Dark Munster

Hopefully he'll be fit for the first leg on Wednesday.

Good question.

I think we all agree on this. Except possibly Reed and Puel. Anyway, the good news is we got 2 goals today, so hopefully this will kickstart our strikers' season and boost their confidence. Oh, wait ...

Solent taters talking about the draw for the next round.

Dave: "We have to see this game out."

Even if he's developed into a wanker?

I wasn't particularly wanting us to sign him (the only way to prise him from Sunderland would be to offer silly money), but rather an acknowledgement from the manager that they are actively looking for a striker. I know the club likes to do things quietly, but they didn't address this in the summer, and Puel has said he's happy with the squad. Anyway, hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised before the window slams shut. If not, the cat's being thrown across the room. If I had one.

Indeed, him selling Mane, Pelle and Big Vic was a big mistake.

Ok, I changed it a little. But wouldn't it be nice if we got a similar statement from our club?

Puel: We need a goalscorer Last Updated: January 5 2017, 19:31 GMT Claude Puel believes Jermain Defoe would be the answer to Saint's goalscoring problems. The Saints are understood to be trying to lure the striker to the club from Sunderland to boost their firepower. He may now be 34, but Defoe has shown he has lost none of his goalscoring prowess, having scored 11 times for struggling Sunderland already this season. Puel said: "The chairman is trying really hard to get some players, if it's going to be possible, in positions we think we need. I'm not going to talk about names in public. "(Defoe) has the things that are the most important in a football games - that's goals. He scored them last season, he was probably the main reason they stayed up, and then he continues to do the same this season, scoring again. "In every game he is having chances and most of the chances he is converting into goals. He is an excellent player, of course." Another forward on Puel's radar is Brentford hot-shot Scott Hogan, who has hit 14 goals in the Championship this term. "Scott is a good player, I've watched him a few times," added Puel. "He is scoring goals, he is very sharp, very quick, and a really good finisher. He does it in the Championship. He is really young, a really good prospect. Read more at http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/165/10718601/jermain-defoe-is-proven-goalscorer-and-we-need-more-says-west-ham-boss-slaven-bilic

Don't forget his great engine.

That's part of what makes a goal-scoring striker a goal scorer: being in the right place at the right time. It's not just being a good finisher when chances arrive, it's the instinct to be there when they do. That's what we are clearly lacking. Have to disagree. If we had a natural predator I doubt CP would instruct him to avoid going into the box. Of course, I may be wrong, in which case Puel out!

Call me an idiot, but I blame the lack of goal-scoring strikers. We've had plenty of shots. Our conversion rate is crap. A midfielder who scores plenty would be great, but the first priority is a striker who scores plenty.

Black out, quality striker in, and all our problems are solved. Simples. Well that's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it.

Have we signed a goal-scoring striker yet?

And take Black with him.

You're right, Reed needs to retire.

For the first 20 minutes or so against Spurs the team played some breathtaking football, with an early lead (by a defender from a corner). Then Spurs got an equaliser against the run of play, and the wheels fell off. My point is that we've potentially got a good team and manager, but unless the club brings in a quality striker pronto the confidence will continue to go down, with players knowing any excellent approach play likely won't be rewarded, and any mistake in defence will likely be fatal since we'll unlikely be able to come back with our impotent "strike force".

We simply need a striker who can regularly find the back of the net. This will inspire and rally the rest of the players to play their best in their best positions for 95 minutes - before they lose all confidence in their abilities.

Pretty much my own thoughts echoed there.

Agreed. We need a quality striker brought in. The silver lining from this Christmas from hell is that maybe it has woken Reed up to what's been bleeding obvious to all of us for months.

Losing Mane, Pele and Austin may be a factor too.

Austin would've buried it.

So Les, are we getting a striker in this window, or a striker? If not, how about a striker?

Keep Claude, and bring in Pards as our recruiting coach, and Nige Pearson as our fitness coach.