Who opened the door? My money is on Janus! 2024 January transfer thread.

[GhostoftheBok]

I think that's a good explanation of where maybe the management team feel we're at. There is an undercurrent, that should we go up, we'd do the Notts Forest unload a squad and buy 18 new players, but I doubt that's where Evatt and Markham's heads at. I doubt we have pretty much everyone signed up for two or three more seasons with the basis that we need to do a mass replacement should we be able to secure a Championship spot. I also think whilst we might spend some money, we're not going to just splash unsustainably, to try and force the issue.

I think, if Collins is on the radar, it's unlikely that it's on the basis that Evatt and Markham don't believe he'd be able to transition into the Champo. That would make zero sense to me.

No. Anyone we're giving long contracts to now is going to play a part if we go up.

Who will be down to a year in the summer?

Coleman, Jones, Iredale, Santos, Cogley and Sheehan?

We won't want lads to walk on a free, so there's some flexibility there in terms of who we'd renew vs who we'd seek buyers for.

You'd imagine we'd want to renew Santos. The fanbase would certainly back renewing Sheehan. I could easily see Cogley getting a new deal as an ultra-dependable squad player.

Would we renew Jack and Jones?

[Worthy4England]

I think we're saying the same thing. From DSB's thread, the OOC in June 24 is diddly.

*Zac Ashworth (6/9/02) – loaned from West Brom with option to buy
Declan John (30/6/95)
Kieran Sadlier (14/9/94)
Paris Maghoma (8/5/01) - loaned from Brentford, where he's contracted to 2025
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (25/5/92) (+1 year, appearance-related)
Cameron Jerome (14/8/86)

All the others are at least until Jun 2025. So we have some time to deal with that in summer should we so wish.

[GhostoftheBok]

I think we're saying the same thing. From DSB's thread, the OOC in June 24 is diddly.

We are, yes. When I said "no" it was to your "That would make zero sense" in terms of "No, it would not make sense."

[Worthy4England]

And there aren't question marks about Collins ability to cut it in the Championship?

So is the issue just that you don't think Collins is very good?

No, my issue is that signing him for a relatively big fee now reduces our flexibility in the next window and commits us to a group of strikers in whom I think a lot of us would not be confident in a level up.

You, and others on this board, know a lot more about players in the lower leagues, so maybe I am wide of the mark and Collins is a cert to thrive in the Championship, but I'm just laying out my concerns as an uninformed Bolton fan.

There is nothing to suggest that Collins is coming out of next seasons budget. We have to trust these guys. If they think he's worth the money, then that's because they have data, insight and experience that we don't to make informed decisions.

Always risky signing players, but their whole ethos is that they reduce that risk by doing their due diligence. I'm happy to trust them. We all should

Where's that like button?

[GhostoftheBok]

But Toal, Johnston and Santos seems pretty hard to improve on in a January window.

Johnston is really the issue.

We know the coaching team really, really rate the lad.

"Top Championship, at minimum." Wasn't that the review Evatt gave him?

Speaking to folk at preseason I think there's a similar feeling around Forrester.

So there's depth and then there's blocking pathways.

We're not going to bring players in who block the development of Toal, Forrester and Johnston. That's not to say we won't bring a centre half in, but the ones we've (reportedly) looked at have had versatility on their side. They're players who add depth in a number of positions, so it's not a case of "Okay, now this other lad is out of the team."

I think one of the issues staying our hand is that they feel that they have the required depth past the summer and they don't want to mess that up and have lads asking to leave for game time.

[Prufrock]

Yeah I'm on the same page too. Sign Collins and get a body in on loan at centre back (and hope that while Geth has a good game against Son on Friday it's ultimately in a losing cause!).

[BWFC_Insane]

But Toal, Johnston and Santos seems pretty hard to improve on in a January window.

Johnston is really the issue.

We know the coaching team really, really rate the lad.

"Top Championship, at minimum." Wasn't that the review Evatt gave him?

Speaking to folk at preseason I think there's a similar feeling around Forrester.

So there's depth and then there's blocking pathways.

We're not going to bring players in who block the development of Toal, Forrester and Johnston. That's not to say we won't bring a centre half in, but the ones we've (reportedly) looked at have had versatility on their side. They're players who add depth in a number of positions, so it's not a case of "Okay, now this other lad is out of the team."

I think one of the issues staying our hand is that they feel that they have the required depth past the summer and they don't want to mess that up and have lads asking to leave for game time.

Yeah the centre half issue is temporary. It was created when Johnston was injured and exacerbated by Jones going and Santos being decidedly injury prone. And losing MJ who offered versatility.

We were always skating a bit thin there and I think it’s more a lack of height options than anything else. Get a bit powerful 6’3 type in on loan and that would alleviate the worst issues.

[jmjhb]

“Me and Pete (Atherton) will be playing centre-back, and a lot deeper than we used to do. It is annoying, it is frustrating, but it is part of the game.

Problem solved

[BWFC_Insane]

I suspect tomorrow is going to be a bit fraught and we will unveil a new young striker and centre back half an hour before the deadline, both loans, to a fairly predictable chorus of social media complaints.

Marc Iles will have eaten his weight in biscuits and neither player will be one anyone has ever heard of before.

[GhostoftheBok]

We're certainly not going to spend money for the sake of it, so if we don't get Collins I'd expect to see some pretty leftfield solutions pop up, yeah.

[knobpolisher]

Jones plays on Friday against a decent South Korea team. He could possibly be back shortly after the weekend.

[boltonboris]

and neither player will be one anyone has ever heard of before.

And yet everyone will have an opinion on

[boltonboris]

And losing MJ who offered versatility.

Jesus Christ

[Worthy4England]

Jones plays on Friday against a decent South Korea team. He could possibly be back shortly after the weekend.

If they're three down at half time, we need to put him on the plane.

[GhostoftheBok]

Jones plays on Friday against a decent South Korea team. He could possibly be back shortly after the weekend.

Will it be on the couch, Blu?

[BWFC_Insane]

And losing MJ who offered versatility.

Jesus Christ

We’ve had frequent mentions of ideally needing a defensive mid with some height who could cover centre half too. I don’t really think this is controversial. With the injuries we have having some sort of DM who could slot in at centre back would be welcome now.

[GhostoftheBok]

We’ve had frequent mentions of ideally needing a defensive mid with some height who could cover centre half too. I don’t really think this is controversial. With the injuries we have having some sort of DM who could slot in at centre back would be welcome now.

MJ showed fairly convincingly that he wasn't up to that role in this team.

So whilst we might have missed the type we do not miss the player.

[boltonboris]

His legs had gone by the end of the 21/22 season and he's currently a squad player in League 2.

Even in hindsight surely you can see we've moved on from his ability level?

[Worthy4England]

Is the slamming shut, today or tomorrow?

[GhostoftheBok]

Is the slamming shut, today or tomorrow?

Tomorrow at 11pm, I think.