Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

[BWFC_Insane]

I can see where you're coming from but I'd rather take a "hungry" player like Dixon with a point to prove than the possibility of another Amos. Remember how that turned out?

If we're working on the basis that Gilks starts the season in nets then I'd want the best up and coming keeper we can find who can over the next year or 2 grow into our first team. That might be Dixon but it seems to me unlikely the stars would just align like that.

[sonicthewhite]

As with anything, any signing is an unknown in so much no one knows how it will turn out? Look at Baptiste when he re-signed. How many people thought that was a good idea? Equally with Maddison. How many thought what a tremendous signing? Truth is we won't know until it happens. You could be right, I could be right, either way it's a transfer thread to keep us busy over the summer speculating to the why's, wherefore's and maybes of who may or may not be signing for Bolton. It's certainly going to be a more enjoyable discussion as a L1 club

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm not too worried about the fact he's played for Evatt before. Last summer we went for a young up-and-coming goalkeeper and it didn't work – that doesn't mean it never will, but it's certainly a lesson learned.

More widely, I don't mind Evatt hiring people he knows, such as Sam Hird or Matt Gilks or Alex Baptiste, as long as it's leavened with people he doesn't, like Antoni Sarcevic and MJ Williams – and for that matter, Peter Atherton: anyone who was scared of new voices wouldn't hire one as his assistant.

What worries me a bit more about Joel Dixon is that he's 27 and hadn't played a Football League game before this season. I know goalkeepers have longer shelf-lives, and I know non-league diamonds can be unearthed, and I know that the similarly-aged Arthur Gnahoua surprised us on occasion. But goalkeeper is a position that requires consistency rather than Arthur-like flashes of brilliance, and I wonder why no league club ever took a chance on him after Sunderland released him at age 21. Looking at the pattern of his loans – Workington, Boston, Hartlepool, Gateshead - maybe it was geography again - he didn't want to move too far from his (Middlesbrough) roots, severely cutting his options? Or is it that nobody in the 92 believed he had the ability?

[BWFC_Insane]

I'm not too worried about the fact he's played for Evatt before. Last summer we went for a young up-and-coming goalkeeper and it didn't work – that doesn't mean it never will, but it's certainly a lesson learned.

More widely, I don't mind Evatt hiring people he knows, such as Sam Hird or Matt Gilks or Alex Baptiste, as long as it's leavened with people he doesn't, like Antoni Sarcevic and MJ Williams – and for that matter, Peter Atherton: anyone who was scared of new voices wouldn't hire one as his assistant.

What worries me a bit more about Joel Dixon is that he's 27 and hadn't played a Football League game before this season. I know goalkeepers have longer shelf-lives, and I know non-league diamonds can be unearthed, and I know that the similarly-aged Arthur Gnahoua surprised us on occasion. But goalkeeper is a position that requires consistency rather than Arthur-like flashes of brilliance, and I wonder why no league club ever took a chance on him after Sunderland released him at age 21. Looking at the pattern of his loans – Workington, Boston, Hartlepool, Gateshead - maybe it was geography again - he didn't want to move too far from his (Middlesbrough) roots, severely cutting his options? Or is it that nobody in the 92 believed he had the ability?

Yeah that's my point. Knows Evatt isn't the issue. More at 27 he's been at Barrow for most of his career and if he's that good, the best keeper available at our level - then surely hugely in demand? Which doesn't appear the case....

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Quick note while we’re on the subject of Barrow. They’ve released Josh Kay, who played in 35 (started 32) of the 37 games in that title season; played 29 this season. Has played most on the left of midfield but Evatt tried him all over the shop, including central midfield and left of a front three, before retraining him as left wingback. ("I'm always open to play anywhere - I don't mind where I play because I just want to play football.”) Turned 24 in January; played in Evatt's last season at Chesterfield.

Barrow have also offered a contract (as yet unsigned) to Brad Barry, who started 30 of the 37 games in the title season and 33 more this time. Six-foot right midfielder/right-back, turned 26 in Feb; 100-odd games for Swindon and (yes) Chesterfield earlier in his career.

No idea whether we are or should be interested, but while we're eyeing the retained lists it seems daft not to mention these.

[brommers95]

Squad update after the retained list announcement

This is assuming all players with offers re-sign.

Greyed out players are the players you'd imagine will either go out loan to aid development (Darcy, Senior, Alexander, Edwards) or go out on loan/leave on a free to get them off the books (Greenidge, Gordon, Comley, Crawford).

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that one or two of these have an incredible pre-season and fight their way into Evatt's first team plans but safe to assume most won't.

Immediate areas of concern are the left hand side (DJ and Dapo?) and up front, but quality needs to be added all over the pitch really to provide depth and competition.

Screenshot 2021-05-19 at 19.13.13.png (53.89 KiB) Viewed 914 times

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

As with anything, any signing is an unknown in so much no one knows how it will turn out? Look at Baptiste when he re-signed. How many people thought that was a good idea? Equally with Maddison. How many thought what a tremendous signing? Truth is we won't know until it happens. You could be right, I could be right, either way it's a transfer thread to keep us busy over the summer speculating to the why's, wherefore's and maybes of who may or may not be signing for Bolton. It's certainly going to be a more enjoyable discussion as a L1 club

Nevermind all that. How's the kettle doing? Another season in it and seek to sign an understudy, or sign a replacement with more watts and reserve our hero for backup performances? This could be more vital to get right than any Evatt signing.

[KeyserSoze]

As with anything, any signing is an unknown in so much no one knows how it will turn out? Look at Baptiste when he re-signed. How many people thought that was a good idea? Equally with Maddison. How many thought what a tremendous signing? Truth is we won't know until it happens. You could be right, I could be right, either way it's a transfer thread to keep us busy over the summer speculating to the why's, wherefore's and maybes of who may or may not be signing for Bolton. It's certainly going to be a more enjoyable discussion as a L1 club

Nevermind all that. How's the kettle doing? Another season in it and seek to sign an understudy, or sign a replacement with more watts and reserve our hero for backup performances?

Hearing Ken Wood is coming in on a trial.

[GhostoftheBok]

Dixon would be fine by me. We are clearly looking at Gilks as number one again next season. I have mixed feelings about that, but I'm not overly concerned and having a really good back up option isn't generally a thing at our level. Dixon has had three decent seasons recently, he's a good age, he'll be relatively cheap and he'll allow us to loan Alexander out to get some experience in non-league if we feel he'd benefit from that. If we assume we're not going for a really good first choice ahead of Gilks he'd be a good signing. He may even turn out to be a good league keeper if we are really lucky.

The only reason not get him would be if we wanted to avoid using two registration slots for keepers, as Alexander doesn't need registering. So having Gilks plus a kid might make sense from a bookkeeping point of view, allowing us an extra outfield player.

[Prufrock]

As with anything, any signing is an unknown in so much no one knows how it will turn out? Look at Baptiste when he re-signed. How many people thought that was a good idea? Equally with Maddison. How many thought what a tremendous signing? Truth is we won't know until it happens. You could be right, I could be right, either way it's a transfer thread to keep us busy over the summer speculating to the why's, wherefore's and maybes of who may or may not be signing for Bolton. It's certainly going to be a more enjoyable discussion as a L1 club

Nevermind all that. How's the kettle doing? Another season in it and seek to sign an understudy, or sign a replacement with more watts and reserve our hero for backup performances? This could be more vital to get right than any Evatt signing.

Whichever way, it's nice to know Eddie is looking down on us.

[GhostoftheBok]

Quick note while we’re on the subject of Barrow. They’ve released Josh Kay, who played in 35 (started 32) of the 37 games in that title season; played 29 this season. Has played most on the left of midfield but Evatt tried him all over the shop, including central midfield and left of a front three, before retraining him as left wingback. ("I'm always open to play anywhere - I don't mind where I play because I just want to play football.”) Turned 24 in January; played in Evatt's last season at Chesterfield.

Barrow have also offered a contract (as yet unsigned) to Brad Barry, who started 30 of the 37 games in the title season and 33 more this time. Six-foot right midfielder/right-back, turned 26 in Feb; 100-odd games for Swindon and (yes) Chesterfield earlier in his career.

No idea whether we are or should be interested, but while we're eyeing the retained lists it seems daft not to mention these.

In both cases I'd say they're not what we need. We need lads who will come in and add quality to the 11, rather than squad players. If we can move half a dozen on and improve the also-rans in the squad then lads like Kay become much more attractive - maybe the same if we fail to agree deals with a lot of those we are trying to keep. As it stands, I don't see them being the sort to get us out of League One and that's what we need to look at.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The only reason not get him would be if we wanted to avoid using two registration slots for keepers, as Alexander doesn't need registering. So having Gilks plus a kid might make sense from a bookkeeping point of view, allowing us an extra outfield player.

If (if) the latest noises are true, the squad cap won’t count keepers.

[Burnden Paddock]

As with anything, any signing is an unknown in so much no one knows how it will turn out? Look at Baptiste when he re-signed. How many people thought that was a good idea? Equally with Maddison. How many thought what a tremendous signing? Truth is we won't know until it happens. You could be right, I could be right, either way it's a transfer thread to keep us busy over the summer speculating to the why's, wherefore's and maybes of who may or may not be signing for Bolton. It's certainly going to be a more enjoyable discussion as a L1 club

Nevermind all that. How's the kettle doing? Another season in it and seek to sign an understudy, or sign a replacement with more watts and reserve our hero for backup performances?

Hearing Ken Wood is coming in on a trial.

I’d rather we take a look at Russell Hobbs. Ken Wood seems to have gone off the boil of late.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

As with anything, any signing is an unknown in so much no one knows how it will turn out? Look at Baptiste when he re-signed. How many people thought that was a good idea? Equally with Maddison. How many thought what a tremendous signing? Truth is we won't know until it happens. You could be right, I could be right, either way it's a transfer thread to keep us busy over the summer speculating to the why's, wherefore's and maybes of who may or may not be signing for Bolton. It's certainly going to be a more enjoyable discussion as a L1 club

Nevermind all that. How's the kettle doing? Another season in it and seek to sign an understudy, or sign a replacement with more watts and reserve our hero for backup performances?

Hearing Ken Wood is coming in on a trial.

I’d rather we take a look at Russell Hobbs. Ken Wood seems to have gone off the boil of late.

How De Longhi do we wait before a decision?

[Bruce Rioja]

Quick note while we’re on the subject of Barrow. They’ve released......

Yoan Zouma. Not sure if it's already been mentioned, and not that we'll be having him back, but there was a player I so willed to do well. I always thought, like many others I guess, that if he could cut those silly mistakes out then he could go on to do well. However, if he couldn't then he'd one day find himself being released by the likes of...….. Barrow.
Spent a month on loan at Altrincham last season, I see.

Ah well - I wish him all the best.

[BWFC_Insane]

Quick note while we’re on the subject of Barrow. They’ve released......

Yoan Zouma. Not sure if it's already been mentioned, and not that we'll be having him back, but there was a player I so willed to do well. I always thought, like many others I guess, that if he could cut those silly mistakes out then he could go on to do well. However, if he couldn't then he'd one day find himself being released by the likes of...….. Barrow.
Spent a month on loan at Altrincham last season, I see.

Ah well - I wish him all the best.

Always thought he was a bit...rubbish myself. Edwards was much the better player and a shame he's had so many injuries!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Zouma has raw qualities but is erratic and frequently makes the wrong decisions. That's annoying in a forward; in a defender (or goalkeeper!) it's a non-starter. Like Bruce I wondered if good coaching could help him drop the daft, but evidently Barrow have decided not. I wish him all the best but it's a tough market and I think we'll see a lot of this - not just with Covid finances, but with squad-size restrictions. There are, quite simply, more footballers than jobs.

[GhostoftheBok]

The only reason not get him would be if we wanted to avoid using two registration slots for keepers, as Alexander doesn't need registering. So having Gilks plus a kid might make sense from a bookkeeping point of view, allowing us an extra outfield player.

If (if) the latest noises are true, the squad cap won’t count keepers.

Thanks for that. Just seem more odd the more I hear about them, these ones.

Surely 25 senior players, like most leagues, would have been fine. 20, but oh by the way we're not counting keepers in that, seems a bit off the cuff. Have they released the wording of the rules?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The only reason not get him would be if we wanted to avoid using two registration slots for keepers, as Alexander doesn't need registering. So having Gilks plus a kid might make sense from a bookkeeping point of view, allowing us an extra outfield player.

If (if) the latest noises are true, the squad cap won’t count keepers.

Thanks for that. Just seem more odd the more I hear about them, these ones.

Surely 25 senior players, like most leagues, would have been fine. 20, but oh by the way we're not counting keepers in that, seems a bit off the cuff. Have they released the wording of the rules?

Nah, that would be organised. But that description - 22 (not 20*) overage outfielders - has now been cited by a number of journalists with various club insiders on speed-dial. It hasn't been ratified or even agreed but it seems the likeliest outcome right now.

*The reduction of squad size to 20 players (for League One & Two) was supposed to happen this season, but the PFA is dead against it and Covid has harpooned it; bit strange to be able to play 16 players (with subs) per game in one season then only have 20 in total the next.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

^ Sheffield Wednesday are going to be busy this summer!

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Joost van Aken - RELEASED
Kadeem Harris - RELEASED
Elias Kachunga - RELEASED
Tom Lees - RELEASED
Matt Penney - RELEASED
Moses Odubajo - RELEASED
Joey Pelupessy - RELEASED
Adam Reach - RELEASED
Jordan Rhodes - RELEASED
Keiren Westwood - RELEASED
Liam Shaw - CONTRACT DECLINED (signing for Celtic)
Osaze Urhoghide – CONTRACT OFFERED
Ciaran Brennan – EXTENSION TRIGGERED
Alex Hunt – EXTENSION TRIGGERED
Sam Hutchinson – EXTENSION TRIGGERED