Snog, Marry, Avoid: Summer 2023 Transfer Window

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Wilson passed a medical (I'm told reliably) was about to have photos and scarf pics - suddenly off.

I don't know what is going on but I'd say this is more than just 'the usual summer hiccups'.

We may never know, but Derby could have come in last minute throwing silly amounts of money around. In which case we would be wise to not get involved. No use panic fannying until the window slams shut.

[Mar]

Wilson passed a medical (I'm told reliably) was about to have photos and scarf pics - suddenly off.

I don't know what is going on but I'd say this is more than just 'the usual summer hiccups'.

We may never know, but Derby could have come in last minute throwing silly amounts of money around. In which case we would be wise to not get involved. No use panic fannying until the window slams shut.

Our potential signings are broadcast to the point where its not a surprise anymore. Perhaps that clarity has meant teams that are watching are getting the chance to jump in and supplant our business. Not a good sign our competitors getting stronger at the expense of ourselves.

[BWFC_Insane]

Wilson passed a medical (I'm told reliably) was about to have photos and scarf pics - suddenly off.

I don't know what is going on but I'd say this is more than just 'the usual summer hiccups'.

We may never know, but Derby could have come in last minute throwing silly amounts of money around. In which case we would be wise to not get involved. No use panic fannying until the window slams shut.

We're aiming for automatics. You need to be much more sorted well before end of August than we are now. The number of points we need means you can't really be integrating key players during the season.

I don't think we need to panic but there are worrying signs. The two windows before this weren't great and I feel this one has signs that it could be like those too. I don't think we have loads of time here - Evatt needs the key components for some pre season so we're firing come August.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Wilson passed a medical (I'm told reliably) was about to have photos and scarf pics - suddenly off.

I don't know what is going on but I'd say this is more than just 'the usual summer hiccups'.

We may never know, but Derby could have come in last minute throwing silly amounts of money around. In which case we would be wise to not get involved. No use panic fannying until the window slams shut.

Our potential signings are broadcast to the point where its not a surprise anymore. Perhaps that clarity has meant teams that are watching are getting the chance to jump in and supplant our business. Not a good sign our competitors getting stronger at the expense of ourselves.

it isn't good, but Derby have as much chance of imploding as they do going up.

I'm not worried at this stage. The sum of the parts are more important than the individual pieces. Midfield will be a worry if not fixed come the window closing.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Wilson passed a medical (I'm told reliably) was about to have photos and scarf pics - suddenly off.

I don't know what is going on but I'd say this is more than just 'the usual summer hiccups'.

We may never know, but Derby could have come in last minute throwing silly amounts of money around. In which case we would be wise to not get involved. No use panic fannying until the window slams shut.

We're aiming for automatics. You need to be much more sorted well before end of August than we are now. The number of points we need means you can't really be integrating key players during the season.

I don't think we need to panic but there are worrying signs. The two windows before this weren't great and I feel this one has signs that it could be like those too. I don't think we have loads of time here - Evatt needs the key components for some pre season so we're firing come August.

We can aim for what we want, but if players want to go elsewhere for more cash than we can afford the only thing we can do is move on to the next target. We're all speculating why the deal fell through, but amongst the least likely is Evatt changing his mind - that would be concerning.

[Worthy4England]

And now Regan Poole joins Portsmouth. Our rivals strengthening massively - we need some quality players in soon to keep up.

I'm fairly sure on last year's "radar" of shit to worry about, we had Oxford, MK Dons and the three teams coming up, all of who finished lower than 14th. Would we really be saying "that's it, HMS is about to launch", on the basis we signed Regan Poole? I suspect not.

[GhostoftheBok]

We're aiming for automatics. You need to be much more sorted well before end of August than we are now. The number of points we need means you can't really be integrating key players during the season.

Not really the case. It often depends on your initial run.

If you look at Ipswich they had a load of issues early doors and they were largely saved by their fixtures.

They drew with us first game, but then had two of the relegated teams straight after. They only avoided a draw against FGR with an injury time goal. Those first few games where they were sorting things out were really iffy.

It took them about 10 games to really get going and every time they came up against a top 6 side they dropped points. They put in some top performances, but would then really struggle.

It was in the second half of the season that everything really came together and they ripped it up.

Plymouth lost 2 of their first 4 games, including that absolutely hiding off Charlton.

You can tie things together as you go along and the reality is most teams have had to in the past.

[Worthy4England]

We're aiming for automatics. You need to be much more sorted well before end of August than we are now. The number of points we need means you can't really be integrating key players during the season.

Not really the case. It often depends on your initial run.

If you look at Ipswich they had a load of issues early doors and they were largely saved by their fixtures.

They drew with us first game, but then had two of the relegated teams straight after. They only avoided a draw against FGR with an injury time goal. Those first few games where they were sorting things out were really iffy.

It took them about 10 games to really get going and every time they came up against a top 6 side they dropped points. They put in some top performances, but would then really struggle.

It was in the second half of the season that everything really came together and they ripped it up.

Plymouth lost 2 of their first 4 games, including that absolutely hiding off Charlton.

You can tie things together as you go along and the reality is most teams have had to in the past.

I don't think this is particularly correct, other than maybe if you were contenting "comparatively"

Their best months for points per game were August (winner by a distance), October and November and collectively they played 15 games in these months. Their three worst were Jan - March, just noticed less maybe because they only played 9 in this period...

I do think it's important to get a real solid start (not in a "no shit Sherlock" sense) but them's in the top 2 end Aug/Sep are often still in the top 2 come Apr/May...

[GhostoftheBok]

I don't think this is particularly correct, other than maybe if you were contenting "comparatively"

Their best months for points per game were August (winner by a distance)

But that's why I said you need the fixtures to be somewhat kind.

Our fixtures are hopefully fairly kind.

Ipswich drew against us. Then played two relegated sides. Then played a Burton side that picked up one point in their first 8 games and a Shrews side that won one of their first 6.

Then they dropped points against Barnsley and then got another relegated side, followed by a Bristol Rovers side that won 2 of their first 10. Then they dropped points in both their next two games.

It turned out to be an insanely kind start that allowed them to roll through teething issues.

You can't just say, "They had a good points haul" and not look at the context. Especially when I've put the qualifier in my opening sentence

Plymouth likewise had real issues at the start and took a proper hammering in one game as a result. They recovered.

You don't need to be perfect straight out of the blocks. You need either kind fixtures or to work through those issues you do have very quickly.

[Worthy4England]

Talking (partial - maybe complete if you prefer) bollocks there Worthy. (using cumulative ppg)

They certainly rocketed March/April, but were also above 2.33 ppg in August, 2.29 Oct and above 2 in November - their main "dips" were in Sept, Dec and Jan.

I still think it's important to get an "up there" start, rather than catch up. Realistically you have to be at 2 ppg from the get go.

Edit: So it sort of doesn't matter if you play bad against a poor team and the result is "win". It matters if you play bad against a poor team and it isn't.

[The_Gun]

Just woke up in Chicago to the news that George Johnston is out for the season! Terrible start to the day

[GhostoftheBok]

I still think it's important to get an "up there" start, rather than catch up.

Couldn't agree more with that.

If we're losing a load of games at the start of the season we're very unlikely to recover enough to win the thing.

[GhostoftheBok]

Just woke up in Chicago to the news that George Johnston is out for the season! Terrible start to the day

Yup. His ACL's gone. Shite. Losing a player that important 10 minutes into your first friendly is a fecking joke.

No real choice now but to have a proper look at the options in the market. We should hopefully have had stuff lined up in case a bid came in, so we may be able to react quickly.

The issue is money. The board will have to make some additional funds available if there are the reserves to do so.

[BWFC_Insane]

Whilst I think we need cover our midfield options are currently Morley, Sheehan, Dempsey, Thomason.

That is a million miles away from promotion and also is 4 players for 3 spaces - if we need two centre halves per place we absolutely need the same in midfield where the ground covered is more significant and injury risk higher. I also think if we're being brutally honest Thomason is not really good enough if we want to go up.

[BWFC_Insane]

Just woke up in Chicago to the news that George Johnston is out for the season! Terrible start to the day

Yup. His ACL's gone. Shite. Losing a player that important 10 minutes into your first friendly is a fecking joke.

No real choice now but to have a proper look at the options in the market. We should hopefully have had stuff lined up in case a bid came in, so we may be able to react quickly.

The issue is money. The board will have to make some additional funds available if there are the reserves to do so.

Evatt said in January that we weren't using the Dapo money to buy Adeboyejo. So I'm not sure we're that short unless he was lying.

Will be a loan for cover I suspect.

[GhostoftheBok]

Whilst I think we need cover our midfield options are currently Morley, Sheehan, Dempsey, Thomason.

That is a million miles away from promotion and also is 4 players for 3 spaces - if we need two centre halves per place we absolutely need the same in midfield where the ground covered is more significant and injury risk higher. I also think if we're being brutally honest Thomason is not really good enough if we want to go up.

We absolutely need 2 mids as a minimum, yes. It'd be possible to limp through with Sads as a 10 option, but sod that.

We also now need another centre back in the building and we still need that RWB sorting.

That brings us up to a minimum of four, ideally within the next two weeks.

I am very much hoping to see one in today.

[GhostoftheBok]

Evatt said in January that we weren't using the Dapo money to buy Adeboyejo. So I'm not sure we're that short unless he was lying.

Will be a loan for cover I suspect.

Planned expenditure per position is usually a thing.

It may be within the discretion of the football department to allocate more money from a central fund, but our model seems to be board involvement in all additional funding.

That'll mean Evatt asking the board for more funds to cover Johnston.

That should be a very easy conversation.

We apparently saved some money on Forrester, so that'll help.

[BWFC_Insane]

Whilst I think we need cover our midfield options are currently Morley, Sheehan, Dempsey, Thomason.

That is a million miles away from promotion and also is 4 players for 3 spaces - if we need two centre halves per place we absolutely need the same in midfield where the ground covered is more significant and injury risk higher. I also think if we're being brutally honest Thomason is not really good enough if we want to go up.

We absolutely need 2 mids as a minimum, yes. It'd be possible to limp through with Sads as a 10 option, but sod that.

We also now need another centre back in the building and we still need that RWB sorting.

That brings us up to a minimum of four, ideally within the next two weeks.

I am very much hoping to see one in today.

Personally think we really need 3 in midfield now. Baccus sort - someone who can do the MJ role when needed - with height - and that attacking mid (you may say number 10 but I think they could be a more attack minded number .

[GhostoftheBok]

Personally think we really need 3 in midfield now. Baccus sort - someone who can do the MJ role when needed - with height - and that attacking mid (you may say number 10 but I think they could be a more attack minded number .

Not sure three is realistic, but we'll see what happens.

I am anticipating we'll want to be able to go again in January (as both Plymouth and Ipswich did last season), so some funding will need to be retained for that.

You want to be able to assess what is and isn't working and adjust for the run in.

[Worthy4England]

Shola and Luke have just been driven past our house by one of their Mum's.

To what Insano said, IE deffo spoke about not spending the Dapo money in Jan, can't quite recall if it was "any of it" or "all of it" that he wasn't spending in Jan.

Not sure the Johnston thing substantively changes where the management would have been two days back, because they probably had a better notion than us...so it only really changes the tally by one, given we were already thinking 2 was the minimum number of MF we needed and I doubt that Evatt didn't know MJ might be hitting the exit...