Filip Benkovic

[nottingram]

34 minutes ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

By all accounts this was pretty much done. Cocu's interview after a game early on in January where he said it would be the following week was because this was all agreed.

Then (which pretty much sums up our season) Leicester's replacement gets injured for Juve and their 3rd choice centre half, Wes Morgan, gets injured so it all gets put on hold until Leicester can get this replacement in.

Now Rodgers has confirmed he expects Benkovic to go out early this week.

And all of a sudden out of nowhere he's going to Boro?

This football club at the minute. Absolute mess.

 

So how is any of that Derby’s fault, or an “absolute mess?”

They were all due to get the business done early like they wished, external factors have prevented that and now presumably Boro (if this is even true) are offering better terms. Not much you can do except walk away or be held to ransom.

[ollycutts1982]

8 minutes ago, nottingram said:

So how is any of that Derby’s fault, or an “absolute mess?”

They were all due to get the business done early like they wished, external factors have prevented that and now presumably Boro (if this is even true) are offering better terms. Not much you can do except walk away or be held to ransom.

That is fine but what about the 2 attacking options we were looking to bring in?

I totally get the Benkovic situation with injuries at Leicester delaying the deal but I cannot see why we haven't brought anyone else in when we were looking to do any business early.

[Sparkle]

10 hours ago, ariotofmyown said:

Clarke, Davis, Wisdom and Fozzy fine for the rest of this season.

Exactly - why waste more money unless we were planning on signing the target permanently 

2 hours ago, cosmic said:

This post makes me sad. Guarantee Wisdom is one bad game away from the fans losing all faith in him again. 

All true - also if we get a new chap and they make mistakes is that ok? Or are they pushed towards the rubbish bin 

[nottingram]

29 minutes ago, ollycutts1982 said:

That is fine but what about the 2 attacking options we were looking to bring in?

I totally get the Benkovic situation with injuries at Leicester delaying the deal but I cannot see why we haven't brought anyone else in when we were looking to do any business early.

Were we definitely looking at bringing in two attackers? We’ve been linked with a few I know, but I can’t say I’ve personally seen anything too solid. Adding Clarke or Uwakwe, for example, on short term loans would’ve to me at least been counter productive especially as we have found a reasonably well balanced midfield.

[MACKWORTHRAM]

1 hour ago, nottingram said:

So how is any of that Derby’s fault, or an “absolute mess?”

They were all due to get the business done early like they wished, external factors have prevented that and now presumably Boro (if this is even true) are offering better terms. Not much you can do except walk away or be held to ransom.

This football club is a mess. We have absolutely no money, no sign of this investment.

Yet in the summer we probably need 8-9 players as a minimum.

[Wolfie20]

1 minute ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

This football club is a mess. We have absolutely no money, no sign of this investment.

Yet in the summer we probably need 8-9 players as a minimum.

Ridiculous - 8 or 9 players???

3, maybe 4 in the right positions would transform this squad.

[hintonsboots]

8 minutes ago, Wolfie20 said:

Ridiculous - 8 or 9 players???

3, maybe 4 in the right positions would transform this squad.

Ronaldo, Salah, Stones and Kante.

[ollycutts1982]

1 minute ago, nottingram said:

Were we definitely looking at bringing in two attackers? We’ve been linked with a few I know, but I can’t say I’ve personally seen anything too solid. Adding Clarke or Uwakwe, for example, on short term loans would’ve to me at least been counter productive especially as we have found a reasonably well balanced midfield.

I think the emergence of Knight has helped somewhat but we still look so toothless going forward. Lawrence, Holmes, Waghorn aren't wide attacking players. We have been desperately short of wide players for some time now and this has still not been addressed. It was my hope we would of identified our targets and moved early, again it looks like going down to deadline day and panic additions which have in the past contributed to where we are now.

[Big Bad Bob]

What happened to the possible signing of  Rob Dickie of Oxford? If that was a possible permanent, then I would prefer that over the will he won't he Benkovic

[MackworthRamIsGod]

8 minutes ago, Big Bad Bob said:

What happened to the possible signing of  Rob Dickie of Oxford? If that was a possible permanent, then I would prefer that over the will he won't he Benkovic

Probably became impossible once the investment went for a Burton.

[Bubbles]

19 minutes ago, hintonsboots said:

Ronaldo, Salah, Stones and Kante.

not stones thanks. Tomori is better.

[Ambitious]

26 minutes ago, Wolfie20 said:

Ridiculous - 8 or 9 players???

3, maybe 4 in the right positions would transform this squad.

He was talking about our success with signing players - 8 or 9 might return two, perhaps three, good players. Forest signed nearly two squads full in the past couple of seasons to see what sticks and they're in the top six. We probably need to follow suit. 

[S8TY]

2 hours ago, ollycutts1982 said:

That is fine but what about the 2 attacking options we were looking to bring in?

I totally get the Benkovic situation with injuries at Leicester delaying the deal but I cannot see why we haven't brought anyone else in when we were looking to do any business early.

I've posted the reason for this in Jan 2020 transfer window thread...greedy agents holding out until last couple of days of window....only 22 deals across 12 clubs so far...it is not a transfer window month it is basically 2 days at the end......joke it really is

[Ghost of Clough]

16 minutes ago, Ambitious said:

He was talking about our success with signing players - 8 or 9 might return two, perhaps three, good players. Forest signed nearly two squads full in the past couple of seasons to see what sticks and they're in the top six. We probably need to follow suit. 

By exploding the wage bill again? Won't happen!

At most we'll recruit 6 in the summer, fewer if Cocu think more youths can step up: GK, 2x CB, 1/2 W, 1 CF

[ollycutts1982]

6 minutes ago, S8TY said:

I've posted the reason for this in Jan 2020 transfer window thread...greedy agents holding out until last couple of days of window....only 22 deals across 12 clubs so far...it is not a transfer window month it is basically 2 days at the end......joke it really is

I did see this and totally agree with you. there really isn't any point having a months window, should just be for 24hours. Agents, for the most part, are a cancer in the game, the sooner they are regulated the better. The fact that agents are expected to sue FIFA should they be regulated says it all. Though FIFA are not really in a place to talk.

[S8TY]

1 minute ago, ollycutts1982 said:

I did see this and totally agree with you. there really isn't any point having a months window, should just be for 24hours. Agents, for the most part, are a cancer in the game, the sooner they are regulated the better. The fact that agents are expected to sue FIFA should they be regulated says it all. Though FIFA are not really in a place to talk.

Agree with you...I was on talksport recently and asked the question why doesn't each division employ a few agents put them on a decent wage but working for the PL or Championship or whatever division they are in 

Then if a player wants a move the agent acts for the player not for his own benefit...just an idea....agents taking ludicrous amounts of money out of the game sometimes millions on certain deals are parasites in my view. That money is lost to the game forever and feeds lavish lifestyles for people who have probably never kicked a ball in there life.

[MACKWORTHRAM]

1 hour ago, Wolfie20 said:

Ridiculous - 8 or 9 players???

3, maybe 4 in the right positions would transform this squad.

Not quite sure how you can possibly think we only need 3/4 players in the summer.

As things stand, in the summer we will have Roos and Mitchell as our 2 keepers. A new number one is absolutely paramount. A good keeper can save you 10 points and bad ones can cost you. 

Our centre halves at the minute are Clarke, Davies, Wisdom and Forsyth. Clarke goes back to Brighton, Forsyth's contract is up so will be going. I think Davies has triggered a new contract (still don't think he'll stay) so essentially our only centre halves in the summer are a 35 year old Davies who's legs have gone and Wisdom (who will probably be a right back if we sell Bogle) There doesn't seem to be any young CBs coming through the academy either. Honestly we need an absolute minimum of 2 centre halves. Possibly 3 if Davies does go because then we'd have none on the books.

Midfield next season would be Bielik, Shinnie, Holmes, Knight and Bird (maybe Rooney if he's playing there) The only slight bit of creativity there is Holmes. We need another midfielder in there. A creative one. It's not a necessity, but the lack of creativity coming from that midfield at the minute is woeful. Do you fancy watching that midfield again next season? I don't.

Our only winger is Lawrence. And he's not a winger. We're playing Knight on the wing now and that says it all.

Comfortably need 2 wingers. We have 0. 

Up front we're left with Waghorn and Marriott. Martin will be gone. So we clearly need another striker. 

Whittaker is nowhere near ready. He needs a loan somewhere like Lowe did. He's openly admitted he should have gone out earlier. 

Absolute minimum there is 7 players and that's without anyone going and may make us slightly competitive. 

You're 3/4 literally covers the back 4 and goalkeeper.

 

[Mostyn6]

Unless Benkovic was in Clare Ince's dossier, I don't want him here

 

[Philspen]

45 minutes ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

Not quite sure how you can possibly think we only need 3/4 players in the summer.

As things stand, in the summer we will have Roos and Mitchell as our 2 keepers. A new number one is absolutely paramount. A good keeper can save you 10 points and bad ones can cost you. 

Our centre halves at the minute are Clarke, Davies, Wisdom and Forsyth. Clarke goes back to Brighton, Forsyth's contract is up so will be going. I think Davies has triggered a new contract (still don't think he'll stay) so essentially our only centre halves in the summer are a 35 year old Davies who's legs have gone and Wisdom (who will probably be a right back if we sell Bogle) There doesn't seem to be any young CBs coming through the academy either. Honestly we need an absolute minimum of 2 centre halves. Possibly 3 if Davies does go because then we'd have none on the books.

Midfield next season would be Bielik, Shinnie, Holmes, Knight and Bird (maybe Rooney if he's playing there) The only slight bit of creativity there is Holmes. We need another midfielder in there. A creative one. It's not a necessity, but the lack of creativity coming from that midfield at the minute is woeful. Do you fancy watching that midfield again next season? I don't.

Our only winger is Lawrence. And he's not a winger. We're playing Knight on the wing now and that says it all.

Comfortably need 2 wingers. We have 0. 

Up front we're left with Waghorn and Marriott. Martin will be gone. So we clearly need another striker. 

Whittaker is nowhere near ready. He needs a loan somewhere like Lowe did. He's openly admitted he should have gone out earlier. 

Absolute minimum there is 7 players and that's without anyone going and may make us slightly competitive. 

You're 3/4 literally covers the back 4 and goalkeeper.

 

I think you will find forsyth as option of another year!

[Will Hughes Hair]

4 hours ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

 

This football club at the minute. Absolute mess.

 

Don't think of it as a mess.  Think of it as boho-chic.