The problem with trying to sign a decent striker is they are gold dust, everyone wants them, so the only ones one gets are not necessarily that good. So we may be better off looking in our squad for answers to the striking problem.
A really good player has the football intelligence to play in any position. A massive problem in English football is that players get pigeonholed into a fixed position early on, so never get the chance to find out if they are actually better in another position. So we may have really good strikers in our squad, yet they dont get the chance to show that as they aren't seen as strikers yet.
Antony said in an interview he isn't a striker. But I remember he adjusted perfectly to playing in defence, so has the football skill to adjust to a new position. I so enjoy watching him this season, as he has clearly worked so hard on his game over the season break, and added lots of strength and skill. He is now really good at losing an opponent to make space for himself, and is becoming a skilful player making time and space on the ball. He is one of our quickest players, and also become much stronger, so I think he would deal very effectively with defenders. His midfield position means he shoots a lot from distance, in attack he would shoot from closer and so be more accurate. His height makes him a great target man, and I could see him holding the ball up, to bring others into play, which never happens with MacAllister. He went on a month loan to Bowers and Pitsea and scored three goals and several assists, and got them out of the relegation zone. Then his loan ended, he came back to us, and they ended up relegated. I really think he could do well for us if playing as a striker to help us out while we look for a striker.
Lewis has a striker's skill of being able to dribble through a defence, and shoot on target. While we are looking to bring a new striker in it would be very sensible to play Lewis in attack, as our strikers aren't reading his runs, so aren't getting on the end of his great crosses.
Jephte has the same skills as Lewis on the ball, and playing more centrally would help him play an even more prominent role for us.
Moving Manny Parry into a holding midfielder role turned us into a winning team last season, so one move of a player can make all the difference. David playing up front with either Antony, Lewis, or Jephte would give us the attacking edge we lack.
He did indeed, and on a couple of occasions when we were losing and needed a bit of height and mass up front. Who was the little guy who played alongside him, giving us the classic big un & small un forward line.
Turning wide midfield players into strikers has successfully worked with lots of players, Salah, Ronaldo, Messi and Thierry Henri all started off on the wing before very successfully switching to a central attacking role. So I hope we are considering this shuffling of the squad to save us from our goal drought, and our thirst for goals at the J Hearnden Community Stadium will be truly quenched.
Any of the three suggested strikers would be an improvement in attack over Alex who has had lots of opportunities, so now time for someone else to have a run in attack. Kamara is very promising, maybe this opportunity of first team football may have come a year too early for him, but he is learning all the time and consistently getting into good positions.
I take it we haven't signed a striker in time for this weekend?
Personally if I signed someone on the eve of a game like this I would publicise it as late as possible to avoid tipping off the opposition. Gives them less time to change their game plan.
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West Ham striker Paul Goddard got injured, so the manager moved the new midfield signing Frank MacAvennie into attack, and he formed a fantastic striking partnership with Tony Cotte, which transformed the team, and ended with Paul Goddard leaving as he couldnt get his strikers spot back. So this sort of enforced change of roles is why I am confident moving one of our midfield into attack will end our goal drought. Lewis got 5 goals from 28 games last season, which is good for a wide player, and I am sure he would get more if playing more centrally. Long term I totally agree with him and Jephte playing wide, but as we currently dont have any players getting on the end of their crosses a move into attack makes more sense.
I think Antony could be the answer as well. I really liked Antony's interview with Nigel on the podcast, where Antony was saying he had been told by Warren he would be playing in defence this season, so he had been training pre season for a defender role. Football is always full of surprises, so it would be so funny for Antony to start off the season as a defender, and ending as a striker. Amadou and Antony have played in defence really well this season, as fine players can play in any position.
My knee wasn't up to walking down and back up Darenth Way for our match against Dogfood, so I popped over to Bromley to watch them play Oldham in the division above ours. I'd not seen a National League game before, and wanted to see what the gap in the divisions was like after I had said here last season I thought we were good enough to play in the National League, and more experienced fans than me told me we weren't at that standard, so I wanted to see what the standard there actually is like.
Bromley started the season with injuries and suspensions, but strengthened and started winning. The Oldham manager got sacked after losing this game 0 - 3. I watched both teams' strikers to compare them with our two young strikers. Both sides' strikers were much more central, holding position very well, rather than chasing the ball all over the pitch. The game showed the economics of football, attendance was 2500, and an adult ticket was £22, so they make tons more per home game than most in our league, but then again they have higher salaries to pay. The point I made about Ebbsfleet buying their success with borrowed money reminds one there is no financial fair play at our level, so clubs are free to spend whatever they want to in chasing their dreams, and our league is so unbalanced as a result. So it is so impressive how we do in view of our attendances and finances.
Great that Antony scored two goals in the box, in real strikers positions, as previously he had shot from outside the box, mostly off target, so playing deeper in the box really worked, and he really read Tanga's cross so well, unlike other attacking players who mistimed runs, so I still think he could be a top striker if given a run in that role.
Ha ha. Agreed Riverstown.
You was aware that a bus goes from the station to outside the ground?
Gave up a local cup derby to go and watch Bromley?
Leave off.
Ha ha. Agreed Riverstown. You was aware that a bus goes from the station to outside the ground? Gave up a local cup derby to go and watch Bromley? Leave off.
Exactly, Wallop. Rumour has it that Johnny was spotted at The Daggers last night.
Sadly I was not aware a bus goes from the station to outside the ground, as I've never been to Dartford in my life for the same reason I have never met Marianne Faithful, as I just don't want to go where Mick Jagger and Keith Richard have already been. I also missed it as I had convinced myself it would be a 1 - 1 draw, so that I'd get my chance to see the replay at our ground, but Antony had other ideas! What is so sick is that this was one of those all time special matches one wouldnt forget, on a par with us beating champions Maidstone to stay up, or the 5 - 0 win against Oxford where everything we did worked, so not my best ever decision...
In the league we are held back by our poor start due to striker issues, but now the team is clicking it isnt too late to have some really good cup runs, as we'd give the two teams I saw in the division above a good run for their money. If my son is up for Gosport we'll go to that match. Interesting Dowson was moaning that they defended badly because one of our midfielders got a hat trick, but that isnt really accurate, because Antony had really gone much higher in attack than he normally does, so was in more strikers' positions for two of his goals than midfield.
Ha ha. Agreed Riverstown. You was aware that a bus goes from the station to outside the ground? Gave up a local cup derby to go and watch Bromley? Leave off.
Exactly, Wallop. Rumour has it that Johnny was spotted at The Daggers last night.
Guys, guys, guys, I had to look on google to see who Jonathan Acworth is, and see he is really Jonathan Acworth-Waldegrave, who wears a Jamison t shirt.
I've booked the coach seats down to Gosport, as now the curse of Feeney has gone I finally joined WUSA and can start going to away matches, and on the coach will be wondering why did I miss an away game against Dirty Fred just two short bus rides away, and then go to another away match at Gosport setting off five hours before kick off?! I will be with my 11 year old son, so maybe he will be able to explain it.
Lewis won the free kick in quite a central position, I get the benefits from him playing wide, but like to see him more involved centrally as he has a really good eye for a goal, so has a better shooting angle centrally than out wide. I posted a sarcastic comment about Stefan's move to Faversham that I then deleted, as fair play to the guy, he is doing his best, and a cheap shot at him wasnt really justified as he just got caught up in the toxicity last season, and hadnt had such excessive disciplinary stuff before or since. Same with Alex, he is young and still learning, so although at the moment he isn't taking the right places on the pitch, in due course he will learn to, so will be much more effective than he is now, so trying not to be critical of him.
