Solidarity?

[JAT]

Yep it's always nice to make 'big' signings throughout the January transfer window. However looking at the business we've done this year I'm strangely optimistic.

I can't help but think that those teams around us, with the silly money they are throwing about for players who have done very little in the last 12 months, is clearly a display of twitchy bum syndrome.

I'd like to hope that our lack of movement is a display of confidence in what we have. I hope the players see it this way and keep pushing up that table.

[Andicis]

I think we have a good enough squad to make the playoffs anyway. Can we honestly say, that a player within our budget would have improved us? Possibly Lansbury, but Fawaz was never going to sell to us. I think Nugent might be a shrewd signing, a lot of experience and at previous clubs the knack for getting important goals. I'm glad we haven't felt the need to sign players for the sake of it.

[mrdave85]

I think we've had an okay January.

De Sart looks to be a player who just needs match sharpness and fitness.

Nugent could nab us a few important goals, we just need him fit first!

And the young Scottish lad could get a cameo between now and the end of the season, but I expect he'll be with U23's more. 

[SuperDerbySuperRams]

I would have taken this January. Still think we could have done with one more, but hopefully Anya can step up and be the £4m signing that we paid for! 

[EnigmaRam]

I think we are a centre mid and left winger short of having real quality throughout the team.

[JAT]

1 hour ago, Andicis said:

I think we have a good enough squad to make the playoffs anyway. Can we honestly say, that a player within our budget would have improved us? Possibly Lansbury, but Fawaz was never going to sell to us. I think Nugent might be a shrewd signing, a lot of experience and at previous clubs the knack for getting important goals. I'm glad we haven't felt the need to sign players for the sake of it.

I think working with the constraints of a sensible budget is the best way forward. There's going to be plenty of "big" players in the champ next season that clubs will be losing money on!

[JAT]

19 minutes ago, EnigmaRam said:

I think we are a centre mid and left winger short of having real quality throughout the team.

Maybe so, but the price to bring these in at this time of the year is crazy. I think we might just have enough to get into the top 6. If not then we get suitable players at a better price in the summer.

[RadioactiveWaste]

We signed up Hughes and CM on long term contracts.
Our other business has been OK this January and I think letting Lansbury and wildschut (?) Go was wise overall.

 

[SKRam]

If we have a bunch of knacked players then we'll need a squad to tread water never mind improve on those around us. Huddersfield, Wednesday, Leeds and Reading are all doing pretty well if not barnstorming their way in to top two. Definitely time to up our game which I think we are well capable of. Hope Nugent can stay fit 

[toddy]

Disappointed we have not brought in another midfield play maker, when Hughes is out or off his game - too often so are we as a team. 

[Dcfc10]

1 minute ago, toddy said:

Disappointed we have not brought in another midfield play maker, when Hughes is out or off his game - too often so are we as a team. 

100% agree but everybody's obsessed with buying a striker or a winger. we are outclassed in the middle of the park when Hughes is out.

[Thierry Ennui]

We needed another central midfielder because Butterfield and Bryson have both been awful all season (aside from a handful of moments between them) and Johnson can't pass well enough to be advanced. He has been really good at DM, though.

Reckon we should have gone for Hourihane, seems a bargain.

[VulcanRam]

There have been one or two decent deals to be had, but also some shockers with players going well over value.

Nugent is a decent signing, jury out on de Sart.

We haven't lost any of our main players, which is important.

In all, nothing to get too excited about, nothing to get depressed about.

Says it all when all the hype has been around whether we are going to sign our own player!

When all said and done, a bit dull, really. 

[jono]

I think on the Hughes back up thing it would have to be someone going out and someone coming in.

we lost Hughes and Bryson to injury and replaced them with Butters and Johnno .. Hendrick left so we were one up in the numbers game. Ok Hanson out on loan now but I would be interested in seeing Elsnik or others being given a go before we splash the cash. This achieves things like inspiring the other youngsters, it puts the debutant in the window and it might just polish a gem. 

I hope Jamie comes back an improved player. If you think about it he hasn't had much of a run and when he has its been in several positions. Look what happened when Baird got played in his strongest position. I reckon JH has a touch and has physical presence. Elsnik in the Carlisl game look very sharp .. Ok it was only Carlisle but he needs a game or two before we judge. 

[Millenniumram]

15 minutes ago, toddy said:

Disappointed we have not brought in another midfield play maker, when Hughes is out or off his game - too often so are we as a team. 

This 100%, were absolutely nothing when Hughes isn't playing. We've got no one who can hold onto the ball since Martin isn't here, so we end up basically conceding having possession and are reliant on our defence standing firm and hitting teams  on the counter, all in all a very risky strategy. Doesn't have to be someone of the quality of Hughes of course, just someone who's intelligent enough on the ball to help us retain possession and gain time in the midfield.

Overlooking this is suicide by our recruitment team imo, who have put all their eggs in a Martin shaped basket- yet have failed to bring him back immediately. All in all another very disappointing transfer window, i don't know how the club can think we were ever going to improve this season from last year by only bringing in 3 permanent signings

[Comrade 86]

16 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

This 100%, were absolutely nothing when Hughes isn't playing. We've got no one who can hold onto the ball since Martin isn't here, so we end up basically conceding having possession and are reliant on our defence standing firm and hitting teams  on the counter, all in all a very risky strategy. Doesn't have to be someone of the quality of Hughes of course, just someone who's intelligent enough on the ball to help us retain possession and gain time in the midfield.

Overlooking this is suicide by our recruitment team imo, who have put all their eggs in a Martin shaped basket- yet have failed to bring him back immediately. All in all another very disappointing transfer window, i don't know how the club can think we were ever going to improve this season from last year by only bringing in 3 permanent signings

What on earth are you on about? You do understand Martin is on a season long loan, do you not? We don't control whether or when he returns, Fulham do.

There are two vastly distinct issues here; Pearson being an absolute melt and loaning out our chief goal threat to a rival and our recruitment team who seem unable to come up with any player the entire division are not already looking at. 

[Millenniumram]

13 minutes ago, 86 points said:

What on earth are you on about? You do understand Martin is on a season long loan, do you not? We don't control whether or when he returns, Fulham do.

There are two vastly distinct issues here; Pearson being an absolute melt and loaning out our chief goal threat to a rival and our recruitment team who seem unable to come up with any player the entire division are not already looking at. 

You've misunderstood my point I think, I'm not saying we have any control over whether he comes back- it's clearly down to an agreement of all three parties so it meant that Fulham would have to agree if he was to come back. What I'm saying is that the club seemed to me like they believed they could bring Martin back in January, which like you say was always going to be very difficult to do since it would require fulhams cooperation, which was very unlikely, quite rightly as the fuckwit ostrich loaned him out to them for the season.

Thus we've put all our focus into a hopeless attempt to bring back Martin, meaning we haven't had the time to look at players to improve other positions in this team who are more likely to join us this window- so we just end up chasing the same targets as everyone else and actually end up with neither Martin, nor the other players that can improve our team.

So in actual fact, we've not improved the team at all this window, bar a bit of extra cover/competition and not plugged the issues in the team- in my opinion now meaning this season is pretty much a write off as there's too many weaknesses within our team that needed to be addressed.

We wouldn't have needed many signings, just a couple of quality players to slot into our starting 11, but we've spent too much time on Martin who wasn't going to come back, and not enough time on identifying players other teams haven't already

[JAT]

1 hour ago, Dcfc10 said:

100% agree but everybody's obsessed with buying a striker or a winger. we are outclassed in the middle of the park when Hughes is out.

I think we just have to turn to the coaching staff and hope they can get more out of Butterfield as a play maker, or see a return of an industrious Bryson.

[Comrade 86]

1 minute ago, Millenniumram said:

You've misunderstood my point I think, I'm not saying we have any control over whether he comes back- it's clearly down to an agreement of all three parties so it meant that Fulham would have to agree if he was to come back. What I'm saying is that the club seemed to me like they believed they could bring Martin back in January, which like you say was always going to be very difficult to do since it would require fulhams cooperation, which was very unlikely, quite rightly as the fuckwit ostrich loaned him out to them for the season.

Thus we've put all our focus into a hopeless attempt to bring back Martin, meaning we haven't had the time to look at players to improve other positions in this team who are more likely to join us this window- so we just end up chasing the same targets as everyone else and actually end up with neither Martin, nor the other players that can improve our team.

So in actual fact, we've not improved the team at all this window, bar a bit of extra cover/competition and not plugged the issues in the team- in my opinion now meaning this season is pretty much a write off as there's too many weaknesses within our team that needed to be addressed.

We wouldn't have needed many signings, just a couple of quality players to slot into our starting 11, but we've spent too much time on Martin who wasn't going to come back, and not enough time on identifying players other teams haven't already

Haven't misunderstood you at all. Succession of assumptions, most of which are incorrect followed up with a few more for good measure. Let's just leave it there as I can't make the point any clearer.

[JAT]

1 hour ago, Penelope Pendrex said:

We needed another central midfielder because Butterfield and Bryson have both been awful all season (aside from a handful of moments between them) and Johnson can't pass well enough to be advanced. He has been really good at DM, though.

Reckon we should have gone for Hourihane, seems a bargain.

Interesting that we were never even linked with Hourihane! The club obviously don't think we needed to strengthen in this department.

Villa have purely signed these players to keep their fans happy and their stadium half full. If and when it doesn't work they'll throw more money at the situation but it starts getting dangerous if you don't see results. No team is too big to fall out of the championship. Leeds, Wigan, Leicester, Bolton and Southampton have all shown that.

I hope Villa don't do anything stupid though as we do need more midland teams in the prem!