Is this the end for Hume and Fryatt?

[Geo V]

So far we have signed Cort and Sappleton, have been strongly linked to Saganowski who obviously signed for Soton but are apparently on the brink of bringing in Joseph Job and maybe Svet Todorov. Now this is all well and good for us as fans and as a club (having choices upfront that dont include bringing in a donkey like Elvis) but what does all this new business mean for last seasons top two strikers????

Fryatt has underachieved and I would have thought would be loaned out because he is still young. Hume signed a new deal so you would have thought he is part of the plans but maybe we may look at playing him in midfield instead of upfront???

Ive had a look at MA`s "previous" and he seems to like playing two big men upfront for his sides and I wouldnt have thought that Hume was his ideal type of striker.

What do you reckon??

BTW aplogies if this has been done before but I only got back from abroad yesterday and have missed out most of teh pre-season stuff and also apologees in advance if I have butchered the poll.

[Fez of Mahrez]

We need more than one support striker, two seemingly injury-prone and underachieving strikers and a few teenagers.

[teblin]

Hume will play in midfiled.

He only just signed a conract.

Not so sure about fryatt.

[davieG]

I think Sappleton will only get a look in when injuries occur anyway so that leaves us with Cort, Hume & Fryatt + maybe two more, I'd be disappointed if there were not two sub strikers on the bench add in the injury potential of Cort and possibly Toradov, factor in the fact that Fryatt hasn't delivered the goods in appearance and goals and I'd say it's still looking pretty thin.

[Geo V]

We need more than one support striker, two seemingly injury-prone and underachieving strikers and a few teenagers.

I agree we need choice but players like Todorov wont come to us to warm our bench. He could continue doing that at Pompey and get more money.

[Joe.]

Hume will play in midfiled.

He only just signed a conract.

Not so sure about fryatt.

I bet you Hume doesn't play in midfield.

I can hardly see our top goalscorer not playing up front next season. From what we have at the moment, I'd say it looks like Hume and Cort starting the season as the front two, with Fryatt on the bench.

Sappleton will get the odd subs appearance, but will mainly be used in the reserves I think.

[Master Fox]

I think Sappleton will only get a look in when injuries occur anyway so that leaves us with Cort, Hume & Fryatt + maybe two more, I'd be disappointed if there were not two sub strikers on the bench add in the injury potential of Cort and possibly Toradov, factor in the fact that Fryatt hasn't delivered the goods in appearance and goals and I'd say it's still looking pretty thin.

Joseph

[Geo V]

I bet you Hume doesn't play in midfield.

I can hardly see our top goalscorer not playing up front next season. From what we have at the moment, I'd say it looks like Hume and Cort starting the season as the front two, with Fryatt on the bench.

Sappleton will get the odd subs appearance, but will mainly be used in the reserves I think.

Maybe this thread should have strated later in the week in Toddy and Job sign but I cant see the value financially of having these types of players on decent wages (like Cort) to be sitting as 4th or 5th choice striker.

[eaststandtom]

So far we have signed Cort and Sappleton, have been strongly linked to Saganowski who obviously signed for Soton but are apparently on the brink of bringing in Joseph Job and maybe Svet Todorov. Now this is all well and good for us as fans and as a club (having choices upfront that dont include bringing in a donkey like Elvis) but what does all this new business mean for last seasons top two strikers????

Fryatt has underachieved and I would have thought would be loaned out because he is still young. Hume signed a new deal so you would have thought he is part of the plans but maybe we may look at playing him in midfield instead of upfront???

Ive had a look at MA`s "previous" and he seems to like playing two big men upfront for his sides and I wouldnt have thought that Hume was his ideal type of striker.

What do you reckon??

BTW aplogies if this has been done before but I only got back from abroad yesterday and have missed out most of teh pre-season stuff and also apologees in advance if I have butchered the poll.

i think both hume and fryatt underachieved last season. i would say that we needed 2 new strikers.

i would doubt the yound lad sappleton will be relied upon too much therefore cort and potentially job will provide amunnition and a much needed keep up the backside for hume and fryatt.

subconsciously, i doubt whether having elvis as the main challenge for your place provided much concern last season for fryatt and hume.

i am hopeful that 2 additonal strikers with experience will bring out the best in hume and fryatt as they are, in my eyes, both good enough for this level but both certainly need the competition for places to keep them on their toes. this can only be good for cort and the other guy as they are , in theory, good players but need an extra push to see the best out of them.

[Wils]

Im liking having all these strikers,i would much rather have Fryatt or Cort coming of the bench rather than the likes of Elvis and COG. Most teams that get promoted always have alot of strikers, i remember when Pompey went up they had at least 5 strikers of which three all scored quite a few goals. You cant reliy on the usual two strikers all season.

I can see Hume playing deeper as people have mentioned,i still think Fryatt can do a job for us.

[Ric Flair]

Well, Hume has just signed a new 3 year deal. So he's staying. He'll be first choice, either up front or on the wing. My guess is that he'll be up front, but if we do get Job in, then perhaps we'll play a 3 man attack with Hume and Job on the outside of Cort or Todorov.

Fryatt, is anyone's guess. I hope he get's another chance. He has ability, and we paid a decent amount for him. Whatever happens to Fryatt, he'll have to prove his worth to stay here anyway.

[Leonisco]

I'd like to see more than them just staying here, I'd like to see them as our main strike partnership next season. In that last half of the season just after RK took over, they looked brilliant playing together, I can remember loads of fans of other clubs raving about how good they were. If we can get them playing like that again, we'll be laughing.

[MC Prussian]

Fryatt as an option up front, Hume playing as an attacking midfielder.

I've been saying this for an entire season.

Rob Kelly wouldn't hear and Wortho's spell was too short to remember it.

[Geo V]

your a mug, why would we get rid of the best strikers we have ?

Thanks for the insult. Its always appreciated.

AS for my post I was merely asking a question or two. I am aware Hume signed a new deal and am sure he would be staying but was interested to see if anyone thought he would drop into midfield or keep his starting berth as a striker which would mean only one other place is available for our forwards. Fryatt hasnt hit the heights many hoped for and although I wouldnt sell him because I see potential in the lad, I would loan him out but many may just want to sell him or some may rate him so highly that they want him to start.

Back to the insults, after 2 months of sunshine in Cyprus, great food, plenty of drink and some cracking company, nothing can change my current good mood so thank your lucky stars.

BTW does the A in A-Fox stand for Arsehole?? Ooops.....

[Tommeh]

Hume is still our best player IMO and with his new contract MM will probably agree, I can see him being here for a while and achieving great things at our club. Fryatt has showed glimpses of brilliance especially at the end of 05/06 and Fulham / colchester away this season. He needs a full pre season behind him and to stay fit and I'm sure he'll be a great player for us too.

As for Cort I'm very pleased we've signed him as he gives us a new dimension and again if we can get him fit I think he'll do well.

Leaving Dodds and Sappleton I think they'll benefit with the reserve team and feature more in there than the 1st team.

Lastly I'd want one more striker in Todorov who maybe another gamble due to his injury problems but is a proven goalscorer at this level and a natural finisher something that the others in my opinion still need to prove.

I think 4 quality 1st team strikers which we'd have in Cort, Fryatt, Hume and Todorov is whats needed to get out of this league. Looking at many promotion chasing teams many had 4 quality strikers:

Brum: Vine, Mcsheffery, Bendtner (sp), Jerome and DJ campbell

WBA: Hartson, Phillips, Kamara and Ellington

Sunderland: Yorke, Stokes, Connolly, Elliott, John

Southampton: Rasiak, Best, Saganowski, Wright Phillips

So 4 strikers would do very nicely and if we can get just 3 of those firing 15+ goals a season of which I think all are capable we should be serious about challenging for the play-offs. Keeping them all happy may be a slight problem though.

[AyewJoking]

I think Todorov would only come if he was guaranteed a starting place. The same with Job. Fryatt, Cort and Hume would be prepared to earn a place with hard work if they were left out.

[Geo V]

I think Todorov would only come if he was guaranteed a starting place. The same with Job. Fryatt, Cort and Hume would be prepared to earn a place with hard work if they were left out.

I was thinking the same. He has been on the bench for god knows how long at Pompey and wouldnt want a repeat of that in a division lower. Also, I thought that maybe the likes of Job or even Cort would have wanted assurances of a first team start as both would have plenty of out "suitors" who could have offered first team footy.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I think I, like most fans, still beleives that Fryatt has the potential to score, but I also think that he needs a good consistent run in the first team, after a decent pre-season (to get rid of all knocks and grazes...).

Hume, for a short bloke who's had to deal with many different strike partners over the season, has done well to get into double figures, particularly as I don't see him as an out-and-out goal poacher. Anyone who says he underacheived last season is a fool.

Without Job: Keep them both, Fryatt on the bench, Cort and Hume up front, Sappleton reserves

With Job: Cort and Job up front, Hume as a supporting striker, Fryatt benched, Sappleton reserves

On both of these occasions I'd still give Fryatt considerable playing time.

If we get Job and Todorov I'll be over the moon but how Allen will manage to keep everyone pleased is anyone's guess.

[Thracian]

I was thinking the same. He has been on the bench for god knows how long at Pompey and wouldnt want a repeat of that in a division lower. Also, I thought that maybe the likes of Job or even Cort would have wanted assurances of a first team start as both would have plenty of out "suitors" who could have offered first team footy.

If every signing starts wanting guarantees of a starting place it should make for some interesting games.

Managers must be mad accepting such contraints, or desperate.

Yes, players like Cristiano Ronaldo, George Best, Johan Cruyff might have tested my resolve if I ever had chance to sign them but Job or Todorov? You've got to be joking.

I'd sooner play young Billy McKay than have any but the very best hold a gun to my head. And the best, I imagine, would always back themselves to get in a team anyway.

[Daggers]

I'd love to know why everyone still seems to think Hume could do a job in midfield? Aside from three people saying he could about a year ago that is...

Considering his passing was (at best) wasteful last season I'd be concerned about him being able to link play up.

I don't think thought has gone beyond him running from midfield and banging a couple in. How is he going to link up play without drastically improving his link-up play?

And I don't want to harp on about this again, but his vision in the second half of last season was distinctly questionable. You may wish to blame whatever forward he was playing alongside, but the times when both of them would be on the same square yard of turf was simply stupid.

We need quality attacking midfield players and he simply is not it.

[Jimmy]

when sappleton signed MA said he would go into the youth team but could push for a 1st team spot

[dandannieldanok]

I'd love to know why everyone still seems to think Hume could do a job in midfield? Aside from three people saying he could about a year ago that is...

Considering his passing was (at best) wasteful last season I'd be concerned about him being able to link play up.

I don't think thought has gone beyond him running from midfield and banging a couple in. How is he going to link up play without drastically improving his link-up play?

And I don't want to harp on about this again, but his vision in the second half of last season was distinctly questionable. You may wish to blame whatever forward he was playing alongside, but the times when both of them would be on the same square yard of turf was simply stupid.

We need quality attacking midfield players and he simply is not it.

I agree, I can't see where the fascination of Hume playing in midfield has come from, we know he played there for Tranmere at times but he is a striker.

[Bryn]

Job is quite a wide player, as is Hume, I think a three man attack could be quite likely, especially as we have yet to sign/be seriously linked with any wingers.

[Thracian]

The idea was that Hume played behind a front two as an attacker rather than a central midfielder - basically the role he has now - but with two proper strikers to help him instead of one or none!.

It would lend itself to several systems if you had the nerve and the personnel.

[Fez of Mahrez]

I still think Hume could be an excellent attacking midfielder, probably from the right wing. I've argued my case on a number of occasions so I won't go through it again but to answer the specific points raised - he gets stick for just trying hard etc but he's actually one of the best players at the club when it comes to close control. He can bring down a fifty-yard through ball with one touch. If you removed the goalscoring burden I think he'd show these moments of quality on a more consistent basis. His passing is no better or worse than most attacking players at our level in my opinion. Not quite sure what you mean by vision but the example seems to suggest you don't think he would stick to his role. I think that'd be the point of it to be honest, having a wide player who would roam inside and provide support to the attack in the same way that McSheffrey, Barnes, Koumas and most notably Kightly did for some of the best sides in our division last season.