January 2023 Transfer Window

[Bertie Wooster]

It's difficult to know whether this has been a good window, only time will tell. A lot will depend on how bad the Shoretire & Johnston injuries are, if they are out for any length of time then I think that we may struggle.

I'm assuming on the basis of only bringing in the relatively unknown Mbete yesterday that the injuries are not bad ones.

[BWFC_Insane]

It's difficult to know whether this has been a good window, only time will tell. A lot will depend on how bad the Shoretire & Johnston injuries are, if they are out for any length of time then I think that we may struggle.

I'm assuming on the basis of only bringing in the relatively unknown Mbete yesterday that the injuries are not bad ones.

I am more worried about Johnston given we signed a player who clearly covers his role and not a direct Aimson replacement.

But I’m not sure the ‘relatively unknown’ bit means much. We need a centre half on loan and it was going to be a youngster from the league or two leagues above. I’d say Mbete was about as high profile and ‘established’ as we were going to get. He’s played some first time football. So yeah.

[GhostoftheBok]

I am more worried about Johnston given we signed a player who clearly covers his role and not a direct Aimson replacement.

I think we're all waiting to see what goes on there. If Johnston is back in the not to distant future then the final day looks okay. If he's out longer term then we're very short at the back.

[officer_dibble]

It’s a roll of the dice - we’re not first or second hoping others don’t make up ground, we are having a go at keeping in the top 6, and having form for the lottery at the end! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And I reckon we’ve made a profit as well.

[GhostoftheBok]

Everyone is now just waiting for Brommer's video on Mbete, right?

Would imagine he'll have fun with that one.

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s a roll of the dice - we’re not first or second hoping others don’t make up ground, we are having a go at keeping in the top 6, and having form for the lottery at the end! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And I reckon we’ve made a profit as well.

Yeah. I think our chances will come down to how much Ade and Jerome increase the chances we take. None of them are the guaranteed 'I'm potent enough to win you games' striker but there are basically slim to none chances of finding those.

So we've got back to 4 strikers, with an emphasis on strength, mobility and hold up play. All of which helps Charles, may also create chances for midfield players but the bottom line is that if we are to go from contenders to 'we might win the play offs' one of those strikers has to bag the chances and half chances we haven't been.

Shola (if he's ok) will add the extra bit of 'x factor' we miss at times so I reckon we'll find creating chances easier and John/Williams give us much more attacking threat on the left compared to Iredale.

As said above if Johnston is ok we seem fine at the back, if not we are short. And very beholden to luck. Midfield is short until Thomasson is back so again, beholden to luck.

And in this system we are still heavily beholden to Bradley as our only real wide outlet - even with John or Williams as of now I don't think either offer the running power or drive Bradley does to get us up the pitch, get us out or just stretch teams. That is still probably my biggest concern and where I feel our biggest weakness is. We aren't going to be changing systems. So for me if we lost Bradley we'd need to go more direct to the new strikers we have. I hope Evatt would do that as trying to build without that outlet will be very very hard.

[GhostoftheBok]

we'd need to go more direct to the new strikers

Never change, Insane. Never change.

[BWFC_Insane]

we'd need to go more direct to the new strikers

Never change, Insane. Never change.

We've absolutely gone more direct this season at times. And frankly you don't sign Ade, Jerome and Big Dan to always play intricate stuff. The option is there and I feel when Bradley misses games that is a time to be a bit more direct. We went pretty direct against Charlton once the two strikers were up there. Genuinely it will be important to do that at times to vary how we play and also to create an alternative outlet.

[GhostoftheBok]

We've absolutely gone more direct this season at times. And frankly you don't sign Ade, Jerome and Big Dan to always play intricate stuff. The option is there and I feel when Bradley misses games that is a time to be a bit more direct. We went pretty direct against Charlton once the two strikers were up there. Genuinely it will be important to do that at times to vary how we play and also to create an alternative outlet.

Our direct play is in transition, when the press creates turnovers and we can exploit overloads. The entire system is about creating those overloads. Bradley actually makes us more direct, because his running is so good we can hit him as part of that transition play. We might have to be less direct without him in there offering that.

We'll see what happens, though.

[BWFC_Insane]

We've absolutely gone more direct this season at times. And frankly you don't sign Ade, Jerome and Big Dan to always play intricate stuff. The option is there and I feel when Bradley misses games that is a time to be a bit more direct. We went pretty direct against Charlton once the two strikers were up there. Genuinely it will be important to do that at times to vary how we play and also to create an alternative outlet.

Our direct play is in transition, when the press creates turnovers and we can exploit overloads. The entire system is about creating those overloads. Bradley actually makes us more direct, because his running is so good we can hit him as part of that transition play. We might have to be less direct without him in there offering that.

We'll see what happens, though.

Yep agree with that. But when we have the possession and Bradley is in he's the obvious ball to see if he can create a yard of space. We don't really have anyone else with that ability (I think RW does but he's not shown it yet) and Shola offers one avenue through the middle. But we also have strikers who we can play off - they can pin defenders. Evatt likes a big man up front and I think it is critical to how he wants to play.

[GhostoftheBok]

Yep agree with that. But when we have the possession and Bradley is in he's the obvious ball to see if he can create a yard of space. We don't really have anyone else with that ability (I think RW does but he's not shown it yet) and Shola offers one avenue through the middle. But we also have strikers who we can play off - they can pin defenders. Evatt likes a big man up front and I think it is critical to how he wants to play.

It is what we were missing from his Barrow recipe, certainly, before Bodvarsson arrived. That ability to find a guy who can hold the ball *and turn* (being the key part) is so important to exploiting some of those overload. When he arrived I was expecting a Scott Quigley sort of player to show up and it didn't quite work with Doyle up there.

As we've become more and more intent on the press we've been more in need of those direct balls into runners or the centre forward and I'm all for it. I don't think we'll start hitting a target man a lot in build up play, though. It creates too many defensive issues for how we play.

This hyper aggressive football we want to play is great and I do think the new breed of forwards we are signing will help. The technical play of Nlundulu and Adeboyejo is really impressive and I am hopeful they'll improve us there too.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We've absolutely gone more direct this season at times.

Our direct play is in transition, when the press creates turnovers and we can exploit overloads.

Per Opta, our direct speed (how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield in metres per second) last season was 1.43 m/s, the division's fifth-slowest. Max was Wycombe (2.27), min was MK Dons (1.21).

This season, it's 1.58 m/s, which might not sound much faster but is decent as a fraction and indeed is the division's 7th-fastest. Max is Burton (1.85), min is Exeter (1.07).

[GhostoftheBok]

Per Opta, our direct speed (how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield in metres per second) last season was 1.43 m/s, the division's fifth-slowest. Max was Wycombe (2.27), min was MK Dons (1.21).

This season, it's 1.58 m/s, which might not sound much faster but is decent as a fraction and indeed is the division's 7th-fastest. Max is Burton (1.85), min is Exeter (1.07).

Right, but what matters is when and why. Our directness in play is nothing like that of Wycombe, for example. Our directness is there in combination with PPDA and other stats. We are pressing like mad and when we get it we look to exploit overloads whilst the other team is in their attacking shape.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Per Opta, our direct speed (how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield in metres per second) last season was 1.43 m/s, the division's fifth-slowest. Max was Wycombe (2.27), min was MK Dons (1.21).

This season, it's 1.58 m/s, which might not sound much faster but is decent as a fraction and indeed is the division's 7th-fastest. Max is Burton (1.85), min is Exeter (1.07).

Right, but what matters is when and why. Our directness in play is nothing like that of Wycombe, for example. Our directness is there in combination with PPDA and other stats. We are pressing like mad and when we get it we look to exploit overloads whilst the other team is in their attacking shape.

Oh indeed. I wasn't arguing with either of you, but backing up the mutual assertion that overall, we go 'back to front' faster than we did last season. And that's OK, because last season we were known to occasionally lapse toward the ponderous. It's also good because it shows Evatt is capable of adapting.

[GhostoftheBok]

Also worth noting how we use those "targetman" types and the sorts Evatt has gone for. They do a lot of work in wide areas and Evatt has brought in players who have experience playing out wide - Nlundulu, Adeboyejo and Bodvarsson.

In Adeboyejo's cameo the other day we saw him trying to work both flanks, drawing defences across and creating overloads on the opposite side for the wing backs to exploit.

Evatt adapted to having Doyle up front, then went back to being a bit more like Barrow. He has now introduced this insane press and a sort of switch-over build-up, based around Santos allowing us to push an additional player into attacking phases.

He's proving to be a very flexible manager, which is lovely to see. Also looks very tactically astute. How much of that is Sam Hird I don't know.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He's proving to be a very flexible manager, which is lovely to see. Also looks very tactically astute. How much of that is Sam Hird I don't know.

If it is Sam Hird, then I'm impressed with a coach I wasn't necessarily expecting a lot from – seemed a bit Jobs For The Boys, but I'm happy to be wrong (and I note that in Pete Atherton, Evatt purposefully appointed someone he didn't know). But, again, that would also mean Evatt's happy to take advice – something I was mildly worried about.

[BWFC_Insane]

We've absolutely gone more direct this season at times.

Our direct play is in transition, when the press creates turnovers and we can exploit overloads.

Per Opta, our direct speed (how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield in metres per second) last season was 1.43 m/s, the division's fifth-slowest. Max was Wycombe (2.27), min was MK Dons (1.21).

This season, it's 1.58 m/s, which might not sound much faster but is decent as a fraction and indeed is the division's 7th-fastest. Max is Burton (1.85), min is Exeter (1.07).

Thanks. That’s a fascinating stat. I felt we had gone more ‘direct’ without lumping it at a target which I agree we shouldn’t be doing. But this confirms it. Our signings should help this be more effective I think.

[BWFC_Insane]

Also worth noting how we use those "targetman" types and the sorts Evatt has gone for. They do a lot of work in wide areas and Evatt has brought in players who have experience playing out wide - Nlundulu, Adeboyejo and Bodvarsson.

In Adeboyejo's cameo the other day we saw him trying to work both flanks, drawing defences across and creating overloads on the opposite side for the wing backs to exploit.

Evatt adapted to having Doyle up front, then went back to being a bit more like Barrow. He has now introduced this insane press and a sort of switch-over build-up, based around Santos allowing us to push an additional player into attacking phases.

He's proving to be a very flexible manager, which is lovely to see. Also looks very tactically astute. How much of that is Sam Hird I don't know.

Yeah. Very Big Sam esque who obviously spent a lot of his time here doing similar.

[GhostoftheBok]

If it is Sam Hird, then I'm impressed with a coach I wasn't necessarily expecting a lot from – seemed a bit Jobs For The Boys, but I'm happy to be wrong (and I note that in Pete Atherton, Evatt purposefully appointed someone he didn't know). But, again, that would also mean Evatt's happy to take advice – something I was mildly worried about.

Hird looked like he was doing a lot of the on-the-fly work when we went a man down to FGR, so I'd be interested to learn more about his role. It looks like Evatt has built a very good team of coaches around himself, which is the making or breaking of most managers.

This window has given Evatt and his band of plucky heroes more tools to work with and we should hopefully see everything start to really click - away games allowing.

I can pick holes in where we are recruitment-wise and I have concerns, but they are minor and will keep. At best, we are in a very flexible position for the summer if we go up. We can do a lot of renewal in a new league, which is no bad thing. I might write a slightly more critical post if I get grumpy, though.

[TANGODANCER]

A small mid-week comment or two, if you will, on this topic:

Although no longer a fan in the match-going physical sense due to age and arthritis, I still never miss a game even if it's only on this site and Bolton News commentaries. That said, and though much in the game has changed, and inventing the wheel and creating fire happened many moons ago, fingers still get burned and the inevitable unpredictability of roulette wheel football never changes.

Just as in life in general, money and the constant desire to own it have totally ruined the once beautiful game and made it a "get rich quick" target for every wanna-be millionaire kid who owns a pair of football boots (designer of course) and a financial industry world-wide for almost everyone who has nothing whatsoever to do with two teams scoring goals on a football pitch. Would we really ever have believed "Valet my car" would be the legend on a Bolton Wanderers football shirt?

You can be excused for adopting a "No sxxt Sherlock" attitude to what every fan knows, but we laughingly call it progress and "change"" when in fact nothing really changes at all except the unpronounceable names of a new crop of players each transfer window ( " window?" who coined that one anyway?) . If we should lose the next four games in a row (heaven forbid) the pitchforks carefully hidden in a dark corner of garden sheds, will leap forth faster than it takes to write "Evatt Out" on a bedsheet with your partners lipstick, or quicker than it takes to type "Told you so" on a keyboard.

Okay that'll do for now as I happily join the merry thong of hopefuls chanting "Come on you Whites" ( I'm really a rose-tinter at heart) . The new "Dawning of the age of Aquarius" begins on Saturday at Cheltenham. May fortune favour the brave..