Striking competition

News late yesterday that Phil Parkinson has moved to bring in a striker, albeit on a six week loan. David Mooney, a 25 year old Irishman has been draughted in from the Reading stiffs. He is a six footer who arrived in England in August 2008 but who failed to make his mark there, featuring only twice before an end-of-season loan to Norwich where he made nine appearances and did manage three goals.

Like Chicago Addick, I dont think this says a great deal for the Charlton-playing prospects of Dickson or Fleetwood. I don't believe Phil Parkinson can see beyond Dickson's personality, even if he does score a hatful at Rovers and the omission that he hopes Dickson is successful there because they have money to spend pretty much confirms that he's not going to feature long-term whilst Parky's in charge. Fleetwood simply doesn't look like he's cut out for the game at the higher level.

With McLeod rapidly confirming that he is more athlete than footballer, that leaves only the industrious but ageing Burton and the boy Tuna. So, David Mooney is welcomed and will get a bench seat and probably an early outing although form would tell us not to expect too much. A loan until 1st December is also unusually short and it may be that Parky is trying to maintain the front to Burton and McLeod that it is strictly as cover due to Burton's Hernia/broken nose.

Either way, our need for striking options good enough to get promoted and score in the Championship remains blindingly obvious to me but we all know that finding and securing those sorts of players usually involves spending large sums of money whilst rolling the dice.