Likely strike force

[Maldon Blues]

You don't need to have pace.

I think the first choice will undoubtedly be Barnard and Furlong, with Furlong providing the distraction/hustle/work-rate. whatever you want to call it for Barnard, the finisher, to feed off.

Walker will be used from the bench a lot, also not forgetting that history shows Barnard is unlikely to play every game.

I'd suggest Revell would feature out wide more than up front.

 

[SUBBlue]

That's my main worry about starting him every week. I have visions of the half time substution.

I thought to start with, use him as a second half impact type player. Thinking of the amount of goals Solskjaer used to score coming off the bench......

I hope & pray that Barnard doesn't become a Flo or Solskjaer type who can only last 40 or so mins due to poor fitness.

I'll take their goal scoring ability but leave the injury proneness well alone thanks.

 

[Differentiabull]

Not 'free' - he will cost you..

Wouldn't hold your breath tho because we seem to be in a prolonged argument with Brentford about another one of our Strikers, Charlie McDonald, over wanting another £5-10k for him.

Our Chairman seems to like the old phrase "Look after the pennies..."
(he also hates agents with a passion)

You should have Hooper signed & sealed by Xmas 2010 once all negotiations have been concluded...

Sounds like our chairmen should get on well - we haven't paid any agent's fees for the last few years.

AFAIWA we've had a £50k bid accepted - it's just down to Gary picking up the pen.

Sort it out!

 

[Andyhsufc]

I hope & pray that Barnard doesn't become a Flo or Solskjaer type who can only last 40 or so mins due to poor fitness.

I'll take their goal scoring ability but leave the injury proneness well alone thanks.

tbf, i dont think we would have got him for 50k if he was as fit as a fiddle. There had to be something wrong with him for us to get that cheaply

 

[Andyhsufc]

Sounds like our chairmen should get on well - we haven't paid any agent's fees for the last few years.

AFAIWA we've had a £50k bid accepted - it's just down to Gary picking up the pen.

Sort it out!

Dont be surprised if Hoops does very little for you this season. Playing morecambe and dags is one thing but when you are playing teams such as leicester and Leeds, it is a very different kettle of fish

 

[Chas SUFC]

Eastwood wasn't exactly a greyhound & Goater had the speed of an asthmatic tortoise suffering from smoke inhalation.

Reckon T&B are modelling our front line on that old pairing & will play Barney & Furlong as 1st choice..

Eastwood could take a man on & beat him though as well as having a bit of pace. Something I have rarely seen Barnard do.

I too can see Barney and Furlong as 1st choice but personally don't think they compliment each other too well. They both like to hold the ball up, bringing others into play. Neither will look to go round the back of the defence too often & I can see us getting stuck for ideas up front. A pacy forward who looks to run behind the defence is much more dangerous imo.

 

[loz]

Indeed, with Walker in the Wayne Gray role

sadly, some of Walker's attempts at shots last season suggest he's highly qualified for the Wayne Gray role.... :stunned:

 

[Differentiabull]

Dont be surprised if Hoops does very little for you this season. Playing morecambe and dags is one thing but when you are playing teams such as leicester and Leeds, it is a very different kettle of fish

Leeds - been there, done that last year.
Same at Tranmere.
Same against Hartlepool.


Hooper is pacy, hard working, and a good, good player. I can't imagine what your manager must have done to him if he hasn't shown that at Southend.

We'll get him and sell him for £1.5 million to Wolves in a couple of years...


If he signs. Come on Gary!

 

[sufcjoe]

The more i think about it the more i like the idea of Barney and Furlong but also think there will be another forward coming in, i have also said before i would like to see Walker play on the wing more as i feel his style of play is more suited in that position and has looked more dangerous out there IMO

 

[Andyhsufc]

Leeds - been there, done that last year.
Same at Tranmere.
Same against Hartlepool.


Hooper is pacy, hard working, and a good, good player. I can't imagine what your manager must have done to him if he hasn't shown that at Southend.

We'll get him and sell him for £1.5 million to Wolves in a couple of years...


If he signs. Come on Gary!

He may give that impression in L2 and in "one off matches" but when it comes to week in, week out in L1, he seriously drifts in and out of matches, tries to do little ronaldoesque flicks that NEVER come off and has little composure coupled with a weak, wayward shot. Comparing him to Eastwood is like comparing chalk to cheese. Eastwood has scored 20+ goals in L2 and L1 as well as 15+ goals in the Championship. Hooper has done none of those!

 

[Beefy]

I still think Barnard & Revell look the most promising partnership at the Club. I'd be very surprised if Furlong ends up starting more than 15-20 games.

 

[McNasty]

I think Furlong will start most matches , play for 70 mins having "softened up " the opposition defence and be replaced by Walker who will then score a hat-trick every game.

 

[Andy_S]

He may give that impression in L2 and in "one off matches" but when it comes to week in, week out in L1, he seriously drifts in and out of matches, tries to do little ronaldoesque flicks that NEVER come off and has little composure coupled with a weak, wayward shot. Comparing him to Eastwood is like comparing chalk to cheese. Eastwood has scored 20+ goals in L2 and L1 as well as 15+ goals in the Championship. Hooper has done none of those!

Don't know why I continually get involved in this but it does annoy me so here we go. Hoops was NEVER given a proper go with us, yet is totally slaughtered by our fans, which frustrates me. He has talent of that there is no doubt and if he had "little composure" and a "weak, wayward shot", he would not have got 11 goals in 19 games in League 2. If he'd have played a full season for Hereford last year he would've got the 20+ goals you mentioned Fred getting. He's just turned 20, which is another thing that gets glossed over and in my opinion will turn into a good League striker with nurturing, something that he will get at Hereford and I should imagine he will get a far better ride from their fans then he did ours.Spinner said Hooper had more natural talent than Freddy. As he saw him in training every day I'd be inclined to take notice of that opinion.

 

[SUBBlue]

Don't know why I continually get involved in this but it does annoy me so here we go. Hoops was NEVER given a proper go with us, yet is totally slaughtered by our fans, which frustrates me. He has talent of that there is no doubt and if he had "little composure" and a "weak, wayward shot", he would not have got 11 goals in 19 games in League 2. If he'd have played a full season for Hereford last year he would've got the 20+ goals you mentioned Fred getting. He's just turned 20, which is another thing that gets glossed over and in my opinion will turn into a good League striker with nurturing, something that he will get at Hereford and I should imagine he will get a far better ride from their fans then he did ours.Spinner said Hooper had more natural talent than Freddy. As he saw him in training every day I'd be inclined to take notice of that opinion.

It makes me wonder why certain apparently gifted players struggle when they play for us then move on to other clubs to become successful.

Makes me wonder if we are sometimes too quick to condemn; would we have been so appreciative of Eastwood if he hadn't hit a hattrick in his 1st game??

However, saying that I've heard that Harrold is an outstanding player in training but can't seem to translate it onto the pitch (for us anyway), the Spinner quote makes Hoops sound v similar.
At what point do we cut our losses?

I'm undecided about Hooper but I'm pretty sure he didn't get a run in the side that Harrold got.