What is it with our Strikers?

[secondalibi]

After the exit of Lee Bradbury to Bournemouth we now have six strikers at our disposal and this is where I stand. If I am being brutally honest, Two of them belong in the Blue Square Premier and two that just hasn't been seen enough to make a judgement on. As for the other two they could be more than useful, but it just hasn't happened yet.

The two frontmen who I actually believe can cut it at this level are Gary Hooper and Richie Foran. Hooper is a massive talent, but he just doesn't seem to know it. He could be great but there appears to something missing, on far too many occasions he looks like he just can't be bothered. For so many players to comment about his ability and for some to even say that he is BETTER than Freddy must mean that there is something there, but we are yet to see it. I am starting to wonder if we ever will. The other is Richie Foran, who I believe would score goals if he was given a chance up front, I have absolutely no doubt about that. Foran has been stuck on the left wing for far too long and as soon as he gets a decent run up front he will come good.

As for Paynter and Harrold, I just don't think that anything can or will change here. People can go about Paynter being given a chance, but he just doesn't have what it takes, he is nothing more than very ordinary. Harrold has good attributes but doesn't use them. If he ever learned to jump and maybe run then he might have a chance.

McDonald and Ademeno I just haven't seen enough of them. Ademeno is still very young but looks quite useful and could be one for the future. McDonald didn't look great in the pre-season games I saw, but if you can score 20+ goals in the Conference then there is no reason why you can't score goals in League 1. We will have to wait and see.


- G

 

[Skyblue]

Sorry seondalibi but I just can't agree with you about Foran. The problem as I see it is, the guy cant shoot. Even in the west stand we all duck when he's shaping up and we've never had so many balls in Fairfax drive. Another thing is he's just not very fast, and not very good with his head... infact apart from penalties I'm not sure what Tilly saw in him to spash so much cash.

 

[jimmyshrimp]

I don't wish to be harsh but i've not seen the hidden Hooper talent, I think he's ok, but not not the new Freddy for me

 

[Flinty]

i have to disagree as well:

Hooper - it appears he seems to think he is better than he is

Harrold - a good sub but has not done much when starting

Ademeno - too early to say 1st year pro

Foran - not been impressed so far and his record in english football is not too good either

Maccy D - not had enough time but looks ok in the little moments that i have seen

Paynter - sorry but it just isn't working for him down here. When i saw him against Arnhem i wanted him to do well but he was shocking

 

[jimmyshrimp]

Totaly agree with all that ramblers

 

[Ulysses]

I'd like to see Paynter given another chance. Play him alongside MacDonald.

 

[shrimper dan]

we need to give foran more chances up front. from the spl he has proved he can score goals.
we havent seen anything of paynter at this level to question him yet.
macdonald has played about 10 minutes in the league but looked lively at cheltenham. he needs more time on the pitch.
hooper has got potential but i wait to see it.
and harrold i think we can all safely say he has had his chance and is a pile of ****.

 

[Ricey]

I'd like to see Paynter given another chance. Play him alongside MacDonald.

Totally agree think Paynter and Macdonald should be given the chance of playing together!

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

Paynter did pretty well in the reserve game and only the outstanding MKD keeper kept him off the score sheet, so for that reason why not.

I agree also that MaccyD should be given a start.

We arent exactly going to be dropping a forward who is:

a) likely to get goals
b) is already regularly getting the goals

Got to be worth a go if nothing else. We did buy MaccyD for some reason and if he isnt gonna play in the reserves or the first team, they might aswell have bought me!

 

[Pubey]

ok so here is what i think:

tomorrow as striking options we have macdonald, paynter, harrold, hooper and foran. wow!

if there is one thing that we will miss with bradbury going it's his defensive help from set-plays. so for that reason i would have to start with either paynter or harrold as we need a big forward on the pitch. IMO a pair from hooper, macdonald and foran just isn't an option.

out of harrold and paynter i would have to pick paynter just because i think he is the more intellegent player, he keeps the ball well which is crucial and i think makes some smart moves. he is very similar to bradbury IMO but because bradbury didn't have a confidence problem then he always got picked. the downside is that it probably isn't the best game to throw in a guy with a lack of confidence. if he plays badly tomorrow he is on his way out and he knows that.

so i could understand why tilly would start with harrold tomorrow... but i would hope it is paynter and macdonald. now is the time for maccy d to get given his chance.

i like hooper but it is true that he hasn't quite fulfilled his potential.... YET

with spinner saying he was a bigger talent than freddy, it probably didn't do him any good but im glad we gave im a contract and with some games and possible a loan out somewhere then perhaps he will be a surprise package this season

paynter and macdonald would be my choice if we played 442 but i think one thing tilly should look at is 451, maybe not necessarily at home, but definitely away from home so we start picking up points instead of this 3points or nothing mentality. that is fine if you are going for promotion but at the moment we need to grind out some points. if we were to play 451 then i think that is when foran might well become useful. he is good in the air and can make some good runs... has been known to be a bit anonomous but then when he gets fired up he is like a man possessed. i think we do have some options in our team and i think tilly needs to be a little bit more adventurous. we do need another striker but that wont happen tomorrow and so we need to make the most of what we have got and giving macdonald and paynter a chance together seems smart

 

[rowhst101rhall]

I've seen enough of Harrold and I'd put him in the thanks but no thanks column.

An uninjured Paynter has far more to offer, and when he dropped down to L1 last season his goals gave Bradford a chance of staying up, that they didn't have before he joined them. Also he would provide the extra height and aerial ability in defending set pieces.

Foran, I'd like to see him given a chance up front on the right. If not the MacDonald or Hoops.

Ademeno whilst showing enthusiasm I think needs to be a bit stronger before offering a serious challenge to a first team place.

 

[Smiffy]

I've seen enough of Harrold and I'd put him in the thanks but no thanks column.

An uninjured Paynter has far more to offer, and when he dropped down to L1 last season his goals gave Bradford a chance of staying up, that they didn't have before he joined them. Also he would provide the extra height and aerial ability in defending set pieces.

Foran, I'd like to see him given a chance up front on the right. If not the MacDonald or Hoops.

Ademeno whilst showing enthusiasm I think needs to be a bit stronger before offering a serious challenge to a first team place.

My thoughts exactly..

Tilly, for ****s sake please start Foran UP FRONT!!!..

 

[biffo]

My thoughts exactly..

Tilly, for ****s sake please start Foran UP FRONT!!!..

b0loxs to all that!
I'd like to see black brought in on the wing and JCR moved to striker along side either of the donkeys

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

My thoughts exactly..

Tilly, for ****s sake please start Foran UP FRONT!!!..

Despite all my criticism of Foran (even before) he wore a navy blue shirt in anger, I'm beginning to think I agree with that statement. Lets see what he can do in his so-called favoured position of a striker.

Also, in terms of Bradbury leaving, OK, there's the story about Bradbury wanting a club closer to home but how much is there in the whole Bradders was a (well, some kind of) foil for Eastwood, and now Fred's away we need to adapt our way of playing cutting & attacking football?

 

[CC51DAS]

Despite all my criticism of Foran (even before) he wore a navy blue shirt in anger, I'm beginning to think I agree with that statement. Lets see what he can do in his so-called favoured position of a striker.

Also, in terms of Bradbury leaving, OK, there's the story about Bradbury wanting a club closer to home but how much is there in the whole Bradders was a (well, some kind of) foil for Eastwood, and now Fred's away we need to adapt our way of playing cutting & attacking football?

Glasgie, you will know better than me about this but I remember reading that before he joined us , Foran played wide left and scored most(11) of his 14 goals from set pieces, predominantly penalties. If up front is his favoured position then his finishing should be way better - Burnley apart , the SSU is not a safe place to sit when he is on the park .

As for the Bradbury enigma , my fertile imagination has started to wonder whether a sort of ' voluntary redundancy' situation could have developed ? Imagine... Ron says to Tilly -OK so you now have the big squad you've been asking for but none of them is good enough and if you want to bring in yet more then you are going to have to off-load some one first . Tilly then lets it be known that someone will have to go and asks for volunteers . Bradders , who got stuck on the M25 again that morning , sticks his hand up and by lunchtime has made the call to his old mate at Bournemouth . Or maybe not .

 

[mattytheshrimper]

everyones always saying lets give paynter and harrold a chance. i actually do think harrold has had enough chances and has proved nothing at all. i really would love him to score a few goals but i really cannot see this happening.

paynter has had a really tough time. for some reason i really want paynter to do well but again i just can't see it happening. i think he's a league 2/conference player along with harrold.

macdonald looks good to me but havn't really seen him against decent opposition as yet, only a few mins against cheltenham etc. would love him to start today. he shows the ambition i like in a player.

 

[shrimpermatt]

IMO we have to start with Paynter and Macdonald as macdonald has always looked lively when he comes on and i feel paynter deserves one more chance like harrold had to prove he can cut it at this level.

i think the leeds game finally proved that harrold is not a league 1 player as i can only remeber him touching the ball once in 90 mins and that was a scuffed shot from 3 yards out that barrett ended up putting in.

i think foran should be out striker on the bench. his favoued position is striker and we have only seen him play there once against leeds last year if i remeber correctly. he put them away in the SPL so he should be able to do a job at the level.

i think hooper will be a good player but the pressure of being dubbed the "next" freddy eastwood is getting to him.