striker

Wow, what a joke. Its not like he took over Chelsea.

Austin was fast enough to be our leading scorer last season, and to score 18 for QPR 2 year ago. Are we picking the fastest players or the players who actually score?

Austins "mobility" was enough to be our high scorer last season, and score 18 for QPR two years ago. The mantra some on here have about his movement is over the top. He's a traditional in the box type striker, like Pelle, Carrol, etc. When in the final 3rd his movement is good and he makes good runs. Plus he is one of only two players on this team who know ow to finish. It really gets down to your formation. Based on his history, its been shown that he can be very successful in certain setups. Since we need his goals, I suggest we alter our beloved 4-5-1 to fit both him and Gabbi.

Oops forget Lemina. I'd put him in for Davis or Romeu

or I'd settle for Forster Cedric VVD Hoedt Bertrand Tadic Romeu Davis Redmond Gabbi Austin

Forster Cedric Yoshida VVD Hoedt Bertrand Tadic Davis Redmond Gabbi Austin

I actually thought he did ok today, not great but certainly not as bad as others. He does always have a few "full Boufal" moments, but besides that it wasn't bad. I think he should focus more on distributing and assists than on trying to score. He made a nice move today and had Cedric wide open, but instead blasted a shot into the upper deck.

I don't think this team can play with only 1 upfront, our mids just can't attack well enough which leaves the striker isolated. I don't buy into this idea that our midfielders are so deep and good. Also having only 1 upfront means no pressure on the defenders, so they can release and get up the field which leads to over running our midfield. So I think have 2 up top, or even 3, will make these defenders play more honest and stay back, opening up more space for our midfield. We should go 2 or 3 upfront, there are a number of formations that support this for example a 3-5-2 (since we now have Yoshida, VVD, and Hoedt). I would stick Austin up top with Gabbi. Yes I know some here don't like his pace, but he is the only other proven scorer we have. Remember just last season he was our top scorer, and 2 seasons ago he scored 18 for QPR. This formation doesn't work for him, so seeing how we can't win if we don't score, we need to change it. Puel pretty much came to this opinion too. I would go either a 4-4-2 (Austin and Gabbi), or a 3-5-2, or maybe even a 4-3-3 with Long on too. If we don't score we can't win, simple as that.

+1. My sentiments exactly. What has that great "extra pace" gotten us. If we don't score we can't win. Puel came to this conclusion eventually too.

I don't know why we think we can ply with only one striker. This means our midfielders need to be able to attack, and they can't. Its not a situation where you change a player, you need to change the strategy. I'd go something like a 3-5-2, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, etc. If we don't score we lose, easy as that.

Great, wait until 70+ minutes to change something

Waste of a move. We need two or three up front, not just changing a player with the same formation

This is pathetic

That was "full Boufal" right there

We have 0 shots, not 0 shots on goal, 0 shots.

I guess Tadic will fix everything then

I know many on here like the 1 striker formation, and are all about the best pace possible, however if we don't score we don't win. I think having only 1 striker makes it too easy on the defenders (at least with our midfield), and actually helps in defeating our midfield. They are pushing their defenders higher into the pitch because they can. I think we need to go with a formation that has at least 2 up top. If we bring on Austin and go something like a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2, this gets our two best scorers on the pitch (our only two really) and keep the Watford defenders honest (which should hopefully open up the mid for us a little more). Yes we may not have the pace as a squad, but then again what exactly is that pace doing for us.

Boufal is an attacking player who has great ball skills and usually wins his man-to-man match-ups. However he is poor at any type of defending, and continually misses passes to the other players because he is so intent on dribbling past players. Boufal appeals to the fans who go for individual skill over every thing else, but he certainly lacks things when looked at from a squad or match view. He definitely offers strengths but also created weaknesses. I can see why managers continue to drop him for more well rounded players.

Getting more scoring is job #1, so I would try this: Forster Cedric Maya Hoedt Bertrand Boufal Romeu Tadic Redmond Gabbi Austin We have to try having the two best scorers out there. I think we saw them together what once, for 30 minutes in one preseason match?

I thought Targett was off to Newcastle?

Its really up to him no in my opinion. He started this and now he needs to come to terms with staying. If he comes back and engages then take him back with open arms. If he stays away sulking then let him sit.

Wow. Franky I would have bet that we'd cave in at the end and sell him.

Anything more on the Targett to Magpies rumour?

I've now read Clasie being linked with Newcastle, CP, and Brugge. I don't know what to believe, other than he is definitely on the block.

Arsenal looks horrible. Its like they are a Championship side now. Just terrible.