January 2022 Transfer Thread

[nicholaldo]

I also admit to being slightly shocked at the £300k figure when I first read it, but it’s from Nixon so could be well wide of the mark.

There’s a reason Charles was getting a lot of hype over the summer. Has a bit of ‘X factor’ in the final third, is always looking to make something happen whether that be taking an opponent on, having a shot at goal or playing a defence-splitting through ball. Will certainly add a lot of much needed energy to our pedestrian attack.

A few more additions of this calibre and the second half of the season looks really positive.

I think I should probably add that I do like the look of him as a player, even if I'm slightly taken aback at the rumoured fee.

[TonyDomingos]

I also admit to being slightly shocked at the £300k figure when I first read it, but it’s from Nixon so could be well wide of the mark.

There’s a reason Charles was getting a lot of hype over the summer. Has a bit of ‘X factor’ in the final third, is always looking to make something happen whether that be taking an opponent on, having a shot at goal or playing a defence-splitting through ball. Will certainly add a lot of much needed energy to our pedestrian attack.

A few more additions of this calibre and the second half of the season looks really positive.

I think I should probably add that I do like the look of him as a player, even if I'm slightly taken aback at the rumoured fee.

Have you tried getting a quote from a builder lately? As far as I can tell, Charles costs about as much as a plasterer.

[Bruce Rioja]

I really don't know why as I know precious little about Dion Charles, however, if we're betting the farm on him perhaps it's only natural to fear another Marcus Maddison type.

[Prufrock]

The owners seem to have their heads screwed on. It's not such a large fee that in itself it worries you. I assume we've got it and they think he's worth it. Let's see.

[LeverEnd]

Could be one of those structured fees with top ups that you never fully pay unless you win the champions League and he gets the balloon d'Or etc

[Bruce Rioja]

The owners seem to have their heads screwed on. It's not such a large fee that in itself it worries you. I assume we've got it and they think he's worth it. Let's see.

I guess my nervousness comes from us having a small squad which already contains some deadwood. If we are to get the cheque book out for the first time in yonks then the lad's really going to have improve things for us up top. As you say though, let's see.

[The_Gun]

£300k sounds a ridiculous fee for someone who hasn’t played this season and would be available for free in the summer. He’s also not that young and has only had one good season in his career so far.

Really hope Nixon is wide of the mark here.

[GhostoftheBok]

I have no doubt he'll improve us. We are far too predictable going forward and he will try things.

I do not like the fee mentioned, but I think it's probably a guess by Alan and if he lands on his feet we will all be fine with it regardless.

[nicholaldo]

Iles is reporting we're interested in signing Kieran Sadlier, a winger from Rotherham United. He's out of contract at the end of the season and could apparently be available for a reduced transfer fee.

[Worthy4England]

It might be nice to be linked to the odd defender, maybe...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Iles is reporting we're interested in signing Kieran Sadlier, a winger from Rotherham United. He's out of contract at the end of the season and could apparently be available for a reduced transfer fee.

Not Iles, Nicko, it's his young sidekick Dan Barnes, doing his job by scraping the internet for mentions of our beloved club. This one comes from transfer bingo machine Football League World, which also "links" Charlton and Pompey and says a Scots top-tier team has offered a pre-contract.

I've nothing against Sadlier specifically, and I suppose in a vaguely Moneyball way then (like Dion Charles) we might be getting, underpriced, a player who's done alright at third-tier level. Not sure winger is tip-top priority right now, but then (1) you can't always hire in priority order (2) might be bollocks anyway.

It might be nice to be linked to the odd defender, maybe...

While I'd love a Taggart/Hendry-style addition, I will be quite surprised if we add a centre-back this window. Right-back must surely be on the agenda, left-back possibly. IMO the key things needed to improve our defence imminently are another defensive midfielder and some better coaching.

[Prufrock]

IMO the key things needed to improve our defence imminently are another defensive midfielder and some better coaching.

A right back yet even more important IMO. I think something underappreciated is the knock on effects one terrible player has. It's not just that Gordon, Izzy, whoever has played there this season other than Jones isn't up to it themself. They're not a terrible vacuum. It affects the right centre back who gets caught thinking they have to cover, it affects the left centre back when his partner is dragged out from the middle, it affects the holding midfielder because the big gap between the centre backs means people from midfield see a big gap to run off then into. It affects the right winger because everything goes down that side and they're suddenly a second right back. It affects the left winger because all our attacks have to go down that side so we can't get Dapo in space from a big switch. Balance is so so important.

Even if Gethin was back fit tomorrow we need another right back, that gamble has failed. But he isn't so even more so we do.

[The_Gun]

Do we really need a 27 year old winger we’d have to pay a fee for?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

IMO the key things needed to improve our defence imminently are another defensive midfielder and some better coaching.

A right back yet even more important IMO. I think something underappreciated is the knock on effects one terrible player has. It's not just that Gordon, Izzy, whoever has played there this season other than Jones isn't up to it themself. They're not a terrible vacuum. It affects the right centre back who gets caught thinking they have to cover, it affects the left centre back when his partner is dragged out from the middle, it affects the holding midfielder because the big gap between the centre backs means people from midfield see a big gap to run off then into. It affects the right winger because everything goes down that side and they're suddenly a second right back. It affects the left winger because all our attacks have to go down that side so we can't get Dapo in space from a big switch. Balance is so so important.

Absolutely agreed, we need a right-back in January. No quibble at all with that, and it seems to have been mentioned by Iles etc most times a shipping list is mentioned. Such an obvious point I appear to have forgotten to mention it.

Do we really need a 27 year old winger we’d have to pay a fee for?

As I say, nothing against him, but we have other priorities to spend money on. Plenty of them.

[The_Gun]

IMO the key things needed to improve our defence imminently are another defensive midfielder and some better coaching.

A right back yet even more important IMO. I think something underappreciated is the knock on effects one terrible player has. It's not just that Gordon, Izzy, whoever has played there this season other than Jones isn't up to it themself. They're not a terrible vacuum. It affects the right centre back who gets caught thinking they have to cover, it affects the left centre back when his partner is dragged out from the middle, it affects the holding midfielder because the big gap between the centre backs means people from midfield see a big gap to run off then into. It affects the right winger because everything goes down that side and they're suddenly a second right back. It affects the left winger because all our attacks have to go down that side so we can't get Dapo in space from a big switch. Balance is so so important.

Even if Gethin was back fit tomorrow we need another right back, that gamble has failed. But he isn't so even more so we do.

Aye, the notion that a defensive unit is only as strong as its weakest link I think is a sound one. I’d have right back at the top of my priorities alongside striker.

[Prufrock]

IMO the key things needed to improve our defence imminently are another defensive midfielder and some better coaching.

A right back yet even more important IMO. I think something underappreciated is the knock on effects one terrible player has. It's not just that Gordon, Izzy, whoever has played there this season other than Jones isn't up to it themself. They're not a terrible vacuum. It affects the right centre back who gets caught thinking they have to cover, it affects the left centre back when his partner is dragged out from the middle, it affects the holding midfielder because the big gap between the centre backs means people from midfield see a big gap to run off then into. It affects the right winger because everything goes down that side and they're suddenly a second right back. It affects the left winger because all our attacks have to go down that side so we can't get Dapo in space from a big switch. Balance is so so important.

Absolutely agreed, we need a right-back in January. No quibble at all with that, and it seems to have been mentioned by Iles etc most times a shipping list is mentioned. Such an obvious point I appear to have forgotten to mention it.

Do we really need a 27 year old winger we’d have to pay a fee for?

As I say, nothing against him, but we have other priorities to spend money on. Plenty of them.

I mean you mentioned it as surely being on the agenda, I wouldn't be too harsh on yourself

But yeah, RB, fit MJ plus cover, time on the training ground hopefully with some of them. Hopefully there'll be a big improvement.

[BWFC_Insane]

Our defensive problems exist pre Jones injury and pre MJ being out. We are physically dominated at times and the helter skelter football of early season has turned into a mess. As is more often than not the case. We need better players or better coaching and given they aren’t binning Evatt we need better defensive players in midfield and the back four.

[GhostoftheBok]

I daresay we've looked at Kieran Sadlier, as we will have looked at a few. He'd fit as one of Evatt's "older young players" where his limited experience in proper leagues means he could improve fairly rapidly. He has raw materials to his game and he had a good education at Posh (which I will always mention as I rate their coaching).

I'm at the point where my view is "if Evatt wants him, get him in and we'll see" rather than moaning too much about anyone. He attacks the far post well, he's two footed and he has a bit of pace to him. If Evatt thinks he needs him then get the lad in. If it's made up guff from the cheap rags then I'm not fussed about that either.

We are at the point in the manager's tenure where we have to just go with it for the next two windows and then see where we are by January next year. He'll either be in full flow or we'll need to make a change. Until then I'll just watch him build his squad with interest. Our situation at the moment is so out of control that I'm writing it off.

[BWFC_Insane]

I daresay we've looked at Kieran Sadlier, as we will have looked at a few. He'd fit as one of Evatt's "older young players" where his limited experience in proper leagues means he could improve fairly rapidly. He has raw materials to his game and he had a good education at Posh (which I will always mention as I rate their coaching).

I'm at the point where my view is "if Evatt wants him, get him in and we'll see" rather than moaning too much about anyone. He attacks the far post well, he's two footed and he has a bit of pace to him. If Evatt thinks he needs him then get the lad in. If it's made up guff from the cheap rags then I'm not fussed about that either.

We are at the point in the manager's tenure where we have to just go with it for the next two windows and then see where we are by January next year. He'll either be in full flow or we'll need to make a change. Until then I'll just watch him build his squad with interest. Our situation at the moment is so out of control that I'm writing it off.

That’s always the case as a fan. We can’t control anything. But given history I’m not sure Evatt can be considered a good judge of a player yet. More failures than successes. And two windows have been very very poor.

Now we are spending money he has to get it right and if he doesnt it could spell trouble.

[GhostoftheBok]

I disagree, but I'm not inclined to argue about it at this stage. I think Evatt has done okay in the markets. I said at the time that if even half a dozen of the players from the first summer did okay I'd view that as standard. Then the Jan was excellent and I still think last summer was fine. Injuries have prevented the attackers he got in doing much and you can certainly question our defence, but generally I don't think we've brought bad players in given the budgets.

As you say, having money available ups the demands and after next summer I will be a lot more critical if we haven't improved considerably.