Strikers we should be targeting for next season

All About Walsall
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A lot of Saddlers fans have made some excellent suggestions for players that the Board should be targeting for next season.

I understand that it will be depend on who is released and what division we (and other clubs) are in next season.

However, in an ideal world, assuming that we are a league two club next season, the priority is an experienced centre-forward who can bring on the younger players.

On a positive note, we have some excellent youngsters (Leak, Perry, Bates, Willis), so if we can do what Ray Graydon did when he signed the likes of Andy Rammell, Neil Pointon and a Tom Bennett style midfielder (surely what Guthrie was bought in to do), then we might be able to clear out the dead wood and get some momentum (a bit like Dean Smith has done this season, at the Villa).

When Adebayo was sold, goal-poacher Danny Hylton (32) was mentioned and surely he will be released by Luton at the end of the season. Another curve ball would be Liam Boyce, from Hearts, who is nailed on to score you 15 to 20 goals (but might be out of our price range). And if you wanted a ‘diamond in the rough’, Celtic have a young winger called Mikey Johnston (21) who would be an amazing loan signing (we got O’Connell, so who knows?) He would be a real ‘Darren Wrack’ winger if we can get rid of the likes of Nolan and McDonald (both who have flattered to deceive), we could push the boat out a bit. Closer to home, if Notts County fail to go up (again), Callum Roberts is still only 23 and as @geordiesaddler will tell you, is a real talent.

In terms of links to Midlands clubs, the likes of Louie Barry (on loan) have been mentioned; I also think that Kwame Thomas (from Wrexham) would be a like-for-like replacement for Elijah, in terms of height, pace and potential. Although Wrexham may have a bigger budget than us next season, we could offer league football (as we did to Andy Cook when he joined us from Tranmere).

On a non-league note, Kabongo Tshimanga (Boreham Wood) has been mentioned and, again, he could be another Morgan Ferrier or he could be a Peterboro style inspired signing…

If Rob Kelly is brought into the club at the end of the season (I can genuinely see this happening) there are a couple of players of a decent pedigree from Barrow: Luke James (26) and Scott Quigley (28 and 6"4’ with a decent goal ratio for a big man).

Others have mentioned Jamille Matt (31) at Newport (currently injured with a broken arm) but the striker I would love to see at Walsall is Ryan Taylor. 32 years old and a Northerner (Rotherham) who has spent most of his career down south in the bottom 2 divisions. Whether at Exeter, Plymouth or Newport, he always seems to score against us!

With Scrimshaw, Amond and Maynard on loan, I cast my eyes enviously over Newport’s firepower. And to think, losing to them under Whitney on their quagmire of a pitch was a real kick in the teeth a couple of seasons ago!

My point is, with the right budget, players coming from Barrow and Newport to the mighty Walsall will look at our stadium, training facilities and even connections to big cities like Birmingham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester, etc, the ‘bright lights’ may come calling!

I’m trying desperately to be optimistic and positive. A statement signing of a ‘realistic’ but experienced centre-forward would be brilliant! Clearly, I’m not saying sign all of these (it’s not Championship Manager!) but if the club have a real vision for next season, we need to get in early with transfers, as Dickie Dosh did in signing the likes of Dobson in our last promotion season.

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Do we really think we can match the wages of these clubs? Didn’t one of our former players say he was on £350 a week?

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Position going at Walsall that you might be interested in. :grinning (: jjunior9 that is )

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Think we should be targeting Haaland and Mbappe, with Neymar and Salah on either wing, and Sincs and Kins providing the deep lying playmaking.

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Dylan Bahamboula from Oldham would be one I’d look at, terrorised us in both games this season, whether we could afford him would be a different story.

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Conor McAleny if he’s out if contract at Oldham. Probably have better options than us though.

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Some interesting names there. You mention getting rid of Nolan and McDonald and I’d say we need to bring in a manager who can get the best from players. We can sign who we like, but it won’t work until we get the structure right, and the right manager.
Scott Houghton had probably the best couple of years of his career under King Chris, and Uncle Ray helped the likes of Wrack, Roper and Byfield to realise their potential. That’s what we need.

You mention Andy Rammell, but look at his record and that of Kevin Wilson immediately before signing for us. They looked to be finished, but two good managers gave them a new lease of life and helped make them Saddlers legends.

McDonald and Nolan undoubtedly have talent, Scarr has already played in a team that won promotion from this division, Bates has showed great promise at times, so has Cuckold-Mallet, and Perry and Leak are two we have high hopes for.

It’s a frustrating time, but we really need another Nicholl, Graydon, Money or Smith, a Manager who can get the best out of players - youngsters, faded stars, journeymen.

Some of the players we have now I would like to see under a proper manager. I think some of the could surprise us.

You mention Michael Dobson, and one thing we desperately need is leadership on the pitch. That first Graydon team had Pointon, Viveash, Green, Rambo plus Henry and Steiner at the end, all of them Captains. One of them must have had the actual armband, but it didn’t matter who it was.
In later seasons RG added Brightwell, Barras and Goodman. Good managers understand the need for leaders and strong characters in the dressing room. We’ve had some right knobgobblers in the past few seasons. Oh for a Mountfield, Hynd or Pointon, to name just three.

Anyhow, I’ve wandered away from your point a bit, but Manager and DOF is what we need to get right first. I doubt Houghton, Wrack, Wilson, Rambo or plenty of other Saddlers greats would have looked much cop for us in recent seasons. We’m a shambles.

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Some great players listed on there for us…

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Good player this lad. Would expect league 1 clubs to be eyeing him up

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Without knowing the budget I wouldn’t have a clue, Unfortunately we have fallen so far that we are no longer in a position to pinch players from so called smaller clubs.

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Great post mate, I’d be happy with the vast majority of names on there! The Peterborough/Brentford model of taking the lads from non-league is intriguing isn’t it, like we tried with Cook and Ferrier.

Would love Callum Roberts from what i’ve seen/heard!

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Cuckold-Mallet???:rofl:

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Trust the DoF to earn his money

Let him look in the Evostick / National League

Let’s see what Contacts he’s got at Club with regards to their U23s

Maybe he’ll find a rough diamond who can be used to play to our strengths whose gone under the radar. Lighbourne had only bagged a few for Scarborough, Rambo was ready for the scrap heap and Bradshaw couldn’t get in at Shrewsbury. We need this level of detail.

Hopefully the DOF has a bit of noise and can get us some bodies through the door

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I would like a wily old pro with season and a half left in his legs. Someone like Jon Macken.

Can score a few, bring experience on to the pitch and mentor the youngsters.

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Ambitious yet realistic target - Curtis Main.

Strong with decent pace. Good goal scoring record. Joined Shrewsbury in February on short-term deal. Out of contract in the summer.

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He knows a lad that plays for Pleck Rangers, and a bloke from Brownhills that will do the trick.
That’s the quality I’m expecting from any DoF that OUR board hire!

Being serious for a change, there are good strikers out there, the question is, 1) could we afford such a player or 2) Will our new DoF have the nouse to find them/sign them up (as long as it ain’t left to Dutton to recruit new players…he would sign donkeys!)

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Bolton might let Doyle go if they go up Swindon did.

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Yes (black midfielder forgotten name) because that’s what he was worth, no-one else seemed to want to offer him £400p/w

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Isaiah Osbourne

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Ha let’s see who they bring in and what they deliver over the course of 2/3 transfer windows

A DoF will land with contacts or a route for building them in place and have his own networks. So judging them over a few transfer windows is all we can do.

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