In, Out, Shake It All About: January 2025 Transfer Window

[GhostoftheBok]

Course you did. Here we go, not us, him. Unload.com

The huge criticism of Evatt last season was that he "should" have got us up with the the players available to him. Hard to have it both ways.

[Worthy4England]

Course you did. Here we go, not us, him. Unload.com

The huge criticism of Evatt last season was that he "should" have got us up with the the players available to him. Hard to have it both ways.

Maybe. Unless you think we're full of technically gifted pussies.

[officer_dibble]

all failed investments

Hard to agree with that.

Fair enough - just to counter:
Jones/santos - both got new deals on more money since div 4.
Cogley - signed for rwb. Not good enough at rwb to get us promoted.
Randell looks a bit under used to me - top player in the best performance of last season at Barnsley in play offs. They’ve since beaten us twice at home of course…
Baxter - great keeper but won’t be here next season. Can we make money now?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Isn’t ’under 21’ for this season 2004 born and later? Thus, Conway would actually take up a squad space.

Oh, you may well be right there. I fear my brain failed to maths.

For season 2024/25 an Under 21 Player is someone born on or after 1 January 2003 – so Carty, Hutchinson, Matheson and Khumbeni are all overage, Conway is in his last underage season, but Trevon Bryan has two more after the 2024/25 season.

[GhostoftheBok]

technically gifted pussies.

[BWFC_Insane]

Course you did. Here we go, not us, him. Unload.com

The huge criticism of Evatt last season was that he "should" have got us up with the the players available to him. Hard to have it both ways.

I think you are the one trying to have it both ways.

Either the players were good enough but a lack of character caused them to repeatedly bottle the big games.

Or they weren’t good enough and the big game curse just reflected that. Under pressure against better or more motivated teams our lack of sufficient quality showed.

It’s broadly one of those two scenarios. Either way it’s Evatts squad that he assembled (across multiple goes one might add) so he has to carry the can.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I think you are the one trying to have it both ways.

Either the players were good enough but a lack of character caused them to repeatedly bottle the big games.

Or they weren’t good enough and the big game curse just reflected that. Under pressure against better or more motivated teams our lack of sufficient quality showed.

It’s broadly one of those two scenarios. Either way it’s Evatts squad that he assembled (across multiple goes one might add) so he has to carry the can.

There are other options.

They may be good enough but not being utilised properly/set-up to fail.

They may be good enough but missing a proper midfield

They may be good enough but lack belief in what they are being told to do.

It may even be a combination of all the things we're talking about on here. The one thing constant in all of it, whichever view you take, is that Evatt is getting it badly wrong and has done for at least the last 12 months.

[GhostoftheBok]

It may even be a combination of all the things we're talking about on here.

This.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think you are the one trying to have it both ways.

Either the players were good enough but a lack of character caused them to repeatedly bottle the big games.

Or they weren’t good enough and the big game curse just reflected that. Under pressure against better or more motivated teams our lack of sufficient quality showed.

It’s broadly one of those two scenarios. Either way it’s Evatts squad that he assembled (across multiple goes one might add) so he has to carry the can.

There are other options.

They may be good enough but not being utilised properly/set-up to fail.

They may be good enough but missing a proper midfield

They may be good enough but lack belief in what they are being told to do.

It may even be a combination of all the things we're talking about on here. The one thing constant in all of it, whichever view you take, is that Evatt is getting it badly wrong and has done for at least the last 12 months.

Sure but if missing a proper midfield that broadly falls in the ‘not good enough’ pile. Because that is fixed by getting better players.

And the whole ‘not utilised properly’ I suspect is overblown. For me the biggest thing a manager has is an ability to get players to do the job needed and do it as well as they can consistently. That’s about man management more than tactics. It’s about how people feel and their attitude and focus etc.

So whilst I agree that there is a complex set of factors going on there is still predominantly an issue as to whether as Evatt now admits there is a ‘mental issue’ or whether they just aren’t good enough.

It might and could be both. But certainly isn’t neither.

[GhostoftheBok]

Regardless of our views - Evatt is staying and we do need some new faces in.

Definitely need someone naturally athletic and creative for the final third. Need a natural midfielder. Probably need another lefty centre back.

Three seems like the minimum and we'll need Tutu to stay fit on top of that - which may be a big ask given his record.

Hopefully no other teams see us coming and palm their sicknotes off onto us this month. Everyone coming in needs to offer a good chance of staying fit. If we sign another couple of lads with obvious injuries issues I may go and lie down in a ditch.

[GhostoftheBok]

In other news, Deji Oshilaja, who was the most obvious "Sign me now, Bolton!" freebie in ages, is ripping it up for Mansfield.

Second best defender in the league statistically. Absolute warrior in every game he plays. Would fight his own grandma for the last pig in blanket on Christmas Day. Could play right across our back three and in midfield. Most Mansfield fans' pick for player of the season so far.

Where's that ditch? I need a lie down.

[HMX]

In other news, Deji Oshilaja, who was the most obvious "Sign me now, Bolton!" freebie in ages, is ripping it up for Mansfield.

Second best defender in the league statistically. Absolute warrior in every game he plays. Would fight his own grandma for the last pig in blanket on Christmas Day. Could play right across our back three and in midfield. Most Mansfield fans' pick for player of the season so far.

Where's that ditch? I need a lie down.

They nabbed that Aussie midfielder ahead of us too - Baccus. Is he the type of midfielder we’re looking for now?

[BWFC_Insane]

If you are looking at us this season and saying ‘maybe we need another lefty centre half’ I’m not sure you’ve paid much attention. The goals against column is screaming red. Defending is a team game but our whole back three have been woefully short of the level required.

I didn’t see Wycombe but we kept a clean sheet in what looked a tough game on paper with a makeshift back three. Were we lucky? I don’t know but absolutely the back three needs completely ripping up and starting again - not necessarily all new players but what we have been using isn’t working and hasn’t worked for too long for it to be anything other than needling a rebuild there.

Midfield too. Especially the number 6 position and indeed number 8 and 10. But without a proper aggressive mobile 6 I don’t think we will tighten up sufficiently.

That’s before we get to playing a system that demands wing backs whilst at best having one in Tutu - and that’s being generous.

[GhostoftheBok]

I’m not sure you’ve paid much attention.

I didn’t see Wycombe

Sometimes life is grand.

[GhostoftheBok]

They nabbed that Aussie midfielder ahead of us too - Baccus. Is he the type of midfielder we’re looking for now?

Not sure what we're actually looking for (aside from Evatt saying he wants a new Paris), but he's a good player who puts his foot in.

Mansfield added experienced players who like to mix it up, but can also play passing football, and it's paying off for them.

I don't think Baccus wanted to come here after the issues we had the previous summer, but Deji should have been through the door on the first day of the window. Sometimes clubs' transfer business makes you scratch your head.

[dave the minion]

If you are looking at us this season and saying ‘maybe we need another lefty centre half’ I’m not sure you’ve paid much attention. The goals against column is screaming red. Defending is a team game but our whole back three have been woefully short of the level required.

I didn’t see Wycombe but we kept a clean sheet in what looked a tough game on paper with a makeshift back three. Were we lucky? I don’t know but absolutely the back three needs completely ripping up and starting again - not necessarily all new players but what we have been using isn’t working and hasn’t worked for too long for it to be anything other than needling a rebuild there.

Midfield too. Especially the number 6 position and indeed number 8 and 10. But without a proper aggressive mobile 6 I don’t think we will tighten up sufficiently.

That’s before we get to playing a system that demands wing backs whilst at best having one in Tutu - and that’s being generous.

So basically, a longer-winded way of saying we need to replace Santos and Sheehan. Same old, same old, same old......

[Bertie Wooster]

I don't think Evatt knows what we need, many fans for years now have said that we lack physicality, winners, leaders, pace etc. and that we need some steel in the side and yet Evatt hasn't seen this or attempted to address this.

His system is built on having good pacy wing backs, and it worked with the likes of Fossey & Bradley and due to the lesser quality players we have now is one of the reasons the team is looking so poor, as well as the 2 man midfield.

[Bertie Wooster]

IMO Santos is our best player by some distance.

[GhostoftheBok]

IMO Santos is our best player by some distance.

Was between him and Baxter for MotM against Barnsley, certainly - with Santos probably edging it.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don't think Evatt knows what we need, many fans for years now have said that we lack physicality, winners, leaders, pace etc. and that we need some steel in the side and yet Evatt hasn't seen this or attempted to address this.

His system is built on having good pacy wing backs, and it worked with the likes of Fossey & Bradley and due to the lesser quality players we have now is one of the reasons the team is looking so poor, as well as the 2 man midfield.

Quite. We need physical specimens who want to run. And pace especially in wide areas. And as you say they need to be types that have been and done it and won the war scars - and that demand high standards in others.