This "DKD is not a striker" idea

I think this is where putting players into roles is pointless and confusing.

DKD is at his best in the centre just off to the left where he can shoot. The idea that hes a 'second striker' is because if we had someone bigger to occupy the centre back it helps him get more space to run into and get a shot off where hes lethal. To get him in them areas the most you'd want the oppositions right back to have someone to mark aswell as the centre backs, which hasn't really happened this season.

His movement is amazing in the box which is why people call him a striker or last season a 'deep lying forward' as we had no other striker. His best role on Football Manager would be 'Shadow striker' but yeah, football isnt about naming roles or positions for players like him. Its about platforming a system so he can get in the best areas where he gets so many goals.

 

Just because something has worked for a month doesn't mean it will work all season. Looking at results, we were doing good until January last season. It takes looking deeper than just winning games for the time being, if you want to sustain it for 46 games and have success.

At no point did troff say we need a 'big lump', he outlined we need another striker to act as an outlet. Cosgrove was a big lump but was useless at doing what we needed. No doubt, we dont need that type as much as last season as we now have wingers in the team but that doesn't we'll aways able to get phillips and vickers in space everytime we counter.

You can't judge our squad needs for the season by six league games. Footballs a marathon, not a sprint. The foundations we have a team is very encouraging but that doesnt mean we have to adapt later.

 

No he didn't use 'big lump' but he did specifically mention someone with good physical presence, which tends to be the big target man players. And he was saying he wanted someone to hold it up etc. again traits more associated with the big target man types.

I agree football is a marathon, but troff and others are crying out for back up players to essentially sit on the bench and take a wage in case DKD and Didzy both get injured at the same time so we dont have one of those available. Baring in mind both mentioned have great injury records.

If we were talking about signing a back up for a Jalo or so on who has missed a lot recently through injury then fair enough, but we are talking about players who have basically played every game for the last few seasons. Didzy should be on the bench really and be used as rotation, he should be the sub option and the different option if needed. It would have been better in my opinion to see us sign a new winger yesterday not a striker, but with Jalo due back soon hopefully, he should fill that gap and then we have good depth.

Once Jalo is back and assuming he starts on the wing, we could have the following as attacking options off the bench:

Didzy
Russell
Cleary
Farrugia
Farrell

That is more than enough. If we have another striker on there, when are they going to play? As we only have one up top.

 

Just because they have good injury records doesn't guarantee they won't get injured.

The idea of having 2 players that lead the line and another player to cover is fine, but based off the assumption that any player is actually capable of it. Which we have no evidence for.

Conor wanted 2 extra bodies in and we got 1. If noone was available then thats understandable, but im not going to lie and say its ideal because it really isn't. I'm happy to assume it was a striker we were chasing as we were after Dom Bollard earlier in the window.

As you said yourself, if Didzy should be on the bench as a rotation option how would you be happy with 2 forwards in total? An injury to DKD and we're relying on a 37 year old who is in a role where he needs to do plenty of running and pressing.DKD doesnt just play up front so there's not a question of when would a third forward play. The striker position we need someone who can offer stability with his link up play. I highly doubt someone not accustomed to that role can just fill in and be capable. It's fine listing all those options but they have to do a functional role. We absolutely need 3 and not 2 players who can play as a striker over a season.

 

I’d class DKD as very similar to how Jota was at Liverpool. Just a really useful forward.

He can play as a striker, on the left or as an attacking midfielder just behind a striker & he looks the business wherever he plays.

I don’t really see the sense in arguing over whether he’s a striker or a winger when he’s both.

 

I never thought I'd see the day that someone would say they genuinely consider Neil redfearn and Craig hignett as a striker.

 

2 forwards, as DKD and Didzy with what else we have is fine. Would another attacker have been nice? Yeah, but I'd have much preferred a winger like the lad at Cheltenham we wanted as we only play 1 up top, and Conor likes to use the wingers but that lad got injured and maybe no one else came available that was decent enough. Plus Jalo is back soon.

DKD could get injured, like any player. But stats of recent seasons show he's incredibly reliable (as below)

Mansfield: 68/68 League Appearances
Barnsley: 48/48 League Starts

So it's not a major worry of mine around DKD. We were linked to Ballard, but was he really the ideal answer? Amazing youth record but woeful in men's football. Versatile yes, as he could also play wide, but if Jalo isn't far off fitness then I'm happy to wait for that over Ballard.

McAtee is a different proposition as he's also versatile, but we also know he's good and proven at this level. But none of us know the cost of what Bolton wanted etc. And it may have sadly been too much to fork out.

I would much rather go with what we have and keep a high quality, tight knit group, over filling squad with tonnes of options that are crap.

Last season we had so many strikers on books, and none of them were good enough to start or even impact a game.

Cosgrove, Marsh, Dallas, shaw, Watters etc. all contracted to us last season and all rubbish. Id take just having two really good ones in Didzy and DKD over a load of crap any day.

 

Surely a no10 is a striker. Teddy Sheringham was a 10, definitely a striker.