January 2023 Transfer Window

[GhostoftheBok]

I’d say DJ has changed my view today. If he is LWB and RW is cover for both sides we may get away with that. And then we can focus on centre back and maybe midfield.

It’s one half but he definitely improved us beyond anything I’ve seen that side so far.

Okay. So you're now of the view that if we have John, Williams, Bradley, Izzy and flexibility in the back three you are happy?

[BWFC_Insane]

I’d say DJ has changed my view today. If he is LWB and RW is cover for both sides we may get away with that. And then we can focus on centre back and maybe midfield.

It’s one half but he definitely improved us beyond anything I’ve seen that side so far.

Okay. So you're now of the view that if we have John, Williams, Bradley, Izzy and flexibility in the back three you are happy?

I think we need to add a proper dominant centre back to replace Aimson.

And another who is a Gethin Jones flexible wide centre half type ideally.

That would probably cover us with John back in the fold.

A midfield addition would be ideal then.

I suspect we are going to be replacing Aimson and maybe adding one of the other two.

[GhostoftheBok]

I suspect we are going to be replacing Aimson and maybe adding one of the other two.

At minimum, yeah.

I suspect we'll do more if we can move some more wages out.

[GhostoftheBok]

Alan Nixon says a young striker from New Zealand is being "looked at" by us. He's shown up in news stories about trials at other clubs this month. Anyone know anything about him? The New Zealand National League isn't exactly one I watch on a regular basis

[BWFC_Insane]

Alan Nixon says a young striker from New Zealand is being "looked at" by us. He's shown up in news stories about trials at other clubs this month. Anyone know anything about him? The New Zealand National League isn't exactly one I watch on a regular basis

If anyone knows anything about him they probably should be employed in football somewhere!

[GhostoftheBok]

If anyone knows anything about him they probably should be employed in football somewhere!

I'm hoping our antipodean fanbase might have heard of him.

[jmjhb]

One for the B team, I guess. I looked at Wikipedia and Transfermarkt and he's scored 24 in 41 first team starts which is good going whatever your age or level.

Suppose being a dual-nat helps in this instance, otherwise you'd think an A-League team would take a punt on him.

[GhostoftheBok]

One for the B team, I guess. I looked at Wikipedia and Transfermarkt and he's scored 24 in 41 first team starts which is good going whatever your age or level.

Suppose being a dual-nat helps in this instance, otherwise you'd think an A-League team would take a punt on him.

There's a youtube video that looks like his agency probably made it. Big lad and not slow. No way to know anything more than that from 3 minutes of clips meant to make him look good.

You'd expect plenty of the current B-team crop to go in the summer, so hopefully we'll keep hearing about this kind of thing. There are increasingly talented players coming out of New Zealand now and they can't all end up in Scandinavia.

[GhostoftheBok]

Some bods have clocked Alfie Devine liking a post about the Bolton result on Shoretire's instagram.

Worth noting they know one another regardless of Bolton interest. They've been away together with England and were both in the north west football youth circuit, where everyone knows everyone else.

[Spartan2]

Some bods have clocked Alfie Devine liking a post about the Bolton result on Shoretire's instagram.

Worth noting they know one another regardless of Bolton interest. They've been away together with England and were both in the north west football youth circuit, where everyone knows everyone else.

Would devine be a permanent signing or is he out of our league and just looking to loan?

[GhostoftheBok]

Would devine be a permanent signing or is he out of our league and just looking to loan?

Massively out of our league as a full signing.

Spurs valued him at somewhere around £10m not long ago and he recently signed a new 5 year deal

[Prufrock]

They spent roughly the same as our biggest signing of the past 10 years on him as a 16 year old when Wigan nearly went pop.

I think a good heuristic is probably: if we loan them and they're under 20 we probably don't have much chance of signing them permanently; if they're 22+ it's more likely a try before you buy.

He's also the one Danny Drinkwater embarrassed himself trying to pay the hard man with in an U23s game.

[BWFC_Insane]

Its the final countdown or something.

Sounds like priority number one is a centre half for obvious reasons.

I'm guessing if we sign 2 CB's its bad news.

[The_Gun]

Isn't Devine an attacking midfielder? Doesn't seem a position of need for us given we've brought Shoretire in.

[sonicthewhite]

Depends if we have anyone else lined up to leave.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Isn't Devine an attacking midfielder? Doesn't seem a position of need for us given we've brought Shoretire in.

yes he is. Guess the idea is it frees Lee to be more of an 8 than a 10. And it could also be one of those things where opportunity knocks.

Seems to me that Big Clubs tend to have more 10s than other positions. Guess it’s the kind of position a kid can impress in while young, rather than at centre-back. Centre-backs do exist, though. Didn’t one help Sunderland to promotion?

[BWFC_Insane]

Isn't Devine an attacking midfielder? Doesn't seem a position of need for us given we've brought Shoretire in.

He can as I understand it play as a number 8. Which I suspect will be the idea. Or as DSB says he would let Lee be a number 8. Would give us more options.

My guess is it won’t happen but you never know. He’d really help the midfield numbers as Sheehan and MJ aren’t quite a fit for how we play now.

[The_Gun]

If he can play deeper then it would make sense, but he's primarily a '10' then from the perspective of Spurs and the player we wouldn't be the most obvious destination for him at present.

[GhostoftheBok]

He can as I understand it play as a number 8.

This is the correct assessment.

Loves a tackle, very good range of passing and quick feet. Does his off the ball work very well, as with Shoretire.

He played for Spurs' U21s against Arsenal on Friday night as an 8, which was the final test of his injury rehab. Got the green light after the game, having been watched by interested parties.

[BWFC_Insane]

He can as I understand it play as a number 8.

This is the correct assessment.

Loves a tackle, very good range of passing and quick feet. Does his off the ball work very well, as with Shoretire.

He played for Spurs' U21s against Arsenal on Friday night as an 8, which was the final test of his injury rehab. Got the green light after the game, having been watched by interested parties.

From the little I know he's a more combative, physical (and better) Sheehan. So that hybrid 8/10. Which makes sense for us.

For all Shoretire has looked great so far he's not been tested yet in the actual number 10 role (as in behind two strikers) with the defensive job on his hands too against a good side. He's also for me only shown glimpses as yet. He's not been asked to run a game and again he probably can but its a step or two up from the roles he's had thus far which are effectively 'make things happen'. You aren't doing that away in a play off against a top side.