[Poll] We desperately need a striker

Which striker should we buy ?


  • Total voters
    1,144
  • Poll closed .
It's really difficult to find a back-up kind of striker for our formation. Strikers need games to get their scoring rhythm. Hernandez was great when he played a lot, but when he didn't his game turned to shit.

Can we really bring in someone like Benteke for £30 million just to play second fiddle to Rooney? It sounds totally ridiculous.

Lacazette is a similar dilemma. He's too established/expensive to come in as back-up, imo.
 
It's really difficult to find a back-up kind of striker for our formation. Strikers need games to get their scoring rhythm. Hernandez was great when he played a lot, but when he didn't his game turned to shit.

Can we really bring in someone like Benteke for £30 million just to play second fiddle to Rooney? It sounds totally ridiculous.

Lacazette is a similar dilemma. He's too established/expensive to come in as back-up, imo.

In that case then we're fine with Rooney and Wilson. Depay can play forward as well, according to LVG himself
 
Would Kane and Benteke want to come if they're back-ups here? and I'm mentioning Benteke since Liverpool are interested in him and he's a guaranteed starter if he signs for them.

Ive raised this same question a few times - every seems to be dodging it. Why would Kane leave Tottenham where he plays day in and day out to be an understudy to Rooney. Kane will want to force his way into the England team for the Euros.

1 - We have too many midfielders now to play a formation that uses 2 strikers effectively. If everyones fit, Carrick, Bastian, Morgan and Herrera would most likely be pushing for a start. You think we can sit 2 of them on the bench and keep them happy?
2 - The only formation that can use 2 strikers and the midfielders is 3-5-2. Most people hate it and it would mean we play our wing attackers in wing back positions.

The football world is evolving. Winger/forwards who contribute a lot to goals is where its at now.
 
I don't think we'll buy a striker. I do think LvG was being truthful and will be okay with using what he already has and Memphis if it comes down to it. I do think we are looking and inquired about certain players, but I don't think he's going to sanction a transfer for just any striker for the sake of it like Benteke. If he can't get Kane, Benzema, Muller or whoever he really wants I think he just leaves the situation alone until January or next summer.

Personally I think we made a mistake letting RVP go. He was happy here and if he rediscovers his form we couldn't of asked for a better 2nd option. Rooney is the undroppable one and now that we have plenty of options in midfield, I don't see him being pushed into midfield to accommodate another striker too often. With that, I can't see why Kane or Cavani would want to come here and be a second option. Even Benteke would probably choose Liverpool over us because they can guarantee him a starting spot every game.

Also I think Hernandez should be given an opportunity. Based off Rooney's description of what LvG told him he wants his strikers to do it sounds like Hernandez is exactly what he wants.
 
Ive raised this same question a few times - every seems to be dodging it. Why would Kane leave Tottenham where he plays day in and day out to be an understudy to Rooney. Kane will want to force his way into the England team for the Euros.

1 - We have too many midfielders now to play a formation that uses 2 strikers effectively. If everyones fit, Carrick, Bastian, Morgan and Herrera would most likely be pushing for a start. You think we can sit 2 of them on the bench and keep them happy?
2 - The only formation that can use 2 strikers and the midfielders is 3-5-2. Most people hate it and it would mean we play our wing attackers in wing back positions.

The football world is evolving. Winger/forwards who contribute a lot to goals is where its at now.

1) what has a midfielder got to do with buying a striker. We brought 2 centre midfielders not attacking mids and yes one of them will be on the bench, just like Carrick was for a while when we had Hargreaves, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher and Anderson.

2) it's LVG I'm sure the formation will be tinkered from time to time

And we have no winger forwards capable of getting league winning number of goals, so we either buy one or another striker to help Rooney out.
 
1) what has a midfielder got to do with buying a striker. We brought 2 centre midfielders not attacking mids and yes one of them will be on the bench, just like Carrick was for a while when we had Hargreaves, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher and Anderson.

2) it's LVG I'm sure the formation will be tinkered from time to time

And we have no winger forwards capable of getting league winning number of goals, so we either buy one or another striker to help Rooney out.

My 2 points are interlinked. We have an abundance of midfielders to use a 2 midfield formation. LVG played the 352 as a necessity not because he wanted to. He has stated numerous amount of times that he favors the 433. He now has all the tools to play his favored formation, im sure he wont deviate from it.

Oh and the part in bold, you are making it up. Carrick has been a ever present starter for us since he signed in 2006. He has never been benched for any player.
 
Last edited:
1) what has a midfielder got to do with buying a striker. We brought 2 centre midfielders not attacking mids and yes one of them will be on the bench, just like Carrick was for a while when we had Hargreaves, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher and Anderson.

2) it's LVG I'm sure the formation will be tinkered from time to time

And we have no winger forwards capable of getting league winning number of goals, so we either buy one or another striker to help Rooney out.

Didn't Depay score 22 league goals last season (28 total)? That would put him second in the PL top scorer table for last season, ahead of Harry Kane and league winner Diego Costa.
 
I am happy and willing to take the risk with Rooney, Henrandez and Wilson (15/16 campaign) as our strikers just so Rooney doesn't play anywhere else only #9. Mata, Memphis and Fellaini can make up for loss of goals when Rooney is injured.
 
And we have no winger forwards capable of getting league winning number of goals, so we either buy one or another striker to help Rooney out.

I think that number is probably about 10-12 non-penalty goals for your best goalscoring winger (as long as the other side isn't a Jesus Navas-esque no show).

I think Memphis could get there, even this season. Conditions are now pretty good, with Rooney as a lone striker being a traditionally complimentary 9 for wingers, Mata or Di Maria coming in on their left off the right wing and looking to hit runners toward goal from the left-wing and centre and Schweinsteiger and Herrera improving our ability to break quicker.
 
Didn't Depay score 22 league goals last season (28 total)? That would put him second in the PL top scorer table for last season, ahead of Harry Kane and league winner Diego Costa.

Depay scored many goals last season - but in the Dutch league. The EPL is a totally different level.
Falcao and Di Maria were sensational in Spain. In EPL, they were not.
Even LVG admitted last year that he was taken aback by the competitiveness of the EPL (we got beat by MK Dons and Leicester - these were games he thought we could win easily).
 
Depay scored many goals last season - but in the Dutch league. The EPL is a totally different level.
Falcao and Di Maria were sensational in Spain. In EPL, they were not.
Even LVG admitted last year that he was taken aback by the competitiveness of the EPL (we got beat by MK Dons and Leicester - these were games he thought we could win easily).
He's proven he can score goals though, which rubbishes @Mainoldo's claim that we don't have any wingers who can get forward and score. Mata has also shown he can score when playing in a wider role.
 
Ive raised this same question a few times - every seems to be dodging it. Why would Kane leave Tottenham where he plays day in and day out to be an understudy to Rooney. Kane will want to force his way into the England team for the Euros.

1 - We have too many midfielders now to play a formation that uses 2 strikers effectively. If everyones fit, Carrick, Bastian, Morgan and Herrera would most likely be pushing for a start. You think we can sit 2 of them on the bench and keep them happy?
2 - The only formation that can use 2 strikers and the midfielders is 3-5-2. Most people hate it and it would mean we play our wing attackers in wing back positions.

The football world is evolving. Winger/forwards who contribute a lot to goals is where its at now.

I dont think kane will leave but then again, you dont sign the players we have and expect to simply fight it for the top 4. Kane aside, this is the weakest tottenham has been, the same goes for Liverpool and the gap does show on & off the field already.

Only chance we are getting kane this year is a di maria style bid and possibly another player like valencia or hernandez( if they want). Kane is 21 and has the choice of improving undee tottenham or undee united & van gaal. I'd say thats a pretty equal decision.
 
if rooney is out for more than 2-3 weeks then we could be in deep trouble. hernandez and wilson as our only option when rooney is out does not fill me with much confidence.

this is a tricky situation, with no truly world class CF available, even if we got one then rooney will have to back out and play elsewhere. number 10? wing forward?

if we are going for someone to be a cover for rooney, even the likes benteke, lukaku or berahino will cost us 20million pound.
 
Hernandez will be sold regardless of that injury.I think Fellani will play plenty of games upfront (not like I really prefer that idea).
 
I absolutely refuse to believe that LVG will let go of RVP without a replacement. Unless we have a hidden gem in the youth that is 2x better than Harry Kane.

I even reject his explaination that depay can play as a striker so we are comfortable in the striking options.

Even if and when the transfer window closes and we didn't manage to sign a world class striker, I will still refuse to believe it is LVG decision.

So please do the sensible thing and get the last piece of the puzzle in. I trust you LVG and Woodward even if it may be harder than all Tom's assignments combined in the mission impossible episodes.
 
Didn't LvG talk about Januzaj adapting to a striker role as well?
(Could be bogus, but i waaay back in my mind it seems to have been mentioned)
 
Didn't LvG talk about Januzaj adapting to a striker role as well?
(Could be bogus, but i waaay back in my mind it seems to have been mentioned)

He did and I agree Januzaj will be a forward long term.
Only when we were playing 3-5-2.

No way he is a striker. Number 10 yeah, but not a striker.
 
1. Muller
2. Higuain
3. Lacazette/Berardi

In that order. I still think that we may go in for Muller as long as LvG is around. He's not so indispensable to Bayern it seems and if we offer something in the region of 70-80m EUR we may have a shot.
 
Only when we were playing 3-5-2.

No way he is a striker. Number 10 yeah, but not a striker.

I think the number 10 role and the striker role is pretty similar under the 433. The main striker brings in the 2 wide forwards in to play. Its similar to the furthest forward midfielder in the 352 bringing the 2 strikers in to play.

The only difference betweem the 352 amd 4 33 is the position of our deepest lying midfielder (Schneiderlin) and out furthest forward midfielder/attacker.
 
Thinking about it Depay has proven to be very efficient at scoring last season and in advanced role in 433 he'd get plenty of opportunities to score so it's not unthinkable that he could get 15+ goals next season. Rooney is a decent goalscorer if played up front and Wilson is certainly talented. If we keep Hernandez then we ought to survive without another addition, it's still be preferable for us if we could get a new player in but the lack of obvious targets makes it somewhat difficult for us.
 
No point signing Berahino when we have Wilson imo.

We do love to overrate our youngsters don't we?

Wilson has done nothing of merit to be considered at par with a proven EPL scorer like Berahino
 
Don't understand this buy a slightly lesser player to accommodate Rooney nonsense. We had RVP challenging him, we need someone of a similar ilk come in and if Wayne can't justify his place he can sit on the bench - simple as.
 
Don't understand this buy a slightly lesser player to accommodate Rooney nonsense. We had RVP challenging him, we need someone of a similar ilk come in and if Wayne can't justify his place he can sit on the bench - simple as.
Van Persie was not challenging him, he was main striker in 2012-13 and then just faded.
 
Van Persie was not challenging him, he was main striker in 2012-13 and then just faded.

Not any more he wasn't agreed but that is besides the point, we have always had 2 strikers of top quality whenever we have done well.. to get in a lesser striker just so Rooney can swan around unchallenged is a ridiculous proposition.. relying on Rooney is a massive gamble especially as it seems as if he isn't as good as he once was.
 
In my opinion, we are not that desperate for another striker. In fact, it would not be a good idea to bring in a "world class" striker at the moment.

I think we will now play 4-3-3 due to our reinforced midfield this season.

Our top 3 will be Di Maria/Young-Rooney-Mata/Depay/Adnan, with the first choice midfielders as Schneiderlin/Herrera-Carrick-Schweinsteiger.

Adding a certain starter will be unnecessary in my opinion. It's definitely not crucial.
 
Don't understand this buy a slightly lesser player to accommodate Rooney nonsense. We had RVP challenging him, we need someone of a similar ilk come in and if Wayne can't justify his place he can sit on the bench - simple as.

Agree with this. Maintaining the status quo wrt Rooney as a starter provides him with no added motivation to perform well. Not saying he will, but players can get complacent when they know they will be definite starters. Even if he repeats some of his performances from last season as a #9, we could be in for a long season. United could do with more top-end competition in the position, something the likes of Berahino wouldn't be able to provide.