Reconstruction time again: the summer 2018 transfer thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Beevers has come out and unequivocally said he wants to stay. So I suspect unless the club decide otherwise he will stay. I'd like that to not necessarily be as an out and out first choice. Make him fight for his place. Only left footed CB we had though.

Indeed.

I want to stay at Bolton because I love it here. It’s perfect for me. I enjoy my football, the lads, the management staff and it’s a fantastic club. I’d want to stay for the foreseeable future, there is nothing more certain. But having said that I would like to get off to a better start!

That's from this http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wa ... Wanderers/ in which Marc Iles says "Wanderers are still in discussion with player agents and are not likely to name their retained list until next week. A total of 20 players are out of contract, split between the senior squad and the development squad."

[mullayo]

So am I correct in saying this is our under-contract squad as it stands:

I keep a Contract Expiry thread updated: see viewtopic.php?f=4&t=23114&p=1054597#p1054597

If you're including Wheater because he has an optional extension, then the same applies to Karacan, Dervite and Morais. (Other players may also have "options", but we can only go on the information that the club makes public.)

K: Ben Amos, Jake Turner
RB: Mark Little, Stephen Darby
LB: Andrew Taylor
CB: David Wheater (option), Dorian Dervite (option)
DM:
M: Josh Vela, Jem Karacan (option)
RW: Filipe Morais (option)
LW: Will Buckley
ST: Adam Le Fondre, Craig Noone
TS:

CHEERS DSB useful and succinct as ever

[mullayo]

Beevers has come out and unequivocally said he wants to stay. So I suspect unless the club decide otherwise he will stay. I'd like that to not necessarily be as an out and out first choice. Make him fight for his place. Only left footed CB we had though.

Encouraging news.
Wheater, Beevers and Burke were a good horses for courses rotational trio. What's the realistic chances of getting Burke back. He'll be the better for last year's experience.
Third CB needs to be the more \mobile type methinks.

[BWFC_Insane]

Beevers has come out and unequivocally said he wants to stay. So I suspect unless the club decide otherwise he will stay. I'd like that to not necessarily be as an out and out first choice. Make him fight for his place. Only left footed CB we had though.

Encouraging news.
Wheater, Beevers and Burke were a good horses for courses rotational trio. What's the realistic chances of getting Burke back. He'll be the better for last year's experience.
Third CB needs to be the more \mobile type methinks.

Burke - I'd not bother. He had one good game that I recall. Out of his depth for me.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Beevers has come out and unequivocally said he wants to stay. So I suspect unless the club decide otherwise he will stay. I'd like that to not necessarily be as an out and out first choice. Make him fight for his place. Only left footed CB we had though.

Encouraging news.
Wheater, Beevers and Burke were a good horses for courses rotational trio. What's the realistic chances of getting Burke back. He'll be the better for last year's experience.
Third CB needs to be the more \mobile type methinks.

Burke - I'd not bother. He had one good game that I recall. Out of his depth for me.

Aye, I wanted him to work well for us - we need someone faster and better on the ball than Wheavers or for that matter Dervite. At Millwall away, he looked like he could be that man; by Barnsley away, he was broken – I've rarely felt as sorry for a footballer.

Parky is a loyal manager but he's not daft. I suspect it may have slightly surprised him how big a gap there is between the third and second tiers, and that Burke couldn't cross it. It's like Cullen – PotY as Bradford hit the play-offs, but well out of his depth in a second-tier relegation battle. Such is the way of young players, and it's a warning for Hall and the U23s, who show promise but still have a lot to prove.

[BWFC_Insane]

Beevers has come out and unequivocally said he wants to stay. So I suspect unless the club decide otherwise he will stay. I'd like that to not necessarily be as an out and out first choice. Make him fight for his place. Only left footed CB we had though.

Encouraging news.
Wheater, Beevers and Burke were a good horses for courses rotational trio. What's the realistic chances of getting Burke back. He'll be the better for last year's experience.
Third CB needs to be the more \mobile type methinks.

Burke - I'd not bother. He had one good game that I recall. Out of his depth for me.

Aye, I wanted him to work well for us - we need someone faster and better on the ball than Wheavers or for that matter Dervite. At Millwall away, he looked like he could be that man; by Barnsley away, he was broken – I've rarely felt as sorry for a footballer.

Parky is a loyal manager but he's not daft. I suspect it may have slightly surprised him how big a gap there is between the third and second tiers, and that Burke couldn't cross it. It's like Cullen – PotY as Bradford hit the play-offs, but well out of his depth in a second-tier relegation battle. Such is the way of young players, and it's a warning for Hall and the U23s, who show promise but still have a lot to prove.

I think Cullen would have been ok playing with Henry and Pratley. It is just there is no way on earth he was physical enough to be a holding midfield player in this league. It was a miscalculation.

[mullayo]

Cheers guys

I only see the odd game and thought Burke sounded the ticket early doors. Carvalho to our two Terrys.
The third CB should definitely be the quicker type. Is the Derik experiment done?

How about Nedum Onouaha?
He was lightning quick and super braniac smart IIRC. Bit inconsistent when I watched him as an 18 year-old youth hopefully he's aged well.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

See, I think Burke is miles better than Wheevers. To me Wheevers are one of our biggest problems, the Championship has moved on to a degree where they are a liability. They concede goals from through balls due to lack of pace, which is to be expected, but in addition they don't cut out crosses and aren't even dominant defending set pieces, nor do they score many at the other end at this level. The sale of Madine had a real affect on our ability to defend set pieces, we looked very vulnerable indeed in the last couple of months. Forest had four clear cut chances in the first half alone on Sunday, three from crosses into the box. Not good enough. The thought of Wheevers being the foundation of our defence next season is imho the most compelling reason to think about changing the manager.

I have a stat with which to back up this opinion: Burke started in five of our nine clean sheets this season, from 22 starts, the best ratio of starts/clean sheets of our central defenders. So there

[BWFC_Insane]

See, I think Burke is miles better than Wheevers. To me Wheevers are one of our biggest problems, the Championship has moved on to a degree where they are a liability. They concede goals from through balls due to lack of pace, which is to be expected, but in addition they don't cut out crosses and aren't even dominant defending set pieces, nor do they score many at the other end at this level. The sale of Madine had a real affect on our ability to defend set pieces, we looked very vulnerable indeed in the last couple of months. Forest had four clear cut chances in the first half alone on Sunday, three from crosses into the box. Not good enough. The thought of Wheevers being the foundation of our defence next season is imho the most compelling reason to think about changing the manager.

I have a stat with which to back up this opinion: Burke started in five of our nine clean sheets this season, from 22 starts, the best ratio of starts/clean sheets of our central defenders. So there

I don't disagree that Beevers and Wheater are a problem. But Burke is not the answer. Frankly beyond his heroics on Sunday this season for me Wheater hasn't looked fit. I think the club has to decide if he stays because he looked like his back was troubling him a lot at times.

We need some mobility at centre back for sure. It just depends how you go about it.

One thing I will say is, we should never play 3 at the back, ever again!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I don't disagree that Beevers and Wheater are a problem. But Burke is not the answer. Frankly beyond his heroics on Sunday this season for me Wheater hasn't looked fit. I think the club has to decide if he stays because he looked like his back was troubling him a lot at times.

We need some mobility at centre back for sure. It just depends how you go about it.

One thing I will say is, we should never play 3 at the back, ever again!

While I wholeheartedly agree with much of that, I don't subscribe to the last "never"; an unnecessary generalisation, that. It's what we switched to when we got our only away win, for instance.

It very very much depends on players and coaches but the back three can work. It just requires a lot of mobility from your centre-backs, awareness from your central/defensive midfielders and stamina from your wing-backs. For instance, I still think Little and Robinson are better wing-backs than full-backs. But if you've got Henry and Pratley stood in front of Beevers/Wheater/Dervite, possibly with Morais willingly but limitedly filling in at wing-back, tier-two sides are going to find the big spaces.

Anyway:
BREAKING POSSIBLE-TARGET CONTRACT NEWS
Atdhe Nuhiu has signed a two-year extension with Sheffield Wednesday

[BWFC_Insane]

I don't disagree that Beevers and Wheater are a problem. But Burke is not the answer. Frankly beyond his heroics on Sunday this season for me Wheater hasn't looked fit. I think the club has to decide if he stays because he looked like his back was troubling him a lot at times.

We need some mobility at centre back for sure. It just depends how you go about it.

One thing I will say is, we should never play 3 at the back, ever again!

While I wholeheartedly agree with much of that, I don't subscribe to the last "never"; an unnecessary generalisation, that. It's what we switched to when we got our only away win, for instance.

It very very much depends on players and coaches but the back three can work. It just requires a lot of mobility from your centre-backs, awareness from your central/defensive midfielders and stamina from your wing-backs. For instance, I still think Little and Robinson are better wing-backs than full-backs. But if you've got Henry and Pratley stood in front of Beevers/Wheater/Dervite, possibly with Morais willingly but limitedly filling in at wing-back, tier-two sides are going to find the big spaces.

Anyway:
BREAKING POSSIBLE-TARGET CONTRACT NEWS
Atdhe Nuhiu has signed a two-year extension with Sheffield Wednesday

I was being a bit tongue in cheek. But as you know I'm not a big believer in 3 at the back. Never have been. It suits a very limited number of teams. And if you recruit to it, it leaves you less flexible IMHO.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Found this Fanpost on Lion of Vienna Suite dated March 27 from RCJ_97: My Wanderers Summer Wishlist
(...)
Marcus Maddison:

A player linked with the Wanderers following promotion last season. Maddison has had an unbelievable season at Peterborough scoring 8 goals and providing 18 assists. Would he be a good acquisition for Wanderers, or was there a reason nothing materialised last summer?

Maddison has been transfer-listed. He's contracted till 2020.

When I sat down with Marcus last August and agreed a new contract with him, I gave him my verbal assurances that were we to fall short and not gain promotion, I would allow him to leave the club subject to an offer acceptable to the football club and place him on the transfer list.

Marcus has been in his four years with the football club our stand out attacking midfielder and one of the best players offensively outside of the Premier League and the Championship. He has had an incredible career with the Posh and it is only right that I stick to my word and give him the best chance possible to further his ambitions of playing further up the football pyramid so with sadness today (Thursday), I can confirm he is available for transfer.

[mullayo]

Found this Fanpost on Lion of Vienna Suite dated March 27 from RCJ_97: My Wanderers Summer Wishlist
(...)
Marcus Maddison:

A player linked with the Wanderers following promotion last season. Maddison has had an unbelievable season at Peterborough scoring 8 goals and providing 18 assists. Would he be a good acquisition for Wanderers, or was there a reason nothing materialised last summer?

Maddison has been transfer-listed. He's contracted till 2020.

It's like I went up a mountain and came down with holy scriptures or summit! The word according to Royal Christ Jesus_97!
I doubt we'll get that Marriot though. Goal machine. Games about goals. Moneyball approach like Burton are taking. If we can recreate the goals of Goal Machine Gaz Madine in THE AGGREGATE with a bunch of castoffs do it! Make a movie out of it. Start with the great escape!

[BWFC_Insane]

I imagine the barrier to Maddison will be a fee reaching a few million at least. If not more. Plenty of interest. He'll be outside our budget unless the Sheikhs do rock up. If they do, I want better than him to be honest....

[Bruce Rioja]

Has anyone asked a Charlton fan has to how Bog-eyed Ben the Hologram's got on this season? I see that they've made the play offs.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Has anyone asked a Charlton fan has to how Bog-eyed Ben the Hologram's got on this season? I see that they've made the play offs.

All the very best to them. And not just because they're a lot nearer to our house than the alternatives

(They play Shrewsbury at home tonight - play-off season is underway!)

[Prufrock]

Has anyone asked a Charlton fan has to how Bog-eyed Ben the Hologram's got on this season? I see that they've made the play offs.

"Fine" was about the response I got. Not ripped up trees but been decent enough and reliable enough. Conceded one from range very early on but it wasn't obvious to my mate that he sees in 2D.

(And I warned him )

[mullayo]

K: Ben Amos, Jake Turner
RB: Mark Little, Stephen Darby
LB: Andrew Taylor
CB: David Wheater (option),
DM:
M: Josh Vela, Jem Karacan (option)
RW: Filipe Morais (option)
LW: Will Buckley
ST: Adam Le Fondre, Craig Noone
TS:

Given this is the state of our squad and Parky is our gaffer. IMHO priorities are:
1) Target Striker,
2) Defensive MIdfielder,
3) Centreback mobile type

[Prufrock]

Think we need two centre mids but yeah, just a new spine!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'd argue we need two of each: centre-backs (at least one of whom should be quick and enjoy having the ball at his feet), central midfielders and centre-forwards – look what happened in two successive seasons when we only had one real target man and he suddenly wasn't available.

Some of them could come from the Bosmen – I'd keep Wheater and Beevers, probably Henry as back-up in midfield.

Note that on Mullayo's list, Dervite is also an (option) – it's not one I'd rush to take.