Colinjb

So what would you rather do? It's easy to criticise but not so much to provide insight and alternative.... but you would at least be respected for trying....

Perfect for a Rhodes type player. Gotcha.

Care to be more specific? That's a rather general answer. Also, how would you recommend we create more chances?

I disagree. His off the ball movement stretches the defenders similarly to Jay while he provides some unpredictability with his ingenuity on the ball, he is not having a run in the team thanks to the form of Rickie and Jay and as such hasn't been able to assert himself. For me that shows how well our strikers are doing to keep him out just as much as highlighting how disappointing it may be that he isn't scoring as many as we would hope due to his price tag. As for can't thinking of many that would, well.... the system that we play gives our strikers a very tough time. To genuinely improve things further I feel we would need to sign someone from the very, absolute top draw. Until (!?) we can offer European football we will struggle with that. Incidentally, how would you look for us to create more chances, which is a point you stated earlier? Please don't tell me I have to go all Paxman before you finally state some opinion of your own. I'm not sharing any more of my own until you do.

And the points countering that where that his other attributes wouldn't fit the way we play. That is an opinion it seems I share with a few other forum members, no doubting his finishing ability but he isn't someone who would sufficiently improve our first team. For better or worse we operate a certain system, anyone we sign will have to fit.

Sorry Pastor, but he clearly said: Not that I was actually explicitly saying that, taking that on though statistically we are actually about bang average in the league as far as chances are concerned, as seen in the half season stats breakdown thread. Couple that with the record of our forwards at the same level as Rhodes I would say that chance conversion isn't the specific issue.... and even if it was there is no certainty based on my opinion and the sketchy record of championship top scorers coming to the Premier League that he would be any kind of certain solution. Taking Jay Rodriguez as an example, he was never fiercely prolific at Championship level but it was his other qualities (movement, positional sense which complimented his finishing) which has allowed him to adapt and thrive.

Where is Glasgow? I genuinely want to know his opinion on how we should tackle the issue that we are not making many clear chances.

Don't forget Earnshaw, Ellington, Ricketts, Ebanks-Blake,. Scoring a hat-full at Championship League level is not an assured stamp of ongoing or premier league quality.

What would you recommend? I've shared some opinion, I want to hear yours now.

A few times on tele (For Blackburn and for Scotland), saw him against Leicester mid week last Feb (Leicester 3-0 Blackburn) and against Huddersfield on the 21st September (0-0.) He is an excellent finisher, the focal point of their attacking system and when the team fires he does well. But he is not someone who is on his own making a difference, he is only firing when the team click. I do not believe that he is someone who will give us something extra, he is not the same physical mobile presence that Rickie is and will not give us an option in excess of our current capability. Is he capable of playing at Premier League level? Probably, but he is not the solution for us when we use a system that needs definitive hard work, movement and something genuinely high class to make the most of our attacking moves when we have the opposition pressed/pushed back in a crowded penalty box.

Rhodes is a great finisher but not a hard worker, he is an excellent focal point in the Blackburn team and is carrying them. You compare him to Rickie, having seen him play I firmly believe he is not as good an all round footballer as Rickie, he is a man in a system who is doing the job he is there for. He is not a player that would significantly add to our first eleven. And regarding sarcasm, it's all there seems to be on the sh*t tip of humanity that is this forum now so I might as well join in the shower.

No, you are right, we should be bringing in Jordan Rhodes and using Rickie as a target man to feed him. It's only about the goals, not the system, not the joy of having someone who offers something a little maverick, a little unpredictable, let's play the percentages, get it to the big men up front and play the percentages. The numbers never lie!

Each console generation has seen a relatively massive jump in ability of the machinery. I remember the 8 bit era going to 16 bit. Far more colours, smoother more detailed graphics and better control. From 16 to 32 bits we saw the introduction of CD's, vastly more memory, CD quality audio and 3D graphics rendering made feasible. Then onto the leap from the PS1/N64/Saturn to Xbox and PS2. DVD capability, the beginnings of internet gaming. Onto last generation. The introduction of genuine mass online gaming, HD graphics and media playback and the ability to very almost render real looking environments. Full media integration with iPlayer, Sky Go etc. For this? Slightly better graphics born from the better processor, a little more memory, a slight focus on further mass media integration with the Xbox One and, errrr, nothing much really. There has been no quantum leap as seen previously. This generation of consoles will only become in any way 'necessary' when the support for their predecessors is dropped.

At least the account picked a number for him that isn't currently taken.

Well, if something breaks in the next hour or so they may get a few more followers..... and if not.....

Nothing on the legitimate twitter sources, utter rubbish.

Southamptom indeed.....

Wait, what!?

I wouldn't be so sure. While this specific issue is technically closed the aftermath will be extremely interesting as it unfurls.

I see it like this too.

You know, I had never thought of that!

Taking it on face value, damn right you would complain about that!!

I strongly suspect that Sam Allardyce will not be manager there for much longer, going to join West Ham on the basis of who their manager is could be a dreadfully short sighted and ill-judged decision.

And that they will never, ever do that is the biggest joke of all.

Lol @ Southend v Hull. Phil Brown at home to his old side.