Most people who watch that irritating John Lewis advert get all gooey eyed and giddy about this ‘most wonderful time of the year.’
When I see that little boy counting down the clock to Christmas my mind starts dreaming of something else completely.
Transfer window time!
Before we know it, Steve Morgan can dust off his chequebook and give us all a belated Crimbo present or two to enjoy for months to come.
And if he gives us a pair of crappy socks in the footballing form of Mujangi, then save yourself the effort Steve. It’s the thought that counts, remember!
So with a measly 16 goals from 15 games so far this season, it is as clear as Santa’s beard that we need a striker in January and he must have pace.
We never get in behind teams and aside from Jarvo’s recent renaissance; we don’t have a genuine outlet that can turn defence into attack at the blink of an eye.
So who, within reason and a £3 million budget, is going to fill the old gold stockings come the January window?
Here’s a list of likely targets who might be cheap and possibly cheerful.
Nicky Maynard
We always seem to be linked to Maynard, probably because he ticks most of the boxes.
He can score all types of goals, from a Football League goal of the season in 2010 (bicycle kick away at QPR) to the tap in against us a few years ago.
He’s out of contract in the summer too, so there’s no way City can demand the big bucks.
Billy Sharp
I always like what I see with Billy Sharp (aside from his belting strike past us for Donny in the FA Cup). Yes, he didn’t have the best of times at Bramall Lane, but to say he is rubbish is as much of a fallacy as to say he owes his Scunthorpe success to Andy Keogh.
Sharp is still banging in the goals in a poor Donny side and although he is not jet heeled, he has a turn of pace and he has an eye for goal. Above all else, he wouldn’t command the fee he used to.
Wilfried Zaha
One swallow does not make a summer folks, unless I am watching the Carling Cup at Old Trafford.
I saw this jet heeled kid running rings round the Manchester United defence and thought: “Who the hell is this?”
I checked Wikipedia and was told he has only scored 3 in about 60 games, a stat which adds to the intrigue.
He is 19 and moreover, he looks exactly the type of player Mick loves, being as he is young, hungry and works his backside off. He was even sprinting towards the corner flag in the 119th minute after going down with cramp two minutes earlier.
The likelihood of this one happening is as skinny as his legs, being as a load of clubs are apparently looking at him.
Marvin Emnes
Another one with pace with similar attributes to Maynard. Looks a handful and we all know about him from the FA Cup in 2008/09 when he smashed two past us.
His repertoire of goals suggests he can score the type of goals that our strikers can’t – running through, in behind defenders. With a bit of pace!
However, there would appear to be something of the Akinbiye about him and he’s dried up of late. Not sure, but worth a look and would fit into our price range.
Marvin Sordell
To be brutally frank, I haven’t heard his name being banded about but whenever I watch out for Kightly’s contributions at Watford, I seem to see this guy scoring.
So I looked him up…Brendan Rogers is looking at him, after nabbing their last prolific striker off the Hornets in the summer (Graham). Nigel Adkins also likes him too, who knows a bit about centre forward from his time at Scunny.
Worth £3 million. This buys you pace apparently.
Ross McCormack
Another (relatively) cheap target, who Mick first eulogised over in the season we won the CCC.
I remember us winning at Cardiff 2-1 and Mick spent far longer salivating off over a lad called McCormack than he did our goalscorers SEB and Big Chris.
After a lean spell, he is plundering in the goals for Leeds, and my mate who is a Leeds fan said he is the business. Says they can’t do without him.
If it’s good enough to piss him off, then let’s spend, spend, spend!
Mame Diouf
Thought I’d end with a joker in the pack. Don’t ask me why I’ve thrown this name into the mix. It’s just a hunch I have. He’s not prolific, he is never going to set your pulse racing if you heard we’d signed him and for those reasons alone, he looks like a nailed on target.
In fairness though, Sir Alex saw enough in him to bring him to England, and when you look at William Prunier, Djemba Djemba, Ralph Milne and Dong Fangzhuo, who are we to argue.
Naturally there will be other names banded around between now and January, but for the price we pay and the expectations we all have, these might just be the best we can hope for.
Any thoughts?
* We’ll be doing similar blogs about midfield and defensive targets, so probably best to keep the chit-chat about strikers. Just warning people, as it could get repetitive over the course of three articles if everyone starts posting their shopping lists.
I think a striker with pace is definitely one of the three players we should be targeting in January (the other two being a central midfielder and a central defender).
Of your list mate, my thoughts are:
Maynard – Would definitely take him. Proven in the Championship, still only 24 and has the pace we need. Can see that one happening too.
Sharp – Not for me. Prefers being a big fish in a small pond. Struggled with the hype and price tag at Sheffield United.
Zaha – Would love to see him sign, but can’t see it, as he’s being monitored by the top clubs. That said, Wigan got Moses last year so why not? Has the pace, power and trickery to be the ideal variation we need for the strikers we have.
Emnes – Mixed feelings really. Seems pretty inconsistent to me and goals have dried up for him of late. Is confidence an issue? I don’t think we can afford the gamble if it is.
Sordell – Know nothing of him, but like you mate I’ve heard his name a fair bit. 2 goals in 6 England U-21 caps though. Definitely something there. Massive gamble though.
McCormack – Just not that keen. Maybe two years ago, but don’t think he’d be different enough to the likes of Doyle and Fletcher. Can definitely see it happening though, with Keogh heading the other way.
Diouf – Yep, I’d take him. Pace and power, so a worthy fourth striker. A lot of Blackburn fans I spoke to said he was crap though, so there’s definite caution.
Of those listed Maynard and Zaha would be the two I’d be most pleased with.
If we only have £3 million to spend then we’ll be lucky to get one player let alone three.
With Maynard being out of contract we could definitely pick him up relatively cheaply. He is a goalscorer and has pace, and would definitely push Fletch and Doyle with SEB.
Zaha, as much as I would like him is going to go to a bigger club eventually. He’s just signed a 5-year deal so I imagine they are preparing themselves for some big bids.
I’ve seen Sordell twice this season, quick, hard working and an eye for goal. Not a bad choice either and still young.
I think Maynard is probably good enough, the others are just too big a gamble. We already have an abundance of strikers who can’t score at Premiership level, so in my opinion we don’t have the luxury of bringing in a young talent who we can nurture right now.
It’s interesting that bar Diouf, who’s a kid, all of Ben’s picks are at Championship level. Telling, huh?
I’d be more interested in looking at proven premiership strikers from bigger clubs who aren’t getting enough playing time. I think the offer of first-team football would be tempting for many professionals. BUT would we pay their wages?
The answer, of course, is no; and with a mighty 3 Million pound ‘war chest’ I fear we’re going to be more ‘Poundland’ than ‘John Lewis’ in January.
My picks?
Zamora – reportedly unhappy
Lukaku (on loan) – but with Anelka coming to see me in China will he be played more?
Pavlyuchenko – doesn’t play, arguably lazy and surely too expensive. But this guy can score!
It’s anyone’s guess what will happen, but if we actually sign someone with real, proven Premiership quality I’ll be VERY shocked. More likely that we take someone on loan, as I doubt even many Championship clubs will accept bids of only 3 Million for players who are their star strikers.
Just think, if we could sell some players who are just making up the numbers then we could even have 5 Million to spend…
We could sell 75% of our squad and still be a few hundred quid shy of 2 million!
I’ve said the same in a comment below, but I’ll repeat my point – variation on what we have is the order of the day.
Whether it’s Maynard, Zaha, Emnes or whoever, I just think a striker with a turn of pace would give us something extra.
We’re such a one-paced team, that the opposition don’t have to worry about us getting in behind and can push right up as a consequence.
So even if one of the above names doesn’t bang in a load of goals, the presence of some genuine pace would surely be worth having.
I think center-mid is the priority but selling Vokes and Keogh would free-up some dosh for a new striker.
This is the best we can hope for I reckon Ade.
The days of hankering over Denis Bergkamp are long gone, and we all know what to expect from these windows – not a lot.
I remember Blues buying Dugarry a few years back in the window, while Stoke bought Etherington and Beattie in the window when they first went up.
Both clubs were galvanised so much from the deals, and I would love it if we could stumble upon somebody who could do the same for us.
Like Thomas says, something a little different, a new proposition that defenders have to worry about.
Alright, fair points you and Thomas make there Ben.
I can’t argue that some pace up front, even if it’s a bench player, gives us a ‘Plan B’ option that’s a bit different – so I concur.
It DOES grate on me that similar teams like Wigan, Tesco and Blackburn all have good strikers with pace. Where did it go so wrong for us? I suspect that we just won’t pay the wages and so can’t attract players like Long who went to Albion.
You’d think he’d be nailed on to join Big Mick’s Irish enclave at the Molineux should we have approached him.
‘Sharp is still banging in the goals in a poor Donny side’
That ‘poor Donny side’ has recently boasted the likes of Marc-Antoine Fortune, Herito Ilunga and El Hadj Diouf. Might that have had something to do with Sharp’s recent form ?
As for McCormack, no real pace so no thanks.
Having been to a few games this season including United at the weekend, a lack of cover for Fletcher is an issue (McCormmack as cover maybe?). But the reason he’s getting his goals is that wolves play to his strengths crossing into the box where he has a good ability to find space. I think part of the reason that Doyle and Ebanks haven’t done so well is that we aren’t playing to their strengths which is on the ground. That said however, Doyle was lacking in pace a couple of times on the counter against United so someone with pace to burn ala Zaha or Sordell would offer us another option.
Personally, though I think the money will only be there for one or two transfers, so a striker on loan like Diouff would probably be my choice, with the money saved going for a pacey centre half or centre midfielder.
Though we’ve been linked to some of the cream of the Championship of late (as always), barring injuries, is a new striker going to do anything else than just sit on the bench? Fletch is in brilliant form, and it doesn’t really look like Doyle’s place is up for grabs. And if it is, why not give SEB a go. He had a good goals to games ratio last year. I don’t see where this new striker fits in.
My thought is, even if a new striker just comes and sits on the bench, I’d rather have the likes of Maynard, Zaha or Sordell waiting to come on than Vokes. Pace is an valuable commodity, particularly towards the end of a game when the play is stretched.
And whose to say one of the above wouldn’t force there way into the reckoning?
I’d argue Doyle is comfortable because SEB and Vokes aren’t really offering anything he isn’t.
Some genuine pace and goal threat would shake things up considerably.
Most of these guys have inferior records to the three strikers we already have. Remember we’ve got the 25-year-old Championship top goalscorer for 2007-08 AND 2008-09 sat on the bench.
Defensive midfielder is a priority, if only so that Mick can never again utter the phrase “Karl + 10”.
Centre-back remains a concern, even though Berra has done better than I could have expected this season. I’d sooner throw big money at it in the summer than fudge it in January though.
I don’t think goalscoring is necessarily the sole objective (although obviously important for a striker).
I just think we need some variation.
For all the qualities of Fletch, Doyle and SEB, they’re desperately one-paced. I think a rapid forward who could take a man on and run in behind would be a real breath of fresh air.
The only time we’ve ever had this in the Premiership was with Henri Camara and his pace was a real asset in the second half of that season (even if he couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo the first half).
There’s certainly always room for improvement and everyone loves a quick player. I’m just a little underwhelmed by (a) the money available, and (b) the players we are linked with. Ross McCormack and Billy Sharp are not quick and Maynard is not Premier League class – their teams would (or at least should!) be willing to swap them for SEB, Doyle or Fletcher in a heartbeat.
Zaha is altogether more interesting but he has been linked with Stoke and Liverpool lately and is actually more likely to play as a right-winger in a 4-5-1. He’d be a positive signing though.
I suppose the main thing I’m getting at is that – strange as it sounds given the bashing we often give the team – it’s not that easy to improve us on a shoestring budget by looking to the Championship. For example, if you watch the Football League shows, the players being raved about lately include Michael Kightly, Sam Vokes and Greg Halford!
3 million aint gonna get us a good tea lady, so why bother?
But, can we tempt a new manager for 3 million, who could work wonders with our present squad?
Fuck McDickhead off, together with his toadies, and get someone in who knows what he’s doing, and can transform the present team.
How’s about them onions??
FOMM
Are you volunteering your services Clive?
And have you lot after my blood?
No thanks……………..but then again, £3 million, work 1 day a week, lick moxey’s boots, and get to call 30,000 people fuckin’ mindless numpties………….yeah, I’ll give it a go. Can’t do any worse than the useless prick who’s there at the moment can I???
FOMM
This is brilliant! I’ll see if I can think of a chant for you to be chanted every game! 😉
But for now –
FOCFH! 😛
Very good article, but I’m inclined to agree with Clive in that I think we need a new management structure rather than new players. Mick McCarthy has instilled a marvellous team spirit but the emphasis is on effort rather than skill. There’s just too much passing back to the goalkeeper who then boots it up the field, we were even pursuing this tactic in the last few minutes against Sunderland when it was vital to try and keep possession and hang on to our lead. The passing game seems to be working for Swansea, why not for us?
Just to take two of our players who seem to be marginalised at the moment, Milijas and Guedioura. Yeah they haven’t played well lately, but I’ve seen them both have great games for Wolves and I’m sure that they haven’t suddenly become bad players. Could it be that our tactics don’t suit their style of play.
Not to be argumentative, if your suggesting a switch to a quick passing game ala Swansea. Milijas is too slow (he’s suited to the continental slow tactical game) and Gueddierra can’t pass for toffee.
I too think three million will only be papering over the cracks, we desperately need three players Centre back with pace, Midfielder with pace and flair, Left back cover (or replacement if we can get somebody better), A striker would be high on the list but not essential, we need to tighten up at the back before we look forward. Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing fringe players such as Milijas shipped out if it meant we got the funds to persue better options elsewhere on the park.
In agreement with the above comments, the £3mil transfer fund doesn’t install me with confidence that the board will bring in a ‘quality/game changing player. From the stated list……i think Maynard would be the boy who could be worth investing in.
I fear that Mick will invest in a striker through the loan option and i cant stop thinking that a player along the lines of Jason Roberts may be approached. This worries me. I feel (as stated) that sorting the lack of goal action out is a high priority for the Wolves.
I would like to say a quick note about the Burnley lad Jay Rodriguez. I think this boy can play and knows where the back of the net is. Being young strong and a bit of a handful, he reaks of a big Mick player ! He would go against the ideal of a Janurary ‘impact’ player but may be a player to invest for the future if we finally have a spring clean of the average championship standard players we have at the roots our our squad.
What do you think? A 21 year old starlet for the future or an English Sam Vokes?
We need to stop conceding so many goals,,, end of.
woundn’t bother buying anyone from the championship we already got a squad full of great championship players we dont need any more.
Cant we at least try and sign someone who is proven in the premier league ?
Mind you wasnt that suppossed to be Johnson ? and he has proved to be a waste of money.
Why is he captain ? was it part of the deal. He wasnt captain of the blues so how comes he walks into the place as captain??
Sorry I’m off point. Does this all point to McCarthy ????
Well we need more pace pretty much in all areas of the park. In that respect, I get the feeling I will just be rubber-stamping this list and probably the next two. As a matter of priority, I would prefer a pacy defender and midfielder before a striker though.
A Sheff Weds supporting mate of mine has been banging on about Gary Madine (currently out injured though) as if he’s the best thing since sliced bread, and saying he’s just the sort of thing that we could do with. Apparently he’s got it all: searing pace, two good feet, towering/bullet headers and a criminal record. Everything you want from your striker.
Ha ha! Love the part about the criminal record!
Living in sheffield, myself and my housemates often go along to see Wednesday when the live football craving kicks in. Madines a fantastic striker for league 1. Probably even cut it in the championship, but I don’t think he’s quite good enough for the premier league.
Never know when you put a decent player in the right environment though
Get rid of the manager.
He did a great job getting us out of the championship, but if we, as a club are to grow, he must go.
Let’s get a new pair of eyes to look at what we have, before allowing McCarthy any more funds.
Might Doyle be exchanged?
The players above looks like quality. 3 of them have been linked with Wolves. Emnes, Billy Sharp and McCormack. Ross McCormack is a natural goalscorer, but has he the physical attributes to succeed in premiership? He reminds me abit of Doyle, a trickier version.
Emnes is a counterattack player, very fast. As mentioned above he’s scored only two goals in championship. Sharp is a very interesting prospect. He’s very strong, and has decent pace and is a great finisher.
All 3 players I’ve commented are small. Even though we have Fletcher we are in need of more aerial strengt. An allrounder with great speed, dangerous in the air, with technical abilities. To me 2 players springs to mind: John Carew and Hugo Roddalega.
John Carew would be a short term signing. His physical strenght, in holding up the ball and in air would make him a valuable addition to the squad. These two players can cause trouble for any defence in premier league.
Rodellga maybe but he’d probably be to expensive for us. Carew is far too slow and although he could be cover for Fletcher ,again he would probably demand more than we’d be willing to pay.
I think personally we’d be better getting a young striker in on loan and spending the money elsewhere in the team. My picks would be Will Keane (prolific for the reserves young and quick) from Man United or Benik Afobe from Arsenal (prolific and fast striker, won the European Championship with England under 17’s, definately one for the future). Whilst they don’t solve the problem in the long term their pace would be an extra option and they wouldn’t cost massive amounts in wages, leaving more cash for us to spend on experienced recruits for the defence and midfield.
Carew is faster than for example Fletcher
we have one of the best strikers in the league yet you want more strikers. Do you not consider that the problem may be the service when we have had games where Edwards, Ward or Hunt have been the wingers? What is it with you guys thinking lack of goals must be the strikers fault!
I’m with you that we have decent strikers, but the purpose of the article is to come up with a (semi realistic) christmas wishlist as Ben says he will be doing articles and defence and midfield in the next few weeks and that’s when we can probably talk about real squad strengthening.
As is it is, our forward options could be improved by the inclusion of a player with real pace something that were lacking at the moment or a poacher with an aerial threat as cover for Fletcher.
But personally, if reports are true and we only have a 3 million transfer kitty without selling players then striker isn’t a priority and we’d be better getting a loan player in as a cover striker. Bringing in a defensive midfielder (Frimpong on loan?) or creative midfieder (Francis Coquelin on loan?), left back cover and a central defender with pace with the money are more of an issue at the moment.
At the time being we play with two attackers. If we had two prolific strikers we would score twice as many goals (?). The play between Doyle and Fletcher is far from optimal. We would thrive on having competition. And they lack pace. If Jarvis receives the ball on his own half he can’t play it behind their defence. A pacey forward would add a new dimension to our game.
Ther`s no doubt if Fletcher gets injured we have a problem, another one being only Doyle amongst our front men can run any distance with any pace. For me Maynard would be the pick as he can run them in from anywhere.
If we had better quality in other areas then maybe SEB could yet prosper. For me we need a left back with mobility and pace, but as for a holding midfielder, why bother, you can`t play a 2 man midfield, with one holding midfielder. MM wants his wingers, well he`ll have to do without one wide player if he ever gets round to a 3 man midfield, which i`d prefer anyway as that provides a degree of protection for the defence, glaringly missing at Old Trafford.
The best use of the £3m would be severance for MM and his crew, and a separate much bigger fund for the three players or so which could transform our side, with better tactics and use of what we have already.
We have 3 million. easy, go to the casino on roulette, pick red. We then have 6 million to buy a quality midfielder. If we loose, whats the problem, not much class available at 3 million unless he finds a bargain from the lower leagues.
testing picture change
Liverpool is interested in Fletcher and is ready to make a bid of 5 mill! What a joke!
But let’s say that an offer with 5 mill + Andy Carroll in the mix surfaced, would you take it or leave it?
It would give us a sufficient replacement + cash to spend on another player.