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

[GhostoftheBok]

He's used target men before, from Quigley to Bodvarsson. The weird thing is that he's using that tactic without anyone to fulfil it.

He name-dropped a number of our former "big men" in the Cambridge pre-match.

What seems to be important is that "Prime Drogba" (oh, Ian, why?) would seem to indicate we have also realised we need pace in behind.

We have needed that type for years and every window I've bitched about players I thought we should have gone for in that mould...so if we get it, even if it's a young lad, then I am going to give the guy every chance. If only to avoid hypocrisy.

He also said we're not going to deviate from how we play, but we've lacked flexibility.

The fact the name being thrown around is Jayden Danns is...terrifying? I told my wife that Neil's kid was linked to Bolton as a fully grown, senior player and now she needs wine.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He's used target men before, from Quigley to Bodvarsson. The weird thing is that he's using that tactic without anyone to fulfil it.

He name-dropped a number of our former "big men" in the Cambridge pre-match.

What seems to be important is that "Prime Drogba" (oh, Ian, why?) would seem to indicate we have also realised we need pace in behind.

We have needed that type for years and every window I've bitched about players I thought we should have gone for in that mould...so if we get it, even if it's a young lad, then I am going to give the guy every chance. If only to avoid hypocrisy.

"We have needed that type for years" - thing is, so does every other bugger playing a largely "one up top" formation.

If you get a chunky target man who can't move - say, a Fullkrug - you can aim for his chest and it might stick but defenders just step up so you're somewhere near halfway. (And yes, Pru, I know your high attackers can add pace.)

If you get a speedster who can run in behind, they drop off to cut down his space. That can give your twinkly 10s more room to operate, but only if they're in the same postcode. You can drag the rest of your team up with them - that's what Arrigo Sacchi pioneered, squeezing the back-to-front distance - but then as soon as you lose the ball you've got your own defensive high line and you're dependent on your speedy defender, and how are hislatest reviews going?

The fact the name being thrown around is Jayden Danns is...terrifying? I told my wife that Neil's kid was linked to Bolton as a fully grown, senior player and now she needs wine.

Tell her that Neil Danns's dad sang at Eurovision for the UK in 1987. That'll cheer her up.

[nicholaldo]

Let this sink in. This clown is manager of our great club.

“It does give us some flexibility and a chance to bring in a different type of player and we are working very hard behind the scenes to make sure we can get that type.

“But the one thing I'd say is there's a lot of competition for that and the type that I'm describing is prime Didier Drogba, so we have to understand what's important to us at this time, what option or plan B scenario do we want and then tick those boxes accordingly and recruit accordingly.”

It’s Freedman territory now. Absolutely bizarre.

I guess it’s an upgrade from ‘next Ivan Toney’.

I thought the "new style of football" didn't use plan B? Better plan A was the thing.

Yes, it was supposedly not a Plan B but a "Plan A 2.0".

[The_Gun]

Does Danns really fit the Drogba mould? Based on highlights he looks more like a quicker Aaron Collins to me.

[GhostoftheBok]

"We have needed that type for years" - thing is, so does every other bugger playing a largely "one up top" formation.

If you get a chunky target man who can't move - say, a Fullkrug - you can aim for his chest and it might stick but defenders just step up so you're somewhere near halfway. (And yes, Pru, I know your high attackers can add pace.)

If you get a speedster who can run in behind, they drop off to cut down his space. That can give your twinkly 10s more room to operate, but only if they're in the same postcode. You can drag the rest of your team up with them - that's what Arrigo Sacchi pioneered, squeezing the back-to-front distance - but then as soon as you lose the ball you've got your own defensive high line and you're dependent on your speedy defender, and how are hislatest reviews going?

That's why Evatt has made the decisions he has.

We've largely played against low blocks, so he's decided that speed merchants weren't all that useful - because you can't run in behind a low block.

The issue is, pace pins back defences and prevents a high-line press.

That's why Santos has been so vital to us. We hold a high line, they put pace in behind and Rico eats the striker. There are very few players at this level who offer that covering pace and power, so Rico has been easily our most important defender.

When we've been pressed high, as more and more teams are doing to us now, we can't push them back. They're just not scared of us going in behind.

It's been coming for ages and we've not headed it off at the pass, so here we are.

Dion was our best "in behind" striker. We can't replace him with just a lump, because it won't impact the press enough. League One centre backs tend to love playing against static target men.

If we've got a lad in who can do a bit of the target man thing, but can run in behind at pace, then that's fantastic. Pin the buggers back and play through them.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Does Danns really fit the Drogba mould? Based on highlights he looks more like a quicker Aaron Collins to me.

I suspect it may be guesswork from Uncle Ian's clues. Same may apply to Spurs striker Will Lankshear, with the additional wink that Ange said earlier this month he'd be loaned out.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

If we've got a lad in who can do a bit of the target man thing, but can run in behind at pace, then that's fantastic. Pin the buggers back and play through them.

What do you think of yer boi Nathan Lowe? Doesn't fit these particular clues, being a Stoke player who was loaned to Walsall Sep-Jan, but he fact he scored 18 in 30 there can't hurt; possible Robins could decide later in the window that he can gear up a division, like Joe Taylor last year. Rotherham asked, per Steve Evans: “We enquired about Nathan. I saw him three times earlier in the season and I liked him, but Stoke have said that he's not coming out. That's where that is.”

[Bijou Bob]

I'm far from convinced Danns would come to us, rather than a Championship or lower Prem team, so if we could land him, I'd be absolutely delighted! That'd just need a Matt Smith/Tom Eaves type to come in alongside him, Collins or McAtee.........and a complete change in the way Evatt thinks and has had us playing so far.

[GhostoftheBok]

What do you think of yer boi Nathan Lowe? Doesn't fit these particular clues, being a Stoke player who was loaned to Walsall Sep-Jan, but he fact he scored 18 in 30 there can't hurt; possible Robins could decide later in the window that he can gear up a division, like Joe Taylor last year. Rotherham asked, per Steve Evans: “We enquired about Nathan. I saw him three times earlier in the season and I liked him, but Stoke have said that he's not coming out. That's where that is.”

Stoke have been very excited about two of their lads, Lowe and Tezgel, for a while. Technique, physique and learning were all good. They were lucky to keep Tezgel away from Everton a couple of seasons ago.

I think they expect them both to be important for their first team over the next few years.

Lowe looked excellent in League Two. Would love to see a similar talent come though our academy.

[GhostoftheBok]

I'm far from convinced Danns would come to us, rather than a Championship or lower Prem team, so if we could land him, I'd be absolutely delighted! That'd just need a Matt Smith/Tom Eaves type to come in alongside him, Collins or McAtee.........and a complete change in the way Evatt thinks and has had us playing so far.

If you'd asked me yesterday I'd have said Lankshear was the one most likely to come to a footballing League One side this month, but who knows.

All the names being lobbed about are talents and all of them are risks when you're replacing guaranteed goals.

[The_Gun]

Seems unlikely until we upgrade the academy, DSB. As we’re now Cat 3, it’s almost guaranteed that any real gems we have in younger age groups will be poached by the big academies (like the 14 year old Liverpool took recently).

I’d guess a sustained spell in the Championship is required before we’ll look to move back up to Cat 2.

[Harry Genshaw]

Tell her that Neil Danns's dad sang at Eurovision for the UK in 1987. That'll cheer her up.

Neil Danns dad was the Glasgow singer songwriter, Richard Peebles?

In a week full of bitterness and tactical discussion, this ^ was the only thing I felt like doing Google search for!

[GhostoftheBok]

I’d guess a sustained spell in the Championship is required before we’ll look to move back up to Cat 2.

You'd imagine so. I think getting us back to where we were for senior facilities is a "dip in the Prem" job, but the academy work could start a level up.

It's a long term investment, but it has to happen for the stability of the club.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Seems unlikely until we upgrade the academy, DSB.

Twas Ghost who wanted a similar product from BWFC. Personally I hope Max Conway keeps improving...

Tell her that Neil Danns's dad sang at Eurovision for the UK in 1987. That'll cheer her up.

Neil Danns dad was the Glasgow singer songwriter, Richard Peebles?

In a week full of bitterness and tactical discussion, this ^ was the only thing I felt like doing Google search for!

Neil Danns Sr Jayden's granddad) was a backing vocalist.

[GhostoftheBok]

Twas Ghost who wanted a similar product from BWFC. Personally I hope Max Conway keeps improving...

Twas, but at the minute Ghost is just hoping we keep Morley and will happily count him as "an academy lad" and "one of our own."

Long term I'd take getting to Blackburn's level of productivity. Pipe dream.

[Harry Genshaw]

Long term I'd take getting to Blackburn's level of productivity. Pipe dream.

I'd take getting to Wigan's level first. It's insane the quality of younger player they've had on their books compared to us.

[The_Gun]

It’s maybe not massively unlikely that Wigan scale their academy back a bit in coming years. Their new owner doesn’t seem keen to pump loads of money into the club, and it only takes a few fallow years for an academy to become a costly endeavour.

Obviously we could stand to benefit if a hypothetical scenario such as this were to play out.

[GhostoftheBok]

Wigan have taken their academy seriously for 30 years. We've a way to go.

[Harry Genshaw]

Neil Danns Sr Jayden's granddad) was a backing vocalist.

Every days a school day on here. It'll be a random trivia question in 20 years time. Bit like that one "Which member of the Royal family was said to be a Bolton fan?". We don't tend to talk about that much these days. No idea why.

[TonyDomingos]

Neil Danns Sr Jayden's granddad) was a backing vocalist.

Every days a school day on here. It'll be a random trivia question in 20 years time. Bit like that one "Which member of the Royal family was said to be a Bolton fan?". We don't tend to talk about that much these days. No idea why.

Was it Jim?