Oh dear.....

[Mr Optimist]

Unless I am being incredibly naive or thick here I read the comments on the official site to mean if we have three happy strikers great, but if one or two of them are not happy to stay then we need to have prospective signings to replace them lined up now.

Not a striker to replace Kits but one or more to replace one or more of the three remaining strikers if they get flogged before deadline day....

We will not be seeking a fourth striker IF all of Doyle, Long and Lita remain. If being a big if, as if we know someone is going to come in for Lita/Doyle before the end of the next two or three weeks.

[dellwoodboy]

There seems to be an awful lot of negativity on this thread and it is easy to understand why.
Having only been reading HNA for 10 months I do wonder if the sort of comments being made are similar to those before the start of the 2005/2006 season with the same ammount of pessimism.
In my case I had doubts before the start especially after our barely average 2004/2005 but as soon as Lita was signed I am on record as saying I thought we would get promoted, I thought this was the sort of signing that sent out some sort of message.
What I am asking of long standing HNA's is if what is being said now is similar to then. I would be interested to know.

[floyd__streete]

FAO dellwoodboy

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21193

[loyalroyal4life]

According to the guy on SSN JUST NOW we are in talks with a foreign striker at the moment but are very cagey about the details.

Probably be another 16 year old Bulgarian for the Academy.

Or it'll be one of the Irish lads, Mooney or Hunt mk2.

Was going to say does noel hunt count as foreign striker cos we have had a bid rejected for him

[yuomi]

interestingly, our local rivals are fareing slightly better in their forward ammunition going into this season:

aldershot - 5 forwards
farnborough town - 5/6 forwards
woking - 4 forwards
oxford - i don't care, theyre rubbish
swindon - see oxford

even the non-league demi-gods Bracknell town are approaching this season with 5 first team forwards to their credit. now, useless as this comparison may be, we are going into our first season after an agonising (it was) relegation, when naturally a team is playing as much against it's own negativity as it is against the toss lined up by forrest, and we have 3 forward men to call our own? time to take a leaf out of the others here listed and get in some new blood isn't it? 3 forwards for the 2nd tier of the best football leagues in the world isn't enough.

[floyd__streete]

interestingly, our local rivals are fareing slightly better in their forward ammunition going into this season:

aldershot - 5 forwards
farnborough town - 5/6 forwards
woking - 4 forwards

Good grief. Our 3 forwards > Aldershots 5 forwards > Woking's 4 forwards > Farnborough's 5/6 forwards. LOL @ comparing the RFC squad to that of our non-league neighbours

[yuomi]

interestingly, our local rivals are fareing slightly better in their forward ammunition going into this season:

aldershot - 5 forwards
farnborough town - 5/6 forwards
woking - 4 forwards

Good grief. Our 3 forwards > Aldershots 5 forwards > Woking's 4 forwards > Farnborough's 5/6 forwards. LOL @ comparing the RFC squad to that of our non-league neighbours

i might not take their players, but i'd happily take their numbers...


that and they can have Long.

[Xavier Onassis]

interestingly, our local rivals are fareing slightly better in their forward ammunition going into this season:

aldershot - 5 forwards
farnborough town - 5/6 forwards
woking - 4 forwards

Good grief. Our 3 forwards > Aldershots 5 forwards > Woking's 4 forwards > Farnborough's 5/6 forwards. LOL @ comparing the RFC squad to that of our non-league neighbours

i might not take their players, but i'd happily take their numbers...


that and they can have Long.

But if you count Farnborough's 5th and 6th forwards, surely we gt to count at least Church and Illugason.

[earleyroyal]

We can try and spin this every way you like, but even as someone who has rarely questioned the judgement of Coppell, a man who obviously knows much more about football than anyone on this board, "If we go into next season with three happy forwards I'd be fine with that" is an unbelievable quote. When has a team ever done well with just 3 strikers, unless we're planning to play 1 up front?

I have a feeling this is a ringer and someone, probably shit, will be coming in soon, but if Coppell genuinely believes the quote above then I'd be shocked. Pissing away another great chance to establish ourselves as a club that means business, we said in January that a little investment would do the job and it would do now. It'll be an even worse waste if we don't buy anyone now and dribble away to mid-table.

[dontbedaft]

Come on. What do you expect him to say publicly - "Yeah, we are desperate to replace Kitson and have 5.5 million quid to spend". He is talking down how much we need a replacement in order to not artificially inflate the price

[papereyes]

Come on. What do you expect him to say publicly - "Yeah, we are desperate to replace Kitson and have 5.5 million quid to spend". He is talking down how much we need a replacement in order to not artificially inflate the price

But correct me if I'm wrong but won't the case be that ...

a) every man and his dog, spot, will know we've sold Kitson
b) every club might work out what we're doing when we give them a call and ask how much their striker is?

Or have I really missed a point there?

[PEARCEY]

Come on. What do you expect him to say publicly - "Yeah, we are desperate to replace Kitson and have 5.5 million quid to spend". He is talking down how much we need a replacement in order to not artificially inflate the price

Maybe you are right. I hope so because we are far too light with just three strikers. What happens if they are injured or suspended?
This needs to be sorted out and it would be nice to see the club spend just a little money on player investment to show there is still some ambition at the club. I cant help but feel Madejski wanting to sell is holding the club back. Its time he was bought out otherwise stagnation is on the cards.

[SteveRoyal]

We can try and spin this every way you like, but even as someone who has rarely questioned the judgement of Coppell, a man who obviously knows much more about football than anyone on this board, "If we go into next season with three happy forwards I'd be fine with that" is an unbelievable quote. When has a team ever done well with just 3 strikers, unless we're planning to play 1 up front?

I have a feeling this is a ringer and someone, probably shit, will be coming in soon, but if Coppell genuinely believes the quote above then I'd be shocked. Pissing away another great chance to establish ourselves as a club that means business, we said in January that a little investment would do the job and it would do now. It'll be an even worse waste if we don't buy anyone now and dribble away to mid-table.

Unless i'm much mistaken, Manchester United only have three strikers who play regularly.
Rooney, Tevez and Saha.
Still, I agree with you.

[papereyes]

On that note, I think if you're not including Ronaldo as an integral part of United's forward line-up, I think there's a point bounding off down the hill yodelling "missed me".

[Cookie]

We've had a bid for Huntie's brother turned down apparently. (Apologies if it's been mentioned elsewhere)

That to me shows a typical Coppellesque ambition. Not too expensive yet has the potential to improve without rocking the boat too much.

Meanwhile Jimmy Kebe isn't the top flavour on here but I like the way he's fast, scores goals and above all plays with a smile on his face. OMG he likes playing here.

I can imagine a scenario where our goals in one Championship game come from Noel Hunt, Jimmy Kebe and Marek Matejovsky.

I'm very optimistic.

[Archie's penalty]

And for those who are slagging off Noel Hunt he definitely hits the target a lot better than his brother!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdPEEN8eZ3o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlasP4H_ ... re=related

[PEARCEY]

And for those who are slagging off Noel Hunt he definitely hits the target a lot better than his brother!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdPEEN8eZ3o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlasP4H_ ... re=related

Good strike Archie, Noel should fit in well at Derby.

[Gordons Cumming]

And for those who are slagging off Noel Hunt he definitely hits the target a lot better than his brother!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdPEEN8eZ3o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlasP4H_ ... re=related

Yes AP take a look at that.

[earleyroyal]

Come on. What do you expect him to say publicly - "Yeah, we are desperate to replace Kitson and have 5.5 million quid to spend". He is talking down how much we need a replacement in order to not artificially inflate the price

I have a feeling this is a ringer and someone, probably shit, will be coming in soon, but if Coppell genuinely believes the quote above then I'd be shocked.

[Cookie]

This is what the local evening paper says about the Hunt move. http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2008/07/22/story11694030t0.shtm

Dundee United may have knocked back further Reading overtures for striker Noel Hunt — but if the offer for the Irishman edges nearer £1 million he’ll be joining brother Stephen at the Madjeski Stadium (writes Tom Duthie). Last night, Royals boss Steve Coppell made his second move of the summer for the Ireland B international, only to see his £500,000 offer swiftly dismissed by Tangerines boss Craig Levein.
He would be happy to hang on to the man who hit the net 17 times last term and has continued that form into this pre-season, but realistically knows an offer of approaching seven figures would be impossible to turn down.

And this from the fans.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A38615790

Seems like it might already be a done-deal.
The only thing that worries me is the readiness of some of the Dundee Utd fans to lose him.