Bijou Bob's Bargain Basement Buys - Jan transfer thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Don't know how to post links on a phone but there are a couple of interesting pieces in the Ben about lennon's thoughts on squad building.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... kicks_off/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I’d make massive changes if I got my way, but that is not necessarily going to happen. I need to sit down with Phil and get a clear indication of what I can and cannot do. That won’t be an issue because I like it here, I think I have done a decent job so far but I think we can do better. There is great potential.

I need to speak about player contracts – although I might change my mind with a few of them – and there is a lot of work to be done, in terms of where I want to take this club. You can’t do it overnight, or three months, or even in the space of a year. The first thing I wanted to do is make sure we’re in the Championship next year and then I’ll bolster the squad.

I can’t hark on about it, but there’s no question the injuries have damaged us heavily. There are some really good stalwarts in this squad – I like Matt Mills and Tim Ream, they’ve been really consistent, Pratley and three or four others on the treatment table would play.

(Relaying the Euxton pitches is) something I want to look at going forward. Arsenal have just changed their pitches at the training ground and I think that’s something we’ll have to look at in order to curtail some of these injuries. Clough, Clayton, Pratley and Mark Davies would all make us better – there’s no question of that.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... xt_season/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We’d never have been able to foresee the number of injuries we’ve had, so we need to get more durability into the players we bring in. Hopefully they carry that on when we bring them in here.

Character is a big thing for me. And also if the team is losing I want to see how that player reacts. Does he pick the team up by the scruff of the neck? If you’re two or three-nil down, does he have the enthusiasm to keep going? That tells me a lot about a player. You learn more about them in defeat.

But the Championship is an absolute monster. You need players who can cope with the physical demands it places on you – and at the moment I don’t think I quite have that.

[Jonah]

They're the ones , thanks dsb . Certainly had lots of opportunities to learn about character since Xmas . Might imply that cravies will be on his way. He will almost certainly be looking for a target man this summer . Heskey and eidur , you'd imagine might stay as a back up if the terms are ok . Just wonder how much money they might be able to find for him to use. May well be loaning players in rather than signing them as the kind of players that he would want are not likely to be available on frees .

[plymouth wanderer]

I get the distinct impression Lennon will always pull a rabbit or two out the hat!

To be fair already has

[jaffka]

So my speculation on gut feeling regarding Ream was totally wrong!

Glad that Lennon sees this as a long term job then.

[bobo the clown]

Character is a big thing for me. And also if the team is losing I want to see how that player reacts. Does he pick the team up by the scruff of the neck? If you’re two or three-nil down, does he have the enthusiasm to keep going? That tells me a lot about a player. You learn more about them in defeat.

Does this explain why he hoiked Spearing off away to Norwich and more or less never selected him again ?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Character is a big thing for me. And also if the team is losing I want to see how that player reacts. Does he pick the team up by the scruff of the neck? If you’re two or three-nil down, does he have the enthusiasm to keep going? That tells me a lot about a player. You learn more about them in defeat.

Does this explain why he hoiked Spearing off away to Norwich and more or less never selected him again ?

Maybe, but we were only one down at the break. We've shipped four plenty of times since, so at least we're learning something from it...

At Rotherham, he subbed Kellett (on 51 at 3-0) for Trotter and Wilkinson for Wheater (pushing Mills up top) on 66 at 4-0; within a week both kids were back out on loan. He also brought on Spearing for Eidur on 74 (at 4-0) then sent him on loan too...

At Derby, he subbed Wheater and Trotter (at HT at 2-0) for Twardzik and Slavchev; by the time he subbed Vela for Eidur (70) it was 4-0.

By the time Forest scored their fourth we'd had three enforced subs and by the time Watford scored theirs it was nearly curtains, so we can't read anything into those.

The outfielders who weren't subbed:
Rotherham – Dervite, Mills, Ream, Feeney, Vela, Danns, Pratley
Derby - Dervite, Ream, Moxey, Feeney, Bannan, Clough, Le Fondre

So it doesn't really tell us much except that he was quietly quick to send the kids on loan after Rotherham.

[Prufrock]

Spearing's reaction, whilst shit, doesn't seen much different to Mills' when things are going badly. Shoulders slumped and shout at the nearest player.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Spearing's reaction, whilst shit, doesn't seen much different to Mills' when things are going badly. Shoulders slumped and shout at the nearest player.

That's fair enough. But Mills led the comeback at Rotherham, by being a big lump up top, so Lenny likes him.

[LeverEnd]

Spearing's reaction, whilst shit, doesn't seen much different to Mills' when things are going badly. Shoulders slumped and shout at the nearest player.

That's fair enough. But Mills led the comeback at Rotherham, by being a big lump up top, so Lenny likes him.

I think he'll try to offload Wheater. High up the wage scale, injuries and hasn't been great when picked. He can renegotiate wages with Mills out of contract, but can't with Wheater. Maybe he'll go back to 'boro?

[Prufrock]

They're the ones , thanks dsb . Certainly had lots of opportunities to learn about character since Xmas . Might imply that cravies will be on his way. He will almost certainly be looking for a target man this summer . Heskey and eidur , you'd imagine might stay as a back up if the terms are ok . Just wonder how much money they might be able to find for him to use. May well be loaning players in rather than signing them as the kind of players that he would want are not likely to be available on frees [/color].

Not wholly convinced by that. We're not the only ones trying to get rid of folk whose faces don't fit. Think there'll be a lot more players moving at the end of contracts rather than for fees not FFP is biting.

We're not going to get Troy Deeney that way but there'll be plenty decent ones who just need a change. We've seen what he can get out of Pratters so I'm hopeful!

[Worthy4England]

They're the ones , thanks dsb . Certainly had lots of opportunities to learn about character since Xmas . Might imply that cravies will be on his way. He will almost certainly be looking for a target man this summer . Heskey and eidur , you'd imagine might stay as a back up if the terms are ok . Just wonder how much money they might be able to find for him to use. May well be loaning players in rather than signing them as the kind of players that he would want are not likely to be available on frees [/color].

Not wholly convinced by that. We're not the only ones trying to get rid of folk whose faces don't fit. Think there'll be a lot more players moving at the end of contracts rather than for fees not FFP is biting.

We're not going to get Troy Deeney that way but there'll be plenty decent ones who just need a change. We've seen what he can get out of Pratters so I'm hopeful!

.
Watford signed Deeney from Walsall. I suspect that's the type of team we need to be looking towards...

[Prufrock]

Signing strikers from Walsall tends to be a pretty good move when it comes to getting promoted!

[Jonah]

I'm guessing you're thinking of ricketts rather than Elliot there . Have decent lower league strikers aren't cheap though . I think Bradford wanted more than 1mil for that tall lad and he looked pretty ordinary in the fa cup game . Wonder if there's any old fashioned English strikers available on a free from Portugal .juterinha or some such .

[jaffka]

There are always players available. It's about sorting the stars, shit and chaff out and actually selling our club to the better ones.

The transfer window is going to be interesting, whoever creates that one is going to be on to a winner.

[Enoch]

The transfer window is going to be interesting, whoever creates that one is going to be on to a winner.

Kiss of death?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The transfer window is going to be interesting, whoever creates that one is going to be on to a winner.

Kiss of death?

Maybe later, love

[jaffka]

When does this one get closed? I have lost track of the rules on this transfer thread malarkey.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Presumably when the emergency loan window shut for the final time this season. I think the next one will have WTF in the title

[thebish]

When does this one get closed? I have lost track of the rules on this transfer thread malarkey.

the window slammed shut last thursday as we brought in Jordan Lussey and waved off Rob Hall...

[TKIZ!]

Haven't we already pre-signed Daniel Hughes (Norn Iron striker)?