Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[The_Gun]

True.

And another thing about ALF - who's gonna replace him? Another Tyler Walker? We've lost a fantastic impact sub - one of the best in this league - and I have no faith that we'll end up with anything better than Keshi Anderson.

We're bollocked if Magennis stops scoring.

You'd hope we've someone better than Walker lined up. Aneke plus a recognised striker (hopefully a mobile striker) as a minimum.

[BWFC_Insane]

True.

And another thing about ALF - who's gonna replace him? Another Tyler Walker? We've lost a fantastic impact sub - one of the best in this league - and I have no faith that we'll end up with anything better than Keshi Anderson.

We're bollocked if Magennis stops scoring.

We have lost goals from the bench. But what could we do? He wouldn't have been happy staying.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

The Aneke move has it a stumbling block according to this:

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/sport/fo ... -1-8601744

Sounds like this could be Ken trying to squeeze every ounce of value from the deal....

[Jugs]

Aneke has barely played a game above League 1 level. What do we know about him and why does PP want him?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The Aneke move has it a stumbling block according to this:

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/sport/fo ... -1-8601744

Sounds like this could be Ken trying to squeeze every ounce of value from the deal....

It's not hit a stumbling block, it's hit "the stumbling blocks", plural, with the definite article, as if this were a treacherous rock formation upon which many ships have foundered...

It's just saying that nothing much has happened since the weekend. Which fits in with Ghost's very believable theory that we're prioritising a more established second-tier striker, with Chuks as a secondary 'project' for Parky if we've got enough money thereafter. ALF's exit and Donaldson's continued use as a wide attacker backs up this theory.

[Prufrock]

The quotes about more pressing need for senior players or whatever from PP were from before Grounds and Matthews signed I think. That just looks like rehashed "no news is still news when you have chicks to earn" to me.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The quotes about more pressing need for senior players or whatever from PP were from before Grounds and Matthews signed I think. That just looks like rehashed "no news is still news when you have chicks to earn" to me.

Agreed on second sentence, assuming you're earning clicks rather than chicks

On first, you may well be right but as a point of order, Matthews hasn't played Champo (or Prem) before. He's done Scottish Premiership, but that's a different argument.

I still think PP will be chasing a forward who's scored at T1/T2 level, unless he goes for a strongly-backed Big Club Youngster. Donaldson's adaptability helps here, in that he can be the second-choice No.9 in either 4231 or 433: he can also play wide but we've got more options there. Even so, if a very hotly-tipped young 'wide attacker' comes up we could risk going with Magennis/Donaldson, if the potential benefits were clear enough to elevate the kid into competition with Amoebi/Wildschut/Noone/Buckley – especially because as you rightly say, wingers are natural subs.

EDIT While we've been discussing it, a Marc Iles piece spun off the Tisdale quotes has added

Wanderers are understood to be weighing up their options in the loan market and made contact with four different clubs over boosting their attack even before allowing Adam Le Fondre to leave for Australia. Parkinson also wants to add a midfielder before the loan window closes on August 31.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16 ... dons-star/

[GhostoftheBok]

Had an interesting dinner with some old mates. Based on some of the chat and some reasonable guesswork, I'd say the following:

O'Neil was brought in because the budget rundown we did made Parky think he'd be short of funds to sort out the mids due to allocating money to strikers. Alf leaving changes the finances a lot - more than I had thought. It's now up to Phil whether he puts all the savings into a forward and then takes another look at midfield and the centre backs in January (by which time we should know more about the debt situation and whether more money will be available to the footballing side of things), as planned, or whether he can use some cash to beef-up another area of the team - probably midfield, based on the press stuff.

If Parky is able to now reallocate all of Alf's wages, rather than see his budgets trimmed a bit, we could probably raise our sights a bit in the striker market. If we go for the same level we were looking at previously, we could strengthen another area with a good player. Magennis' strong start may mean we are more likely to spread the money a little and sign a player who offers something a bit different, but isn't an obvious starter every game (guesswork).

I suppose is also possible (again guesswork) that a fairly significant budget increase, caused by Alfie leaving, could also see Parky more willing to take a small risk on a lad like Aneke, or another player in a similar mould - having a lot of potential but also a lot of issues.

Most interesting summer we've had in years, for me.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Marc Iles' morning piece says "Parkinson admits a considerable saving will be made on the player’s wage – which was among the highest in the first team squad.... Ken Anderson has also told The Bolton News that since the close of the permanent transfer window last week a number of Premier League strikers have been offered on loan."

We have got to make sure that we don’t take someone in just to try and give everyone a lift now that Alfie has gone, just for the sake of it. We have to make sure it’s the right person. I am confident we will bring players in who will enhance what we have brought in so far. We were going to add to the striker department anyway, so now it’s possibly two but we certainly [want] one quality Championship player if we can.

A lot of clubs have been in touch and whereas we were already looking at two, and have maybe spoken about four different strikers, the situation changes all the time. I’d say we know which two we’d go for at this moment in time. We do want a proven goal-scorer but we have also looked at a couple of players who we feel can improve and grow to become good strikers with us.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16 ... -le-fondre

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We might also get some of this as Premier League teams realise they've got too many players for their squad allowance:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/spor ... ng-1906876

We were linked earlier in the month with Leicester's left-back Callum Elder, although a third left-back may not be a priority and he may count as a homegrown/U23 player.

[boltonboris]

True.

And another thing about ALF - who's gonna replace him? Another Tyler Walker? We've lost a fantastic impact sub - one of the best in this league - and I have no faith that we'll end up with anything better than Keshi Anderson.

We're bollocked if Magennis stops scoring.

You'd hope we've someone better than Walker lined up. Aneke plus a recognised striker (hopefully a mobile striker) as a minimum.

Well Tyler Walker's at Mansfield(!) so yes you'd hope we can do better and he's fixed up anyway

[Jugs]

End of the day, ALF scored seven goals last season, which was a LOT for a club like us. Can we replace those seven goals this window?

[TANGODANCER]

End of the day, ALF scored seven goals last season, which was a LOT for a club like us. Can we replace those seven goals this window?

Well Jugs, Magennis has made a good start, but "indications" are (cough) that by not parting with Hall yet, we're looking for a goal machine. Numbers/names on a sheet mean naught unless they're having some effect. We live in hope..

[GhostoftheBok]

We might also get some of this as Premier League teams realise they've got too many players for their squad allowance:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/spor ... ng-1906876

We were linked earlier in the month with Leicester's left-back Callum Elder, although a third left-back may not be a priority and he may count as a homegrown/U23 player.

Left back isn't a priority now, I shouldn't imagine; but from the PP quotes you posted it sounds like we're mulling loans to develop good players for their clubs vs loans to buy - the latter offering us more for the future.

[malcd1]

True.

And another thing about ALF - who's gonna replace him? Another Tyler Walker? We've lost a fantastic impact sub - one of the best in this league - and I have no faith that we'll end up with anything better than Keshi Anderson.

We're bollocked if Magennis stops scoring.

You'd hope we've someone better than Walker lined up. Aneke plus a recognised striker (hopefully a mobile striker) as a minimum.

Well Tyler Walker's at Mansfield(!) so yes you'd hope we can do better and he's fixed up anyway

Tyler scored a hat-trick at weekend against Accrington Stanley so he may just be developing into a player.

[TKIZ!]

If we're shy in midfield and a striker would it be worthwhile looking at Matty James? (who's on Puel's list of players to get game time for). I also saw that Joe Mason has been brought back from his loan in America, still only 27, knows this league, knows us and has a fair decent strike rate. Can play off the main striker and does those late runs into the box?

[BWFC_Insane]

If we're shy in midfield and a striker would it be worthwhile looking at Matty James? (who's on Puel's list of players to get game time for). I also saw that Joe Mason has been brought back from his loan in America, still only 27, knows this league, knows us and has a fair decent strike rate. Can play off the main striker and does those late runs into the box?

We need someone who can lead the line. No point signing another player like ALF who doesn’t fit in. We need someone who can play up top on their own. If it’s one with pace who can run channels then that is ideal.

[TANGODANCER]

If we're shy in midfield and a striker would it be worthwhile looking at Matty James? (who's on Puel's list of players to get game time for). I also saw that Joe Mason has been brought back from his loan in America, still only 27, knows this league, knows us and has a fair decent strike rate. Can play off the main striker and does those late runs into the box?

Mason is no bad shout as a useful aquisition.

[TKIZ!]

If we're shy in midfield and a striker would it be worthwhile looking at Matty James? (who's on Puel's list of players to get game time for). I also saw that Joe Mason has been brought back from his loan in America, still only 27, knows this league, knows us and has a fair decent strike rate. Can play off the main striker and does those late runs into the box?

We need someone who can lead the line. No point signing another player like ALF who doesn’t fit in. We need someone who can play up top on their own. If it’s one with pace who can run channels then that is ideal.

Aye, all just suggestions though. All just a massive guessing game until we bring the players in. There are plenty of teams in the Premier League who have strikers not likely to feature that much due to higher profile signings, the trouble will be wages:

Lee Tomlin, Anthony Pilkington, Nakhi Wells, Oumar Niasse, Ademola Lookman, Rolondo Aarons, Shane Long, Sam Gallagher, Stefano Okaka, Isaac Success, Javier Hernandez (wishful thinking but now 3 other forwards have been signed by Spammers), Ivan Cavaleiro

[Lost Leopard Spot]

^ How many of that lot are we even going to attempt to attract? That'll be 0 then.
We have no process in place to negotiate a way out of the position we are in. Everything is 'for the moment' planning, if you can even call it planning.
Where is the Vision? Where?