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The Idah injury should refocus minds on that “third striker” we chose not to sign.

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So today we’ve learned that our big striker, Adam Idah, is waiting on the results of a scan, which will determine whether we’ll be missing him for a few weeks. That leaves us with one recognised striker and Maeda, who can play in the position if required. We also have young Daniel Cummings, who’s been performing well for the academy side, scoring a double just the other day.

Regular readers will know I’ve mentioned Cummings before; he’s certainly on the manager’s radar, as he should be. But let’s be real here: the Idah situation has once again highlighted our need for a third recognised striker at the club.

Maeda shouldn’t be sacrificed from his position on the left just to cover through the middle. Likewise, we shouldn’t find ourselves having to field Luis Palma in a reshuffled role just because we missed out on securing the backup striker we needed in the summer window.

Rodgers was clear from the beginning that a third striker was necessary, but other priorities took precedence. I understand prioritisation is part of the game, but the fact we had to do it is because we waited until Kyogo got injured before going in seriously for Idah. A lot went wrong this summer. Sure, plenty went right, but the mistakes we did make were utterly avoidable.

There’s little use in re-litigating the summer’s errors; we’re all well aware of what they were. Fortunately, we haven’t yet faced real repercussions from these missteps.

If Idah is out for a few weeks, we’re almost entirely reliant on Kyogo and his dodgy shoulder. I’m going to keep bringing that up because it’s critical. If Kyogo’s shoulder gives out, we’re not talking about missing him for a few weeks but for months—and we are woefully unprepared for that possibility.

This issue needs addressing in January, preferably, but definitely in the summer if not sooner. Ignoring it isn’t an option. The tackle on Idah and his injury should be viewed as a warning, one we’d be foolish not to heed.

Sure, we could push Maeda through the middle, but that’s only an option if we’re truly out of others. And by moving him there, we weaken two parts of our forward unit, not just one.

Some of the decisions we’ve made here are baffling. When Rodgers announced we weren’t signing a third striker, it struck me as a mistake, and it still does. Situations like this bring into sharp focus how much of a mistake it really is. So far, we’ve gotten away with it. But we have the resources to fix this in January, and that’s exactly what we should do.

Let’s hope Idah’s injury isn’t serious and he’s back with the team soon. But for now, we’re looking at a run of games with only one striker—hardly an ideal situation with such a packed fixture list. I hope the club sees this as a valuable lesson.

There are certain priority positions where we simply can’t afford to gamble. Yes, we’ve taken a risk, and yes, it’s paid off so far. But relying on luck isn’t a sustainable strategy for a club of our stature, with our ambitions and resources.

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2 comments

  • TonyB says:

    What about Kenny who is on loan at Shamrock Rovers and scoring regularly?

    Could he not be recalled in an emergency?

  • Clachnacuddin and the Hoops says:

    The deliberate strategy to maim our strikers started on Sunday…

    Expect PLENTY more going forward !!!

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