Snog, Marry, Avoid: Summer 2023 Transfer Window

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Beginning to suspect Bradley Dack isn't signing, you know.

[Bertie Wooster]

Beginning to suspect Bradley Dack isn't signing, you know.

Rumour now is that he's going to Sunderland to link up with Mowbray.

I would like a rumour or 3 in regards to who our proper midfield 'enforcer' may be, however wide of the mark & speculative !

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Beginning to suspect Bradley Dack isn't signing, you know.

Rumour now is that he's going to Sunderland to link up with Mowbray.

I would like a rumour or 3 in regards to who our proper midfield 'enforcer' may be, however wide of the mark & speculative !

Expectation is the handmaiden of disappointment, dear boy!

[TANGODANCER]

Translation: ‘We’d like Dec John and Sads to feck off, but no feck* wants to pay them what they’re currently on’.

I'm not the best authority I admit, but I'm a wee bit surprised at wanting to get rid of either. Both have had decent games for the Whites.

[truewhite15]

Translation: ‘We’d like Dec John and Sads to feck off, but no feck* wants to pay them what they’re currently on’.

I'm not the best authority I admit, but I'm a wee bit surprised at wanting to get rid of either. Both have had decent games for the Whites.

Too few, and too far between. We need better.

[officer_dibble]

John made everyone’s mind up when he shrugged his shoulders and fecked off down the tunnel at oakwell. I think sadlier hasn’t had enough of a chance but it’s obvious he won’t fit this system.

[GhostoftheBok]

We have 23 first team players and Evatt trusts 21 of them.

The other two should go, if possible.

[The_Gun]

Beginning to suspect Bradley Dack isn't signing, you know.

Rumour now is that he's going to Sunderland to link up with Mowbray.

I would like a rumour or 3 in regards to who our proper midfield 'enforcer' may be, however wide of the mark & speculative !

This was just confirmed.

[Worthy4England]

Beginning to suspect Bradley Dack isn't signing, you know.

Rumour now is that he's going to Sunderland to link up with Mowbray.

I would like a rumour or 3 in regards to who our proper midfield 'enforcer' may be, however wide of the mark & speculative !

Yeah..We still feel light in MF. The MF we have wasn't/isn't "bad." Just not sure it's top 2. Happy with us signing CMG, Williams showed some decent intent v Everton, JDC a less so, but whilst Everton might be struggling in the Prem, still a very good outfit for a L1 run out.

I think the DM would make the window decent. The DM + an additional class WB and I'd probably be content.

[Bertie Wooster]

Yeah..We still feel light in MF. The MF we have wasn't/isn't "bad." Just not sure it's top 2. Happy with us signing CMG, Williams showed some decent intent v Everton, JDC a less so, but whilst Everton might be struggling in the Prem, still a very good outfit for a L1 run out.

I think the DM would make the window decent. The DM + an additional class WB and I'd probably be content.

I agree Worthy and they need to be good enough to be starters. I'll probably get hammered for this but I'm still a little underwhelmed by the window so far - IMO it doesn't feel like we have a top 2 side. In fact apart from CMG (who is possibly a Dapo type replacement, similar level & quality) it doesn't feel like we have even improved the team (starting XI) from last season.

[Prufrock]

Nah I think you're probably right so far. Hoping there will be some improvement from the January lads, but still feel a little short, especially in midfield.

So far.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah..We still feel light in MF. The MF we have wasn't/isn't "bad." Just not sure it's top 2. Happy with us signing CMG, Williams showed some decent intent v Everton, JDC a less so, but whilst Everton might be struggling in the Prem, still a very good outfit for a L1 run out.

I think the DM would make the window decent. The DM + an additional class WB and I'd probably be content.

I agree Worthy and they need to be good enough to be starters. I'll probably get hammered for this but I'm still a little underwhelmed by the window so far - IMO it doesn't feel like we have a top 2 side. In fact apart from CMG (who is possibly a Dapo type replacement, similar level & quality) it doesn't feel like we have even improved the team (starting XI) from last season.

Think it's fine to be underwhelmed...I'm not at all sure we're "top 2" either. I do think the expectation that's been set and the bond have moved the bar up. Think I was ar 7th with a decent chance of play-offs last year. This year I think play-offs is table stakes and we need to be in or not adrift from top 2...If we missed out on 2nd having got 96 points, I'd probably say well done them...If we were 20 points adrift, I'd start to wonder.

We can make mitigating noises forever, but if you can't outspend (and plenty have tried this and it's not guaranteed promotion) then you're reliant on your approach to be the difference...

[BWFC_Insane]

CMG is the first signing that I feel is improving on what we had last season, not just filling a hole with a decent player or prospect and potentially adds something we didn’t have.

But the major issues we had last season - lack of attacking quality from wing back areas, weak midfield at times and lack of goal scoring through the middle of the park be it up front or midfield still haven’t been touched.

Our biggest issues need fixing and with good players as stated. No stop gaps.

I’m not underwhelmed anymore I’d say I’m not anything. Just feels neutral. We need more but Evatt seems to know that. The midfielder is most critical. Followed by wing back areas. I still also think we need that goal scoring number 10 as I think CMG may well end up at his best in a false 9 role.

[jmjhb]

I feel like it's a 6.5/10 or 7/10 window so far. If we can get the required additions at RWB and midfield as well as a couple more decent loans I'll be happy.

[Mar]

Yeah..We still feel light in MF. The MF we have wasn't/isn't "bad." Just not sure it's top 2. Happy with us signing CMG, Williams showed some decent intent v Everton, JDC a less so, but whilst Everton might be struggling in the Prem, still a very good outfit for a L1 run out.

I think the DM would make the window decent. The DM + an additional class WB and I'd probably be content.

I agree Worthy and they need to be good enough to be starters. I'll probably get hammered for this but I'm still a little underwhelmed by the window so far - IMO it doesn't feel like we have a top 2 side. In fact apart from CMG (who is possibly a Dapo type replacement, similar level & quality) it doesn't feel like we have even improved the team (starting XI) from last season.

Think it's fine to be underwhelmed...I'm not at all sure we're "top 2" either. I do think the expectation that's been set and the bond have moved the bar up. Think I was ar 7th with a decent chance of play-offs last year. This year I think play-offs is table stakes and we need to be in or not adrift from top 2...If we missed out on 2nd having got 96 points, I'd probably say well done them...If we were 20 points adrift, I'd start to wonder.

We can make mitigating noises forever, but if you can't outspend (and plenty have tried this and it's not guaranteed promotion) then you're reliant on your approach to be the difference...

Given the system we play it's highly likely we'll be reliant upon JDC and Williams to deliver a decent final ball. When that is failing I suspect CMG is to be the one that makes the different from an attacking point of view in the middle, hopefully opening up opportunities in the middle that were previously unavailable and taking some of the pressure away from the wide men.

Either way, i'm yet to be fully convinced that we've improved from last season in terms of football. From a business standpoint should JDC or Baxter come good then we're able to be more financially savvy as opposed to last season when we raised the stock of Trafford and Bradley. That £15m that City managed to get would've done us wonders had we got even a fraction of that. Hopefully should Baxter come good or JDC come good then we're in a better situation.

With regards to midfield, surely a loan option might be the way to go from one of the Prem sides. Worked well for Dapo and hopefully we've proven well enough that we've got a decent enough playing style to progress the youth players. Just need to find the next Bellingham on loan.

[Worthy4England]

Agree mate. Think there was too much focus last season on what Bradley did or didn't do. Williams, I think continues to look better (clearly less injury hampered), so you'd maybe like to think talking about both sides wbs was a thing and a bit more impetus through the middle with CMG

[Mar]

Agree mate. Think there was too much focus last season on what Bradley did or didn't do. Williams, I think continues to look better (clearly less injury hampered), so you'd maybe like to think talking about both sides wbs was a thing and a bit more impetus through the middle with CMG

Indeed. I think its a case of trying to get different avenues of attack in order to make it easier for us to get space in the opposition half and be more attacking in general. Last season we seemed too one dimensional, out to the right and attack.

Different story in the cup final as we had willing runners from midfield which offered an extra threat.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt: “I would think we’ll hopefully have one more in by the end of next week which will, in my opinion, improve the squad. It will improve the options we will have in certain areas of the pitch.”

[Worthy4England]

I'll bite.. his opinion might not be everyone's. But more bodies is positive...

[GhostoftheBok]

Evatt: “I would think we’ll hopefully have one more in by the end of next week which will, in my opinion, improve the squad. It will improve the options we will have in certain areas of the pitch.”

Interestingly timid praise by Evatt's standards. No "special player" or "top play" stuff. "Improve the squad" and "improve the options."

I've actually no issue with that. He could be keeping expectations low to then announce something special, but regardless what he needs are options - players who let him do different things from those already in his squad. It's not just "get a better Thomason" or "get a better Charles", he needs to be able to offer opponents different problems and find alternate solutions to threats.

Forrester improves the squad and improves the options. He allows us to play a different way compared to Toal, but they're both very good players.

Hopefully this new guy offers us a new look in midfield.