Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

All signings this summer either need to be under 21 or have played at a higher level for decent time ideally having won promotion from this league.

No mid to late twenties lower league types. Avoid those like the plague.

Fergal? That you?

[Worthy4England]

Save percentage is meaningless

Is that because, if all the shots you face are from the xG sweet spot, they're much more likely to go in?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I don't care how old they are as long as they can (in no particular order):

Kick a football where it is aimed at
Kick an opposition player when necessary
Head the ball broadly in the direction aimed
React to what is happening around them in a timely manner
Put their bollocks in the way of the ball when necessary
Run around with purpose for 90+ minutes
Slap a teammate when they're being a pussy

[TonyDomingos]

I don't care how old they are as long as they can (in no particular order):

Kick a football where it is aimed at
Kick an opposition player when necessary
Head the ball broadly in the direction aimed
React to what is happening around them in a timely manner
Put their bollocks in the way of the ball when necessary
Run around with purpose for 90+ minutes
Slap a teammate when they're being a pussy

And play with their socks pulled up.

[TANGODANCER]

I don't care how old they are as long as they can (in no particular order):

Kick a football where it is aimed at
Kick an opposition player when necessary
Head the ball broadly in the direction aimed
React to what is happening around them in a timely manner
Put their bollocks in the way of the ball when necessary
Run around with purpose for 90+ minutes
Slap a teammate when they're being a pussy

And play with their socks pulled up.

PLAY....being the operative word, rather than just putting in an appearance. How many of our heroes actually start analysing with the man in the mirror?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I don't care how old they are as long as they can (in no particular order):

Kick a football where it is aimed at
Kick an opposition player when necessary
Head the ball broadly in the direction aimed
React to what is happening around them in a timely manner
Put their bollocks in the way of the ball when necessary
Run around with purpose for 90+ minutes
Slap a teammate when they're being a pussy

And play with their socks pulled up.

But then you wont be able to tell them to pull their socks up

[TonyDomingos]

I don't care how old they are as long as they can (in no particular order):

Kick a football where it is aimed at
Kick an opposition player when necessary
Head the ball broadly in the direction aimed
React to what is happening around them in a timely manner
Put their bollocks in the way of the ball when necessary
Run around with purpose for 90+ minutes
Slap a teammate when they're being a pussy

And play with their socks pulled up.

But then you wont be able to tell them to pull their socks up

We wouldn't need to if they met your criteria!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

We wouldn't need to if they met your criteria!

Yeah, but Insano will need someone to tell

[The_Gun]

Jamie Vardy available on a free…

[Prufrock]

Think he may just end up at Wednesday myself!

[Harry Genshaw]

Saw it mentioned elsewhere about Schumacher potentially being stuck with one or two sulkers next season after calling them out. Having seen Michael Appleton's comments re his Shrewsbury squad "some of them make my skin crawl!", it could be an interesting pre season there if he gets the gig full time!

[Bertie Wooster]

Saw it mentioned elsewhere about Schumacher potentially being stuck with one or two sulkers next season after calling them out. Having seen Michael Appleton's comments re his Shrewsbury squad "some of them make my skin crawl!", it could be an interesting pre season there if he gets the gig full time!

As well as sulkers, I also think that there may be one or two disruptors / bad apples in the dressing room that SS may be stuck with - if all of the many rumours about players not training and messing / pissing about during the week & that only 3 or 4 of the players trained properly under Evatt are to be believed.

[TANGODANCER]

And play with their socks pulled up.

But then you wont be able to tell them to pull their socks up

They might mean "socking it to em" ...and then,er, perhaps not.. Schu me the way to Amarillo,
Division three just waits for me.


[/quote]

[TANGODANCER]

His ban for doping just ended, Paul Pogba is now a free agent from Juventus. Hmmmm.......

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

All signings this summer either need to be under 21 or have played at a higher level for decent time ideally having won promotion from this league.

No mid to late twenties lower league types. Avoid those like the plague.

Again, I engage with the emotion but I'd quibble with the details.

*Ideally*, we'd want to hire players who are literally next-level yet who have promotion experience from this level. There aren't many of those available, unless you count Jay Matete.

As you pointed out, some players drifting down the divisions are coasting for the money. Having been good is no guarantee of still being good - especially if we insist they're in their thirties. Whereas someone who is genuinely good, not what we have, and can improve us - say, a battling centre-back who's been targeted by Champo clubs - I wouldn't rule him out.

I listened to the Buff podcast this morning and one emailer pointed out that the only players in the current squad who'd come to us from clubs above us in the pyramid were Baxter, Matete and Etete (he missed out Murphy, unless he sees Newcastle U21s as below us, which is fair). I think it's fair to say I wouldn't prefer an Etete above a Dion Charles.

Besides, having experience of promotion isn't the same as inspiring others toward it. I don't think any of Rioch's first handful of signings - Branagan, McGinlay and Lee - had been promoted (though fair enough they were recruited from a higher level). Not sure any of the players he bought thereafter had been promoted to the Premier either. And of the incomers to Toddy's champions, Blake, Frandsen, Johansen, Sheridan - none had been promoted. Fairclough and Sellars had, but I'm not sure they're the chest-beaters of legend.

What we need is a few different types, but to say all signings must confirm to strict tickbox criteria is what f*cked us in the first place...

[jimbo]

Indeed. Many people have said they’d be happy to have regular promotion nearly-man Luca Connell back at various times over the last few years. Indeed, I’m sure many now would still rather have him than one of Oxford’s midfielders from last season.

Last summer we brought in players with experience of promotion (Tutu and Matete), a well thought of player who had done well at a rival (Mcatee), an experienced old head who’d played at a higher level (Arfield), and a strong uncompromising centre back (Forino). Those players would still fit the bill of what people want this summer.

We need the right players, who have the right attitude and skills now. We shouldn’t make desirable chariacteristics essential.

[Worthy4England]

It's not a huge measure to pay credence to. In any team that's successful you probably have a mixture of influences and you might judge some more instrumental than others. I have no idea as to whether Matete was a driving force to take a game that was going wrong and drive it to a different outcome. Sheffield Weds, Bannan you might say yeah, I can see it, not sure he had the same impact for us.

What is pretty obsevable for me, is when we concede and it's gone wrong, I've not seen much evidence of any players trying to rise above it...feels far too passive and collectively accepting.

[Mar]

I listened to the Buff podcast this morning and one emailer pointed out that the only players in the current squad who'd come to us from clubs above us in the pyramid were Baxter, Matete and Etete (he missed out Murphy, unless he sees Newcastle U21s as below us, which is fair). I think it's fair to say I wouldn't prefer an Etete above a Dion Charles.

I find it disturbing that Matete was brought in to help get us to the next level, knowing full well he'd not managed over 20 appearances in his previous two seasons. It's a clear sign of injury risks, and yet we'd be looking at getting good number of appearances out of him. To be fair, he has delivered way more appearances than expected but to expect us to keep him playing at a high level seems ridiculous, especially considering the amount of injuries our new signings pick up consistently.

[Frank Drebin]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... eague-one/

Speedy wingers, a number 9 who runs in behind, durable players and a physical presence.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... eague-one/

Speedy wingers, a number 9 who runs in behind, durable players and a physical presence.

Yep. In case you can’t click through, SS says he wants to change shape to what sounds like a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with the things that Frank outlines.

As well as durability (ie not signing crocks) he talks about mentality.

<fetches the popcorn>