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

[Worthy4England]

Santos is 100% gone in the summer.

I imagine that’s his choice then. So we move on.

Not surprised. I think the shit he got off some sections of the support really hurt him and his family. I think he's always tried his best, but I think he's subconsciously been a bit lacking for a while, if that makes sense. Hope he gets a decent gig somewhere and plays shit against us

I believe it's this as opposed to falling out with Schuey or whatever.

I think it’s fairly clear now that Santos was the main victim of the tactical failings of our previous manager. All our defenders have looked completely rejuvenated under Schuey, and it’s hard to imagine that the same wouldn’t be true for Santos.

I think it was far too easy after Oxford "Santos didn't know what to do with the ball." He generally had a sideways pass or a punt on to an 8 in the next county...that was clearly tactical as was taking recoveries in possession. When the manager doesn't say "that was on me," then the fans gonna look at the players...

[jmjhb]

JDC signed a new 1-year contract.

[dave the minion]

Is this new news, or was this the one of the out of contract people that Iles kept referring to as having already signed an extension?

Great news though regardless....

[Prufrock]

Looks like he was the one hinted at. Iles says he signed it a while back.

[Mar]

Glad to see JDC sign on a new contract. Not many players have been as available as he has during Evatt and Schuey's tenure.

Well worth a new contract. Not like one of those players we've signed only to get injured and miss the entirety of their contract (Bunney for instance).

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Glad to see JDC sign on a new contract. Not many players have been as available as he has during Evatt and Schuey's tenure.

Well worth a new contract. Not like one of those players we've signed only to get injured and miss the entirety of their contract (Bunney for instance).

TBF Bunney was very unlucky in that he'd hardly been a sicknote before one big incident - see also Marc Tierney, Sean Davis.

Forino looked like a bad signing but I think we're beginning to see why they took the risk.

[Mar]

Glad to see JDC sign on a new contract. Not many players have been as available as he has during Evatt and Schuey's tenure.

Well worth a new contract. Not like one of those players we've signed only to get injured and miss the entirety of their contract (Bunney for instance).

TBF Bunney was very unlucky in that he'd hardly been a sicknote before one big incident - see also Marc Tierney, Sean Davis.

Forino looked like a bad signing but I think we're beginning to see why they took the risk.

Indeed, Bunney was unlucky, but he was the first to spring to mind. He previously played under Keith Hill so he was well known to the manager at the time. With Bunney, he may have been only ever a bit part player and his subsequent levels probably suggest as much.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Indeed, Bunney was unlucky, but he was the first to spring to mind. He previously played under Keith Hill so he was well known to the manager at the time. With Bunney, he may have been only ever a bit part player and his subsequent levels probably suggest as much.

Yeah, indeed.

It set me thinking though. We've complained before about signing sicknotes, but I was trying to think which players signed since Evatt's arrival have proven themselves *habitually* likely to break down (as opposed to one big injury), and I struggled a bit. Am I just in too sunny a mood, given arrival of spring and a promising manager?

[Mar]

Indeed, Bunney was unlucky, but he was the first to spring to mind. He previously played under Keith Hill so he was well known to the manager at the time. With Bunney, he may have been only ever a bit part player and his subsequent levels probably suggest as much.

Yeah, indeed.

It set me thinking though. We've complained before about signing sicknotes, but I was trying to think which players signed since Evatt's arrival have proven themselves *habitually* likely to break down (as opposed to one big injury), and I struggled a bit. Am I just in too sunny a mood, given arrival of spring and a promising manager?

I suspect that may be you in a sunnier disposition.

But to further your point, i'm struggling to recollect major sicknotes.

The big concerning factor with Evatt's signings was that they would sign and then immediately get injured with similar problems. Tutu, N'lundulu, seem to spring to mind. It's almost as if the training that they did on the training ground was a high intensity training routine that didn't cater to the player's specific needs and caused longer term problems which only got resolved once Evatt and co knew how to manage them on a longer term basis, maybe with the nod from the medical team as to how much their body can take.

There shouldn't have been a consistent pattern of players coming into the club and then immediately having to sit out games.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The big concerning factor with Evatt's signings was that they would sign and then immediately get injured with similar problems. Tutu, N'lundulu, seem to spring to mind. It's almost as if the training that they did on the training ground was a high intensity training routine that didn't cater to the player's specific needs and caused longer term problems which only got resolved once Evatt and co knew how to manage them on a longer term basis, maybe with the nod from the medical team as to how much their body can take.

There shouldn't have been a consistent pattern of players coming into the club and then immediately having to sit out games.

Yeah, that 'feels' fair, by the memory test. In combination with often being told we wouldn't get a player like this if he were consistently fit... TBF to Evatt, he did pull the plug on the Kane Wilson deal over injury concerns - and while he was consistently available last season, he's missed two chunks of this one...

Anyway. Schumacher seems very happy not to force players to play if we have alternatives, so that bodes well. He's certainly getting more minutes out of JOT than we might have dared hope earlier in the season - the concern with him now is more about consistency than availability.

[Worthy4England]

Our injury lists seemed to get cited plenty as reasons for non-performance...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Our injury lists seemed to get cited plenty as reasons for non-performance...

Indeed, which partly backs up Mar's point about early breakdowns but also speaks to a lot of bad luck. Long injuries from innocuous situations - I'm thinking immediately of Johnston and CMG - compounded by the regular bumps and bruises of a season.

Almost any injury list is usually a combination of preventable strain (recklessly riding the red zone), unavoidable accident (eg impact injuries) and dumb luck (eg falling down stairs). I was just wondering if we've truly signed that many lifetime sicknotes, which seems to be a narrative strand.

[Prufrock]

You can call them big injuries but CMG has had several and has barely been available in two years? Johnstone similar

Randy was constantly injured> rubbish while he got fit > three good games > injured...

Forrester seemed to be constantly out for three weeks at a time. Geth was sturdy for ages then a long time in and out.

Rico seems always to be having injections.

Even Toal has had a few.

Bax misses a lot for a keeper.

Bodvarsson seemed to be in and out

They are the ones that jump to mind.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

You can call them big injuries but CMG has had several and has barely been available in two years? Johnstone similar

Randy was constantly injured> rubbish while he got fit > three good games > injured...

Forrester seemed to be constantly out for three weeks at a time. Geth was sturdy for ages then a long time in and out.

Rico seems always to be having injections.

Even Toal has had a few.

Bax misses a lot for a keeper.

Bodvarsson seemed to be in and out

They are the ones that jump to mind.

Knew this spreadsheet would come in handy!

MENDES GOMES: More unlucky than untrustworthy, I'd say. Despite weirdly appearing over Xmas he was still sort of coming back from knee-knack and related strains. Other than that, he was away for the Cup of Nations (the ACN before the ACL) and before that he was the first of 6 (six) players last season to have a hamstring strain.

JOHNSTON: Missed Feb/Mar 23 with a knee then all the next season; his current hammy is his first injury absence this season.

WILLIAMS: agreed. Chronological order: Hamstring, tendinitis, hammy again, "knock", foot. And as you say, struggled to get up to pace again (arguably sometimes rushed back?)

FORRESTER: Hmm. I'd say his absences have been more about selection. Last season: knee (2 games), hammy (3 weeks), but in each case he didn't start a league game for a month or two afterwards because he'd lost his place. This season - missed a big old chunk after falling downstairs, which somehow sums up Evatt's dog days, but has been available ever since bar the Birmingham game (slight hammy strain, best not risked).

GETHIN: Last season he only had one injury (his hip in spring) but missed chunks through suspension and the Asian Cup. This season, knee-knack and lately that rib (unlucky impact injury, I'd say).

RICO: One injury this season, but a fair few injuries before that - calf, hammy, knee, groin, that "illness" in December 2022. Weirdly, in his first season he didn't miss a game, but he's had it all since then.

TOAL: Sturdy till this season. Cosgrove's assault on his ankle cost him a month and he in his first season; started the next season with an ankle injury, but wasn't injured again (was suspended and away with Norn Iron, though). This season, though, he's had thigh, concussion and hamstring problems.

BAX: Wrist last season, thigh this.

BOD: Clean first half-season, then the injuries started in his first full campaign - bruised foot, hamstring, illness, nose, then a long ankle injury. Last season started with a hamstring and ended with a calf but he was available Aug-Apr.

It's a mixed bag, that. I'd say Randell and Rico were 'often' injured, with Bod (22/23 and Toal (24/25) having bad seasons for being inury-prone.

[Worthy4England]

Our injury lists seemed to get cited plenty as reasons for non-performance...

Indeed, which partly backs up Mar's point about early breakdowns but also speaks to a lot of bad luck. Long injuries from innocuous situations - I'm thinking immediately of Johnston and CMG - compounded by the regular bumps and bruises of a season.

Almost any injury list is usually a combination of preventable strain (recklessly riding the red zone), unavoidable accident (eg impact injuries) and dumb luck (eg falling down stairs). I was just wondering if we've truly signed that many lifetime sicknotes, which seems to be a narrative strand.

Reasonable, how would you rate Demps, Gethin and Big Ric? I don't have any stats and I wouldn't call any long term sicknotes. They all seem to get "niggles," and it's all somewhat comparative. Mavies for example, if you "average" his time, probably averaged low 20 games per season. A lot lower on starts, couldn't guarantee he'd be there for a big game made nearly 200? appearances. Talented footballer and probably worth the mill? That we paid for him. Overall a gamble.

I'm not sure there is a narrative about lifetime sicknotes, and I think you are correct it's a narrative strand, for me unless anyone demontrates otherwise, we probably had a relatively high level of breakdowns post signing, whilst there were some mentions, I seem to think there were a lot more that had "first month" problems...

Were we worse served than when Pompey went up with 10 injured first team players in January? Don't think so, reckon that was more narrative and bullshit.

[Prufrock]

Oh Dempsey for sure!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Oh Dempsey for sure!

Aye, sadly - although they've only recently graduated from Niggling to Worrying.

Signed Jan 22
(2021)-2022: groin (3 games missed), hamstring (3)
2022-2023: dead leg (1), ankle (3), ankle again (1)
2023-2024: 'injury' (1), back (7)
2024-2025: knee (2), knee (30 and counting)

[Bertie Wooster]

Baxter says that he wants to sign a new contract, he loves it here - let's get it done, MOTM on Saturday IMO, much better than Southwood.

[The_Gun]

Baxter says that he wants to sign a new contract, he loves it here - let's get it done, MOTM on Saturday IMO, much better than Southwood.

It’s a tricky one with Baxter, isn’t it? He’s clearly a much better shot stopper than Southwood, and I don’t think Luke would’ve made all those saves on Saturday. On the other hand, Southwood’s distribution does help us get play going much quicker.

[BWFC_Insane]

Baxter says that he wants to sign a new contract, he loves it here - let's get it done, MOTM on Saturday IMO, much better than Southwood.

It’s a tricky one with Baxter, isn’t it? He’s clearly a much better shot stopper than Southwood, and I don’t think Luke would’ve made all those saves on Saturday. On the other hand, Southwood’s distribution does help us get play going much quicker.

Southwood can’t come for a cross either.

I think we’ve seen enough of both for me to suggest that I don’t have enough faith in sourhwood. Yes he is good with his feet but as Schuey said post match every shot was going in.

Baxter for me is better whether he is the all round keeper Schuey wants I don’t know.

But I’d be happy to sign him on again. I’m not sure he’s ever massively let us down.