We need a centre forward

[MattyB1986]

Our wingers do feck all week in week out.... The cafs answer, buy a striker.

The mind fecking boggles.

For real. We need actual wingers not number 10s, CFs shoehorned there. We have two of the best young CFs on our books, which has been stated here previously in Martial, Rashford. Both are better up front than outwide.
The only way we could make the most of them in LF, RF positions is to play Zlatan has a false 9 and use them two to stretch, get behind and let Zlatan play make.
But, yeah, I'd definitely buy a winger before a CF.

 

[Woeisme]

Personally I think the last thing that we need is a CF. With Jose as manager, we are only ever going to play one. In Zlatan we have a world class striker. Granted, he hasn't scored in six games, but the margins are small. Heatons save from his volley was fantastically fortunate. Grant made a number of quality saves from him in the stoke match, plus there are a number of woodworks thrown in too. With a bit better fortune he'd have an extra 3/4 goals and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
I also view the fact that he's 35, as an advantage. We have quality young strikers who will learn a tonne from Zlatan but won't be blocked from the first team by him forever.
Zlatan will come good. Class is permanent. He doesn't lack any confidence either. I'm very confident that we have a 20 goal striker already. Patience will be rewarded.

 

[King7Eric]

How many top class CFs or wingers are available at the present whom we could realistically sign? All those saying Lukaku do realize that he misses more chances than he scores? Griezmann is again someone who is neither an out and out striker nor is he a pure winger.

We need to develop the players that we have at our disposal before we go searching for alternatives that may or may not work. Martial is someone who showed himself adept at playing on the wing last season so we need to give him a run of games and hope Zlatan finds his scoring touch soon and in the meantime keep hoping that Rashford keeps developing at the speed he currently is.

I do agree with the poster above who says our need for a proper winger is more urgent than a CF but who is available out there that can take us to the next level?

 

[wolvored]

Try Memphis more until January, to see if he could be the solution. We need solo-artists. Hazard and Costa are exactly the types we are missing right now. Memphis might come crap, but then we will know if he needs replacement in January/summer.

I dont think Depays going to do it here, and because of the way he plays when he has been given a chance Mourinho would be scared of giving him a run in the team.

 

[GloryHunter07]

Play Rashford or Martial up front and go for a winger in January

Thats a good shout, but i think Jose prefers using a big target man tbh. Not sure if Rashford or Martial really fit that.

 

[sullydnl]

How many top class CFs or wingers are available at the present whom we could realistically sign? All those saying Lukaku do realize that he misses more chances than he scores? Griezmann is again someone who is neither an out and out striker nor is he a pure winger.

We need to develop the players that we have at our disposal before we go searching for alternatives that may or may not work. Martial is someone who showed himself adept at playing on the wing last season so we need to give him a run of games and hope Zlatan finds his scoring touch soon and in the meantime keep hoping that Rashford keeps developing at the speed he currently is.

I do agree with the poster above who says our need for a proper winger is more urgent than a CF but who is available out there that can take us to the next level?

I hope you don't mean that criticism literally. I mean even at PSG Zlatan's shot conversion rate was less than one in four.

 

[ovoxo]

Thats a good shout, but i think Jose prefers using a big target man tbh. Not sure if Rashford or Martial really fit that.

I do think he likes using target men, but I remember Jose saying something about the importance Zlatan will have on Rashford's development, I think he called it a 'gift' to him. I do think Rashford could be the eventual striker, but just depends on whether Jose sees him as being ready within the next couple of seasons to take over from Zlatan.

However, I'm surprised he didn't mention Martial in that, which makes me think he sees him as a left forward/winger option rather than a CF. I'm not entirely sure what his best position is, he was great up front at times, but he had a tendency to drift wide when he played up front. That could be why LVG made him play LW. In the LW position we seen how influential he was for us, he practically carried us at times. I remember the West Ham game where we lost 3-2, and he scored 2 goals, he was phenomenal!

 

[Darwin09]

it means someone who I watched today pretend to carry out his responsibilities. I was a Zlatan fan up to the last couple of weeks. and having been at all the home games this season and watched him, particularly the last couple, it is very difficult to make a case for him. What I saw from him, particularly today, may not be obvious on camera, but its hard to ignore when youre there

This was the most provocative post on the thread and hasn't been replied to for elaboration.

So what exactly did you see??

 

[King7Eric]

I hope you don't mean that criticism literally. I mean even at PSG Zlatan's shot conversion rate was less than one in four.

Not literally of course but what I mean is if we have problems with Zlatan not being clinical enough, as many on here have suggested, then Lukaku isn't really an improvement in that respect. He's not the most clinical of finishers.

 

[unimaginative_name]

We need a forward who can match the capabilities of Aguero or Suarez, these are only two forwards who are total package, there aren't any one else as good as they are. We need a forward who can dribble past defenders in tight spaces, who can also hold up play if needed, who can finish brilliantly, who can also assist. Only Aguero and Suarez are actual CF who do all these things regularly. Among the youngsters, I can only see Rashford and Iheanacho capbale of performing like them, so, in a way we already have what we need, it's just a matter of patience.

I'd rather we focus on finding a replacement for Michael Carrick, that position is what is making us suffer most.

 

[Irrational.]

If Aubameyang has become available as rumoured tonight, I would throw everything to land him.

 

[TonyMarshall]

Rotate Tony and Rashers in the CF postion and bring in a proper wide player.

We have two potential world class strikers.

 

[Legend16]

This was the most provocative post on the thread and hasn't been replied to for elaboration.

So what exactly did you see??

I see dead people

 

[Legend16]

This was the most provocative post on the thread and hasn't been replied to for elaboration.

So what exactly did you see??

explained it on page one mate. was more than annoyed with some of the things I saw him do. not just miss chances. and I was a fan. hopefully its just him in a bad patch cos I think we all want to see him do well. I'm more worried bout the way he shirked responsibility a few times. speaks to a mental state I'm not a fan of

 

[prarek]

Aubameyang is obviously a top striker but just out of curiosity what's his conversion rate like? I know Dortmund are a very offensive team who create a lot of chances.

 

[Red Defence]

We do need an extra striker but if we want goals right now then we should play Rashford at number 9. We can start by doing that today.

 

[VorZakone]

Aubameyang is obviously a top striker but just out of curiosity what's his conversion rate like? I know Dortmund are a very offensive team who create a lot of chances.

People have been criticising Lewandowski for being prone to missing sitters but so is Aubameyang IMO.

 

[mitchmouse]

I hear Phil Jones is fit...

 

[Von Mistelroum]

This'll be unpopular, but I don't know that Rashford would be enough. I don't know if he'll ever be a truly top striker and I worry he'll be a Chicharito or Welbeck level player once the initial hype dies down. Hopefully I'm very wrong!!
I'd like to see us get in someone with real presence and power up front. I LOVE Zlatan, he's one of my all-time favourite players and personalities, but he's not getting any younger and it seems that our club's current fragile mentality has spread to him, rather than the other way around as I'd hoped.

 

[Stacks]

Personally I think the last thing that we need is a CF. With Jose as manager, we are only ever going to play one. In Zlatan we have a world class striker. Granted, he hasn't scored in six games, but the margins are small. Heatons save from his volley was fantastically fortunate. Grant made a number of quality saves from him in the stoke match, plus there are a number of woodworks thrown in too. With a bit better fortune he'd have an extra 3/4 goals and we wouldn't be having this conversation.
I also view the fact that he's 35, as an advantage. We have quality young strikers who will learn a tonne from Zlatan but won't be blocked from the first team by him forever.
Zlatan will come good. Class is permanent. He doesn't lack any confidence either. I'm very confident that we have a 20 goal striker already. Patience will be rewarded.

Having seen him over the summer and at United, he really isn't world class. Fancy putting him in Suarez category? 20 goal strikers are not world class, just as Harry Kane isn't world class. world class is the kind of player you would choose for your world dream team.

 

[Woeisme]

Having seen him over the summer and at United, he really isn't world class. Fancy putting him in Suarez category? 20 goal strikers are not world class, just as Harry Kane isn't world class. world class is the kind of player you would choose for your world dream team.

Not sure getting caught up in the definition of 'world class' takes away from the point I was making. If you must downgrade from World class to Top quality, feel free. I accept that Suarez is a level above him, but you could make an argument that he's currently the best striker in the world. He's a 30-35 goal a year striker.
Zlatan is a top bracket striker who will help our quality young strikers progress without blocking their firstplace team forever. He's a 20 goal striker and there are very few of them in the premiership. I don't believe we need another striker for those reasons

 

[matherto]

Feels like a matter of time until we sign Lukaku.

I hope not.

 

[Stacks]

Not sure getting caught up in the definition of 'world class' takes away from the point I was making. If you must downgrade from World class to Top quality, feel free. I accept that Suarez is a level above him, but you could make an argument that he's currently the best striker in the world. He's a 30-35 goal a year striker.
Zlatan is a top bracket striker who will help our quality young strikers progress without blocking their firstplace team forever. He's a 20 goal striker and there are very few of them in the premiership. I don't believe we need another striker for those reasons

We are 10 games in and he is currently on course for 15 or less league goals so he will need to up his rate. fast

 

[TheReligion]

OP is right.

Our 4 forwards are not scoring goals and thats why our results are down the shitter.

They need to step up and I'd suggest we start by stop shoehorning them all in the starting XI.

We were more cohesive up top when Rashford was coming from the bench. He was playing better then too.

 

[VeevaVee]

Gotta agree to an extent. Buy some proper wide players, if Martial is still shite turf him out. Same with Ibra obviously. No fannying about for years on end waiting for them to hit form again.

 

[TheReligion]

Gotta agree to an extent. Buy some proper wide players, if Martial is still shite turf him out. Same with Ibra obviously. No fannying about for years on end waiting for them to hit form again.

Get rid of Martial? You're mad.

 

[VeevaVee]

Get rid of Martial? You're mad.

If he's this bad in a year and it's not looking like anything is going to change, then I'd be happy for it to be considered. Waiting for players to show their supposed potential season after season is part of the reason we're in a mess.