Deal or no deal? - Summer 2022 Transfer gossip!

[nicholaldo]

He's already demonstrated his ability but his injury record is, unfortunately, quite dreadful. I just hope we do our due diligence and make (made?) our decision for the right reasons.

For me, the only right reason that matters is he's a superb footballer and not a single one player can guarantee injury free fitness. Rope him in before someone else does, and get Ricardo finalised and we're on our way.

No, but if you were looking to buy a car and the one you were interested in was a lovely drive when working but had a history of breaking down, it'd surely give you pause for thought?

[Mar]

Yes, he was dealt a bad hand and played it badly.

I still think there things he took uneccessary flak for, most notably the lack of urgency in signing players in January and our lack of squad depth having a significant bearing on our ability to get results.

He was ultimately the wrong fit though, and as you state, an odious character. I'm glad he no longer has anything to do with us.

I do find it funny that Hill was claiming he was thrown under the bus when he seemingly did entirely that to Adam Chicksen. Almost as if Chicksen not being good enough was the reason for the entire team doing badly. Chicksen seemed, at least in my opinion to be a bit naïve but good hearted and for Hill to publicly dress him down before shipping him out seemed a terrible PR stunt.

Just watched the highlights leading up to that, 3-4 defeat to Burton, Chicksen at the back post thinking the ball had gone out is poor from Murphy and Wright, then in the next match he gets easily beaten for a cross in before mistakes from Nsiala and Edwards let the forward get a shot off. So in the build up to it not innocent but certainly not the most guilty party that needed hanging out to dry in the media.

IIRC he wasn't just the only one.

“From a pure footballing decision I believe we need to do better,”
“He has been tremendous for us and I spoke with him at length yesterday, he has been a credit, but we are going to move in a different direction,”
“Adam has been superb and played under the stress of having a short-term contract and knowing, basically, that after performing for us on Saturday he wasn’t going to get a contract.”


So he's been superb and tremendous yet we need to do better. Fans like the effort he put in but Hill being mastermind decided to let him go.

2020/01/01 - Bolton 3-4 Burton - Back 4 of Emmanuel, Wright, Earl, Chicksen
2020/01/11 - Rochdale 2-0 Bolton - Back 5 of Emmanuel, Zouma, Nsiala, Edwards, Chicksen
2020/01/13 - Chicksen press statement saying we need to do better
2020/01/14 - Lincoln 5-1 Bolton - Back 4 of Emmanuel, Zouma, Nsiala, Edwards

Then of course we go on to see out the season, P11 W1 D4 L6 PPG 0.63
So with Chicksen available: P17 W4 D6 L7 PPG 1.06

Up until that point, we looked to have a fighting chance against relegation, even with the points deduction. I'd say thats where he lost the dressing room and showed how much of an arse he is. We'd turned around results from that dreadful start to the season, looked like a side that could get a win and draw here or there into one that could barely get a point. Obviously Covid hit and made it a certain but Hill certainly was a contributing factor leading up to that relegation.

His quote:
“From a pure footballing decision I believe we need to do better,”

The problem is Keith Hill didn't.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

All that is reasonable, and I won't die on Keith's hill, but I think he genuinely thought he could have another transfer window where he was given licence to get better players. No doubt at all that he over-reacted in clearing the decks but I doubt even he would have done that if he'd known how financially restricted we were going to be. In retrospect, given Covid descended, it's a good job we did tighten those strings and accept relegation - and it's a damn good job we turfed Hill for Evatt.

[Worthy4England]

I don't doubt, during the period in question, there were lots of busses. I mean we were correctly feeling sorry for Parky, a long time before Hill came on the scene

[nicholaldo]

Preston North End have released their retained list this morning. The following players are being let go:

Connor Ripley
Ethan Walker
Izzy Brown
Jack Baxter
Jacob Holland-Wilkinson
Jamie Thomas
Joe Rafferty
Joe Rodwell-Grant
Mathew Hudson
Oliver Lombard
Paul Huntington
Scott Sinclair
Tom Barkhuizen

Are there any there worth looking at?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Preston North End have released their retained list this morning. The following players are being let go:

Connor Ripley
Ethan Walker
Izzy Brown
Jack Baxter
Jacob Holland-Wilkinson
Jamie Thomas
Joe Rafferty
Joe Rodwell-Grant
Mathew Hudson
Oliver Lombard
Paul Huntington
Scott Sinclair
Tom Barkhuizen

Are there any there worth looking at?

Others will know far better than me, but from what I recall from earlier research:
• Izzy Brown is a decent No.10 (ex-Chelsea) but has been injured a lot
• Barkhuizen is a hard-working winger/creative, strikes me as quite Evatt, possibly an Isgrove upgrade?
• Rafferty is a six-foot defender, primarily RB but can play a few positions, solid rather than spectacular - sounds like a Gethin type?
• Jamie Thomas is our old youth-team striker. Almost certainly not good enough for us now, like

Also worth noting Ryan Lowe plays wing-backs so he may have decided they don't suit that (or it could be other reasons)

[GhostoftheBok]

Izzy Brown is a brilliant player, but does his hamstring sneezing.
Tim Barkhuizen was at Blackpool with Evatt and Charles. Genuinely wouldn't shock me. He's always been one where people have seen a player that nobody has ever been able to make a reality. Has also scored against us.....bastard.

[jmjhb]

Always thought Ripley was a good keeper, but has struggled at PNE

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Always thought Ripley was a good keeper, but has struggled at PNE

Is he Stuart's lad?

[GhostoftheBok]

Oh, also, for those (like me) who take note of past relationships in the game - it was Markham who did the work to get Izzy to Huddersfield. He strongly believed he could play Premier League football, from what was said at the time.

[Bruce Rioja]

Such an explanation does not exist, sorry! The article was sent to me by my Tranmere mate, who holds a similar view to us.

Anyway, onwards and upwards eh!

I may have mentioned, Mr Hill has recently taken delivery of a rather splendid and presumably very expensive new BMW.

My guess is that it'll have been on order for 12 months, and will have been funded by using his Tranmere pay-off.

Tell yer mate that!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Oh, also, for those (like me) who take note of past relationships in the game - it was Markham who did the work to get Izzy to Huddersfield. He strongly believed he could play Premier League football, from what was said at the time.

I think they count for a lot, but not necessarily for everything. It will help to a certain extent that Markham knows him, but it's not Jobs For The Boys.

[GhostoftheBok]

I think they count for a lot, but not necessarily for everything. It will help to a certain extent that Markham knows him, but it's not Jobs For The Boys.

No, jobs for the boys is the worst part of football if you want a successful club; but having relationships with players can help make deals much easier. Iredale coming here to play with his mate Geth, for example.

I could see Barkhuizen, for example, both in terms of what he'd offer the team and the fact the relationships he has here would make it an easier sell.

I can't really see Izzy happening (I love him, but his body lets him down), but if we did want him I think we could get it done.

We've had a couple of signings under Evatt that were a bit jobs for the boys and they've been fairly awful.

[Bruce Rioja]

Always thought Ripley was a good keeper, but has struggled at PNE

Is he Stuart's lad?

Believe it or not.. Yes he is.

[Mar]

All that is reasonable, and I won't die on Keith's hill, but I think he genuinely thought he could have another transfer window where he was given licence to get better players. No doubt at all that he over-reacted in clearing the decks but I doubt even he would have done that if he'd known how financially restricted we were going to be. In retrospect, given Covid descended, it's a good job we did tighten those strings and accept relegation - and it's a damn good job we turfed Hill for Evatt.

He had two transfer windows, one really rushed which he seemed to do a reasonably decent job of creating a team that could compete, and the other where he made a hash of it. Presumably the board expectations were to get us heading in the right direction and rather than coax it into a long term project that the board could get behind he ended up badly affecting the squad. In terms of another transfer window, he should be thinking that way as would be the case of the board not upsetting him in the event he was to persist in charge. The financial restrictions I would've thought should've been fairly evident given we'd been under transfer embargo, covid made them worse granted but Hill didn't help himself.

I think the problem that Hill had was that he doesn't come across very well, seemingly contradicting himself at times. That's where Evatt shines I think and I think people can buy into that, even if he does end up badly affecting one or two with his actions (Delaney, Sarcevic).

Such an explanation does not exist, sorry! The article was sent to me by my Tranmere mate, who holds a similar view to us.

Anyway, onwards and upwards eh!

I may have mentioned, Mr Hill has recently taken delivery of a rather splendid and presumably very expensive new BMW.

My guess is that it'll have been on order for 12 months, and will have been funded by using his Tranmere pay-off.

Tell yer mate that!

Hill's Tranmere tenure was a strange one. Seems that went a similar way to ours. Nice start and suddenly all goes pair shaped. They looked certain for promotion at one point that season.

[GhostoftheBok]

Iredale is official. Brilliant start.

3 year deal...."primarily a left back"

[Bruce Rioja]

Iredale is official. Brilliant start.

He's no Eoghan O'Connell

That's superb news. Brilliant.

[BWFC_Insane]

Iredale is official. Brilliant start.

3 year deal...."primarily a left back"

I’m not sure that I’d pay too much attention to those words from the club media person but If that is the case it would suggest we plan to play 4 at the back next season at least more frequently than we have done second half of this season. Which then makes it interesting as to where Fossey plays. Right wing I guess.

[GhostoftheBok]

I’m not sure that I’d pay too much attention to those words from the club media person but If that is the case it would suggest we plan to play 4 at the back next season at least more frequently than we have done second half of this season. Which then makes it interesting as to where Fossey plays. Right wing I guess.

I read it as a "not stepping on anyone's toes" thing. "Competition for places" was another part of that.

John is then "first choice" left wing back, Johnstone is "first choice" left centre back, etc etc

Like I said a while ago, I think he's a lovely tactical signing as well as just being really good player.

[BWFC_Insane]

I’m not sure that I’d pay too much attention to those words from the club media person but If that is the case it would suggest we plan to play 4 at the back next season at least more frequently than we have done second half of this season. Which then makes it interesting as to where Fossey plays. Right wing I guess.

I read it as a "not stepping on anyone's toes" thing. "Competition for places" was another part of that.

John is then "first choice" left wing back, Johnstone is "first choice" left centre back, etc etc

Like I said a while ago, I think he's a lovely tactical signing as well as just being really good player.

I mean if he’s not better than Johnstone then it’s an awful signing.

But hopefully he is and what I’ve seen of him he’d be very good in that role. I absolutely don’t think he’s a wing back in a million years THOUGH I could see him there if we have a lopsided hybrid with Fossey on the right and Iredale left and we drop into a pseudo back four. I can imagine that. It’s the sort of reverse Allardyce used to do with Gardner on the left at times.