Wrexham: Moore, Hardie and Smith backed up by Jay Rodriguez
West Brom: Maja, Heggebo, Grant and Dike backed up by a 22 year-old
Charlton, Blackburn & Sheff Wed: 4 strikers who are not as good as Hirst but are you telling me that they are all no better than what Azon and Akpom offer us at the moment?
Portsmouth: Bishop supported by 2 younger players
Swansea: Idah, Vipotnik, Cullen backed up by a 20-year-old
Oxford: Harris, Lankshear, Bradshaw, Prelec, backed up with a 21-year-old
Them lot: Sargeant, Makama, Kvistgaarden, Crnac
Most sides (but not all) would see Hirst walk into them. However, how many would swap their entire centre-forward options for our three? I mean this based on how they are currently performing, not their potential nor what they have done in the past. I reckon there are about 3 or 4 who would do a loan swap for the rest of the season. We simply don't have the depth in that position that we need. That would change if we found a player like Makama and be a massive turnaround should we improve on or equal Hirst. | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:11 - Dec 27 with 643 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:44 - Dec 27 by Mark |
It is disappointing that we can't get goals out of our two Golden Boot winners, Akpom and Szmodics. I thought those two would score loads for us, but we are still waiting. |
Szmodics needs to get and stay fit. Akpom has been disappointing so far.
If both of those could find their previous club form we would be massively improved. | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:21 - Dec 27 with 583 views | LankHenners |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 14:47 - Dec 27 by _CliveBaker_ |
Appreciate what you’re saying, after a couple of years of not doing a lot Bamford is in some good form, as is Moore. In Bamford’s case I think he’s probably enjoying being a bigger part of something and having a manager putting some faith in him.
I do think it’s too easy to look at other teams and think ‘I wish we had him’ though, we generally don’t see their off days or notice them as much when they happen. 2 of those 3 are in a Wrexham side that’s midtable and has 1 win in 6. There’s more to it than Windass & Moore of course, but they’re a part of that.
I don’t think we’ve got a formidable forward line at this level by any stretch, we’ve got Hirst who is ‘good’ for the championship, but little more than that IMO, and Ivan Al-Hamadi backing him up who looks absolutely miles off it to me. I’m not sure any of those 3 would improve us massively though. |
Balance also (which can be argued we've not got right across the pitch) between looking after the future of the club in recruitment and hiring the necessary for the here and now. All well and good saying we should sign this mercenary or that one but we're not going to lumber ourselves with players we probably won't have a use for in 6 months' time.
Harsh on Azon imo but his transfer does speak to the sense of a lack of proper clarity and direction in the summer. Said before he seems more like a 3rd choice striker who you bring in to develop and give time to get used to the level, accepting that their first season may be a 'bedding in' one and you see the best of them the following term. However we've got him on a straight one-year loan where he's sharing the main role with a striker who, let's face it, has been well below the levels they're capable of for much of the season. The other option there isn't a proper striker in the way we want to play and also looks well off it himself. |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:38 - Dec 27 with 531 views | Herbivore |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:08 - Dec 27 by Nthsuffolkblue |
Coventry: Sims, Mason-Clarke, Wright, Thomas-Asante
Boro: Conway, Strelec, backed up by Sene
Hull: Gelhardt, McBurnie, Joseph, Destan
Preston: Jebbison, Osmajic, Keane, Smith
Bristol City: Riis, Cornick backed up by 3 big blokes
Millwall: Ivanovic, Langstaff, Coburn + a young lad who has played youths for England
QPR: Burrell, Kone, backed up by an experienced player and a youngster
Stoke: Mubama, Bozenik, Sam Gallagher
Derby: Morris, Brereton-Diaz, Brewster, Agyemang, backed up by Salvesen and Jackson
Soton: Armstrong, Archer and Stewart backed up by a 21-year-old
Wrexham: Moore, Hardie and Smith backed up by Jay Rodriguez
West Brom: Maja, Heggebo, Grant and Dike backed up by a 22 year-old
Charlton, Blackburn & Sheff Wed: 4 strikers who are not as good as Hirst but are you telling me that they are all no better than what Azon and Akpom offer us at the moment?
Portsmouth: Bishop supported by 2 younger players
Swansea: Idah, Vipotnik, Cullen backed up by a 20-year-old
Oxford: Harris, Lankshear, Bradshaw, Prelec, backed up with a 21-year-old
Them lot: Sargeant, Makama, Kvistgaarden, Crnac
Most sides (but not all) would see Hirst walk into them. However, how many would swap their entire centre-forward options for our three? I mean this based on how they are currently performing, not their potential nor what they have done in the past. I reckon there are about 3 or 4 who would do a loan swap for the rest of the season. We simply don't have the depth in that position that we need. That would change if we found a player like Makama and be a massive turnaround should we improve on or equal Hirst. |
There's a lot of bang average players in there, certainly as bang average as Azon and Akpom have been. Langstaff, for example, only has one goal to his name and that's playing in a side that's performing to or above expectations. It's evident neither of our two back ups are performing as well as we'd hoped but that goes for the whole team. Things haven't fully clicked yet. I doubt many of the players you've listed would instantly come in and improve things for us. | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:56 - Dec 27 with 455 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:38 - Dec 27 by Herbivore |
There's a lot of bang average players in there, certainly as bang average as Azon and Akpom have been. Langstaff, for example, only has one goal to his name and that's playing in a side that's performing to or above expectations. It's evident neither of our two back ups are performing as well as we'd hoped but that goes for the whole team. Things haven't fully clicked yet. I doubt many of the players you've listed would instantly come in and improve things for us. |
He might well be bang average but that's the point. So are both Azon and Akpom (at the moment at least) and Ivanovic certainly isn't. What we would give to have a 19-year-old England youth player to back it up, though? Their options aren't any better than ours, but they have more depth and they aren't any worse really, are they?
I would love for Azon and Akpom to walk into the other teams in the division by the end of the season but, after half a season, they aren't. [Post edited 27 Dec 18:55]
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 17:24 - Dec 27 with 381 views | Herbivore |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 16:56 - Dec 27 by Nthsuffolkblue |
He might well be bang average but that's the point. So are both Azon and Akpom (at the moment at least) and Ivanovic certainly isn't. What we would give to have a 19-year-old England youth player to back it up, though? Their options aren't any better than ours, but they have more depth and they aren't any worse really, are they?
I would love for Azon and Akpom to walk into the other teams in the division by the end of the season but, after half a season, they aren't. [Post edited 27 Dec 18:55]
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Azon is a Spanish under-21 international who has played a lot of games at a decent level and was signed by a Serie A side in January. He's no mug, albeit he misses too many chances and when he starts he has struggled to make enough of an impact. Akpom was at Ajax and is only a couple of years removed from being the top scorer at this level. It hasn't happened here for them YET but that doesn't mean they are suddenly poor players. Both have already played at a higher level than many of the strikers you listed will ever play at. We need to ask why we aren't getting some of these players firing as I suspect it's down to more than just their ability. | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 18:56 - Dec 27 with 273 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 17:24 - Dec 27 by Herbivore |
Azon is a Spanish under-21 international who has played a lot of games at a decent level and was signed by a Serie A side in January. He's no mug, albeit he misses too many chances and when he starts he has struggled to make enough of an impact. Akpom was at Ajax and is only a couple of years removed from being the top scorer at this level. It hasn't happened here for them YET but that doesn't mean they are suddenly poor players. Both have already played at a higher level than many of the strikers you listed will ever play at. We need to ask why we aren't getting some of these players firing as I suspect it's down to more than just their ability. |
And Azon is our second choice which is the point! | |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 19:05 - Dec 27 with 245 views | BouncebackIpswich |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 15:26 - Dec 27 by Herbivore |
You think most sides have a better trio than Hirst, Azon and Akpom? I know they've all underwhelmed this season, as we have as a side in general, but I would imagine that most teams at this level would have bitten your hand off for our striking options at the start of the season. |
The key phrase here being 'at the start of the season'
Almost half way into the season and they have shown nothing to justify their reputations, Akpom especially who I would think needs to be looking at damage limitation to his reputation at this point.
Hirst has also regressed and Azon has proven to be a punt he was which isn't working out. |  | | |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 19:58 - Dec 27 with 160 views | FrimleyBlue |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 17:24 - Dec 27 by Herbivore |
Azon is a Spanish under-21 international who has played a lot of games at a decent level and was signed by a Serie A side in January. He's no mug, albeit he misses too many chances and when he starts he has struggled to make enough of an impact. Akpom was at Ajax and is only a couple of years removed from being the top scorer at this level. It hasn't happened here for them YET but that doesn't mean they are suddenly poor players. Both have already played at a higher level than many of the strikers you listed will ever play at. We need to ask why we aren't getting some of these players firing as I suspect it's down to more than just their ability. |
Akpoms is obvious. We dont play the way he needs us to and teams dont set up against us like he needs them to.
Azon.... ive got this feeling English football won't be for him. But I think by the age of 27 his name will be known for goalscoring talents abroad. |  |
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| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 20:16 - Dec 27 with 124 views | Xatticus |
Yeah. It would be nice to complain incessantly about a different collection of attacking players for a change. | | | |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 20:37 - Dec 27 with 94 views | brazil1981 |
One or two of our three could suddenly go on a run in the new year, they’re all capable and are good players, bang in 10 in as many games (look what Bonne did a few years ago)!
My point is all of those players mentioned in other teams have had lean spells, it happens with strikers! There’s no guarantee anyone we bought in would hit the ground running! | | | |
| Can’t believe I’m saying it but on 21:00 - Dec 27 with 49 views | PioneerBlue |
Im not swapping Hirsty. Azor would be a great third choice. Akpom however it a shame we cant get the tune we need, so of the three yes i would swap him out if possible with a suitable replacement. There is the obvious challenge. | |
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