January 2022 Transfer Thread

[BWFC_Insane]

I think it becomes "pseudo football babble" when you let shitloads in at the wrong end and can't score at the other . Being able to keep the ball out as a defender is sorta the job. There's no point pointing to every successful team, when too many can't do some of the basics - you're not going to be a successful team so it's a bit of a moot point...

I don't think anyone mentioned "analytics"...

There are plenty of example of defenders who people claimed "can't defend" in one team who manage to win trophies and titles as key parts of teams. David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger come immediately to mind. As does Ivan Campo. Different teams need different things from players. A player can look crap when asked to do one job and be amazing when doing another, in the same position.

Santos can be a key player if Evatt can sort his system out. If he can't and Santos (and John) are on the back foot we will keep conceding soft goals.

There are plenty examples of defenders who can’t defend doing well in otherwise brilliant sides.

You’ve basically said Santos is good if he’s not asked to defend.

Centre halves have one job. Stop the opposition strikers from scoring. And our centre halves don’t do that well. It’s all that matters.

[GhostoftheBok]

Well, yes, you can make up for the odd lacks of concentration in a team where the MF unit and attacking units are great. When they're not, the problem is incrementally worsened. And yes, the system can be adapted to cover as best you can.

I don't mind how he sorts it, but until I see some evidence that the system adopted isn't letting in 1.5 goals per game (which I've seen too little evidence of in the 5 months the season has currently run), I'll stick with the fairly obvious.

His job to sort it, not mine, so he can knock himself out...what sort of percentage (amongst the successful sides) do they take a set piece that goes straight to the keeper (in our case, often after a couple of passes), how many successful teams are able to let 1.5 per game in at one end without generally having the capacity to score 2 at the other?

It's entirely on Evatt to fix, I agree. I'm not invested in any player enough to think they should be "undroppable" and if any of them gets sacrificed to get us points on the board I'm fine with it. If Evatt can't fix it then he will eventually get sacrificed too.

When I look at this squad and performances over 90 minutes I don't think Santos is the biggest issue; but he's also not levels above the league we are in. Same for John. They're both front foot players who need to be in sides that control games and at the moment we are mile off that.

I think Dapo, Kachunga, Santos, John, Williams and Lee can all be very good players for us in this division in the second half of the season IFF Evatt can get the system going. They can all also be part of a relegation side if he fails abysmally. Hopefully Charles is the first of a few we can add to the list of lads who can be part of a good side. Equally hopefully we can get a few injured lads back.

Everything at this level is about coaching and squad balance. Very few teams ever have more than one or two players who are clearly too good for the league. Charles' attributes seem better suited to what we want to do than Eoin's. Some suitable quality in midfield and defence would be very, very welcome.

[GhostoftheBok]

You’ve basically said Santos is good if he’s not asked to defend.

No, I've basically said there are different kinds of defending - which has been generally acknowledged in the sport for about 50 years.

[BWFC_Insane]

You’ve basically said Santos is good if he’s not asked to defend.

No, I've basically said there are different kinds of defending - which has been generally acknowledged in the sport for about 50 years.

Defending is about keeping the ball out of the net. Whatever type of defending you think we are doing or should be we aren’t very good at it.

Centre halves have to be able to defend their box. It’s a basic requirement. No matter how much you want to talk about other things if they can’t they are no good. We’ve more than enough evidence to say none of our centre halves are very good. It’s not even worth a debate anymore the numbers and examples speak for themselves.

Santos time and time and time again is undone by a cross. You can try and stop teams crossing the ball but being realistic in league one if your centre halves can’t dominate the box more often than not you will struggle.

[GhostoftheBok]

Simple example, before I go for a walk. Eric Dier. Seen as an absolute joke by a lot of people when played at centre back, as he loses men in the box and gets his spacing wrong - but who has had a number of managers look at him as someone who can be a top class centre back with coaching; with Conte going as far as to say he can be world class. What Dier can do is defend whilst running, pick up play in front of him, distribute, etc. At 27 he's seen as young enough of a centre back to learn the rest to a good enough level that the rest of his game will make him one of the better players around for his role. That doesn't mean his in the box defending, on the back foot, will ever be as good as a lot of other defenders who are considered bang average Premier League players; but Conte seems to think he can still be a key part of winning titles. Other managers who need different things from their centre backs might not touch Dier with a barge pole.

Not every player has to be the same identikit thing in order to be good. They don't even need to be good at everything you'd like in an ideal player in or to be good.

[GhostoftheBok]

Evatt on Doyle:

“At the moment, he’s still a Bolton player, he got us a goal today, which is great and one or two other opportunities. Doyler is one that has suffered with Covid. He’s 33-years-old, nearly 34, so we have to look after him, but as it stands, he’s a Bolton player.”

That's him off, then.

[officer_dibble]

Aye was about to post that - same article has us about to sign another who may be registered for Tuesday.

[BWFC_Insane]

Simple example, before I go for a walk. Eric Dier. Seen as an absolute joke by a lot of people when played at centre back, as he loses men in the box and gets his spacing wrong - but who has had a number of managers look at him as someone who can be a top class centre back with coaching; with Conte going as far as to say he can be world class. What Dier can do is defend whilst running, pick up play in front of him, distribute, etc. At 27 he's seen as young enough of a centre back to learn the rest to a good enough level that the rest of his game will make him one of the better players around for his role. That doesn't mean his in the box defending, on the back foot, will ever be as good as a lot of other defenders who are considered bang average Premier League players; but Conte seems to think he can still be a key part of winning titles. Other managers who need different things from their centre backs might not touch Dier with a barge pole.

Not every player has to be the same identikit thing in order to be good. They don't even need to be good at everything you'd like in an ideal player in or to be good.

We couldn’t defend when Evatt was telling everyone we had the first choice targets he wanted and a great team. So I’m not buying this. If Evatt had the tools he needed at the start then the defence still was problematic. I’m not really interested in failed Spurs centre halves.

We are in league one. And we need to act as such and there are basics down here that if you can’t do you will lose more than not.

[GhostoftheBok]

Aye was about to post that - same article has us about to sign another who may be registered for Tuesday.

The MEN one? I didn't see that bit.

[Worthy4England]

Evatt on Doyle:

“At the moment, he’s still a Bolton player, he got us a goal today, which is great and one or two other opportunities. Doyler is one that has suffered with Covid. He’s 33-years-old, nearly 34, so we have to look after him, but as it stands, he’s a Bolton player.”

That's him off, then.

How many different ways has Evatt not said "He's staying?" Think I'm up to maybe 5 or 6, now...

[GhostoftheBok]

We couldn’t defend when Evatt was telling everyone we had the first choice targets he wanted and a great team. So I’m not buying this. If Evatt had the tools he needed at the start then the defence still was problematic. I’m not really interested in failed Spurs centre halves.

We are in league one. And we need to act as such and there are basics down here that if you can’t do you will lose more than not.

At no stage this season has Evatt been able to get a run of games with his preferred back 4.

Anyway, we'll see. We may well continue to lose too many games and end up seeing a new manager at some stage next season. You're unlikely to get one you like, but you never know.

[officer_dibble]

Aye was about to post that - same article has us about to sign another who may be registered for Tuesday.

The MEN one? I didn't see that bit.

BN - although I misread - no quote but the article says “ Evatt added Dion Charles to his squad this morning and says he is close to a second signing who could feature against Hartlepool United in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night“

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/1 ... ed-defeat/

[Worthy4England]

Aye was about to post that - same article has us about to sign another who may be registered for Tuesday.

The MEN one? I didn't see that bit.

BN - although I misread - no quote but the article says “ Evatt added Dion Charles to his squad this morning and says he is close to a second signing who could feature against Hartlepool United in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night“

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/1 ... ed-defeat/

He must think that one's very close to the line, and you'd suspect someone who's been playing, if he's contemplating them playing on Tuesday.

[GhostoftheBok]

He must think that one's very close to the line, and you'd suspect someone who's been playing, if he's contemplating them playing on Tuesday.

It does look promising. Hard to know how quickly new players will adapt to what we want to do, but any fit players have to be a huge boost.

[KeyserSoze]

Fossey maybe?

[officer_dibble]

Also someone who isn’t cup tied.

[BWFC_Insane]

We couldn’t defend when Evatt was telling everyone we had the first choice targets he wanted and a great team. So I’m not buying this. If Evatt had the tools he needed at the start then the defence still was problematic. I’m not really interested in failed Spurs centre halves.

We are in league one. And we need to act as such and there are basics down here that if you can’t do you will lose more than not.

At no stage this season has Evatt been able to get a run of games with his preferred back 4.

Anyway, we'll see. We may well continue to lose too many games and end up seeing a new manager at some stage next season. You're unlikely to get one you like, but you never know.

I’m not asking for a new manager. I’m asking for players who can defend. It’s not too hard. Some aggressive, physical, big and strong centre halves who concentrate for 90 minutes. Like most of this division has. We don’t have one.

[GhostoftheBok]

I’m not asking for a new manager. I’m asking for players who can defend. It’s not too hard. Some aggressive, physical, big and strong centre halves who concentrate for 90 minutes. Like most of this division has. We don’t have one.

The thing is, you might then be looking for another manager; because to ask for that in an Evatt side you are asking for an aggressive, physical, big, strong, solid on the back foot centre half - who can also bring the ball out and play under pressure. Which sounds remarkably like the kinds of player that transfer to the Premier League rather than League One.

I'm not objecting to what you want, but Evatt isn't signing a centre half who can't play with the ball and to find one who can also do everything else on our budgets would be a minor miracle. I know you object when people tell you that and you talk about how we shouldn't care about this or that in a defender, but Evatt clearly does.

Ian Evatt would sign Tim Ream over David Wheater. That's the reality.

[GhostoftheBok]

Fossey maybe?

Only name we have, so may as well run with it.

[truewhite15]

We couldn’t defend when Evatt was telling everyone we had the first choice targets he wanted and a great team. So I’m not buying this. If Evatt had the tools he needed at the start then the defence still was problematic. I’m not really interested in failed Spurs centre halves.

We are in league one. And we need to act as such and there are basics down here that if you can’t do you will lose more than not.

At no stage this season has Evatt been able to get a run of games with his preferred back 4.

Anyway, we'll see. We may well continue to lose too many games and end up seeing a new manager at some stage next season. You're unlikely to get one you like, but you never know.

I’m not asking for a new manager. I’m asking for players who can defend. It’s not too hard. Some aggressive, physical, big and strong centre halves who concentrate for 90 minutes. Like most of this division has. We don’t have one.

Does most of the division have one? Really? Seems to me that most defenders at League One level will have flaws of some sort, otherwise they'd be playing higher in the pyramid - not strong enough, prone to lapses, can't kick straight, lunge into tackles recklessly, the list goes on.

You always seem to want exactly what we don't have.