[Archived] Di Santo -

[BPF]

But there is potential - we can see that. Put it this way, if he was already a Rovers player and someone came in and offered £3m for him, I know I would be insulted.

I understand what you mean but say that we sell Mccarthy and Pedersen then we are left with this:

Roberts - Championship quality

Di Santo - Young, Unproven, Potential Risk

Kalinic - Young, Unproven, Potential Risk

I just find that a little scary...

[Amo]

I can't imagine us finding someone of Benni's quality in January. And what with Di Santo's future still up in the air, it would be a major risk to lose both of them.

[Stuart]

I understand what you mean but say that we sell Mccarthy and Pedersen then we are left with this:

Roberts - Championship quality

Di Santo - Young, Unproven, Potential Risk

Kalinic - Young, Unproven, Potential Risk

I just find that a little scary...

No, you're right about that. If McCarthy does go (and Hoilett - again unproven), we could do to bring in a decent, proven PL striker. Trouble is they cost money. If we were to take a punt on anyone new, I doubt they would be any better than Di Santo or Kalinic.

(And this of course is all assuming Di Santo stays!)

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Slight contradiction in terms there?

If he was a natural finisher, Shirly that would be clear by now.

OK, I was trying to sit on the fence, If I had to jump I'd say he's not a natural finisher. He's a bit like a young Alan Smith to me, works hard, puts himself about, can play a bit, holds the ball well. Will he score 15-20 goals a season- No, certainly not at Rovers. Natural finishers are the Owens, Defoes, Shearers even Benni McCarthy's of this world.

[philipl]

I would wait and see.

He doesn't have the composure now, that is for sure, but he certainly gets where it matters. Whether he blooms or J Robs is down to personality and quality of training.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I'm not sure I share the positivity. It's not as though he is regularly testing the keeper and I can't recall him having a header on target all season. The plus side is that I can't see why Chelsea would recall him in Jan and he does bring things that we otherwise lack, so who knows.

[mellison24]

I'm not sure I share the positivity. It's not as though he is regularly testing the keeper and I can't recall him having a header on target all season. The plus side is that I can't see why Chelsea would recall him in Jan and he does bring things that we otherwise lack, so who knows.

Try his goal.....that might have been on target?

[Exiled in Toronto]

Try his goal.....that might have been on target?

Yes, your right - John Charles the 2nd he is then!

Care to remind me of any others?

[JAL]

Got to say, Di Santo is a better striker than Kalinic and we've signed Kalinic so its a no brainer for Rovers.

On Benni MaCarthy i'd like Rovers to hang on to Benni for the rest of the season as hes got something to prove and still the best goalscorer at the club.

Jason Roberts has to be the makeweight or fall guy of our current strikers in January.

[Amo]

Di Santo is like a younger, more talented version of Heskey. He'll work a thankless task with endless running and hold-up play, but his composure in the box leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully this is something he'll work on with more PL experience.

[Blue blood]

IF Di Santo could finish he'd be out of our league, we wouldn't get a player of his calibre.

He does have the potential to improve, he's young enough and has good technique, both of which are indicators (although far from guarentees) that he will learn to be more accurate with his shooting in time.

Even if he doesn't he fulfils the battering ram striker role far better than Roberts as he can hold it up and head. Even as the battering ram option in the squad he's a better option to have then roberts.

Even Kuqi managed to score a few goals for us when he had an in form peds, and bentley on the wings. If we were to get a couple of wingers who could actually whip in a decent ball, then I've a feeling Di Santo would get a few more.

Also he's young and the age of our other strikers - bar Kalinic - isn't too encouraging.

IF we can get the money without selling one of our better players, I'd get him in.

[John]

Di Santo has shown (slight) glimmers of promise, but not overly convinced by him yet. For example, I would not have been too despondent to have seen Roberts start instead of him today.

Sam after today's match: "We'll just try and secure Franco (Di Santo) until the end of the season and we've got Benni and Jason (Roberts) and Niko, so we've got four strikers which is plenty for us in the Premier League.

"We'll keep working on those and hopefully they'll contribute by scoring a few more goals between now and the end of the season."

[joey_big_nose]

He does not look like he is ever going to score many however his hold up play is truely exceptional for a kid of 20. Totally dominated the Hull backline today, and when the ball went up it would stick time after time. We should sign him if possible.

To make proper use of him though it is imperitive others get ahead of him to take advantage of the chances he creates. Kalinic was much better at doing this than McCarthy. Hoilett also showed the right kind of approach. I expect those three to start next game.

[JAL]

Only a pig headed, ignorant, up their own arse, idiot, would pass the chance to sign Franco Di Santo.

Do we have any here at Rovers? Fully hope we dont have.

[Ozz]

Not exactly a goal machine though is he?

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Not exactly a goal machine though is he?

Neither is Sam's lovechild Kevin Davies. Goal scoring is not a priority for a Centre forward for Sam so long as they work hard and bring others into play.

[Eddie]

Time for him to be dropped I think. 1 goal in the number of starts he has simply isn't good enough. Was outplayed by both Benni and Kalinic yesterday and I think Benni and Kalinic look like our best pairing. Still would like to see us keep him on, but for all his effort he simply doesn't have the goalscoring touch at the moment and that is something that we need from our forwards.

[MeanGreenMachine]

Only a pig headed, ignorant, up their own arse, idiot, would pass the chance to sign Franco Di Santo.

Do we have any here at Rovers? Fully hope we dont have.

Goals win you games...

[RevidgeBlue]

Only a pig headed, ignorant, up their own arse, idiot, would pass the chance to sign Franco Di Santo.

Do we have any here at Rovers? Fully hope we dont have.

Put me down as one of those then. Imo Di Santo has looked extremely poor in recent games, and if anyone else had scored one goal by Christmas with the amount of time he's had on the pitch everyone would be screaming for his head. Don't understand the supporters apparent love affair with him. Is it his youthful good looks? For me he needs to go back to Chelsea and we need to look elsewhere.

Our striking options look to be a matter of huge concern with Di Santo toiling to little or no effect, Kalinic showing considerable promise but currently squandering chances and McCarthy and Roberts clearly not top of the manager's christmas card list and vice versa.

Then again this was always likely to be a potential problem attempting to replace an 18m striker with a 6 month loanee and an unknown quantity from abroad.

[Blue blood]

Bit harsh on Kalinic there Rev, he might be missing the chances but he's the one having to make them as well.

If we can get a decent winger who can whip in the crosses I'm sure that Di Santo and Kalinic would have more goals to their name. In part, if the Hull game is anything to go by, it's down to a lack of service for the strikers.

[John]

If we can get a decent winger who can whip in the crosses I'm sure that Di Santo and Kalinic would have more goals to their name. In part, if the Hull game is anything to go by, it's down to a lack of service for the strikers.

?

We are creating plenty of chances, good ones too, just not taking them - Sam said that himself....

[RevidgeBlue]

I think Kalinic has a certain "je ne sais quoi" and definite potential. I think he needs time on the pitch and to be allowed to come to the fore or not as the case may be.

I don't have the same sense of anticipation watching Di Santo recently. I don't think he even looks remotely like scoring let alone actually finding the back of the net.

[Blue blood]

?

We are creating plenty of chances, good ones too, just not taking them - Sam said that himself....

Well I have to disagree with Sam on this one; we certainly did not create many clear cut chances in the Hull game. Our strikers didn't have a simple shot/tap in or great ball coming into the penalty area which to attack in the entire 90 minutes.

I'll grant you against Liverpool the strikers messed up, but from what I've seen this season the service to our strikers has been somewhat mixed and we've had a lot of scrappy half chances.

Certainly it's been a far cry from having Tugs slotting the ball through to our strikers whilst an in form Peds and Bentley terrorise the opposition flanks. Those were the days...

[RevidgeBlue]

Well I have to disagree with Sam on this one; we certainly did not create many clear cut chances in the Hull game. Our strikers didn't have a simple shot/tap in or great ball coming into the penalty area which to attack in the entire 90 minutes.

Wasn't at Hull yesterday but the commentators on Radio Lancs seemed to think Hoillett put at least a couple of great balls across the "second six yard box" out of the keepers reach which absolutely begged to be attacked by the strikers but neither did so?

[philipl]

Wasn't at Hull yesterday but the commentators on Radio Lancs seemed to think Hoillett put at least a couple of great balls across the "second six yard box" out of the keepers reach which absolutely begged to be attacked by the strikers but neither did so?

The two in the first half were played by Junior back to the penalty spot when Benni and Franco had timed their runs to get ahead of the defenders on the six yard line and, miracle of miracles, stayed onside.