Danny Hylton Type

I’m not subscribing to us needing a ‘proven goalscorer’ in the January window. We have one; Tyler Walker. What we need is to provide the sort of environment where Tyler can thrive as a player and get the goals we know he’s capable of.

It actually winds me up considerably when I hear the words ‘proven goalscorer’ because there is no such thing. If there was, we actually already have two; John Akinde has bagged lots in his career, as has Walker. No, we do not need this mythical figure, we need the sort of players who chip in with goals and help create even more.

If Tyler keeps scoring at the same rate now as he has done all season he’ll be the first Imp to get 20 in a season since Ben Tomlinson. Our problem is not one player scoring goal, but it’s wider. I think it’s got a bit to do with attitude. Our strikers are not nasty enough they don’t worry defenders in the non-typical sense; they’re not (for want of a better word) utter shithouses.

Matt Rhead was, but he’s not the answer here. What we need is a Danny Hylton figure. Oh, it pains me to say it after his 2011 antics, but he would be perfect for our setup. We need a striker who can score, but who unsettles as well. We need a player who takes some pressure off Tyler just with his presence, a player who will agitate and irritate, who might draw fouls he can take and might even get defenders so angry they react and get carded. Ok, it’s not a traditional method to success, but you tell me one unsuccessful team Hylton has been involved in. I’ll wait.

Actually, I won’t wait. I’ll tell you why we need this type of striker off the field as well. There’s no doubt we have a nice squad, players who get on and work in harmony. Maybe, just maybe we need someone around the training ground who is a bit of a hot-head, who gets sessions pumped up and gives the lads an edge. I think being ‘nice’ was working brilliantly when we were on the crest of a wave, but when the chips are down perhaps we need that sort of character. Tom Pope is another who does the same sort of thing, Dean Windass a third. I’m not even looking for a particular build or playing style, just an effective League One quality player who will be like dropping a Mento into a bottle of Diet Coke.