Just read on the Cardiff City rivals site that JC's lining up a move for ex-Hun Steve Thompson in January. He's a fans favourite at Cardiff, but injury problems have kept his progress to a minimum.

 

I would doubt this move. What is it with us and players that have a history of injuries? Mind you ... ALL Huns and ex-huns have injury problems as long as their arms. Cardiff have transfer-listed Thompson, so I reckon it could be the perfect opportunity to offload someone like Miller or Lovell.

 

Can't be arsed with Miller. Lovell I've got a lot of time for, but he's just not producing the goods for us this season! Would Thompson be any better?

Just read on the Cardiff City rivals site that JC's lining up a move for ex-Hun Steve Thompson in January. He's a fans favourite at Cardiff, but injury problems have kept his progress to a minimum.

 

I would doubt this move. What is it with us and players that have a history of injuries? Mind you ... ALL Huns and ex-huns have injury problems as long as their arms. Cardiff have transfer-listed Thompson, so I reckon it could be the perfect opportunity to offload someone like Miller or Lovell.

 

Can't be arsed with Miller. Lovell I've got a lot of time for, but he's just not producing the goods for us this season! Would Thompson be any better?

 

he couldnt do any worse than our strike force this year. we havent had anyone worth boasting about since stavrum. there seems to be some sort of infection that prevents any new strikers from scoring a decent amount of goals at pittodrie.

 

Miller - been doing better but not consitent enough

Mackie - Headles chicken but sometimes pops up with a scoring run

Lovell - would love to see him hit the form he had at dundee but IMO JC doesnt like him and he doesnt look like he wants to be here half the time.

 

Thomson - scored a few for United and would be worth a punt if he can stay away from the treatment table

"Thommohawk to Aberdeen?

 

By Chris O'Brien

Date: 19/11/2007

 

Aberdeen are rumoured to be lining up a January swoop for City forward Steve Thompson. The former Rangers star is on the transfer-list despite his encouraging form this season.

 

 

Steve Thompson has been linked with a January move to SPL club Aberdeen.

 

The Cardiff City striker remains on the transfer list despite his impressive form this season and Dave Jones is said to be interested in offloading the popular target man.

 

The 28-year-old joined the Bluebirds just under two years ago but a series of niggling injuries has hampered his tenure with the club.

 

Many fans regard the Thommohawk as our best attacking talent but DJ seems prepared to part company with the former Rangers star and Aberdeen are rumoured to be interested in bringing the player back north of the border.

 

Losing Thompson would be a blow to the City squad but with Warren Feeney set to return in January and Steve MacLean working his way back to full fitness; Jones may look to move the striker on."

 

Might add a bit of "beef" to the attack but I'm getting a bit sick of signing "good strikers" who seem to have failed everywhere else except where they were first noted to be "good".

 

Granted we don't have the funds to go attracting on form strikers but I'd be quite happy to pull in a young lad with a bit of promise about him.

 

One thing's for sure, I'd say Lovell's days are numbered and I can't see there being a long queue of folk bothered to sign him.  The Dorothy's mate the Tin-Man had more heart than him.

Dorothy's mate the Tin-Man had more heart than him.

 

Haha! Quality comment, min!

 

But I hear what vanderark is saying. We keep nabbing players who have the ability and the reputation. But when they get here, they turn to shite. Lovell, Miller, Winters ... infact I'm tryin to remember the last decent strike partnership we had. Do I really need to think back to the days of Dodds and Windass? That was like 10 years ago!!! Something seriously wrong with our ability to develop strikers ... even strikers who already have the skills there! Employ a dedicated striking coach, maybe? What's Duncan Shearer up to these days?

Sandy Clark is supposed to be the striker coach.

 

 

Sandy Clark is supposed to be the striker coach.

 

If you took that line of thought then we'd also have world class 'keepers albeit with bandy legs.  'Train' yes, but some things you just can't coach into a player and I'd say a striker's instinct is one of them.

 

But I hear what vanderark is saying. We keep nabbing players who have the ability and the reputation. But when they get here, they turn to shite. Lovell, Miller, Winters ...

 

I'm not so sure we're necessarily 'turning them into shite', as Miller was only prolific at a brief spell at Hearts (Paul Sheerin anyone?), Lovell showed it in a poor Dundee side and Winters....... well nobody including himself could believe that piece of transfer market madness.

 

We've certainly signed some players with reputations; Whelan (booze), Lovell (needs confidence), Touzani (injuries), Severin (failed fitness tests apparently), Miller (bowff at Bristol) so maybe it's not so much of a surprise when they don't set the heather on fire.

 

Although on a good day, they'd walk into most other SPL first teams outside the O.F.

Hmmm... Thompson... Hmmm... Not sure i'd be overly keen. He'd be taken in, played on his own up front (with Miller back to the bench again), and we'd be ranting that he's pish. We need someone like Mackie, but with a bit of striker's nous, or someone like Lovell, but who's fit/a better laugh in the dressing room. Then we need to play them both together. Right now, that is not happening. Miller's winning a lot of high balls and holding things up quite well since Brewster left (much like he was before Brewster arrived), but he's had next to no support up beside him, and as a result many attacks break down. Hence the need for a partner for Miller rather than waste wages on another Miller clone.

Not sure if we should be actively trying to find a decent partnership for Miller. He's played alongside about half a dozen strikers over the past couple seasons and I can't remember him really linking up that well with anyone.

 

Maybe it's about time he started getting used to other player's games although it wouldn't be a bad thing if the midfield tried to link up better with Miller.

 

Most of Miller's flick-ons come straight from defence.

I would argue that you can only really form a partnership and link up with someone if you're familiar with each other's way of playing, which is something that only really comes with time and games together.

 

But there's certainly nothing like the support from midfield that there should be. If we're playing one up front, and hoofing it up to him, then the likes of Barry and Seve need to be getting their arses up to and beyond whoever we've got playing up there (be it Miller, Lovell, Mackie, Maguire...) to provide the support and ensure any potential chances aren't lost. Too often, the ball gets flicked on to no runners or taken down, and our lone striker's left trying to hold it up for our lethargic midfield to bother themselves with the task of actually making a run/space for a pass.

If you took that line of thought then we'd also have world class 'keepers albeit with bandy legs.  'Train' yes, but some things you just can't coach into a player and I'd say a striker's instinct is one of them.

 

But we have Lovell and Miller onboard. Two PROVEN strikers with natural ability!!! What's gone on with them since they arrived here? They've both gone downhill!!!

 

As for the goalkeeping thing, I beg to differ. Look how Esson and Preece developed under Leighton. When Preece arrived, we were cursing the wasted funds. When he left, we were cursing the Dons management for letting him go! I ain't making any excuses for Souter, cos there's no point in trying to develop goalkeeping skills in someone who just ain't a goalkeeper. But there's no doubt that Langfield is benefitting from Big Jim's training. If we had a competent striking coach, I'm sure our strikers would benefit too!

 

I refer to Celtic in the time that Lubo Moravcik was playing for them. He spent a bit of time every day helping train the young Celtic players how to take free-kicks. Look at how Shaun Maloney developed as a direct result of Lubo's training!

 

Grab a look on youTube for videos of Duncan Shearer goals. Every time he strikes the ball, it goes towards the goal. Whether he scores or not is purely down to the skill-level of the opposition goalkeeper. Having someone on board like him would help develop our strikers to realise how/where to hit a ball to get maximum gain out of your opportunity. Shearer always struck him opportunities like they were the only one he'd get during the game. Our current crop of strikers miss with the understanding that another chance will come along soon. It doesn't alway work out that way, though ... especially with our midfield!!!

Buying players with reputations who have peaked (or passed peak) is JCs way. I wish he would take a chance on some youth players, not necessarily Maguire but even further down the ranks or scout some from the lower leagues. He seems too loyal towards strikers who are simply not doing the job, its perplexing.

When Preece arrived, we were cursing the wasted funds. When he left, we were cursing the Dons management for letting him go!

 

Speak for yourself, I didn't think it was any great loss.

 

He was a decent shot stopper but was glued to his line, was more scared of crosses than Dracula and couldn't kick for toffee......... maybe somethings did rub off from Jim's training. 

 

Grab a look on youTube for videos of Duncan Shearer goals. Every time he strikes the ball, it goes towards the goal. Whether he scores or not is purely down to the skill-level of the opposition goalkeeper. Having someone on board like him would help develop our strikers to realise how/where to hit a ball to get maximum gain out of your opportunity. Shearer always struck him opportunities like they were the only one he'd get during the game. Our current crop of strikers miss with the understanding that another chance will come along soon. It doesn't alway work out that way, though ... especially with our midfield!!!

 

If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here.

 

The Celtic youth would be desperate to learn or progress so probably put in the hours under Moravcik.  We can't even get Lovell to put in a shift on a Saturday afternoon and Miller gives me the impression that he thinks he knows it all already.

 

Not sure if Thompson is the answer but since we've got misfiring strikers I'd probably take the chance to offload Lovell and bring him in.  Can't really be much worse can it?

 

If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here.

 

The Celtic youth would be desperate to learn or progress so probably put in the hours under Moravcik.  We can't even get Lovell to put in a shift on a Saturday afternoon and Miller gives me the impression that he thinks he knows it all already.

 

Not sure if Thompson is the answer but since we've got misfiring strikers I'd probably take the chance to offload Lovell and bring him in.  Can't really be much worse can it?

 

 

Big Dunc spent most of his time trying to wake "Pele" Paterson from his drunken slumber.

 

I think it might be a good idea to offload Lovell. Perhaps as an exchange. I'm sure Superkev would look after him in Cardiff. But somethings got to be done to inject some life into our strikeforce. There's clearly fuckall inspiration coming from the midfield. So we need strikers who are gonna create something. We need strikers who are gonna take pot-shots from outside AND inside the box. Basically we need a fit-again Jamie Smith.

If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here.

 

The Celtic youth would be desperate to learn or progress so probably put in the hours under Moravcik.  We can't even get Lovell to put in a shift on a Saturday afternoon and Miller gives me the impression that he thinks he knows it all already.

 

Not sure if Thompson is the answer but since we've got misfiring strikers I'd probably take the chance to offload Lovell and bring him in.  Can't really be much worse can it?

 

 

Big Dunc spent most of his time trying to wake "Pele" Paterson from his drunken slumber.

 

I think it might be a good idea to offload Lovell. Perhaps as an exchange. I'm sure Superkev would look after him in Cardiff. But somethings got to be done to inject some life into our strikeforce. There's clearly fuckall inspiration coming from the midfield. So we need strikers who are gonna create something. We need strikers who are gonna take pot-shots from outside AND inside the box. Basically we need a fit-again Jamie Smith.

 

Nae the daftest suggestion I've read.

If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here.

 

 

I spoke to Duncan Shearer not long after he was appointed assistant manager and the Dons had just come back from Portugal in the winter break. Spoke to him about the strikers at the club (Mackie being one of them of course), and his exact words were:

 

"If you think they're bad on Saturday's, you should see them in training. I was top scorer for the training matches in Portugal. That's not me boasting, it's a slight on them. Their problem is that they don't want to listen, they think they know it all, that they're Billy big time and their careers will go nowhere."

 

(Leigh) Hindsight proves he's right...  I'll get ma coat.

 

If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here.

 

 

I spoke to Duncan Shearer not long after he was appointed assistant manager and the Dons had just come back from Portugal in the winter break. Spoke to him about the strikers at the club (Mackie being one of them of course), and his exact words were:

 

"If you think they're bad on Saturday's, you should see them in training. I was top scorer for the training matches in Portugal. That's not me boasting, it's a slight on them. Their problem is that they don't want to listen, they think they know it all, that they're Billy big time and their careers will go nowhere."

 

(Leigh) Hindsight proves he's right...  I'll get ma coat.

 

i heard the saem thing. Shearer didnt rate mackie at all.

 

Nobody rates Mackie! But he still gets offered new contracts!!!!

If it was as easy as that then Duncan Shearer would have turned Darren Mackie into a goal machine when he was here.

 

The Celtic youth would be desperate to learn or progress so probably put in the hours under Moravcik.  We can't even get Lovell to put in a shift on a Saturday afternoon and Miller gives me the impression that he thinks he knows it all already.

 

Not sure if Thompson is the answer but since we've got misfiring strikers I'd probably take the chance to offload Lovell and bring him in.  Can't really be much worse can it?

 

 

Big Dunc spent most of his time trying to wake "Pele" Paterson from his drunken slumber.

 

I think it might be a good idea to offload Lovell. Perhaps as an exchange. I'm sure Superkev would look after him in Cardiff. But somethings got to be done to inject some life into our strikeforce. There's clearly fuckall inspiration coming from the midfield. So we need strikers who are gonna create something. We need strikers who are gonna take pot-shots from outside AND inside the box. Basically we need a fit-again Jamie Smith.

 

Nail on head Reekie.

 

I'd love to see the real Jamie Smith that we only get to see in flashes, and Lee Miller given a run up front together.  I think they'd compliment each other well.

 

Lovell remains a complete mystery to me, as every time he played against us for Dundee he looked lethal.  Now he just looks murder...

 

The Lovell thing was all wrong from the start and I really question his mentality.

 

If I remember correctly he was persuaded by JC to join us over a move down South.  Then he left the pre-season training for some mystery reason (his brother's death was banded about by some as the reason) and then he took a spell off to sort his head out.

 

If that was why then I can sympathise with the guy but I'd be surprised if any other employer would let you away with that amount of time off before asking you to get your shit together and get back to work.

 

Now he's putting in half arsed performances because he's not getting picked whereas anyone wanting into the team on Saturday should be busting a gut when they get 10 minutes at the end of a game to win the manager over.

 

Bin asap imo.

We need competiton for places.

 

I mean REAL competiton, not just JC buying spare parts who'll only get a game if his "chosen few" are injured, but bona-fide first-team-ability players who are "in-form2 for more than 50mins a season.

 

A couple of real challengers up front and the "apparently" lazy shites might actually have to EARN some of their pay?

We could definitely do with him for these European games.

 

You're not wrong. His touch, passing, control, finishing are all generally atrocious, but he'll make sure their back 3/4 don't have a minute on the ball to build things up and play the way they want. Miller'll chase about a bit and hold the ball up relatively well, but he just cannot run the way Mackie can. All they'll have to do is knock it from one full back to the other, and his lack of any pace means he's out of the chase altogether.