Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[mullayo]

Confirmed that all 3 will leave.

Also that Wheater, Beevers and Conor Hall have all had contract extensions.

Confirmed one year extensions

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2018/june/w ... contracts/

[palindromeofbolton]

To borrow Iles' word for it, this is bold from PP and KA. I like it.

With both Henry and Pratley going (and Karacan and Kirschhoff already gone) we've a lot of rebuilding to do in CM. The risk is we won't be able to bring in both the quality and quantity of replacements we need (assuming shoestring budget) by the start of the season. However, the fact we're not offering short-term deals to Henry/Pratley (ie. paper over the cracks stuff) suggests there's actually a vision and a plan there, and that makes me feel really quite positive.

[mullayo]

Team starting to take shape.
Looks like they will spend on a few big splash signings in key positions rather than a total overhaul.
With neither foul machine being retained, the defensive mid has suddenly become a position of interest too.
I actually like the approach and the moves so far. We'll get only a couple of upgrades then have to ride our luck a bit with injuries.

GK: Ben Alnwick, Ben Amos, Jake Turner
RB: Mark Little, Stephen Darby
LB: Andrew Taylor
CB: David Wheater, Mark Beevers
DM:??? $$$
AM: Josh Vela
RW: Sammy Ameobi, Filipe Morais, Craig Noone
LW: OZTUMER??? Will Buckley
ST: Adam Le Fondre, Conor Hall
TS: ??? $$$

[Prufrock]

I imagine this is what brexit felt like for racists.

[mullayo]

Parky's plan:
Old, tall and bald out: Wilbourforce, Pratters, Henry,
Short young and hairy in! Oztumer...Bill Oddie...

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I think overall I am happy with these developments. Basically we just weren't good enough last season, so lets free up some wages and try and improve. I might have extended that approach to Wheevers as well.

We might miss Henry's leadership qualities. There aren't many around like that these days and he seemed to make a huge difference when he arrived, despite never being Motm himself. He seemed to have a positive influence on Pratley, and he made our midfield nastier to play against. Without him it would've been a totally embarrassing season. However Parky sees him day in, day out and I imagine at 35 he might not have a full season in him at the intensity required. He certainly looked to be wilting towards the end of the season.

As far as I can see no announcement has been made on Ameobi, Morais? Morais is talking like he is staying, and was said to have an option when he signed his deal last season, but strange it wasn't announed with Wheevers?

[Harry Genshaw]

Parky's plan:
Old, tall and bald out: Wilbourforce, Pratters, Henry,
Short young and hairy in! Oztumer...Bill Oddie...

It's the other way round on the terraces. I've renewed and am in. The bearded shorty that is Burnden Paddock, is saving his pennies (not for the first time!)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We might miss Henry's leadership qualities. There aren't many around like that these days and he seemed to make a huge difference when he arrived, despite never being Motm himself. He seemed to have a positive influence on Pratley, and he made our midfield nastier to play against. Without him it would've been a totally embarrassing season. However Parky sees him day in, day out and I imagine at 35 he might not have a full season in him at the intensity required. He certainly looked to be wilting towards the end of the season.

I'm not sure there's a future for players who were born when The Jam were still touring. He did a job for us and we really needed him, but we have to upgrade and I'd guess we need to part-ex his wages for his replacement's.

My abiding thought of Henry, besides thanks for his help, is his addiction to yellows. 13 bookings in 33 games, and from the ones I saw, rarely very clever fouls - just idiotic tackles or backchat.

Screen Shot 2018-06-07 at 17.09.50.png (139.6 KiB) Viewed 2988 times

Morais signed on the 20th of June last year, so time yet. Since then we've signed Ameobi and Noone in that position. But I'd still keep the Postman for his versatility. Probably not on much either.

[Harry Genshaw]

Henry was just what we needed when he came in but towards the end of the season seemed to get less effective. Tiredness or old age creeping in?. You could make a case for offering any of the three a one year deal as back up, but for what it's worth, I think it's right to let them all go

[TANGODANCER]

I reckon we ( Parky) might need to proceed with a bit of caution right now. At the time of the miracle of the Macron he had the dressing room, a leader in Henry, a midfield engine in Pratley and Wilbraham as a second/third choice reserve strike option. The loss of all three will be surely be felt by the team, and with Karajan, Kirschoff, Burke, and Robinson also gone, there must be some apprehension as to what happens next. We do need Sammi in there pretty rapid for starters...

[TonyDomingos]

The Vela-to-Leeds rumour has resurfaced.

Come on. You know the routine as well as anyone: source?

PS a dearth of Depeche Mode puns in this thread despite you getting us off to an excellent start.

Shite source: https://thisisfutbol.com/2018/06/rumour ... s-signing/
Spreading blasphemous rumours instead of pursuing a policy of truth but then in this thread everything counts

Marvellous. I just can't get enough.

[truewhite15]

Centre midfield has suddenly become top priority. We've now got Vela and....erm, no, that's it.

[mullayo]

Central mid defensive who's available?

Working through the CHAMPIONSHIP Transfermarkt FREE transfer list from top to bottom,
Mark out 10 for signing them.

9 Aron Gunnarson 29: Cardiff/Iceland - World Cup will make him a high profile free agent.342 games at champ level, 29 goals, 24 assists and 49 yellows. Ideal-ish so highly unlikely.

5 Joe Ledley 31: Derby. Only played 15 games last year. Averages around 20 games a a season over last 5 years. More of a general midfielder than stopper anyway. Unlikely.

6 Jason Lowe 26: former Blackburn and Birmingham: Right age and has played in our area. injury plagued last year didn't play much. 149 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, 33 yellows. Doesn't seem to add much going forward.

4 Stephen Quinn 32: Reading injury plagued last 2 years didn't play much just 7 games. BIt risky.

2 Stephen Gleeson 29: Small and lightweight but can pass. If this leprechaun and the bearded ballboy and ALF all play at once we will be overrun .

7 Paul Gallagher 33: Preston. Tall. Played 34 games last season (325 champ games overall, 58 goals, 48 assists, 47 yellows).

2 Gary O'Neill 35: Bristol. Short, old, lightweight only played 4 games last season.

7 Hope Akpan 26: Nigerian. Former Everton, Blackburn and currently Burton - been offered a new contract there but... Played plenty of champ level games (137 only 22 yellows and only 7 goals).Has been relegated a few times though...

6 Tom Naylor, 26; Same sinking Burton boat as Hope. 74 champ games 6 goals, 19 yellows. A born loser or worth saving?

SIGNED ELSEWHERE: Cole Skuse 32 Ipswich, Josh brownhill 22 Bristol, Marlon Pack 27 Bristol extension triggered until 2019. Joey van den Berg 32 extension until 2019, Ethan Robson 21, Sunderland until 2020.

Jan Kirchoff 27, only played 4 champ games. That's the problem.
Darren Pratley 33, played 241 champ games 31 goals, 21 assists, 51 yellows. Win or draw 71% of games he plays.
Karl Henry 35, played 326 champ games 9 goals, 8 assists, 60 yellows although 13 yellows last year nearly three times his average.
Jem Karacan.


OVERALL: Not a lot there. Injury prone old folk for the main. Not a lot of games played per year on that list. Lowe might be an option for coverage at least.
How bad were the Burton pair Hope and Naylor? Might be worth targeting. Both a lot younger but Naylor has a Yellow streak.
Gallagher if he has legs left has good stats, size and participation certificates galore.

[palindromeofbolton]

Sunderland's retained list was announced yesterday with senior players Billy Jones, Marc Wilson and Kazenga LuaLua set to become free agents.

Young players Tom Beadling, Jean-Yves Poame, Josh Robson, James Talbot and Daniel Wright will also depart.

[palindromeofbolton]

Interesting... In response to a Q on Twiiter this morning asking if he thinks Amos will leave, Marc Iles has simply said: "yes".
https://twitter.com/MarcIles/status/1004974548087984128

I had a look at a couple of Charlton forums and it seems they want him (he played the most minutes of anyone in L1 last season, btw).

If Amos can go on a nominal to Charlton - or anywhere else - this summer I think that would be a great outcome for both him and us. His pay cheque alone would fund two or three decent-sized wages this year.

Another little tidbit from Iles on that Twitter thread (in response to whether we'll try to shift Darby)... "Not sure. Given he can play across the back four (and is another very important character in the dressing room) I think he'd be kept on."

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Interesting... In response to a Q on Twiiter this morning asking if he thinks Amos will leave, Marc Iles has simply said: "yes".
https://twitter.com/MarcIles/status/1004974548087984128

I had a look at a couple of Charlton forums and it seems they want him (he played the most minutes of anyone in L1 last season, btw).

If Amos can go on a nominal to Charlton - or anywhere else - this summer I think that would be a great outcome for both him and us. His pay cheque alone would fund two or three decent-sized wages this year.

It would be nice, but I fear you're extrapolating a bit there. I think most of us think, like Iles, that Amos will leave this summer. But that could just as easily be another year-long loan to the end of his contract, with us again paying a slice (albeit possibly a smaller one) of his contract.

Alternatively, we could sell him, but he would be entitled to ask his new club to match his Bolton wage, and if not, he could ask (cheekily rather than legally) for us to pay the difference, otherwise he won't budge. (To be fair, why should he?)

I think a compromise will be reached, one way or another, but I doubt it will see us avoid paying all of his remaining contract (£16kpw x 52 weeks = £832,000). That's the salary-sheet bottom line and if we can get it any less than that it's a win for us, so it's about negotiations. We can be thankful that he impressed enough at Charlton for them – and possibly others - to want him.

And when he goes, that's the final severance of playing contracts that predate Ken and Parky (the other two, Pratley and Derik, end in 22 days' time). From there on in, it's their show, for right or wrong.

[palindromeofbolton]

I do think, if it was just another loan-out (and I'd have been seeing that as the likeliest option in all honesty) Iles would have said that. That's why I found it interesting.

That said, great point about the wages. I don't see Ken going anywhere near footing the bill, such are the cash-flow situation and short-term demands, so as you say it'd be down to negotiation, with Charlton (or A. N. Other) stumping up and/or Amos giving up a big slice of wedge in order to get his career properly kick-started.

[irie Cee Bee]

At this moment my interest is in whether we keep both Ameobi and Morais, keep one, or get rid of both, given the mood Phill is in at this moment. As DSB said earlier, we have the luxury of 3 right wingers in the first team (Ameobi, Morais and Noone) and one left winger (Buckley). At this moment we have Noone and Buckley under contract. I believe we should replace one of the right wingers with a genuine left winger. I cant see Phill keeping both given limitations in the other areas of the squad, especially CM.

Who should we keep? Ameobi age 26 vs Morais age 32. For me, Ameobi given his skills and age and sign a left winger who can cross the football accurately and score a couple.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Striker move news! But only for the U23s. We're eyeing Plymouth teenager Alex Battle, whom we had on trial last season, according to Cornwall Live (I'm picturing a webcam of a tin mine).

https://www.cornwalllive.com/sport/plym ... on-1654167

[Bijou Bob]

Jason Lowe signed. Picture on official site, no details yet......