Tooling up: The summer 2024 transfer thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

To that point, where's Conor Carty up to with his ACL?

Dunno where he's up to with his ACL but he's overage this season

So's Dan, TBF.

Fair. I sadly suspect neither is the answer, at least to a relevant question. But Conor's not a free hit any more.

[The_Gun]

No we wouldn’t, because we don’t have any free squad spaces.

We do, at the minute. Injuries mean we can register everyone now.

However, any additional signings will need to be U21s and we will need to look at the squad again in January.

Registration rules aren't the issue here, though. Dan's role in the squad is necessary for our depth. If he goes we need to sign another player. If that player needed to be U21 for reg rules, fine; but we need the player.

I’m not sure where the idea of not registering CMG for the first half of the season has come from. The timeframe for his injury recovery was six to nine months, so even if we’re looking at the top end of that then he’d be due back in October.

[GhostoftheBok]

To that point, where's Conor Carty up to with his ACL?

An excellent question, though he would need to be registered.

Would like to see Michael Obafemi on our list of potentials, but that's a difficult deal to do.

[GhostoftheBok]

I’m not sure where the idea of not registering CMG for the first half of the season has come from. The timeframe for his injury recovery was six to nine months, so even if we’re looking at the top end of that then he’d be due back in October.

It's the only way I can make sense of being told by a staff member that there aren't any registration issues.

I can't see any way that's true other than Forrester and CMG now being out of the picture until Jan - which puts us on 22. Unless we now know Lolos is out for a good while. Regardless, the squad doesn't work without those assumptions, you're correct there.

That's unless the public pronouncements that no exits are "imminent" aren't right.

[officer_dibble]

Dan wasn’t on the bench Saturday.
Two midfielders came on in the wide forward / number ten or whatever the hell it’s called in our system!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Dan wasn’t on the bench Saturday.
Two midfielders came on in the wide forward / number ten or whatever the hell it’s called in our system!

To be scrupulous, Arfield has played that 10 role preseason and started the two previous games there, while Dempsey isn't (IMO) a 6 so he either plays there or nowhere.

Howevs... yeah. The fact Evatt would rather pick both of them as the obviously-destined-to-come-on sub 10s, and not Dan, doesn't speak well of Dan's pecking-order placement. But that's not the worst sign for him, it seems to me. What's worse is that he didn't make the 20-man League Cup matchday squad (nine subs); even Joel Coleman made that list.

When I saw Evatt's opening-day selection at Orient I commented on here that Dan was the fourth-most likely forward to be used, and indeed there he sat, uncalled for. Lolos's injury in that game, sad as it was, should have pushed Dan up the order for Mansfield – I'm not astonished he didn't make the bench v Wrexham, but that feels the bigger overlook.

I'm not sure Arfield or Dempsey are thoroughbred 10s in this system, but it looks like Evatt isn't sure where, if anywhere, Dan fits at all.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don’t know on attitude because he’s not played any football really but there is only one thing Dan would ever be and that’s a number 9 - target man. Give him to a Big Sam or a Parky and that’s what they’d try. Get him backing in, pinning centre halves - learn the skills. If he has the aptitude for it I think he’d be good at it. Physically he has it all for that role. He’s never a good enough footballer for anything else but could do that. If he wanted to. And he listened to those who could coach that into him.

[Worthy4England]

I reckon if he had the aptitude to maul centre halves, we might have seen some of it by now. If that's what your game is centred on, it's pretty difficult not to go and find that challenge...

[GhostoftheBok]

Dan's a big, strong forward who has been educated to play like he's 5'6".

I get that he was a very technical kid and the refs at U23 level give a foul if you sneeze too hard, but it's still an issue.

He can bully defenders, but it's not natural for him.

He's not soft, because we've seen him clattered and go after the guy who did it; but he doesn't play aggressively.

I'm not sure how you overcome that at his age.

As DSB says (And others have said), the fact he's not been given a go yet looks bad for him.

Iles' view of it was seemingly that we're trying to make absolutely sure we don't lose him for another year with his hamstrings, but who knows.

There's a reason why everyone thinks his place in the squad is the most vulnerable.

[BWFC_Insane]

Dan's a big, strong forward who has been educated to play like he's 5'6".

I get that he was a very technical kid and the refs at U23 level give a foul if you sneeze too hard, but it's still an issue.

He can bully defenders, but it's not natural for him.

He's not soft, because we've seen him clattered and go after the guy who did it; but he doesn't play aggressively.

I'm not sure how you overcome that at his age.

As DSB says (And others have said), the fact he's not been given a go yet looks bad for him.

Iles' view of it was seemingly that we're trying to make absolutely sure we don't lose him for another year with his hamstrings, but who knows.

There's a reason why everyone thinks his place in the squad is the most vulnerable.

Yep modern football nonsense hurts young players like him. Like I say his best hope is a manager who will help him become that sort of big target man. That’s not Evatt for sure.

[GhostoftheBok]

Dan has more raw talent than Dion or Vic, but he's clearly not as good a player as either at the moment. Both of them have benefitted from much more difficult career paths and learnt to use what they do have to the maximum to become professional players.

Dan is nowhere near the best version of himself.

You can't coach improvement into a player who can't train or play. Well, there's some stuff you can do, but not enough.

The fact he was out last season was a killer. He has two years left on his deal. This is the season it has to happen for him. Potential is irrelevant if you don't realise it.

He's a nice lad. I really hope he stays fit and gives himself a chance.

[Prufrock]

He's possibly half way through his career and played no football. He needs to go and play. But he looked like a dud and I think is.

I'm not generally that arsed. They're not all going to be good. It happens.

[GhostoftheBok]

He's possibly half way through his career and played no football. He needs to go and play. But he looked like a dud and I think is.

I'm not generally that arsed. They're not all going to be good. It happens.

If we can move him on loan and get an U21 in then nobody is going to argue.

There is space for him to play here, if he stays. He has to be worth his place, though. We're not carrying anyone this season. It's too important.

[officer_dibble]

He’s a bit of a fanny really. Should be smashing into centre halves and creating chances. If he’s here1st September I’ll be amazed.

[BWFC_Insane]

He's possibly half way through his career and played no football. He needs to go and play. But he looked like a dud and I think is.

I'm not generally that arsed. They're not all going to be good. It happens.

If we can move him on loan and get an U21 in then nobody is going to argue.

There is space for him to play here, if he stays. He has to be worth his place, though. We're not carrying anyone this season. It's too important.

If we keep this system then we all know Dan is no number 10. We aren’t playing him there unless of course we are in dire straits. So he’s a 9. Which means getting beyond Vic, Dion and probably McAtee. I just don’t see it.

I don’t see where or when he plays barring a horrific run of injuries. And that is non position to be in.

I think it best all round he goes but he’s not on small wages so we likely need to do someone and Dan a big favour.

[The_Gun]

Pete O’Rourke, a seemingly very creditable source, has Oxford and Turkish club Goztepe in for Vic.

[GhostoftheBok]

We don't really need multiple traditional #10s. We don't currently have one, really. It's a signing we need to make.

I do think Dan could play that 9/10/11 role behind the striker, but it's a question of how ready he is. He can certainly play the #9, but like you say he's not getting in there.

We've had him 18 months (6 on loan, 12 permanent) - has he started even a dozen games?

Collins and McAtee aren't traditional #10s either, but they do fit this system very well.

If Dan stays he has to show the work rate the other forwards do. He has a lot of the same skills as McAtee. It's all about the mental side.

You can tell the lads who've had loads of games in the lower leagues.

That's not me saying I think he'll stay, because I think people are making decent arguments for why he won't; but if he does then we have to get the most from him.

That goes for the entire squad. We have lots of reliable players, but we also have players who have a lot more to offer. Those players will be needed over the season.

[Prufrock]

I'm not sold by the narrowness anyways. It's made for Collins off the left, and to a lesser extent McAtee. We but the gulf between how John and Dan use their physicality is night and day. One is 5'10 and looks like a bully. The other has everything you want by looks like he's taken up football like the pole vault.

I've still not quite fully written him off, but he needs to play 30 times this season and that just isn't going to be here.

[GhostoftheBok]

The biggest issue we have isn't Dan. If he goes or stays, we need a ball-carrying #10 who can create through the middle.

Dan stays and we've got a 3rd place lad who could be more. If he goes, we'll need someone else in (younger) who can do that job.

Dion, Vic, McAtee, Collins and Dempsey are our "known quantity" options in the more attacking positions.

Lolos looks talented, but is now out for a good while. Arfield may or may not be over the hill. CMG, god knows. Nlundulu clearly needs football.

That's roughly a 50/50 mix, which isn't ideal. You'd really like more of them to be known quantities for a promotion push. Joys of League One, though.

If Dan going helps us add that creative #10 who fits into the "known quantity" pile, great.

[Prufrock]

My worry remains the Vic rumours. It's a tough ask to carry someone that good at this level who really isn't going to start. If he has a good few games he'll get a go, but all things considered he's being Dion. He goes, Dan is back in the mix, but isn't good enough (being generous, yet).

On point, I broadly agree we're a 10 short, but to pay devil's advocate, your view was we wouldn't sign a CB last year because we had numbers on the books. Add Lolos and CMG to what we have, we're not short on numbers