Yakubu

[Corky]

Yes, but he needs a partner up front, he's going to stand out for sriticism in the lone striker role as he's not really suited to that job.

His scoring record is what we need.

[ithuriel]

At £2,000,000 then yes he is worth taking, if we can get the right forward to play alongside and some decent crosses into the box instead of constantly trying to run the ball into the net.

[acooling08]

Definately would if he'd take 15,000 a week. 30 is way to much for what he puts in most weeks.

I reckon that a bonus payment per goal would be good rather than a very high base wage of 30,000.

[HowardsBulletHeader]

I think 2 million is starting to look like a bargain for a striker that is banging goals in for us.

I can understand people's concern with the 30k figure, but I don't see why they then mention 25k as being fine? To me there isn't much difference and I'd sooner spend the extra 5k on Yakubu's wages, than buying another striker with lower wages that just fills the bench and doesn't do a lot. Yes, 30k is high, but with these owners I think it is something we can just about accept.

[acooling08]

I think 2 million is starting to look like a bargain for a striker that is banging goals in for us.

I can understand people's concern with the 30k figure, but I don't see why they then mention 25k as being fine? To me there isn't much difference and I'd sooner spend the extra 5k on Yakubu's wages, than buying another striker with lower wages that just fills the bench and doesn't do a lot. Yes, 30k is high, but with these owners I think it is something we can just about accept.

I think that on the off days when Yak does nothing and doesn't score it'd be a bit unsettling as Wellens or a real 100% player to be collecting half of what Yakubu gets after the game.

[GianEmmo Zola]

Rather have carl cort. ! Ha joking. Dont no how anyone would want to turn him down whatever wage he is on! Id rather be in the situation we are in now, than 5 or so years ago when we could only sign players like hammond, cort, de vries etc!

[bigneville]

I've slagged Yakubu off at times, and can't stand his footballing attitude.

But.

His goalscoring record is excellent.

Those figures are reasonable if he fires us to the Premiership with 25+ league goals.

However, with the contract signed and a deal in his hands, I believe he will have nothing to prove and will get even even sloppier in his play, and this is why I voted no. I cant see him keeping up his goal record for next season.

I'd sacrifice a few of his goals for someone who adds more to the team play and wants less wages.

[HowardsBulletHeader]

I think that on the off days when Yak does nothing and doesn't score it'd be a bit unsettling as Wellens or a real 100% player to be collecting half of what Yakubu gets after the game.

I see that, but hopefully the players would see the value of him in the side as he scores goals. When he doesn't score, the others need to chip in with their share of goals. I can understand the players jealousy of Yakubu's wages, as I get irritated by our manager picking the players, who I think are useless in our Sunday League Side who don't even get paid!

[lcfc_jme]

I understand concerns about finances - believe me I do - but anybody talking merely about preferring somebody to add more to the overall team play clearly doesn't want us to get promoted any time soon.

To get out of this league, you need a striker who is going to score close to, if not more than, 20 a season. Yakubu is that man, as well as weighing in with his fair share of assists and creating space for players like King to exploit. Not bad for a lazy so and so.

Inexplicably, I agree with Fox92. The points he has raised are points I made not so long back and nothing that Yakubu has done since I originally made them has made me change my mind.

A resounding "YES" from me. It's also no suprise to me that some of the names I've spotted on the "YES" list are some of the people whose footballing opinions I both understand and genuinely respect. The only suprise to me is to see that Tommo has voted "No".

[Bert]

For £2m, name a realistic target that is a proven goalscorer?

[Salieri]

For £2m, name a realistic target that is a proven goalscorer?

Danny Graham.

(I'd still like the Yak back mind).

[ThorpeAstleyFox]

£30,000 per week is too much money and would (apparantly - well at least according to Football Manager ) more than double the wage of our next highest earner. Another way of looking at this is that over a 3 year contract this will cost the club £6,680,000 - if we don't go up then his wages could cripple the club.

I'm actually a Yakubu fan but would rather we bought in 3 players on free transfers on £15,000 per week (e.g. Keiren Westwood) to improve the overall quality of the squad.

[Haydos]

I'd go for a timid "yes", but only if Yakubu puts on a slimmer figure in pre-season.

But what source do you get these 30k a month from?

As I stated, the 30k was pure speculation. 50k has been completely dismissed but lets be honest, he's on a prem wage. 30k was a guesstimate and again, I was just looking at where people draw the line.

[Dames]

The wages are a gamble but if he scores over 20 goals in a season and we get promoted then it would be completely worth it.

I don't actually think he's as lazy as people make out, he doe's chase down balls into the channels despite what some people make out the only thing he doesn't do is run blindly back to defend. I don't remember Fryatt ever making much more effort yet he was idolised by the same people that call Yakubu lazy. Maybe its the Ron Atkinson effect.

So its a Yes we'd be stupid not to consider a player of his quality for that price.

[Corky]

Danny Graham.

(I'd still like the Yak back mind).

I think Watford will want more than £2 million.

[FoxyPV]

He scores goals and provides assists - can't ask for much more from a striker.

30k (if that's true) is a lot for this level but if his goals get us promoted then it will be money well spent.

[KingDarius]

Said YES , Easily the the player with 20+ goals a season we need

[Salieri]

I think Watford will want more than £2 million.

A figure of £2.5m was being bandied about, close enough.

[Karljohn]

Never really been a fan of anyone who gives less than 100% for us, and Yakubu goes missing when the going gets tough.

10 goals is a decent return but I am not sure what all the fuss is about, Fryatt and Waggy had similar goals to games ratio last year surely, if he's that good then surely he'll get premiership offers at 2m, shouldnt have to drop a player to get a response, should be running his balls off in the first place whether he's on 3 or 30 grand a week.

[StanSP]

I wish people would stop mentioning Danny Graham. I don't think we have a chance in hell of signing him given the season he has had - it's not like Watford are heading downwards either. They'll do all they can to hold on to him and if they were to sell him it'd be much more than £2m, and probably not to a Championship club.

[lcfc_jme]

10 goals is a decent return but I am not sure what all the fuss is about, Fryatt and Waggy had similar goals to games ratio last year surely

Wrong.

Yakubu - 10 goals in 19 appearances, some of which were in a team where not a single player peformed. Also chipped in with a fair few assists. Hardly runs around, appears disinterested and gets called lazy and fat, but has a strike rate of JUST better than 1 in 2. Potent.

Fryatt - 13 goals in 35 appearances overall, 12 goals in 31 league games (if you include the 2 playoff games). Around a goal every 2.5 games, closer to 1 in 3. What should be remembered is that 7 of his 11 (or 12, depending on how you look at it) league goals - an unbelievable strike rate I'll admit - had been scored by mid-September after his prolific League One season. When that tailed off, and taking into account the 2 and a half months he missed after the Donny game, in the five months he played from mid-September - the playoff games in May, Fryatt scored 4 (or 5) league goals in 23 league games - 2 of which came in the away win at QPR - giving him a strike rate extremely close to 1 in 5. Aside from the brace away at QPR, Fryatt also bagged two more braces, meaning there were far more games he didn't score in than did.

Waghorn - 12 goals in 47 appearances overall (a strike rate of essentially one in four), a statistic which doesn't change much when you take off the playoff and cup games - 12 goals in 43 games. Granted Waghorn didn't play up top in all of those games, but what he did was run around a lot. Personally, I'd sacrifice his energy and headlessness for a strike rate of 1 in 2, but that's just me.

And people moan about Yakubu only scoring in bunches or going a few games without scoring..

Really, it all comes down to what you want from a striker:

Slightly better than 1 goal every 2 games plus assists whilst apparently not even trying.

1 goal just about every 3 games whilst only slightly trying and being exceptionally greedy.

1 goal every 4 games with immeasurable displays of PASHUN.

[Fox92]

Inexplicably, I agree with Fox92. The points he has raised are points I made not so long back and nothing that Yakubu has done since I originally made them has made me change my mind.

For £2m, name a realistic target that is a proven goalscorer?

Exactly my thoughts. Fans always bang on about getting a goalscorer but they arn't many about, especially for £2,000,000. Now, we are pratically being given one for this fantastic price and some fans still don't want him.

Yakubu is a top player, and WILL score us the goals we lack/have lacked for so many seasons now.

[h.nutt26]

Yes he's scoed 10 in 19 for us and is our third highest scorer of the season and he has done that in half the time. A ration of 1:2 is excellent. Going on his current record he would be making 20+ goals for us next season and with a better team and higher confidence this could well be much higher. A definent YES!

[Dames]

I've slagged Yakubu off at times, and can't stand his footballing attitude.

But.

His goalscoring record is excellent.

Those figures are reasonable if he fires us to the Premiership with 25+ league goals.

However, with the contract signed and a deal in his hands, I believe he will have nothing to prove and will get even even sloppier in his play, and this is why I voted no. I cant see him keeping up his goal record for next season.

I'd sacrifice a few of his goals for someone who adds more to the team play and wants less wages.

So you'd sacrifice potentially match winning goals for effort? that wins you guess what.. a grand total of nothing.

Goals win you games.

That has to be up there with one of the most stupid things i've ever read.

[Guest Bilo]

It's quite simple.

Yakubu is exactly the kind of player you need to get promoted from this division. He may not be the hardest worker or the quickest, but his first touch, ability to read the game and finishing ability will get him goals when he wants to score. The fact that he is an absolute unit, NOT fat, means that only the most monstrous of centre-halves will be able to muscle him off the ball and his sheer size will cause defenders to focus on him even if he isn't scoring. His rather low workrate means he is a luxury player and you do need a worker next to him but with a pacey grafter next to him up front in the mould of Maynard for example, that will be one hell of a strike force. It's all very well playing two hard working strikers up front like Howard and Waghorn but they simply are not prolific enough. I like to see effort from a player I really do, but I'd prefer to see goals.

Iain Hume always put in bags of effort for us but the man couldn't score in a brothel with a fifty wrapped round his cock most weeks and we went down. I think everyone would have bit your hand off for a lazy bastard who actually knew where the net was then. Waghorn, as much as I like the lad, is similar. Howard has never been prolific for us. Would I exchange their workrate and the 10-15 goals a season between them for 'lazy' Yakubu's potential 25 a season? Fuck yeah I would. A strikeforce of Maynard and Yakubu next season? I'd eat my hat if they scored less than 40 goals between them, a pretty good tally considering King and Gallagher have 14 and 11 respectively, not to mention the goals the rest of the team will weigh in with.

£2m for Yakubu would be an absolute steal. He'd frustrate you one week for being a passenger, then score a match winning hat-trick the next. Overall, there's no doubt in my mind he would make a major positive difference to the team and I can't believe that people are seriously saying fuck off to a striker WE KNOW can score 1 in 2 when the team is out of form.