Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit.

[Letters]

Scratch that. No point in answering that. We don't need another Giroud debate. If we're trying to improve the squad, that's an area we can certainly improve on.

I'm not disagreeing with that.

[Niall_Quinn]

So any of our forwards boasts a scoring record of a goal every other game?.

No I agree he's not in the Suarez or Aguero bracket and I think it would be stupid money to pay, but in terms of goals he is a vast improvement on anything we have up front. That's not saying we should pay that kind of money for him, that's just stating we don't have a striker with a one goal in two game average

I'm talking about a striker than significantly enhances what we already have and moves us up level with the dopers in terms of firepower. There are plenty of strikers around who will stick the ball in the net, we're looking for one that changes vital games at crucial moments. That's the Aguero and Suarez (and Henry and Wright before them) factor. Is Higuain anywhere near that bracket? From what I've seen of him no, he's just as likely to miss a sitter as stick it in the net. There's nothing to say he can translate his 2 in 1 ratio from the Italian leagues to the PL. If he was a top talent you;d back him to do it. But I wouldn't call him a top talent by any stretch.

You know what I'm talking about. There's a world between those few players who are on a different level from the rest. Aguero frightens opponents. The Higuains and Girouds and the Darren Bents still score goals but they don't possess the fear factor or have defenders wondering what they'll do next. Cavani and Falcao are in the same bracket, big fees but they don't have that extra special ingredient. I'm of two minds whether Costa is up there with the best. He bangs in the goals too, but he's more of a bludgeon than a scalpel. Still effective but not the sort of player you'd specially pay to watch.

In fact there are very few top striker around at the moment. I say we should be prepared to spend big if we want one of them, but I'd hate to see us spend a silly amount on a second tier player like Higuain. We already have Giroud and Walcott, both proficient second tier players. It'll probably cost us £60mill to do better than what we have.

[Power n Glory]

Unless an obvious option pops up, we may hold off from signing a striker until we're late in the window. This maybe an internal inhouse job. Sanchez may get converted into a striker. Walcott may get his chance or Wenger may just want to take another look at Giroud.

[AFC Leveller]

Unless an obvious option pops up, we may hold off from signing a striker until we're late in the window. This maybe an internal inhouse job. Sanchez may get converted into a striker. Walcott may get his chance or Wenger may just want to take another look at Giroud.

I think thats a good point. Apart from the top tier strikers who are more or less impossible to get, there arent any other strikers available that could improve us much, although i think Higuain will be a good singing for us if it does happen.

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

Not sure I agree I think what we need is purely someone who can put the ball in the net, I think we have enough players in the side to influence games given that there is someone up front who can stick it away.

[Power n Glory]

If that were true, we'd have been ok with Podolski up front. We need a special striker up front that won't get lost in the game. Welbeck is another example of a striker that just can't get a sniff on goal because he just can't get accustomed with the rhythm of our game. It's not just about the finishing, it's about the off the ball movement too.

[Maestro]

we're better off spending on an upcoming real talented forward, than spunking £40m on higuain. if we keep our powder dry in the striker department then i would prefer we start theo upfront, at least he has real pace and will work his socks off to prove his career has not been a bust.

[Letters]

We've got plenty of people who can put the ball in the net, we only scored 2 fewer goals than Chelsea last year.
What we are missing is what NQ was saying, an Aguero or Suarez - someone who puts the fear of God into defenders.
They don't grow on trees, if we don't get one it's not for the lack of trying, it's because there are probably only a handful in the world, most will stay put and those who do move will probably go to a team with bigger resources than us.

[AFC Leveller]

Not sure I agree I think what we need is purely someone who can put the ball in the net, I think we have enough players in the side to influence games given that there is someone up front who can stick it away.

The finishing aspect is obviously important but finishing alone wont get you anywhere. If finishing was all thta mattered then the likes of Ings, Podolski, Defoe etc would be worth millions. Sometimes, esp in the big games, Giroud is completly shut out by the oppo's defenders, he cant get half of yard of space and stinks the place up until he is subbed off. The likes of Suarez, Aguero etc can get away from defenders and need half a yard to score, thats what makes them so special.

[Power n Glory]

We've got plenty of people who can put the ball in the net, we only scored 2 fewer goals than Chelsea last year.
What we are missing is what NQ was saying, an Aguero or Suarez - someone who puts the fear of God into defenders.
They don't grow on trees, if we don't get one it's not for the lack of trying, it's because there are probably only a handful in the world, most will stay put and those who do move will probably go to a team with bigger resources than us.

Yep. When thinking of what's available out there, it doesn't look good. We'd either have to buy a winger to convert into a striker or look at our options inhouse. Only Walcott and Sanchez strike me as players that have it in them to really menace a defence.