Kristjaan Speakman effectively ruled out any free signings in the near future, with both Stewart and Simms out, some were expecting us to take a dip into the free agency market but KS believes we have players who can play up top as a secondary role well enough to not need another out and out striker.
STRUCTURE
“I think if our model was to play two up top we probably would have more numbers in that area because naturally you would be looking to play two every week. Our structure was to play one and naturally that would have been Ross, and that would have been Ellis to fight that spot out. Then we also wanted some tactical flexibility and some difference in the team, so we felt that with Amad and with Leon we had that and sort of that four for two spaces.”
ENOUGH QUALITY
“Naturally when you do play 4-3-3 then the natural thought is you want a bigger, stronger player at the top end of the pitch, but it doesn’t mean you have to play that way. Amad played up front for Man United in pre-season in a similar shape. Leon played for us against Roma in a similar shape, and both individually in those sets of games did really, really well. We think we have enough quality.”
FREE AGENTS
“The question is always going to be, we can go out tomorrow and get a No. 9 but if he doesn’t get in front of Leon and doesn’t get in front of Amad there’s absolutely zero point in having him.”
