Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

One other thing on Lloyd Jones' court case – Evatt (or was it Phoenix?) did sign Jak Hickman, suggesting that youthful indiscretions while under the influence can be forgiven.

On borrowing him from Luton pre-pandemic, the then-fourth tier Cobblers' then-boss Keith Curle said “Lloyd is a good defender who we think is an excellent fit for us. He’s a dominant centre back, he can play anywhere across the back three and he can handle the football too, being able to step out and join in with play.

“He is a player who is a good size, he likes to defend, and he has good technical ability. He is dominant in both boxes; he’s a goal threat at attacking set plays and he has a decent amount of experience in both League 1 and League 2 so he can hit the ground running. Just as importantly, we think he will fit in well with the excellent dressing room environment we have at the club.”

He opted not to play for Northampton in the delayed L2 play-offs, fearing injury and citing interest from a League One club – but when that fell through, he trained with the Cobblers for a few months until a registration space opened up in late December. Think he started every game thereafter; in all he's now played 71 third-tier games (also for Blackpool, Swindon, Luton and Plymouth, dating back to 2015) and 25 fourth-tier.

I'd say from that history that he's a third-tier player and he knows it (hence not risking injury in the play-offs), but isn't a bad lad (hence training with his last club until a spot came up: “I wanted to make sure and show the gaffer, and all the coaching staff and the other players here, that I’m hungry. I don’t want anyone doubting me on that side of things because I know when I’m on it, I believe I in what I can do").

Also played as part of a back three – something Evatt may still want in reserve - under Curle before Cobblers switched to a back four under Brady, who handed him the armband when the skipper was out: “He’s shown real maturity, and when you’re a young centre-half, you have to show that maturity. I feel, especially now we’ve gone to a back four, he’s been decisive in his decision-making and he’s been a leader within the group and that’s why he was rewarded with the captain’s armband when Millsy was out. He’s quite an inspirational young guy as well and I feel we’re very lucky to have him with us at Northampton Town.” Jones: "When I played youth football I used to be captain a lot and it all comes from confidence. I've only played 16 games but for those 16 games I have absolutely loved every minute of it. I just couldn't get regular game-time at Luton for the last two and a half years but I've always had myself down as a leader. It's difficult to really stamp yourself on the team for the first few games but now I'm 16 games in and hopefully I'm showing everyone what I'm about."

Oh and he was the player holding back ref Darren Drysdale after he tried to nut Alan Judge...

"Lloyd Jones knew my father, my father knew Lloyd Jones..."

[Spartan2]

Anyone considering IE might go back to 352? Clearly it was a horror show this season but it is -or at least was- his preferred system, he might look to recruit to it this summer and try to make it work with more capable players. He might even try to recruit for two systems so he can switch as and when he feels, just a thought.

[BWFC_Insane]

Anyone considering IE might go back to 352? Clearly it was a horror show this season but it is -or at least was- his preferred system, he might look to recruit to it this summer and try to make it work with more capable players. He might even try to recruit for two systems so he can switch as and when he feels, just a thought.

No. Absolutely under no circumstances. Santos can’t play in a 3 and neither can Baps. It’s a system that demands very particular players in key positions and it’s only advantage is two strikers up front. For me it works in such a limited range of situations that it’s not something to work for.

We are playing the most played system in English football by a mile a variation of 4231. We can tweak that to make it more of a 451 or a 433 and thus it’s more than flexible enough. Stick with it.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Anyone considering IE might go back to 352? Clearly it was a horror show this season but it is -or at least was- his preferred system, he might look to recruit to it this summer and try to make it work with more capable players. He might even try to recruit for two systems so he can switch as and when he feels, just a thought.

Considering he won a league with it, I doubt he’ll swear never to use it again. But considering he built a team who showed league-winning form over half a season with a back four, I doubt he’ll abandon that very quickly. As you say, he might keep 3-5-2 in mind as an occasional option in future. When the fullbacks push on and MJ drops in, we’re not a million miles off it anyway.

[Worthy4England]

Anyone considering IE might go back to 352? Clearly it was a horror show this season but it is -or at least was- his preferred system, he might look to recruit to it this summer and try to make it work with more capable players. He might even try to recruit for two systems so he can switch as and when he feels, just a thought.

Considering he won a league with it, I doubt he’ll swear never to use it again. But considering he built a team who showed league-winning form over half a season with a back four, I doubt he’ll abandon that very quickly. As you say, he might keep 3-5-2 in mind as an occasional option in future. When the fullbacks push on and MJ drops in, we’re not a million miles off it anyway.

I don't really care what system he plays as long as it's to the strengths of the players. I'd hope that he wouldn't just dogmatically revert without trying to recruit for it,

[BWFC_Insane]

Anyone considering IE might go back to 352? Clearly it was a horror show this season but it is -or at least was- his preferred system, he might look to recruit to it this summer and try to make it work with more capable players. He might even try to recruit for two systems so he can switch as and when he feels, just a thought.

Considering he won a league with it, I doubt he’ll swear never to use it again. But considering he built a team who showed league-winning form over half a season with a back four, I doubt he’ll abandon that very quickly. As you say, he might keep 3-5-2 in mind as an occasional option in future. When the fullbacks push on and MJ drops in, we’re not a million miles off it anyway.

I don't really care what system he plays as long as it's to the strengths of the players. I'd hope that he wouldn't just dogmatically revert without trying to recruit for it,

Its a fools game trying to recruit for a 3 at the back at our level. It takes such a specialised set of players and you limit yourself and then if it doesn't work you have to try and tweak the system with players recruited to something else.

If majority of teams played 3 at the back then fine you're going to have an easier job. But simply they don't so lets just go with the formation the majority of teams play and do so for a good reason, because its flexible enough to be tweaked to match up to anyone and players can understand their roles within it.

[The_Gun]

Isn't it extremely unlikely that we will be paying transfer fees for anyone (Eisa, Kioso) this summer? Given the huge free agent pond we'll be fishing in I really can't see there will be any need or desire to be paying fees.

[officer_dibble]

Didn’t we miss out on some loan players last august as we couldn’t pay a fee? I think that will still be a thing this summer.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Didn’t we miss out on some loan players last august as we couldn’t pay a fee? I think that will still be a thing this summer.

Possibly. I don't think anything collapsed last-minute, it's just that some clubs habitually charge loan fees and we weren't allowed to pay any.

Isn't it extremely unlikely that we will be paying transfer fees for anyone (Eisa, Kioso) this summer? Given the huge free agent pond we'll be fishing in I really can't see there will be any need or desire to be paying fees.

Depends on the player/circumstance, I suppose. Evatt will have a budget and if he wants to spend a chunk of it on a fee, I'm sure FV would stand by him. But if we're talking say £250,000, that's a year's wage at £5kpw, which is just above the £4,700 pw which was reported last year as the average for each L1 club's highest earner, if you see what I mean - not the average wage of all players, but the average top whack per club.

Same report also says L1 clubs averaged 28 squad members, Championship 37(!) - so there will be some talent trickle-down a la Lee/John.

[Prufrock]

I won't bore you all be repeating but I wrote a big thing in January around the time of the change to 4 at the back about how it would make a big difference, particularly with winning the ball back in the right areas. I don't think you can really play 352 and press high. Not without having miles better players than the other team. It wouldn't surprise me if he had 343 in his back pocket, but then you're into fine margins about the difference in paper systems anyway. When our fullbacks push on, and MJ sits in, you're not far off a 343 anyway.

He also started at Barrow playing 4231, and only changed when things were going badly and it clicked. Obviously it having worked there that was the blueprint here at first. So it's not like he's a "3 at the back" guy.

I don't think we'll see it much, and I'm happy with that!

[Bruce Rioja]

When the fullbacks push on and MJ drops in, we’re not a million miles off it anyway.

My thoughts exactly. With good cover in front of the back two (which I'd say can also come from Thomasson) I don't see any reason why he'd revert to putting a third CB in, especially when the resultant paradox is that that in an attempt to bolster the defence it actually makes it worse!

[brommers95]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge, so at 36 maybe he calls time on his playing career and moves into coaching.

Screenshot 2021-05-13 at 12.46.17.png (64.99 KiB) Viewed 1162 times

[Bruce Rioja]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

[jimbo]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

It still baffles me that he was signed to be a Premier League player for us.

[BWFC_Insane]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

It still baffles me that he was signed to be a Premier League player for us.

Not sure why he was very far from the worst player we signed as a premiership club.

[Worthy4England]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

It still baffles me that he was signed to be a Premier League player for us.

Did you not see THAT goal.

[Bruce Rioja]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

It still baffles me that he was signed to be a Premier League player for us.

Not sure why he was very far from the worst player we signed as a premiership club.

He was. However, and without speaking on Jimbo's behalf, he was trumpeted in on a four year as having been Swansea's superstar the season prior. At premiership level he was absolutely out of his depth; an issue not helped though by the level of expectation.

[Prufrock]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

It still baffles me that he was signed to be a Premier League player for us.

Not sure why he was very far from the worst player we signed as a premiership club.

Just because he was far from the worst (which I'll grant you, but not *that* far) does not mean he was remotely close to getting near to approaching being remotely good enough.

[BWFC_Insane]

Dazza Prazza released by Charlton (no I don't think we should re-sign him).

Didn't realise he had his UEFA B coaching badge.....

Least of all in a coaching role

It still baffles me that he was signed to be a Premier League player for us.

Not sure why he was very far from the worst player we signed as a premiership club.

He was. However, and without speaking on Jimbo's behalf, he was trumpeted in on a four year as having been Swansea's superstar the season prior. At premiership level he was absolutely out of his depth; an issue not helped though by the level of expectation.

Depends how you look at it - he was a free and I don't remember much trumpeting. And in the end he probably was a reasonable squad player for a lower half team. People need to always remember Muamba who was an absolutely fantastic destroyer but couldn't kick a ball straight for 5 yards if we're honest cost us £5M and was considered relatively cheap at the time. The cost for players was silly. We signed Sordell, for £3.5M - Pratley for a free was a pretty good signing overall. Its just he came at a time where spending millions just wasn't happening as much so I guess people just saw him as the big deal.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Preston release two forwards:
• Louis Moult, 28yo Stoke-born six-footer; scored 38 in 84 for Scots top-flighters Motherwell but never got going at PNE, amid injuries - 7 goals in 36 Champo games iver 3.5 years
• Billy Bodin, 29, more of an attacking midfielder or out wide. 39 Champo games (3 goals), 62 L1 (22 goals). Best spell was at Bristol Rovers, 31 goals in 95 games (L2 promotion season plus 1.5yrs in L1 before PNE signed him).
They're also releasing winger Josh Ginnelly, though he looks set to make his loan to Hearts permanent, plus David Nugent.