Forward Options

[catcherintherye]

Definitely true to a point but you can guarantee that Kean would have come on on Sunday, at least for half an hour, maybe at half time. He might not have done anything, but all it means is we're now bringing on someone who would have been below him in the pecking order. He wasn't effective enough last year but we either had to hope he improved or swap him for someone who could have more of an impact. As it is, without him or Walcott, we're definitely short of options for changing it up.

I'm not so sure we are out of options but out of quality. We brought on Gordon and Bernard who are not bad players. The question to me is really 2 fold;
1) Is Kean better than those players (potentially yes)
2) Would have been a better fit for Richarlinson than Iwobi/Bernard? For me absolutely.

Iwobi/Bernard to me feel like a very poor mans James. They want to come inside and dictate play. They don't look to stretch the game/opponents.

Gordon is probably the wildcard in this, in that he can stretch the play and run in behind.

I am a little though. I can understand that if DCL goes down Richarlinson is the backup 9 and nobody would say it is not a goo backup option, but who do we have who can then replace Richarlinson on the left?

 

[catcherintherye]

I'd agree with this if there had ever been a time where he was played through the middle here, like he always seemed to want to do at Arsenal, but even during the period of playing 4-4-2 he was always considered a midfielder.

To me, you'd want him on the shoulder of the last defender as much as possible, but I can't think of a single occasion where an Everton manager tried it.

And it seems Southampton aren't either. That must be 4 or 5 managers now who have not done it. It is not unreasonable to assume there's something in his game that isn't really suited to doing it.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Zaha would obviously have been a £45/50m deal.

Personally, given the state of the league this season, I think it would have been worth every penny. We need to push on this year and it's a massive chance to do so.

But without quality options past our first XI, that's not happening. Not with our injury record (and suspensions, as it stands).

It would have been a gamble but one which would have transformed our squad into real top-four contenders imo.

King is different.

I was underwhelmed with the links but given we let Kean go and didn't sign anyone else in the main window, it would have been sensible to go and do a deal for £10-12m. King would have jumped at the chance to play for us and would have been a better back up option than the ones we have right now.

If Richarlison is out, we can't really play the 4-3-3 in the same way we have been doing. So it means we have to change shape.

Had we signed King - or Zaha or someone of that versatile ilk - we'd have no reason to change our system if one player is out.

It was a daft risk and one which we didn't need to take.

I did try warn people but I was labelled a heretic

 

[Lanolin]

I'm not so sure we are out of options but out of quality. We brought on Gordon and Bernard who are not bad players. The question to me is really 2 fold;
1) Is Kean better than those players (potentially yes)
2) Would have been a better fit for Richarlinson than Iwobi/Bernard? For me absolutely.

Iwobi/Bernard to me feel like a very poor mans James. They want to come inside and dictate play. They don't look to stretch the game/opponents.

Gordon is probably the wildcard in this, in that he can stretch the play and run in behind.

I am a little though. I can understand that if DCL goes down Richarlinson is the backup 9 and nobody would say it is not a goo backup option, but who do we have who can then replace Richarlinson on the left?

Yeah I maybe didn't explain that very well, that's kind of what I meant by options. I wouldn't say Bernard and Iwobi are really 2 different options. They're 2 different players, but they'll effectively do the same thing. I mean we don't really have the option to say OK i want more pace, or I want someone who's going to get on the end of things in the box, or I want someone who can play a cute pass. Our only option to change on sunday was basically seeing if Bernard had any more luck than Iwobi.

 

[BlueToff]

I did try warn people but I was labelled a heretic

I think most people did agree mate, and you know I did. I just did see both sides of it.

It was a calculated risk I suppose but it all it took was one incident - and injury or suspension - to leave us down to bare bones.

 

[Carlito]

And it seems Southampton aren't either. That must be 4 or 5 managers now who have not done it. It is not unreasonable to assume there's something in his game that isn't really suited to doing it.

Yeah, there must be something to it, although he did have some decent spells playing as a striker at Arsenal.

I suppose he's been playing within himself as a right-sided midfielder for so long now, it'd be difficult to go back to the Michael Owen-lite that he was touted as in his youth. I don't think he's ever been the same since separating from Wenger, either.

 

[BlueToff]

I do think we should have kept Walcott as an option right across the front three. Kean I could understand, he didn’t seem to want to put the effort in, but Walcott seemed to be professional enough and has gone into Southamptons first team now.

I didn't mind it as clearing wages.

PSG are paying all of Kean's wages (supposedly like £70k p/wk) and S'ton paying half of Walcott's £120k p/wk wage.

That's a saving of £5,200,000 (approx) over the course of nine months.

That's a sizeable chunk towards a transfer fee or a wage.

 

[BlueToff]

Our 'forward options' are fine.

If you're talking CF in particular then yeah I agree it would've helped to have another out-and-out one in reserve at least. Reckon we're banking on Tosun being that reserve when he's back fit.

As Pep said the other day though - getting strikers of the right quality in the window these days is no easy task.

They really aren't.

We have James, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

After that, the back ups are Bernard and Iwobi, neither of whom offer any real goal threat.

Gordon the other alternative for the left flank but he's more of a midfielder.

We have been left desperately short for a team wanting to play 4-3-3 (and James is obviously more of a midfielder, he's just a world class player capable of playing anywhere).

 

[Carloblues]

One suspension to Richy and we went into a game with one striker in the whole squad.

That's really worrying tbh

 

[BlueToff]

One suspension to Richy and we went into a game with one striker in the whole squad.

That's really worrying tbh

It's just daft. There was no need to take the risk.

 

[Furey1878]

What's the ETA on Tosun?

 

[Stephenlloyd]

Our 'forward options' are fine.

If you're talking CF in particular then yeah I agree it would've helped to have another out-and-out one in reserve at least. Reckon we're banking on Tosun being that reserve when he's back fit.

As Pep said the other day though - getting strikers of the right quality in the window these days is no easy task.

But I’m not sure city need a CF, been unlucky having 2 injuries. And not easy buying someone to be 3rd choice.

Doesn’t really make sense to have Tosun as an option, when 1 he’s not fit abd 2 not really wanted. And if he’s not back till December, again just doesn’t make sense.

You say our forward options are fine. I think the proof was there on Sunday. One missing and one not fully fit. If we lose are front 3 a big IF I admit. We will basically have. Simms upfront and 2 of iwobi/Gordon/Bernard wide. That’s 2 kids and 2 not good enough.

Another quality attacker is needed in jan, if we have any chance of top 4. And maybe another Striker next summer.

 

[billyblue80]

...given how ineffective he was, I’m not sure we’re any worst off than when Kean was here.

Maybe but even coming on and giving Dom a breather is something we just don't have that right now. Also with Richy out nobody to replicate what he does either.. I mean I am not expecting the same quality as back up but similiar attributes would be good because Iwobi and Bernard don't bring what Richy does.

 

[Eggs]

Maybe but even coming on and giving Dom a breather is something we just don't have that right now. Also with Richy out nobody to replicate what he does either.. I mean I am not expecting the same quality as back up but similiar attributes would be good because Iwobi and Bernard don't bring what Richy does.

...we need a threat off the bench, somebody who can come on and influence a game. I could come on ‘and give Dom a breather’ and I’m 64.

 

[billyblue80]

It's just daft. There was no need to take the risk.

Agree we must have balked at King's price but you cannot go into a season so thin in forward areas and not expect it to come back and bite you.