Marco futacs...

Don't know if anyone else spotted this – the much mentioned big Steve has signed for Hartlepool

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leicester-city

Madness, I think the reference about great goal scoring records is in relation to this level of football.

Nugent, Fryatt, Campbell; not exactly great scoring records in the second tier or even in the division below - certainly not prolific. Beckford again unproven, but to be fair, he had shown he could pop up and score a few at a level above and certainly below.

Howard is perhaps the only one who had shown some sort of consistency during his two seasons at this level bagging 14 and 16. But the reason we got him ultimately was because he had done pretty much FA in 20 games at Premiership level that season with Derby.

The prolific strikers at this level usually go up with their team that season or are picked up by a Premiership club.

I understand what you are saying though. If we do want a big man up top, we could perhaps be looking for someone with a better record, perhaps Austin or Henderson...or maybe even Boyd who has been transfer listed, can play on the wing or off the striker and got loads of assists last season.

However, the difference is they would cost £1m+; whereas this guy is free.

10 goals in 65 games? By my maths that's....1 goal per 6.5 games. If we assume that a striker gets, on average, two or three chances per game, that means we'd have to create 13-19 chances before he scores a goal. Optimistic signing? Nope. Stick him up front with Waghorn and, between, they'd get a goal every time Halley's comet was visible from Earth.

Would prefer his Pompey team-mate Huseklepp. Much better player, more versatile and not just a big lump upfront. The problem with having the typical tall ans stocky front man is that it is far too convenient for lazy defenders just to hoof it up, which is not only horrible to watch but also givs away possesion a lot of the time.

I think Huseklepp is actually a good example to show that having a 6ft+ striker up front doesn't have to equal boring football or lofted balls up to his head.

Neither Huseklepp or Futacs had great scoring records during their short stints so far at this level and the Pompey fans seemed to have taken to both of them.

I think the difference is at 27 odd, Huseklepp is probably not going to get any better, has said he doesn't want to leave Portsmouth and would cost £1m+.

In comparison, Futacs is free, 22 and would probably be more willing to be a squad player.

Similar players, but guess we'd ultimately need the opinion of some Portsmouth/Birmingham fans to try and get a good picture of any difference in quality.

Foxello, Waghorns return was good when he was played as a striker, but not good out wide. Common sense really.
arrothefox.......why use Vardy as a winger? Criminal. The guy scores goals, as does Waghorn when played in the right position with good, useful service.

I have a feeling that both players will bite some of our fans on the ar$e.

I suggest we would use him as a winger because that's what he is. Yes he is a striker too but he is also a winger and I don't expect him to displace either Nugent or Beckford and stepping up to the Championship is a huge step.

I think playing him on the wing will allow him to settle into the team and the league and then if given the chance up front he is more likely to feel confident and not feel so much pressure to score and there is always an opportunity for a winger to score goals in a game.

For those that no me, they know I can score goals but I also play on the wing too and I score goals from there too. I played half a season non-league many years ago and was first put on the wing, I scored a couple then got put up front and with the confidence that I could score goals at that level I hit 9 goals in 17 games. Now I'm playing in Australia, I've played 12 games, scored 2 goals from the wing in 7 games and for the last 5 I've played up front and scored 9 in 5. So I think playing him on the wing, from personal experience, will do him a lot of good.

We also only have Dyer (who should be used as a sub) and Marshall so using Vardy there would also make sense.

As for Vassell, he isn't a winger and never will be. He needed to be played down the middle, he was ineffective out wide.

For anyone unsure of whether he is a winger or not;

wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Vardy

It clearly says he is a winger/striker

MGLCFC - I hear your point regarding Heskey's pay and Pearson reportedly trying to off-load the high earners but how much of that is actually truth and not the media/fans assuming that is what's happening? I haven't seen anything to suggest that is the case anyway. Mills got shown the door because he was never going to play again and Sol left because he wanted to leave. None of them left because Pearson's primary objective was to reduce the wage bill.

I mean Konchesky, Beckford, Nugent and Schmeichel would all be earning a fair whack I would imagine but none are seemingly being pushed out the door?

The players he has brought in could in some ways suggest that however Pearson also likes young players that have ability which again I don't believe purely comes down to cost. That's my opinion anway.

I heard that Steve Bruce was keen to give Heskey a 2 year contract? If Hull can afford him then surely we can?

Oh and for what it's worth I think it would be criminal to play Vardy up front. A million quid, stepping up is it four divisions? And if he doesn't score in his first few games it could ruin the lad, fans will be on his back, he will be feeling the pressure and his career at Leicester could be over before it's had chance to start, that for me is criminal

arro, while you may have been happy there, I certainly wouldn't have played you out on the wing. (For those who don't know him, think Richie Lambert in style.)

There coud be some value in playing Vardy on the wing, but only with the right formation. Playing him on the wing in a 4-4-2 would be crazy - that requires too much defensive work these days and, while it could be a way of easing in a player like Vardy, he could end up costing us goals which would have the opposite effect and dent his confidence.

However, if we were to play a 4-3-3 with wingers, there could be a use for him; similarly we could play Waghorn, Dyer or Gallagher in these positions fairly effectively and suddenly we'd look like we had an abundance of choice in wide positions. The big problem with this formation of course is that only one of Nugent or Beckford would play in their recognised position.