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Interesting one really. McKenna obviously really likes him and he has the attributes to play either as the number 9 or the wide right role in our system. However, do we think we would see him as the main striker addition this window? Feels unlikely and slightly risky to me which makes me wonder if we still intend to spend a decent fee in that area.
A permanent for him is going to cost you £10m+ I would think, so makes me wonder if City fancy a loan, hoping he does well and they can add a few quid more to his asking price next summer?
When you start crunching the numbers, a permanent would take us to a £65m odd spend still needing a GK, CM and main striker (assuming the assumption above is right).
12 goals in 68 championship games is not great although he is only 21 years old and will improve under KMc but surely we need someone to score regularly from the off.
12 goals in 68 championship games is not great although he is only 21 years old and will improve under KMc but surely we need someone to score regularly from the off.
But of those 68 appearances how many did he start etc? George Hirsts stats on Wikipedia aren’t great (before he joined us) h but I think we all agree that he has been a very good player for us.
12 goals in 68 championship games is not great although he is only 21 years old and will improve under KMc but surely we need someone to score regularly from the off.
You want someone who can play the system/style of play.
We didn't need a 20 goal a season striker last season either. Don't forget he has played on the right a fair bit too so will be an excellent option there as cover for Burns/Hutchinson.
What I really like about Delap is his ability to take the ball back to goal in tight spaces and turn a player at pace.
He's not coming here as a third choice striker that's for sure
But if, as suggested elsewhere he can cover right wing as well (a direct and pacy Burns-like option, rather than a tricky Hutch option) then if you factor in that we always use two number 9s flat out over the course of a game, given (hopefully) minor injuries, bench rotations and cup games, there's already a hell of a lot of game time there for a third choice striker. Plus he probably fancies he could get himself up to second choice anyway.
12 goals in 68 championship games is not great although he is only 21 years old and will improve under KMc but surely we need someone to score regularly from the off.
McKenna’s number 9 isn’t really in the side as a goalscorer though, that role is more about leading the press, linking up play and creating space for the 3 behind him to move into. It’s no coincidence that most of our goals in the last two years have come from players occupying the Chaplin/Broadhead/Burns roles.
Of course, we’d love to see our frontman scoring too, and Hirst/Moore/Ladapo have scored a lot of important goals for us, but I don’t think their scoring record factors massively into our considerations when we recruit for that position.
If we sign him i don't see us signing another striker, him and Hirst as our main strikers. With Hutch,Philogene,Burns,Chappers and Broadhead there's plenty of goals and assists between them.so we don't need a 20 goal striker. With GK and CM being the priority assuming Greaves signs this week of course!
12 goals in 68 championship games is not great although he is only 21 years old and will improve under KMc but surely we need someone to score regularly from the off.
After 2 and half years I would have thought that people would realise that our striker is not on the pitch just to score goals but to bring the likes of Chaplin, Hutchinson and Broadhead into a position to get the goals.
By my reckoning, he'd be coming in as our number one striker, but with an expectation that he would initially share the work with Hirst, learn the system, and probably start to really make an impact after Christmas. Bit like what he did with Hutchinson last season - started as an understudy, eventually became pivotal to our system.
His characteristics totally fit the bill for how McKenna wants to play. I've watched multiple videos of his "best bits" from last season, and everything matches with what McKenna tries to do.
Personally I think Liam Delap would be a terrific signing.
You want someone who can play the system/style of play.
We didn't need a 20 goal a season striker last season either. Don't forget he has played on the right a fair bit too so will be an excellent option there as cover for Burns/Hutchinson.
What I really like about Delap is his ability to take the ball back to goal in tight spaces and turn a player at pace.
£65m + the rumoured bid on the Greek fella would take us to £86m and still needing GK and CM.
You wonder if we have moved on from him.
I wouldn't mind betting we spend over 100 million this summer anyway... Watch this space..
The owners have said they'd have been willing to spend more up to now, but McKenna was happy with what he'd got... Money's there, always has been... We're also signing players with resale value, if and it's a big if, we did go down we'd potentially be able to sell them
By my reckoning, he'd be coming in as our number one striker, but with an expectation that he would initially share the work with Hirst, learn the system, and probably start to really make an impact after Christmas. Bit like what he did with Hutchinson last season - started as an understudy, eventually became pivotal to our system.
His characteristics totally fit the bill for how McKenna wants to play. I've watched multiple videos of his "best bits" from last season, and everything matches with what McKenna tries to do.
Personally I think Liam Delap would be a terrific signing.
Just not sure you go from Ioannidis to Delap personally. In fact the more I think about it, the more I think he’s predominantly seen as a wide right option.
I think McKenna will stay true to his principles of having his front 4 (or whatever formation he'll choose for a particular game) run themselves into the ground over the first 65+ minutes, before replacing them all with fresh subs of almost equal potency to attack tiring defences. If, as seems more & more likely now, we sign Philogene & Delap, I see them both as upgrades into our starting XI, either side of Omari who sees himself primarily as a #10 going forward. I think we'll still be in for Ioannidis as our main centre forward though, as Al Hamadi will surely go on loan to play regular Championship football. That would then leave our previous regular starting front 4, of Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead & Hirst, as our replacements, with Marcus Harness moving on.
12 goals in 68 championship games is not great although he is only 21 years old and will improve under KMc but surely we need someone to score regularly from the off.
I no longer get hung up on those striking numbers. Our system doesn't require a 20 goal striker. The 3 behind all score good numbers.
We are in a new era of squad impact and 5 subs. Any striker we bring in wil rotate with Hirst (i.e. one starts other does 30 minutes most games. 15 goals between them would be good. More even better
I no longer get hung up on those striking numbers. Our system doesn't require a 20 goal striker. The 3 behind all score good numbers.
We are in a new era of squad impact and 5 subs. Any striker we bring in wil rotate with Hirst (i.e. one starts other does 30 minutes most games. 15 goals between them would be good. More even better
I agree. We are going to want 2 really good options in each position.
I no longer get hung up on those striking numbers. Our system doesn't require a 20 goal striker. The 3 behind all score good numbers.
We are in a new era of squad impact and 5 subs. Any striker we bring in wil rotate with Hirst (i.e. one starts other does 30 minutes most games. 15 goals between them would be good. More even better
I do understand our system but will Chaplin Broadhead and Hutchinson score enough goals, its a big step up we did it last season but for an example Chaplin scored half the amount of goals in the Championship than in Div one, time will tell 🤞 I think we will stay up and we are buying young improving players COYB.
I wouldn't mind betting we spend over 100 million this summer anyway... Watch this space..
The owners have said they'd have been willing to spend more up to now, but McKenna was happy with what he'd got... Money's there, always has been... We're also signing players with resale value, if and it's a big if, we did go down we'd potentially be able to sell them
With amortization, when we buy a 20 million player on a 4 year contract, it is only 5 (plus wages) per year. That means we would have to sell a fair few players if we get relegated, but that strategy means that we have the best chance to compete. We probably won't need to and/or can't spend as much next year if we stay up. We have to be ambitious with recruitment to bridge the gap to the Premier League, but also stay within the bounds of sustainability.
With amortization, when we buy a 20 million player on a 4 year contract, it is only 5 (plus wages) per year. That means we would have to sell a fair few players if we get relegated, but that strategy means that we have the best chance to compete. We probably won't need to and/or can't spend as much next year if we stay up. We have to be ambitious with recruitment to bridge the gap to the Premier League, but also stay within the bounds of sustainability.
Forest spent £150M the summer they got promoted, but on 31 players as they had so many leave out of contract and a bucket load on loan in the promotion season. It was mostly their exorbitant wages that screwed them over financially, and the lack of a coherent transfer strategy or consistent team running that department. Town are in a decent starting position in terms of squad players, and the off field team running this show, tho do need a good quota of next-level additions which will cost a fair wedge as we’re seeing. Best to shrug at the new-world numbers, enjoy the ride, get excited about the potential team we’re building and let the suits figure the spreadsheets out as they’ve earned our trust doing so thus far.
I think McKenna will stay true to his principles of having his front 4 (or whatever formation he'll choose for a particular game) run themselves into the ground over the first 65+ minutes, before replacing them all with fresh subs of almost equal potency to attack tiring defences. If, as seems more & more likely now, we sign Philogene & Delap, I see them both as upgrades into our starting XI, either side of Omari who sees himself primarily as a #10 going forward. I think we'll still be in for Ioannidis as our main centre forward though, as Al Hamadi will surely go on loan to play regular Championship football. That would then leave our previous regular starting front 4, of Burns, Chaplin, Broadhead & Hirst, as our replacements, with Marcus Harness moving on.
Subject to finances and squad harmony, I wonder if Harness might stick around at least for the first half of the season in a sort of Aluko/Dom Ball role. We can have a squad of 26 as Hutch is under 21, and having the safety net of a spare attacking player would be good, particularly as McKenna likes to play 7 if not 8 attacking players across the 90 minutes.
If we sign him i don't see us signing another striker, him and Hirst as our main strikers. With Hutch,Philogene,Burns,Chappers and Broadhead there's plenty of goals and assists between them.so we don't need a 20 goal striker. With GK and CM being the priority assuming Greaves signs this week of course!
No chance we go into the season with two strikers. That’s insanity.
We use two strikers every single match.
An injury to one of them means we have one striker to lead the line in a premier league campaign!!
Most of the above except hirst can also rotate into any of the roles behind the striker and Delap can also be deployed as a striker.
[Post edited 8 Jul 2024 6:58]
I don’t disagree here but the two positions of concern and that have been most disruptive when players were missing are Striker. Of course full squad uplift is welcome but it takes time and significant cost! We must have critical back up or competition for Hirsty, and for Wes, we can’t afford the kind of impact drop the drop off we managed last season. Good news is OH is part of the solution in playing a few key attacking positions.
This may not age well this week! but there are several key positions we need to resolve as most would recognise.
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