January 2022 Transfer Thread

[Worthy4England]

That's a fair point Worthy, we have moved on from "not existing" and people shouldn't be using that as an acceptable excuse for these regular poor performances.

I've just found the below quote from Evatt on another site in regards to Politic, which appears to me like he's saying that the players he's targeting and who will possibly sign are of a much better quality & if we all knew who he's planning on bringing in no one would be questioning whether we should bring Politic back.

"We offered Dennis a contract and he hasn't signed it," Evatt added.

"I wish I could reveal all to supporters and tell you all of my transfer plans in January, who we are looking at, and who we are trying to sign. I guess then it would be a different conversation.

That's the way I read Evatt's quotes, Bertie...

[officer_dibble]

League one is obviously a lot stronger than league two, where it can be argued there is quite a lot of teams and players who are interchangeable with the conference (I have no doubt Stockport would survive if swapped with Scunthorpe). So to improve our league position like last year with a January window is unrealistic. I’m also concerned that we settled with some of the current players in the summer - that may be Evatt being nice, it may be budget. I would take 18th, I think we should be shooting for more like 12th. We’re still Bolton Wanderers and we are still on of the biggest shows in town here. To be honest all I really want from a signing is a player who puts in 100%. The likes of Lee, Johnston, Santos, even Dapo last night were all going through the motions. If you don’t want to play for Bolton I want you replaced.

[Prufrock]

As a side-issue, say we do finish sixth-bottom, how many fans would be content with that?

I wouldn't. I'd be mildly disappointed. Mildly under-par (never understood that phrase, shouldn't it be over-par?).

I think our first 11 when all fit is top 6, but we have almost no depth. If we take the first XI as Dixon, Jones, Santos, Johnstone, John, MJ, Lee, Sheehan, Dapo, Kachunga, Doyle, then there is only Aimson, Isgrove, Bakayoko and Amaechi outside that I think are remotely up to playing regular games at this level. Currently it's not just that we are missing first teamers, it's that the back ups are miles off, and that has knock on effects on the others.

I think it was a mistake not recruiting depth, but a lesson that's been learnt the hard way and I think we'll fix that in Jan. Ideally we'd get improved first teamers in Jan but even competent back up would have a big impact for me. I expect us to improve and finish comfortably mid-table and with good recruitment next summer (keeper, centre back, centre forward) we can have a good go at going up.

We weren't perfect before the injuries but I think they're by far the biggest contributing factor to our current issues. Worth bearing in mind how good a job they've done so far. We had no players last summer. An entirely new squad. There are no guarantees at all there. Going up was a big achievement. Comfortable consolidation was what I expected this year and still think it's very much on.

[irie Cee Bee]

Top 6 would be great but I would be satisfied with mid-table. In fact, staying above the dotted relegation line would be an ok season for me. Why..I believe we need at least 2 seasons in L1 to consolidate, build a strong 24 player squad, so that we are able to compete in the Championship where crazy money is spent, and the football is a many levels up from where we are now.

If due to some great signings in January, we get promoted this season, expectations from fans and Evatt would rise to unimaginable premiership heights for next season, but I fear, without great investment, that we would come right back down in a division that has caused a financial nightmare for many clubs. I Don't think financially we are ready to compete there yet, so consolidation in L1 now and next season is a success for me.

[The_Gun]

I note that Luke Bolton, who Brommers mentioned in the first post of this thread, shares an agent with Gethin Jones and Ronan Darcy. Looks certain to move on from City in the summer, so hopefully he's one we're taking a look at, although I suppose he'd have to take a significant wage cut to join us.

[nicholaldo]

I note that Luke Bolton, who Brommers mentioned in the first post of this thread, shares an agent with Gethin Jones and Ronan Darcy. Looks certain to move on from City in the summer, so hopefully he's one we're taking a look at, although I suppose he'd have to take a significant wage cut to join us.

I'd like us to sign him if only for the "Bolton sign Bolton" headlines.

[Prufrock]

We love you Bolton, we do

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Loans are back on the agenda (if indeed they were ever really off).

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/1 ... er-window/

Includes some interesting notes on the attempts to “layer up the squad” plus a reference to the salary-capped summer 2020 transfer spree which sounds a lot like “Christ I’ve got some cack to clear out”.

How do we get someone that can play to the level of Josh Sheehan but have them short-term until he’s back? That’s a loan – it’s as simple as that.

We have to look at loans. Obviouslym the style and the way we play, and the club that this is and where we are in the country – we are an attractive proposition for the big Category One teams to send their better young players out on loan, so it’s great for us that we’ll have that option.

What we are trying to here is layer up the squad and make it better gradually, and that sometimes takes two to three transfer windows.

You have to remember that we recruited a whole new squad and a whole new team at the start of last season in the middle of a salary cap.

Progressing to a competitive, top-of-the-table League One team does take time. We have to layer it up and we’re starting to make plans to do that. But obviously when you have got so many players out injured, we want to make sure that we are fully covered and stocked for the remainder of the season, so that is something we are looking heavily at. We haven’t really utilised the loan market much, so we’ve got that option as well.

[nicholaldo]

Nixon's reporting that we're close to agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Hartigan.

[The_Gun]

Nixon's reporting that we're close to agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Hartigan.

Is he a 7ft tank who can’t kick straight? If not then he’s clearly not what we need.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nixon's reporting that we're close to agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Hartigan.

Not to quibble, but Nixon has been asked whether a deal is close and he said "Want him. Down to agreeing a fee next month. Been after lad for some time."

Not that I'm very into deciphering vague inferences that imply vast knowledge without ever imparting anything useful. But at least Nixon has been right in some cases.

[nicholaldo]

Nixon's reporting that we're close to agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Hartigan.

Is he a 7ft tank who can’t kick straight? If not then he’s clearly not what we need.

[nicholaldo]

Nixon's reporting that we're close to agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Hartigan.

Not to quibble, but Nixon has been asked whether a deal is close and he said "Want him. Down to agreeing a fee next month. Been after lad for some time."

Not that I'm very into deciphering vague inferences that imply vast knowledge without ever imparting anything useful. But at least Nixon has been right in some cases.

Fair enough. It was his article in The Sun I saw a snippet of. In that he claimed we were "closing in" on a deal.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nixon's reporting that we're close to agreeing a deal to sign Anthony Hartigan.

Not to quibble, but Nixon has been asked whether a deal is close and he said "Want him. Down to agreeing a fee next month. Been after lad for some time."

Not that I'm very into deciphering vague inferences that imply vast knowledge without ever imparting anything useful. But at least Nixon has been right in some cases.

Fair enough. It was his article in The Sun I saw a snippet of. In that he claimed we were "closing in" on a deal.

Ah OK - sorry - although again we can argue whether the rumour-mill "closing in" means the same as "close"

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Given Dixon discussions elsewhere, here's some second-tier GKs who are both out of the first-team picture and out of contract in summer. There are more players lapsing but I’ve excluded those who are currently regulars (first team or bench) or who haven’t got any league experience to speak of. And I have little idea how good any of these are - Roos is the only one I've heard of – so I'll leave that to others...

CONNOR RIPLEY (Preston, 28)
Stuart Ripley’s lad, Boro-born (like Dixon). Has played League football for Boro and Preston, but much more on loan at Oxford, Bradford, Oldham, Burton, Bury, Accy and – right now – Salford. Out of contract in summer, he’s never played more than a couple of games a season for PNE. In total: Champo 7 games, 18 conceded; L1 82 games, 94 conceded; L2 8 games, 9 conceded.

RYAN ALLSOP (Derby, 29)
Signed for Derby in August after leaving Wycombe, for whom he’d played 111 times. Has also played decent swathes of League seasons for Orient, Bournemouth, Cov, Blackpool and Lincoln. He’s also played seven times for Derby, only conceding four and keeping four clean sheets. Derby are in no position to decline offers, but after 18 months in the second tier would he drop down? In total: Champo 48 games, 78 conceded; L1 146 games, 182 conceded; L2 34 games, 34 conceded.

KELLE ROOS (Derby, 29)
Typically tall Dutch bloke who joined Derby in 2014 and has also has League experience on loan to Rotherham, AFC Wombles, Brizzle Rovers, Vale and Plymouth. In total: Champo 72 games, 89 conceded; L1 20 games, 31 conceded; L2 25 games, 24 conceded.

STUART MOORE (Blackpool, 27)
Tangerines’ third-choice keeper signed for them in February but has only played 28 minutes this season and only played the last league game of last season. With previous experience at Posh, Luton, Swindon and McDons, he has played 26 L2 games (conceding 36) and five L1 games (conceding 9).

JORDAN SMITH (Forest, 27)
Has been at Forest for two decades, but not used much recently – no games this season, one league game last season, two the season before, when he was loaned to nearby Mansfield and helped them to the play-offs. That aside, hasn’t played regularly since the first half of 2017/18. In total: Champo 47 games, 71 conceded; L1 1 game, 0 conceded; L2 12 games, 13 conceded.

DILLON BARNES (QPR, 25)
Jamaica international signed by the Rs in 2019 from Colchester; still hasn’t played for them. Been loaned to Hibs and Burton. L2: 24 games, 27 conceded; L1: 1 game, 4 conceded.

[The_Gun]

Rumour site Football League World have linked us with Accy striker Dion Charles - the lad who's in a 'Mexican stand off' with the club over not signing a new contract.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sourc ... nley-star/

Presumably there would be a small fee involved, but given he scored 19 goals in League One last season that might not put us off. What might be an issue is his attitude, which surely has to be called into question given his current situation.

[LeverEnd]

Rumour site Football League World have linked us with Accy striker Dion Charles - the lad who's in a 'Mexican stand off' with the club over not signing a new contract.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sourc ... nley-star/

Presumably there would be a small fee involved, but given he scored 19 goals in League One last season that might not put us off. What might be an issue is his attitude, which surely has to be called into question given his current situation.

Interesting, I'd read it as the club trying to pressure him into signing, or punishing him for not wanting to sign, a new contract. Not that I know anything about it beyond the simple facts, was just an impression from the wording in whatever I read.
Look forward to a PSG with some ' massive club' and 'no disrespect to Accrington, but...' comments thrown in.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Rumour site Football League World have linked us with Accy striker Dion Charles - the lad who's in a 'Mexican stand off' with the club over not signing a new contract.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sourc ... nley-star/

Presumably there would be a small fee involved, but given he scored 19 goals in League One last season that might not put us off. What might be an issue is his attitude, which surely has to be called into question given his current situation.

Interesting, I'd read it as the club trying to pressure him into signing, or punishing him for not wanting to sign, a new contract. Not that I know anything about it beyond the simple facts, was just an impression from the wording in whatever I read.
Look forward to a PSG with some ' massive club' and 'no disrespect to Accrington, but...' comments thrown in.

From what I recall, Coleman claimed that Charles said he'd sign a new contract if he didn't move in the last transfer window; window closed and no contract was signed, so Charles has been ex-communicated. Think he was linked with us by Nixon at the arse-end of last month. So I looked into him then:

Dion Charles (26, forward) - Despite being Preston-born, the recent Norn Iron call-up came through Blackpool’s ranks; made the bench in 2013-14, just after Evatt left. Bounced around north-west non-league, usually played out wide until Southport stuck him up top; he scored 14 goals in 2018/19 and Accy signed him in August 2019. Scored 8 third-tier goals in his first season then 19 last season (from 38 games). He put his success down to analysis: "The key to the improvement in my game is from doing bits of research on teams and players I'm playing against, and figuring out how best to exploit their weaknesses. I use that to try and arrive in the box and get on the end of crosses more.” It worked - only eight L1 strikers had mores shots per 90 minutes last season than his 2.8, and they all sent more off-target than his 0.9. Stoke sniffed in summer but Accy asked £2m. Refusing to sign a new contract, Charles has been exiled from the squad since early September. Accy boss Jono Coleman last week: “"If someone comes in with the right bid for him of course he'll go. It's got to be right for him as well, he doesn't have to just go to the first club that comes for him.” Forest have been linked but it might be worth noting that he’s never played for a club outside the Lancashire borders except Halifax, which is downwind.

[LeverEnd]

So it's their decision not to use him, but it could be his fault I suppose. Who knows? You'd think Evatt should have the contacts to find out if he's an ok lad or the sort you might need to ship out to non league at a moment's notice!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So it's their decision not to use him, but it could be his fault I suppose. Who knows? You'd think Evatt should have the contacts to find out if he's an ok lad or the sort you might need to ship out to non league at a moment's notice!

It's also entirely possible his agent is using us as an attempt to smoke out any other interested parties, perhaps a division up.