Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[BWFC_Insane]

The reality of what Schumacher now has to deal with. I presume, macatee, lolos and Randall are the three players he’s referring to.

https://x.com/bwfcfans/status/1914574231326572708?s=61

It is a problem. We couldn't figure it at the time and I suspect most are none the wiser now.

Indeed, Randall was the real head scratcher and on the evidence so far, would be the luxury player. At least Lolos doesnt mind a tackle and to a lesser extent Macatee. Not sure where that leaves CMG.
I'm optimistic that SS will sort it, if Sharon and the board give him similar backing to Evatt.

You could argue this is what got us into the issue in the first place.

Unlike IE, SS doesn't think he runs the whole club...

More than argue it. But the fact is that you need to back the right one…

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Think DSB posted something about 4231 etc. And I deliberately didn't respond because I don't think it's the right approach. Sure have a goal in mind as a directional thing, but we need to base it on who we get, and be adaptable. I think we've spent to long on a formations with lots of compromises, rather than adapting to what we have.

That's a fair enough viewpoint, Worthy.

One of the things I've most admired about Schumacher is that he has been very flexible with his formations - the very opposite to Evatt's glacial tweaks, each presented like Moses returning from the mountain with a new tablet ("I've found the answer to us freezing against Oxford! What if we go from 3-4-1-2 to 3-4-2-1, eh?! They'll have no answer to that!!!").

Schumacher, on the other hand, has switched happily from back four to back three and vice-versa, sometimes playing two or three formations in one match according to the opponents and game state. Surely that's preferable to a One True Way, the holy Plan A? Aye.

So when I suggest 4-2-3-1 it's not to suggest the elimination of all options. Indeed, it's more about what we've got (and what we need).

This season - under Evatt AND Schumacher - we have been absolutely dogshit at defending. Purely numerically, we're a top-six attack let down by a bottom-six defence; the eye test confirms we've let in howlers all season, and it ain't stopping. Schumacher's sides have conceded 26 in 16 league games (1.625apg, 74.75 per season) - way too many. It's now more than Evatt's (41 in 26 = 1.576apg, 72.5 per season).

Worryingly, lately the attack has dried up too. That may be Collins and McAtee being overworked and/or underbothered; and/or the absence of Dion and Vic; and/or the presence of Etete. But under Schumacher we've scored 22 in 16 (1.375gpg, 63.25 per season). It's now less than Evatt's (39 in 26 = 1.5gpg, 69 per season).

Put bluntly, I don't think playing three at the back is helping us. Having extra bodies isn't giving us extra protection. And with the 10s misfiring it again places enormous emphasis on the wingbacks to provide width, and they mostly ain't. We look narrow and bereft of ideas.

That's the reason I suggested 4-2-3-1 - with a proper MJ-style Bastard 6 in the two, ordering midfielders to tackle. JDC will range forward from RB anyway; hopefully Conway will too on the left. JOT can be a winger not a neither fish-nor-flesh wingback. Collins, if decreed worthy of a place, is probably best employed coming in off the left. And maybejustmaybe the way to play Randall is with a proper option either side of him and a target (pacy and/or strong) up top, like he had at Peterborough, then he might not look such a little boy lost. Interesting that Schumacher notes we're short of wide players and a 9...

Anyway, whatever we do, we should be flexible formationally. And we should demand effort and concentration and commitment - and anyone not signing up to it can frig off.

[jmjhb]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

[The_Gun]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Hart cost more than Dapo?!

[jmjhb]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Hart cost more than Dapo?!

Read it again

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Ha that's a great fact. Ilesy was fairly open that Hart had gone for money - didn't realise he meant we made cash too!!

But yeah, that's a bit of an indictment on the 'trading model'. When in our second window we got Dapo - a match-ready PL-trained player who made a difference and was also very tradable - I thought we'd be looking to repeat the trick but we haven't, really. Traf and Bradley showed the benefit of borrowing players we could never reasonably convert to actual assets but in terms of more Dapos, arguably the best we've done is Dubem Eze or Trevon Bryan. More must follow.

[Worthy4England]

The reality of what Schumacher now has to deal with. I presume, macatee, lolos and Randall are the three players he’s referring to.

https://x.com/bwfcfans/status/1914574231326572708?s=61

It is a problem. We couldn't figure it at the time and I suspect most are none the wiser now.

Indeed, Randall was the real head scratcher and on the evidence so far, would be the luxury player. At least Lolos doesnt mind a tackle and to a lesser extent Macatee. Not sure where that leaves CMG.
I'm optimistic that SS will sort it, if Sharon and the board give him similar backing to Evatt.

You could argue this is what got us into the issue in the first place.

Unlike IE, SS doesn't think he runs the whole club...

I think Managers need the flexibility to sign who they think will keep them in a job (within the budgets they have), but that's not to say there shouldn't be other guardrails as with any business where a Manager presents their business case for the new and improved sliced bread.

[jmjhb]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Ha that's a great fact. Ilesy was fairly open that Hart had gone for money - didn't realise he meant we made cash too!!

But yeah, that's a bit of an indictment on the 'trading model'. When in our second window we got Dapo - a match-ready PL-trained player who made a difference and was also very tradable - I thought we'd be looking to repeat the trick but we haven't, really. Traf and Bradley showed the benefit of borrowing players we could never reasonably convert to actual assets but in terms of more Dapos, arguably the best we've done is Dubem Eze or Trevon Bryan. More must follow.

Khumbeni possibly. We got a bit of change for him.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There will always be plenty of good free agents and loans available to clubs of our stature at this level. Absolutely no need to spend fortunes to build a good League One side.

Have a browse through the ‘expiring contracts’ pages on Transfermarkt for the three EFL divisions and you’ll find plenty of interesting names. I’m certain that there will also be a slew of decent impending free agents on the continent, which is a market our new DOF should know.

Irksomely busy today but itching to get poring over the possibilities. As ever

There will be plenty of futures up in the air until seasons are decided but one strong benefit of our season ening in mid-April is that we can start lining up players now. Their seasons may not yet be over but we can get a flavour of whether they'd be interested. Go go gadget Harkin.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

in terms of more Dapos, arguably the best we've done is Dubem Eze or Trevon Bryan. More must follow.

Khumbeni possibly. We got a bit of change for him.

Absolutely, fair point, forgot about him.

I'm just hoping we activate our option to extend Conway's contract, as he's our best proper homegrown prospect (as opposed to released-and-rehomed) in quite some time.

[Frank Drebin]

The reality of what Schumacher now has to deal with. I presume, macatee, lolos and Randall are the three players he’s referring to.

https://x.com/bwfcfans/status/1914574231326572708?s=61

It is a problem. We couldn't figure it at the time and I suspect most are none the wiser now.

Indeed, Randall was the real head scratcher and on the evidence so far, would be the luxury player. At least Lolos doesnt mind a tackle and to a lesser extent Macatee. Not sure where that leaves CMG.
I'm optimistic that SS will sort it, if Sharon and the board give him similar backing to Evatt.

You could argue this is what got us into the issue in the first place.

Unlike IE, SS doesn't think he runs the whole club...

It’s a fair point, and I wouldn’t want the manager running the club,like Evatt. But, I’m thinking backing Schumacher financially. For e.g if SS wants to sell/move players on, at a loss if necessary to create squad space. I don’t think we’ll recoup the outlay for Macatee or Randall but they’re taking up squad places and decent wages. It’ll be difficult for Schumacher but he knows it, does the board know it.

[TonyDomingos]

There will always be plenty of good free agents and loans available to clubs of our stature at this level. Absolutely no need to spend fortunes to build a good League One side.

Have a browse through the ‘expiring contracts’ pages on Transfermarkt for the three EFL divisions and you’ll find plenty of interesting names. I’m certain that there will also be a slew of decent impending free agents on the continent, which is a market our new DOF should know.

Irksomely busy today but itching to get poring over the possibilities. As ever

There will be plenty of futures up in the air until seasons are decided but one strong benefit of our season ening in mid-April is that we can start lining up players now. Their seasons may not yet be over but we can get a flavour of whether they'd be interested. Go go gadget Harkin.

From today's BN:

"Discussions on budgets have been ongoing in the last few weeks between new sporting director Harkin, who is finishing out the season at his current club Standard Liege, and the ownership group."

[BWFC_Insane]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Who signed off on our spending spree last summer and even more crucially in January? Schumacher has talked about ‘mistakes being made’ and to me it’s clear this is what he is referring to. But Evatt spent money because he was allowed to. So who was responsible? Who should have in January at the very least said ‘hang on that’s not happening’?

[Worthy4England]

Think DSB posted something about 4231 etc. And I deliberately didn't respond because I don't think it's the right approach. Sure have a goal in mind as a directional thing, but we need to base it on who we get, and be adaptable. I think we've spent to long on a formations with lots of compromises, rather than adapting to what we have.

That's a fair enough viewpoint, Worthy.

One of the things I've most admired about Schumacher is that he has been very flexible with his formations - the very opposite to Evatt's glacial tweaks, each presented like Moses returning from the mountain with a new tablet ("I've found the answer to us freezing against Oxford! What if we go from 3-4-1-2 to 3-4-2-1, eh?! They'll have no answer to that!!!").

Schumacher, on the other hand, has switched happily from back four to back three and vice-versa, sometimes playing two or three formations in one match according to the opponents and game state. Surely that's preferable to a One True Way, the holy Plan A? Aye.

So when I suggest 4-2-3-1 it's not to suggest the elimination of all options. Indeed, it's more about what we've got (and what we need).

This season - under Evatt AND Schumacher - we have been absolutely dogshit at defending. Purely numerically, we're a top-six attack let down by a bottom-six defence; the eye test confirms we've let in howlers all season, and it ain't stopping. Schumacher's sides have conceded 26 in 16 league games (1.625apg, 74.75 per season) - way too many. It's now more than Evatt's (41 in 26 = 1.576apg, 72.5 per season).

Worryingly, lately the attack has dried up too. That may be Collins and McAtee being overworked and/or underbothered; and/or the absence of Dion and Vic; and/or the presence of Etete. But under Schumacher we've scored 22 in 16 (1.375gpg, 63.25 per season). It's now less than Evatt's (39 in 26 = 1.5gpg, 69 per season).

Put bluntly, I don't think playing three at the back is helping us. Having extra bodies isn't giving us extra protection. And with the 10s misfiring it again places enormous emphasis on the wingbacks to provide width, and they mostly ain't. We look narrow and bereft of ideas.

That's the reason I suggested 4-2-3-1 - with a proper MJ-style Bastard 6 in the two, ordering midfielders to tackle. JDC will range forward from RB anyway; hopefully Conway will too on the left. JOT can be a winger not a neither fish-nor-flesh wingback. Collins, if decreed worthy of a place, is probably best employed coming in off the left. And maybejustmaybe the way to play Randall is with a proper option either side of him and a target (pacy and/or strong) up top, like he had at Peterborough, then he might not look such a little boy lost. Interesting that Schumacher notes we're short of wide players and a 9...

Anyway, whatever we do, we should be flexible formationally. And we should demand effort and concentration and commitment - and anyone not signing up to it can frig off.

All very reasonable as ever, mate. I put myself through "the Barnsley 4" last week. From memory, we weren't generally outnumbered when the attacks start. Yet time and again we see 2/3 attackers in much better places than our defenders as the move unfolds. Time and again no structure in our box, time and again unchallenged, barely challenged headers. Like we're nearby but disorganised on who is picking up who. Standard corporate "everyone's accountable," so no bugger actually does the job.

I also think three at the back doesn't help, but I also think the midfield doesn't work well either. In part, I suspect, because we struggle to trust a player to do their job in breaking up the attack, so we bunch on the flank or elsewhere, then they switch it into acres of space...so I'm certainly not agin 2 with a bastard tank...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Should they stay or should they go? Here's my opinions... for today. (Two strong games may change my mind, as might two shit ones.)

JUNE 2025
Nathan Baxter - RELEASE - I like him but something's broken (43 concessions in 26 league games) and we need a new voice.
Joel Coleman - RELEASE - Thanks and farewell.
Gethin Jones - RELEASE - Very many thanks and much good luck, but it's over.
Ricardo Santos - RELEASE - Very many thanks and much good luck, except if it affects us.
Alex Murphy - END LOAN - Way too unreliable.
Jay Matete - END LOAN - Again I like him but it's not quite there and we need new types.
Kion Etete - END LOAN - A bogeyman to frighten the children.
Luke Hutchinson - KEEP - Year's extension with a Fourth Division loan.
Luke Matheson - RELEASE - 22 and on loan in tier 6. Good luck.
Max Conway *club has +1yr option - KEEP - We'll need another LB/LWB option but Max (who will be overage) should be in that fight.

JUNE 2026
Luke Southwood *club has +1yr option - KEEP - but as backup.
Will Forrester - KEEP - Breakthrough season. He turns 24 in summer - can he keep improving?
George Johnston - LISTEN TO OFFERS - Tough one this, as I think George is a likeable, flexible, hard-working type (and a lefty) - but he's 27 this year and has he improved? Would you trust him in a back four?
Josh Dacres-Cogley - KEEP - I'd take another three or four of him in the squad, please.
Jordi Osei-Tutu - KEEP - Can we keep him fit and focused? I'd like us to try.
Kyle Dempsey - KEEP - One you'd want alongside you rather than against you in a fight...
Carlos Mendes Gomes - LISTEN TO OFFERS - It's not worked out, and if (as I assume) he's on a decent wage, I think we could do better.
Victor Adeboyejo - LISTEN TO OFFERS - Any incoming Turkish phone calls should be answered.
Dan Nlundulu - LISTEN TO OFFERS - I mean.

JUNE 2027
Eoin Toal - KEEP - On his 5th injury of the season but we do look better with him in (except perhaps at LCB).
Chris Forino - KEEP - Adds post-Santos height and certainly talks the talk judging by his post-Lincoln interview. I'm not entirely convinced but I think he deserves a chance.
Josh Sheehan - KEEP - Although if Cardiff get relegated and want to build round him... if he stays, he really really needs a Bastard 6 alongside him.
George Thomason - KEEP - Rarely lacks effort, often shows promise, leftiness adds an option. Keep - but maybe not as captain.
Aaron Morley - KEEP - One of few players to improve this year, he shows us a post-Sheehan possibility.
Szabolcs Schön *club has +1yr option - KEEP - although I wouldn't be against selling him at the right price, especially if he keeps making the wrong decisions so frequently. Interesting that Schuey doesn't see him as a LWB...
Aaron Collins - KEEP - 19 goals. One of the EFL's most regular goal/assist providers for the last three or four years. But he cannot be our only option.
Klaidi Lolos - LISTEN TO OFFERS - Willing but limited. Loan to the fourth tier and sell in Jan.
John McAtee - LISTEN TO OFFERS - I don't know what he is. Looking angry isn't enough.

JUNE 2028
Joel Randall - LISTEN TO OFFERS - The avatar of a failure, and not just his. It would take some turnaround to stop him being seen as the Evatt exemplar.

Who's that leave me with?
GK: Southwood, Hutchinson
RB/RWB: Dacres-Cogley
CB: Forrester, Toal, Forino
LB/LWB: Conway
CM: Dempsey, Sheehan, Thomason, Morley
FORWARDS: Collins, Osei-Tutu, Schön

That's 12 overage outfielders I'd keep (barring £££ offers), with 7 others (Johnston, Mendes Gomes, Lolos, Randall, McAtee, Adeboyejo, Nlundulu) I'd be seeking to shunt. It'd be difficult to get rid of all 7 of those so they may be added back into the pile, with varying degrees of distaste – depends how much they showed they wanted to stay... – but there's a big list of must-haves:

• goalkeeper
• Bastard 6 (organiser)
• A fullback/wingback on each side as competition or upgrade
• Wide attackers
• No.9

I'd not be distraught to see a centre-back upgrade - but I don't think it's the weakest department in terms of individual players. It needs coaching, organisation and determination.

[Worthy4England]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Who signed off on our spending spree last summer and even more crucially in January? Schumacher has talked about ‘mistakes being made’ and to me it’s clear this is what he is referring to. But Evatt spent money because he was allowed to. So who was responsible? Who should have in January at the very least said ‘hang on that’s not happening’?

Director if Football?

[BWFC_Insane]

If I had to guess about this summer's recruitment it would be a combination of more, let's say, pragmatic signings and investment in young (<22) players. Expect the loan system to be used too.

Ultimately it needs to become somewhat sustainable. Before Dion was sold, the second biggest sale of Evatt's tenure was...Neil Hart.

Who signed off on our spending spree last summer and even more crucially in January? Schumacher has talked about ‘mistakes being made’ and to me it’s clear this is what he is referring to. But Evatt spent money because he was allowed to. So who was responsible? Who should have in January at the very least said ‘hang on that’s not happening’?

Director if Football?

Quite possibly. Which would explain why he was sacked off.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Who signed off on our spending spree last summer and even more crucially in January? Schumacher has talked about ‘mistakes being made’ and to me it’s clear this is what he is referring to. But Evatt spent money because he was allowed to. So who was responsible? Who should have in January at the very least said ‘hang on that’s not happening’?

Director of Football?

Quite possibly. Which would explain why he was sacked off.

But again, the timing is weird.

Markham's departure was annoucned on Feb 21st but it had been rumoured for a while (fortnight?) before that. Evatt was sacked on Jan 22nd. It's like we got three weeks into a window too far then belatedly flicked him, and then in the inquest decided Makham was to blame too.

Looking at the results, it's weird we should have just played Lincoln because beating them 3-0 at home on Dec 29th may have been a very expensively bad move. Had we lost that - a second home defeat between Christmas and New Year, the Boxing day Barnsley loss coming 12 sore days after yet more domestic abuse from Wigan - then maybe just maybe it would have spooked the board enough to either sack Evatt or at least stop him spending £1.2m on Joel Randall.

Anyway, just a thought. Could be bollocks because even after Lincoln we lost at Mansfield, won lucky and late at Exeter, were routed at Rotherham - and still Sharon sat on her hands. Won at Lincoln in the cup and scraped a draw at home to Cambridge before the loss to Charlton finally snapped patience.

[BWFC_Insane]

Who signed off on our spending spree last summer and even more crucially in January? Schumacher has talked about ‘mistakes being made’ and to me it’s clear this is what he is referring to. But Evatt spent money because he was allowed to. So who was responsible? Who should have in January at the very least said ‘hang on that’s not happening’?

Director of Football?

Quite possibly. Which would explain why he was sacked off.

But again, the timing is weird.

Markham's departure was annoucned on Feb 21st but it had been rumoured for a while (fortnight?) before that. Evatt was sacked on Jan 22nd. It's like we got three weeks into a window too far then belatedly flicked him, and then in the inquest decided Makham was to blame too.

Looking at the results, it's weird we should have just played Lincoln because beating them 3-0 at home on Dec 29th may have been a very expensively bad move. Had we lost that - a second home defeat between Christmas and New Year, the Boxing day Barnsley loss coming 12 sore days after yet more domestic abuse from Wigan - then maybe just maybe it would have spooked the board enough to either sack Evatt or at least stop him spending £1.2m on Joel Randall.

Anyway, just a thought. Could be bollocks because even after Lincoln we lost at Mansfield, won lucky and late at Exeter, were routed at Rotherham - and still Sharon sat on her hands. Won at Lincoln in the cup and scraped a draw at home to Cambridge before the loss to Charlton finally snapped patience.

Yeah timing seems very poor - but we know all that.

I’m beginning to wonder if Schumacher was asked for an appraisal of his squad by the board or Sharon and did so and the result of that is why Markham was turfed? It’s the oddest thing that he was central to recruiting a new manager then shown the door a week or later. Did Schumacher offer up the fact that the January business was no good?

[Prufrock]

@Pru a thought on the latter point: you could add a poll asking which players folk would like to see here next season... well, sort of.

If I recall, polls can have up to 20 options. By my reckoning we have 26 in the current squad - including the absent Nlundulu - but you could exclude the three loanees (Murphy, Matete, Etete) plus Coleman, then it's just picking two other names to drop. Could be Jones and Santos, widely expected to leave.

Have now added a poll per the above. Left out Geth and Rico, also left out Southwood (to get Conway in) as imagine v few people aren't happy with him at least as back-up.