Samaras instead of McDonald?

I'm going to take pelters for this but here goes

Scott McDonald has done a great job for us since he signed but he is quite a limited player IMO.He lacks pace and is a bit too greedy for my liking.

I have heard people talking about dropping JVoH for Samaras but I don't think this is a good idea.Samaras has said himself that he is a second striker who like to buzz around a target man and recieve the ball into his feet.This has to put McDonald's place in question.

If we play McDonald and Samaras we will invariably hoof the ball up to the big guy and hope for the best.This is a bad idea because I have seen Samaras a few times since he came here and for his height ,he is pretty crap in the air.He is not a target man but I feel he would be shoehorned into that role if he was to play uptop with McDonald.

If we played him with JVoH then the pressure would be off him to provide aerial presence and he could play his own game.One of the main reasons he failed at Man City is because Stuart Pearce played him as a target man.He is not that type of player and never will be.

IMO Samaras is just too good a player to not utilize properly.He is technically better than any of our strikers.He is quicker than McDonald and his goalscoring record in Holland is phenomenal.He has the potential to be far and away our best striker.McDonald is a great option to have on the bench and I would still play him a fair bit but Samaras and JVoH would be my preffered strike partnership.
[BTW I an not basing this on his sub appearance against Killie]

 

i agree,but hopefully his arrival will give the other two a wee jolt, i reckon we could pick anyy two from the 3 until we realise our best partnership,
* it 433
boruc
hinkel gary mick naylor
brown donati aiden
samaras jvoh mcdonald
with either mcdonald or samaras dropping back at times

 

Samaras may replace McDonald in smaller games to give him a rest but only a rest.

 

A couple of problems, though

Jar of Vinegar and Hasselhoff is not the best either at being the target man you describe. For his size and build, he doesn't half lose out often. But maybe we are spoiled after witnessing the master at work in Sutton and, also, Hartson in recent times.

Skippy is practically undroppable imo. What more must a player do to warrant that tag.. especially this season, when we have struggled to create at times?

21 goals is a phenomenal return, and I'm betting he'll get darn near 40.

Gem of a player. Right attitude, and he's more talented than some would have us believe.

Hail, Hail!

 

If anyone was getting droped for samaras to come in it would be JVH for me.

 

I know it's harsh on McDonald but I would still play him in a good few games,mostly away ones.

Maybe the fact that Samaras is better in the air than McDonald would take some of the pressure JVoH to win every header?Though both strikers are big men,I still feel that they're at their best when the ball is played into their feet.

 

Not giving pelters but I'd say we've already been playing the high hoofed ball of late because with JVOH up front we can't play it into the channels and expect him to get to the ball first.. Samaras looks comfortable on the deck and we should go down the channels more often with him.

Samaras can't be given preference over Skippy based on his time in Holland from over 2 years ago.. If we judged players on previous form we'd have been playing Zurawski every week with the belief that the goals would eventually come.. Hard to tell from Saturdays game if Saramas has any genuine pace..

Also think it would be a dangerous game to elevate JVOH to main striker status based on a good performance against a non existant Kilmarnock defence.. The acre of space that Jan found himself in for his goal hasn't been available to him at any other time this season.. When he's getting marked he can't usually find room to manouevre a shot which is why he usually has to shoot instantly or hold the ball up and pass it backwards.. Mcdonald can take players on and Samaras can take players on so both of them are number 1 and 2 for me (But , If Hutchinson shows he has a good turn of pace and an eye for goal then he'll be right up there)..

Football tends to have myths like two small guys can't play together (Defoe and Keane) , or two big guys can't link up (Hartson and Sutton) or (Samaras and JVOH).. I think it comes down to the individuals and what they offer.. Even though JVOH isn't all that mobile (people say he's been lazy , I just don't think he has any pace or stamina) it would be foolish to drop him now while he's probably feeling on a high so against Aberdeen I'd have him down as a starter and would be happy for Samaras to partner him if Strachan thinks it can work.. Then bring on Mcdonald (to get his booking) or bring on Riordan or Hutchinson so we have a plan B in place for when suspensions dictate selection.. I think whoever partners JVOH needs to have some pace.. Skippy has done great and should stay our number 1 striker for whenever we need goals..

Having said all this , winning is the only option in every SPL game now and Strachan will probably stick with JVOH and Skippy as long as they are available , and only once he feels the game is won (like when we were 2-0 up in Inverness ) will he make changes and give other strikers their chance..

 

Well said, Hammer. As ever, a rare voice of sanity!

McDonald was at the top of the scoring charts when at Motherwell, and is well on the way to posting the best tally of a Celtic forward since the man himself.

If Scott McDonald gets around 40 goals this season we have got to be changing our tune and telling ourselves that we have got a player that many clubs would pay through the nose for!

I for one hope to see him in the hoops for many years to come. Don't want to jinx the man, but he's only 25-26, a Celtic fan etc so it's conceivable we now have the player we had all been crying out for, and have him long term.

Who's to say he won't go on and score hundreds of goals for us?

He cost £650k, did he not.. just like Larsson?!! What is it about Celtic strikers hitting it off when they cost £650k?!!

Skippy's no1 in my book, though that's not to say that match time can't be adequately shared between 3, or maybe 4, strikers.

Hail, Hail!

 

for this season, samarras will be a weaker, though more athletic replacement to JVOH. The good part to JVOH is that the opposition must dedicate at least one big man to tussle with him the whole game, opening up chances for others. He can also be a threat when that defender either loses track of him or he breaks free. Skippy meanwhile can dart through the holes created in the defense and poach goals

Now if that tactic is not working Samarras can be brought on as a tactical alternative. Now if Samarras proves to work better so be it, but as it stands thats prob how it'll work.

 

I would maybe play Samaras before McDonald against the sheep, just purely because the wee man is away with <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1lace><st1:country-region><st1lace>Australia</st1lace></st1:country-region></st1lace></st1:country-region> this week and maybe will be suffering from a bit of jetlag. But every other occasion I would say McDonald should be one of the first names on the team sheet.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
And OK Samaras did look the part against Killie, but we were 4-1 up and the game was dead and buried, just hope he can do the same if we are struggling at places like Pittotrie etc ... So wanting him in front of McDonald already is a bit premature IMO.<o></o>

 

Skippy and Samaras make similar runs they both drop deep and like to come in from the flanks. I think they might be to similar in movement to be an ideal partnership.

I think we have to play Samaras as he looks to be the guy who will best link the play from the midfiede because of this the team will probably perform better as a unit, so for me Samaras gets the nod. It is almost impossivle to drop skippy so I would start with Samaras and Skippy and hopefuly they would find away to compliment one another.

Also with the games against Barca I can see us playing 4-5-1 so I think a fit Samaras should probably be the guy to lead the line as with his movement and build will give us great out ball and this will help the team get up the pitch.

It is hard to drop JVH as he has been more than useful for us and will probably play a big part in the future. However he has a lack of mobility and the killie game apart he has strugled to link the play.As Jan dose´t have great moevment we play far to many long balls up the middle wich dont suit the team or him.

 

why do we need a target man? we play down th flanks mainly and invariably keep the ball on the floor...we like passing down the channels into space in behind rather than hoofing it long, and samaras and mcdonald are both good at making these runs down the channels, although kenny miller was the master of that, shouldnt hav been let go imo. playing it down the sides is effective, and samaras showed this with his goal against killie. i dont know any great sides that play with target men these days really,....MON is a believer of ot but strachan isnt.

 

I think big Samaras will be a great player for us. Just hope with the loan factor that he doesnt turn out to be another Craig Bellamy and run off back to England the first chance he gets. I wouldnt drop McDonald just yet man! He's the top goal scorer in the country. What we need to do is chop and change it a bit for different games. For example for the Barcelona game I'd go with Samaras and VOH, cause Samaras looks like he likes to drop off to pick up passes from the midfield and I think the only way to break them down is to play with powerful strikers. But McDonald has poaching qualities that we need too, the goals he scores for us have been immensly important. Its having the option to chop and change that we need, we dont need to drop anybody or stick with two first choice strikers.

 

and where would nakamura be? he has to play

 

JVoH lacks the creative flair we need. Any goals he scores are made by others and he is there to finish it; not unlike Kris Boyd. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be half the player he was when he first arrived. Maybe injuries and time off have affected his game more than a setback like that would another footballer. I think as Celtic fans, we are used to the little and large set-up, up front. Samaras is very quick with his feet, but not so much of a bruising target man. He's in the mould of Berbatov. I think having two quick, creative front men is something we haven't tried for a while and might give us more options when moving the ball forward. Sometimes this season, it's been hard to see where the goals are coming from, which makes McDonald's tally all the more impressive; it's not easy to score for a team that's not creating chances. I say drop JVoH, bring in Samaras and roll with it.

 

lol I dont know what to say! many agree , many dissagree! but as one guy said and I have to agree.... its a long season and we maybe just have to be patient on the Greek Bhoy! as much as i'd kidnapp JVOH myself to get him out the team sometimes, we can't really drop the big guy! he's done the buisness for us! He might not be the hardest working guy in the team , but maybe, just maybe, samaras is the kick up the * he needs! I'd be the first usually to say put Samaras and Skippy up front, but it just wouldn't be fair on JVOH! jeez were not the rankers! we treat our players with respect! so lets just see what happens over the next few games! if JVOH wants our respect..... score goals! if he doesn't.... the Greek Bhoy must get his chance! lol keep bringing him on for the last 30mins and well be sorted!

 

I'm about 17st and pretty unfit to be honest, however, I'd still beat JVoH in a sprint and give away at least 100 fewer free kicks a game than he does by simply not competing for headers.

I understand people have their own views but to drop Skippy for JVoH is beyond comprehension in my eyes.

Skippy causes so many problems it is untrue and no defenders like to play against his type. I'd give Samaras a good run in the team and leave Big Jan to sort himself out ... then punt him in the summer.

 

* @ Thombhoy!! great reply there mate!!

I forgot to say i'd never in a million years drop McDonald!