15 Apr 2026 13:43:06
Thinking back to last summer, there was a fair bit of outrage at the outlay on two strikers and how both weren't needed. Now someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but have we had both fit at the same time since they signed? Ekitike's been played to death these last few months and now we have just Isak as a recognised 1st team striker till January, it looks like.
We definitely needed them both.
{Ed025's Note - you needed two strikers FM, now whether or not those were the right choices is another matter mate..
15 Apr 2026 14:01:44
If we only play one striker, how many do we need?
Only recently have we changed to two. We still have Gakpo and Chiesa in the squad, along with the kids.
15 Apr 2026 14:16:17
If you only play 1 beking you still need two over a 60 game season.Thats just an accepted given.We had two the season before for instance.On the choices Ed i didn't know much about Hugo before this season to be fair but he's come in and performed better than i expected.On Isak that was going and getting the best striker we could.An exceptional finisher.
15 Apr 2026 14:53:49
Nobody was outraged we brought in 2 strikers, people were questioning the fact that we brought in 2 that were very similar. We lost 2 strikers, we needed 2 strikers, but we didn't need 2 that were both similarly styled and injury prone.
Personally, I had zero interest in Isak, was an accident waiting to happen for me, and I said it from the get-go. Wasn't against Ekitike but wasn't massively keen either.
Didn't have a lengthy injury history, but he did have considerable time off with a hamstring tear, and at a young age that can be a bit of a warning sign.
What I was completely against was bringing in two absolute string beans. Given their height and build, they're both statistically more likely to suffer from injuries.
15 Apr 2026 15:02:49
I would hardly say Hugo has been played to death. He's played 2700 mins which is 90 minutes for 30 games. Mo, Virgil have about doubled that output for years.
But i do agree we needed two strikers. Ed makes a good point on whether or not they are the right two. W the way Slot plays, not so sure either of them are a good fit.
15 Apr 2026 15:16:58
The way Slot plays, we'd need peak R9.
15 Apr 2026 16:18:29
Forgive me if I have got the wrong end of the stick and misinterpreted the post.
Sounds like you're saying "told you we needed both, I was right, you were all wrong", but then completely failing to recognise we spent £200m on 2 st, at no point in season having both fit at the same time, now, at the most crucial point of season we don't have either fully fit?
15 Apr 2026 16:44:08
Think you explained the critical need for two strikers being signed well there, WestYorkshired. Thank you. Wasn't an "I'm right your wrong" post at all. It's just that it was a gripe for many over the season. One I could never understand or explain, apart from being a reason to have a go at the likes of Hughes or Edwards.
In Isak's case he's out because of a nasty tackle from behind by a desperate defender, so it's not as if his body let him down. Hugo's stayed fit but does be out on his feet by 70 because he's had to start nearly every game. Over 2800 mins is a lot of time for someone who obviously wasn't the fittest arriving at the club.
15 Apr 2026 18:52:19
Agreed WestYoirkshirered. Clearly an "I was right you were wrong" post.
Florian, Hugo is not unfit from playing too many matches, what an utter load of nonsense. He's started 34 of 51 games iac this season, he has played beyond the 80 minute mark in only 14 and played the full 90 minutes in just 9 of them. Do you not get tired of talking through your hat?
Ekitike, like everyone else, is unfit because of the coaching, Arne brought his Head of Physical Performance with him, Ruben Peeters. Their whole angle at Feyenoord was "increasing player availability" through reducing the volume and intensity of training sessions, that's not a rumour, it's a fact. This aligns with everything we've heard through the grapevine from rumours to a lack of intensity and frequency of training to players taking it upon themselves to do extra sessions to the blatantly obvious lack of fitness on the pitch.
They simply aren't training hard or often enough. Slot and Peeters have gone against decades of sport science at an elite level and the clubs own standards to implement their subpar nonsense.
15 Apr 2026 19:38:14
The magical grapevine. Ah yes, there's a lot been heard through that thing this season. And I've yet to see it anywhere that the players took it upon themselves to do extra sessions. Believe it was said they were doing it in the local park at one stage. ? Surely the national press would have been all over that.
15 Apr 2026 20:46:53
Florian, I noticed that in your response you've completely ignored 90% of my post which was full of factual information.
15 Apr 2026 21:05:37
He's a troll, Chewy. Might even be Harry.