pub car king Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 13 hours ago, Halbeath Raith Rover said: Always an excuse to share this gem I mean he's probably right in his assessment of the situation 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGuigan1978 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 A pal mentioned Stevie May to me last week, and I was hoping that there wasn't much to the rumour. He's barely done anything of note note since slide tackling Mark Birighitti and the ball into the back of the net at Tannadice back at the start of 2023, and while that's a good laugh, (especially now we know how much Dundee United fans hate slide tackles on their goalkeepers,) I'm not sure he can provide what we need in the final third. He's always been a shadow of the player who left St Johnstone first time around unfortunately, and after looking like a genuinely exciting prospect, his injuries completely derailed him. He's scored fewer than 40 league goals in 10 years now, albeit at a higher level than our division, and while forwards shouldn't just be judged on their goals record, I'm not sure his all round game would add too much more if he isn't getting on the score sheet for us. Maybe a loan move would be a worthwhile punt, but I'd be a wee bit worried if we're planning on offering him a permanent contract for a few years. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broken Algorithms Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 2 minutes ago, McGuigan1978 said: A pal mentioned Stevie May to me last week, and I was hoping that there wasn't much to the rumour. He's barely done anything of note note since slide tackling Mark Birighitti and the ball into the back of the net at Tannadice back at the start of 2023, and while that's a good laugh, (especially now we know how much Dundee United fans hate slide tackles on their goalkeepers,) I'm not sure he can provide what we need in the final third. He's always been a shadow of the player who left St Johnstone first time around unfortunately, and after looking like a genuinely exciting prospect, his injuries completely derailed him. He's scored fewer than 40 league goals in 10 years now, albeit at a higher level than our division, and while forwards shouldn't just be judged on their goals record, I'm not sure his all round game would add too much more if he isn't getting on the score sheet for us. Maybe a loan move would be a worthwhile punt, but I'd be a wee bit worried if we're planning on offering him a permanent contract for a few years. Can see it being much like others this summer where it's released by one club then announced by another within minutes. May isn't particularly inspiring given that he sounds like Graham Weir MK2. However, the Championship feels like a far more forgiving league for centre forwards than the top flight. If we brought in Mebude and May, I feel like it would be two players who don't really answer a larger question which is particularly difficult to answer: who's going to get us the goals this season to take us up a level? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanJM Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 If we're looking for a guy who's going to come in and grab us 20 goals then neither of the names mentioned are likely to be that guy. However, those guys are pretty few and far between and every team wants one so it's a tough problem to solve. Both would almost certainly add something to the squad, be it experience with May or pace with Mebude (big assumption that both are fit enough throughout the season of course).. Ultimately, do we want to be relying on 1 player to get us goals? If we can get 4 or 5 guys into double figures this season, along with a few others on 5-10 goals, we should be fine in that department. It won't be simple but it never is with Rovers...... I have no doubt we'll see at least another couple of players in over the next month or so (probably on loan from premiership clubs) and have complete trust in Murray and Potts to get it right. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid_The_Baw Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 The only 3 strikers released from clubs in the Premier. Le Fondre would be in our range, Roofe definitely not. Anaku was at Dundee Utd, but has never scored a goal. For a striker thats a bit naff... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryBumpkin Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 8 minutes ago, AllanJM said: If we're looking for a guy who's going to come in and grab us 20 goals then neither of the names mentioned are likely to be that guy. However, those guys are pretty few and far between and every team wants one so it's a tough problem to solve. Both would almost certainly add something to the squad, be it experience with May or pace with Mebude (big assumption that both are fit enough throughout the season of course).. Ultimately, do we want to be relying on 1 player to get us goals? If we can get 4 or 5 guys into double figures this season, along with a few others on 5-10 goals, we should be fine in that department. It won't be simple but it never is with Rovers...... I have no doubt we'll see at least another couple of players in over the next month or so (probably on loan from premiership clubs) and have complete trust in Murray and Potts to get it right. I don't see where those 4 or 5 guys hitting 10 goals come from in the squad. Its not Easton, probably not Mullin or Stanton either. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid_The_Baw Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Championship striker free agents. Hmm..... None jump out at me as being the answer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid_The_Baw Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Scottish League 1 free agent strikers. Samuels, although not playing much does have a knack for a goal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid_The_Baw Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 English League 1 - never heard of any of them, and they will probably be on more wages usually than we can offer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid_The_Baw Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 (edited) English League 2. Probably more our wages level. Adeloye was at Plastic Whistle. He only hits one in every 6 games though. Edited July 23 by Heid_The_Baw 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heid_The_Baw Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 And finally, National League. Another pot we could piss in. Sorry for the big snapshots etc, but we need a striker, we are not going to be paying a transfer fee, and these are basically all the strikers who are free agents at potentially 'our level'. Grim reading. Maybe Irish League or NIreland 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Been going too long Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 (edited) Things will improve when Lewis returns and we maybe need to wait it out like the gaffer has been hinting at to late in the window and get an alfie bavidge or Bobby wales on loan . Haven’t seen may play for years so not sure what he will bring but he may () bring others into play more . What’s big mani duku up to these days Edited July 23 by Been going too long 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Been going too long Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 44 minutes ago, Heid_The_Baw said: Championship striker free agents. Hmm..... None jump out at me as being the answer. Gabby McGill is on trial at Grimsby, Murray mentioned him before 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Toun Clock Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 40 minutes ago, Heid_The_Baw said: English League 1 - never heard of any of them, and they will probably be on more wages usually than we can offer. I definitely don't think Bobby Kamwa would be the answer. Yogi signed him for us on loan from Leeds Utd and despite us being terrible, he couldn't break into the team and get a game before our relegation. Even the substitute appearances were minimal. Whilst typing all this, I decided to go and have a look and he actually came on for a late cameo when we beat you 2-0 in April 2022. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanJM Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 54 minutes ago, CountryBumpkin said: I don't see where those 4 or 5 guys hitting 10 goals come from in the squad. Its not Easton, probably not Mullin or Stanton either. Vaughan should do it again. Smith, Hamilton and Easton all got pretty close to it last season and definitely have the potential to do it this year. Connolly did it 2 seasons in a row and is certainly capable. I appreciate these are all subject to a very large IF but it's certainly doable if we create enough chances. You're then potentially only looking to add another attacker in who could get over 10 goals for the season instead of aiming for the 20 goal striker everyone wants to find. I may be allowing pre-season optimism to get to me but just refuse to go into the season feeling negative given where we are now compared to previous years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithfan2711 Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 (edited) 1 hour ago, AllanJM said: Vaughan should do it again. Smith, Hamilton and Easton all got pretty close to it last season and definitely have the potential to do it this year. Connolly did it 2 seasons in a row and is certainly capable. I appreciate these are all subject to a very large IF but it's certainly doable if we create enough chances. You're then potentially only looking to add another attacker in who could get over 10 goals for the season instead of aiming for the 20 goal striker everyone wants to find. I may be allowing pre-season optimism to get to me but just refuse to go into the season feeling negative given where we are now compared to previous years. This. There isn’t a team in the land who isn’t looking for a 15 goal+ a season striker in the league. Last year in the Championship there was 3, the league winners had someone on 18 and 13. These players just aren’t readily available and most likely won’t be looking at potential options unless it is a punt that works out. If they aren’t available, you need to get other positions to chip in to make it work. When we last won a League (albeit in a shortened season) in 2019-20 our top league scorer when the league was called had 9 goals. We had full backs and deep lying midfielders all contributing. That is the job of the manager and his team to make us as competitive as possible with who we have. I honestly believe that can happen again this year if we cannot get this striker we all want. I don’t know if it’ll win us the league, but it will win us games. I think we will get more goals from our centre backs at set pieces and can see Brown, Matthews, etc. getting more than last year. The biggest question mark goals-wise with the current squad is Hamilton and his fitness. I do think he is a better option than Smith, despite Smith doing well on Saturday. If we were to sign him as a new player today we would all be excited, he just needs a good run of games to get going in my opinion. I just hope it comes. Edited July 23 by Raithfan2711 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountryBumpkin Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 1 hour ago, AllanJM said: Vaughan should do it again. Smith, Hamilton and Easton all got pretty close to it last season and definitely have the potential to do it this year. Connolly did it 2 seasons in a row and is certainly capable. I appreciate these are all subject to a very large IF but it's certainly doable if we create enough chances. You're then potentially only looking to add another attacker in who could get over 10 goals for the season instead of aiming for the 20 goal striker everyone wants to find. I may be allowing pre-season optimism to get to me but just refuse to go into the season feeling negative given where we are now compared to previous years. I don't disagree. I see the players we have behind Vaughan as creators rather than finishers, we're perhaps a little unbalanced in that aspect. Connolly is the one who is most capable, but since his 13+ goal season, we've changed the way we play as a team and he's no longer being provided with the space he had to score the goals he did. With luck, the introduction of Freeman and his ability to push forward more, will allow Connolly a bit more freedom again. Smith looks a different player this season, hopefully he gets a consistent run, same with Hamilton, that lad gets a few games and then picks up a knock, out for a few games and then has to start again. We all want him to be the goalscorer we've seen in the past. Would be great to get it again. Not so much negative as I think we've got a set of players that are able to change the way they're playing, create moments of individual brilliance and adapt, we've also got a manager who isn't afraid to roll the dice and go for it, can't be negative with that overall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpaddyx Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 14 minutes ago, CountryBumpkin said: I don't disagree. I see the players we have behind Vaughan as creators rather than finishers, we're perhaps a little unbalanced in that aspect. Connolly is the one who is most capable, but since his 13+ goal season, we've changed the way we play as a team and he's no longer being provided with the space he had to score the goals he did. With luck, the introduction of Freeman and his ability to push forward more, will allow Connolly a bit more freedom again. Smith looks a different player this season, hopefully he gets a consistent run, same with Hamilton, that lad gets a few games and then picks up a knock, out for a few games and then has to start again. We all want him to be the goalscorer we've seen in the past. Would be great to get it again. Not so much negative as I think we've got a set of players that are able to change the way they're playing, create moments of individual brilliance and adapt, we've also got a manager who isn't afraid to roll the dice and go for it, can't be negative with that overall. I agreed, all this talk of a new striker and i've been fairly impressed with Smith so far this season. Maybe the idea is to start with him and Hamilton rotating with Vaughan supporting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerieA Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 All the talk is about a striker which I think we need as well to strengthen that department. However….do we create enough chances? Towards the end of last season Kev was pulling of 3/4 saves each game and we hardly worked the opponents keeper. Can see that being the case again this season on what I’ve seen so far. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilted John Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 Not sure how much truth there is in the May rumour but anyone turning their nose up at him, thinking there’s a 20+ goal striker out there, needs to give themselves a shake. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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