Summer 2021 Transfer Thread.

[Worthy4England]

Don't understand the baby/bathwater comment, but maybe I'm not in the same place as others.

We need a couple (not 6 and not 22) of players who can turn the tide, when they're not letting us play pretty patterns. As for being able to pass, I sorta expect that from someone who states it's their profession (obviously I've been disappointed on this front).

Just as Evatt said.

You're seeing too many ghosts, Ghost. Ultimately results will judge whether Evatt is a success or failure.

[GhostoftheBok]

Don't understand the baby/bathwater comment, but maybe I'm not in the same place as others.

We need a couple (not 6 and not 22) of players who can turn the tide, when they're not letting us play pretty patterns. As for being able to pass, I sorta expect that from someone who states it's their profession (obviously I've been disappointed on this front).

Just as Evatt said.

You're seeing too many ghosts, Ghost. Ultimately results will judge whether Evatt is a success or failure.

Agree with all that (even the dig at me). My "baby with the bathwater" comment is related to comments about needing a total rebuild, which other posters (and they're not alone, it's a view shared by some of social media) seem to feel is vital.

We have the makings of a decent squad, but we lack some key parts. I would love to see an enforcer, a defensive organiser and a goal machine walk in in January. Can't say I'm holding my breath on it, though. I'd settle for some better quality players in key areas, even if they don't have the attributes I want - with the view that if we are going to be patchy we might as well make the good patches really good.

[Worthy4England]

Don't understand the baby/bathwater comment, but maybe I'm not in the same place as others.

We need a couple (not 6 and not 22) of players who can turn the tide, when they're not letting us play pretty patterns. As for being able to pass, I sorta expect that from someone who states it's their profession (obviously I've been disappointed on this front).

Just as Evatt said.

You're seeing too many ghosts, Ghost. Ultimately results will judge whether Evatt is a success or failure.

Agree with all that (even the dig at me). My "baby with the bathwater" comment is related to comments about needing a total rebuild, which other posters (and they're not alone, it's a view shared by some of social media) seem to feel is vital.

We have the makings of a decent squad, but we lack some key parts. I would love to see an enforcer, a defensive organiser and a goal machine walk in in January. Can't say I'm holding my breath on it, though. I'd settle for some better quality players in key areas, even if they don't have the attributes I want - with the view that if we are going to be patchy we might as well make the good patches really good.

Time will tell, mate. You said we need 8/9, which isn't a complete squad, but it's a good few.

[GhostoftheBok]

Time will tell, mate. You said we need 8/9, which isn't a complete squad, but it's a good few.

8/9 over the next two windows, assuming we want to go up automatically.

I think we could make a go of the play off places with 3/4 in in January, if we can keep pace until the window....but they'd have to be proper players.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I’m one of those who’d like to upgrade 8/9, if possible (which it probably isn’t). I don’t necessarily think we need 8/9 first-team players, but we need a few, and a few more backups who are better than Gordon, Brockbank, Baptiste, Tutte, Thomason, Delf etc.

Not every January signing can be an MJ or a Dapo, but we could do with a few more Ben Jacksons or even Zak Elbouzedis (a level higher) - players where you don’t think it’s a huge step down when they come in.

[GhostoftheBok]

I’m one of those who’d like to upgrade 8/9

I don't think you're one of those saying we need rid of the summer signings, though. I could be wrong. There are planned redundancies in this squad. It is meant to evolve over time. There are also areas that look light due to finances rather than need.

Keeper, two fullbacks, centre half, holding player, 2 pure mids, 2 wide players and a striker. That's 10, in an ideal world, that we need over the next two windows. How much we can afford to do I don't know - I suspect we will do less and trust in versatility again.

I'd be interested to know where we differ between your 8/9 and my 10.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I’m one of those who’d like to upgrade 8/9

I don't think you're one of those saying we need rid of the summer signings, though. I could be wrong. There are planned redundancies in this squad. It is meant to evolve over time. There are also areas that look light due to finances rather than need.

Keeper, two fullbacks, centre half, holding player, 2 pure mids, 2 wide players and a striker. That's 10, in an ideal world, that we need over the next two windows. How much we can afford to do I don't know - I suspect we will do less and trust in versatility again.

I'd be interested to know where we differ between your 8/9 and my 10.

The 9 I ticked in the Jog On In January thread were all signed last summer at the earliest. These are they:

Baptiste: sorry legend, and thanks for everything, but you're past it and I want a Taggart.
Comley: already gone.
Crawford: not likely to return.
Delf: I don't think he's terrible, but I don't think he adds much and I want better.
Edwards: Well done on battling back: now go on loan and prove you deserve a contract somewhere, maybe even here.
Gordon: loan to tier four or five; if he excels, consider a year's extension in summer, but I'd hope we can do better.
Greenidge: well.
Tutte: I was surprised we extended, and the gamble failed. Will be fit by Jan ish; loan or sell to a D4 club.
Brockbank: contracted until 2023, but needs a run of games somewhere, and IMO somewhere else.

I'm aware that even the theoretical deck-clearing of all nine named above would only free up another six squad spaces, because Comley, Crawford and Greenidge weren't registered. But we have three spaces already, so that would make nine in the 22 (overage outfielders).

What do we need?

GK - I don't hate or fear Dixon but his numbers aren't good. We need competition at least, but hopefully an upgrade. Wouldn't count against the squad roll, but would presumably cost actual wages.
RB - I'm not as sure as you that Izzy is a totally busted flush but it was always a risk, and we need someone (better than Brocky) backing up Gethin - or even, y'know, replacing him.
CB - Gerry Taggart.
LB - better than Gordon. Reborrowing Ben Jackson would do me.
DM - a narky blurt to sit alongside, or cover for, MJ. This year's Karl Henry.
CM - if Sheehan's out, we probably need another body in there too. Can't get by with Thomason and Lee playing lads-and-dads.
W - another pacy winger to replace Amaechi if he goes or augment him if he doesn't.
10 - A creative. One who won't shit his knickers if he's rotated to the bench in a three-game week when he's carrying an injury.
CF - a pacy striker.

Apart from that, we're fine. Priorities right now feel like CB, DM, 10, CF - almost the entire spine - but we're also one injury from doom in both full-back slots. Blimey.

[GhostoftheBok]

What do we need?

GK - I don't hate or fear Dixon but his numbers aren't good. We need competition at least, but hopefully an upgrade. Wouldn't count against the squad roll, but would presumably cost actual wages.
RB - I'm not as sure as you that Izzy is a totally busted flush but it was always a risk, and we need someone (better than Brocky) backing up Gethin - or even, y'know, replacing him.
CB - Gerry Taggart.
LB - better than Gordon. Reborrowing Ben Jackson would do me.
DM - a narky blurt to sit alongside, or cover for, MJ. This year's Karl Henry.
CM - if Sheehan's out, we probably need another body in there too. Can't get by with Thomason and Lee playing lads-and-dads.
W - another pacy winger to replace Amaechi if he goes or augment him if he doesn't.
10 - A creative. One who won't shit his knickers if he's rotated to the bench in a three-game week when he's carrying an injury.
CF - a pacy striker.

Apart from that, we're fine. Priorities right now feel like CB, DM, 10, CF - almost the entire spine - but we're also one injury from doom in both full-back slots. Blimey.

Fair enough. I don't think Izzy is a busted flush, but he can only play right back if we are completely dominating the game - at which point he's exceptionally useful. I'd rather have a Bergsson than a Taggart. Only difference in the rest is that I think we need a player who can smash through a midfield with the ball at feet from 6.

The trouble in all that is matching quality to "leadership" to cost.

[Worthy4England]

Time will tell, mate. You said we need 8/9, which isn't a complete squad, but it's a good few.

8/9 over the next two windows, assuming we want to go up automatically.

I think we could make a go of the play off places with 3/4 in in January, if we can keep pace until the window....but they'd have to be proper players.

You need to balance Champ Man with reality. Our immediate future needs are stop 2 or more goals a game..

[GhostoftheBok]

You need to balance Champ Man with reality. Our immediate future needs are stop 2 or more goals a game..

If you want us to fix the shipping of goals then the manager needs to go back to that 4-4-2 block, work on our recoveries and improve our ball retention.

There are 27 points to be had between now and Rotherham on the 1st of Jan. Basic coaching will decide a lot of this season.

This is a transfer thread and there's nothing champ man about saying that clubs plan their transfers over years and not weeks/months.

Anything we do in January impacts out long term budgets and plans. Unless we are going down by January we are unlikely to hit the panic button and throw money in. The 450k per year from the Prem will help us be more flexible, but it's not all for the football department.

We have invested heavily in Johnston, with Evatt saying he will be a top Championship centre back. We have given John and Jones long term deals. We have 4 centre backs under contract and 3 beyond next summer. That's the reality.

If you want leaders then short term fixes are unlikely to give you those. You have to look at long term plans and budgets. Our "immediate future needs" are unlikely to be sorted out by lads who are only here for 6 months, if what we immediately need is leaders. That means what we do in Jan has to fit into our long term plans and doesn't saddle us with a wage we don't want down the line.

[Worthy4England]

Fair point. It's the transfer thread. I dunno how much or how little he'll have to play with in Jan. Fortunately for us, it's Evatt's job to organise us, not mine, and he does know. How he does it is up to him. It could potentially be with what we have, if he thinks he can make that work, but he needs to do something before Jan and if that doesn't solve it, he might need to alter his current plan. As with any plan, they're only right until they're wrong, and when they're wrong you have to correct them or understand and accept the consequences.

When I look at Barnetto's list, it's probably little different than mine. I don't really care whether we get a Taggart or Bergsson if they solve the defensive problem. From what I've read, your list is also similar, so if we have money to do Barnetto's list or your list, we have money to do mine.

So I guess it's priority. And yes I want to see a couple of leaders. So does Evatt, so I assume that's in his thinking somewhere. We might not get two such, in one window. One would be progress. What I don't think we need is a hat full of players that can't tackle, disappear under pressure and can only play when given space. We're comfortably oversubscribed with those players.

[GhostoftheBok]

Again, I'd not really argue. There are two ways to view this thread. One is just talking about what we know 100% we are doing in the market and the other is speculating as to what we could/should do. I don't think any of us have any knowledge of the internal workings of the club anymore, so until the window opens we are mostly just speculating.

The honest answer to everything is "I hope Evatt gets his primary targets", because at the end of the day we have to trust that the manager knows what he is doing. If not it'll be someone else's turn soon enough.

In terms of getting leaders in, I think it's hard. Genuine leaders are rare. Clubs letting them go is rarer. Them being the right types for Evatt is rarerer. I have no doubt he has players in mind, but it's whether we can get them in in January or have to go again in the summer. Lads who can play under pressure is a bit easier, as it lads who are a bit more physical.

Where we'd bring them in is an issue. I think we can all see it's not going well at the back, but at the same time we have a lot of long contracts and decent wages back there. It'd be a case of "back the manager" rather than planned spending to do a lot of work at centre back - as much as we'd all like us to. Fullbacks hopefully we can add some depth.

We can do more in midfield. Again, though, it needs to be lads who fit the long term plan for the squad. If we panic and bring in another Sarce on 2 1/2 years, for example, then we are carrying that wage for a while and not improving in real terms. If we do it with loans then you're usually looking at development loans or players clubs want shot of, both bringing their own issues. Neither type is hugely likely to give us a massive leadership boost. The lads I have heard us linked to in midfield (Hartigan and Bakinson) don't seem to mind people getting in their faces, but no idea what they are like as actual leaders. Both look pretty vocal, but you're usually talking to people in the game to get a feel of them for that side of things. Did Evatt know his team lacked that kind of character or is he finding it out? Do our long term targets reflect a need for them? Not a clue.

Up top we are packed. The striker we apparently missed out on was a young loan from the Prem, so again leadership isn't all that likely.

I think it's a big, big ask to radically change the character of a side in January. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I think if Evatt manages that he deserves a few beers. If he gets one real leader in and just improves quality elsewhere I'll take it and I'll think he's done well.

[Worthy4England]

Amen to that. I doubt there's much disagreement that we need cover for Jones and pressure for John. It feel like we focus on pressing the crosser to try and make it a poor one, rather than try to stop it in the first place. That might be circumstance rather than gameplan, but I feel we let too many into the box. If our RB/LB cover could stop that, I think the wardrobe CB might be less of an issue.

[GhostoftheBok]

Amen to that. I doubt there's much disagreement that we need cover for Jones and pressure for John. It feel like we focus on pressing the crosser to try and make it a poor one, rather than try to stop it in the first place. That might be circumstance rather than gameplan, but I feel we let too many into the box. If our RB/LB cover could stop that, I think the wardrobe CB might be less of an issue.

Honest answer, I don't know if we plan it or not. Either way, we need some options there.

Against Wycombe it's unlikely to matter if we want to cross it or not. The ball is coming in....a lot.

[GhostoftheBok]

With Sheehan done for the season, MJ out and Baka gone for up to two months, January is starting to look very different.

[BWFC_Insane]

With Sheehan done for the season, MJ out and Baka gone for up to two months, January is starting to look very different.

We need to do something before January. Because how many wins can we get before them with Lee as our only midfield player? Thomason not good enough and Johnston a poor centre half in midfield.

There is no doubt we need to dip into the free market even someone unfit will offer more than nobody.

[GhostoftheBok]

We need to do something before January. Because how many wins can we get before them with Lee as our only midfield player? Thomason not good enough and Johnston a poor centre half in midfield.

There is no doubt we need to dip into the free market even someone unfit will offer more than nobody.

Like I asked in the other thread, can we? I thought we couldn't register senior pros before January now.

[Bertie Wooster]

With Sheehan done for the season, MJ out and Baka gone for up to two months, January is starting to look very different.

We need to do something before January. Because how many wins can we get before them with Lee as our only midfield player? Thomason not good enough and Johnston a poor centre half in midfield.

There is no doubt we need to dip into the free market even someone unfit will offer more than nobody.

Aye I said the same a month ago, but I'm sure that you had a dig saying what's the point as it would take weeks to get them fit !

[BWFC_Insane]

With Sheehan done for the season, MJ out and Baka gone for up to two months, January is starting to look very different.

We need to do something before January. Because how many wins can we get before them with Lee as our only midfield player? Thomason not good enough and Johnston a poor centre half in midfield.

There is no doubt we need to dip into the free market even someone unfit will offer more than nobody.

Aye I said the same a month ago, but I'm sure that you had a dig saying what's the point as it would take weeks to get them fit !

The situation is different now. We’ve lost Sarce, MJ is out and Sheehan is out. So we are in a completely different place.

[Bertie Wooster]

With Sheehan done for the season, MJ out and Baka gone for up to two months, January is starting to look very different.

We need to do something before January. Because how many wins can we get before them with Lee as our only midfield player? Thomason not good enough and Johnston a poor centre half in midfield.

There is no doubt we need to dip into the free market even someone unfit will offer more than nobody.

Aye I said the same a month ago, but I'm sure that you had a dig saying what's the point as it would take weeks to get them fit !

The situation is different now. We’ve lost Sarce, MJ is out and Sheehan is out. So we are in a completely different place.

I thought as much, because its you who's now said it !....it was rubbish when I said it a month ago but now you have said it today its now ok, what a know it all ******** you are (feel free to fill in the missing letters)