Please Rafa....

[Kopite_Colin]

.....buy us some class strikers in the transfer window. I've been saying for months that we will continue to struggle to compete against the very best until we change this. The defending cost us again tonight, but our inability to take half-chances and hit the target in and around the box is still so, so evident.

The upside tonight was I thought Pennant had another decent game.

[REDSCOUSER]

Col,
you saying Kuyt is not good enough ?

[Kopite_Colin]

No mate..I think he's the ONLY one who's good enough - but he can't do it all on his own. He's a workhorse and a goalscorer but we won't get the best out of him until we get someone else to take some of the weight, and create something for themselves and others. Bellamy, Fowler and Crouch are not up to it.

[MrMichael]

Kuyt is good enough. Myself I think Bellamy also is, and he really should have been on the pitch for the last 20 mins. Crouch.... I'm afraid against the best teams he always comes up a bit lacking. However, I don't see the strikers as the real issue. We seriously lack that one genuinely class attacking midfiled player to create something special, and until we get that player sorted, our forwards will always be feeding off scraps in these games.

[Kopite_Colin]

Michael - I agree with you too. We need someone wide with genuine pace and ability to hit the ground running now. Gonzalez may do it in the future, but At present he, Pennant & Kewell and even Garcia aren't doing it out there.

[REDSCOUSER]

I'm reserving judgment on Bellamy as it's his first season.
I am baffled by Crouch, one game he's class, the next he's nowhere to be seen. The rumours about him leaving must have some substance.
Finally, Fowler. I love the guy to bits but he is no more than cover nowadays so we must be pleased to at least see him end his career in RED as it should be.
I'll take David Villa any day to play in red. The lad is a goal machine & similar to Fowler.

[Kopite_Colin]

Do you think we've got a chance of landing Villa, RS?

[Ben_Itez]

On the beeb they kept banging on about why Bellamy wasnt brought on....saying they need someone who can get in behind Arsenal. Were they watching the same game??? Even Linford ****ing Christie couldnt have got in behind that defence they were so deep. It's alright having strikers with pace but without the opportunity to use it they'd be just as toothless.

What killed us today was the first goal....played right into Arsenals hands and suited their style of play. If you want to blame anyone blame Riise. It was him who surrendered possession cheaply which directly led to the goal (how anyone can become a professional football only being able to use one foot is beyond me!!).

[REDSCOUSER]

Do you think we've got a chance of landing Villa, RS?

I do. Rafa has a way of getting the players he want. Even if Valenthia wanted 20-25£m, think we'll get him.

[Kopite_Colin]

This window? or in the summer?

[REDSCOUSER]

This window? or in the summer?

the summer, don't think they'll let him go when they are in the CL and pushing for a top 4 spot in LA LIGA.
How about you, what do ya think ?

[Kopite_Colin]

I've been so disillusioned with the quality of strikers we've signed for the last 10 years or so, that I'm almost not allowing myself to hope that we can buy a player of Villa's undoubted quality and goalscoring prowess. My only concern would be could he settle in the Premiership? But we don't just need Villa - we probably need 1-2 other decent strikers too. If we had to keep Bellamy, I would only want him as 4th striker.

However, with DIC arriving, it wouldn't surprise me if we managed to pull something off in this window - we definitely need it.

[REDSCOUSER]

I know where yer coming from. After Owen & Fowler we have not had the best of strikers.
HESKEY was a donkey, Baros was incosistent & Diouf was a disgrace.
You get what you pay for in life and if we want the best we have to fork it out.
On the other hand, would it hurt to give a young lad like Lindfield a go in a game or two just to see if he can hack it !

[Kopite_Colin]

I also want to see where the next Owen & Fowler are coming from?

I hate to say it but Spurs are a classic example. Bought solid, good young players in Huddlestone, Lennon, Dawson, Keane, Defoe and brought in quality such as Berbatov, and brought through the likes of Campbell and King. Yes, they've bought their fair share of crap such as Jenas, Murphy and Andy Reid. But if they add REAL quality to key positions (Left wing, Left back, 1 creative goalscoring CMer) in the next 12 months, they look as though they're going to have a very good 1st 11. If Mido is only their 4th striker, it says they've got decent quality where it matters.

[REDSCOUSER]

A million dollar question this.