hypochondriac

What I'm saying is that they were lower priority signings. Maybe if we'd put all our efforts into signing a centre forward then we would have increased our chances of getting one.

No not "some forward players."We need a centre forward to lead the line and either replace Adams or allow Adams to do the role he is best at which is holding the ball up and setting up chances. Suggesting we are happy with some forward players is a rewriting of history when we failed to replace Broja who was himself a temporary replacement for our best player (Ings.) I'm not getting into the silly game about who we should buy. I'm not a scout and it's not my job it's the clubs job to sort it. 25-30 million should be able to get us a decent striker that will improve the team and hopefully become the focal point of it. That's what we need. That's what we've needed for a year.

It's not hindsight. I said at the conclusion of the last window that it was a huge mistake not to prioritise a striker whilst people were banging on about the window being ten out of ten.

Absolutely. If we hadn't bothered with Larios and Aribo in the summer we would have a lot more disposable income now for the one position we badly need.

Indeed. My expectation was we'd spend something like 25 million on a top striker this window. If we do this in addition to any other signings then fair enough but the fact it hasn't happened already is a failure of sorts already.

Exactly. You can't convince me that spending 20 million of our relatively meagre budget on a wide player is the best use of the funds.

I don't consider either of them central strikers to lead the line (and in fact Armstrong has been much better on the left.) Glad you agree with the rest though, the narrative changes from some the later we get in the window and people try to talk themselves into how the window is actually brilliant rather than leaving glaring holes in the squad once again which is lacking quality. It was the same in the summer when people were laughed at for pointing this out but it's actually been plainly obvious for months.

The point is that at the moment we don't have a central striker. It's not that we even have someone who isn't good or out of form, we have no one. At the start of the summer and the start of this window everyone knew that's what we needed and then as the window goes on and we don't have that, everyone starts making excuses or pretending that we really needed something else. If it gets to the end of the window and we haven't secured a quality striker to lead the line the other it will be another failure and actually incredible when you consider it was of critical importance in the last window too.

I haven't disputed any of that.

Che shouldn't be in our starting 11. He only plays now because we have virtually no one else.

Where did I say we needed a proven quality PL striker? We've had the likes of Ings and Broja in recent years which proves that decent strikers who can do a job are available. Every window we go into it with everyone agreeing that that is what we need and then as we get towards the end we have people like you saying how difficult it is and how we shouldn't really be expecting a striker and that it's unaffordable or they won't want to come. It's the clubs fault for not getting anyone in in the summer when it was blindingly obvious that is what we needed more than anything and surprise surprise we have needed one all season. We still need one and we still haven't adressed it. If we go down from here and we haven't brought one in we will have the same people saying saying the same things without recognising that this is the main reason why we are where we are.

I wouldn't! What we should have done is signed that type of striker in the summer. The fact we didn't doesn't then mean we write off the season and potentially get relegated. We still have a chance to save our season and the time for proper investment in the one area that we badly, desperately need someone is now. Not the summer.

It's not spot on though. For the last year loads of people have banged on about getting in a proper striker. Everyone agrees and then when it gets near the end of the window it's "we did get a striker in" (Mara in the summer) or now "what do you expect?" It's bloody obvious what is expected, it's the same thing that's been expected for ages and it's not an unreasonable expectation, particularly because failing to act could send us down.

Most people expect us to spend a decent amount on a proper striker to replace Ings and latterly Broja. We failed to do it last January, we didn't do it in the summer and we haven't done it yet in this window, preferring instead to concentrate on players who play on the left for a reason known only to those in charge. We need a top striker, we've known that for over a year now.

This window has gone how many predicted so far. Leaving things for a striker very late, leaving the striker that does come in less time to get acquainted and actually make a difference to our season. Concerning that we haven't really been linked with many proper strikers and the ones we have been are a step down from the 20-30 million bracket that is required. I'd rather we signed quality over quantity.

Still no real links to a proper striker and approaching the end of the window. Depressing again...

I imagine he was the brains behind the ghey light show. Great stuff.

Hmm. On the face of it this is an underwhelming signing in an area that we desperately need top quality or as good as we can afford. Fair enough if we're getting Ings as well but if this is the only striker then I can't say I'm overly excited about the prospect.

All I've seen is another report saying we would like to sign him, not that he has any intention of signing for us or that we have approached Villa. I expect it would be quite easy for us to check if he fancies it so unlikely to be something that drags on.

Why is everyone talking about Ings again? Wasn't there reports earlier in the window that we had failed to persuade him to return?

I think the more success we have the more it's clear that it was the players not understanding or implementing what Jones wanted. I am happy to say I was one of those people and absolutely delighted that Jones is showing character to come through that difficult period with the players now seemingly onside.

There's no probably about it. It would be an excellent achievement and he will deserve all the plaudits.

If he keeps us up he will have earnt the right to do so and fair play to him. He's really turned things around and now deserves time to show what he can do.

Mo off, Adams off and Edozie off. Bring on the new blokes and maybe Armstrong or Djenepo

Absolutely. Great post. Saturday for me will show if we have something here or if Monday was the anomaly.