Controversial opinion time but I don’t even think the striker we need has to be that good. We just need *someone* who can help us avoid a situation like last season where we went to Wigan with Burstow and Elliot Lee up front, for example.
Obviously the player coming in would need chip in with a few goals when they play over the course of the season but Plan A is obviously to move forward with club captain Stockley as often as possible.
As long as we have a senior body that is available to play when called upon and does a half decent job at dropping into midfield and linking the play, we can still score goals from the likes of CBT, JRS, Kirk, Fraser and Payne.
And then when Stockley is back after a short absence, they’ll drop back to the bench.
For me, it’s more important to get a player that fits the style and can replace Jayden’s link up without disruption more so than finding a poacher who can score a goal but not contribute anything else.
It’s become clear over the last few weeks that that poaching kind of forward won’t fit the Garner style.
I don't think that this is controversial. As you said, stockley is clearly first choice with aneke being the impact sub (obviously fitness permitting). The emergence of leaburn means we could be looking for a 4th choice, a Parker type signing rather than someone being brought in to challenge stockley.
Some free agent striker options... don't get the pulses racing but keeping in mind my post from above, some of these could do a job and/or add experience:
- Oumar Niasse (was with Everton 2016-2020, last with Burton) - Marc McNulty (spells with Coventry and Reading, recently on loan at Dundee) - Lewis Grabban (last with Forest, has had a long and successful career in the Championship) - Mamadou Thiam (last played in France, spent 2017-2020 with Barnsley) - Hal Robson-Kanu (long career in top two tiers with Reading and WBA) - Sam Winnall (bounced between Champ and L1, last with Oxford) - Simon Makienok (don't laugh) - Fraizer Campbell (last with Huddersfield) - Nadir Ciftci (CharltonLife legend, last with St Johnstone)
Would any of them be fit enough to make an impact and be happy to fit in our wage structure?
If we could get Stephen Humphrys on loan, that would be very good business.
Very much used to playing this style of football when he was at Rochdale and he’s not really kicked on since the big move to Wigan.
This would be a really good move. Could even be better than Stockley and I didn’t realise he was only 24 so could hopefully get a loan with permanent option. Wigan have just added Broadhead and have Wyke back so he’s slid further down their pecking order so probably will be available
Disappointed by Mr Cawley's response to the Stockton rumour. I accept that if Stockton was acquired by the club it would be a choice between him and Stockley as to who plays. I have no problem with this and totally agree. However, the fact remains that if Stockley was injured in the first week of September, we would be left with an injury prone Aneke and the promising Miles Leaburn. Even a fit Stockley concerns me - he is not a goal-poacher, and most of his goals are either from headers or from the penalty spot. For a team that is endeavouring to secure a play-off place at worst, that would be completely inadequate, and a top six place would become no more than a pipe-dream. Having been a Charlton supporter since 1959, the best teams I have been privileged to watch have been those with potency where in matters - in the opposition penalty box. Summers, Firmani, Leary, Tees and Treacy, Hales and Flanagan, and more recently Mendonca, Andy Hunt, Bent (D not M), Wright-Phillips and Kermogant, and, it irks me to admit this, LyleTaylor. All these were capable of scoring 20 goals a season. Too often I have seen a Charlton side struggle with the likes of Plumb, Bobby Hunt, Endean, and more recently, Benson, Church, Sordell and McLeod. I apologise if this post seems overly pessimistic, but I am desperate to see the club compete at a higher level. The start to the season has been encouraging, but I have seen too many false-dawns, and without strengthening our offensive options I fear the worst.
I asked him and was quite perplexed by his response. Signing a striker who outperformed all of our forwards doesn't strike me as a nonsensical signing. In a 46 game season you need plenty of cover in all key areas, striking options is where we are most light when you consider a) how important a proper goal scorer is and b) what our options currently are.
A striker who can't actually create or score most of the chances he gets (I accept some of his link up play has been decent so far), a striker who is injured the majority of the time and when not injured, can barely stay on the pitch for 2/3s of the game and finally an 18 year old who imo is nowhere near ready to be leading the line, the calls of 'Leaburn' are certainly more nostalgia I would say.
So all in all a striker is available for a fee who was one of the top scorers in our division, one of the best players to play at the valley last season, in a position which we probably need of that quality (whether it's him or not) & where it appears to be the main area we are struggling...yeah, beats me why we wouldn't think we would be in for him.
By the sounds of it all we really are struggling financially and well outside the top6 spending. I am looking at these other clubs around us and despite our good start, it does concern me.
Pompey: Bishop, Pigott, Curtis Play 2 up front but fair enough Bishop has 4 goals. Peterborough: Clarke-Harris, Marriott Play 2 up front also, what do they do when one of these gets injured? Ipswich: Ladapo, Chaplin, Aluko, John-Jules Seem to play 3 4 2 1, our front 3 compares favourably in terms of goal return so far Bolton: Afolayan, Charles play 2 up top, where is the depth? Their 2 strikers have zero goals so far Derby: Mendez-Laing, Collins, McGoldrick they've scored 3 goals in 5 games Wednesday: Smith, Gregory, Windass play 2 up top, so 3 players for 2 positions? Have 1 goal between them so far.
then if you look outside those clubs you've got the likes of Oxford, Barnsley, Wycombe who all have lots of quality in their squads. That's 9 clubs right there where arguably, you can say they all have better striking/forward options.
I am happy with how this season is going but I am looking at some of these results and scorers in the games and I reckon despite the football clearly improving, we are going nowhere this season. I don't believe for a second it will be an issue with our goalie, defence or midfield. It's our attack that's the problem. All other positions I think we are as good as anyone in this league or can compete.
I don't think it's as bad as you think.. I don't see much depth there given most teams you've listed play 2 up top and our front 3 (if you're comparing forwards) have scored a fair amount, 4 from right wing, one from left wing and 1 from Stockley is 6 goals in 5 games, which isn't exactly poor. The problem really comes down to anekes fitness as if he was fit even for 30 min cameos we have good options for 1 position, and certainly no worse than the teams around us who play with 2 strikers and have little in the way of other options if one of them is injured
Good points but it’s early doors and when you look at the history of all these players and their forms, it says we will probably gather the least amount of goals from our forwards out of all the ‘top 10’ sides in this league.
As for some of them playing 2 up front they also have strength in depth that allows them to switch to 1 up top or 3 if you take a look. Whereas we are mainly limited to a 433 or 4231.
Time will tell and hopefully I’m wrong, but I’m predicting a top 8 finish and us being around 6 points outside the play offs. Signing someone like Stockton could push us more into that top6 conversation by the seasons end.
Controversial opinion time but I don’t even think the striker we need has to be that good. We just need *someone* who can help us avoid a situation like last season where we went to Wigan with Burstow and Elliot Lee up front, for example.
Obviously the player coming in would need chip in with a few goals when they play over the course of the season but Plan A is obviously to move forward with club captain Stockley as often as possible.
As long as we have a senior body that is available to play when called upon and does a half decent job at dropping into midfield and linking the play, we can still score goals from the likes of CBT, JRS, Kirk, Fraser and Payne.
And then when Stockley is back after a short absence, they’ll drop back to the bench.
For me, it’s more important to get a player that fits the style and can replace Jayden’s link up without disruption more so than finding a poacher who can score a goal but not contribute anything else.
It’s become clear over the last few weeks that that poaching kind of forward won’t fit the Garner style.
I don't think that this is controversial. As you said, stockley is clearly first choice with aneke being the impact sub (obviously fitness permitting). The emergence of leaburn means we could be looking for a 4th choice, a Parker type signing rather than someone being brought in to challenge stockley.
I still don't see why people think we have an incoming striker. Seems to me that the only reason to believe there is one incoming is because the manager said there isn't, by that theory then if he said there is then that would clearly mean there aint....................I think ??
Controversial opinion time but I don’t even think the striker we need has to be that good. We just need *someone* who can help us avoid a situation like last season where we went to Wigan with Burstow and Elliot Lee up front, for example.
Obviously the player coming in would need chip in with a few goals when they play over the course of the season but Plan A is obviously to move forward with club captain Stockley as often as possible.
As long as we have a senior body that is available to play when called upon and does a half decent job at dropping into midfield and linking the play, we can still score goals from the likes of CBT, JRS, Kirk, Fraser and Payne.
And then when Stockley is back after a short absence, they’ll drop back to the bench.
For me, it’s more important to get a player that fits the style and can replace Jayden’s link up without disruption more so than finding a poacher who can score a goal but not contribute anything else.
It’s become clear over the last few weeks that that poaching kind of forward won’t fit the Garner style.
In less than 48 hours we have regressed from wanting a "striker who can score" to a "striker who isn't that good."
By the end of the week it will be "any person with two legs and a pair of boots."
Ha, I understand the sentiment but knowing now that it's unlikely we'll spend any transfer fees, it's going to be really hard to find an option that's better than what we have.
We'd all love to add three proven strikers and they all score hatfuls but we've got to make do with the cards we're dealt. The positive news is that we're already proving that we can score goals elsewhere on the pitch without that mystery goalscorer. We just need someone in the building who can compete at this level when Jayden is unavailable.
Controversial opinion time but I don’t even think the striker we need has to be that good. We just need *someone* who can help us avoid a situation like last season where we went to Wigan with Burstow and Elliot Lee up front, for example.
Obviously the player coming in would need chip in with a few goals when they play over the course of the season but Plan A is obviously to move forward with club captain Stockley as often as possible.
As long as we have a senior body that is available to play when called upon and does a half decent job at dropping into midfield and linking the play, we can still score goals from the likes of CBT, JRS, Kirk, Fraser and Payne.
And then when Stockley is back after a short absence, they’ll drop back to the bench.
For me, it’s more important to get a player that fits the style and can replace Jayden’s link up without disruption more so than finding a poacher who can score a goal but not contribute anything else.
It’s become clear over the last few weeks that that poaching kind of forward won’t fit the Garner style.
I don't think that this is controversial. As you said, stockley is clearly first choice with aneke being the impact sub (obviously fitness permitting). The emergence of leaburn means we could be looking for a 4th choice, a Parker type signing rather than someone being brought in to challenge stockley.
I still don't see why people think we have an incoming striker. Seems to me that the only reason to believe there is one incoming is because the manager said there isn't, by that theory then if he said there is then that would clearly mean there aint....................I think ??
Most recent interview I'm sure he's said he wants a striker as well as defensive cover.
Controversial opinion time but I don’t even think the striker we need has to be that good. We just need *someone* who can help us avoid a situation like last season where we went to Wigan with Burstow and Elliot Lee up front, for example.
Obviously the player coming in would need chip in with a few goals when they play over the course of the season but Plan A is obviously to move forward with club captain Stockley as often as possible.
As long as we have a senior body that is available to play when called upon and does a half decent job at dropping into midfield and linking the play, we can still score goals from the likes of CBT, JRS, Kirk, Fraser and Payne.
And then when Stockley is back after a short absence, they’ll drop back to the bench.
For me, it’s more important to get a player that fits the style and can replace Jayden’s link up without disruption more so than finding a poacher who can score a goal but not contribute anything else.
It’s become clear over the last few weeks that that poaching kind of forward won’t fit the Garner style.
I don't think that this is controversial. As you said, stockley is clearly first choice with aneke being the impact sub (obviously fitness permitting). The emergence of leaburn means we could be looking for a 4th choice, a Parker type signing rather than someone being brought in to challenge stockley.
Perhaps not controversial with some (I see it's gathered a few likes, more than I anticipated honestly) but I know there are sections of the fanbase still wanting us to go and get McKirdy or May or Stockton. I've all but discounted those options now.
We just need that senior back-up option in the event of absence from an unfit Aneke / an inexperience Leaburn. Someone who is intelligent enough to slot into the system without fuss when called upon. If they add a few goals then that's great but we're proving already that we're not as reliant on the striker scoring all the goals as initially thought.
Never expected Bogle and Makienok to be mentioned on here as possible signings.
I didn't mean we should sign Bogle! It's just he was the first person to come to mind when Callum said we should look to sign someone who's good at hold-up play if not so much a goal threat
If we could get Stephen Humphrys on loan, that would be very good business.
Very much used to playing this style of football when he was at Rochdale and he’s not really kicked on since the big move to Wigan.
I had wondered about him. Fits the "black box" criteria as explained by TS. Good player, moves somewhere and doesn't work out so gets forgotten. Was exactly what he said when giving MS credit for the Fraser signing.
I've read all the comments re JFC- that it's not that simple, we won't let him prove himself, we may have to pay somebody to play him.
Which completely answers my point.
Why sign him again in the first place because we don't want him and we don't appear to be able to sell him!!!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I don't remember anyone on this board criticising the decision to extend his contract at the time. If they'd have let him go for free and he'd gone and done well for another club, the club would have been criticised again.
I've read all the comments re JFC- that it's not that simple, we won't let him prove himself, we may have to pay somebody to play him.
Which completely answers my point.
Why sign him again in the first place because we don't want him and we don't appear to be able to sell him!!!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I don't remember anyone on this board criticising the decision to extend his contract at the time. If they'd have let him go for free and he'd gone and done well for another club, the club would have been criticised again.
100% this.
Whatever the club had done they would have got pelters.
I've read all the comments re JFC- that it's not that simple, we won't let him prove himself, we may have to pay somebody to play him.
Which completely answers my point.
Why sign him again in the first place because we don't want him and we don't appear to be able to sell him!!!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I don't remember anyone on this board criticising the decision to extend his contract at the time. If they'd have let him go for free and he'd gone and done well for another club, the club would have been criticised again.
I don't remember half the board being convinced we have to unload him to have a half chance of bringing in a striker either.
Personal I would keep him as a player. I also don't buy its a fact his wages are preventing us bringing in a striker either.
If it is that's poor budgeting by the club. Both things can be true.
Some free agent striker options... don't get the pulses racing but keeping in mind my post from above, some of these could do a job and/or add experience:
- Oumar Niasse (was with Everton 2016-2020, last with Burton) - Marc McNulty (spells with Coventry and Reading, recently on loan at Dundee) - Lewis Grabban (last with Forest, has had a long and successful career in the Championship) - Mamadou Thiam (last played in France, spent 2017-2020 with Barnsley) - Hal Robson-Kanu (long career in top two tiers with Reading and WBA) - Sam Winnall (bounced between Champ and L1, last with Oxford) - Simon Makienok (don't laugh) - Fraizer Campbell (last with Huddersfield) - Nadir Ciftci (CharltonLife legend, last with St Johnstone)
That's all around the most depressing post this week on the 2022 transfer rumours thread
Grabban stands out like a sore thumb in that list. Would score 30 goals in League one without breaking sweat
I've read all the comments re JFC- that it's not that simple, we won't let him prove himself, we may have to pay somebody to play him.
Which completely answers my point.
Why sign him again in the first place because we don't want him and we don't appear to be able to sell him!!!
Shouldn't have given him a new contract when he was injured in the first place imo. Might have been harsh but we wouldn't be in this position (trying to recoup money we've spent on rehabilitation) in that case. Wouldn't have had a problem letting him use our facilities to get fit but essentially we've spent over 12 months treading water & now cant get him off our books.
Comments
We'd all love to add three proven strikers and they all score hatfuls but we've got to make do with the cards we're dealt. The positive news is that we're already proving that we can score goals elsewhere on the pitch without that mystery goalscorer. We just need someone in the building who can compete at this level when Jayden is unavailable.
We just need that senior back-up option in the event of absence from an unfit Aneke / an inexperience Leaburn. Someone who is intelligent enough to slot into the system without fuss when called upon. If they add a few goals then that's great but we're proving already that we're not as reliant on the striker scoring all the goals as initially thought.
Which completely answers my point.
Why sign him again in the first place because we don't want him and we don't appear to be able to sell him!!!
Bollocks.
Personal I would keep him as a player. I also don't buy its a fact his wages are preventing us bringing in a striker either.
If it is that's poor budgeting by the club. Both things can be true.