Tooling up: The summer 2024 transfer thread

[dave the minion]

Sibley gone to Oxford from Derby. That's the kind of player we should have been in for...

Birmingham, Huddersfield doing some excellent business too...next season is looking that much tougher

Feeling really pessimistic now that Evatt's failings last season will set us back 5 years.

Yep. I will never forgive Evatt and his bottle job players. Ever.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Iles says Wanderers expect another signing this week, ahead of the opening (but behind closed doors) friendly v WBA on Saturday.

“club is working hard to get one more deal over the line before this weekend… they are thought to be seeking signings in both wing-back positions, in midfield and up front”

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... frriendly/

[TANGODANCER]

A couple of big ruffians who can play football won't go amiss. Sort of talented Andy Todd or Jerry Taggart. This isn't a pat-a-cake league.

[truewhite15]

Wing back has to be THE priority, for me, followed closely by midfield.

I've mellowed a little over the previous month. Didn't want to talk or think about football, and Wanderers in particular, at all after the travesty at Wembley. But I've come to the conclusion that it's not the time to defenestrate infant with soiled water.

This is still, by and large, the side that was in with a better than even chance of automatic promotion going into the final fortnight of the season. Yes, we bottled it, but you don't get into that position by chance. It's a side, by and large, that didn't have any problems scoring last season. And it still contains, by and large, the personnel who were the league's second-best defence the season before last.

We need to add quality. Of that there can be no doubt - particularly in those critical full back roles. And yes, a midfield general wouldn't go amiss. But wholesale changes to the side and the system? Not convinced.

I'm as infuriated with the team and with Evatt as the next man. And if we don't hit the ground running next month, then there will be absolutely no defence for the manager. But I don't think we're a million miles away.

[TANGODANCER]

The whole "sack the manager" syndrome come from fan pressure rather than common sense. We win, sing the boss's praises; we lose, off with his head". Must be me, but it just isn't logical thinking and too much ruled by the true meaning of "fan" as
filled with excessive and single-minded zeal. . Season-ticket holders, in their saner moments know that it's all a gamble without guarantees, but what they expect and what they get is down to the team, not the manager who probably doesn't even own a pair of football boots.....(legs it hurriedly for the exit)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm as infuriated with the team and with Evatt as the next man.

Depends who the next man is

Broadly, I'm with you. Time to deliver, or the storm clouds will quickly gather.

I do think this is a harder season to get promoted - Rotherham have a proven promotion manager and have recruited well; Birmingham have just spent £1.5m on one player and also recruited a divisional top scorer. Huddersfield also have a good shout with Duff in charge, while Wrexham will not be the minnows Parky is pathetically pretending they are. Stockport, too, might be on a roll.

That panoply of threats will only increase fears around the fanbase, especially if one or more of those contenders starts strongly. Mathematically it may, perhaps counterintuitively, lower the promotion PPG pace – if teams A, B and C all win most of their games except against one another, they'll set a faster pace than if teams D, E and F are also taking points off them and one another.

Anyways. Winning usually soothes ills. Losing rarely does, and certainly won't this time. Each of us will have his or her own line of enough's enough.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Interesting story coming out of Kilmarnock (via Daily Mail) that we've had a couple of bids for Danny Armstrong. He's 26, entering last year of his contract, and we're said to have offered £400k, although they're not (yet) biting.

What's most interesting is that Armstrong is a winger. True, he has (as so many seem to have) played all over the front half - 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 - it's been mostly as a winger that he's done well.

Could be nowt but with Lolos having a similarly fluid profile, the Joel Randall bid and the existence of CMG and Randell (when fit), it does feel a lot like we're gearing up towards a squad that can at least theoretically play with wingers.

[BWFC_Insane]

The whole "sack the manager" syndrome come from fan pressure rather than common sense. We win, sing the boss's praises; we lose, off with his head". Must be me, but it just isn't logical thinking and too much ruled by the true meaning of "fan" as
filled with excessive and single-minded zeal. . Season-ticket holders, in their saner moments know that it's all a gamble without guarantees, but what they expect and what they get is down to the team, not the manager who probably doesn't even own a pair of football boots.....(legs it hurriedly for the exit)

Managers build teams. Sacking a manager after a season no. But when they’ve been able to build an entire squad exactly to their choosing and have for three years had the opportunity each time to rebuild it again and still have the same failings then it’s systemic. It’s not just a rogue batch of players.

And ultimately we can cite a lot of examples just like Evatt. One basically identical in record in Phil Neal. He was sacked and rightly so.

The problem with Evatt is he keeps saying the same things. If he keeps doing the same thing the results won’t change. He’s still done nothing to address our character which was a huge weak spot, lack of seasoned professionals, a system that failed when it mattered or even admitted to his own deficiencies.

If he can’t be honest about it then how can he actually effect the necessary changes needed, which are vast and significant not minor tweaks?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Interesting story coming out of Kilmarnock (via Daily Mail) that we've had a couple of bids for Danny Armstrong. He's 26, entering last year of his contract, and we're said to have offered £400k, although they're not (yet) biting.

What's most interesting is that Armstrong is a winger. True, he has (as so many seem to have) played all over the front half - 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 - it's been mostly as a winger that he's done well.

Could be nowt but with Lolos having a similarly fluid profile, the Joel Randall bid and the existence of CMG and Randell (when fit), it does feel a lot like we're gearing up towards a squad that can at least theoretically play with wingers.

Iles says there's legs in the rumour, although "we have learned that negotiations may not yet have reached the bidding stage and that the numbers quoted in the national press are considerably higher than those discussed between the two parties."
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... armstrong/

[Bertie Wooster]

Godfrey bitok Stephen new LWB signing if rumours are true ?

Nigerian who played in Hungary last season.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Godfrey bitok Stephen new LWB signing if rumours are true ?

Nigerian who played in Hungary last season.

I saw this one and it would be a surprise. The source isn't exactly watertight - bloke with 49 Twitter followers whose previous tweets.... well, let's say they're not the sign of a brilliant mind.

Stranger things have happened, of course. But not often.

[BWFC_Insane]

Godfrey bitok Stephen new LWB signing if rumours are true ?

Nigerian who played in Hungary last season.

I saw this one and it would be a surprise. The source isn't exactly watertight - bloke with 49 Twitter followers whose previous tweets.... well, let's say they're not the sign of a brilliant mind.

Stranger things have happened, of course. But not often.

Very odd thing to make up. But then I suppose it’s the internet….

[DJBlu]

Dunno if it's been posted but Scott Arfield is a name now doing the rounds and linked with Bolton.

Derek Clarke has saluted it on twitter too. I know he's a Rangers man so might not be anything in it.

[Worthy4England]

Dunno if it's been posted but Scott Arfield is a name now doing the rounds and linked with Bolton.

Derek Clarke has saluted it on twitter too. I know he's a Rangers man so might not be anything in it.

That would be a bit of a departure - isn't he about 40?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Dunno if it's been posted but Scott Arfield is a name now doing the rounds and linked with Bolton.

Derek Clarke has saluted it on twitter too. I know he's a Rangers man so might not be anything in it.

That would be a bit of a departure - isn't he about 40?

Nah, Derek’s older than that.

Arfield is a mere 35. Iles is running the “according to reports” line: https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... t-arfield/

[Worthy4England]

Dunno if it's been posted but Scott Arfield is a name now doing the rounds and linked with Bolton.

Derek Clarke has saluted it on twitter too. I know he's a Rangers man so might not be anything in it.

That would be a bit of a departure - isn't he about 40?

Nah, Derek’s older than that.

Arfield is a mere 35. Iles is running the “according to reports” line: https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... t-arfield/

Cheers. Still seems an odd fit at 35...midfielder in a pressing midfield...

[BWFC_Insane]

Dunno if it's been posted but Scott Arfield is a name now doing the rounds and linked with Bolton.

Derek Clarke has saluted it on twitter too. I know he's a Rangers man so might not be anything in it.

That would be a bit of a departure - isn't he about 40?

Nah, Derek’s older than that.

Arfield is a mere 35. Iles is running the “according to reports” line: https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... t-arfield/

Cheers. Still seems an odd fit at 35...midfielder in a pressing midfield...

I’m very torn on this. Attitude and experience wise he’s great. Tough. Experienced. Played for proper sides that have achieved stuff not just tippy tappy flatter to deceive nothing ones like us.

But on the other hand in midfield we need an MJ Williams who can run. I feel it’s been obvious now for a long time that we miss that sort of player and MJs only weakness was he couldn’t really cover ground.

Arfield is a converted winger. I can only assume he will play the number 6 role and add a bit more bite than Sheehan and experience which is ok but it still for me is not really addressing the issue in full.

And he’s 35. And hasn’t been ripping up trees in the MLS.

And IF he’s been brought in to play one of the 8’s then it’s full on head in hands.

[Worthy4England]

That's where I'm at, too. As with any signing, we can only really judge when we see 'em on the midden. Bannan looked pretty good for Sheff Weds when they went up, but he was maybe 31/32...

[BWFC_Insane]

There are games where you need a big non nonsense physical midfield player to help shield your backline and get about the park and win the ball. We all know this. There are games where a Sheehan is a total luxury and passenger. And this has been the case for a long time now. Every league one side more or less has a proper combative midfield player, someone who is there to win the battle. Most have a few.

It’s a serious lack we’ve had - we can all list the games where it’s hurt us. I think a lot of the time even in less obvious games if we won the ball back more we’d be more dangerous on the counter press.

It blows my mind really that Evatt is so stubborn that he won’t do the obvious and go and recruit someone who can do this job. Maybe Khumbeni - who does seem the type might now be ready but I don’t see Evatt giving him chances.

I don’t care what anyone says but playing Sheehan as a 6 without a proper alternative is going to cost us again.

[TANGODANCER]

Frustrating time, but "Act in haste, repent at leisure" might well be applied right now. There's always a chance of new additions being either Yin or Yang, plus disclosing plans may not be our best option. Right now I'd swap a bit of silky skill for a tough battler in midfield and two good full backs who are quick enough to keep up with dangerous wingers. To much action happens in our territory and "goals that count" over-rules any entertainment value-wise..