Poll: Which of the strikers we've been linked with recently would you like us to sign this window?

[Pirate55]

I think the club wanted him to provide immediate cover for Kane as well as be a striking option for the future. He was a cheapish option worth gambling on seeing as he could come in straight away. Once Fulham were not prepared to release him in January the club probably felt there was no rush to do the deal as perhaps players we perceive to have more quality might be available come the Summer. Fulham may also settle for less money seeing as an overseas club can now sign him for just a few hundred thousand pounds of compensation. With that in mind Fulham may now accept reasonably low bid of say 2 or 3 million from us or risk losing out on most of that if he goes to a European club.

For what it's worth I chose Haller. He has something about him that leads me to believe he will continue to improve and, as such, I think he has a huge upside. I think he is also already at a level where he can provide useful back up for Kane.

I agree with your explanation to a point - but either we wanted to secure him or we didn't. I can't believe Poch only saw him as a temporary stop gap. If the price quoted to secure him ( £6m, Iirc) then this would seem cheap for a talented young striker and not worth the risk of waiting to the end of the season to see if we could get him cheaper and probably missing out altogether. Seems a bizarre strategy to me.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I agree with your explanation to a point - but either we wanted to secure him or we didn't. I can't believe Poch only saw him as a temporary stop gap. If the price quoted to secure him ( £6m, Iirc) then this would seem cheap for a talented young striker and not worth the risk of waiting to the end of the season to see if we could get him cheaper and probably missing out altogether. Seems a bizarre strategy to me.

I don't think the club were that bothered if they missed out altogether. Our need was quite an immediate one and Dembele looked to be a player who could plug that gap. The situation back in January is very different to the situation in the summer.... In January the club are in panic mode and probably reduced to making a tactical signing. In the summer the club can instead operate in a strategic mode.

All of the following could well change clubs this Summer - Batshuayi, Lacazette, Haller, Bacca, Zaza, Isco, Cavani, Higuain, Berahino, Embolo, Janssen, Babacar, Gabbiadini, Berradi, Morata, Fekir, Slimani, Aubameyang. I suspect the club saw no point in wasting £6 million of our budget on a player who could probably be brought in for half that amount a few months later if we are unable to bring in one of our preferred options (one assumes from the above list).

 

[SpurSF]

I think the pressing from our WFs is too crucial to our system to sacrifice them.

I mean, in general I'd agree. But I'd mostly be thinking about playing this way against teams that defend very deep and don't play out through the midfield (i.e. West Brom, Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Watford, Sunderland). We struggled to break those type of team down at times, and our front players were rarely able to win the ball in the final third, as the ball was flying over their heads. We'd dominate the ball, but Kane was constantly outnumbered by the two center backs, and another physical, athletic presence up there who can get in behind might make more of a difference than another wing forward. Esp, if we sign one of these young players (Batshuayi, Lacazette) who are already naturally adept at pressing.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I mean, in general I'd agree. But I'd mostly be thinking about playing this way against teams that defend very deep and don't play out through the midfield (i.e. West Brom, Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Watford, Sunderland). We struggled to break those type of team down at times, and our front players were rarely able to win the ball in the final third, as the ball was flying over their heads. We'd dominate the ball, but Kane was constantly outnumbered by the two center backs, and another physical, athletic presence up there who can get in behind might make more of a difference than another wing forward. Esp, if we sign one of these young players (Batshuayi, Lacazette) who are already naturally adept at pressing.

You make good points here. The best way for the opposition to counter Pochettino's pressing style is to avoid playing the ball out from the back.... Instead simply sit deep and then look to play it early and long to a couple of physical players up front.

To make a point here about Lacazette though - I don't see him as being a physical, athletic presence. He is more of a technical, skillfull finisher. I worry a little that Lacazette could go the same way as Soldado at Spurs as he is one of those players that looks to be good at everything but doesn't really have any attributes that you would describe as 'excellent'. If we had a choice of signing either of Lacazette or Batshuayi I would tend to opt for the latter as I think he could play both instead of Kane and with Kane, whereas I'm not sure that Lacazette could successfully play instead of Kane in our system.

 

[Gutter Boy]

I mean, in general I'd agree. But I'd mostly be thinking about playing this way against teams that defend very deep and don't play out through the midfield (i.e. West Brom, Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Watford, Sunderland). We struggled to break those type of team down at times, and our front players were rarely able to win the ball in the final third, as the ball was flying over their heads. We'd dominate the ball, but Kane was constantly outnumbered by the two center backs, and another physical, athletic presence up there who can get in behind might make more of a difference than another wing forward. Esp, if we sign one of these young players (Batshuayi, Lacazette) who are already naturally adept at pressing.

Isn't the solution to that a lock picking #10, rather than a bruising CF or a poacher?

 

[Roy1983]

Shane Long. Not a worldie but will do it in the PL. Sorry but anyone voting anyone else is going down the Alan Sugar carloskickaballs route shiny new foreign player route.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Shane Long. Not a worldie but will do it in the PL. Sorry but anyone voting anyone else is going down the Alan Sugar carloskickaballs route shiny new foreign player route.

I think that Shane Long looks a fantastic player to have when your tactics revolve around playing on the break, not sure that he will be as effective when playing for us and often being confronted with 2 solid banks of 4.

 

[Yoof]

Shane Long. Not a worldie but will do it in the PL. Sorry but anyone voting anyone else is going down the Alan Sugar carloskickaballs route shiny new foreign player route.

In fairness, Berahino is classed as English.

 

[Gutter Boy]

In fairness, Berahino is classed as English.

And Dembele's done 3 years in the EPL and Championship

 

[nayenezgani]

Shane Long is in the same league as Ryan Mason, both should be at relegation threatened/championship level teams.

 

[glorygloryeze]

Shane Long. Not a worldie but will do it in the PL. Sorry but anyone voting anyone else is going down the Alan Sugar carloskickaballs route shiny new foreign player route.

So...you've previously said you don't like Saido Berahino ("Average") but you now say you want Shane fudging Long???

 

[braineclipse]

Shane Long. Not a worldie but will do it in the PL. Sorry but anyone voting anyone else is going down the Alan Sugar carloskickaballs route shiny new foreign player route.

We've had quite a bit of success with some of our shiny new foreigners though. I would rather have a shiny new foreigner than Shane Long.

For me we have a ton of quality in our team. We shouldn't look to sign players that are either at that level where they can compete for a starting place or with the potential to get to that level in the future. If we find ourselves close to the transfer window closing and need a backup player, fine, perhaps someone like Long could do a job. But they should not be top of our target list.

We've done great business with Pochettino and Mitchell. I would rather see someone I've never heard of before being brought in because he's been targeted by them than see Long brought in.

 

[parklane1]

Shane Long. Not a worldie but will do it in the PL. Sorry but anyone voting anyone else is going down the Alan Sugar carloskickaballs route shiny new foreign player route.

Not having that at all, Shane long is no where near the class or ability of some of the others mentioned. His scoring record is poor and if we lose Kane ( injury ) then the thought of Long taking over the goal scoring role is scary.

 

[SpurSF]

Isn't the solution to that a lock picking #10, rather than a bruising CF or a poacher?

In theory, that would be Eriksen or Lamela. Playing a second striker also allows Kane someone to play off and more targets for Rose and Walker to hit.

 

[Roy1983]

In fairness, Berahino is classed as English.

Hhmmmmm

Shane Long is in the same league as Ryan Mason, both should be at relegation threatened/championship level teams.

What a load of bollox really.

So...you've previously said you don't like Saido Berahino ("Average") but you now say you want Shane fudgeing Long???

I wouldn't say I want him. Just out of all the choices he's the only one guaranteed to score goals in the PL the rest are unproven and I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Went for embolo, but would be delighted if we picked up lacazette as well. I'm not the most informed on these players but I get the impression they can both play wide forward as well as up top on their own. So should be plenty of playing time for all of them should they sign.

 

[Baleforce]

if I'm an opposing centre half, and I see Kane's number coming up, the last guy on that list I want to see coming on is Shane Long

you don't sign a player to score goals, you sign a player to make your system as effective as possible

 

[the dza]

I still like Berahino myself, assuming Poch can get him back on his game.

 

[Hemant]

I am hoping for Aubamayang. If not then Morata. I am not sure of Slimani.
We need real quality, if we don't want to pay the top rate, then we need someone with exceptional potential, that is going to require superb scouting and judgement.

 

[Yiddo]

I wouldn't mind Berahino as we will get him on the cheap and we can rub West Broms face in it.