January 2023 Transfer Window

[GhostoftheBok]

And I still worry Dempsey will twang a hammy in February, leaving us with Sheehan or MJ. Unless Shoretire works out, in which case we can have 60 minutes of Lee.

Fairly sure Shoretire will after yesterday. Has that awful Prem kid body language, but worked hard and understood how to play. He'll be fine.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'd still very much take a RWB option, but we need more goals and a much stronger bench than we put out yesterday.

And I still worry Dempsey will twang a hammy in February, leaving us with Sheehan or MJ. Unless Shoretire works out, in which case we can have 60 minutes of Lee.

Yeah the squad is requiring that depth. MJ is fine - in the role he plays and that means a change but I think we can live with that.

Sheehan is just in between a number 10 and 8 and doesn't really fit either role. We could do with another I agree. And another wing back.

We are carrying players who don't fit or Evatt doesn't seem to trust which is obviously problematic.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'd still very much take a RWB option, but we need more goals and a much stronger bench than we put out yesterday.

And I still worry Dempsey will twang a hammy in February, leaving us with Sheehan or MJ. Unless Shoretire works out, in which case we can have 60 minutes of Lee.

Yeah the squad is requiring that depth. MJ is fine - in the role he plays and that means a change but I think we can live with that.

Sheehan is just in between a number 10 and 8 and doesn't really fit either role. We could do with another I agree. And another wing back.

We are carrying players who don't fit or Evatt doesn't seem to trust which is obviously problematic.

Indeed, but the good news is that most of them are out of contract in June. Whatever division we're in, I think we'll be stronger next term. Let's face it - if we go up we'll bloody well have to be, so having a few dead branches to prune will help us upgrade. Still a big job to find the incomings, but it's easier when you can have clean outgoings - as opposed to waiting for someone to take away your garbage.

[GhostoftheBok]

We are carrying players who don't fit or Evatt doesn't seem to trust which is obviously problematic.

John is the only one I'm hugely bothered about right now.

Sheehan can fit into something with some tweaks. Same with MJ. Sads is currently vital to strengthen the bench.

John should have a place here, but he doesn't so he needs to go.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'd still very much take a RWB option, but we need more goals and a much stronger bench than we put out yesterday.

And I still worry Dempsey will twang a hammy in February, leaving us with Sheehan or MJ. Unless Shoretire works out, in which case we can have 60 minutes of Lee.

Yeah the squad is requiring that depth. MJ is fine - in the role he plays and that means a change but I think we can live with that.

Sheehan is just in between a number 10 and 8 and doesn't really fit either role. We could do with another I agree. And another wing back.

We are carrying players who don't fit or Evatt doesn't seem to trust which is obviously problematic.

Indeed, but the good news is that most of them are out of contract in June. Whatever division we're in, I think we'll be stronger next term. Let's face it - if we go up we'll bloody well have to be, so having a few dead branches to prune will help us upgrade. Still a big job to find the incomings, but it's easier when you can have clean outgoings - as opposed to waiting for someone to take away your garbage.

Harsh to describe them as garbage in most cases. Sheehan is a bit powder puff and always has been my concern - I note Evatt has slowly transitioned away from this sort of player in favour of hard running midfielders - but he would fit a certain team.

Sadlier just gets zero chances and I do feel sorry for him. Especially in the context of last night. He can't have done any worse....

I'm not restarting the debate again on....well...

Declan John - must be a fall out. I've no idea what's happened there. His form definitely dipped though.

Bod - I'd love to keep him but the niggling injuries might mean we don't. Especially if we sign 2 strikers who do well (and hope to god that is the case).

[sonicthewhite]

With regards to Bod, whilst I have nothing against him I would be against extending his contract. He's just too injury prone for me.

[BWFC_Insane]

We are carrying players who don't fit or Evatt doesn't seem to trust which is obviously problematic.

John is the only one I'm hugely bothered about right now.

Sheehan can fit into something with some tweaks. Same with MJ. Sads is currently vital to strengthen the bench.

John should have a place here, but he doesn't so he needs to go.

Yeah what I meant is - not that we can move those players on now - we clearly can't as we need the depth but and it is my fear with Evatt. A bunch of his own signings are out of favour to the extent they aren't even coming on when we need fresh legs and an outlet.

It means that we carry them in the squad but he'd clearly rather not play them.

At some point we need to ensure that this doesn't keep happening. Sure players phase out over time but we can't keep having en masse signings (and relatively recent ones) dropping out of favour to this sort of a point.

[BWFC_Insane]

With regards to Bod, whilst I have nothing against him I would be against extending his contract. He's just too injury prone for me.

Not across his career. So I'm told. But this season he has been. Which might be luck, might be age, might just be coincidence. I do like him. A lot. He's probably after Lee and Johnston and Toal my favourite player. He's great.

I don't know whether he'd be retained though and I suspect that the chances are right now he will not. But depends what the strikers we bring in do. And where we are.....

[GhostoftheBok]

Yeah what I meant is - not that we can move those players on now - we clearly can't as we need the depth but and it is my fear with Evatt. A bunch of his own signings are out of favour to the extent they aren't even coming on when we need fresh legs and an outlet.

Oh, yesterday? No, I don't agree that was an out of favour thing. I saw a few on the thread had been calling for Sadlier up front as an outlet, but that was crazy talk. As was saying John not coming on was a snub. All those changes were tactical stuff from Sam Hird and he got them all right.

[sonicthewhite]

It could also be a case of he was happy with signing those players to fit his system but now his system has evolved and they don't fit anymore. In which case it's right that he tries to replace them. Last night the obvious swap for Randy was to bring John on but he instead chose Johnstone. That was obviously because he wanted the better 'defender' on the pitch to preserve the lead rather than an 'attacking' outlet. if we'd been 3 or 4 up then I have no doubt we'd have seen John for the first time in a long time.

[GhostoftheBok]

That was obviously because he wanted the better 'defender' on the pitch to preserve the lead rather than an 'attacking' outlet.

FGR had started hitting diagonals at the back posts and John coming on for that would have been a disaster.

[Worthy4England]

It could also be a case of he was happy with signing those players to fit his system but now his system has evolved and they don't fit anymore. In which case it's right that he tries to replace them. Last night the obvious swap for Randy was to bring John on but he instead chose Johnstone. That was obviously because he wanted the better 'defender' on the pitch to preserve the lead rather than an 'attacking' outlet. if we'd been 3 or 4 up then I have no doubt we'd have seen John for the first time in a long time.

I'm not convinced we'll see John again tbh Sonic, unless there's a plague in town and 15 injuries...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Still a big job to find the incomings, but it's easier when you can have clean outgoings - as opposed to waiting for someone to take away your garbage.

Harsh to describe them as garbage in most cases. Sheehan is a bit powder puff and always has been my concern - I note Evatt has slowly transitioned away from this sort of player in favour of hard running midfielders - but he would fit a certain team.

Sorry, yes, a hurried metaphor that didn't quite work. Perhaps "recycling" would be better. As you say, many of them would be perfectly adequate in a different team - but as you also say, Evatt - often accused of being a stubborn ideologue - has changed a lot as we've gone along. Last night was almost Parkinsonian in its refusal to concede - even Fearful Phil never played five centre-backs.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah what I meant is - not that we can move those players on now - we clearly can't as we need the depth but and it is my fear with Evatt. A bunch of his own signings are out of favour to the extent they aren't even coming on when we need fresh legs and an outlet.

Oh, yesterday? No, I don't agree that was an out of favour thing. I saw a few on the thread had been calling for Sadlier up front as an outlet, but that was crazy talk. As was saying John not coming on was a snub. All those changes were tactical stuff from Sam Hird and he got them all right.

Not just yesterday. They are barely playing.

But I mean whilst we got the result yesterday and dug in and all that, were it against even a moderately better team playing without an outlet for so long with hardly any way to get up the pitch is a bit suicidal. Even FGR and their clueless attempts to open us up - were a little unlucky on a couple of occasions.

I think Johnstone on was the spot on call. As was Lee - obvs. I do think Sadlier could have offered us some outlet - and frankly some legs to run with. Lee did thankfully offer more outlet than we'd had to that point and helped Dempsey's runs be less in vain. Which was good. But I mean I've seen teams with ten men do a lot more than we did. Clearly had we had Nlundulu on the bench he was the best answer to ploughing a loan furrow and getting us up the pitch sometimes.

[GhostoftheBok]

I'm not convinced we'll see John again tbh Sonic, unless there's a plague in town and 15 injuries...

There may have been some hope of giving John a bow to say goodbye if we were comfy. Everything seems to indicate we want him gone this week.

[The_Gun]

Did anything come out regarding Beck last night? The fact DJ was on the bench in his place I guess suggests injury. If his loan was being cut short we'd have heard about it by now, right?

[GhostoftheBok]

Not just yesterday. They are barely playing.

But I mean whilst we got the result yesterday and dug in and all that, were it against even a moderately better team playing without an outlet for so long with hardly any way to get up the pitch is a bit suicidal. Even FGR and their clueless attempts to open us up - were a little unlucky on a couple of occasions.

I think Johnstone on was the spot on call. As was Lee - obvs. I do think Sadlier could have offered us some outlet - and frankly some legs to run with. Lee did thankfully offer more outlet than we'd had to that point and helped Dempsey's runs be less in vain. Which was good. But I mean I've seen teams with ten men do a lot more than we did. Clearly had we had Nlundulu on the bench he was the best answer to ploughing a loan furrow and getting us up the pitch sometimes.

I've seen teams with 10 men do more than we did and concede more chances. I've also seen teams with pace in the side open up more on the counter.

With what we had on the bench I'd have done exactly the same thing.

[BWFC_Insane]

Still a big job to find the incomings, but it's easier when you can have clean outgoings - as opposed to waiting for someone to take away your garbage.

Harsh to describe them as garbage in most cases. Sheehan is a bit powder puff and always has been my concern - I note Evatt has slowly transitioned away from this sort of player in favour of hard running midfielders - but he would fit a certain team.

Sorry, yes, a hurried metaphor that didn't quite work. Perhaps "recycling" would be better. As you say, many of them would be perfectly adequate in a different team - but as you also say, Evatt - often accused of being a stubborn ideologue - has changed a lot as we've gone along. Last night was almost Parkinsonian in its refusal to concede - even Fearful Phil never played five centre-backs.

I think Evatt has transitioned away from stubborn idealogue frankly. And has for a while.

I'd say he's more and more Allardyce like in setup and attitude now (not HOW we play) but in that there is an emphasis on the negative side of football in his selection and plans more and more. Not that it is in any way a bad thing. We are basically the Parky side of very mean, not very many goals and nick games.

I'm not complaining. I think he's broadly getting the balance right with what we've got available etc....

[BWFC_Insane]

Did anything come out regarding Beck last night? The fact DJ was on the bench in his place I guess suggests injury. If his loan was being cut short we'd have heard about it by now, right?

I did have a theory that....if we loan another (say Eaves) it means we have Traf, Bradley, Beck, Nlundulu, Shortire, A.Another on loan.

That's 6. You can only have 5 in your matchday squads. So was it bringing John into the fold as Beck presumably would often be the one to miss out, and therefore DJ might be involved on the bench more?

[BWFC_Insane]

Not just yesterday. They are barely playing.

But I mean whilst we got the result yesterday and dug in and all that, were it against even a moderately better team playing without an outlet for so long with hardly any way to get up the pitch is a bit suicidal. Even FGR and their clueless attempts to open us up - were a little unlucky on a couple of occasions.

I think Johnstone on was the spot on call. As was Lee - obvs. I do think Sadlier could have offered us some outlet - and frankly some legs to run with. Lee did thankfully offer more outlet than we'd had to that point and helped Dempsey's runs be less in vain. Which was good. But I mean I've seen teams with ten men do a lot more than we did. Clearly had we had Nlundulu on the bench he was the best answer to ploughing a loan furrow and getting us up the pitch sometimes.

I've seen teams with 10 men do more than we did and concede more chances. I've also seen teams with pace in the side open up more on the counter.

With what we had on the bench I'd have done exactly the same thing.

Maybe. Would Sadlier not have added some outlet though?