Bijou Bob's Bargain Basement Buys - Jan transfer thread

[Spartan2]

Freedman was terrible both tactically and in the transfer market

Was he though? I seem to remember him keeping us unbeaten for three months or so and making at least half a dozen good signings. In fact, I've written a piece about the latter. Not that I think he was overall a good manager, but I'm prepared to have a balanced point of view.

He inherited an exceptional midfield

Did he, though? Because they were playing pretty poorly when he arrived. (I'm assuming you mean 'exceptional' as 'good'.) Not that I think he was overall a good manager, but I'm prepared to have a balanced point of view.

He left us with an extraordinarily unbalanced team, lacking wingers, fullbacks and strikers and having too many midfielders.

I agree the squad was unbalanced. I've therefore been intrigued to see us so heavily linked with Commons, a midfielder. But I'm prepared to have a balanced point of view, so I'll back him if he arrives.

This is a guy who played with league two Beckford and still signed him!

And watched him become top scorer that season. Still, I wasn't sad when he (or Freedman) left, I'm prepared to have a balanced point of view on that.

A few exceptions aside, there's nothing contradictory about being more excited about NL's targets than freedman's.

I'm not saying you're being contradictory, I'm, saying you're being overly simplistic. I'm not saying there's no reason to be more excited, because the mood is genuinely more positive and Lennon appears to be a better manager. Doesn't mean that before, everything was shite and now everything's roses.

Was freedman terrible?
1, yes he was, one of the worst starts in our history, and on course for relegation with a team that his successor has in promotion form.

did he inherit an exceptional/good midfield?
2, yes, the one that is playing now -which is very good for this division- was largely available to him during his time here.

[Spartan2]

Very balanced.

I'm perfectly happy to accept a balanced view of say Gary Megson, who wasn't brilliant, wasn't terrible. DF was a clown, W1, D2, L8.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Was freedman terrible?
1, yes he was, one of the worst starts in our history, and on course for relegation with a team that his successor has in promotion form.

Yep, I agree we had one of the worst starts in our history. I also saw us go on two very long runs of good form, one of which all but got into the play-offs a team that his predecessor had in near-relegation form. Overall, I'm glad he went, on balance.

did he inherit an exceptional/good midfield?
2, yes, the one that is playing now -which is very good for this division- was largely available to him during his time here.

D'you mean Feeney, Vela, Danns and Pratley? Just checking, because he signed two of them, but you said before that he was terrible in the transfer market.

Very balanced.

I'm perfectly happy to accept a balanced view of say Gary Megson, who wasn't brilliant, wasn't terrible. DF was a clown, W1, D2, L8.

Freedman was in charge for 101 games, and we won 34, drew 33, lost 34. That's, er, balanced.

[Enoch]

Was freedman terrible?
1, yes he was, one of the worst starts in our history, and on course for relegation with a team that his successor has in promotion form.

Yep, I agree we had one of the worst starts in our history. I also saw us go on two very long runs of good form, one of which all but got into the play-offs a team that his predecessor had in near-relegation form. Overall, I'm glad he went, on balance.

did he inherit an exceptional/good midfield?
2, yes, the one that is playing now -which is very good for this division- was largely available to him during his time here.

D'you mean Feeney, Vela, Danns and Pratley? Just checking, because he signed two of them, but you said before that he was terrible in the transfer market.

Very balanced.

I'm perfectly happy to accept a balanced view of say Gary Megson, who wasn't brilliant, wasn't terrible. DF was a clown, W1, D2, L8.

Freedman was in charge for 101 games, and we won 34, drew 33, lost 34. That's, er, balanced.

Almost perfectly.

[Spartan2]

Was freedman terrible?
1, yes he was, one of the worst starts in our history, and on course for relegation with a team that his successor has in promotion form.

Yep, I agree we had one of the worst starts in our history. I also saw us go on two very long runs of good form, one of which all but got into the play-offs a team that his predecessor had in near-relegation form. Overall, I'm glad he went, on balance.

did he inherit an exceptional/good midfield?
2, yes, the one that is playing now -which is very good for this division- was largely available to him during his time here.

D'you mean Feeney, Vela, Danns and Pratley? Just checking, because he signed two of them, but you said before that he was terrible in the transfer market.

Very balanced.

I'm perfectly happy to accept a balanced view of say Gary Megson, who wasn't brilliant, wasn't terrible. DF was a clown, W1, D2, L8.

Freedman was in charge for 101 games, and we won 34, drew 33, lost 34. That's, er, balanced.

No that's poor. 1.34ppg roughly. Would see us finish around 15th most seasons. If he had stayed in charge we would probably have been relegated. This debate has been done to death, you won't convince me that he was -on balance-anything other than terrible. You clearly don't agree, such is your prerogative.

[Montreal Wanderer]

DSB is perfectly balanced - he has a chip on both shoulders...

[Hoboh]

Was freedman terrible?
1, yes he was, one of the worst starts in our history, and on course for relegation with a team that his successor has in promotion form.

Yep, I agree we had one of the worst starts in our history. I also saw us go on two very long runs of good form, one of which all but got into the play-offs a team that his predecessor had in near-relegation form. Overall, I'm glad he went, on balance.

did he inherit an exceptional/good midfield?
2, yes, the one that is playing now -which is very good for this division- was largely available to him during his time here.

D'you mean Feeney, Vela, Danns and Pratley? Just checking, because he signed two of them, but you said before that he was terrible in the transfer market.

Very balanced.

I'm perfectly happy to accept a balanced view of say Gary Megson, who wasn't brilliant, wasn't terrible. DF was a clown, W1, D2, L8.

Freedman was in charge for 101 games, and we won 34, drew 33, lost 34. That's, er, balanced.

Almost perfectly.

Balanced as in terms of failure you mean.
Every three games I'll win one, draw one, lose one 'cause I'm a balanced kind of guy?
Unhinged more like if you think given the setup and facilities at the club warrant an 'I'll sometimes achieve mid table' manager.
Why on earth anyone defends the bloke is way over me? What turned out on the pitch was more than enough evidence he was a clueless chancer for most people.
I suspect Lennon is busy taking an axe to all of Gartside's lies about the good work behind the scenes Freedman did and I further suspect that's why he ain't going to be employed anywhere decent any time soon because people are doing their homework on him!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Was freedman terrible?
1, yes he was, one of the worst starts in our history, and on course for relegation with a team that his successor has in promotion form.

Yep, I agree we had one of the worst starts in our history. I also saw us go on two very long runs of good form, one of which all but got into the play-offs a team that his predecessor had in near-relegation form. Overall, I'm glad he went, on balance.

did he inherit an exceptional/good midfield?
2, yes, the one that is playing now -which is very good for this division- was largely available to him during his time here.

D'you mean Feeney, Vela, Danns and Pratley? Just checking, because he signed two of them, but you said before that he was terrible in the transfer market.

I'm perfectly happy to accept a balanced view of say Gary Megson, who wasn't brilliant, wasn't terrible. DF was a clown, W1, D2, L8.

Freedman was in charge for 101 games, and we won 34, drew 33, lost 34. That's, er, balanced.

No that's poor. 1.34ppg roughly. Would see us finish around 15th most seasons. If he had stayed in charge we would probably have been relegated. This debate has been done to death, you won't convince me that he was -on balance-anything other than terrible. You clearly don't agree, such is your prerogative.

I've said many times that I'm glad he went. I've said it many times to you in the course of this discussion. I just tire of the playschool idea that everything was shite under Freedman and everything is berrrrrilliant under Lennon, because it's massively oversimplistic and ignores a few things Freedman did well. For instance, I note you ignored my second point about the "very good" midfield he "inherited", which in fact was 50% assembled by him on free transfers.

I'll say it again: I have no doubt that we're better for getting rid of Freedman. And I have no intention of trying to "convince" you that he was a good manager. Just saying that not everything he did was "terrible", because if that kind of mindless binary gainsaying becomes the norm on here, it will be vastly the poorer for it.

[twilight]

I hope there's some incomings soon...I don't know about Lennon but I'm bored

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

This morning's Times says Stoke are after CYL, having lost Bojan to injury.

[Worthy4England]

It's fairly pointless judging Freedman against previous managers - Megson had plenty of investment, despite saying he was reducing the wage bill, didn't. Coyle got less investment and wasted most of it and similarly didn't make huge inroads into the wage bill. Freedman reduced the wage bill 60%. (I too, am not arguing that he's a good manager nor that he should still be here).

Out of our current fairly regular starters the split between those signed by Freedman and Coyle is about 6 players each (Cravies, Spearing, Dervite, Feeney, Trotter, Danns - Freedman), (Lonergan, Mills, Pratley, Ream, Wheater - Coyle). I could add Holden to Coyle and Tierney to Freedman..

It's funny that all our "creativity" was signed by one Mr G Megson.

Into our third manager in the Championship - and I have more blind faith in this one, than the last two - but when I look across that team, I still have it as an average mid-table Championship squad. (That's not to say it couldn't get promoted - wouldn't be the first average mid-table Championship squad to do so).

[Tombwfc]

I love a good Dougie discussion, but I have a new name!

Nixon says we're after Lorient's Alain Traore on loan. Attacker once on trial with United, linked with Arsenal two years ago, linked with a plethora of lower half Premier League teams since. Goes at exactly a goal every four games in France.

[Bruce Rioja]

Nixon says we're after Lorient's Alain Traore on loan

He's not related to Dimmy Traore, once of Liverpool, is he?

This one;

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Lot of African players called Traore. Google ranks our guy as the 12th most relevant search return for "Traore footballer wiki".

[thebish]

there must be a song in there.. the twelfth best Traore in the world??

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

there must be a song in there.. the twelfth best Traore in the world??

Now, Bish. Google rankings don't signify quality, just popularity.

We've got the 12th most searched-for Traore in the world...

[Gary the Enfield]

there must be a song in there.. the twelfth best Traore in the world??

Led by your good self, Bish

'ave a banana!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

That fella in the dress has no idea he's about to get mugged...

[StaffsTrotter]

This morning's Times says Stoke are after CYL, having lost Bojan to injury.

noting NLs comments about getting something for players rather than letting them leave for nothing, I'm guessing injury or not, CYL will be on his way.

I'm getting quizzed by stokies about him. Notice one chap on the Oatcake says Southampton, Palace, Fiorentina and Bundesliga clubs are also interested - lets hope its a bidding war !

[Bruce Rioja]

This morning's Times says Stoke are after CYL, having lost Bojan to injury.

noting NLs comments about getting something for players rather than letting them leave for nothing, I'm guessing injury or not, CYL will be on his way.

I'm getting quizzed by stokies about him. Notice one chap on the Oatcake says Southampton, Palace, Fiorentina and Bundesliga clubs are also interested - lets hope its a bidding war !

Ooh oooooh!!!!