Luke Turner talks about the signing of Kyle Lafferty…
Blues have struggled to pick up results of late and it`s quite clear as to what the main problem is. We can’t seem to put the ball in the back of the net.
Chances have gone begging in recent matches and Gary Rowett has gone out and done what most Blues fans were calling for.
He has brought in Norwich and Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty on loan in hope that he will be the man to bring the goals back to the team.
Personally, I think that it is an excellent signing from Rowett and the club have really pulled it out of the bag to sign someone who was sought after by many clubs.
I think it’s fair to say that he hasn’t had the best of times recently in terms of playing club football. But, we have all seen what he has done for his national side.
His seven goals in Euro 2016 qualifying have helped Northern Ireland reach their first ever European finals tournament.
From what I’ve seen of him it is clear that he will work his socks off for the team and then add that knack of being in the right place at the right time, something we desperately need.
He will be looking to get some much needed game time and match sharpness to his game ahead of the Euro`s in France later this year so he will be chomping at the bit to play.
To have any realistic chance of getting into the play offs, we need to be taking chances and scoring goals.
I feel that with the addition of Lafferty, he can win us games with just that one chance that falls at his feet.
I really appreciate all the work Clayton Donaldson does for the team but it is clear that he is not a natural goal scorer. He can score goals, yes, but you can’t bank on him to do so.
Initially, I expect Lafferty to start on the bench and then be given the chance to come off it and make an impact in the latter stages.
I certainly wouldn’t drop Donaldson as we rely on him so much and he provides us with a great outlet, protects the ball and never gives in.
If Rowett felt that he needed to change things up a bit and give Lafferty a start then I definitely think he could do the job Donaldson does.
He has shown it at international level and, with his career at its peak, he needs to start showing it on a consistent basis at club level.
There is no doubt that his signing enhances our chances of winning football matches. That is what is needed to get us to that top six, so let’s just hope that it pays off.