Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[GhostoftheBok]

The problem then becomes Wheavers. They have to defend deep due to lack of pace, but they aren't capable of covering ground in front of them, thus making interceptions or engaging a Romaine Sawyers or a Pablo Hearnandez.

Spot on, for me.

That's why I said earlier in this thread that the current squad is less than the sum of its parts. To pull it all together we need a left back, a centre back who can cover some ground and a lad up top who can score a few and make the ball stick.

[nicholaldo]

The only set-up we've used that generated a points return good enough to avoid relegation at this level is the 4-2-3-1 with a target man up front. This has been, in my opinion, largely because of the following three reasons:

1. Wheater and Beevers, our two best centre-backs, are cumbersome (not necessarily a criticism, they're excellent at dealing with balls launched into the box), and both need two defensive midfielders in front of them to protect against the opposition forwards a. running at them at pace, and b. having too much space in and around our final third.

2. Neither Wheater nor Beevers are comfortable enough with a football at their feet to get it forward without taking the aerial route.

3. We have, or have had, no central midfield pairing with the technical ability to offer the protective shield referred to above and to also collect the ball from the defence, push forward, draw the opposition out of position, and create the space for the attacking players to run into.

We saw what happened when we attempt to play a more pleasing on the eye style during that horrendous run at the start. We mostly played 3-5-2, trying to accommodate two up front with no proper holding midfielder in the centre and hoping that the wing-backs could offer us the width and creativity that we weren't getting from anywhere else. The result was that we just ended up being left exposed being the wing-backs, pushed backwards and with a huge gap between the midfield and the isolated forwards. We also tried again in a 4-2-3-1 after Madine was sold, but with le Fondre up front on his own. Inevitably, we struggled to get it through to him on the grass so we went long, only for le Fondre, as you might expect, to not win the header and us lose possession. We would occasionally pass it out, but to do so the wingers had to drop deep to receive the ball, leaving them in an unthreatening position (an exception, in fairness, was when we were able to hit on the counter).

4-2-3-1 with a long ball to a target man who can knock it down for us to play off, has been the only way we've been able to get it to our wide players high up the pitch in a dangerous area with any regularity. Until we address all of the problems listed above, it probably still will be.

[GhostoftheBok]

A Wheater and Beevers partnership needs cover in front of it, but they don't need two players sat there. One player, who knows what he is doing, should be able to shield centre backs. Leicester showed how to make this sort of thing work, but they had ridiculous pace up front and a player who could hold the ball. Atletico Madrid also have slow centre backs, but they again have pace in attack and a player who can pass the ball out of midfield (and again, they can hold the ball).

We have the weakness, but not the solutions. Pace at the front and a passing mid are the solutions. With Lowe and Wilson in the squad, we lack a passer like Drinkwater more than we lack a dedicated ball-winner like Kante.

Wildschut was important because his pace is a start. We need Ameobi to start using that power he has to hold the ball. Then we need a suitable striker and someone who can reliably play the outball.

[irie Cee Bee]

The only set-up we've used that generated a points return good enough to avoid relegation at this level is the 4-2-3-1 with a target man up front. This has been, in my opinion, largely because of the following three reasons:

1. Wheater and Beevers, our two best centre-backs, are cumbersome (not necessarily a criticism, they're excellent at dealing with balls launched into the box), and both need two defensive midfielders in front of them to protect against the opposition forwards a. running at them at pace, and b. having too much space in and around our final third.

2. Neither Wheater nor Beevers are comfortable enough with a football at their feet to get it forward without taking the aerial route.

3. We have, or have had, no central midfield pairing with the technical ability to offer the protective shield referred to above and to also collect the ball from the defence, push forward, draw the opposition out of position, and create the space for the attacking players to run into.

We saw what happened when we attempt to play a more pleasing on the eye style during that horrendous run at the start. We mostly played 3-5-2, trying to accommodate two up front with no proper holding midfielder in the centre and hoping that the wing-backs could offer us the width and creativity that we weren't getting from anywhere else. The result was that we just ended up being left exposed being the wing-backs, pushed backwards and with a huge gap between the midfield and the isolated forwards. We also tried again in a 4-2-3-1 after Madine was sold, but with le Fondre up front on his own. Inevitably, we struggled to get it through to him on the grass so we went long, only for le Fondre, as you might expect, to not win the header and us lose possession. We would occasionally pass it out, but to do so the wingers had to drop deep to receive the ball, leaving them in an unthreatening position (an exception, in fairness, was when we were able to hit on the counter).

4-2-3-1 with a long ball to a target man who can knock it down for us to play off, has been the only way we've been able to get it to our wide players high up the pitch in a dangerous area with any regularity. Until we address all of the problems listed above, it probably still will be.

This!

[mullayo]

Parky wants 7 players we need to be getting them in at one=a-day from now on.

[GhostoftheBok]

Parky wants 7 players we need to be getting them in at one=a-day from now on.

I'll have what he's drinking.

[BWFC_Insane]

Parky wants 7 players we need to be getting them in at one=a-day from now on.

We have till 31st August.

[GhostoftheBok]

Money hits the accounts in a few days, leaving a week before the deadline ends. By the sounds of it, we'll look at maybe renewing some bids then. Any freebies we can scratch up in the meantime might happen, then it's loans to patch up the squad and limp through the season from what Anderson has said (he tried to make it sound like a good thing).

If that's it, we'll be back here next summer - perhaps in this division or perhaps in League One.

[Spartan2]

The only set-up we've used that generated a points return good enough to avoid relegation at this level is the 4-2-3-1 with a target man up front. This has been, in my opinion, largely because of the following three reasons:

1. Wheater and Beevers, our two best centre-backs, are cumbersome (not necessarily a criticism, they're excellent at dealing with balls launched into the box), and both need two defensive midfielders in front of them to protect against the opposition forwards a. running at them at pace, and b. having too much space in and around our final third.

2. Neither Wheater nor Beevers are comfortable enough with a football at their feet to get it forward without taking the aerial route.

3. We have, or have had, no central midfield pairing with the technical ability to offer the protective shield referred to above and to also collect the ball from the defence, push forward, draw the opposition out of position, and create the space for the attacking players to run into.

We saw what happened when we attempt to play a more pleasing on the eye style during that horrendous run at the start. We mostly played 3-5-2, trying to accommodate two up front with no proper holding midfielder in the centre and hoping that the wing-backs could offer us the width and creativity that we weren't getting from anywhere else. The result was that we just ended up being left exposed being the wing-backs, pushed backwards and with a huge gap between the midfield and the isolated forwards. We also tried again in a 4-2-3-1 after Madine was sold, but with le Fondre up front on his own. Inevitably, we struggled to get it through to him on the grass so we went long, only for le Fondre, as you might expect, to not win the header and us lose possession. We would occasionally pass it out, but to do so the wingers had to drop deep to receive the ball, leaving them in an unthreatening position (an exception, in fairness, was when we were able to hit on the counter).

4-2-3-1 with a long ball to a target man who can knock it down for us to play off, has been the only way we've been able to get it to our wide players high up the pitch in a dangerous area with any regularity. Until we address all of the problems listed above, it probably still will be.

This!

Double this. It's annoying we don't seem to be addressing these issues.

[boltonboris]

Money hits the accounts in a few days, leaving a week before the deadline ends. By the sounds of it, we'll look at maybe renewing some bids then. Any freebies we can scratch up in the meantime might happen, then it's loans to patch up the squad and limp through the season from what Anderson has said (he tried to make it sound like a good thing).

If that's it, we'll be back here next summer - perhaps in this division or perhaps in League One.

I thought it was after the window shut?

[mullayo]

Parky wants 7 players we need to be getting them in at one=a-day from now on.

We have till 31st August.

Yeah, but I want them now. And not crappy ones either!
Nedum Onuoha for one.

[palindromeofbolton]

Announce Matt Mills!

[GhostoftheBok]

Josh Magennis, apparently.

[palindromeofbolton]

Nixon saying we're close to a deal for Magennis.

Ah, I see Ghost has beaten me to it.

In that case I'll start the analysis: would this be to fill ST or GK?

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Well, I can say I have been consistently unimpressed whenever i have seen Magennis, but welcome to BWFC and I hope Parky can work his Madine magic on him.

[The_Gun]

Magennis has got a pretty crappy scoring record, eh?

[GhostoftheBok]

Nixon saying we're close to a deal for Magennis.

Ah, I see Ghost has beaten me to it.

In that case I'll start the analysis: would this be to fill ST or GK?

Terrible footballer, decent target man. He's the striker version of Darren Pratley.

Charlton fans view him as not good enough for League One and he has a 1 in 4 strike rate in that division, having previously managed 1 in 3 in Scotland.

He's basically a shit Kevin Davies. To be honest, I'm not sure that's a terrible thing for us to bring in. He gets half a dozen assists over a season from knock-downs and lay-offs.

If he can score 10 and create 5 then he'll basically be Gary Madine's direct replacement. If Parky improves him and he gets closer to 15 then we're laughing.

[GhostoftheBok]

Magennis has got a pretty crappy scoring record, eh?

Awful. Yes.

[jmjhb]

Not averse to it since it's a good option in a Parky team. However he shouldn't be first choice

[elhadj]

Maybe he will not be the player that anybody expecting and his goal record is awful , but for Parkinson he will be important player because his style is what Parkinson looking for strong body and tall and his style is a target man , so if he is not scoring a lot of goal it is okay for Parkinson .