Our Summer Business

[Day]

1 minute ago, Dimmu said:

Chance is extremely small but for example when Sunderland was relegated to Championship, they we're among the favorites to up rather than continue straight to League 1.

Anything can happen, chances are just small.

Sunderland were a mess to be fair and suffered back to back relegations, if we're in the bottom 3 by January through failure to make more signings today I will go out and buy a hat then eat it.

I will concede you are technically correct though.

[brady1993]

Just now, Andicis said:

Maybe a bit light in midfield too, but I agree. We've addressed some of our main weaknesses in the holding mid, LCB positions, we look like we will be solid in the spine of the team. Would like someone else to in the 3 in the midfield alongside Dowell and Bielik though.

I'd like to see a proper linking player come in to that middle 3 but we do have Holmes to come back from injury and I'd say on current form I'd be happy to see a 4231 with Evans or Huddlestone sat there with Bielik.

Plus two of our most talented young players are midfielders in Sibley and Knight. Also there is Rooney coming in Jan who can play there. 

I'd say it's a nice to have but by no means necessary.

[Dimmu]

17 minutes ago, DcfcJB said:

I believe their ambitions were to stay in the league and they lacked a lot of quality, we my friend have Wayne Rooney...

Yep, if Rooney hits the ground running (getting almost as good stats as in US), he will increase our chances to win each game with 2-3%. That's a huge amount for one player.

Mitrovic kind of effect. That would be something.

[RamLad1884]

Plugged the gap on leaking goals from crosses? Clarke ?

Young and energetic DM to take over from Hudds (that doesn't have jelly legs)? Bielik ?

Goalscoring midfielder to replace mount/Brys? Dowell ? 

Tough midfielder with some (figurative) bite to him? Shinnie ? 

Big name to replace the media presence of Frank? Cocu/Rooney ? 

Winger/midfielder to replace Wilson?......... 

Overall we've come out probably as strong as last season, probably now with a smaller wage bill and room for youngsters. Missing that winger, but I'm sure that Cocu can get one of our traditional underperformers going (Lawrence perhaps?) 

[Carl Sagan]

I think the outs have been good too. That can be a hard thing in football. Blackman, Butterfield and Johnson have gone. Carson to Man City is good in terms of freeing up wages if we're not going to start him.

For me a hard running box-to-box forward-thinking midfielder who can help dominate in that area is probably more useful than a right winger. Sibley has the potential to be that, but this season may be too early for him.

As for RW we have Holmes, Bennett, Waghorn, Josefzoon and Anya already who can play there. Wingers come in and out of form and what McClaren did well was have four and always swap them in the games, with the most in form ones getting the starting berth. There'll be times this season when any of the above will be playing well.

Definitely agree it's been a good summer so far. Probably more to come.

[TibshelfRam]

6 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

I think the outs have been good too. That can be a hard thing in football. Blackman, Butterfield and Johnson have gone. Carson to Man City is good in terms of freeing up wages if we're not going to start him.

For me a hard running box-to-box forward-thinking midfielder who can help dominate in that area is probably more useful than a right winger. Sibley has the potential to be that, but this season may be too early for him.

As for RW we have Holmes, Bennett, Waghorn, Josefzoon and Anya already who can play there. Wingers come in and out of form and what McClaren did well was have four and always swap them in the games, with the most in form ones getting the starting berth. There'll be times this season when any of the above will be playing well.

Definitely agree it's been a good summer so far. Probably more to come.

Don't disagree. Do you not see Holmes as being a potential box-to-box player on the RHS of the midfield 3? I thought that's where he looked best for us last season.

[Hathersage Ram]

I am very happy with our business this Summer incomings and outgoings.

If we are apparently still in the market for one or two more, how discreet have our negotiations been. Nothing serious seems to be banded around on-line. very impressive.

[Parsnip]

7 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Probably more to come.

I've analysed your cryptic posts and ive come up with...

George McEachran.

[Millenniumram]

I think if the window closed now we’d be in serious trouble, not trying to be overly negative, but we have to be realistic. Without a CM and RW it’s been a disaster, and I personally think we’ll struggle without a GK as well- though that could be done on a free next week or something like that. I’m happy with most our signings so far other than dowell who far from convinces me, ecstatic about Rooney, and don’t know enough about Clarke and shinnie yet. But we still need more imo to really have that squad quality to push on this season.

Of course we can’t expect the perfect window, that would include upgrading the likes of wisdom etc. Very few clubs will achieve that level of a transfer window. But most clubs will get everything they desperately need and not leave themselves short. At the minute if the window shut now we’d definitely be short in a couple of positions.

This isn’t necessarily in numbers, I don’t think we lack numbers anywhere on the pitch. But numbers don’t win you matches, the quality of players do. And it’s that quality we need in a couple of positions. Particularly on the wing where we still need a marquee signing to significantly improve that area of the team imo if we’re gonna boost the team quality enough to challenge. 

Of course we don’t want to be panic buying any old rubbish or be held to ransom. But you’d hope that the club have targets already organised, and enough of those targets if some don’t work out, for that not to happen, and for us not to rely on agents like we have before. Of course we’ve been disrupted by cocu arriving late, but we’ve had time enough now knowing what we need to have found sufficient targets imo. If not, someone at the recruitment team has failed.

Sure we did well against Huddersfield, but it’s one game, you have to look at the bigger picture and think whether what we have in the squad is good enough, over a full season, to get us where we need to be. Imo they’re not. And we can’t rely on January either, seasons can be lost by then. That window should be for improving on what you’ve seen in the first half of the season, not getting something fixed you know you needed to 5 months earlier.

[Carl Sagan]

26 minutes ago, TibshelfRam said:

Don't disagree. Do you not see Holmes as being a potential box-to-box player on the RHS of the midfield 3? I thought that's where he looked best for us last season.

Thought in the playoff semifinals Holmes was our best player in the first leg but when everyone else went up through the gears in the second leg, they looked better than him. He'll be consistently decent, but might not reach the heights. Also, he is soooo small I'm not convinced he has the physical presence to be the midfielder we need. But I like him a lot as a player and if we don't bring someone else in I would start him in midfield.

[Rammy03]

1 minute ago, Carl Sagan said:

Don't disagree. Do you not see Holmes as being a potential box-to-box player on the RHS of the midfield 3? I thought that's where he looked best for us last season.

He should be played out wide on the right, taking people on. That's what he's best at. Could almost be a winger. Can't play him in the centre because he's not physical enough.

[SaintRam]

Getting close.... ? 

[TibshelfRam]

5 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Thought in the playoff semifinals Holmes was our best player in the first leg but when everyone else went up through the gears in the second leg, they looked better than him. He'll be consistently decent, but might not reach the heights. Also, he is soooo small I'm not convinced he has the physical presence to be the midfielder we need. But I like him a lot as a player and if we don't bring someone else in I would start him in midfield.

Probably because he was off the pitch ? He got taken off injured for Marriott in the 44th minute

[TibshelfRam]

3 minutes ago, Rammy03 said:

He should be played out wide on the right, taking people on. That's what he's best at. Could almost be a winger. Can't play him in the centre because he's not physical enough.

I don't agree. With the added physicality that Bielik brings, do we need that? He wouldn't be playing a 'physical' role. Last year we looked best with 2 out of Mount, Wilson or Holmes in the middle - are they physical enough?

Personally see his best role being driving on from midfield in a box-to-box role

[Sparkle]

1 minute ago, TibshelfRam said:

I don't agree. With the added physicality that Bielik brings, do we need that? He wouldn't be playing a 'physical' role. Last year we looked best with 2 out of Mount, Wilson or Holmes in the middle - are they physical enough?

Personally see his best role being driving on from midfield in a box-to-box role

We might find Shinnie doing that box to box thing ultimately 

[TibshelfRam]

Just now, Sparkle said:

We might find Shinnie doing that box to box thing ultimately 

Potentially, yeah - just not sure if I'm convinced about him offensively enough but need to see more of him. I'm talking more someone who can create - like Wijnaldum did at PSV under Cocu - whilst being box to box.

I have a gut feeling that Shinnie doesn't quite fit the Cocu system all that well but I've not got much to base that on, tbh

[Hector was the best]

11 minutes ago, Carl Sagan said:

Thought in the playoff semifinals Holmes was our best player in the first leg but when everyone else went up through the gears in the second leg, they looked better than him. He'll be consistently decent, but might not reach the heights. Also, he is soooo small I'm not convinced he has the physical presence to be the midfielder we need. But I like him a lot as a player and if we don't bring someone else in I would start him in midfield.

Wille Carlin ???

[Sparkle]

Just now, TibshelfRam said:

Potentially, yeah - just not sure if I'm convinced about him offensively enough but need to see more of him. I'm talking more someone who can create - like Wijnaldum did at PSV under Cocu - whilst being box to box.

I have a gut feeling that Shinnie doesn't quite fit the Cocu system all that well but I've not got much to base that on, tbh

We will need to tackle in there and Dowell and Holmes are not going to do it based on what I have seen 

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

24 minutes ago, Millenniumram said:

I think if the window closed now we’d be in serious trouble, not trying to be overly negative, but we have to be realistic. Without a CM and RW it’s been a disaster, and I personally think we’ll struggle without a GK as well- though that could be done on a free next week or something like that. I’m happy with most our signings so far other than dowell who far from convinces me, ecstatic about Rooney, and don’t know enough about Clarke and shinnie yet. But we still need more imo to really have that squad quality to push on this season.

Of course we can’t expect the perfect window, that would include upgrading the likes of wisdom etc. Very few clubs will achieve that level of a transfer window. But most clubs will get everything they desperately need and not leave themselves short. At the minute if the window shut now we’d definitely be short in a couple of positions.

This isn’t necessarily in numbers, I don’t think we lack numbers anywhere on the pitch. But numbers don’t win you matches, the quality of players do. And it’s that quality we need in a couple of positions. Particularly on the wing where we still need a marquee signing to significantly improve that area of the team imo if we’re gonna boost the team quality enough to challenge. 

Of course we don’t want to be panic buying any old rubbish or be held to ransom. But you’d hope that the club have targets already organised, and enough of those targets if some don’t work out, for that not to happen, and for us not to rely on agents like we have before. Of course we’ve been disrupted by cocu arriving late, but we’ve had time enough now knowing what we need to have found sufficient targets imo. If not, someone at the recruitment team has failed.

Sure we did well against Huddersfield, but it’s one game, you have to look at the bigger picture and think whether what we have in the squad is good enough, over a full season, to get us where we need to be. Imo they’re not. And we can’t rely on January either, seasons can be lost by then. That window should be for improving on what you’ve seen in the first half of the season, not getting something fixed you know you needed to 5 months earlier.

I think you may be a little bit prone to dramatic exaggeration.

[TibshelfRam]

12 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

We will need to tackle in there and Dowell and Holmes are not going to do it based on what I have seen 

I think Holmes is capable of tackling - he put in some crunchers last season.

But surely isn't that Bielik's role? How much tackling do De Bruyne or Silva do? It's down to Fernandinho - you don't need all three to be carbon copies of one another. A holder, a box to box and a playmaker - Bielik, Holmes, Dowell. Suits me.