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

[Worthy4England]

Where's Drogba ? are we not getting a prime Drogba anymore ?

Noting that somewhere near 17:00 is the "appointed time" - like subs on minute 70, maybe he's quietly training with the free agent we were got in the summer, after the window shut...I mean now would be a good time to announce both as we launch our assault on the summit of League 1.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I shouldn't have to do this because our manager should be much savvier about being taken out of context, but what he actually said was:

“The decision to sell Dion wasn’t just my decision, not just the board’s decision and not just Dion’s decision, it's a collective that we all got together and felt like this was the right thing for us at this time.

“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.”

What's he actually saying there, in amongst the usual garrulous gob-torrent?

"the type [of player]
that I'm describing [as being the type I would like to attract]
is prime Didier Drogba [ie the complete forward - pace, aerial, goalscoring]"

- which is why

"there's a lot of competition for that" [type of brilliant player]

(and why should he come to us?)

..."so we have to understand what's important to us at this time, what option or plan B scenario do we want" [Do we need a pacy lad or a target man?
"and then tick those boxes accordingly and recruit accordingly.”

In other words, we'll probably have to choose: pace or aerial?

In short: we ain't getting Drogba MkII, and a cursory glance at his surrounding waffle makes that relatively clear.

But but but -
(1) soundbites sell
(2) he should know that
(3) such verbal bollocks matters much less if the team isn't massively underachieving.

[GhostoftheBok]

(1) soundbites sell
(2) he should know that
(3) such verbal bollocks matters much less if the team isn't massively underachieving.

"Will it sound as funny read back to you in court?" remains sound legal advice.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

(1) soundbites sell
(2) he should know that
(3) such verbal bollocks matters much less if the team isn't massively underachieving.

"Will it sound as funny read back to you in court?" remains sound legal advice.

Heh, indeed.

Rory Cellan Jones had a similar one for BBC journalists on Twitter: don't tweet anything you wouldn't say on Five Live.

Both, of course, also relatable to the recent 'death threat'...

[BWFC_Insane]

The decision to sign Randall for more than a million quid and sell Dion for less now look very very poor ones.

I’d have fancied a new manager to get Dion firing and I also think Randall is a ‘flatter to deceive’ type we already have too many of.

But regardless of my view - those sort of major decisions should have been held back if there was a chance you were potting the manager.

[Bertie Wooster]

The decision to sign Randall for more than a million quid and sell Dion for less now look very very poor ones.

I’d have fancied a new manager to get Dion firing and I also think Randall is a ‘flatter to deceive’ type we already have too many of.

But regardless of my view - those sort of major decisions should have been held back if there was a chance you were potting the manager.

I thought that Randall played really well last night.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I think they had every intention of holding out with Evatt, but with the last 2 results combined with sparsity of crowds might have spooked Shazza.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think they had every intention of holding out with Evatt, but with the last 2 results combined with sparsity of crowds might have spooked Shazza.

I think you are maybe correct. I suspect it was the non attendance last night. End of the day she has to report back to investors and I’d say last night was the first time where something happened consequentially in business terms. You couldn’t forecast reasonable early bird season ticket sales after last night which would impact on cash flow and would be something Sharon would be concerned about.

[Gary the Enfield]

A lot of the board members were in the building yesterday (including Nick Mason of The Pink Floyd) If they stayed for the game that may well have accelerated things.

[BWFC_Insane]

A lot of the board members were in the building yesterday (including Nick Mason of The Pink Floyd) If they stayed for the game that may well have accelerated things.

Interesting. But that might suggest the action was planned given we know there was an emergency board meeting after the game. I don’t think it’s Sharon’s style to watch the game and make a snap decision. If the board where there that might suggest decision was already made or at least possibility was there?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I think they had every intention of holding out with Evatt, but with the last 2 results combined with sparsity of crowds might have spooked Shazza.

I think you are maybe correct. I suspect it was the non attendance last night. End of the day she has to report back to investors and I’d say last night was the first time where something happened consequentially in business terms. You couldn’t forecast reasonable early bird season ticket sales after last night which would impact on cash flow and would be something Sharon would be concerned about.

I'm just glad its done. It needed doing and whatever the rights and wrongs of not doing it earlier, we just need to move on and give the next manager the best chance to get us up next season (assuming this season is a stretch).

[Gary the Enfield]

A lot of the board members were in the building yesterday (including Nick Mason of The Pink Floyd) If they stayed for the game that may well have accelerated things.

Interesting. But that might suggest the action was planned given we know there was an emergency board meeting after the game. I don’t think it’s Sharon’s style to watch the game and make a snap decision. If the board where there that might suggest decision was already made or at least possibility was there?

They were assembled for an entirely different reason which I can't divulge. Not sure about the emergency meeting afterwards. Maybe fortuitous. Anyway, he's gone. COYW etc......

[BWFC_Insane]

A lot of the board members were in the building yesterday (including Nick Mason of The Pink Floyd) If they stayed for the game that may well have accelerated things.

Interesting. But that might suggest the action was planned given we know there was an emergency board meeting after the game. I don’t think it’s Sharon’s style to watch the game and make a snap decision. If the board where there that might suggest decision was already made or at least possibility was there?

They were assembled for an entirely different reason which I can't divulge. Not sure about the emergency meeting afterwards. Maybe fortuitous. Anyway, he's gone. COYW etc......

Well thank you that’s fascinating. There was an emergency meeting after the game so sounds lucky they had everyone up.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

we just need to move on and give the next manager the best chance to get us up next season (assuming this season is a stretch).

I think it’s far more possible now. We aren’t far off the playoffs which, as it stands, will include some unimpressive teams. Yes there will be one or two good ones but I’m suddenly less worried we will freeze at the big game.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

we just need to move on and give the next manager the best chance to get us up next season (assuming this season is a stretch).

I think it’s far more possible now. We aren’t far off the playoffs which, as it stands, will include some unimpressive teams. Yes there will be one or two good ones but I’m suddenly less worried we will freeze at the big game.

Much might depend on how quickly we can get someone in and assemble a defence that can stand up and function.

[Worthy4England]

we just need to move on and give the next manager the best chance to get us up next season (assuming this season is a stretch).

I think it’s far more possible now. We aren’t far off the playoffs which, as it stands, will include some unimpressive teams. Yes there will be one or two good ones but I’m suddenly less worried we will freeze at the big game.

Yeah, but the teams gap becomes more important the nearer you get to the line. I reckon we're at least 10th and maybe 11th, as the two teams below would overtake us on games in hand with a draw. So you have to make up three points and jump 5 teams. It's not beyond the bounds, at all, but rather trickier than being 7th on equal games and just having one jump to make..

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

we just need to move on and give the next manager the best chance to get us up next season (assuming this season is a stretch).

I think it’s far more possible now. We aren’t far off the playoffs which, as it stands, will include some unimpressive teams. Yes there will be one or two good ones but I’m suddenly less worried we will freeze at the big game.

Yeah, but the teams gap becomes more important the nearer you get to the line. I reckon we're at least 10th and maybe 11th, as the two teams below would overtake us on games in hand with a draw. So you have to make up three points and jump 5 teams. It's not beyond the bounds, at all, but rather trickier than being 7th on equal games and just having one jump to make..

Oh sure. I'm assuming the new manager makes us win a lot more than we lose. We've become accustomed to inconsistency at best. Put a run together and it's not a big gap at all.

[Worthy4England]

Orient, Charlton and Mansfield are 1st, 3rd and 5th in the form table, just winning might not hack it, but it'd sure as hell be a decent start. My comment about the gap is even if we string wins, we might still need some in front to dip, too.

[boltonboris]

The decision to sign Randall for more than a million quid and sell Dion for less now look very very poor ones.

I’d have fancied a new manager to get Dion firing and I also think Randall is a ‘flatter to deceive’ type we already have too many of.

But regardless of my view - those sort of major decisions should have been held back if there was a chance you were potting the manager.

I thought that Randall played really well last night.

I thought he did ok. But he really needs to start working hard and putting a foot in. He's been here 2 mins and he's pulling out of tackles. The minimum we expect from Bolton fans is effort. He's not really shown that in his game yet. More a few token gestures

[jmjhb]

The decision to sign Randall for more than a million quid and sell Dion for less now look very very poor ones.

I’d have fancied a new manager to get Dion firing and I also think Randall is a ‘flatter to deceive’ type we already have too many of.

But regardless of my view - those sort of major decisions should have been held back if there was a chance you were potting the manager.

I believe Dion would have gone regardless of the manager.