News Articles > Jordan Rhodes' form for Blackpool proves the complexity involved for Town to sign a striker

Jordan Rhodes' form for Blackpool proves the complexity involved for Town to sign a striker

15/10/2023

7 goals in 8 league games for Jordan Rhodes at Blackpool this season in League 1, but it makes you question: Why did Huddersfield decide to loan him out? And secondly, do they recall him?

At the time of his departure, Town was under the control of Neil Warnock, and having only made 5 appearances under King Neil, it seemed right for all the parties involved that Rhodes should move on. Fast forward to the present day, Rhodes has scored 7 goals in 8 games, while Town as a team, managed to find the back of the net 9 times in 8 games since Rhodes left. The (overwhelming) criticism of Town this season has been the inability to secure the services of a proper out-and-out number 9. Given how often fans demand it, it must be easy right?

No forward has hit 20 goals since Jordan Rhodes hit 39 (arguably 40) goals in 2011/12. Nakhi Wells scored 18 in 2015/16 and Karlan Grant scored 19 in 2019/20, but arguably Town has not properly invested in a forward since Jordan Rhodes' departure. The 8-figure sum spent on Steve Mounie upon promotion to the Premier League arguably comes in the same category as Nahki Wells as a significant forward addition, but in comparison to the rest of the Premier League, Mounie was just another forward. I do wish we saw more of Mounie in the Championship in 2019/20 before his departure to France. He only completed a full 90 on 4 occasions, scoring in 3 of those. He finished the season with 8 goals and 2 assists in 1,412 minutes. Which is a goal every 176.5 minutes. Clearly, fitness was some sort of issue, but Cowley playing Mounie behind free transfer Fraizer Campbell who scored 3 goals, just sums up Town with signing forwards.

It is a position that Town have skirted around for years, it is defensive additions that have kept Town stable ever since promotion back in 2012.
Since losing Rhodes in 2012, Huddersfield has signed up front:

Jermaine Beckford
James Vaughan
Theo Robinson
Simon Church
Godwin Abadaki
Nakhi Wells
Martin Paterson
Cristian Lopez
Jon Stead
Danny Carr
Paul Mullin (youth)
Ishmael Miller
Jordy Hiwula
Elvis Manu
Florent Boja (youth)
Colin Quaner
Elias Kachunga
Steve Mounie
Laurent Depoitre
Karlan Grant
Fraizer Campbell
Micah Obiero (youth)
Danny Ward
Oumar Niasse
Yaya Sanogo
Kieran Phillips (youth)
Jordan Rhodes
Mipo Odubeko
Tyreece Simpson
Florian Kamberi
Martyn Waghorn
Kian Harratt (youth)
Kyle Hudlin

It is a depressing sight, when you see all the players that Town have signed up top. For the promotion to the Premier League and given this is the 12th season running Town has been in England's top 2 tiers, Town has spent more than £1 million on a forward 5 times, 4 of those times were in the Premier League! Kachunga, Mounie, Depoitre and Grant were signed permanently in the Premier League and Wells in the second tier. To have signed over 30 strikers in that time, it has definitely been a quantity-over-quality approach.

What does Town have available?

As out and out number 9s go, Town has: Danny Ward, Kian Harratt and Kyle Hudlin at the club currently. By extension, Kieran Phillips, Tyreece Simpson and Jordan Rhodes who are out on loan. I like Harratt a lot, I think he is a great young player, but he is young. We can't be relying on him to score each week. That is not only unfair on a 21-year-old, but represents a huge naivety for Town's hierarchy to think otherwise. If Town had a Jerry Yates as their main forward and Danny Ward as the experienced backup, then Kian Harratt as the young backup, Town would be in a good place. The issue is there isn't a striker who can carry the club's weight on their shoulders.

What striker business has been done by other Championship sides this season?

It is tricky, because Championship sides have spent millions on forwards this season. Coventry spending a combined £15 million on Ellis Simms and Haji Wright is laughable business. They are both punts and expensive ones, I am happy to be proved wrong, but if they manage to get their £15 million transfer outlay back, I will be impressed. One of the most dislikable people in football: Aaron Connolly made a 7 figure switch to Hull. Arguably given his wages, he is another punt, but in fairness to him, he has started well with 5 goals already. I could go on listing forwards such as Emmanuel Latte-Lath to Middlesborough for £5 million, who I am not entirely sold on, but it would become quite repetitive and boring!

It may surprise you that I do like some business, Jerry Yates to Swansea for around £2.5 million is a top deal. 14 goals for a very poor Blackpool side last season is not a bad return at all. When you consider what he has done at this level before and for the fee, it is a great deal. There is minimal risk, given he is 26, even if he only hits 10 goals this year (currently on 4), Swansea could get back at least what they paid for him. I really like Jay Stansfield on loan at Birmingham, I think he works so hard and is also very versatile. Lastly, from down the road, Joel Piroe is an excellent player. It is also the first time in a while that a Championship side has paid another Championship side £10 million plus for a player (Probably explains the £47 away tickets). I am probably missing someone, but I don't think since Britt Assombalonga signed for Middlesborough, that a player has moved between Championship clubs for that price.

The gap between the Championship and League 1

I think 10 years ago, the gap between the Championship and League 1 was quite close. Likewise with the Championship and the Premier League, but now the gap between League 1 and the Championship is now as big as the gap between the Championship and the Premier League. It is not just Jordan Rhodes from Town's attack last season that is scoring, Martyn Waghorn has scored 6 goals in 10 appearances for Derby. Both of whom sit within the top 10 top scorers in League 1. Then when you look at who is in that list of forwards, no one is under the age of 25. Colby Bishop (26) is the youngest with 8 goals so far this season, and he only sits behind Devante Cole (28) who has scored 9 this year.

It is just a bit mediocre the strikers in the division below, there are not any forwards who you think: 'How are they playing at that level?' Colby Bishop might be the only one who you could potentially put in the bracket of: 'He's worth a punt', but given Portsmouth's flawless start, you would be looking at least £1 million, if not more! For a player who has never played in the second tier, or an equivalent standard, it is a punt at best. You only have to look at Rotherham who broke their club record fee (reportedly 7 figures) to sign Sam Nombe from Exeter, who is still yet to score for Rotherham this year. Spending money doesn't always equal goals.

The point I am making is, the gap between League 1 and Championship is not as close as it once was. Of the top 3 scorers last season in League 1, all of them are playing in different divisions, Conor Chaplin - Championship, Jonson Clarke Harris - League 1 and David McGoldrick - League 2. To be fair to Chaplin, he has taken to the Championship extremely well, but clearly part of the seamless transition has been due to coming up with Ipswich. Scott Twine who was the player of the year in 2021/22 made the move from MD Dons to Burnley last season, but really struggled to make an impact. You only have to look at how long it took Jack Rudoni to get up to speed for Town last year after making the step up.

So should Town recall Rhodes?

If the best Town can do in January is to recall a 33-year-old Jordan Rhodes, then we are in trouble. After all the struggles he has gone through the past few seasons, I think you just have to let him enjoy his football again. It would not a Josh Koroma-esque recall, where Josh was a 24-year-old with a long career ahead of him still, it is highly unlikely Rhodes will play at this level again in his career.

When people say 'he has found his level' I think it can come across as quite condescending in tone, but in Rhodes' case, he has found a team where he is able to showcase his talent. As stated before, there is a huge gulf in class between playing Cheltenham and Leicester.

I do think Rhodes has been given a hard time since his return, the numbers he pulled up in 2021/22 were ridiculous. 4 goals and 3 assists in 822 minutes, a contribution every 117 minutes, not to mention the goal that sent us to Wembley. I think the majority of criticism has been misconstrued. If he is your backup striker, like in his first season at the club, you are happy. The issue was that last season he almost became the defacto first choice striker with Ward's injury record pre-Warnock.

Who does Town Target?

Kieffer Moore certainly springs to mind, but he is a short-term signing, Town needs a long-term addition up front (not to mention if he would be interested in signing). As stated previously, the talent in League 1 is not abundant and likely to be expensive. Miles Leaburn at Charlton is good young player, but Town would likely have to put in a £5 million plus bid for him, and it is a huge punt for our financial situation. Abroad is probably where Town will have to go in search of a striker. Cardiff showed with the loan signing of Sory Kaba last season that there are 'hidden gems' still around. Especially with the work permit rules now allowing teams to sign up to 4 overseas players on work permit exemptions.

The striker market is the toughest position to recruit and mid-season, well that is even tougher, but Town need to try something. A temporary addition like a Kieffer Moore may be Town's best bet in January, but towards next summer, the number 1 target needs to be a forward.

It needs to be the deal where Town spends a 'significant' fee, and not just adding to the list of strikers Town have made who were 30 years old and a free transfer.