Player Signing Today?

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

To be fair, we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. If we score youngsters in the hope they'll turn out good we're usually disappointed (Glombard, Robertson, Grabban, Beavers, Cooper, Zola, etc) and get complaints about not signing proven strikers - who often also disappoint (Windass, Price, Burgess, Constantine, Kabba, Byfield, etc). Good up and coming forwards by their very nature are few and far between and hard to get on loan - I reckon Brandy and Beckford are the exceptions, not most clubs' experience.

 

I think there's risk inherent in loan signings - they're not guaranteed to do well. If they were in superb form they wouldn't be available for loan, and they have to settle into a new team, possibly new tactics and learn new teammates' abilities in a very short term.

 

Me, I reckon creative players have been our blind spot for years - I still remember how good Stuart Barlow was after he left us, possibly something we'll see with O'Grady in a year or two as well (too early to tell now). If you don't create quality chances even a quality player can't score. Look at the difference an in-form Wellens or Croft made.

 

Anyway, doesn't look like we're getting a new signing tonight. Unfortunately.

 

Quite right, which is why it always makes me chortle when someone comes on here, for the nth time demanding we get that striker in to score some goals!

 

I think we've done OK to get Nardiello, who is a proven striker at this level and above. Whether he's a success or not is anyones guess given the service (or lack of) that strikers generally suffer here.