Caretaker Carlisle United manager Gavin Skelton knows as well as anyone else – if not more than – what the team needs.
They can’t score goals and recruiting a poacher, a marksman, a finisher – call it what you will – will be top of the list for anyone who is given the Brunton Park hot seat.
Skelton, and whether it’s him or someone else on the shortlist who lands the job, won’t be short of suggestions.
Three names of strikers who are currently free and available have circulated since Skelton highlighted the scoring deficiencies after the colourless 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers Oldham Athletic.
Does anyone fancy Dave Nugent, the experienced 36-year-old forward who was released by Preston North End at the end of last season and remains unattached?
He spent time on loan at Tranmere Rovers last season and the former Premier League forward has made 694 appearances, scoring 171 goals. That’s not the best strike rate but he is high on assists and experience.
He’s also one of the so-called one-cap wonders for England, scoring the third goal against Andorra in 2007 when brought on as a substitute in a Euro 2008 qualifier.
Or perhaps 6ft 1ins striker, 27-year-old Alex Jones fits the bill. He has been with West Brom, Birmingham, Grimsby, Port Vale, Bradford City, Cambridge, Partick Thistle and Northampton.
Although released by the Cobblers at the end of their relegation season he was invited to train with them but declined and has not got himself a new club.
Also still available is 34-year-old Calvin Andrew who has not had a club since playing 11 times for Barrow last season.
Another with a number of clubs on his CV whose career started with Luton in 2004 and along the way he’s donned the colours of Grimsby, Bristol City, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Millwall, Swindon, Leyton Orient, Port Vale, Mansfield, York and Rochdale.
But strike rate figures are not impressive 46 goals in 470 games and Carlisle’s needs might require a better turnover than that.
But Skelton has underlined the fact that United need to scour the free transfer market, whoever is in charge.
He said: “We definitely need to be better in the final third. There’s no hiding that fact.
“Against Oldham we had some balls flash across the box and we needed someone to go and slide it in. If that happens it gives everybody else confidence. Whoever’s in charge I’m sure they’ll look at that.
“With the players here we can change personnel that perhaps haven’t had opportunities. The forwards will get frustrated but they work ever so hard, buy into what we’re doing and support everybody else.
“We got in a couple of times, with things we’d worked on, but it always comes back to that bit, putting the chances away and making sure you’re there to get on the end of things. That’s why strikers get paid the most money, it’s the hardest thing to do.”
