He has had to stick with him because there is no-one else to put up there and no, Gayle was not the solution.

If they hit it off we could be in for a good season my bet is they will be a success.

I have seen plenty (too many) of lumbering lumps up front for Palace in over 40 years supporting us. Wickham is another Gareth Taylor - although without the venom from the fans.

Pardew has absolutely spunked money all over the place on players and I can not think of a single position we are now better in thanks to his purchases.

Not one. Not even Cabaye.

At what?

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

Totally agree - I wouldn't give you tuppence for Wickham - he's too static, immobile and predicatble and therefore extremely easy to mark. Seems to never make any decent runs? - if he did - he'd either create the opportunity for a decent through ball into his path (rather than always having his back towards goal!) or take a player with him and open up a space for one of our midfield? His timing is terrible and therefore he's pretty useless in the air. Murray wasn't hugely skillful - but was a natural centre forward who knew where the goal was, challenged for every half chance and was more of a threat. Wickham's had enough games to make the position his own but he hasn't asserted himself - he comes across as 'lazy'. I can't see him partnering Benteke succesfully either, who will usurp him quickly and we'll be looking for another player like Gayle (Gayle's scored 4 goals already for Newcastle!) to play off of him?

Edited by Shootylooty (22 Aug 2016 8.29pm)

Edited by Shootylooty (22 Aug 2016 8.33pm)

Cowardice lasts longer than pain.

Some people are forgetting that Murray had a very decent career banging in goals down the lower leagues before coming to us at pretty much his prime. Wickham had a good season at 16 in the Championship and was then snapped up for big money to the Premiership. He has had nowhere near the game time in the lower leagues in competitive matches to build as a player but at 23 he is still young. He's basically learning his trade in the top tear of football in a team that creates very little for him to feed off. Most of his goals last season show he knows where the net is and has the instinct a striker needs, now with Benteke he had a striker with more experience but who plays a very similar role to learn off and take the pressure off him.

"They got his own song 'He's just too good for you', it's quite unbelievable but when you see it and he's facing up someone - I actually feel sorry for them, 'Cos he actually is" - Ian Holloway