Santa, please bring 2 presents

[fulwoodshrimp]

The lack of a decent striker was plain to see today. Dackers tries hard but has absolutely no goals in him. The Grimsby number 9 in contrast took his two goals superbly even if he was confrontational with the shrimps crowd. The Grimsby midfield looked quality and the small dark haired midfielder was superb. So Santa, please can I have a striker who scores goals and a quality midfielder with some creative flair. If not I am afraid of the consequences.

[Redalert1970]

Please Derek go and get Kieran Phillips... Pace and can finish

[Keith]

Please Derek go and get Kieran Phillips... Pace and can finish

Has he returned from the USA?

[Redalert1970]

I presume so there season as finished

[jbc.shrimp]

Please Derek go and get Kieran Phillips... Pace and can finish

Has he returned from the USA?

According to Google, still playing for Sacramento Republic.

[Redalert1970]

Ah OK... I read he was on loan till end of their season

[nobbyshrimp]

And he won joint fan voted player of the season along with Danny Vitiello and at present his loan has ended but…….12 goals in 28 and he’s really well liked and he enjoyed his time, imo he’s out of our reach now

[Wild Bill]

With potentially half a million in extra revenue from the FA Cup, surely we can persuade a couple of quality finishers to come and save our league status?

[Billy bodger]

Leave it up to Santa, (with a little help from Derek), but it’s 5 out with 5 in and with it all being down to the quality of the 5 that Santa gives us to replace them.

[marky No.1]

Obikwu on loan from Championship totally different quality

[CityShrimp]

We really are totally lacking in quality. There’s a part of me that’s glad we won’t be on TV against Chelsea because I worry the score could be double digits in that game.

Derek has done a brilliant job in organising this group of players into a team and getting a few points on the board but he is limited by the ability of the players he has to choose from.

Dackers causes some problems for defenders using his frame but his height seems to be literally his only attribute. Perhaps this is harsh but if he was 5 foot 9 I honestly think he’d be playing at amateur level - not even semi-pro.

[redrobo]

A striker needs service. We need quality in midfield to provide a striker with the ammunition. At the moment we've nothing anywhere near enough quality so forme we need quality in both midfield and up front.

[marky No.1]

A striker needs service.

Personally I feel like we haven't got an actual striker, just the way it is. We will pay for this in the long run,

Grimsby had a Championship striker, then were able to bring on Danny Rose, we're no way near competing with that

[black morse]

With potentially half a million in extra revenue from the FA Cup, surely we can persuade a couple of quality finishers to come and save our league status?

It all depends how much (if any) of that half a million is given to Derek. As I've said before, the club loses a considerable amount of money most years and the cup money may simply mean we break even this year and/or get rid of some of the loans. Obviously these decisions are down to the Board to decide. We know that Derek has been allotted some money already for new players, if we pick up a few wins before January the decision may be to run with his present allotment. Either way there's a risk attached to the decision.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

Well what can we say that hasn't been said above? Our players are an honest hardworking bunch but definitely lack the quality required to eke out wins on a regular basis. However most other clubs we face are hardworking but also have the x factor required to win games. Unfortunately the x factor doesn't come cheap and that's where we've been found out recently when bringing players in.

January will be interesting. I've heard it said many times that it's not the best time for player recruitment. Most players are on season long contracts and other clubs will know we are desperate and price players accordingly. That's if they are even willing to release decent players in the first place. We are probably looking at the loan market with youngsters from higher up. Although a 'dick' yesterday Obikwu was different class and a real handful for our defence. Oh for a player like him!

The other avenue we could look at maybe is the free agent pool. Although I guess many are still free agents at this time of the season for a reason! The last thing we want in another Jordi Hiwula type player.

[glagys]

Well DA said in a recent interview that players would be leaving,” they want game time,someone else wants them “
And needs to bring a striker in
And sign Adam Lewis on a longer contract,but again that’s also down to the player wanting to stay

[glagys]

Do we even have a head of recruitment anymore??

[CityShrimp]

A striker needs service. We need quality in midfield to provide a striker with the ammunition. At the moment we've nothing anywhere near enough quality so forme we need quality in both midfield and up front.

We need a good attacking midfielder too. I was hoping that Macadam would fill that role but he’s disappointed me so far this season.

[Wild Bill]

With potentially half a million in extra revenue from the FA Cup, surely we can persuade a couple of quality finishers to come and save our league status?

It all depends how much (if any) of that half a million is given to Derek. As I've said before, the club loses a considerable amount of money most years and the cup money may simply mean we break even this year and/or get rid of some of the loans. Obviously these decisions are down to the Board to decide. We know that Derek has been allotted some money already for new players, if we pick up a few wins before January the decision may be to run with his present allotment. Either way there's a risk attached to the decision.

I think relegation will cost the club far more, so I hope a good chunk goes on boasting the squad.

[redrobo]

A lot of what will happen post the New Year depends on not only DA bringing in some exciting new blood but a change in his style of football which can be so negative at times.

It's noticeable week after week that teams at the Maz don't rely on a single striker with expansive back up by midfield who get into our box in support. All too often teams have come to the Maz with at least 2 strikers playing off our back line.

We simply do not do that. No pressure is put on their back line, allowing too often an opposition defender the time and space to play the ball through their midfield and often playing a more direct ball up to their forwards.

DA is a good manager.....but he seems too fixed in his style of play that the opposition are very much aware of all too often.

[Angler1]

Maybe Burnley would lone us Michael Mellon he doesn't seem to be getting much playing time at Stockport.

[Redalert1970]

Think Mellon as been injured

[BerlinWaller]

Barry is rumoured to returning to Villa and then moved on to a champ side so they might need Mellon

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

Mellon picked up a serious injury at the start of the season and hasn’t been sighted since. Bench warmer at Dundee prior to that! The grass isn’t always greener!

[Billy bodger]

I don’t think we will get a change of style unless the quality is improved immensely, so all that depends on what budget DA has been given and what’s available.

The 5 out 5 in that I have mentioned means those 5 have that come in need to be from higher leagues, (did we recruit too many from non league?), so that’s relying on some eager youngsters on loan who are trying to improve and impress their mother Club or players for what ever reason not getting game time.

We are in a bad position and we need points to hang on in there before New Year, but it’s not a situation that cannot be turned around in the second half of the season.

As I’ve said we have to finish 22nd or above, those players that stay and the ones brought in have to step up, I was wanting 20+ points by New Year so we need 3 wins. The historical mark to hit to stay in the league is usually 40-44 points mark, so at the moment we are looking at 30 more points by the end of the season.

All the Clubs at the bottom will be thinking the same we have to do it better if we want to stay in this league, the pressure of being in a dog fight is not something every team/ player can handle, in the past we have done it and it’s imperative for the future of the Club we do it again.