January 2023 Transfer Window

[Worthy4England]

^^ and a 10?

[sonicthewhite]

Thought Shola was the 10?

[Worthy4England]

Thought Shola was the 10?

Oh, really? Right ho.

[sonicthewhite]

Or was that he looks 10?

[GhostoftheBok]

The quote about it not impacting our plans was a response to a question as to whether the injury made him think about selling Dapo….

Q: "Losing your number nine, though. Does that give you a little bit of a headache in the short term?"
A: "Well, it doesn't really necessarily change our transfer plans. We know we are probably one light in that area and we're doing lots of hard work behind the scenes to bring in somebody. So it doesn't really change things from our perspective."

[jmjhb]

If Jebbison were a target again (per DSB's list of players who fit the bill and our historic interest) then he's not anymore. Sheff Utd have been placed under embargo for failing to pay their bills.

He also scored within four minutes of returning to the first team tonight.

[BWFC_Insane]

The quote about it not impacting our plans was a response to a question as to whether the injury made him think about selling Dapo….

Q: "Losing your number nine, though. Does that give you a little bit of a headache in the short term?"
A: "Well, it doesn't really necessarily change our transfer plans. We know we are probably one light in that area and we're doing lots of hard work behind the scenes to bring in somebody. So it doesn't really change things from our perspective."

I don’t know if there was another interview but the BN put a video up of their interview. And the quote from there about not changing our plans was in response to being asked whether it made him think about whether to sell Dapo still.

[GhostoftheBok]

I don’t know if there was another interview but the BN put a video up of their interview. And the quote from there about not changing our plans was in response to being asked whether it made him think about whether to sell Dapo still.

The question I'm quoting is from the club's Youtube pre-match interview.

He might be dissembling for his own reasons, but he makes it pretty clear that Bodvarsson's injury won't mean more business.

I think it's odd, but if we're taking him at his word then it's one more striker in regardless.

I mean, I can understand it. The finances are tight, Bod is one of the top earners and if we sign another striker then technically we will have 6 players who "can" play there - Nlundulu, Charles, Shoretire, Kacha, Sads and then the new guy.

Players who have or can play 10 would be - Shoretire, Lee, Dempsey, Sheehan, Kacha and Sads.

One striker and the depth of attacking options is pretty overwhelming, even if we can pick holes in it.

[GhostoftheBok]

In terms of dedicated roles:

Strikers - Nlundulu, Charles, Kacha, New Guy.
10 - Shoretire and Lee.

That's two per position and then the mixed depth discussed earlier.

Unless someone leaves things look tight.

[Prufrock]

I thought we needed two strikers (with Kacha as 10 cover) or a striker and a 10 (with Kacha as a striker). We've since signed Shoretire who from Evatt's comments about receiving the ball from 360° I'm inferring will largely play at 10.

So one striker for me. Who really ought to be eligible for the cup.

Sure, I'd like to upgrade Kacha if we could shift his wages, but that's true of every member of the squad. Would also let Sads go and look for a young RWB. I don't think Geth is the answer there and Connor is going to miss at least two games until the end of the season. And we need at least cover for next.

[GhostoftheBok]

I thought we needed two strikers (with Kacha as 10 cover) or a striker and a 10 (with Kacha as a striker). We've since signed Shoretire who from Evatt's comments about receiving the ball from 360° I'm inferring will largely play at 10.

Yeah. When you look at it as losing 3 attackers (Dapo, Baka and Bod) and adding 3 (Nlundulu, Shoretire and New Guy) then it makes sense.

When you look at the time line it gets iffy. Were were supposedly looking for two attackers before Dad Bod was known to be out for the season.

[Prufrock]

I have no idea. Maybe they thought they could shift Kacha? We've tended to go heavy up there though (Dapo, Dion, Baka, Bod and Kacha have all had multiple starts up top).

My suspicion is we wanted one more in behind type to compete with Charles, with Dad and Nlundlu to fight out for the come short role. Though he's little, I think Kacha suits the come short role more, so maybe that's still the case. Equally I don't know enough about Nlundlu to know if he can go in behind. He seems to have the pace but I don't know if he's got the nous.

I wouldn't be surprised to see either. I do think we're unlikely to get one who's big, quick, works hard and finishes well though. So it's possibly a case of get the best one available and take the trade offs.

[GhostoftheBok]

If we were to sign 3 more players then we'd be paying 28 first team players.

4 of them are either injured or otherwise not going to be selected - Iredale, Bodvarsson, Isgrove and John.

Two of them aren't earning the goal-scorer money they are on - Kachunga and Sadlier.

So the financial strain on the playing budget has to be assessed with some degree of realism.

In that context even adding the one more striker is a strain, but one we absolutely have to stretch to. Two more players on those inflated goal-scorer wages is hard to see unless one of those big earners goes.

Hats-off tot he board if they do sanction that kind of excess wage spending.

[BWFC_Insane]

People listing Kachunga as a striker. You might as well say Toal can play up front.

In terms of minutes played in their Bolton careers in the league.

Sadlier has had 1,148 minutes and scored 4 goals. Mainly from wing back. That’s a goal every 287 minutes.

Kachunga has had 2,575 minutes and scored 2 goals. Mainly from front three, number 10 and up front. That’s a goal every 1278 minutes.

I don’t think we lack data or information on Kachunga. That’s a lot of minutes. More chances than anyone should receive. And the data and cold hard facts are there.

Nobody has forced Evatt to sell two strikers this window. And the fans aspirations haven’t changed. If you sell a fan favourite for under the expected price mid way through people will stick with it if you improve. But like I say the crowd will turn pretty hostile if we go and lose at Accrington and/or if league performances dip. So far we’ve replaced with young relatively or completely untested players. That can go either way.

But if we don’t sign two senior strikers now we’ve left ourselves under stocked but it will be our own fault and Evatts fault. And he will have to deal with expectations all the same.

And I will say again on our pitch we will pick up more injuries. And probably to players we’d rather we didn’t. You don’t need much foresight to see that.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So, again (as nobody answered the first time): given finite finances, do we sign lots of not so good players or one or two good ones?

[The_Gun]

So, again (as nobody answered the first time): given finite finances, do we sign lots of not so good players or one or two good ones?

Signing lots of not so good players sounds like a pretty poor option.

In terms of the number of incoming, preferably good, players, it will surely be closely tied to further departures. As Ghost points out, we probably can’t afford to swell the size of the squad much further, and Iredale, JDB and John are likely all on decent wedge.

Interestingly, there’s an Iles piece in the BN this morning where Evatt intimates Isgrove could potentially leave this window. So that’s three more possible departures.

[GhostoftheBok]

People listing Kachunga as a striker. You might as well say Toal can play up front.

You don't like Kachunga and don't think he can play anywhere, but he is a regular sight in a Bolton shirt.977 minutes in the league so far this season (according to a quick google)...seems likely he will continue to play, unless he leaves. In the current squad he probably continues to play up front, rather than the 10 role we've seen him in at times.

He is a paid, relied upon member of the squad. Like I said in my post, whether you like a player isn't the issue. It's whether the manager does.

If Sads can come into one of the two striker positions, actually bother learning how our press works and score goals - fantastic. As things stand, though, Kacha is probably vying for a forward position.

[GhostoftheBok]

So, again (as nobody answered the first time): given finite finances, do we sign lots of not so good players or one or two good ones?

Given that we are already paying 25 players, fewer good ones.

[GhostoftheBok]

in the BN this morning where Evatt intimates Isgrove could potentially leave this window. So that’s three more possible departures.

Put on weight, has he?

[BWFC_Insane]

People listing Kachunga as a striker. You might as well say Toal can play up front.

You don't like Kachunga and don't think he can play anywhere, but he is a regular sight in a Bolton shirt.977 minutes in the league so far this season (according to a quick google)...seems likely he will continue to play, unless he leaves. In the current squad he probably continues to play up front, rather than the 10 role we've seen him in at times.

He is a paid, relied upon member of the squad. Like I said in my post, whether you like a player isn't the issue. It's whether the manager does.

If Sads can come into one of the two striker positions, actually bother learning how our press works and score goals - fantastic. As things stand, though, Kacha is probably vying for a forward position.

Whether I like him has no bearing on his output does it? And I demonstrated that output is, if we consider him a striker, beyond a disgrace.

If Kachunga is capable of playing up front and scoring goals and doing the same hard working hold up and link up role (not falling over every time a defender comes near) then great. You know as well as I do he’s not capable. And it’s why we had four strikers in the squad on top of him.