Transfer Speculation Thread 2014/15

[Johnny75]

I'd say a lack of pace and power make you more unsuitable to a passing team.

Total garbage. Fletcher is no more Duncan Ferguson than Wickham is. Fletcher's game is very similar to Giroud and he's no target man either. Fletcher is a touch player, deep lying forward who find space in and around players with clever movement and an eye for goal. A true Teddy Sheringham type more than a target man. That's why Poyet doesn't rate him because he doesn't play with that style. Sunderland do play with wide men to attack off the flanks and expect their centre toward to bully players to find space.

McCarthy's flaw was buying Fletcher thinking he was a target man when he clearly isn't.

Fletcher would suit our system beautifully but probably not as the #9 more of a #10 and he'd be bloody good at it too.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If Fletcher played for a really good team and stayed fit he'd be good for 15+ goals a season IMO. But that's not the point. Altidore is a poor footballer, who's goalscoring record is beyond awful.

He 'works his socks off' was the argument for someone in the Mick era, not now.

I haven't even seen evidence of this supposed hard work, his movement is absolutely awful to the point of non-existence a lot of the time. And his record outside of MLS and the Eredivisie reads 83 games, 4 goals. For four different clubs in three different countries, so unless they all happened to have the worst midfields ever then it rather points to him being the problem.

Dreadful technique, no finishing ability whatsoever, cannot link play, physique looks all wrong - easily one of the worst top flight footballers I have ever seen. I'd rather have Doyle or Clarke.

 

[GoldFlagFlyingHigh]

Total garbage. Fletcher is no more Duncan Ferguson than Wickham is. Fletcher's game is very similar to Giroud and he's no target man either. Fletcher is a touch player, deep lying forward who find space in and around players with clever movement and an eye for goal. A true Teddy Sheringham type more than a target man. That's why Poyet doesn't rate him because he doesn't play with that style. Sunderland do play with wide men to attack off the flanks and expect their centre toward to bully players to find space.

McCarthy's flaw was buying Fletcher thinking he was a target man when he clearly isn't.

Fletcher would suit our system beautifully but probably not as the #9 more of a #10 and he'd be bloody good at it too.

Talking of garbage you've contradicted yourself a few times in that post above!
Fletch has always been a striker to attack crosses with. That is his game as proved playing in McCarthy and O'Neill teams. As for him being a better 10 than 9, don't show yourself up any more bud!

 

[Penk Wolf]

He's scored goals for the good old US of A. I assume that is why our American friends are a little blinkered about him.

 

[Lord Knows]

Interesting point, How often has Fletcher been used as a support or second striker within club football and at International level.
Would he be better used in a free role off Rhodes for Scotland?

 

[YoungWolf]

I think he can easily play as the front man in a passing team. Because he is so good in the air and at heading accurately I think he's quite quickly labelled as a target man which he isn't in the slightest. If you had players moving around him in support it would work well. He's technically excellent and is aware of what is going on around him.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's scored goals for the good old US of A. I assume that is why our American friends are a little blinkered about him.

Darius Vassell and Peter Crouch scored goals for England, you didn't hear us banging on about them being the heirs apparent to Raul as the next all time Champions League top scorer.

He has 23 international goals and 12 of them came against the might of El Salvador, Cuba, Trindad and Tobago, Canada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Panama and Honduras.

 

[Johnny75]

Talking of garbage you've contradicted yourself a few times in that post above!
Fletch has always been a striker to attack crosses with. That is his game as proved playing in McCarthy and O'Neill teams. As for him being a better 10 than 9, don't show yourself up any more bud!

Please don't embarrass yourself further, your knowledge isn't good enough. You've mixed what Fletch is good at with what you want from a target man. You've also mixed what Fletch is good at with a managers style and as for saying Poyet likes to pass, pass, pass and Fletcher isn't good at that, you might want to have a look at the way Sunderland play as your analysis is laughable. Fletcher isn't a target man, the same way Sheringham wasn't, doesn't mean either of them aren't very good in the air attacking crosses from deep. Very different role from a target man, but let's not let knowledge get in the way of your bias eh cupcake?

LK, I think Scotland may be better served that way but simply don't have the midfielders to do it.

 

[Penk Wolf]

LK, I think Scotland may be better served that way but simply don't have the midfielders to do it.

Surely they have one of the best midfielders in the World.

 

[Law's Bus]

Interesting point, How often has Fletcher been used as a support or second striker within club football and at International level.
Would he be better used in a free role off Rhodes for Scotland?

We used him as more of a second striker on the few occasions we paired him and SEB together. And they looked pretty good at it too.

 

[Johnny75]

Surely they have one of the best midfielders in the World.

You're quick today....

 

[Lord Knows]

If you selected Kevin McDonald to link play through Fletcher as a ten plus Rhodes up top, which three other Scots should be selected to balance their national side?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I thought Tom Cairney was Blackburn's best player by a distance last week.

 

[GoldFlagFlyingHigh]

Please don't embarrass yourself further, your knowledge isn't good enough. You've mixed what Fletch is good at with what you want from a target man. You've also mixed what Fletch is good at with a managers style and as for saying Poyet likes to pass, pass, pass and Fletcher isn't good at that, you might want to have a look at the way Sunderland play as your analysis is laughable. Fletcher isn't a target man, the same way Sheringham wasn't, doesn't mean either of them aren't very good in the air attacking crosses from deep. Very different role from a target man, but let's not let knowledge get in the way of your bias eh cupcake?

Your banging on about Fletcher being Sheringham like but I've yet to see any manager use him as a no.10. Why's that? I don't see him having anything like the creative ability to do what Sheringham did, even to a remotely lesser extent.
And earlier you compared him to a Giroud who has also never been played anywhere but a no.9 so make your mind up!
For me he's a top header of the ball and can sniff goals out in the penalty box. That's why teams getting plenty of crosses into the box suit his game. Pretty obvious to me.

 

[Lycan]

If they wanted to Scotland could play nice passing football. Mulgrew, McDonald, Bannan, Griffiths, Anya, Bryson, Snodgrass, Gauld, Armstrong, Pawlett, Naismith, McArthur, Maloney, Brown, Mackay-Steven, McGregor, Morrisson, Steven Fletcher, Darren Fletcher, Burke, Adam and Cairney. They might not be able to do it to the highest level but those players are all comfortable with the ball at their feet. Some of them are much more than that.

Unfortunately they all turn into Kenny Miller when they pull on a Scotland shirt. All hard work and passion and no composure.

 

[Lycan]

We used him as more of a second striker on the few occasions we paired him and SEB together. And they looked pretty good at it too.

They were awesome together vs Stoke when we beat them 2-1 at Molineux.

 

[Johnny75]

If you selected Kevin McDonald to link play through Fletcher as a ten plus Rhodes up top, which three other Scots should be selected to balance their national side?

Lacks pace but it would be very creative and if you can lay chances on for Rhodes you know he'll score. Maybe Stachan should try it against Georgia.

 

[Lycan]

Lacks pace but it would be very creative and if you can lay chances on for Rhodes you know he'll score. Maybe Stachan should try it against Georgia.

Strachan has said that he wont pick Rhodes as he isn't suited to the lone striker role. Naismith and Fletcher seem to be his preferred strikers.

 

[Lord Knows]

Lacks pace but it would be very creative and if you can lay chances on for Rhodes you know he'll score. Maybe Stachan should try it against Georgia.

Could you also add Naismith in a wide support role?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Should be an interesting three way battle between Scotland, Ireland and Poland behind Germany in that group.