The latest addition of the Vital Reading Blog
Well that was a disappointing week to say the least and the lack of composure from our strikers in front of goal is becoming a real cause for concern. Brian McDermott can put all the positive spin on it he likes, our ‘international strikers` are not performing and we must bring someone in on loan even just to give us a different option. Of course Simon Cox is the player everyone would like to see us bring in and he is not getting any football at West Brom and a move to Berkshire until January could do him good. He is not the only one available though so fingers crossed that our management can see what everyone else can, and quick!
We travel to Burnley on Saturday, a tough place to go, and we will need to be at the top of our game to get anything. There must be some changes to the starting 11 as we are not positive enough going forward, and we need to get Brian Howard back into midfield. That would then mean Ian Harte dropping to the bench with Chris Armstrong going back to left back. With Harte and Griffin at full back we lack the width that Armstrong, or even Marcus Williams, would give us going forward. You just have to look at the way Ryan Bertrand played last year when he was at the club and how much our game is suited to having at least one attacking fullback.
The only positive I think to come out of the trip to Bristol was the way Noel Hunt played, he looked lively and won plenty in the air. He was incredibly unlucky to see his header superbly saved by David James and you could only wish that the change that fell to Church in the dying moments had actually fallen to Hunt, as we would have come away with a draw. We must stick with him on Saturday, whether he plays alongside Long or as a loan striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
I am backing us to win on Saturday though, this is the kind of game we normally do quite well in. After two results where we were expected to get points, and didn`t, a tough away trip could bring the best out of us under pressure and I reckon we will 1-0.
