Shock news! Them up the road can do Town a couple of favours by beating or drawing with Coventry and Middlesbrough in the next 10 days.

The top 3/4 will almost certainly change places regularly from now until the end of the season,even Hull are not far behind. Our strong squad should hopefully give us an advantage on our rivals.
Whoever recruits the most shrewdly,this month, could also tip the balance one way or the other.
Come on Mr Ashton,you've certainly done the business before, you can certainly do it again !

Gforce, recruitment could make the difference as could injuries/suspensions. One thing is an inescapable fact. Whether Hirst, Azon or Akpom have started as the main striker in our last 16 games, they have scored 2 between them before being subbed. That's a virtually unbelievable statistic for a team with the second highest goals for in the division. I have increasingly high hopes for IA, but the figures point to the need of a finisher that will get us over the line, even taking into consideration the goals raining in from wide left. That's my take on it anyway.

Just have to hope Clarke and Philiogen stay fit....when the latter returns from his latest injury! As no one else is scoring goals!

Not Good enough sack the board

Yes imo we need a striker that ,can and will score goals .. Its too much of a gamble to hope or rely on others to score the goals.Hirst has been way below par , Azon.and Akpom have not produced either for what ever reasons .I am begining to think though that it wont happen and i fear we will regret it .

Our no9 has never been the top scorer under McKenna. As long as Hirst/Azon are doing the hard work and that’s helping the team to win games I don’t care how many they score. I do think we need another striker but that’s more for the strength of the options McKenna has on the bench. We could do with the right side upping its goals output but we don’t need another right sided attacker. Burns, Egeli and McAteer need a dozen between them from
Now until the end of the season.

15 players have scored and we are second highest goal scorers. Why does it matter so much to some people that the striker should score the goals? It's easy to mark a number nine but it's not so easy to mark an entire team.

I don't think we'll get a striker as they're are so over-priced in the January window. Centte mid could do with cover for Matusiwa, otherwise I think we're going up.

I'd be ok with no signings this window unless there was a swap option on Akpom. He could certainly come good but it's not been a comfortable season and with this mid-term injury it could take him a while to get back. This said, Sammie's now fit which is like a new signing in itself, same as Burns coming back.

A couple of quality additions to the squad is the difference between autos and playoffs. Only JP amd Clarkecare scoring. It’s essential we sign a striker. Must also win at Sheffield on Saturday.

It’s unfortunate that the sides around us keep winning.

I would like us to sign Hayden Hackney, but there is no way that Boro will sell him at this stage of the season and to a promotion rival!

I think this maybe another season where we are fighting it out like we did with Leeds, Leicester and Saints. But in this case it's Coventry and Boro. Both who had sticky patches and have seemingly come through them and have reinforced with new additions.

Is it realistic to expect to sign a top striker right now when even Haaland and Delap haven't scored a goal between them in January (apart from one penalty) because defence systems have become effective against them? This opens up others 'to do the business'. So I would be amazed if Ashton signs another striker in this window. Nor are players such as Hackney likely to be available.

Azons work rate and commitment to the team was incredible on Tuesday eve. I believe he is finally starting to click. Let's hope the goals start to come for him too. But I agree with other posts that we need a natural finisher.

Time will tell, just hope at the end of the season we are not saying if only we had signed a striker. Azon does look good, but to date hasnt been able to produce the goods, hopefully that will change.

Has anyone noticed that we now have the best defensive record in the Championship along with being second highest scorers? Things are going along nicely. We will only sign players who will improve the squad and that can't be hurried.

The issue with all our number 9's is the lack of assists as well as the lack of goals. Its easy to make the narrative that this is all by design and McKenna not looking for goals from the number but that is nonsense. We are in 3rd and our squad should be well clear up top. The lack of goal contributions from the number 9's is our biggest shortfall to explain why we don't sit further up the table. Lets see if McKenna agrees that no action required.

We have two strikers mainly sitting on the bench who scored 70 goals between them in two seasons not too long ago, we don't need any more surely.

Can’t help thinking we must be looking at developments up the road concerning a certain proven goal scorer this level!!

We are familiar with this situation in January during promotion seasons. Plymouth, Wednesday & Bolton in L1 in 2023; Leicester, Leeds & Saints in 2024. In both those seasons we strengthened the squad with 4 excellent additions in the winter window. Now Coventry, Boro & Hull. If we can bring in just 2 or 3 quality additions in the next 10 days I would bet on Town getting 2nd place again. If not we might have to settle for the play offs. Always best to add quality from an already strong position. Clearly we sent out Harry & Cam on loan for 2 reasons, to be fair to them and their development but also to make space in the squad. Cant see Ashton leaving those 2 spaces unfilled although he might not get the 2 positions we all think we need cover or upgrades in.

carlo Akpom & Szmodics both had their championship golden boot seasons playing as a no 10 behind a not very prolific no 9 rather than as an out and out striker themselves. But Szomd behind Sam Gallagher for Rovers, a very similar profile to Hirst, and Chuba behind Cameron Archer, like Azon a very skilful player who cant finish his dinner. Although I rate Nunez in the 10 he isbt quite the same goal threat and our strikers seem incapable of finishing the chances he creates for them. Maybe if his knock keeps him out for a while it might give Sam or Chuba an opportunity to show what they can do.

28 year old Danish striker, Kasper Dolberg would have been a great bargain summer signing as an upgrade for Hirst if he hadn't signed a 4 year deal last summer with Ajax from Anderlecht for 10M Euros. Don't think we could tempt him now.


Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2019 Ajax 78 (33)
2019–2023 Nice 74 (23)
2022 → Sevilla (loan) 4 (0)
2023 → TSG Hoffenheim (loan) 13 (1)
2023–2025 Anderlecht 73 (34)
2025– Ajax 10 (4)

Another Marcus Stewart or (for older readers) John O'Rourke would certainly incease our chances of getting over the line. But like others, I feel Sammy Szmodics could do the job if only he could stay fit. And be selected, of course.

Im not convinced where Egelli is best playing yet. He's growing in confidence with every game but far too often this season he's been double teamed and pushed back. I would like to see him have a crack in the 10 and maybe use Nunez in CMF as originally planned. That would give Sindre a bit more freedom.
With Wes fit now and Kasey beginning to find some effectiveness that would bolster both the 10 and the CMF.
With Azon playing better game by game I think the weak link now is Hirst, Akpom, (unless we are wriggling our way out of the drivers that will impact his obligation), is a 9 not a 10 in our system, so either Akpom or Hirst is spare.
Our squad is really starting to function with the regular rotation, cover for Matusiwa is Jack T if Nunez is back in MF so I think one more CB might yet be enough.
That being said, incoming experience and talent can only help if it's the right player, but we want sure fire impact and thats not easy