ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

£20M well spent?

Doddy took some flack in the pub last night for saying that AJ and The Yak had the potential to be our best striking parnership since Campbell and Barmby. Given that pair managed only 21 goals between them in 1999-2000, they haven't got much to beat but the general view was that we should be looking for at least 30 goals for an outlay of £20M.

I think the modern record is the 49 League goals netted by Lineker and Sharp in 1985-86 when we finished second but that's far beyond present horizons. I wonder what others would consider a healthy return for our current big money buys?
Ryan Kinsella, Freshfield Posted 05/09/2007 at 16:32:36

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philip mcavoy
1 Posted 05/09/2007 at 18:47:11

i think 30 at the very least. I would expect 35 would be good value for money

Richard Dodd
2 Posted 05/09/2007 at 18:56:44

Ry Kinsella does me a disservice.He knows I have little regard for pre-Premiership records as the game was purely ’domestic’in those days whereas now it’s a theatre for the best players in the world.
I’m positive that Daveyis looking for 20+ from our present strikeforce and if they achieve that we shall get excellent money for the investment.Against today’s defences no pair will ever again hit the 40 mark.

Richard Dodd
3 Posted 05/09/2007 at 19:02:07

The above should read ’excellent value for the investment’

Si
4 Posted 05/09/2007 at 19:09:42

I agree 35 goals is the minimum return we should expect from the pair of them. Bit worrying at the moment though as AJ looks shot on the confidence front.. hopefully he’ll nick one sooner rather than later.

For what it’s worth, I reckon Faddy has the potential to play super-sub this season and get some important goals as well..

Allan Hobbs
5 Posted 05/09/2007 at 19:12:37

35 minimum, are you joking?!?!

Yakubu has never scored 20 in a season and AJ won’t get near that. Are we talking overall goals here or league goals?

Is its overall, then maybe.....maybe..

John Oughton
6 Posted 05/09/2007 at 19:43:59

The usual crap from Dodd-trying to protect Moyes’arse.He blew £6M on Beattie and looks like another £8M down the pan on Johnson.I’ll stick my neck out and say the two of them will be lucky to reach the 20 mark!

Allan Hobbs
7 Posted 05/09/2007 at 19:50:11

I know footballs all about opinions, but John, to say he’s blown £8m on AJ is the most amazing comment. The guys a class act, and England International and works harder than any forward in the Premiership. Just cos he isn’t scoring goals at the moment doesnt mean anything. His game means way more to the team than goals; I think you should watch him a bit closer mate.

Bill Farrimond
8 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:02:48

Moyes is hopeless with strikers.He always goes for the expensive headline buy (Beattie,Johnson,Yakubu)rather than the bargain as he does with defenders and midfielders(Lescott,Neville,Cahill,Arteta).The big problem is that they come here with goalscoring records to die for and he transforms them into marathon runners who can’t find the net for pussy!
If he screws up with The Yak,I think he’s a gooner...but you can but hope!

Anthony Newell
9 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:08:19

I think to expect at least 30 odd goals between them is about right. Johnson will come good again hopefully starting against Man U

Richard Dodd
10 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:22:37

Do you mean Davey will be off to Arsenal then,Bill?Stranger things have happenned!

Colin Tunstall
11 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:47:54

Sorry Mr Hobbs but you don’t pay £8M for a striker just to have him run about a bit.His job’s to stick in in the bloody net and so far AJ has found that a difficult task.I suspect he will always find it difficult to net double figures-his record at Birmingham was crap and his totals at Palace greatly boosted by penalties.
Answering the question in the original posting,I would see 25 as a reasonable joint return but expect the figure to be somewhat less.

Mike Allison
12 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:51:57

"...£8M down the pan on Johnson"

Was that meant to be sarcastic or a joke or something? Did you watch last season? Is it Johnson’s fault that Premiership referees followed Mourinho’s orders and denied him around 10 clear penalties (admitted to by the referees chief Philip Don)? If he gets just a tiny bit of confidence back and starts running at players in the box again he’ll be one of the most dangerous strikers in the league again.

And was the ’stick my neck out’ meant to be sarcastic? Its hard to tell. Nothing’s easier than being negative mate.

arthur jones
13 Posted 05/09/2007 at 20:57:37

AJ frightens every defender he comes up against , FACT , he transformed our team last year and with the Yak alongside him this year , there won’t be a defender who feels safe with that pair breathing down their necks , 30 goals this season between them would be a great target to aim for and we have players all around the team who are capable of scoring a few goals , .. I think we had 14 or 15 outfield players who scored last year , not forgetting that we still have Tiny Tim and Vaughany to come back who could easily get 15 goals , ...

Mark Stone
14 Posted 05/09/2007 at 21:21:17

"...£8M down the pan on Johnson"

What the fuck?

Since when were we getting on the back of one of our best players? OK maybe he hasn’t scored yet this season but to be fair he’s not really been given the best service has he. Anyway, its early days and he has a much more rounded game than just a goalscorer.

Steve Lyth
15 Posted 05/09/2007 at 21:29:09

See you were doing your normal "stand up" routine Doody lad, cant see why your mates took issue with it. Its all in a nights work for you bro and I think your a great comedian.

Steve Lyth
16 Posted 05/09/2007 at 21:32:22

Note for Bill, Mark Hughes can spot cheap talented strikers and he isnt too bad putting a good all round side together that way either.
Top lad Sparky, played at the top, won at the top and his record compares very favourably to Moyes and all without a crowd.

Ian McDowell
17 Posted 05/09/2007 at 21:59:04

I think 30 league goals would be great say 18 for Yak and 12 for AJ; we would be up ther for a Champions league place. On the other hand a lot depends on the midfield contribution the great Arsenal team only had Henry as a forward who scored over 10 goals because Lunjberg and Pires would get 15 goals each.

robert carney
18 Posted 05/09/2007 at 22:13:54

Hi Guys, why not have a go at the old spreadbetting game.Starting point 25, some good money to be made.

Between two good forwards who will play most premeirship games, it is not a high target.
Lets not forget AJ scored 12 last season missing a lot of games injured and the Yaks record of 29 in 65 premiership games is not to be laughed at.

Anthony Jaras
19 Posted 05/09/2007 at 22:31:51

Anyone who says Johnson is a waste of moely is a prick!
Anyone who says Yakubu is a waste of money is a prick.
Despite the fact I have had a few Fosters tonight, the fact is they are both capable Premiership goalscorers, and the stats do not lie.
If they don’t work as a partnership then that is a problem but thier individual records are class.

I am fucking sick of reading about how they are not worth the money, fucking sick of it.

Would you rather have Angell and Barlow???????

For fucks sake, look at the stats and realise we have 2 international, fit, hungry, young, prolific goalscorers up front.

What more do you fucking want?

terry hayes
20 Posted 05/09/2007 at 23:02:05

sorry anthony did you mention aj and prolific in the same sentence behave [i wish]

Roy coyne
21 Posted 05/09/2007 at 23:04:23

If AJ is £8mill down the pan lets hope Davey gets some more down the pan signings got to be a wind up

Anthony Jaras
22 Posted 05/09/2007 at 23:16:44

Hi Terry,
I think the Amber Nectar took over then.
I agree the work prolific was over the top for AJ but I ain’t having people say he is shit!
He is far from it bud.
I am sure you agree!

anthony Jaras
23 Posted 05/09/2007 at 23:19:04

’WORD’ prolific even!

simon
24 Posted 05/09/2007 at 23:25:08

Campbell and barmby what planet you on.

lee bromilow
25 Posted 06/09/2007 at 00:08:27

i cant believe am reading this about aj, he was one of r top players last year outshone only by Arteta and lescott, lay off him and give him time the goals will come

Alan Mills
26 Posted 06/09/2007 at 08:32:19

Why are people so prepared to make excuses for Everton strikers who can’t score.Beatie could do no wrong until he’d gone about 30 matches without finding the net and now Johnson seems intent on copying him.But as long as he runs about all is well.£8M for 12 poxy goals good value? You all want to wake up!

Brian Waring
27 Posted 06/09/2007 at 10:51:37

The saving grace for AJ is his pace.If he never had that,he would just be your normal run of the mill striker.His first touch is woeful,and so far his finishing in front of goal,leaves a lot to be desired.It,s okay,to run round everywhere for the team,but,at the end of the day,he was signed to score goals.Hopefully,with the Yak now along side him,he will have had some of the pressure taken off him,and he can show us why we paid £8m for him.