Let's talk strikers: who do we buy and why?

Mmm-Qatarian said:
His name has been mentioned here already and he's now been linked to us by perhaps the most shite source of them all (that being The Sun) but I quite like Jean Philippe-Mateta.

He's had a good few seasons in the Premier League now with Palace, scored 16 goals last season and looks like he'll get close to that again this season. In other words, he's proven himself capable of delivering a good level of output in the Premier League. At 27 years old he's basically in what you would expect to be his prime years, and I think this is generally around the age range we should be targeting in our striker. I also like that, on top of being a fairly decent goal scorer, Mateta has a decent all round game. He makes a nuisance of himself for defenders and this is something I think Hojlund has been sorely lacking.

It'd depend on the price tag that Palace quote us, and considering he's on a contract until 2027 I doubt it'd be a bargain, but I equally think we could do a lot worse than Mateta and honestly of the realistic Premier League striker targets he'd probably be near the top of my list.
Click to expand...
A realistic target, one I think would be ideal for Amorim's system as well. Exactly what's needed for a figurehead no 9.

Short of winning Europa league, we probably won't be able to offer european football to anyone so we may miss out on some other targets for no 9 .

As you said depends on price.
 
Raoul said:
"Could emerge as a transfer target" is basically saying "I know feck all, but have to manufacture regular content to keep myself relevant".
Click to expand...
Could be.

But I find it weird for him to write an article for the BBC on a specific player without any truth behind it. He normally reports stuff given to him directly from the club.
 
Foolsgold21 said:
Could be.

But I find it weird for him to write an article for the BBC on a specific player without any truth behind it. He normally reports stuff given to him directly from the club.
Click to expand...

He's certainly among the more credible ones, but I just don't take anything any journo says seriously anymore. They are all under the gun to keep a steady flow of morsels of information to keep themselves relevant. Even the likes of Ornstein seem to have gone that way. None of these guys are completely trustworthy and the so called "tier system" is little more than a marketing device developed by fans (I believe it was born off a Reddit post a few years back).

I don't think any journo has any inside information because they club themselves are probably still deliberating on who they want to buy, which is contingent on any number of variables that the club themselves can't influence (ie. how much a player costs, whether they are available, whether they would want to move to England, whether they are ok with no CL next year, whether Amorim feels a certain player fits his philosophy, formation, and system; how PSR factors into the numbers etc.).
 
I have to say I'm really not sold on Liam Delap. I have a very bad feeling that we could end up with another Hojlund situation on our hands if we spend a decent chunk of money on him.

He's done well at Ipswich this season given that they're a pretty poor side but this is his first season in the top flight so there isn't a tonne of evidence to judge his level on. He's still only 22 as well, so we would once again be signing a young player with very limited top flight experience to be out first choice striker. On top of this, I think there's evidence to suggest that his all-round game is fairly raw at the moment, and if we shove him up top he isn't going to be given a grace period to hone those skills.

I really think we need to be going for somebody more proven this summer up front. In certain other positions, I think we can afford to look for younger players, but for our striker target I want somebody who's more of a known quantity.
 
I believe that proven strikers from the mid-to-lower table region of the Premier League (which is, ironically enough, where we also are right now but without the proven striker) is the kind of profile we should be looking closely at this summer so I'll throw another name into the mix which I don't think has been mentioned yet and that's Brentford's Yoane Wissa.

Wissa has returned good goal output in every season he's been at Brentford, and his all-round game also looks strong. I'll admit that, given he'll be 29 for effectively all of next season, he's older than I'd want our next target to be. With that said, the benefit he'd give over Mateta (the other name I mentioned) is that I could also see him slotting into the left-hand 10 position if needed. In fact, if you had to play Zirkzee up front, I think Wissa is the sort of player you'd want up next to him making runs off of him.

I probably wouldn't take Wissa over Mateta, and again there's no guarantee at all that Brentford would be willing to sell for a reasonable fee, but he's another I'd perhaps give some thought to.
 
Here's a thought experiment, pick a previous PL striker (from any club), who you think would be the ideal no9 for Amorim's system.

Personally I'd say Didier Drogba. I think he has all of the required attributes that a no 9 in a amorim team would need.
 
dinostar77 said:
Here's a thought experiment, pick a previous PL striker (from any club), who you think would be the ideal no9 for Amorim's system.

Personally I'd say Didier Drogba. I think he has all of the required attributes that a no 9 in a amorim team would need.
Click to expand...

Wayne Rooney

But then the answer is always Wayne Rooney
 
Romano said that Gyokeres has a verbal agreement with Sporting that he can leave for between 65-75.

If we can win Europa, perhaps he can be convinced to join us. And with the amount of sales we are looking to make, perhaps we can raise the funds.
 
RuudTom83 said:
The next CF coming in needs to get on penalties and needs a few players in the team who will pass to him.

Dalot summed up the no.1 problem in this team tonight!

United need another CF but that is only part of the issue.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah there is issues all across the pitch, which striker do you think fits that criteria of confident on penalties and certain his teammates will find him too.
 
dinostar77 said:
Here's a thought experiment, pick a previous PL striker (from any club), who you think would be the ideal no9 for Amorim's system.

Personally I'd say Didier Drogba. I think he has all of the required attributes that a no 9 in a amorim team would need.
Click to expand...
Suarez.
 
dinostar77 said:
Here's a thought experiment, pick a previous PL striker (from any club), who you think would be the ideal no9 for Amorim's system.

Personally I'd say Didier Drogba. I think he has all of the required attributes that a no 9 in a amorim team would need.
Click to expand...
I’d agree with him. His physical dominance and hold up play made him the perfect lone striker.

So we need to look at the closest modern day equivalent.
 
How has Sesko been performing this season? Would he suit the system?

Delap has impressed me and maybe we can possibly get him for a cut price deal when Ipswich go down, albeit we probably need someone more proven and experienced
 
If we had even a basic mid level striker today we would have won by 2-3 goals.
 
as shown in today's against Arsenal, we should have won the game if we got a proven goal scorer. Hojlund also missed a golden chance at anfield earlier in the season. These games can be won. Just get Osimhen or Gyokeres, plus David on the free along with angel gomes
 
I feel ANY half decent Premier League striker would make us look better. You could chuck Chris Wood or Raul Jimenez up front for us and they’d have us climbing the table. Zirkzee seems more suited to being a dynamic No.10 provided he gets used to the physicality and Hojlund has dropped off a cliff.
 
dinostar77 said:
Here's a thought experiment, pick a previous PL striker (from any club), who you think would be the ideal no9 for Amorim's system.

Personally I'd say Didier Drogba. I think he has all of the required attributes that a no 9 in a amorim team would need.
Click to expand...
You could pick any top class striker and they’ll make it work regardless of system. Amorim just needs his striker to have good hold up play, run the channels, off the ball movement, anticipate and finish. Basically what any good striker worth their money should be going. The problem is these days we are so used to average, shit strikers at United who cannot even do the basics.

Rooney
RVP
RVN
Henry
Drogba
Kane
 
Chairman Steve said:
I feel ANY half decent Premier League striker would make us look better. You could chuck Chris Wood or Raul Jimenez up front for us and they’d have us climbing the table. Zirkzee seems more suited to being a dynamic No.10 provided he gets used to the physicality and Hojlund has dropped off a cliff.
Click to expand...
Zirkzee will never be dynamic.
 
Would happily take David on a free . Then spend whatever budget there is on Cunha and Mbuemo both premier league proven. Hitting double figures in mid table sides. Keep Zirkzee as cover, loan or sell Hojlund.

With the lack of number 9s in world football. We should try and do what Neville was talking about on Sunday and just find a lot of good forward players who chip in. Kane , Haaland and probably Isak. Are the only strikers who are guaranteed to score 25/30 a season in world football. All three are not coming here. So we need alternative solutions.
 
Last edited:
Even looking around the lack of strikers or goals is startling, Prem top scorer is an inverted Winger, Ligue 1 Top Scorer is a winger, Bundesliga and La Liga both have aging strikers as their top scorer and Serie A has Retegui who I don't think would suit outside of Italy, top scorer in Holland a country that has famously produced goal scorers is an attacking midfielder.

Delap I feel is just asking for another Hojlund, too much pressure on a 22 year old to burden your attack, I like Mateta but does he not score more in purple patches (might be playing for a team that only performs in purple patches has an effect) we realistically need someone 24-27 who looks like they can step up a level and deliver 15-20 goals plus.

I'm not a fountain of knowledge across Europe but I just don't see anyone out there within our budget.
 
The-Mezzala said:
With the lack of number 9s in world football. We should try and do what Neville was talking about on Sunday and just find a lot of good forward players who chip in.
Click to expand...
1741656556708.png


There you go. 4222 with Delap and Mateta upfront would be better, this way just looks prettier.

50 Premier League goals this season and counting upfront.

Lunin in goal because well...Onana.

You're welcome!
 
Last edited:
Tallis said:
Romano said that Gyokeres has a verbal agreement with Sporting that he can leave for between 65-75.

If we can win Europa, perhaps he can be convinced to join us. And with the amount of sales we are looking to make, perhaps we can raise the funds.
Click to expand...
I love verbal agreements. Shame no one ever sticks to them.
 
The-Mezzala said:
Would happily take David on a free . Then spend whatever budget there is on Cunha and Mbuemo both premier league proven. Hitting double figures in mid table sides. Keep Zirkzee as cover, loan or sell Hojlund.

With the lack of number 9s in world football. We should try and do what Neville was talking about on Sunday and just find a lot of good forward players who chip in. Kane , Haaland and probably Isak. Are the only strikers who are guaranteed to score 25/30 a season in world football. All three are not coming here. So we need alternative solutions.
Click to expand...
Isak is guaranteed 25 /30 goals per season? How many seasons at how many clubs has he done this previously?
 
Valar Morghulis said:
There you go. 4222 with Delap and Mateta upfront would be better, this way just looks prettier.

50 Premier League goals this season and counting upfront.

Lunin in goal because well...Onana.

You're welcome!
Click to expand...
I doubt we will be signing 4 attacking players this Summer and we won't be playing 4222 anytime soon I reckon.
 
Shaneo2121 said:
I doubt we will be signing 4 attacking players this Summer and we won't be playing 4222 anytime soon I reckon.
Click to expand...
Agreed not the kind of Summer we're heading towards, just threw those players in to fit the assignment.

There's a lot of goals in that front four based off this seasons performance, but knowing our luck, that would dry up the second they walk in the door anyway :lol:
 
How about Retegui? Would he be gettable / affordable?

There's the Serie A skepticism of course, but he has looked brilliant this season for Atalanta.

More realistically perhaps: David, Delap or Mateta would all improve us. Any functioning striker would to be fair.
 
I'm Serie A watcher and Retegui is an average striker imho, he scores a lot because plays for a very offensive team but also EPL flops as Scamacca and Hojlund did put good numbers there..
Then Atalanta players are known to be pretty shite outside that team. Teun Koopmeiners, trash for Juventus, is the last example.

We'll see next week for Italy NT in the two games against a strong NT as Germany if I'm wrong
 
Markolan said:
I'm Serie A watcher and Retegui is an average striker imho, he scores a lot because plays for a very offensive team but also EPL flops as Scamacca and Hojlund did put good numbers there..
Then Atalanta players are known to be pretty shite outside that team. Teun Koopmeiners, trash for Juventus, is the last example.

We'll see next week for Italy NT in the two games against a strong NT as Germany if I'm wrong
Click to expand...
Fair enough on all points, you'll know far better than me. Koopmeiners was another one I was dying for us to sign when he was still for AZ. I've been surprised by how badly he's struggled since moving to Juve, but Atalanta clearly have a Brighton vibe going on in that respect.

I'm very glad I never tried to work in Scouting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.