Solidarity?

[JAT]

9 minutes 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

I don't think the club has wasted time on the Martin situation. The new contract is making the best out of a pretty shameful situation.

If we don't bring anyone in then I think it's a case of not wanting to pay over the odds for players at this time of the season.

I do think we're short upfront but our only options are to take a punt on a lower league player or pay stupid money.

There's also a trend this January. The players that seem to be making themselves available are probably not the best to have around the dressing room when it comes to the crunch.

[jono]

9 minutes ago, Jean Antoine Tessier said:

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.

I agree. It has been good to see Bryson getting back some form but for me he has peaked. Still good, still an asset but a lot of his game relies on that engine which isn't going to get any better at this point in his career. Butters is another matter. There is a good player there, a very good one but we haven't unlocked everything yet. 

[JAT]

Just now, jono said:

I agree. It has been good to see Bryson getting back some form but for me he has peaked. Still good, still an asset but a lot of his game relies on that engine which isn't going to get any better at this point in his career. Butters is another matter. There is a good player there, a very good one but we haven't unlocked everything yet. 

I disagree with Bryson, he looks in good shape and I know for a fact he works on his fitness. I also think experience might offset against any physical loses.

Butterfield has a lot to offer. Maybe with Hughes being out for a game or two, although not ideal might make him step up a little. I think he just needs to feel valued!

[Millenniumram]

11 minutes ago, Jean Antoine Tessier said:

I don't think the club has wasted time on the Martin situation. The new contract is making the best out of a pretty shameful situation.

If we don't bring anyone in then I think it's a case of not wanting to pay over the odds for players at this time of the season.

I do think we're short upfront but our only options are to take a punt on a lower league player or pay stupid money.

There's also a trend this January. The players that seem to be making themselves available are probably not the best to have around the dressing room when it comes to the crunch.

Yeah I do believe we've come to the best possible solution with the new contact for Martin, but it does strike me that we've spent too long focusing on trying everything possible to get him back rather than looking at more obscure targets. 

Would agree in general with the rest of the post, its notoriously difficult to do good business in January- however if you look hard enough and have patience there's still deals to be done. After all we signed Ince in january who's probably our best signing in years

[JAT]

5 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

Yeah I do believe we've come to the best possible solution with the new contact for Martin, but it does strike me that we've spent too long focusing on trying everything possible to get him back rather than looking at more obscure targets. 

Would agree in general with the rest of the post, its notoriously difficult to do good business in January- however if you look hard enough and have patience there's still deals to be done. After all we signed Ince in january who's probably our best signing in years

We loaned Ince in the January (with a buying clause) and purchased him the summer one Hull had got relegated.

Do you not think it's the fans and media who have focussed too much on the Martin situation, not necessarily the club?

[Howard Canitbé]

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.

From a Barnsley journalist being interviews by the Birmingham Mail:

"I don’t think he’s this box-to-box midfielder that everyone touts him as. He just sits infront (sic) of the back four and breaks up play. He makes decisive passes and creates from deep. He obviously chips in with a lot of goals and assists, too. You can guarantee that he will be an 8/10 every week, he’s been fantastic for Barnsley and easily their best player."

Sounds a bit like George Thorne to me, could have been good cover for the CDM position. Oh well, nothing that can be done now. How much did he go to Villa for?

 

[Millenniumram]

13 minutes ago, Jean Antoine Tessier said:

We loaned Ince in the January (with a buying clause) and purchased him the summer one Hull had got relegated.

Do you not think it's the fans and media who have focussed too much on the Martin situation, not necessarily the club?

Yeah I realise that, but the point was even on loan the players are out there to find, just it's difficult to hunt them down.

Thats a good point, and I think it's certainly a bit of that too- but the club still seemed to be chasing martins return until the other day to some extent

[May Contain Nuts]

1 hour ago, Millenniumram said:

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.

This part of the post achieved a like. The rest not so much!

We're not 'nothing' without Hughes but we are almost completely limited to goals out of nothing from Ince & Bent like against West Brom, or Bryson against Leicester.

Another player further upfield who can hold onto the ball under opposition pressure and find a teammate would make a big difference to us, I agree. It's a shame that when we actually had that sort of player certain people (a large number of them) were too hung up on 'end product' and 'beating their man' and demanded that we buy more direct players. Hopefully those people see where having a load of direct players gets you.

That said, even a more direct player but one with a bit of upper body strength out on the wings wouldn't go amiss - I guess that's what we were looking for in Wildschut. Any sort of physicality against Russell / Ince / Camara / Anya and we're onto a loser.

[lee_derby]

we got will to sign thats a blessing and better than most we have spent good money on. i know martin has also but will is for me mainly

[CumbrianRam]

Hughes and Martin contracted to 2020. that is huge and makes it the best January this decade transfer wise.

[Dcfc10]

1 minute ago, CumbrianRam said:

Hughes and Martin contracted to 2020. that is huge and makes it the best January this decade transfer wise.

Ones at Fulham the others out injured OK let's wait till next season see wot that brings.?

[Millenniumram]

11 minutes ago, Coconut said:

This part of the post achieved a like. The rest not so much!

We're not 'nothing' without Hughes but we are almost completely limited to goals out of nothing from Ince & Bent like against West Brom, or Bryson against Leicester.

Another player further upfield who can hold onto the ball under opposition pressure and find a teammate would make a big difference to us, I agree. It's a shame that when we actually had that sort of player certain people (a large number of them) were too hung up on 'end product' and 'beating their man' and demanded that we buy more direct players. Hopefully those people see where having a load of direct players gets you.

That said, even a more direct player but one with a bit of upper body strength out on the wings wouldn't go amiss - I guess that's what we were looking for in Wildschut. Any sort of physicality against Russell / Ince / Camara / Anya and we're onto a loser.

Yeah that's what I mean, we end up not being able to dominate the midfield which in a 433 is a big part of our game if we're to create a lot of chances

Agree with the rest of your post entirely, a winger like wildschut or sako would be perfect in our team imo

[JAT]

Tangent alert!

Bournemouth looking to spend £18m on a full back! Just demonstrates the financial disparity between the Prem and Football League!

[Gypsy Ram]

Full trust in what we have and we can't find better, we will sit them down on Thursday and tell them we have full trust in them. Okay, I'm paraphrasing, but what a great message from Steve to the players. Wish the other two wasters had that kind of trust in our squad.