Potential New Strikers?

[YellowM25]

Kind of expected that sort of outcome Really. Since my OP I've been battling a mental dilemma over whether we actually want to spend any money in January at all. We aren't going down (there are some far worse teams already fighting it out) and on recent views we aren't going up.

Is it time to consolidate the cash balance and plan our moves for the summer? January is always overinflated price wise, and a loan signing is in my opinion now flogging a dead horse.

Would be interested to know What people think re this as i think if we spend big now we blow next seasons budget.

[Kernowgull]

We definitely will not be spending big in January!!!

I also really dont think we are safe from s relegation battle based on last two performances!

[royalgull]

We're not in any trouble, we've next to no chance of top 7 so in my opinion it would be stupid to go and spend money or gamble on new players this month. We're terrible but will finish 14th/15th easily. We lost 3 of our best players and the replacements are inferior, it's turned us from 4th - 14th. It's not rocket science but it's fact and the nature of the beast for clubs like TUFC.

We haven't got any money, we get small crowds and as such get crap players that few other clubs want + 1 or 2 gems we unearth every now and then. Right now we've got the former and none of the latter. so we're a bit stuck.

Need to use the 2nd half of the season to work out whose good enough for next year, look at the youngsters then have a mini clear out in the summer and try and find some better alternatives.

[Kernowgull]

Royal, I dont know if you went yesterday or againdt Plymouth, but we were battered by two terrible sides. I dont think we'll go down, but I certainly dont think we're safe.

[ferrarilover]

No we weren't, Wombles mustered 2 shots on target and a penno and that was it. We were awful, but let's not try to pretend Wimbledon were any better.

Matt.

[Jeff]

To almost bring this back around to being OT, maybe a more likely potential forward signing would be Guy Madjo:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20888544

Fits more criteria than McLeod - he's a big lad (like Ling said he was after), Aldershot aren't bigger than us so he's not going to be completely unrealistic in terms of wage, plus he's just come back off a loan spell from Plymouth so he's not alien to the concept of being in Devon (of course, he might have hated it down there but he was at least open-minded enough to give it a go!). He's got a middling goals/games ratio - 8 goals in 23 games last season, 3 in 14 for Plymouth this so one goal every 3 or 4 games.

On the down side - well he's not exactly Messi! Guess it depends on whether Ling does have anything in the pot to spend

[ferrarilover]

Pros: he's free, he's massive, he knows L2.
Cons: not good enough for one of the gaggle of 5 utterly hopeless sides in L2 this year.

Hmmm, I suppose he's the sort of standard that'll be milling about in January for the budget we have, so maybe be grateful he has any pros at all.

Matt.

[stevegull]

My dad watched a Plymouth game a couple months ago and said Madjo was a real handful and he even said he made Howe look lightweight.

[tufcbrett]

Richard Brodie has finished his loan with Morecambe. Now he would fit the bill and well could be a decent loan to try and bring in. Can score goals and fits what Ling wants. Howe and Brodie wouldnt sound to bad. But who knows what sort of wage Crawley have him on so that could be a issue but if Morecambe could afford it id hope we could as id have us down to have a simular budget maybe.

[Dave]

Guy Madjo training with Bristol Rovers. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/story-17 ... story.html

[ferrarilover]

The Rovers situation really makes me despair of the loan market. Yes, I'm sure that the loanees will dig them out of the poo, but the thing is that Rovers are, rightfully, one of the two worst clubs in the division and, accordingly, deserve to go down. Simply being a terrible club with more money than sense shouldn't be enough to keep any side from relegation. That and it's not a real answer, because in May, they'll have scraped together 50 points or so and will be in L2 next year, but the loanees will have gone home, leaving them to struggle through to January, sack yet another manager in the course of perpetuating the greatest bout of denial in footballing history, only then to pay miles over the odds to get in a load of loanees, once again, and repeat the process. Eventually, of course, they'll have a purple patch and do well for a season (see Northampton Town this year) and will be back to believing that they are, somehow, deserving of promotion when, in truth, but for a loan system grossly misused, they would be mid-table in the Conference.

I didn't like it when Buckle used to rely so heavily on loanees and I am correspondingly glad that Dinger doesn't.

Matt.

[happytorq]

The Rovers situation really makes me despair of the loan market. Yes, I'm sure that the loanees will dig them out of the poo, but the thing is that Rovers are, rightfully, one of the two worst clubs in the division and, accordingly, deserve to go down. Simply being a terrible club with more money than sense shouldn't be enough to keep any side from relegation. That and it's not a real answer, because in May, they'll have scraped together 50 points or so and will be in L2 next year, but the loanees will have gone home, leaving them to struggle through to January, sack yet another manager in the course of perpetuating the greatest bout of denial in footballing history, only then to pay miles over the odds to get in a load of loanees, once again, and repeat the process. Eventually, of course, they'll have a purple patch and do well for a season (see Northampton Town this year) and will be back to believing that they are, somehow, deserving of promotion when, in truth, but for a loan system grossly misused, they would be mid-table in the Conference.

I didn't like it when Buckle used to rely so heavily on loanees and I am correspondingly glad that Dinger doesn't.

Matt.

Disagree. There's no guarantee that loanees will help Rovers, and we've been similarly reliant upon them ourselves for years.

I would like to see it made more difficult for clubs carrying a shedload of debt to acquire new players, but the main upshot of that would be more bleddy people showing up with buckets saying "Save our club!".

[ferrarilover]

Well no, of course there's no guarantee, but I'd be surprised if they didn't. Regardless, IF my scenario plays out, it will be relevant and true.

By all accounts on the Rovers board, it was their loanee keeper and a loanee midfielder that made the difference against Plymouth. It was Eaves who got two against us (I think), there's 6 points straight away and they've only got 22.

Loans should be an emergency thing and extremely rare. There are plenty of youth and reserve leagues in which those seeking fitness and game time may gain the same. I recall one situation, Cambridge Utd in the Playoff final against us, where a club was in dire straights and had absolutely no reasonable option other than to sign a loanee keeper.

Still, it is what it is and I remain as convinced as you are sceptical that Rovers will escape justice, just as many have done before and shall do hence.

Matt.

[Gullscorer]

I've just read through this whole thread again, and I now make the following comments:

a) Some of us needed to lighten up a bit; should be used to Ferrarilover's sardonic humour by now!
b) Usagullmichigan's line: 'You brucied yourself today.' A new verb. Love it!
c) Regarding a new striker, I'm happy to leave it to Lingy, whoever he brings in. He hasn't suddenly become a bad manager simply because the team needs shaking up. Runs of poor form happen in all clubs to every manager and every player, and there are no quick fixes, unless we find a billionaire backer..!!

[stevegull]

I've just read through this whole thread again, and I now make the following comments:

a) Some of us needed to lighten up a bit; should be used to Ferrarilover's sardonic humour by now!
b) Usagullmichigan's line: 'You brucied yourself today.' A new verb. Love it!
c) Regarding a new striker, I'm happy to leave it to Lingy, whoever he brings in. He hasn't suddenly become a bad manager simply because the team needs shaking up. Runs of poor form happen in all clubs to every manager and every player, and there are no quick fixes, unless we find a billionaire backer..!!

I agree with all this post. Especially point B. 'Brucieing' things should definitely be taken all by all members of this forum.

Ling's been a bit hit and miss with transfers but I think on the whole he has been fairly good. And even players like McPhee and Atieno that he signed were only brought in as back-up 'budget' options.

I know some don't really think Morris is much of a player but personally I think he is a great player for our club and would be even better suited to the 4-4-2 system we have reverted to now.

So, basically, I see no reason to think that Ling would be too inept to bring in adequate reinforcements. The one constraining factor could be 'the budget'.