No, it’s not up to me to tell you who was available and who we could have signed. I don’t get paid a stupid amount of money to find them and negotiate to sign them, the so-called ‘experts’ do.
The minute someone tries to say ‘but nobody was available in January’ it honestly makes me seethe. Why are you even talking about January? That was just one window in the last FIVE that they have failed to buy a striker, why are you even trying to now make excuses? It’s gone WAY past any excuses.
And don’t tell me that ‘nobody can predict injuries’ because of course we all know that. But asking for and needing a new striker is not something that has happened this week after the injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, is it? It’s something that the majority of us can see we have needed for FIVE transfer windows.
People always ask for names too. That isn’t my job. This is why we hired recruitment ‘experts’ and have a worldwide scouting network. But just for the fun of it, I will mention a name for you – Serhou Guirassy. He was available for his release clause of £15m, joined Dortmund, has continued doing what he’s done all his career, bang in goals [19 in 28 apps]. But at the age of 28, he doesn’t suit our strategy or project. Sigh.
I could name many more names we could have and should have signed over the last five transfer windows but again, it’s not up to me to be doing that. We all know options have been there, been available, and been get-able. Again, I’m not hearing any excuses anymore.
None of us could have foreseen both Jackson and Guiu getting injured, but it’s happened, and now we are royally screwed. IF we had signed a striker in January like everyone knew we needed to, then we would not be royally screwed. It’s that simple.
It’s pure incompetence once again by the squad builders and decision makers at our club, it’s literally nothing less than that. Anyone making excuses still, I’ve got no time for it I’m afraid.
There are plenty of things that actually can be excused and argued against. There are plenty of people who have perhaps been overly harsh with some things the club have done. But not this, failing to buy a striker in five transfer windows, that is the one thing that has become completely inexcusable, and the injuries just elevate that even more.
Guiu looks like a prospect, but he wanted to go out on loan in January because he wants to play week in week out, and that’s exactly what should have happened for him to develop and so we could see if he really has got what it takes. But as always, Chelsea ignore the here and now needs.
Jackson was signed in those five windows, sure. But as I keep saying, he is not the true number 9 profile that we need and that we lack, whilst being very talented. He’s a second or wide striker, and although he does have some good assets of a 9, he isn’t that focal point or physical box striker that we really need. I’d like to see him play as well as a physical 9 in all honesty.
The last striker we had of this ilk was in 2017 – Diego Costa. We have not replaced Costa still, 8 years later, and that is simply ludicrous.
Interestingly, we shall talk about Costa more in another article today…..
Anyone know if that new Rugby dude we hired can play up front? He’s probably too old as well though!
I truly fear for our upcoming games playing without a striker.
Maybe they turn to a Deivid Washington or Shim Mheuka, but both of those players are SO raw and have VERY little experience.
Cole Palmer as a false 9 isolates him and takes him away from key areas of the pitch that we need him in to create. And as for Christopher Nkunku, more on him in that other article I mentioned out today on the home page now.
