Schu me the way to Amarillo - Summer 2025 Transfer Thread

[jmjhb]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/collins-joins-mk-dons

And he’s gone.

“This decision is a key part of our wider strategy, which is focused on building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition.

“With the recent arrivals already adding to the group, and with more work still being done, we are moving decisively to build a squad that fully embraces the philosophy we are building here at Bolton Wanderers.

In other words ‘he’s a good player but also a lazy fcker’.

Probably why McAtee is still here then. Can't say he is lazy.

I doubt that's the only reason.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Schumacher quotes:

Firstly, on behalf of everyone at the club, I want to thank Aaron for his contribution, particularly last season. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.

However, as we continue to actively reshape this squad to create a more dynamic and robust team for the campaign ahead, opportunities can arise that are in the best long-term interests of the football club. We received an offer from MK Dons that we believe represents fair value for the player and which allows us to accelerate our recruitment plans.

This decision is a key part of our wider strategy, which is focused on building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition. With the recent arrivals already adding to the group, and with more work still being done, we are moving decisively to build a squad that fully embraces the philosophy we are building here at Bolton Wanderers. We are excited about the direction we are heading.

Can't say Collins wasn't robust - I make it one game missed, Crawley at home with a hip problem - but "dynamic" seems a key word here.

Iles also saying "The Bolton News understands that Wanderers have recouped exactly the amount paid to Bristol Rovers in January 2024, which was a reported £800,000."

[BWFC_Insane]

Schumacher quotes:

Firstly, on behalf of everyone at the club, I want to thank Aaron for his contribution, particularly last season. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.

However, as we continue to actively reshape this squad to create a more dynamic and robust team for the campaign ahead, opportunities can arise that are in the best long-term interests of the football club. We received an offer from MK Dons that we believe represents fair value for the player and which allows us to accelerate our recruitment plans.

This decision is a key part of our wider strategy, which is focused on building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition. With the recent arrivals already adding to the group, and with more work still being done, we are moving decisively to build a squad that fully embraces the philosophy we are building here at Bolton Wanderers. We are excited about the direction we are heading.

Can't say Collins wasn't robust - I make it one game missed, Crawley at home with a hip problem - but "dynamic" seems a key word here.

Iles also saying "The Bolton News understands that Wanderers have recouped exactly the amount paid to Bristol Rovers in January 2024, which was a reported £800,000."

Depends also on your definition of robust. Kevin Davies was robust. A classic robust striker. Collins was not exactly that. Wasn’t going to win a battle against any centre half.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Can't say Collins wasn't robust - I make it one game missed, Crawley at home with a hip problem - but "dynamic" seems a key word here.

Iles also saying "The Bolton News understands that Wanderers have recouped exactly the amount paid to Bristol Rovers in January 2024, which was a reported £800,000."

Depends also on your definition of robust. Kevin Davies was robust. A classic robust striker. Collins was not exactly that. Wasn’t going to win a battle against any centre half.

Yeah that's fair. I'm fairly sure Schuey has previously/repeatedly used "robust" as a synonym for "not constantly injured" but it does also have that connotation, and perhaps it's when Collins was throwing himself to the ground that Schumacher made his mind up.

Another interesting quote to analyse is "building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition."

EDIT To be fair it's often been Iles rather than Schuey using the word "robust" but Schuey did say this in March re CMG/Forino:
“When you have got players coming back like that it’s trying to keep them at it, keep the intensity levels in the team. I always believe that if you can train them at the intensity that we play, then you've got a better chance of your body being robust enough on match day. We don't hammer the players for hours and hours, each day on a training pitch, it's always short little periods of intense moments, and we hope that's the answer to keeping as many bodies fresh, and as fit as possible come game day.”

And on Etete: "“So that will have to be the case again when he does come back and he returns with the group - to build him up slowly and throw him on for 10-15 minutes here and there and try and get him to get that endurance and that robustness."

[jmjhb]

Schumacher quotes:

Firstly, on behalf of everyone at the club, I want to thank Aaron for his contribution, particularly last season. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.

However, as we continue to actively reshape this squad to create a more dynamic and robust team for the campaign ahead, opportunities can arise that are in the best long-term interests of the football club. We received an offer from MK Dons that we believe represents fair value for the player and which allows us to accelerate our recruitment plans.

This decision is a key part of our wider strategy, which is focused on building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition. With the recent arrivals already adding to the group, and with more work still being done, we are moving decisively to build a squad that fully embraces the philosophy we are building here at Bolton Wanderers. We are excited about the direction we are heading.

Iles also saying "The Bolton News understands that Wanderers have recouped exactly the amount paid to Bristol Rovers in January 2024, which was a reported £800,000."

That reported figure is incorrect so I would take that sentence with a pinch of salt.

[Mar]

Was hoping for better from Aaron Collins. If he put in a shift every week he would clearly be good enough for the Championship. Alas was not to be. Thankfully we've not made a loss on him (lesson learned from Elmander days I guess).

Still, we're short on quality up top. Dalby coming in is as blunt an instrument as we can get and McAtee should be able to deliver some goals with the right setup. Maybe N'lundulu might get a sniff if we can't move him on. Guy has pace and work rate but the first touch of a trampolinist mid-spring.

I'm hoping the 800k can get spent once more and we can bring in some extra firepower. Without it, i'll be surprised if we don't repeat last season.

[BWFC_Insane]

Can't say Collins wasn't robust - I make it one game missed, Crawley at home with a hip problem - but "dynamic" seems a key word here.

Iles also saying "The Bolton News understands that Wanderers have recouped exactly the amount paid to Bristol Rovers in January 2024, which was a reported £800,000."

Depends also on your definition of robust. Kevin Davies was robust. A classic robust striker. Collins was not exactly that. Wasn’t going to win a battle against any centre half.

Yeah that's fair. I'm fairly sure Schuey has previously/repeatedly used "robust" as a synonym for "not constantly injured" but it does also have that connotation, and perhaps it's when Collins was throwing himself to the ground that Schumacher made his mind up.

Another interesting quote to analyse is "building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition."

EDIT To be fair it's often been Iles rather than Schuey using the word "robust" but Schuey did say this in March re CMG/Forino:
“When you have got players coming back like that it’s trying to keep them at it, keep the intensity levels in the team. I always believe that if you can train them at the intensity that we play, then you've got a better chance of your body being robust enough on match day. We don't hammer the players for hours and hours, each day on a training pitch, it's always short little periods of intense moments, and we hope that's the answer to keeping as many bodies fresh, and as fit as possible come game day.”

And on Etete: "“So that will have to be the case again when he does come back and he returns with the group - to build him up slowly and throw him on for 10-15 minutes here and there and try and get him to get that endurance and that robustness."

My read is that we’d accept what we consider fair market value for more or less any player it was offered for…not to say we can or would sell everyone but I doubt there are many if any not for sale at the right price.

[Bertie Wooster]

Schumacher quotes:

Firstly, on behalf of everyone at the club, I want to thank Aaron for his contribution, particularly last season. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.

However, as we continue to actively reshape this squad to create a more dynamic and robust team for the campaign ahead, opportunities can arise that are in the best long-term interests of the football club. We received an offer from MK Dons that we believe represents fair value for the player and which allows us to accelerate our recruitment plans.

This decision is a key part of our wider strategy, which is focused on building a team with the specific attributes required to drive standards and achieve our ambition. With the recent arrivals already adding to the group, and with more work still being done, we are moving decisively to build a squad that fully embraces the philosophy we are building here at Bolton Wanderers. We are excited about the direction we are heading.

Iles also saying "The Bolton News understands that Wanderers have recouped exactly the amount paid to Bristol Rovers in January 2024, which was a reported £800,000."

That reported figure is incorrect so I would take that sentence with a pinch of salt.

Yes I heard over the weekend that the fee is over £1M, possibly including add ones etc. Its being reported as MK Dons record fee paid - however that may not be saying much as I don't know what their previous highest fee paid was. also we only owe Bristol Rovers a % of the profit we make,

[Prufrock]

Don't like it. He's a very good player and we should have got more.

Oh well, onwards.

[TonyDomingos]

Don't like it. He's a very good player and we should have got more.

Oh well, onwards.

It's your transfer thread; what are you going to do to rectify it?

[Spartan2]

Was hoping for better from Aaron Collins. If he put in a shift every week he would clearly be good enough for the Championship. Alas was not to be. Thankfully we've not made a loss on him (lesson learned from Elmander days I guess).

Still, we're short on quality up top. Dalby coming in is as blunt an instrument as we can get and McAtee should be able to deliver some goals with the right setup. Maybe N'lundulu might get a sniff if we can't move him on. Guy has pace and work rate but the first touch of a trampolinist mid-spring.

I'm hoping the 800k can get spent once more and we can bring in some extra firepower. Without it, i'll be surprised if we don't repeat last season.

I wouldn't write off his goal scoring ability just yet. We create an extraordinary amount of chances and have been crying out for someone who knows how to play in the box. I think he'll surprise a lot of people, his finishing looks top drawer.

[irie Cee Bee]

I can see now that the management team is not going to play around. They are ripping up Evatt's playbook and implementing Project Schu. I applaud them. I am from the good days of PL, and so I am in no mood to stay in L1 any longer. To give us a chance to go up, we must rebuild from ground up and sell some of our top assets while their stocks is still high. Collins, Sheehan, Thomasson, McAtee, Morley and Toal have been our best players in L1 along with Charles, Santos and Baxter who are no longer with us. All are/were good players for this level but have not been able to get us out of the league. Aside from the obvious Lolos CMG and Dan, the next one we should be cashing in on is Sheehan. Another 500k in the kitty would be put to good use getting the players we Schu wants.

Thanks Collins and all the best to you. You were the only player on the team who was able to get me off my seat with your clever moves, skills and goals in this team... whenever you decided to show them.

[Mar]

Was hoping for better from Aaron Collins. If he put in a shift every week he would clearly be good enough for the Championship. Alas was not to be. Thankfully we've not made a loss on him (lesson learned from Elmander days I guess).

Still, we're short on quality up top. Dalby coming in is as blunt an instrument as we can get and McAtee should be able to deliver some goals with the right setup. Maybe N'lundulu might get a sniff if we can't move him on. Guy has pace and work rate but the first touch of a trampolinist mid-spring.

I'm hoping the 800k can get spent once more and we can bring in some extra firepower. Without it, i'll be surprised if we don't repeat last season.

I wouldn't write off his goal scoring ability just yet. We create an extraordinary amount of chances and have been crying out for someone who knows how to play in the box. I think he'll surprise a lot of people, his finishing looks top drawer.

Highlight reels can make strikers look better than they are.

I'm going off the figures for the headers won where he had a really high success percentage. That's what I meant by blunt instrument (SKD style).

There's a reason Wrexham got rid and I suspect it's largely due to his 1 in 31 record in League Two. Still, that doesn't do his record justice, he had a 1 goal in 1172 mins (roughly 13 matches).

Still, I like the idea of a big unit up top whose job is to bring others into play. If he continues his good goalscoring form from his time in Scotland then great, but i'm keen on someone who can disrupt the opposition's defence and genuinely cause them to be unsettled, rather than the easy ride they got last season.

[Spartan2]

Was hoping for better from Aaron Collins. If he put in a shift every week he would clearly be good enough for the Championship. Alas was not to be. Thankfully we've not made a loss on him (lesson learned from Elmander days I guess).

Still, we're short on quality up top. Dalby coming in is as blunt an instrument as we can get and McAtee should be able to deliver some goals with the right setup. Maybe N'lundulu might get a sniff if we can't move him on. Guy has pace and work rate but the first touch of a trampolinist mid-spring.

I'm hoping the 800k can get spent once more and we can bring in some extra firepower. Without it, i'll be surprised if we don't repeat last season.

I wouldn't write off his goal scoring ability just yet. We create an extraordinary amount of chances and have been crying out for someone who knows how to play in the box. I think he'll surprise a lot of people, his finishing looks top drawer.

Highlight reels can make strikers look better than they are.

I'm going off the figures for the headers won where he had a really high success percentage. That's what I meant by blunt instrument (SKD style).

There's a reason Wrexham got rid and I suspect it's largely due to his 1 in 31 record in League Two. Still, that doesn't do his record justice, he had a 1 goal in 1172 mins (roughly 13 matches).

Still, I like the idea of a big unit up top whose job is to bring others into play. If he continues his good goalscoring form from his time in Scotland then great, but i'm keen on someone who can disrupt the opposition's defence and genuinely cause them to be unsettled, rather than the easy ride they got last season.

That's fair, just FYI Wrexham didn't get rid, they offered him a new contract which he turned down.

[BWFC_Insane]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -far-done/

Iles reports that Noundulu, Lolos and McAtee are players we would listen to offers for. Good.

[BWFC_Insane]

Don’t know why people are worried. We (or some of us) have spent our time saying these players have the wrong mentality or attitude. Schumacher in selling Collins says the same.

I get that he was talented but that counts for nothing without the application. I’m not even that worried if we do or don’t go up this season because I do feel now that we are rooting out the problems that we’ve clearly had for several seasons.

I know on here there is a bias towards technical players that is maybe not represented across the wider fanbase but we need a mixture. Our most critical player through most of the premiership was Kev Davies. Take him out and we had a lot less to offer. But we can have good technical players too we just need ones with the right attitude.

Evatt built the wrong sort of culture in the club with the wrong sort of players.

Now I feel we are on the way to really understanding this. Sorting it may take time.

But let’s be honest. From when we signed Collins it’s all and only been downhill in form and results. Maybe not disimilar to Newcastle signing Asprilla back in the day. Clearly a talented player but…that’s only part of it.

[Armchair Wanderer]

I'm personally fine with a manager saying publicly player x can look for a new club. The alternative is almost saying it's ok to hang around collecting paychecks for another year. It's honest, direct and not as brutal as being made to train by yourself. It's advertising that they're available to other clubs, making sure the player/agent understands and it's informing the fan base.

Ultimately, some of these players had opportunities last season to do a bit better if they'd wanted to stay.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -far-done/

Iles reports that Noundulu, Lolos and McAtee are players we would listen to offers for. Good.

Well, small point of order: Iles reports on "strong rumours" about the last two:

"Dan Nlundulu is one of the players who has been told he can find a new club, and there have been strong rumours that Klaidi Lolos and John McAtee could also be made available with the right offer."

...which means he hasn't had it confirmed by anyone at the club. It's probably true, but nobody at the club is saying so. Not yet. After all, Schuey does say:

“There will be comings and goings. There will certainly a few more in, and there will be a few that will leave as well, because we can't have a squad full of 28 players. We need to make sure that we get the numbers right and, more importantly, we get the balance right.”

[Worthy4England]

Schumacher, is clearly trying to do a) what was needed and b) the right things. I'd struggle to be in the same place as Collins without calling him a complete fanny,

[TonyDomingos]

Schumacher, is clearly trying to do a) what was needed and b) the right things. I'd struggle to be in the same place as Collins without calling him a complete fanny,

Just to be clear, "Fanny" is on your "that's no name for a footballer" list?