Tooling up: The summer 2024 transfer thread

[BWFC_Insane]

Morley gone to Wycombe on loan for the season.

That must mean someone else will be coming in?

We’ve got Matete, Sheehan, Arfield, Thomason, Dempsey who all are centre mids. We might consider Arfield and Demps as number tens (they are not) but in reality are 8’s who I’d suggest could play as 6’s as well as they could 10’s.

Aaron has gone backwards for me. It’s a shame as I think he is one who could become that regular goalscoring midfield player but for whatever reason he’s just not progressed.

[GhostoftheBok]

Hard to know how it'll go at this stage. We know Evatt wants a couple more in.

If we sign a #10 then, as Insane says, Dempsey and Arfield maybe fall into contention further back.

If we add more of a 6/8, in a young player, then okay.

At the minute we still look most like we need that dribbly #10. As Gun alluded to, you'd think it'll need to be someone younger for squad reg purposes.

We could go as is, but it's not what the manager has said he wants.

[BWFC_Insane]

When Evatt said we had loan offers in for players who might not get minutes it sounded like Morley as prime candidate. Would be sought after but was hard to see him playing here. Obviously potentially Dempsey too but feel he’s more in vogue with Evatt. Iredale possible?

[GhostoftheBok]

When Evatt said we had loan offers in for players who might not get minutes it sounded like Morley as prime candidate. Would be sought after but was hard to see him playing here. Obviously potentially Dempsey too but feel he’s more in vogue with Evatt. Iredale possible?

Iredale going on loan would be writing off any fee, due to his contract. You'd think he would go for a small fee, were he leaving.

Dempsey has two years left, so could go on loan and still be worth something to us.

Then there's Dan.

You'd imagine Forrester would have been right up there had he not hobbled himself.

I suppose there could be a very outside chance Williams goes, if he doesn't want to be stuck behind Schon. Again, would need to be a fee. I think he's one we'd like to keep, though.

[irie Cee Bee]

When Evatt said we had loan offers in for players who might not get minutes it sounded like Morley as prime candidate. Would be sought after but was hard to see him playing here. Obviously potentially Dempsey too but feel he’s more in vogue with Evatt. Iredale possible?

I would say no. An injury to Johnston and we would be in serious trouble at LCH unless Evert has more confindence than I do of Toal playing there.

[jmjhb]

Morley gone to Wycombe on loan for the season.

That must mean someone else will be coming in?

We’ve got Matete, Sheehan, Arfield, Thomason, Dempsey who all are centre mids. We might consider Arfield and Demps as number tens (they are not) but in reality are 8’s who I’d suggest could play as 6’s as well as they could 10’s.

Aaron has gone backwards for me. It’s a shame as I think he is one who could become that regular goalscoring midfield player but for whatever reason he’s just not progressed.

I didn't necessarily mean in centre-mid, more of an overage player place freed up.

[GhostoftheBok]

I didn't necessarily mean in centre-mid, more of an overage player place freed up.

If we register every outfield player then we are still 2 over (that includes Matheson).

[KeyserSoze]

Debt-burdened up to the bollocks and beyond, but it hasn't hurt the rags. Well, not half as much as losing that purple-faced fella.

It works well on paper, but as we all know, things change rapidly in Big Finance...

I think the issue they'll have is that ordinarily stock doesn't get upset about being treated like stock. People tend to.

They're also assuming they can always find loan placements for 20-odd players.

I mean, best of luck to the mad bastards. They'll need an entire department to oversee the loans.

They also seem to assume said stock will keep going up in value allowing them access to finance cheaply. That particular belief has led to a lot of pain in the past for a lot of companies!

[The_Gun]

My best guess for the rest of the window would be loans for Matheson and Dan, with one underage loanee coming in.

Outside chance of Vic leaving if a club bids upwards of £1m for him, but I think he’s more likely to stay.

[GhostoftheBok]

My best guess for the rest of the window would be loans for Matheson and Dan, with one underage loanee coming in.

Outside chance of Vic leaving if a club bids upwards of £1m for him, but I think he’s more likely to stay.

All seems reasonable.

We've still been chasing overage players, though.

[GhostoftheBok]

One thing that's worth saying with Morley is that development isn't always linear. There are often peaks, toughs and setbacks. It'll be tough for him, but he may well have a pathway here.

He's only 24. He has 8 years or so of peak play ahead of him in his position.

Worth keeping track of his loan, certainly.

If we do end up selling we will get more than we paid and we've got over 100 games out of him. Definitely a win for us.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Plymouth sign Blackpool goalie Grimshaw, which presumably closes the book on Baxter

[GhostoftheBok]

Plymouth sign Blackpool goalie Grimshaw, which presumably closes the book on Baxter

It does feel like they worked their way down the list of the best League One keepers and got knocked back until they reached Grimshaw.

Plymouth fans seem very happy with it.

Blackpool reactions are mixed.

Nice to see them destabilised a little, from our perspective.

[Mar]

Morley gone out on loan. Probably the right call. He was really behind in the pecking order and wasn't progressing, nor getting the gametime to really change his situation. Hopefully this is the kick up the ass his career needs.

He's not a bad player, but needs to start progressing.

I got the impression we were light in midfield even before letting Morley go on loan. Surely we're expecting someone to come in and kick us on a bit?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I got the impression we were light in midfield even before letting Morley go on loan. Surely we're expecting someone to come in and kick us on a bit?

Personally I think we only have three 6s now - Sheehan, Tomo and Matete (who has known injury concerns). Some are saying Dempsey's a 6, but to me he's more of a runner than a sitter, ie more of a 10 than a 6 and much more of an 8 than either. Arfield might be able to play at 6, but I don't know that for sure.

What I would say is that it suggests Evatt is eyeing more incomings. Unless Morley agitated for a move - maybe just maybe there were words after his relatively early subbing v Mansfield, his only first-team start since February. Looked at that way, he was expendable, but it's still something of a surprise.

That last start, by the way, was at home to Wycombe. I wish him well down there, assuming it doesn't derail our promotion chances (he can't play against us and I fear for our chances if we finish below the other Wanderers).

[GhostoftheBok]

Personally I think we only have three 6s now - Sheehan, Tomo and Matete (who has known injury concerns). Some are saying Dempsey's a 6, but to me he's more of a runner than a sitter, ie more of a 10 than a 6 and much more of an 8 than either. Arfield might be able to play at 6, but I don't know that for sure.

What I would say is that it suggests Evatt is eyeing more incomings. Unless Morley agitated for a move - maybe just maybe there were words after his relatively early subbing v Mansfield, his only first-team start since February. Looked at that way, he was expendable, but it's still something of a surprise.

That last start, by the way, was at home to Wycombe. I wish him well down there, assuming it doesn't derail our promotion chances (he can't play against us and I fear for our chances if we finish below the other Wanderers).

There exists the possibility that we intended to loan out Forrester or sell Jones (or some such) and have been forced into changing our plans by injuries. Perhaps conversations with players altered things, like you say. We really can't know

If you just view it straight, it's a good move for Morley. Until/unless we find out more it is what it is.

He's gone for the season, so it's now about the squad and you're right that a couple of those players look betwixt and between. Arfield and Dempsey are similar players (on paper, at least) and Evatt clearly wanted Arfield in this set up, so he must have a role for that type mapped out.

We have 3 "proper" 6s, but when you include injuries we have 2 proper 10s right now. It depends how long Lolos is out for, but right now it's McAtee, Collins and then 3 of the Inbetweeners - Dempsey, Arfield and Dan.

That flexibility may be precisely what Evatt wants, even if we see it as a weakness from the outside.

Regardless of how people feel about this or that individual, these are all good players. The worst outfield player in our squad starts for over half the teams in this division. It's Evatt's job to make it work. He's signed them all.

[Worthy4England]

Not discounting 98% of a good post, mate, those last two sentences sum it up for me. If we end up short, through injuries at 6 or 10, he's got to have a plan for that eventuality occurring. If we lose a couple of games because of that, he's shaped it how he wants to. No doubt the same folks as normal will say "but he's had injuries." If we can't accommodate that notion without falling to bits, then we didn't get the recruitment right. Either way he needs to make it work and get us up. He's had enough chances at this point.

[BWFC_Insane]

Not discounting 98% of a good post, mate, those last two sentences sum it up for me. If we end up short, through injuries at 6 or 10, he's got to have a plan for that eventuality occurring. If we lose a couple of games because of that, he's shaped it how he wants to. No doubt the same folks as normal will say "but he's had injuries." If we can't accommodate that notion without falling to bits, then we didn't get the recruitment right. Either way he needs to make it work and get us up. He's had enough chances at this point.

Agree. And Evatt keeps picking systems that have significant failure points that aren’t extensively played at this level. Henrik Pedersen played successfully as a left back in a back four at premiership level due to injuries.

Because we played a simple system that in emergency you could get players to fill in. We now rely on extremely specialized number 6’s, 10’s and wing backs and I think it is flawed in thought process and design.

[TANGODANCER]

Agree. And Evatt keeps picking systems that have significant failure points that aren’t extensively played at this level. Henrik Pedersen played successfully as a left back in a back four at premiership level due to injuries.

At least lay off Evatt for sins uncommitted till we see his progress. Being of the dictum that managers don't play on the field, let mistakes happen before we decry them.

[GhostoftheBok]

He's had enough chances at this point.

I think this is where you and I differ.

Evatt's really had one chance - this one he's on now. He failed to go up last season, which is the only time he's underperformed in a season and it was marginal.

If we go up this season I won't think, "About bloody time."