our "reserve " strikers

golfaddick

2 weeks ago Fleetwood scores a couple for the ressies & then is shipped out to Cheltenham

last night Dickson scores 2 ........will he share the same fate?

hope not - would like to see both playing for the first team before xmas. would give competion for places & give the likes of Gray & Toddy a jolt.

Scoham

Doubt it, surely we want at least 4 strikers here. Unless he goes after Fleetwood does (though they might extend his loan)? Also depends on how quickly McLeod gets back

Henry Irving

[cite]Posted By: golfaddick[/cite]2 weeks ago Fleetwood scores a couple for the ressies & then is shipped out to Cheltenham

last night Dickson scores 2 ........will he share the same fate?

hope not - would like to see both playing for the first team before xmas. would give competion for places & give the likes of Gray & Toddy a jolt.

How can they all be playing for the first team? play 6 upfront? Play players out of position, chop and change? Things that Pardew is attacked for doing

It's great to have strikers, or any other position, pushing those with the shirts and ready to step in if there are injuries, suspensions or lose of form. That's what a squad is for.

Fleetwood is out out playing games and doing well by accounts. His value has most likely gone up a little bit since his goal for Cheltenham and will go up more every time he scores.

Addick Addict

Surely the win against Ipswich hasn't created some sort of "smokescreen" that we have suddenly become a free scoring team? The bare facts are that we have just about managed to muster an average of a goal a game (12 in 11) and have failed to score more than one in all but 3 games. I've said it before and I'll say it again we shouldn't confuse a genuine work ethic with the ability to put the ball in the net.

On that subject (and I know you're an expert on Steve Coppell because you quite rightly corrected me about the fact that he didn't take Reading up from League 1) but who was it that gave Ian Wright his league debut and mentored him through his early years in the league? If that particular manager had not taken that chance on an unknown non league player we might never have witnessed one of the greatest finishers there has ever been in top flight English football.

If we're not prepared to give the same opportunity to Dickson now under what circumstances will we because, as of yet, we haven't given him a single league start.

Kap10

[cite]Posted By: golfaddick[/cite]2 weeks ago Fleetwood scores a couple for the ressies & then is shipped out to Cheltenham

last night Dickson scores 2 ........will he share the same fate?

hope not - would like to see both playing for the first team before xmas. would give competion for places & give the likes of Gray & Toddy a jolt.

I hope that neither Dickson nor Fleetwood have anything but cameo appearances for the first team, for the simple reason that if they can't break into the 1st team it must mean we are scoring goals, althopugh I accept that current history does not support thios ethos.

Exiled_Addick

Patience people, Saturday saw the return of two of most creative and attacking players in Toddy and ZZ and another of lasts seasons top scorers in Ambrose continuing his return to fitness. Seems to me out lack of goals has been as much about poor creativity as it has been poor finishing, especially away from home. Having these players back will surely help us there?

CHG

[cite]Posted By: Exiled_Addick[/cite]Patience people, Saturday saw the return of two of most creative and attacking players in Toddy and ZZ and another of lasts seasons top scorers in Ambrose continuing his return to fitness. Seems to me out lack of goals has been as much about poor creativity as it has been poor finishing, especially away from home. Having these players back will surely help us there?

Totally agree, Toddy has impressed me with his link up play and ability to hold up the ball in his few games for the club.

Addick Addict

But where were Toddy & ZZ when the ball flashed across the six yard box. Shaking hands with each other on the half way line I suspect. The only player anywhere near the ball was Varney and he was fully 10 yards away.

That is what we are missing - a striker who plays on the shoulder of the last defender, one who has the pace and desire to get in behind and who lives and dies for scoring goals. We have one such player in Dickson - whether he is good enough is another thing but we won't know until he's given the same opportunity afforded to messrs M Bent, Varney, Gray etc.

Exiled_Addick

Wait until Toddy and ZZ are fully match fit, they'll be getting in the right places at the right time, especially Toddy - look at his goals for Pompey on youtube - don't forget he once scored nearly 30 goals in this division and grabbed 3 goals in about 7 games last season.

Chris_from_Sidcup

[cite]Posted By: Exiled_Addick[/cite]Wait until Toddy and ZZ are fully match fit, they'll be getting in the right places at the right time, especially Toddy - look at his goals for Pompey on youtube - don't forget he once scored nearly 30 goals in this division and grabbed 3 goals in about 7 games last season.

When he scored all those goals it was 2002-3, he's had 2 or 3 major injuries since then. Whilst i don't doubt he still has the talent, i don't think we can expect him to scoring goals of that regularity again.

razil

I wouldn't call ZZ 'creative', direct is perhaps more appropriate? and he gets himself in scoring positions

Mortimerician

My frustration with the situation is that some players are favoured while others are not. Gray isn't everybody's cup of tea, but he makes some clever movement, has some physical presence and has hit the net more than the others. Toddy is clearly quality, but is so slow now that anyone can mark him out of games. He hangs back to stay onside, and then can't make up the ground to get himself into the box and into the action. I can't see what has put Toddy ahead of Gray or indeed Dickson, who needs a crack, as others have said.

Henry Irving

[cite]Posted By: Addick Addict[/cite]Surely the win against Ipswich hasn't created some sort of "smokescreen" that we have suddenly become a free scoring team? The bare facts are that we have just about managed to muster an average of a goal a game (12 in 11) and have failed to score more than one in all but 3 games. I've said it before and I'll say it again we shouldn't confuse a genuine work ethic with the ability to put the ball in the net.

On that subject (and I know you're an expert on Steve Coppell because you quite rightly corrected me about the fact that he didn't take Reading up from League 1) but who was it that gave Ian Wright his league debut and mentored him through his early years in the league? If that particular manager had not taken that chance on an unknown non league player we might never have witnessed one of the greatest finishers there has ever been in top flight English football.

If we're not prepared to give the same opportunity to Dickson now under what circumstances will we because, as of yet, we haven't given him a single league start.

Is scoring goals all down to the forwards? No striker will score if the chances aren't created. Dickson maybe the answer but if Varney is dropped the moan will be "£2m and he's in the ressies" Ditto for Gray.

McLeod has pace and power so why not play him? Fleetwood scored load last season so why not play him (went off after 9 mins last night is he injured?) Why the obsession with DIcko as the answer ahead of the other options? is his record really that impressive?

And I'm not an expert of Steve Coppell. I just wouldn't praise "his" attacking, promotion winning side when the actual manager was A. Pardew.

Addick Addict

"And I'm not an expert of Steve Coppell. I just wouldn't praise "his" attacking, promotion winning side when the actual manager was A. Pardew."

But you accept that he did take Reading to the Premiership and that they had a tremendous first season in the top flight; that he has assembled a team that cost less than 2.5m that has scored 33 goals in 11 games this season (compared to the 12 we've managed) and that he wasn't afraid to throw Ian Wright in and at the deep end.

"Is scoring goals all down to the forwards? No striker will score if the chances aren't created. Dickson maybe the answer but if Varney is dropped the moan will be "£2m and he's in the ressies" Ditto for Gray."

It's not all down to the forwards but we don't often see our midfielders getting into the box. When Holland did against Reading he scored. ZZ is the one who can offer is tha option but I rather fear that we will see in our next away game the negative 4-5-1 that Pards seems to have taken a shine to with ZZ playing behind Varney.

I don't see too many people bemoaning the fact that Gray was on the bench on Saturday. In any event, there are any number of ways that 3 of our strikers can all play, one of which would be to play Varney (who I wouldn't drop) wide, on the right to go on the outside or on the left to cut inside onto his left foot as he frequently likes to do. Alternatively, as I suggested weeks ago, why not play a straightforward 4-4-2 with Varney and Dickson up front together.

"McLeod has pace and power so why not play him? Fleetwood scored load last season so why not play him (went off after 9 mins last night is he injured?) Why the obsession with DIcko as the answer ahead of the other options? is his record really that impressive?"

Unlike McLeod and Todorov he has been fit all season but hasn't even made the bench recently. Equally, he did his bit on loan last season and I fail to see what more he will learn doing so again by dropping down a division. That is why he deserves a chance in front of the others.

I think you have, deliberately or not, hit on a dilemma that Pards has. How does he justify playing someone who cost £30,000 in front of our expensive purchases? He signed Gray and it would, perhaps, not reflect too well on him if he did drop him for Dickson. On the other hand, bringing Todorov in is, perhaps more acceptable to Gray as a demotion.