Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[GhostoftheBok]

We seem to be going after better quality free players, wherever they are which is great, no doubt raising the anxiety levels of other players competing for the same positions, who will be hoping that they will not be ostracized for their role in the strike, which I believe was ill advised. Mediation before ultimatum and public strike is always better.

Pretty sure that stage was 6 months ago and the players had made clear that they'd take action if things didn't go smoothly from then on.

Nice to see everyone so positive about our new international right back. He may or may not work out, but he's the best right back I've seen us linked to in ages. Always have concerns over anyone who we sign though, just because they've agreed to come here.

[GhostoftheBok]

Yeah, this Polish lad, I've been following his career since................. 15 minutes ago. I'm sure I'll manage.

Nobody has answered the important question. Is he any good on Football Manager?

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Another 1st time googler of Pawel Olkowski here . Seems he was Bundesliga player of the week on 11th November 2014, after scoring with his right and his left, edging out Thomas Muller from Bayern. Hope he isn't planning to get that high up the pitch here .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsVN0Rm8b28

Nice to get St Mirren out of the headlines, at least for half a day.

[GhostoftheBok]

Out of interest, do we know why Olkowski was released early from his contract? He signed an extension in March 2015 when he was a major player for Koln and it was due to run until 2019. Presumably it was just due to finances post-relegation, but has it been reported anywhere that you guys have seen?

[GhostoftheBok]

Asked a mate, from what he tells me Koln switched to a back 3 a while ago and Olkowski didn't adapt well to being a wing back. Koln started to play Marcel Risse (ala Ashley Young) on the right and given that he's not even a defender everyone has known for some time that Olkowski would be moved on - even if they'd have stayed up he was going this summer. Relegation and him barely playing just meant he had no market value. He went from an absolute bedrock of their team to barely featuring in two seasons.

Olkowski is apparently fast for a defender and tackles like he has a vendetta, but his defensive positioning is suspect and for the last two years he forgot how to mark. He'll put his body on the line, though, and he'll run all day. He's struggled to find a club and didn't want to go back to Poland (where he is still highly rated) so he switched agents this summer and ended up here. There was a possible transfer to Bochum in the offing in June (Tim Hoogland is now 35 and they needed someone in to cover Celozzi), but it didn't happen.

That's all from a Schalke fan who reports on German football, not from an avid Koln watcher; but I'd say it's reliable. So basically a fast, attacking right back who can be iffy at times in defence and will throw himself at anyone and anything to stop a goal. Place your bets now...

[mullayo]

Nice to see everyone so positive about our new international right back. He may or may not work out, but he's the best right back I've seen us linked to in ages. Always have concerns over anyone who we sign though, just because they've agreed to come here.

You go Ghost. They say paranoia is the highest form of awareness. And I'm with you. I can be trusted. Only me though...
Spot any fallen from grace hasbeens in the list of life's losers below?
I'm guessing the subs were probably all on drugs...

Wanderers' starting XI: Aspinall, Brockbank, Hartshorne, Jones-Griffiths, Muscatt, Wright, Collings, Gardner-Smith, Jaloszynski, McKenna, Arnsalam

Subs (All used): Boon, Brown, Rouge, Preston, Osigwe, Graham, Konrad

[GhostoftheBok]

Nice to see everyone so positive about our new international right back. He may or may not work out, but he's the best right back I've seen us linked to in ages. Always have concerns over anyone who we sign though, just because they've agreed to come here.

You go Ghost. They say paranoia is the highest form of awareness. And I'm with you. I can be trusted. Only me though...
Spot any fallen from grace hasbeens in the list of life's losers below?
I'm guessing the subs were probably all on drugs...

Wanderers' starting XI: Aspinall, Brockbank, Hartshorne, Jones-Griffiths, Muscatt, Wright, Collings, Gardner-Smith, Jaloszynski, McKenna, Arnsalam

Subs (All used): Boon, Brown, Rouge, Preston, Osigwe, Graham, Konrad

After the last decade it's not paranoia, it's just common sense. Can't say any of those names stand out, beyond being youth players I'm only vaguely aware of these days - but then the club has a history of using cover names for trialists.

[mullayo]

Asked a mate, from what he tells me Koln switched to a back 3 a while ago and Olkowski didn't adapt well to being a wing back. Koln started to play Marcel Risse (ala Ashley Young) on the right and given that he's not even a defender everyone has known for some time that Olkowski would be moved on - even if they'd have stayed up he was going this summer. Relegation and him barely playing just meant he had no market value. He went from an absolute bedrock of their team to barely featuring in two seasons.

Olkowski is apparently fast for a defender and tackles like he has a vendetta, but his defensive positioning is suspect and for the last two years he forgot how to mark. He'll put his body on the line, though, and he'll run all day. He's struggled to find a club and didn't want to go back to Poland (where he is still highly rated) so he switched agents this summer and ended up here. There was a possible transfer to Bochum in the offing in June (Tim Hoogland is now 35 and they needed someone in to cover Celozzi), but it didn't happen.

That's all from a Schalke fan who reports on German football, not from an avid Koln watcher; but I'd say it's reliable. So basically a fast, attacking right back who can be iffy at times in defence and will throw himself at anyone and anything to stop a goal. Place your bets now...

Good news. Positional change is probably the best reason to be unwanted we could have hoped for. Pace we need. Height we need. Energy we need. Intimidation! we need. Iffy on D we already got but right age, internationals don't come along every day.
Will Little or Darby switch?

[mullayo]

You go Ghost. They say paranoia is the highest form of awareness. And I'm with you. I can be trusted. Only me though...
Spot any fallen from grace hasbeens in the list of life's losers below?
I'm guessing the subs were probably all on drugs...

Wanderers' starting XI: Aspinall, Brockbank, Hartshorne, Jones-Griffiths, Muscatt, Wright, Collings, Gardner-Smith, Jaloszynski, McKenna, Arnsalam

Subs (All used): Boon, Brown, Rouge, Preston, Osigwe, Graham, Konrad

After the last decade it's not paranoia, it's just common sense. Can't say any of those names stand out, beyond being youth players I'm only vaguely aware of these days - but then the club has a history of using cover names for trialists.

Very secret squirrel. Is it so Ken can claim contusion when he doesn't pay them?

[mullayo]

-------------Alnwick---------------
Olki, Wheater, Beevers, Taylor,
---------Vela---------Lowe ---------
SAmeobi--- Oztumer---Will Buckley
---------- Adam Le Fondre-----------

BENCH
TS: Clayton Donaldson
ST: Conor Hall,
AM: Joe Pritchard
DM: Jack Earring
W: Noone, Duke McKenna, Dennis Politic (left),
FB: Little, Darby, Chiori Johnson, Joe Muscatt (left)
CB: Liam Edwards, Harry Brockbank
GK: Turner, Amos

That's 26 under contract.
How many more will we get in?
Parky wants 7 more.
Say four loanees and three more signings?
IMO we need left winger, centre back, defensive mid and another striker..

[GhostoftheBok]

Asked a mate, from what he tells me Koln switched to a back 3 a while ago and Olkowski didn't adapt well to being a wing back. Koln started to play Marcel Risse (ala Ashley Young) on the right and given that he's not even a defender everyone has known for some time that Olkowski would be moved on - even if they'd have stayed up he was going this summer. Relegation and him barely playing just meant he had no market value. He went from an absolute bedrock of their team to barely featuring in two seasons.

Olkowski is apparently fast for a defender and tackles like he has a vendetta, but his defensive positioning is suspect and for the last two years he forgot how to mark. He'll put his body on the line, though, and he'll run all day. He's struggled to find a club and didn't want to go back to Poland (where he is still highly rated) so he switched agents this summer and ended up here. There was a possible transfer to Bochum in the offing in June (Tim Hoogland is now 35 and they needed someone in to cover Celozzi), but it didn't happen.

That's all from a Schalke fan who reports on German football, not from an avid Koln watcher; but I'd say it's reliable. So basically a fast, attacking right back who can be iffy at times in defence and will throw himself at anyone and anything to stop a goal. Place your bets now...

Good news. Positional change is probably the best reason to be unwanted we could have hoped for. Pace we need. Height we need. Energy we need. Intimidation! we need. Iffy on D we already got but right age, internationals don't come along every day.
Will Little or Darby switch?

Honestly, I'm reasonable excited by this one. I haven't followed German football recently, but I remember him being someone whose name came up as one of the better fullbacks in the league at one stage (presumably his first season there, looking at his wiki page) and I recall him taking Hoffenheim apart 2 seasons back - not the game where he scored two, another one. This was when Modeste was still playing for them before he took the money in China.

Like you say, pace and energy would be welcome and I think we need an attacking fullback rather than someone like Flanagan. If he's "Little, but better" then I'm on board totally. We've plenty of issues right now, but the actual signings we are making are leaving me with plenty of optimism...so long as the players keep coming in.

[GhostoftheBok]

I've been off the grid over the weekend, are we linked to any decent left backs? If we could get similar quality down the left I'd be thrilled.

[mullayo]

I've been off the grid over the weekend, are we linked to any decent left backs? If we could get similar quality down the left I'd be thrilled.

No we have 4 right backs and Taylor and Joe Muscat. Maybe we know we're getting Antonee back?
I too have been impressed by the calibre of players we've been after. Real ambition there.
Wonder how they're selling it?
Great stadium?... Training facilities?...Team unity?.. Caring chairman???...

[Bruce Rioja]

Always have concerns over anyone who we sign though, just because they've agreed to come here.

Absolutely 4ucking nailed it.

[GhostoftheBok]

Olkowski can apparently play left back (from some of the links to him I read the other day), but you'd hope he'd get to play his regular position for us.

[mullayo]

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16 ... nderers-1/

"Among the cast of strangers were Polish winger Boris Jaloszynski, former Sunderland man Wright, Fleetwood youth product Liam Collings, pony-tailed ex-AFC Liverpool Scouse youngster Leon Arnsalam and Jacob Gardner-Smith – who arrived for a trial via Zenit St Petersburg’s second team and is the son of Barry Gardiner – Labour MP for Brent North."

1-1 Mids Wright (got late goal) and Collings had good games apparently. Mystery Polish keeper Konrad as well.

[TANGODANCER]

I bet Colls were delighted with all those famous names from the mighty Bolton Wanderers gracing their pitch. I bet they think that team was a fixture error.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Asked a mate, from what he tells me Koln switched to a back 3 a while ago and Olkowski didn't adapt well to being a wing back. Koln started to play Marcel Risse (ala Ashley Young) on the right and given that he's not even a defender everyone has known for some time that Olkowski would be moved on - even if they'd have stayed up he was going this summer. Relegation and him barely playing just meant he had no market value. He went from an absolute bedrock of their team to barely featuring in two seasons.

Olkowski is apparently fast for a defender and tackles like he has a vendetta, but his defensive positioning is suspect and for the last two years he forgot how to mark. He'll put his body on the line, though, and he'll run all day. He's struggled to find a club and didn't want to go back to Poland (where he is still highly rated) so he switched agents this summer and ended up here. There was a possible transfer to Bochum in the offing in June (Tim Hoogland is now 35 and they needed someone in to cover Celozzi), but it didn't happen.

That's all from a Schalke fan who reports on German football, not from an avid Koln watcher; but I'd say it's reliable. So basically a fast, attacking right back who can be iffy at times in defence and will throw himself at anyone and anything to stop a goal. Place your bets now...

Interesting, cheers. Of all those qualities - speed, tackling, effort, bravery, positioning - I'd say the latter, the one he hasn't got, is the one most easily and likely to be coached in by Parky's staff. They're very big on unitary solidity and maybe that will help him. I'm not necessarily saying they're Bundesliga-standard, and maybe some players just can't get it, but I'm confident that with drilling and communication we can get him reliable as well as the other stuff he's already got.

Wonder how good his English is, and if the answer is Not Very, whether we'll be giving him a tutor? Communication is vital, so even if it's a crash course in technical terms he needs to be all ears. Especially if it's Wheater barking at him, which it's likely to be on that side considering we have no other centre-backs as yet....

[BWFC_Insane]

Asked a mate, from what he tells me Koln switched to a back 3 a while ago and Olkowski didn't adapt well to being a wing back. Koln started to play Marcel Risse (ala Ashley Young) on the right and given that he's not even a defender everyone has known for some time that Olkowski would be moved on - even if they'd have stayed up he was going this summer. Relegation and him barely playing just meant he had no market value. He went from an absolute bedrock of their team to barely featuring in two seasons.

Olkowski is apparently fast for a defender and tackles like he has a vendetta, but his defensive positioning is suspect and for the last two years he forgot how to mark. He'll put his body on the line, though, and he'll run all day. He's struggled to find a club and didn't want to go back to Poland (where he is still highly rated) so he switched agents this summer and ended up here. There was a possible transfer to Bochum in the offing in June (Tim Hoogland is now 35 and they needed someone in to cover Celozzi), but it didn't happen.

That's all from a Schalke fan who reports on German football, not from an avid Koln watcher; but I'd say it's reliable. So basically a fast, attacking right back who can be iffy at times in defence and will throw himself at anyone and anything to stop a goal. Place your bets now...

Interesting, cheers. Of all those qualities - speed, tackling, effort, bravery, positioning - I'd say the latter, the one he hasn't got, is the one most easily and likely to be coached in by Parky's staff. They're very big on unitary solidity and maybe that will help him. I'm not necessarily saying they're Bundesliga-standard, and maybe some players just can't get it, but I'm confident that with drilling and communication we can get him reliable as well as the other stuff he's already got.

Wonder how good his English is, and if the answer is Not Very, whether we'll be giving him a tutor? Communication is vital, so even if it's a crash course in technical terms he needs to be all ears. Especially if it's Wheater barking at him, which it's likely to be on that side considering we have no other centre-backs as yet....

My google of his name reveals he has an instagram that he (assumption) captions in English.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

He did speak a bit of English in the video I linked above, when he was Bundesliga player of the week in November 2014.

If it is Wheater barking at him, no English class could teach him to understand that