Striker crisis?

[Canaryboy]

With Cameron Jerome's ongoing hamstring issues restricting him to cameo's from the bench, and Lewis Grabban looking to be out for the season (surgery would usually suggest that, wouldn't it?), that leaves us with just Gary Hooper as our only fully fit striker.

Is Hooper + Jerome for 20 minutes enough to see us through the season. I don't think we can recall Lafferty as international loans are treated like short-term permanent transfers and so can't have recall clauses?

We can still sign players on loan I think? Bournemouth signing a player on loan yesterday.

So, will we be looking at bringing in a player on loan to cover for Grabban? Or do we use Loza, who will be match fit after a loan spell at Yeovil? He rattled Arsenal at the end of last season so we know that he can make an impact from the bench.

Any ideas who we may be able to grab on loan from the league above?

My only idea is James Wilson, the Man Utd kid who scored a couple for them earlier in the season.

 

[Suffolk Canary]

It's extremely concerning that (assuming Hooper and Jerome continue to start regularly) that our only back up is 2 guys who have scored a combined total of 1 league goal in over 30 appearances in League 2......

James Wilson is probably good enough to score goals at this level, but he's a completely different player to Grabban. Personally I don't think it would work. But you never know.

Maybe that Pozo guy in the Man City U21s?  He scored a good goal against us the other week, and he's made a couple appearances for the first team.

 

[GJP]

Although Hooper has had some good games recently it's a bit worrying how poor he was last night. Showed no real desire.

Loza and Morris are well short of this level.

Fingers crossed Grabban's injury is only minor.

 

[Dubai Mark]

Seems most of the side had desire problems last night, a blip I hope. I would be surprised if the club are not looking at options particularly with the Jerome problems. Becchio anyone?

 

[Suffolk Canary]

Becchio anyone?

 i think I've got more of a chance of playing than him!   I think we all know we'll never see him in a norwich shirt again.  Easily the most pointless signing I've ever witnessed 

 

[Canaryboy]

Becchio anyone?

I genuinely forgot that we even owned him when thinking about this problem.

Imagine Becchio scoring the goal which sent us up!

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

To be honest its ridiculous we arent considering Becchio in this scenario. He was proven at this level a few years ago and has palyed for Rotherham recently. I know he's coming back from an injury, but Loza and Morris arent ready. If we can welcome back Bassong, why not Becchio? And if not why the hell are we still paying him.

We pay him to play football for us. Right now we need a striker, which last time I looked he was...

 

[RhythmicTheory]

I wouldn't want to rely on hooper for anything, he's consistently showed a lack of desire at times ever since Jan of our last season in the top flight, I've seen nothing this season to suggest to me otherwise.  Shame, because he is a talent.

I think we will be ok once Tettey is back, because we can have more runners from midfield and Cam can be as static up top as he generally is until the ball is played up to him (grabbans off the ball movement is really something).

I dont know who would be worth loaning over and above using the youth we have, your only going to get someone else's at this stage and thats just as risky.

 

[Canaryboy]

To be honest its ridiculous we arent considering Becchio in this scenario. He was proven at this level a few years ago and has palyed for Rotherham recently. I know he's coming back from an injury, but Loza and Morris arent ready. If we can welcome back Bassong, why not Becchio? And if not why the hell are we still paying him.

We pay him to play football for us. Right now we need a striker, which last time I looked he was...

I genuinely forgot that we owned him!

I guess that Alex Neil will be considering his options today, including Becchio, difficult to see how he would fit into our recent style of play though.

 

[Canaryboy]

Danny Graham isn't getting any football at Sunderland and isn't currently out on loan.

Could he come here and do a job?

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

There are definitely some top players to be had on loan though, and not just rough diamonds. Look at Derby for instance, theyve brought in Bent (whom Villa paid 24m for I believe) and Ince (whom Hull paid 8m for) and I think Lingaard is on loan as well?

Soldado, Lamela and Adebayor have been warming the bench recently 

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

There is of course the obvious recall RvW argument for simple academic value? Though if we cant recall Lafferty dont see how we'd be able to recall him...

 

[The Great Mass Debater]

Isnt there a guy called Ched Evans (think that was his name) who is a free agent at the moment?  h34r:

 

[Canaryboy]

Isnt there a guy called Ched Evans (think that was his name) who is a free agent at the moment?  h34r:

LOL, lets not go there again :lol:

 

[CanaryNath]

:lol:

 

[SussexYellow]

Grabban will be a huge miss, as we found out last night. Our most successful spells under both Adams and Neil has been when we have started with him as a lone striker.

Jerome and Hooper have typified our inconsistency in other parts of the season. If we go with them then we will have to hope Alex Neil can find a system to work for them, otherwise I fear that more inconsistency will only deliver enough points to get us a lower play off place.

Last night I felt taking off Hooper was a mistake. Yes we needed Wes' s creativity and Hooper had not done much. But we needed goals so he needed to stay. That said I am not sure who should have made way for Wes, possibly Redders and then pushed both full backs forward to give width. However having taken Hooper off we really were short of striker options when we needed a further change up. So without a loan option possibly we will need to give Becchio a chance.

Alex Neil said honestly in an interview a couple of weeks ago that there will come up a day when he gets his decision making wrong - it will happen I recall were his words. Last night possibly he did not get it right. However he is young, honest and will learn from it.

My final thought is that is was unfortunate that we had a midweek game immediately after the emotion of the derby game. It was always going to be difficult to get the team up for it again so soon afterwards. Had there have been a full week to the next game we might have seen a very different performance. 

 

[Dubai Mark]

It wouldnt happen, but Adebayor pumped up at this level would be a monster loan signing!!

 

[Yellow Fever]

Danny Graham isn't getting any football at Sunderland and isn't currently out on loan.

Could he come here and do a job?

Could be a possibility. It's strange how things have fallen away for him but perhaps AN could work wonders.

 

[GJP]

Last night I felt taking off Hooper was a mistake. 

He simply wasn't pulling his weight. And far from earning his hefty wages.

 

[Canaryboy]

He simply wasn't pulling his weight. And far from earning his hefty wages.

It's a shame that people are reporting that Hooper didn't look like he was putting in the graft last night, if that doesn't change then perhaps we can all expect him to be shipped out in the summer, seeing as Alex Neil has come in and layed down the law on what he expects to see from his strikers (hard graft and pressing etc).

Could Hooper have just been having an off day? Because it really doesn't bode well if Hooper can't motivate himself at the busness end of the season when we're in with a chance of automatic promotion, or even winning the league! Perhaps seeing an opportunity now to nail down a place in the team again will rejuvenate him, hopes he is up for it.