Summer 2020 transfers

[GhostoftheBok]

And speaking of ex-Plymouth players, Callum McFadzean is still without a club. Problem is we now have two left wingbacks - his primary position - but I can't help wondering, and I wonder if Evatt wonders too...

How do you do any deals like that with the wage cap, though? McFadzean supposedly left Plymouth due to wanting more money and Graham Carey was their highest paid player and got a further bump in Bulgaria. I don't know exactly how much we can offer them, but I doubt it is anywhere close. I suppose it depends how desperate each is and then it depends on whether we'd ship one of the brand new lads out on loan.

To me, McFadzean is a non-starter. We've two natural wing backs in his position and I suspect that's that. He'd probably be much better for us than what we have, but it's where we are. Carey I think we could actually need, but I'm not sure how we'd get near his demands. Then again, maybe nobody can with the new caps and he wants to come home badly enough to take what we can offer.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

And speaking of ex-Plymouth players, Callum McFadzean is still without a club. Problem is we now have two left wingbacks - his primary position - but I can't help wondering, and I wonder if Evatt wonders too...

How do you do any deals like that with the wage cap, though? McFadzean supposedly left Plymouth due to wanting more money and Graham Carey was their highest paid player and got a further bump in Bulgaria. I don't know exactly how much we can offer them, but I doubt it is anywhere close. I suppose it depends how desperate each is and then it depends on whether we'd ship one of the brand new lads out on loan.

To me, McFadzean is a non-starter. We've two natural wing backs in his position and I suspect that's that. He'd probably be much better for us than what we have, but it's where we are. Carey I think we could actually need, but I'm not sure how we'd get near his demands. Then again, maybe nobody can with the new caps and he wants to come home badly enough to take what we can offer.

That is of course the question. Not just the wage cap but the embargo, and a fairly full squad (18 signings including Crawford; 19 including young Amoateng, as Evatt did yesterday). You sense a hidden frustration in Evatt's quotes about the squad cap being likely to injure players through overwork, as well as more pointed references to players who'd previously asked for a lot of money suddenly asking for less - as you suggest above - but after we've already got players in.

Maybe if McFadzean had been more amenable in July we wouldn't have signed Mascoll; but we did, and we now have an unproven "moneyballer", whom Evatt has been unwilling to even look at yet, rather than a proven player who's won two successive promotions from this division. Had we won the first three games, the temptation wouldn't be as strong - but we demonstrably didn't and as I say, I wonder if Evatt wonders...

[GhostoftheBok]

If you gave Evatt a choice between either of our left wing backs or McFadzean it's a no-brainer, really. McFadzean is the finished article at this level, the other two have traits that mean they might be turned into good players. How he reacts to this sort of thing will be part of what defines him as a manager. Does he genuinely move on, or does he keep wondering? He will know what can and can't be done in the market, but when something can't be done he needs to move on quickly and work with what he has.

I remember a conversation I had with one of our former managers about what he was going to do to turn us around. He spent most of it talking about what might have happened the season before if we'd not had injuries or had managed to sign a player we missed out on.

A manager who can't shift his focus immediately will suffer for it.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Zouma is a possibility, confirms Evatt, who blames agents for making players unemployed by inflating wage expectations.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/1 ... oan-zouma/

We wanted to keep him [in summer] and now he’s back in the building. He hasn’t got anything else.

We’ll have a look at him, see where he’s at, and whether he can fit into what we are doing.

If he does, there’s potentially something to be done. It’s doable. If he doesn’t, we’ll move on.

[The_Gun]

Zouma is a possibility, confirms Evatt, who blames agents for making players unemployed by inflating wage expectations.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/1 ... oan-zouma/

We wanted to keep him [in summer] and now he’s back in the building. He hasn’t got anything else.

We’ll have a look at him, see where he’s at, and whether he can fit into what we are doing.

If he does, there’s potentially something to be done. It’s doable. If he doesn’t, we’ll move on.

Hopefully we have some wiggle room left in terms of wage budget and squad numbers to add some of these lads, as it sounds as though there could be some decent players available to us at the end of the window.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The rules aren’t clear but on squad size (embargo-enforced) we’re surely all but down to one in one out. Every incomer now would mean loaning out either a kid (if that even helps embargo-wise) or someone he’s already signed. And that’s before we consider the non-embargo wage cap... how much wiggle do we have there?

[The_Gun]

The rules aren’t clear but on squad size (embargo-enforced) we’re surely all but down to one in one out. Every incomer now would mean loaning out either a kid (if that even helps embargo-wise) or someone he’s already signed. And that’s before we consider the non-embargo wage cap... how much wiggle do we have there?

Is your thinking that the young players do or don't count against the embargo? If they do, would the likely loans of Faal, Senior and perhaps Brockbank free up squad spaces? If not then yeah, we don't have any space.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Nobody seems to know, mate, and I know Ilesy has been struggling to get a straight answer from the EFL. There was some talk of under-21s not counting but it wasn’t clear when the cutoff was (Jan 1? Season start? Season end? Birthday?) - and you might recall our own BWFCi dug up some other “five appearances or fewer” rule. Basically we don’t know, so the worry there is that we might be unable to replace a Senior for a senior, if you see what I mean.

I think we have to be very careful as we may only be able to roll those dice a limited number of times. Would Zouma be that much of an upgrade?

[The_Gun]

If we I had the option now I would probably swap Zouma for one of the incumbents, but given we now have at least six senior CBs on our books I probably wouldn't be in favour of adding him.

Someone like Carey on the other hand I would certainly be interested in. It may well have been nerves/system issues inhibiting our players on Saturday, but to my untrained eye we didn't look to have many natural ball players out on the pitch. I wouldn't consider myself to be as up to speed on the intricacies of Evatt-ball as some of you, but any kind of possession-based system surely demands at least a few creative passers to 'unlock' defences?

[Prufrock]

Zouma coming back would worry me.

[BWFC_Insane]

Zouma coming back would worry me.

Me too. He's more mobile than the ones we seemingly have but I'm not sure his frenetic and lets be honest, mistake-laden style is really helpful to us.

[officer_dibble]

Main thing with Zouma is we don’t need another centre half learning his trade. We need experience in that back 3, particularly if Taft (who has it at this level) isn’t a first choice. I want on upgrade on Santos and Greenidge not another one!

[BWFC_Insane]

Main thing with Zouma is we don’t need another centre half learning his trade. We need experience in that back 3, particularly if Taft (who has it at this level) isn’t a first choice. I want on upgrade on Santos and Greenidge not another one!

To an extent yes. Its not just experience though - a younger defender could also come in and improve this backline ala Cahill - but I think we need someone with real composure because so far the back 3 lacks that. All the players seem a bit clumsy on the ball and a bit lets say, rushed, and a calm head, whether experienced or not would help massively.

[GhostoftheBok]

Honestly that sounds like bad news for Brockbank. I am surprised we're looking at another centre back now, only because of the squad and wage issues that people have already mentioned.

As I said before, I can see arguments for bringing in another centre back and if the manager feels we need him then I won't argue with it. When you have a new boss you want them to be as a relaxed and comfortable as possible. That means them feeling good about their squad.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I’ve said before that Zouma strikes me as a very Evatt centre-back: physically imposing, likes to run with the ball, prone to brainfarts. Whether he is overall an upgrade on Brockbank is up for debate, but he seems more the type and we may need more right-footed competition for RCB - Santos seems like he may be prone to fitness and form, while Baptiste is 5’11” and 34.

[GhostoftheBok]

I’ve said before that Zouma strikes me as a very Evatt centre-back: physically imposing, likes to run with the ball, prone to brainfarts. Whether he is overall an upgrade on Brockbank is up for debate, but he seems more the type and we may need more right-footed competition for RCB - Santos seems like he may be prone to fitness and form, while Baptiste is 5’11” and 34.

I will say, I am more inclined to welcome a right footed centre back at the expense of other signing options after the FGR game. Santos was much, much better in the middle of a 3 than on the right and if Zouma could come in as another option on the right then it might improve our options as we try to get the system right to have it settled for next season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Some interesting reasons being given for exiting contracts.. https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/sept ... al-surface

[LeverEnd]

Some interesting reasons being given for exiting contracts.. https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/sept ... al-surface

Didn't we try to get him once?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Some interesting reasons being given for exiting contracts.. https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/sept ... al-surface

Didn't we try to get him once?

Yep. Guess which manager.

[GhostoftheBok]

Some interesting reasons being given for exiting contracts.. https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/sept ... al-surface

"He's a fat bastard and he can't lose the weight because his knees won't hold up running on what is basically green concrete."