Poyet shifts sights to securing striker after Crofts capture (From The Argus)

This headline is a little misleading since I didn't realise that Poyet had 'shifted his sights off securing a striker'.
Most recent quotes from Poyet have been more about trying to get a striker in and how difficult it's proving rather than about the midfielder.
However I'm glad everything is now concentrated on acquiring the final piece of the jigsaw. Really looking forward to seeing who we get.
I hope we deal sooner rather than later since Hoskins injury leaves us short on striking options.
Interesting that Poyet, whilst admitting he would have to consider offers for any of his players, goes on to say he is looking to find a striker to enable CMS to 'score over 20 goals' !
Reverting to Crofts joining, I notice there is a view being stated that just because he's signed doesn't mean that a midfield 'enforcer' won't be signed as well (ie not mutually exclusive). A possible scenario but unlikely much though I would like it to be the case..
Things are looking positive for the new season although there is still no news re Balmy, Hall etc

I do not understand why Poyet has to consider offers for any of his players,unless offered silly money. The club must have a tidy sum left for buying a quality striker.What is the point of building a squad only to get it depleted. I still have my doubts about the club being upfront about the CMS situation and it really has never been denied categorically that he is on his way. Seems McCormack wants to stay at Leeds according to Sky.On a personal note would love us to get Zamora,even on season loan he would be absolutely the perfect foil for CMS. If CMS does go I think a lot of fans will feel mislead.

Neville wrote:
I do not understand why Poyet has to consider offers for any of his players,unless offered silly money. The club must have a tidy sum left for buying a quality striker.What is the point of building a squad only to get it depleted. I still have my doubts about the club being upfront about the CMS situation and it really has never been denied categorically that he is on his way. Seems McCormack wants to stay at Leeds according to Sky.On a personal note would love us to get Zamora,even on season loan he would be absolutely the perfect foil for CMS. If CMS does go I think a lot of fans will feel mislead.

Maybe as the squad continues to improve the Club might let CMS go if we can get 2 replacements or an Outstanding one and then see what happens in the January sales.I am afaid to say it but I think CMS is a good Championship player at best.He gives his all but not quite what is needed.

rolivan wrote:

Neville wrote:
I do not understand why Poyet has to consider offers for any of his players,unless offered silly money. The club must have a tidy sum left for buying a quality striker.What is the point of building a squad only to get it depleted. I still have my doubts about the club being upfront about the CMS situation and it really has never been denied categorically that he is on his way. Seems McCormack wants to stay at Leeds according to Sky.On a personal note would love us to get Zamora,even on season loan he would be absolutely the perfect foil for CMS. If CMS does go I think a lot of fans will feel mislead.

Maybe as the squad continues to improve the Club might let CMS go if we can get 2 replacements or an Outstanding one and then see what happens in the January sales.I am afaid to say it but I think CMS is a good Championship player at best.He gives his all but not quite what is needed.

I agree with everything Neville said,i think it sums up a lot of supporters worries,taking into account Waynes wages and the Und fee for the welcome return of an old friend,there is surely enough money left to attract a very descent Championship/Premier class striker.When the mighty Chelsea turn up tomorrow,ithink they would consider our Magnificent ground as good as at least half of what they will visit this season.That in mind,i would imagine there are a few strikers keeping an eye on US.As for taking a single striker,should the worst happen and we lose our Craig,then we would be back to square minus one.UTA

Never mind the players coming in, I'm amazed that there haven't been more going out. I know that in the Championship, you need a squad with depth because of the amount of games played in such a short space of time, but we still seem to have a lot of players who aren't going to feature. I'm thinking about Elphick, Painter, Harley, Sparrow, Agdestein to name but five. If they all left, we'd still have plenty of cover.

We now have a first team squad of 26:

Kuszczak, Brez, Anks

Calde, Bruno, Greer, El Abd, Elph, Dunk, Bridge, Painter

Vincelot

Bridders, Crofts, Dicker, Harley, Sparrow, Crofty

Bucks, The Dagger, Nooney, Kaz

Hoskins, Ash, Toby (considered first teamed by Gus), CMS


We also have JFC on loan to Oxford, with all others considered development squad members.

Hall, Navs and last years loanees are gone.

To my mind Dicker, Sparrow, Harley and Painter may be gone soon, especially if we progress to the PL.

We will sign a striker and possibly one more midfielder (PL loanee of quality lined up).

I think given those concluding 1 / 2 dealings being completed and bearing in mind only 2 will be loanees we'll be ready and well capable of play-off or even automatic promotion success.

Depending on injuries, whether anyone's interested in our "unwanteds" and possibly also on remaining length of contracts, we may unload any or all of the four mentioned above.

It's also worth noting that Anks may become surplus to requirements if Brez does well as no.2 and if a youth prospect steps on.

Captain Haddock wrote:
We now have a first team squad of 26:

Kuszczak, Brez, Anks

Calde, Bruno, Greer, El Abd, Elph, Dunk, Bridge, Painter

Vincelot

Bridders, Crofts, Dicker, Harley, Sparrow, Crofty

Bucks, The Dagger, Nooney, Kaz

Hoskins, Ash, Toby (considered first teamed by Gus), CMS


We also have JFC on loan to Oxford, with all others considered development squad members.

Hall, Navs and last years loanees are gone.

To my mind Dicker, Sparrow, Harley and Painter may be gone soon, especially if we progress to the PL.

We will sign a striker and possibly one more midfielder (PL loanee of quality lined up).

I think given those concluding 1 / 2 dealings being completed and bearing in mind only 2 will be loanees we'll be ready and well capable of play-off or even automatic promotion success.

Depending on injuries, whether anyone's interested in our "unwanteds" and possibly also on remaining length of contracts, we may unload any or all of the four mentioned above.

It's also worth noting that Anks may become surplus to requirements if Brez does well as no.2 and if a youth prospect steps on.

Apologies Captain H for my being a bit of a pedant but haven't you included Crofts twice on your list making a squad of 25 not 26 ?
If I'm correct your extra midfielder( PL loanee of quality) would bring the squad up to your 26 figure. Assuming we sign another striker (Baldock ?) then we would have a full squad of 27.
I agree that the various players you mention might be off-loaded but I don't think Dicker will be one of them. Poyet seems to rate him.
The one position that doesn't seem fully covered is the holding midfield position that Bridcutt plays. Who in the current squadother than him is covering role now that Navarro has left ?

ballantrrae wrote:

Captain Haddock wrote:
We now have a first team squad of 26:

Kuszczak, Brez, Anks

Calde, Bruno, Greer, El Abd, Elph, Dunk, Bridge, Painter

Vincelot

Bridders, Crofts, Dicker, Harley, Sparrow, Crofty

Bucks, The Dagger, Nooney, Kaz

Hoskins, Ash, Toby (considered first teamed by Gus), CMS


We also have JFC on loan to Oxford, with all others considered development squad members.

Hall, Navs and last years loanees are gone.

To my mind Dicker, Sparrow, Harley and Painter may be gone soon, especially if we progress to the PL.

We will sign a striker and possibly one more midfielder (PL loanee of quality lined up).

I think given those concluding 1 / 2 dealings being completed and bearing in mind only 2 will be loanees we'll be ready and well capable of play-off or even automatic promotion success.

Depending on injuries, whether anyone's interested in our "unwanteds" and possibly also on remaining length of contracts, we may unload any or all of the four mentioned above.

It's also worth noting that Anks may become surplus to requirements if Brez does well as no.2 and if a youth prospect steps on.

Apologies Captain H for my being a bit of a pedant but haven't you included Crofts twice on your list making a squad of 25 not 26 ?
If I'm correct your extra midfielder( PL loanee of quality) would bring the squad up to your 26 figure. Assuming we sign another striker (Baldock ?) then we would have a full squad of 27.
I agree that the various players you mention might be off-loaded but I don't think Dicker will be one of them. Poyet seems to rate him.
The one position that doesn't seem fully covered is the holding midfield position that Bridcutt plays. Who in the current squadother than him is covering role now that Navarro has left ?

Agree with you about Gary Dicker. I rate him highly but he hasn't had much of a look in.Surprised to see Alan Navarro go in view of the fact that he covered so well for Bridders when he was letting a few get by him. Bet we paid Norwich double what they paid us for Crofty but really glad to see him back where he belongs.

KeefyH44 wrote:

ballantrrae wrote:

Captain Haddock wrote:
We now have a first team squad of 26:

Kuszczak, Brez, Anks

Calde, Bruno, Greer, El Abd, Elph, Dunk, Bridge, Painter

Vincelot

Bridders, Crofts, Dicker, Harley, Sparrow, Crofty

Bucks, The Dagger, Nooney, Kaz

Hoskins, Ash, Toby (considered first teamed by Gus), CMS


We also have JFC on loan to Oxford, with all others considered development squad members.

Hall, Navs and last years loanees are gone.

To my mind Dicker, Sparrow, Harley and Painter may be gone soon, especially if we progress to the PL.

We will sign a striker and possibly one more midfielder (PL loanee of quality lined up).

I think given those concluding 1 / 2 dealings being completed and bearing in mind only 2 will be loanees we'll be ready and well capable of play-off or even automatic promotion success.

Depending on injuries, whether anyone's interested in our "unwanteds" and possibly also on remaining length of contracts, we may unload any or all of the four mentioned above.

It's also worth noting that Anks may become surplus to requirements if Brez does well as no.2 and if a youth prospect steps on.

Apologies Captain H for my being a bit of a pedant but haven't you included Crofts twice on your list making a squad of 25 not 26 ?
If I'm correct your extra midfielder( PL loanee of quality) would bring the squad up to your 26 figure. Assuming we sign another striker (Baldock ?) then we would have a full squad of 27.
I agree that the various players you mention might be off-loaded but I don't think Dicker will be one of them. Poyet seems to rate him.
The one position that doesn't seem fully covered is the holding midfield position that Bridcutt plays. Who in the current squadother than him is covering role now that Navarro has left ?

Agree with you about Gary Dicker. I rate him highly but he hasn't had much of a look in.Surprised to see Alan Navarro go in view of the fact that he covered so well for Bridders when he was letting a few get by him. Bet we paid Norwich double what they paid us for Crofty but really glad to see him back where he belongs.

Ah yes, so I did! Maybe we could clone Crofty!?!

Vincelot is our cover for Bridders. He's very versatile and it's reputedly (one of) his strongest position(s).

I think Dicker is a good player but where he does fall short is in his consistency and particularly in his habit of giving the ball away in potentially costly areas.

He does have a very good eye for a forward pass though.

I think Gus will happily keep him on at the mo' and he's probably the last of the group mentioned that would be given the heave-ho, should any departures be necessary.

The only was CMS will score 20 is in Div 1, we need to sell hiM & Noone for a couple of million & add that to the £4m pot & buy a super striker

ShorehamBeachcomber wrote:
The only was CMS will score 20 is in Div 1, we need to sell hiM & Noone for a couple of million & add that to the £4m pot & buy a super striker

I'd stick to Beachcombing mate....

Captain Haddock wrote:
I think Gus will happily keep him on at the mo' and he's probably the last of the group mentioned that would be given the heave-ho, should any departures be necessary.

I couldn't agree more and with your comments in the previous posting, especially about giving the ball away and his 'eye for making a pass'.
Cloning Crofts interesting. Would certainly confuse the oppostion.
Question. I can't recall any 'identical twins' playing for the same side have any ? No doubt if they had they might have kept swapping positions !

ballantrrae wrote:

Captain Haddock wrote:
I think Gus will happily keep him on at the mo' and he's probably the last of the group mentioned that would be given the heave-ho, should any departures be necessary.

I couldn't agree more and with your comments in the previous posting, especially about giving the ball away and his 'eye for making a pass'.
Cloning Crofts interesting. Would certainly confuse the oppostion.
Question. I can't recall any 'identical twins' playing for the same side have any ? No doubt if they had they might have kept swapping positions !

Are the Rafael brothers at Man U identical twins?

does anybody think we have a ginger nut coming from pompy,,,,,hes a free agent now....

ballantrrae wrote:

Captain Haddock wrote:
I think Gus will happily keep him on at the mo' and he's probably the last of the group mentioned that would be given the heave-ho, should any departures be necessary.

I couldn't agree more and with your comments in the previous posting, especially about giving the ball away and his 'eye for making a pass'.
Cloning Crofts interesting. Would certainly confuse the oppostion.
Question. I can't recall any 'identical twins' playing for the same side have any ? No doubt if they had they might have kept swapping positions !

Going back a ways, but what about the Charles twins, John and his brother (who's name escapes me), from Wales? Not sure if they were identical twins or not, memory not so good at my age.

KeefyH44 wrote:

ballantrrae wrote:

Captain Haddock wrote:
I think Gus will happily keep him on at the mo' and he's probably the last of the group mentioned that would be given the heave-ho, should any departures be necessary.

I couldn't agree more and with your comments in the previous posting, especially about giving the ball away and his 'eye for making a pass'.
Cloning Crofts interesting. Would certainly confuse the oppostion.
Question. I can't recall any 'identical twins' playing for the same side have any ? No doubt if they had they might have kept swapping positions !

Going back a ways, but what about the Charles twins, John and his brother (who's name escapes me), from Wales? Not sure if they were identical twins or not, memory not so good at my age.

Were John and Ivor Allchurch twins?