People are very harsh on Cosgrove but I don't know if people have looked into his contributions beyond his goal record. I think there's a general negativity towards big lump type strikers even when they're effective, people want mobile goalscorers. What we need is players who can work together though and May needs a player who can help the ball stick up top before it gets to him. We've got a 20 goal striker in the line-up, we need someone to chip in with a few himself and provide for May. Leaburn will do that when he's fit but we need an alternative too as we've seen. Cosgrove had a really good season for Plymouth. 8 goals and 2 assists in 1,307 minutes, which is a goal every 163 minutes. A goal every 1.8 full games, that's pretty good for a player primarily used for impact or as a rotation option. Plymouth brought him on a lot, he started 13 games of 33, scoring in 3 of those starts and getting both assists in 2 of them. His contributions when he came on were generally game-changing, including getting 2 goals against Derby despite only being on for 15 minutes. His goals were the odd goal in 4 games, 5 if you count the one where he got a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win. For a player who was mostly used to come on and change games he actually had a very effective season and contributed to a team that ran away with the L1 title. He might look like a galoot and not get pulses racing but we need a rotation option for Leaburn who seems to be quite injury prone and I think bringing in the bloke who did that job effectively for the league champions wouldn't be the daftest move going to be honest.
I get that, just concerned he’s one of those average players lifted by playing in a very good Plymouth team. I think we can potentially find better with a young Prem loanee - it’s more of a gamble but if it works you can end up with a player who by the end of the season is too good for L1. With this squad I don’t think we’ll get promoted if our last few signings are players who “can do a job”.
The thing with that though is I think Cosgrove is a cog in that very good team rather than a passenger. Honestly, look at that Plymouth team that absolutely romped to the title and tell me which of those players any of us thought were title winners in August 2022. Ryan Hardie was an average journeyman who had had his first ever 10+ goal season the year before. Morgan Whittaker hadn't cut it at Championship level and looked ok for Lincoln the season before. Bali Mumba didn't do enough in the Championshi for Peterborough so his next loan was a league down, Finn Azaz had a couple of L2 loan seasons, Nial Ennis had scored 10 goals in 2 seasons previously. None of their defenders were really ones you'd look at as top L1 players. But everything came together, everyone was the right piece in the puzzle to get the job done and Cosgrove who was their 4th highest scorer last season I think was part of that rather than a player lifted by the genius around him. I don't think that Dan Scarr whose record looks a lot like O'Connell's is so incredibly good he lifted Cosgrove above his level. At least I hope not. What they were was the right players in the right roles for the right team. We need a physical presence up front who can hold up the ball and allow May to cause damage further up the pitch rather than having to chase, come deep and run off the ball away from goal constantly. We don't need Cosgrove to be the second coming of Yann, we need him to complement the style we're trying to implement, and on the face of it that's what he did at Plymouth in a similar role last season. And it worked. Maybe he's terrible and we won't get him anyway, but honestly I think I'd rather have a few players who aren't the absolute best in the league but actually fit the system than a team of Charlie Kirks who individually have the right stats but don't fit into anything like the system we're trying to play. The real pressure is on putting together that coherent system, without that we're not getting anywhere
That would be great, but he looks too good for L1.
They may even loan Burstow out to a lower prem club?
Burstow looks ready for a Championship loan now he is not a teenager. Needs to play every week. Now 20.
Rak-Saki needed League 1 last season as he was a baller in Youth football and needed to experience men's football. Now JRS is ready for a Championship loan. Now 20
Kwadwo Baah was going to make his premier debut 5 managers ago at Watford ! but got taken out in training and then after his ankle mended was sent to Fortuna Düsseldorf on loan but didn't play enough. A very talented two footed forward who may be slightly crazy but cafc saw against Rochdale when he was 17 he can strike the ball with power. Burton in League 1 may get his career back on track. Now 20.
I think Cosgrove would do a job, which could be all we need as we do have Leaburn and May which if they stay fit is easily enough goals if Cosgrove can contribute like he did for Plymouth.
If it is a striker from Birmingham I would much rather it be Jutkiewicz. Even at 34 he’d do well at this level and help us in both boxes
Fed up of players who might "do a job", it leads to mid table mediocrity every time.
I want players who are quality for us.
Not convinced on Cosgrove, scoring record in England is poor.
Had a look through forums of previous clubs - Plymouth one suggested he was good when he came on v tired defences for 20 mins, bad when he started.
Aberdeen, where he actually scored a few, weren't impressed. Two quotes:
'Regardless of how many goals he scored for us he was honestly fucking shite'
'Jayden Stockley was a better player and he was shite.'
Shrewsbury after his time there had people calling him second rate.
Birmingham comments weren't great (admittedly a league up), and they suggest he's been injured most of the summer.
Hopefully proven wrong and it works for him here if he arrives, but it's not a signing that I'm excited about at all, feels like the cheap option again rather than the good option.
I understand your point, but we won the play off final with Josh Parker up front who did little more than "a job".
That said by all means Cosgrove doesn't sound like the answer at the minute.
But we did that in spite of having Josh Parker, and the transfer options were so limited because Roland owned us. We're meant to be past having those sorts of windows aren't we?
Chelsea would need to sign a striker before he’d be allowed out. Even then I think they might keep him till January with Nkunku out for a while. If he went out now he’d probably go to league 1 and we’d obviously have a very good chance. After another 6 months developing at Chelsea and training with the first team he might be able to get a championship loan in January
We haven't signed him yet and I'd imagine if we do he will come on for miles (when fit) in the last 20 mins, where he has been effective in the past. I genuinely think we just need someone to win the ball upfront and to occupy a CB to make space for may. Do that and chip in with the odd goal and he's done his job in my eyes.
Agree but as @North Lower Neil says, some of the comments on the Birmingham forums are scathing. And they reckon he’s been injured.
He been on their bench this season so can’t be that injured
People are very harsh on Cosgrove but I don't know if people have looked into his contributions beyond his goal record. I think there's a general negativity towards big lump type strikers even when they're effective, people want mobile goalscorers. What we need is players who can work together though and May needs a player who can help the ball stick up top before it gets to him. We've got a 20 goal striker in the line-up, we need someone to chip in with a few himself and provide for May. Leaburn will do that when he's fit but we need an alternative too as we've seen. Cosgrove had a really good season for Plymouth. 8 goals and 2 assists in 1,307 minutes, which is a goal every 163 minutes. A goal every 1.8 full games, that's pretty good for a player primarily used for impact or as a rotation option. Plymouth brought him on a lot, he started 13 games of 33, scoring in 3 of those starts and getting both assists in 2 of them. His contributions when he came on were generally game-changing, including getting 2 goals against Derby despite only being on for 15 minutes. His goals were the odd goal in 4 games, 5 if you count the one where he got a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win. For a player who was mostly used to come on and change games he actually had a very effective season and contributed to a team that ran away with the L1 title. He might look like a galoot and not get pulses racing but we need a rotation option for Leaburn who seems to be quite injury prone and I think bringing in the bloke who did that job effectively for the league champions wouldn't be the daftest move going to be honest.
I get that, just concerned he’s one of those average players lifted by playing in a very good Plymouth team. I think we can potentially find better with a young Prem loanee - it’s more of a gamble but if it works you can end up with a player who by the end of the season is too good for L1. With this squad I don’t think we’ll get promoted if our last few signings are players who “can do a job”.
Premier league starlets generally don't have the physical strength to play the target man role, that's something you play when you've bulked up and learned how to battle defenders.
Miles Leaburn hold up play last season wasn't that effective, as it's part of his game he's still learning. He could easily play alongside a Cosgrove type, as the rest of his game is so good.
But offering 500k in June or now doesn't change the fact Exeter think he's worth more than that and Charlton don't?
Or we signed May instead and it was one or the other ?
Certainly not ITK but the message being put out after Leaburn got injured was that we had previously bid for May & the offer was "on the table". We then went back that week & increased our offer & it was accepted. Leaburn was injured on the sat & full extent of it known on the Tues. May signed 3 days later.
My feeling is that we were going to sign 1 of Nombe/May/JCH/Ladapo. Our hand was forced & Cheltenham played ball.
I firmly believe we wont be signing another "known" striker and anyone else signed to play up front will be a Prem loanee.
So we bid for Nombe. Enquired about JCH and Ladapo and now we’re desperate so are looking, hoping, praying (?) to sign Cosgrove who won’t work out cheaply and has a less than impressive record. Exciting new era my arse.
Something we have missed since Stockley leaving is how he helped us when defending set pieces. If we are going to sign a back-up/cover for Leaburn they need to be able to help us out defensively in these areas.
The funny thing is that Stockley would have suited this current formation well, especially as he would only be the back up to Leaburn as the partner for May. The main issue with Stockley was how immobile he was and playing him up front on his own made that very obvious.
So we bid for Nombe. Enquired about JCH and Ladapo and now we’re desperate so are looking, hoping, praying (?) to sign Cosgrove who won’t work out cheaply and has a less than impressive record. Exciting new era my arse.
Pretty much what I said a few weeks back and got pelters from lots here
Not against a Prem/champ young loanee at all but they tend to be smaller quicker strikers than target man types.
Unless it's someone like a Josh Coburn from Middlesbrough
Yep I agree a young player like that is harder to find, but if the budget is there to attract the better loanees (questionable whether it is of course) I would imagine we’ve explored the options available for that role.
I get the arguments for signing Cosgrove, I just wouldn’t be as confident he’d replicate what he did in a very good Plymouth side. If he was that effective they’d probably have wanted to bring him back.
I also don’t see him coming here with the intention of covering Leaburn. There seems to be plenty of L1 interest, he’ll be going somehow to get regular football.
Strikers shouldn’t only be judged on goals but we need players to fit what we’re trying to build. We obviously need height and strength up front, but we don’t need another Stockley who’s immobile and can’t play his part in the press - if one player can’t support it then it can quickly fall apart. We’ve intentionally gone for mobile players this summer, does Cosgrove offer that and if not is he good enough for it to not be much of an issue?
The funny thing is that Stockley would have suited this current formation well, especially as he would only be the back up to Leaburn as the partner for May. The main issue with Stockley was how immobile he was and playing him up front on his own made that very obvious.
He wouldn’t though as he’s no longer the player he was. His record at Fleetwood is continuing to prove that. Playing him on his own just made it more obvious - he did the same under Adkins and scored enough to convince us to sign him permanently. Selling him as the right decision while he still had a decent reputation as a goalscorer.
I don't mind a striker who doesn't score loads if they have great link up play and keep defenders busy. The problem with Cosgrove is that the fans of every club he's played for say he's lazy and doesn't put himself about anywhere near as much as he should for a big man.
I don't mind a striker who doesn't score loads if they have great link up play and keep defenders busy. The problem with Cosgrove is that the fans of every club he's played for say he's lazy and doesn't put himself about anywhere near as much as he should for a big man.
Yeah and I don’t mind goalkeepers that can’t save! 🤣 good partnerships rely on both scoring, Bright etc would chip in their fair share
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It wouldn't be super exciting as signings go but it makes sense to me.
Burstow looks ready for a Championship loan now he is not a teenager. Needs to play every week.
Now 20.
Rak-Saki needed League 1 last season as he was a baller in Youth football and needed to experience men's football. Now JRS is ready for a Championship loan.
Now 20
Kwadwo Baah was going to make his premier debut 5 managers ago at Watford ! but got taken out in training and then after his ankle mended was sent to Fortuna Düsseldorf on loan but didn't play enough.
A very talented two footed forward who may be slightly crazy but cafc saw against Rochdale when he was 17 he can strike the ball with power.
Burton in League 1 may get his career back on track.
Now 20.
Miles Leaburn hold up play last season wasn't that effective, as it's part of his game he's still learning. He could easily play alongside a Cosgrove type, as the rest of his game is so good.
Unless it's someone like a Josh Coburn from Middlesbrough
I get the arguments for signing Cosgrove, I just wouldn’t be as confident he’d replicate what he did in a very good Plymouth side. If he was that effective they’d probably have wanted to bring him back.
I also don’t see him coming here with the intention of covering Leaburn. There seems to be plenty of L1 interest, he’ll be going somehow to get regular football.
Strikers shouldn’t only be judged on goals but we need players to fit what we’re trying to build. We obviously need height and strength up front, but we don’t need another Stockley who’s immobile and can’t play his part in the press - if one player can’t support it then it can quickly fall apart. We’ve intentionally gone for mobile players this summer, does Cosgrove offer that and if not is he good enough for it to not be much of an issue?
🤣
good partnerships rely on both scoring, Bright etc would chip in their fair share