Deal or no deal? - Summer 2022 Transfer gossip!

[BWFC_Insane]

Wasn't Fossey allegedly signed as a RB?

Sure. But started out as a winger. Was converted to full back. But is obviously a wing back.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'm wondering how Gethin feels about this absolutist demarcation

Don’t know. But he’s never a wing back. Not if we want to go up.

[TANGODANCER]

Encouraging words..

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... er-summer/

[GhostoftheBok]

Encouraging words..

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... er-summer/

Putting aside that no player is going to say "Some of the lads really want to leave" and assuming what he's saying means we keep the main lads then a summer that looks like: Jack Tucker, Jack Iredale, Nicky Cadden and Marlon Fossey (fitness allowing) would strike me as achievable and a very strong start.

Assuming we could do something along those lines (not necessarily those names, but of that level) then it'd look like 1-in-1-out after that and you'd assume other signings would have to be pretty special players at this level to justify us moving lads on.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Do we know of any rules changes for next season regarding squads etc? I'm wondering if we're working under the assumption that the rules they threw together last summer will be the same ones they go with again.

Key phrase there being “last summer”. They rarely get their act together ahead of time.

[knobpolisher]

When do the current contracts expire for those players out of contract ?
Is it end of May or end of June.

[GhostoftheBok]

Key phrase there being “last summer”. They rarely get their act together ahead of time.

This is my concern. We will be on a knife's edge meeting the current rules if we add the players we obviously need for a full squad. Even small changes could be an issue for us, depending who our targets are.

[brommers95]

When do the current contracts expire for those players out of contract ?
Is it end of May or end of June.

End of June I believe. Retained lists start being released from the start of May. Ours was released 19th May last year.

[GhostoftheBok]

If we didn't make any attacking changes going into next season, how many people on here would be happy with that?

If we didn't add any strikers, forwards, #10s etc would people feel we had enough going forward to go up if we just improved the back line? I say that understanding wingbacks/fullbacks add a great deal to our attack in Evatt's sides, but I'd be interested to hear people's opinions on whether we have enough in the traditional "final third" positions.

[brommers95]

If we didn't make any attacking changes going into next season, how many people on here would be happy with that?

If we didn't add any strikers, forwards, #10s etc would people feel we had enough going forward to go up if we just improved the back line? I say that understanding wingbacks/fullbacks add a great deal to our attack in Evatt's sides, but I'd be interested to hear people's opinions on whether we have enough in the traditional "final third" positions.

I feel like getting a proper no.10 this summer should be a priority. Wouldn’t mind another centre forward to add some competition and depth in case of injuries. However it might start getting a bit tight assuming there’ll be a 22 outfield, over-21 player limit next season as well considering we need at least 2 CBs, a RWB/RB and a LWB/LB.

I guess that’s where the B-team can be useful - getting some decent under-21s that could start pushing for the first team/provide some cover in an injury crisis.

[BWFC_Insane]

If we didn't make any attacking changes going into next season, how many people on here would be happy with that?

If we didn't add any strikers, forwards, #10s etc would people feel we had enough going forward to go up if we just improved the back line? I say that understanding wingbacks/fullbacks add a great deal to our attack in Evatt's sides, but I'd be interested to hear people's opinions on whether we have enough in the traditional "final third" positions.

If we are playing three at the back then we have four strikers and a number of players who can play number 10. So I’d be fine with improving our midfield, wing backs and back three only.

If we are playing 4 then we need better wide men than we have or at least better options.

[GhostoftheBok]

I think one thing that strikes me about our attacking options, from a purely strategic point of view, is the lack of clear resale value up there.

Dapo is clearly one we hope to make good money on, but then beyond him there's not obvious money to be had. Charles will make us a bit of profit if we sell him at some stage, you'd imagine; but probably not big money. Given that the forward slots are where the big money is to be made I'd have thought we'd want to try and add one or two players who we might be able to flip for serious coinage in a year or two.

[Worthy4England]

Aren't we going to have a Delf shaped hole to fill? And we might need to work out what we're doing with Darcy (but I think he signed a new contract)

I'd like us to sort GK, CD, LB/LWB and RB/RWB as a priority.

[GhostoftheBok]

I'd like us to sort GK, CD, LB/LWB and RB/RWB as a priority.

I think that's pretty much a given for all of us at the minute.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aren't we going to have a Delf shaped hole to fill? And we might need to work out what we're doing with Darcy (but I think he signed a new contract)

Delf’s place was taken by Bod.

Darcy is contracted for next season, and will be overage too.

Contracted beyond summer:

JUNE 2023
*Joel Dixon (9/12/93) *goalkeeper
Ricardo Santos (18/6/95)
Will Aimson (3/6/94)
MJ Williams (6/11/95)
Kieran Lee (22/6/88)
*George Thomason (12/1/01) *underage
Josh Sheehan (30/3/95)
Ronan Darcy (4/11/00)
Lloyd Isgrove (12/1/93)
Elias Kachunga (22/4/92)
Amadou Bakayoko (1/1/96)
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (25/5/92)

JUNE 2024
Gethin Jones (13/10/95)
George Johnston (1/9/98)
Declan John (30/6/95)
Kyle Dempsey (17/9/95)
Kieran Sadlier (14/9/94)
Dapo Afolayan (11/9/97)

JUNE 2025
Aaron Morley (27/2/00)
Dion Charles (7/10/95)

= 18 overage outfielders = 4 squad spaces *If* the rules don’t change. Which they might.

[GhostoftheBok]

Delf’s place was taken by Bod.

Darcy is contracted for next season, and will be overage too.

Contracted beyond summer:

JUNE 2023
*Joel Dixon (9/12/93) *goalkeeper
Ricardo Santos (18/6/95)
Will Aimson (3/6/94)
MJ Williams (6/11/95)
Kieran Lee (22/6/88)
*George Thomason (12/1/01) *underage
Josh Sheehan (30/3/95)
Ronan Darcy (4/11/00)
Lloyd Isgrove (12/1/93)
Elias Kachunga (22/4/92)
Amadou Bakayoko (1/1/96)
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (25/5/92)

JUNE 2024
Gethin Jones (13/10/95)
George Johnston (1/9/98)
Declan John (30/6/95)
Kyle Dempsey (17/9/95)
Kieran Sadlier (14/9/94)
Dapo Afolayan (11/9/97)

JUNE 2025
Aaron Morley (27/2/00)
Dion Charles (7/10/95)

= 18 overage outfielders = 4 squad spaces *If* the rules don’t change. Which they might.

Two wingbacks and two centre backs then. Then, as a few have said, 1-in-1-out.

I do wonder how much game time we'll be able to offer Darcy and Thomason.

Thommo has been struggling to get in the side anyway and we still have Sheehan to come back in and potentially compete with him. It gets worse for him if we get that "big athlete" type in.

I'm not sure either of them is a great candidate for the B team either. Evatt has aid he wants Darcy playing first team football and Thomason can't really go from the first team with us to the B team. If we can't offer him regular games you'd imagine Thommo would find a loan club in League Two fairly easily. Harder to see Darcy going straight into league football.

[officer_dibble]

Just out of interest which way are you thinking the rules might change DSB? Fewer or more players?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Just out of interest which way are you thinking the rules might change DSB? Fewer or more players?

No idea! Could go either way.

I think (but couldn’t swear) the total was tweaked up during Covid, which is fair, but the overall recent trend has been to limit players because there’s an idea that hoarding is cheating. Which is also fair, in a way, but then if you reduce every league squad by two that’s 144 players unemployed/unemployable, so the PFA windmills in.

I’m fairly sure they baulked at league restrictions last year so the 22 was slightly higher than had been expected. (Maybe it originally counted overage keepers?) So you could say we should expect it to drop this summer instead - but then, the PFA could still make the same argument, except now with precedent.

So it’s all, to use Bruce’s phrase, a cake and arse show. One day there might be clear leadership, but then look what happens with strong-man leadership…

[Worthy4England]

Aren't we going to have a Delf shaped hole to fill? And we might need to work out what we're doing with Darcy (but I think he signed a new contract)

Delf’s place was taken by Bod.

Darcy is contracted for next season, and will be overage too.

Contracted beyond summer:

JUNE 2023
*Joel Dixon (9/12/93) *goalkeeper
Ricardo Santos (18/6/95)
Will Aimson (3/6/94)
MJ Williams (6/11/95)
Kieran Lee (22/6/88)
*George Thomason (12/1/01) *underage
Josh Sheehan (30/3/95)
Ronan Darcy (4/11/00)
Lloyd Isgrove (12/1/93)
Elias Kachunga (22/4/92)
Amadou Bakayoko (1/1/96)
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (25/5/92)

JUNE 2024
Gethin Jones (13/10/95)
George Johnston (1/9/98)
Declan John (30/6/95)
Kyle Dempsey (17/9/95)
Kieran Sadlier (14/9/94)
Dapo Afolayan (11/9/97)

JUNE 2025
Aaron Morley (27/2/00)
Dion Charles (7/10/95)

= 18 overage outfielders = 4 squad spaces *If* the rules don’t change. Which they might.

TA. DSB. Hadn't spotted the Delf/Dad Bod thing. Think I'm with Ghosty on Darcy and Thommo, but also needs balancing with how many we can register. Sheehan will come back into the reg pool. There doesn't currently seem to be much leeway.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Yeah. Darcy is overage next season and being brutal he’s probably the weakest, or least proven, name in the 18 above. Thommo is underage but needs first team football.

The only way I can see either of them still being contracted to Wanderers beyond summer 2023, when both their contracts elapse, is if they go on loan to a Div 4 team and rip it up. Even then, by that point we will either be preparing for the Champo or determinedly rejigging the squad after another non-promotion.