January Transfer Window

[coalman]

2 minutes ago, Chez said:

not sure they do, do they?

They don't. It's an average of everyone who has been in that position which can give an indication of a player who may be good at finishing or otherwise.  Plus the actual value is decided by a human based on a set of guidelines which is why different sources will give different xG for the same game (as we saw for the Pompey match on Sunday). Even discounting the fact it's an average of averages, the human element means it's about as far from a measure you might use to make real world decisions as you can get. At best it might give an indication whether you were in the game and whether the scoreline is flattering or whether you need to understand why it has happened.

[Chez]

1 hour ago, Matthew Le God said:

He is prolific at this level.

97 goals in 271 games. 11 in 29 this season. Is 1 in 3 prolific? Maybe. IMO he should have about 14 or 15 this season. He hasn't scored as many as he should. But finding someone that would have scored those 15 goals is the challenge. I certainly don't want to see him sold until the summer at least. Finding the right partner for him is key and a bigger reason for our struggles.

 

 

[VectisSaint]

Just now, Chez said:

97 goals in 271 games. 11 in 29 this season. Is 1 in 3 prolific? Maybe. IMO he should have about 14 or 15 this season. He hasn't scored as many as he should. But finding someone that would have scored those 15 goals is the challenge. I certainly don't want to see him sold until the summer at least. Finding the right partner for him is key and a bigger reason for our struggles.

 

 

His main issue is not the total number of goals (and assists), but that he goes long periods with little or no involvement. What is it now, 1 assist in 10 games,.at the beginning of the season 1 goal, no assists in first 8 games. In between, 7 goals, 3 assists in 7 games. A real purple patch, with long periods of next to nothing. Was his purple patch because we were playing well, or did his purple patch drive our team's good results. To me he isn't a driving force, he is reactive to how we perform. This season not so much but 2 years ago very few of his goals were critical, i.e. they didn't win a game or earn a point from a losing position, they were often just icing on the cake.

All that said, we really should not be offloading him this season, because there is no one who could do what he does for us in the medium term (hopefully).

[Turkish]

16 minutes ago, Chez said:

97 goals in 271 games. 11 in 29 this season. Is 1 in 3 prolific? Maybe. IMO he should have about 14 or 15 this season. He hasn't scored as many as he should. But finding someone that would have scored those 15 goals is the challenge. I certainly don't want to see him sold until the summer at least. Finding the right partner for him is key and a bigger reason for our struggles.

 

 

He’s missed a lot of big chances this season that previously he’d have taken at this level. Missed a couple of 1 v 1 at Blackburn to put us 2 up, missed one sunday to name but 2 games many more. Looks like he’s lacking confidence to me. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

He is prolific at this level.

Load of old pony. 
 

He misses too many easy chances to be “prolific”. Apart from a purple patch when Tonda first took over, he’s been pony this season. Part of the problem, not the solution….

[Chez]

10 minutes ago, Turkish said:

He’s missed a lot of big chances this season that previously he’d have taken at this level. Missed a couple of 1 v 1 at Blackburn to put us 2 up, missed one sunday to name but 2 games many more. Looks like he’s lacking confidence to me. 

Agreed. Possibly has been all season. It's not a total loss of confidence, but he's not flying.

Wrexham first game of the season he had several half decent chances and it's continued. He blows hot and cold. Somedays he is shooting straight at the keeper, others he is pinging the one chance he gets in the bottom corner. Very inconsistent, but at this level it tough to find players with the quality and then get them the chances they need.

[Big M]

I can't see us signing anyone,why bother,we don't have the consistency to make and stay in the top six,and then with less money coming in where does that leave us?Arma is on 60k a week allegedly so I'm sure they want him to go to Wrexham and off the wage bill,and then in the summer offers will come in for Fellows,scienza,which SR will accept... unfortunately we are championship for the foreseeable.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Adam Armstrong is not bang average, certainly not at this level.

Also where is all this guff that “his heart isn’t in it?” Has anyone had a conversation about it? Has someone on this forum spoken to him about it?

You could argue that throughout all of this shit through the past couple of years he’s been the most professional out of Russell Martin’s minions. 

He hasn’t kicked up a fuss.
He hasn’t asked to leave.
He hasn’t downed tools.

Yes, he got loaned out, was that his choice or was he pushed. You don’t know. But he wasn’t playing games at the time. So if I was in his position I’d want to go and play.

I don’t know what people were expecting him to do in a failing team last season.
In order for a team to score goals he had to first of all, start the game; and secondly, have the support of the team to get the ball forward.
When you play a back five and play as a lone striker what are you expecting?

Ronaldo he isn’t, and never will be. But we should be pleased we have a player of his ability in our squad.

Those wishing him out need to have a look back at the goals he has scored for us these past few years, even two months ago. He is very much a confidence player.
Very good on both feet, has scored plenty of one on ones, unfortunately people will always remember the negatives.

Edited 8 hours ago by Willo of Whiteley

[SaintsRoyalty]

Sorry but how the actual fuck are the owners of Atletico Madrid investing £48m into Wrexham for only 10%?! They worth £480m??? Just when you think football has produced the ultimate bad boss of vile corrupt unjust putridness along comes a new one to take crown. Fucking hate this club with a passion.

[UpweySaint]

5 minutes ago, Big M said:

I can't see us signing anyone,why bother,we don't have the consistency to make and stay in the top six,and then with less money coming in where does that leave us?Arma is on 60k a week allegedly so I'm sure they want him to go to Wrexham and off the wage bill,and then in the summer offers will come in for Fellows,scienza,which SR will accept... unfortunately we are championship for the foreseeable.

Sports Republic have made some poor decisions but the implication they are asset stripping the club or even making money from it is false. They’ve invested in the club. If you have evidence otherwise please share it?

Personally I can’t see Armstrong going this month without a ridiculous offer. The squad can’t withstand his loss. In the summer? Sure. I think he’s good but we could do better and an exit may suit all parties if the price is right.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

3 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

He is prolific at this level.

If you say so.

[Starksj1995]

Less than a week to go in the window, who are we going to sign?

[trousers]

18 minutes ago, Starksj1995 said:

Less than a week to go in the window, who are we going to sign?

Given it's Sport Republic doing the signing, one would assume a 20 year old 'project' from Lichtenstein...

[Badger]

7 minutes ago, trousers said:

Given it's Sport Republic doing the signing, one would assume a 20 year old 'project' from Lichtenstein...

Or another ‘B’ list Brazilian to be loaned to Goztepe. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

23 minutes ago, Badger said:

Or another ‘B’ list Brazilian to be loaned to Goztepe. 

Multi-club model masterclass

[Saint Pete]

1 hour ago, UpweySaint said:

Sports Republic have made some poor decisions but the implication they are asset stripping the club or even making money from it is false. They’ve invested in the club. If you have evidence otherwise please share it?

Personally I can’t see Armstrong going this month without a ridiculous offer. The squad can’t withstand his loss. In the summer? Sure. I think he’s good but we could do better and an exit may suit all parties if the price is right.

Yes, I think the sensible thing with Armstrong is to sell in the summer if he wants to go. Selling now only makes sense if we are very confident of signing someone who can do at least as good a job in this window and I don't think that's the case. We can't sign another Downs type in his place or we will sail very close to relegation. In theory it should be a little easier to find an adequate replacement who can do a good job in this league. 

[Charlie Wayman]

4 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

He is prolific in this league. That isn't 'bang average'.

Prolific at what? Prolific ia an adjective not a noun.

[SNSUN]

You know why I would be happy selling AA? Yes he has scored goals at this level but he's proved he can't do it at the next level. Yes, it could be a mistake losing someone who has, for a season and a half at this level, been our top scorer but I'd rather build for the future and get a team together that can compete in the Prem. Otherwise, besides treading water,  there's no point being in this League.

We want to get back to the Prem, but more importantly, we want to be able to compete when we get there. The likes of AA aren't part of that. As crap as SR's decisions are, we do know they have the ability to spot a deal with the likes of Scienza and Jander. More of those kinds of decisions (I'm not holding my breath) and we may just be able to build a team that can both get promoted and try and stay there. 

[Appy]

2 hours ago, Starksj1995 said:

Less than a week to go in the window, who are we going to sign?

An emotional return for Albert Gronbaek

[Patrick Bateman]

1 minute ago, Appy said:

An emotional return for Albert Gronbaek

I heard Matt Oakley. 

[Saint86]

1 hour ago, SNSUN said:

You know why I would be happy selling AA? Yes he has scored goals at this level but he's proved he can't do it at the next level. Yes, it could be a mistake losing someone who has, for a season and a half at this level, been our top scorer but I'd rather build for the future and get a team together that can compete in the Prem. Otherwise, besides treading water,  there's no point being in this League.

We want to get back to the Prem, but more importantly, we want to be able to compete when we get there. The likes of AA aren't part of that. As crap as SR's decisions are, we do know they have the ability to spot a deal with the likes of Scienza and Jander. More of those kinds of decisions (I'm not holding my breath) and we may just be able to build a team that can both get promoted and try and stay there. 

Yeah... you're right. lets sell him and free up funds to make room for the next Brereton Diaz, Cam Archer, Ross Stewart, or Damion Downs. Or maybe we can spend a summer flirting with the next Gakpo only to sign the next Mara...

Edited 5 hours ago by Saint86

[coalman]

5 hours ago, SNSUN said:

You know why I would be happy selling AA? Yes he has scored goals at this level but he's proved he can't do it at the next level. Yes, it could be a mistake losing someone who has, for a season and a half at this level, been our top scorer but I'd rather build for the future and get a team together that can compete in the Prem. Otherwise, besides treading water,  there's no point being in this League.

We want to get back to the Prem, but more importantly, we want to be able to compete when we get there. The likes of AA aren't part of that. As crap as SR's decisions are, we do know they have the ability to spot a deal with the likes of Scienza and Jander. More of those kinds of decisions (I'm not holding my breath) and we may just be able to build a team that can both get promoted and try and stay there. 

This for me. We keep rebuilding around a core of players we know can't step up to the next level. Years of poor recruitment mean we don't have the senior players to build a team around. Just whatever is left after we've sold our best.

Armstrong is ok in the Championship. He will bring goals but it's rare he can take a game by the scruff of the neck like Charlton. And that requires the other team to back off and give him space.

We know he's no good as a lone striker yet our revolving door of managers seem need to relearn for themselves. Our formation leaves him isolated and doesn't get the best out of him. He won't get on the end of many crosses and is at his best with through balls to feet or pouncing on 2nd balls. He'll run his socks off but we don't press as a team and haven't for some time. We could say this about so much of our squad - we aren't playing to their strengths.

He's taken 33 penalties and missed 8 and he's had more shots than anyone in the league. It's not just that he's not clinical for me. Many times he shoots from impossible angles when there are better options. He is supposedly a senior player but as captain he's been anonymous.

My fear is we'll do what we did with Jack and renew him because he's all we've got left because we are so fucking terrible at finding strikers. Our inability to recruit in that position means we've gone from Ings to Che to Armstrong to Archer(?). This is the culture we have - sticking with what we know because that's the best we can do even though what we know has been proven not to be good enough for what we want. With a growing stable of not good enough players either on the bench or on loan offering no real competition to each other for places in an environment we aren't playing to their strengths.

The argument that we can't do better or he's good enough is just a sign of our managed decline. If we're to get back to the Premier League we've got to have more ambition to that. Armstrong is a hard working pro who has been a good servant to the club but if we have aspirations to be better we can't sleepwalk into thinking the status quo will get us where we want to go.