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

[Worthy4England]

I doubt any competent club wouldn't have recruitment people and a strategy/blueprint etc. The thing I don't agree with is not knowing where the buck stops. The broad notion around having a direction that outlives the Coach has some plus points. Those have typically been cited as don't need to change the entire squad on managerial change therefore money is saved! Wonder how much Tottenham's mutual consent budget gets spent? At what point after processions of Managers do you say the strategy is the thing that's hampering us, change it? Whose call is that?

It just often feels inconclusive.

[GhostoftheBok]

Wonder how much Tottenham's mutual consent budget gets spent?

Tottenham? Poch, Jose, Conte, Ange...what continuity are you pointing to there?

You can critique an approach, but not by citing the exact opposite approach and saying "See, it doesn't work!"

Spurs isn't run as a football club. Its a business with a football team attached to it.

[Worthy4England]

Wonder how much Tottenham's mutual consent budget gets spent?

Tottenham? Poch, Jose, Conte, Ange...what continuity are you pointing to there?

You can critique an approach, but not by citing the exact opposite approach and saying "See, it doesn't work!"

Spurs isn't run as a football club. Its a business with a football team attached to it.

The thing I'm pointing to us the lack of continuity of managers who didn't really work out as they dumped them. At what point do you question the strategy vs the "incapability" of the managers

[The_Gun]

Wonder how much Tottenham's mutual consent budget gets spent?

Tottenham? Poch, Jose, Conte, Ange...what continuity are you pointing to there?

You can critique an approach, but not by citing the exact opposite approach and saying "See, it doesn't work!"

Spurs isn't run as a football club. Its a business with a football team attached to it.

The thing I'm pointing to us the lack of continuity of managers who didn't really work out as they dumped them. At what point do you question the strategy vs the "incapability" of the managers

Some teams are run badly. I don’t think anyone disputes that.

[Prufrock]

Markham gone, per Iles.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Markham gone, per Iles.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... aves-club/
"several sources close to the Toughsheet Stadium are claiming that he has parted ways and that a search is now on to replace him."

[BWFC_Insane]

This reads very much like he’s been sacked over performance. With the Etete deal ‘bringing things to a head’.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... aves-club/

Now I doubt Iles has written that without good reason. But what has gone on here. Markham backed when Evatt left. Asked to lead process to find new manager. Then a few weeks later gone. Can only think Schumacher has been asked by Sharon or the board and given some thoughts. Or something really bizarre behind the scenes has gone on. But it’s shades of Tobias Phoenix. New manager maybe wants a new man?

[sonicthewhite]

So it's true then, he's gone. Wonder if we'll get a direct replacement in?

[jmjhb]

It sounds to me like he's left of his own accord.

[sonicthewhite]

It sounds to me like he's left of his own accord.

Probably had enough of all the stick he's been getting?

[BWFC_Insane]

It sounds to me like he's left of his own accord.

Interesting. I would say Iles seems to be hinting otherwise with this.

But criticism continued to come his way – and the final addition of the January window, Cardiff City striker Kion Etete has brought matters to a head.

But I guess you know. Maybe it’s a ‘right time’ sort of thing for both sides.

Just please no more FA type picks….

[jmjhb]

Perhaps. He has been at the club for four years and there is a lot of turnover on the football side of things generally, and indeed in the industry.

I will say that many people seem to conflate his job as sporting director with some sort of video/data analyst role. He was in charge of a lot more of just getting in new players, and there's a hell of a lot of admin involved!

[BWFC_Insane]

Perhaps. He has been at the club for four years and there is a lot of turnover on the football side of things generally, and indeed in the industry.

I will say that many people seem to conflate his job as sporting director with some sort of video/data analyst role. He was in charge of a lot more of just getting in new players, and there's a hell of a lot of admin involved!

Yeah I think there is a big variance in what the role entails across football clubs. Can’t imagine Big Barry Fry does much admin. Or much at all…..

[knobpolisher]

Irrespective of his signings , or otherwise, the best bit of business we did in the last transfer window was holding on to Morley who in my very humble opinion has been exceptional since his return

[The_Gun]

If one of Markham’s last acts was getting £750k, potentially rising to a million, for Dion Charles, then he’s had at least one outstanding success.

[knobpolisher]

If one of Markham’s last acts was getting £750k, potentially rising to a million, for Dion Charles, then he’s had at least one outstanding success.

Good point, chances of it rising to a million are perhaps remote. If we are to go up via the play offs then the bonus won't kick in.

[Worthy4England]

If one of Markham’s last acts was getting £750k, potentially rising to a million, for Dion Charles, then he’s had at least one outstanding success.

It's an interesting calculation. We were told plenty, not to judge Dion, over his first six months...

[Mar]

Markham's initial success, what could that be down to?

Was he good coming in, did he have a previous list of good targets to work from, did he bring the list of players to the table? Either way, there's been significant drop off in terms of recruitment quality and overall planning lately.

Surely looking at the last few transfer windows should be enough to highlight any potential failings. Whether they reside at the door of Markham remains to be seen, but the fact that we've brought in so many players only for them to immediately be out injured for significant periods of time should be an obvious point of concern. Etete, Forino, Arfield, N'lundulu, Tutu, and that's just this season.

If I were the club i'd be pointing fingers in the direction of the wasted money for N'lundulu as the biggest sickener. Maybe Markham's job was to make a profit on some of these signings and in a last ditch attempt to do that they lined up the sale of Charles with bringing in Etete as a means of covering the failings. Reality hits when we sell our top scorer and the replacement turns out to be of little usage sat on the injury table. Whether Charles' form would've improved or not is irrelevant, we're weaker squad wise, despite arguably being in a better place financially. If Markham's turning round and saying we'll be stronger, surely that's going to fall on deaf ears once Etete gives away a penalty and misses the vast amount of his loan period.

Still, if I were looking for finger to point, all of these should be raising eyebrows...

Jerome, Arfield, N'lundulu, Ramsay, Beck, Shoretire, CMG, Coleman

CMG would seem unfortunate given he's clearly got the talent, just not the fitness. As for the rest, well there's a baffling lack of quality indicating we should be signing them. Had N'lundulu come in on a free transfer he may have been consider a worthwhile punt, but to spend money after underperforming for half a season is just madness. Add Morley to the list of suspects through no fault of his own, loaning him to improve other teams in our league is not a good look.

Nonetheless, Trafford, Bradley, Toal, Collins, Schon, Tutu, Maghoma.

There's a decent number of good signings there, likely more hits than misses on reflection, but we can't succeed by having successive transfer windows where we are in worse position than when we started, and unfortunately that seems to be what has happened.


All signings are a risk, some pay off and some don't. There was a clear justification as to why he was signing players and what the end result was intended. Might not necessarily have paid off but at least had more consideration than some previous people handling signings. Looking at Coyle's tenure as a clear example of questionable choices.

[The_Gun]

I really don’t think you can point at Owen Beck as a failure. The lad is currently playing at the top end of the Championship, and if rumours are to be believed, will be in the Prem next season.

[BWFC_Insane]

I really don’t think you can point at Owen Beck as a failure. The lad is currently playing at the top end of the Championship, and if rumours are to be believed, will be in the Prem next season.

Does that not highlight the problem though? Beck wasn’t the right player to help move us on at the time. Maybe the data showed he had loads of potential but that obscures that we needed a player who improved us to help push us up. And he was a loan player.

If you are signing 19/20/21 year olds (that’s the age if you want to improve them and make profits) you need to own them, develop them and sell them. You also have to be realistic that you might be successful on the pitch doing so but that the model of re sale means you won’t always be.

If you are signing players a few years older than that who have already established themselves you expect them to make you better. And that judgement is more than a player and their data it’s a lot of complex intangibles - and needs and relies on experience and judgement.

We’ve never operated a moneyball strategy in the way say Posh do. And I will be honest I don’t think we can. Not a club as big as ours in league one without bazillions to spend.