Goals crisis

[Thracian]

Fans shouted from the rooftops during close season and it has never been more apparent than now - Leicester need some goalscoring forwards and they need em now.

MDV is suspended soon but is showing signs that his bulk just won't stand the demands of being a regular central striker in England. Dodgy hamstrings aren't likely to disappear overnight.

Dublin can fill in but isn't a prolific scorer, Hammond has been a flop so far and Hume as I've emphasised loads of times is not a striker but an atttacking support player.

I would have used various recent chances to try Chambers (a natural striker) on the bench but the crisis is now upon us - the goals-for tally too often registering zero (or one) - so the manager HAS to act.

Indeed I wonder if he's the only manager in the country with just ONE striker in his armoury - and him approaching the category of walking wounded. It's a major oversight/managerial misjudgement.

Perhaps Mr Sinclair will ask what the boss is going to do about it?

Time to be ruthless Craig - especially if you're going to stick with these dour, defence obsessed tactics which facilitate no creativity (until well into the second half).

How can makeweight strikers be expected to score regularly from a bare minimum of created opportunities? It is just nieve.

Fundamentally football is ALL ABOUT trying to score goals and we only have one injured person capable of doing that from a first team squad of around 20. How stupid is that?

[Gené and Tonic]

Read what I've put in your Sheehan thread, and I think that will be the answer. Whether we have the money or not is a different matter.

[Thracian]

Read what I've put in your Sheehan thread, and I think that will be the answer. Whether we have the money or not is a different matter.

That Wigan £1m looks ever more likely to be arriving.

[Gené and Tonic]

The thing is though, we need it in January, not the summer. Maybe they will be kind and give it us early?

[Thracian]

The thing is though, we need it in January, not the summer. Maybe they will be kind and give it us early?

With the points they've got already it could be due by January!

[Steven]

With the points they've got already it could be due by January!

We could ask nicely anyway if the deal was to leave it until the end of the season. With 22 points all I can say is, Come on you Wigan until they become safe and thereafter, I don't give a monkey's.

[lush]

I would have used various recent chances to try Chambers (a natural striker) on the bench but the crisis is now upon us - the goals-for tally too often registering zero (or one) - so the manager HAS to act.

Perhaps Mr Sinclair will ask what the boss is going to do about it?

Time to be ruthless Craig - especially if you're going to stick with these dour, defence obsessed tactics which facilitate no creativity (until well into the second half).

How can makeweight strikers be expected to score regularly from a bare minimum of created opportunities? It is just nieve.

Fundamentally football is ALL ABOUT trying to score goals and we only have one injured person capable of doing that from a first team squad of around 20. How stupid is that?

With wigan on 22 pts with 28 games to go, its pretty much a safe bet we`ll recieve £1M come what may. We cant buy anyone right now, but we could attract a loan player of quality with that money. If thats not possible, january is 9 weeks away, and wigan should be safe. Theres finance if needed.

Ive never been a Lee trundle fan, but ive just seen him score a cracker.

mr sinclair is a wuss, hes not got the balls, not even the footballing version, or the brains to ask a REAL question. Lest just imagine ourselves living in a banana boat

I dont think weve got altogether poor strikers combined, yes de lump isnt much good, but he can score against weak opposition.

Im also of the opinion, that our game is about a solid base at the back in which to build an attack. We wont see many 3-2`s, more like 1-0 2-1. BUT, the more the team/squad goes on building this base, and with a 2 team squad now, with up and coming tricky wingers, a solid midfield duo will help create many chances. Can de lump put them away? Maybe, but im convinced hume and hammond will score with the right service.

We also look hard to beat at the mo, something that gives you strength and confidence to win.

[Thracian]

With wigan on 22 pts with 28 games to go, its pretty much a safe bet we`ll recieve £1M come what may. We cant buy anyone right now, but we could attract a loan player of quality with that money. If thats not possible, january is 9 weeks away, and wigan should be safe. Theres finance if needed.

Ive never been a Lee trundle fan, but ive just seen him score a cracker.

mr sinclair is a wuss, hes not got the balls, not even the footballing version, or the brains to ask a REAL question. Lest just imagine ourselves living in a banana boat

I dont think weve got altogether poor strikers combined, yes de lump isnt much good, but he can score against weak opposition.

Im also of the opinion, that our game is about a solid base at the back in which to build an attack. We wont see many 3-2`s, more like 1-0 2-1. BUT, the more the team/squad goes on building this base, and with a 2 team squad now, with up and coming tricky wingers, a solid midfield duo will help create many chances. Can de lump put them away? Maybe, but im convinced hume and hammond will score with the right service.

We also look hard to beat at the mo, something that gives you strength and confidence to win.

A solid base represents progress on last season but football is about more than that and while I don't really like your 3-2 reference I do like the three bit. To score the two/three goals we need to average (insted of one goal as at present) we need two natural goalscorers.

I'm laughed off the pages when I mention Chambers as one but no matter, there must be guys out there who can boast a record of 15/20 goals a season and who would relish a job at City.

My point about Chambers is that

a) he knows the players and would fit in quickly.

b) he invariably hits the target

c) he always manufactures chances

d) the goals he scores would be no more likely to be stopped in the first team than the reserves

e) he is difficult to mark but HAS to be marked

f) the above means more space for others

g) given more space Smith and Hume (perhaps even Hammond) would be more effective.

The big downside would be having no big man in the side should he be used with Hume, Hammond, Smith.

Don't know whether that would work - we'd certainly need two Hughes/Williams/Tiatto in support - but it would be worth a try. I wouldn't like to mark that lot and Lineker/Greaves/Owen/ were very effective (but small) central strikers.

The question I would ask is would the following score more than a goal a game, notwithstanding any other specialist striker we might acquire:

Douglas;

Stearman, Gerrbrand, McCarthy, Sheehan

Hughes, Tiatto;

Williams/Hume;

Hume/Hammond, Chambers, Smith.

Still strong in defence, decent balance but carries a bit of clout that. If they cut out hoof ball and if they play well up the park.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Really? You'd play Sheehan? (winking smiley thing)

[lush]

We saw chambo play 5mins V blackpool, and he looked very lively. Lighting quick, but i didnt see that with the ball.

Im convinced that if your quick, you have the edge nowadays, which is why i wouldnt play de lump and dubs.

hammond and hume have a combination of skill and speed, and i could well be tempted to play chambo instead of de lump.

For a striker, its all about getting a chance to shoot, if you got speed, you can create that in an instance.

I thought chambo would`ve played a part V cardiff.

At the mo Thrach, chambo isnt good enough as a first choice starter, but get him on the bench, and bring him on if needed to liven up our game.

[Hazza]

I wouldn't say it's a crisis after one game. I do feel we need another striker bringing in, or at least the likes of Dodds and Chambers getting some time, because i don't feel any of our forwards are going to be prolific - de Vries will be good for about 15 goals, Hammond's finishing just lets him down and i see Hume as a Rooney-esque forward, dropping deep, picking up possession and making things happen, they'll be times when he has chances but as yet he's not done well enough when they've came about.

If Wigan spend a bit in January then i'd be tempted to just ask for Connolly back and scrap the million at the end of the season.

[Thracian]

We saw chambo play 5mins V blackpool, and he looked very lively. Lighting quick, but i didnt see that with the ball.

Im convinced that if your quick, you have the edge nowadays, which is why i wouldnt play de lump and dubs.

hammond and hume have a combination of skill and speed, and i could well be tempted to play chambo instead of de lump.

For a striker, its all about getting a chance to shoot, if you got speed, you can create that in an instance.

I thought chambo would`ve played a part V cardiff.

At the mo Thrach, chambo isnt good enough as a first choice starter, but get him on the bench, and bring him on if needed to liven up our game.

Truth is we don't KNOW if he's good enough.

It would be nice to find out because virtually every time I have seen him he's done the business.

We have little to lose because our strikers aren't scoring anyway.

The subs bench is the obvious starting place (and it would be better than nothing) but I would actually LIKE to play him in the starting line-up outlined.

He can always come off later but I'd give him a boost and say, there you are, that's the line-up you can fit into, go take your chance.

By using the bench it neutralises what I suspect might be the strongest line-up...and Levein is always doing that. If we think he might improve things then lets not go at it half-hearted. I've seen enough half measures this season to last my lifetime.

[lush]

Thrach, hes not good enough to start, because hume and hammond are better. But definately sub, and probably ahead of de lump.

[Thracian]

Thrach, hes not good enough to start, because hume and hammond are better. But definately sub, and probably ahead of de lump.

How do you reason that Hammond is a better striker than Chambers?

[lush]

How do you reason that Hammond is a better striker than Chambers?

Ive seen him play better.

[Thracian]

Ive seen him play better.

Not watched a lot of Chambers then?

[lush]

Nope.

[frenchy_lcfc]

Chambers is Quality! But I dont know at this time if he is better than Hammond!! But Chambers can finish a goal!!

[Thracian]

Chambers is Quality! But I dont know at this time if he is better than Hammond!! But Chambers can finish a goal!!

That's it then cos Hammond can't. .

[Mad Dog]

If we played Sheehan we'd be scoring bagfulls. He is the key to our attacking fluidity remember.

[lush]

If we played Sheehan we'd be scoring bagfulls. He is the key to our attacking fluidity remember.

EXACTLY. Johanson, although our best defender cannot get forward and provide support in attack.

I`d play both sheehan and stearman, and have them getting forward regular, because maybury and kisnorbo/tiatto would fill in for them.

Imagine smith/hamill/sylla/hughes being allowed the freedom to support the strikers knowing the defense is taken care of.

Attack, attack, attack attack attack!

[Dr The Singh]

I agree we need another striker, but there is another issue, CL reluctance to drop MDV. In an interview with the News fo the World, CL states that MDV will be playing (from the start) the next game even thoug he had a poor performance against Preston. CL is unlikely to drop MDV for anyone else!!!

I would like to see Chambers and other youth players come through to the first team fold, to give them experience and the chance to prove there worth. But I agree with alot of you we need a 20 goal a season striker, most of the top teams, whether it's prem or other leagues have a strike force capable of getting around 30 goals a season between them

[Thracian]

I agree we need another striker, but there is another issue, CL reluctance to drop MDV. In an interview with the News fo the World, CL states that MDV will be playing (from the start) the next game even thoug he had a poor performance against Preston. CL is unlikely to drop MDV for anyone else!!!

I would like to see Chambers and other youth players come through to the first team fold, to give them experience and the chance to prove there worth. But I agree with alot of you we need a 20 goal a season striker, most of the top teams, whether it's prem or other leagues have a strike force capable of getting around 30 goals a season between them

Another flying the flag for attack

[Benji]

I'm all for giving the youngsters a chance

but i think attacking is the hardest to break through from youth to 1st team. It is all well and good finishing in the youth matches, but things are different int he first team.

Defenders are fitter, quicker, tougher, more experienced, know how to handle themselves, and prevent chances. That's why youth games can have such high scores, a decent sriker will bag plenty.

But it is a catch 22, how will we know if he can create these chances for himself without giving him the chance? My personal instinct is that he needs a bit more time, but that's my opinion.

[cisono]

I agree we need another striker, but there is another issue, CL reluctance to drop MDV. In an interview with the News fo the World, CL states that MDV will be playing (from the start) the next game even thoug he had a poor performance against Preston. CL is unlikely to drop MDV for anyone else!!!

And this in spite of all his talk about making the players earn their place each game... and being dropped if they don't perform...