Hanging on, January Transfer Window thread 2017

[Peter Thompson]

I would prefer to get Eoin Doyle from Preston his record for chesterfield was 1 in 3 and scored a few hatricks against Scunthorpe & Preston
Still think we need wingers someone who can stretch the game and run at the oppositions defence.

Absolutely - for me it doesn't matter which striker or indeed how many strikers Parkinson brings in, we simply don't create enough in open play - and we are very ponderous going forward, so as I've said on another thread unless he changes the way the team plays and gets a playmaker in midfielder or a decent pacy winger its pointless bringing any strikers in IMO.

For me a creative, energetic midfielder is far more important than a striker, because our current midfield are abysmal in the attacking / creative side of the game....if we can somehow get both (an attacking midfielder and a decent goal scorer) then that would be a huge bonus.

[cmbfc_90]

No le fondre in the Wigan squad today read into that what you will

[TANGODANCER]

Could we please have both Alf and Sammi Ameobi, or am I being a bit greedy....?

[HMX]

Lots of noise (albeit on twitter) about the signings being Chris Long and ALF

[officer_dibble]

If we could have anyone back that has played for us over the last few seasons I would vote Liam Feeney. His direct running and nous for a goal would work really well at the moment. No idea how he is doing for Owen's mob mind.

[malcd1]

Lots of noise (albeit on twitter) about the signings being Chris Long and ALF

Could happen if this snippet on Twitter is true from earlier.

Portsmouth want Bolton striker Jamie Proctor. Wanderers want money for him.

Free up a place and get a bit of money in?

[Andy Waller]

We've signed Chris Long from Burnley.

Anyone any idea if he's any good??

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

More on Long, etc, from Iles on the BN.
Odemwingie: "club sources refusing to completely rule out the possibility of a deal" - which says to me they've said it's unlikely. Iles notes that as a free agent, Odemwingie could sign after the deadline. Also: "Chris Taylor looks set to re-join his former club Oldham Athletic after being excluded from the squad on Saturday against Charlton. Wanderers could go further in their clear-out, too, with Jamie Proctor subject to interest from League Two Portsmouth and the likes of Liam Trotter, Conor Wilkinson, Dorian Dervite, Lewis Buxton and Dean Moxey all potentially up for grabs."

[Prufrock]

What's the deal with Buxton? I liked him, and Parky seemed to, then he got injured and hasn't been seen since?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

What's the deal with Buxton? I liked him, and Parky seemed to, then he got injured and hasn't been seen since?

I remember a few less enthusiastic reports on here - not Trotter-level slamming, just the odd comment.

He started the first nine league games then got injured. Wilson came in and Bux has barely had a sniff since; he was on the bench for half-a-dozen consecutive league games in October/November but hasn't been since, partly as Parky prefers to have Derik (who can also play centre-back or defensive midfield) as a bench option.

I think "the deal" is exactly that - a one-year contract for a guy who's now 33. If we weren't struggling for squad spaces Parky would probably be happy to have him around, but if we need one out to get one in, he's about as affordably expendable as we have.

[BWFC_Insane]

Buxton is a very defensively minded full back. He's not galloping on overlaps. I don't think he works in this system. The midfield diamond we started the season off, was a different story. But now the full backs need to get up and down. It isn't Buxton's game.

Wilson was awful on Saturday mind. I quite like him, he works very hard, but on the ball, often he is pure dross.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Buxton is a very defensively minded full back. He's not galloping on overlaps. I don't think he works in this system. The midfield diamond we started the season off, was a different story. But now the full backs need to get up and down.

Not arguing with how those systems were applied in our case, but I'd say in general that full-backs should overlap *more* with a diamond than our current system. Otherwise you have no width at all.

While on full-backs getting forward, I note that someone said they didn't do it enough on Saturday, and I wonder if that might be Parky's reaction to losing from in front against Swindon. He said some things after the game which might have implied we were too reckless. Seems there's more than one way to lose from in front, though.

[BWFC_Insane]

Buxton is a very defensively minded full back. He's not galloping on overlaps. I don't think he works in this system. The midfield diamond we started the season off, was a different story. But now the full backs need to get up and down.

Not arguing with how those systems were applied in our case, but I'd say in general that full-backs should overlap *more* with a diamond than our current system. Otherwise you have no width at all.

While on full-backs getting forward, I note that someone said they didn't do it enough on Saturday, and I wonder if that might be Parky's reaction to losing from in front against Swindon. He said some things after the game which might have implied we were too reckless. Seems there's more than one way to lose from in front, though.

Agreed, though when we played the diamond and two up front early doors, Buxton did rarely cross the half way line.

The thing is, that in the current system, we have very little width as both wide players drift inside. It leaves space for the full backs (and Spearing/Thorpe provide protection), both get forward well, but whilst Taylor is neat and tidy, Wilson is anything but at times, his distribution and delivery is appalling in general.

Alarmingly in both the last two home games we've been cut apart on the break and given we are playing with the extra insurance in midfield I do think it is down to players not doing the basics right. I haven't had the stomach to watch Charlton's second goal from Saturday, but it looked a shocking one to concede from where I sat.

People say Parky is "defensive" but our last two home games, we've lost because we've over-committed men forward, lost the ball and been caught on the break. Really that shouldn't happen, especially when in both games we initially took the lead. Our game management until now has been superb, so it is very hard to explain the last two games, in that regard.

[Athertonian]

Long's a terrible player with a record of 3 goals in fifteen games. He's been on loan at Fleetwood. Not an ideal signing I'm my opinion.

[BWFC_Insane]

Long's a terrible player with a record of 3 goals in fifteen games. He's been on loan at Fleetwood. Not an ideal signing I'm my opinion.

Out of interest, how many times have you watched him play?

[TANGODANCER]

Long's a terrible player with a record of 3 goals in fifteen games. He's been on loan at Fleetwood. Not an ideal signing I'm my opinion.

He's only twenty one and has experience in the Prem and Championship. We're talking about a part season loan, and we're hardly Real Madrid ourselves right now. Give him a chance hey?

[bristol_Wanderer3]

I think Parky was interested in Long in the last TW, so he obviously sees something in him. And fifteen games in the first half of the season for a team in a similar position to ourselves suggests he isn't that terrible. Will be interesting to see how we use him and if we change our formation to accommodate him. He seems to be a player who plays in the forward line and has some pace. Will he replace Madine? Will we try to use him as we did Ameobi? Will we play with two up top?

[officer_dibble]

We are deffo short on pace up top. As we have been for years! So its a thumbs up from me.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

And fifteen games in the first half of the season for a team in a similar position to ourselves suggests he isn't that terrible.

Didn't I read somewhere that he'd left FTFC because he didn't like the manager's rotation policy?

[Prufrock]

No danger of that here!