January Window

[MackworthRamIsGod]

1 hour ago, Srg said:

Bonne rejoining Charlton 

Shame, I secretly had a feeling he would be a forward we would be in for.

27, scores goals in the lower leagues, available on a free, kinda fits the mould of Collins.

 

 

 

[Jimbo Ram]

14 minutes ago, MackworthRamIsGod said:

Shame, I secretly had a feeling he would be a forward we would be in for.

27, scores goals in the lower leagues, available on a free, kinda fits the mould of Collins.

 

 

 

Who were you keeping the feeling from ?

[MackworthRamIsGod]

1 hour ago, Jimbo Ram said:

Who were you keeping the feeling from ?

Anyone that would listen.

[SK47]

1 hour ago, MackworthRamIsGod said:

Shame, I secretly had a feeling he would be a forward we would be in for.

27, scores goals in the lower leagues, available on a free, kinda fits the mould of Collins.

 

 

 

A mould of Collins isn't what we need. We need tall and quick or at the very least quick. Just so we can switch it up if we need to and get behind the opposition back 4.

 

If Didzy had a fast striker to feed, I think we would score a hat full.

[Ghost of Clough]

Waghorn ticks a lot of boxes. 3rd choice CF (as per Nugent in the Lampard season), and gives us an extra option on the wing. He also knows the club and a number of people still here so would settle very quickly.

Jordan Hugill would offer strong competition for the CF spot, but we'd still need someone on the wing. Probably short on fitness and would take a while to get up to speed.

Dilan Markanday (wimger at Blackburn) hasn't played in the league yet this season, but scored 2 in the Cup. Scored 12 in 14 for Spurs U21s in 21/22 before moving to Blackburn.

[admira]

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/23244577.league-one-transfer-news-januarys-going-promotion-contenders/

Quite a few 'in' so far for the top teams.

[Carnero]

Liam Delap joining PNE on loan, to add to Ched Evans, Emil Riis & Tom Cannon who they've just signed on loan too.

I see they have Spurs forward Troy Parrott (who's a pretty boy) currently on loan who's only played 13 times this season, but had a decent spell at MK Dons last season scoring 8 goals mainly from a wide role. Can play centre forward or out wide so ticks both boxes we ideally could do with adding.

Could be a decent option?

There's also Sean Maguire at PNE who can play wide or as a 10 too who may now be available? Out of contract at the end of the season.

[YorkshireRam]

15 hours ago, Andicis said:

We need a decent period of sensible finances. 6 months isn't going to cut it. We need to run on a tight budget for a lot longer yet. The plus side is, once we come out of that, we'll have a huge amount of FFP wiggle room. But really, you can't blame the EFL for wanting us to be run frugally for a while. 

A club can be run frugally, while also spending transfer fees though?

It does present a competitive disadvantage when we cannot strengthen as much as teams around us, despite having the financial means to do so. And given we started the season with about 3 senior players, we arguably have the most cause to spend transfer fees.

Suppose it would make promotion all the more impressive, however, if we could achieve it without being able to buy a single player...

[Caerphilly Ram]

13 hours ago, Ghost of Clough said:

Waghorn ticks a lot of boxes. 3rd choice CF (as per Nugent in the Lampard season), and gives us an extra option on the wing. He also knows the club and a number of people still here so would settle very quickly.

Jordan Hugill would offer strong competition for the CF spot, but we'd still need someone on the wing. Probably short on fitness and would take a while to get up to speed.

Dilan Markanday (wimger at Blackburn) hasn't played in the league yet this season, but scored 2 in the Cup. Scored 12 in 14 for Spurs U21s in 21/22 before moving to Blackburn.

I’ve changed my thinking on the potential recruitment and think one player who can cover the central or wide forward positions (such as Waghorn) may well be enough to see us through, unless there’s an absolute gem to be had who would improve on what we’ve got.

The goalkeeping dept seems well stocked and there is the emergency loan option for this one position if the situation became a problem.
The current back 4 is picking itself with Roberts, Davies, Stearman, Chester, Rooney, Knight and Oduroh all capable of covering if and when needed and with varying levels of desperation. 
We’ve got cover and options in midfield if Bird, Hourihane or Knight can’t play. Thompson can come in, Rooney can play there, put someone in at right back or left back to move Sibley or Smith in as cover etc.

If we stick with one central forward you can alternate McGoldrick and Collins then Barkhuizen, Dobbin or NML could cover if desperate but that’s the main area of the pitch I’d worry about the options if injury or suspension take their toll. Only having NML on the bench against Barnsley sort of highlighted that. Again there are options with Sibley and Knight being deployed further forward if needed in desperate times…so yeah, I think to keep the balance and happiness within the squad 1 or at a push 2 new bodies is all we need in an immediate sense, as realistically we’re not going to be able to compete for anyone who massively improves on what we’ve got in this window.

[nottingram]

1 hour ago, YorkshireRam said:

A club can be run frugally, while also spending transfer fees though?

It does present a competitive disadvantage when we cannot strengthen as much as teams around us, despite having the financial means to do so. And given we started the season with about 3 senior players, we arguably have the most cause to spend transfer fees.

Suppose it would make promotion all the more impressive, however, if we could achieve it without being able to buy a single player...

Not many teams are spending fees on players at this level though.

Plymouth seem to maybe spend the odd £100k here or there (I do think it would make sense if rather than the EFL banning fees they looked at a lifetime contract cost i.e. fee plus wages) but it’s only really Ipswich among teams we’re competing with who are dropping big fees on players, and I’d be pretty concerned if I saw us spending 7 figures on players who have never made a dent at Championship level, as they have on a few occasions.

Paying fees would help with the age profile of our squad but that is more of a long term concern I think. 

[ram59]

I think that the ability to pay fees is far more important in the January transfer window rather than the summer window because there are quite a number of players that we can sign up when their contracts finish this summer but in order to sign these players now, their clubs will want a small fee, unless they just want to get them off the books, but those will be less attractive players.

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

56 minutes ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

I’ve changed my thinking on the potential recruitment and think one player who can cover the central or wide forward positions (such as Waghorn) may well be enough to see us through, unless there’s an absolute gem to be had who would improve on what we’ve got.

The goalkeeping dept seems well stocked and there is the emergency loan option for this one position if the situation became a problem.
The current back 4 is picking itself with Roberts, Davies, Stearman, Chester, Rooney, Knight and Oduroh all capable of covering if and when needed and with varying levels of desperation. 
We’ve got cover and options in midfield if Bird, Hourihane or Knight can’t play. Thompson can come in, Rooney can play there, put someone in at right back or left back to move Sibley or Smith in as cover etc.

If we stick with one central forward you can alternate McGoldrick and Collins then Barkhuizen, Dobbin or NML could cover if desperate but that’s the main area of the pitch I’d worry about the options if injury or suspension take their toll. Only having NML on the bench against Barnsley sort of highlighted that. Again there are options with Sibley and Knight being deployed further forward if needed in desperate times…so yeah, I think to keep the balance and happiness within the squad 1 or at a push 2 new bodies is all we need in an immediate sense, as realistically we’re not going to be able to compete for anyone who massively improves on what we’ve got in this window.

None of these can play centre forward to be honest.  Dobbin will miss 3 chances in 4, NML is close control and beating a player and Barkhuizen has played a few up top for Preston and has said he hasn't the build for it and was rubbish.  We really need a striker with quick feet as an option.  Two would be better.

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

Do we get that million quid payment from the EFL for appearances of home grown players U21 getting games.  That'll assist or are we prevented from getting that as well.

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

4 hours ago, admira said:

https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/23244577.league-one-transfer-news-januarys-going-promotion-contenders/

Quite a few 'in' so far for the top teams.

Out of those most surprised to see Horgan leave Wycombe to drop to League 2.  Looked decent at championship level a couple of years ago.

[YorkshireRam]

31 minutes ago, nottingram said:

Not many teams are spending fees on players at this level though.

Plymouth seem to maybe spend the odd £100k here or there (I do think it would make sense if rather than the EFL banning fees they looked at a lifetime contract cost i.e. fee plus wages) but it’s only really Ipswich among teams we’re competing with who are dropping big fees on players, and I’d be pretty concerned if I saw us spending 7 figures on players who have never made a dent at Championship level, as they have on a few occasions.

Paying fees would help with the age profile of our squad but that is more of a long term concern I think. 

Doesn't have to be big fees I'm referring to. The pool of players available on free transfers is very limiting. The result of the EFL sanctions from the last few years is that our squad was decimated- continuing an embargo so that we cannot properly replenish, aside from the perceived cast-offs who are not contracted to a club, seems harsh. I don't understand why the business plan explicitly excludes spending fees, why not allow us to spend fees that fall inside an outlined business plan? It's the black and white nature of ruling out fees altogether I'm not sure I agree with. 

Basically, at the minute, we're relying on other clubs not wanting a player, to be able to recruit them; and for a club that desperately needs to expand its squad, that seems an unnecessary restriction.

[i-Ram]

20 hours ago, Sparkle said:

With us being in the third division the likes of Connor Wickham,Waghorn and Chris Martin could all prove useful especially if they know being first or second choice is not happening 

Sounds like a plan. James Collins can run his nuts off for 60 minutes, the come off so Chris Martin can stand/lie still for the next 30.

 

[WharfedaleRam]

40 minutes ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Do we get that million quid payment from the EFL for appearances of home grown players U21 getting games.  That'll assist or are we prevented from getting that as well.

If there's no rule to stop us getting it, there soon will be!

[Andicis]

4 hours ago, YorkshireRam said:

A club can be run frugally, while also spending transfer fees though?

It does present a competitive disadvantage when we cannot strengthen as much as teams around us, despite having the financial means to do so. And given we started the season with about 3 senior players, we arguably have the most cause to spend transfer fees.

Suppose it would make promotion all the more impressive, however, if we could achieve it without being able to buy a single player...

Can they realistically when all clubs are already operating at a loss? I wouldn't describe that as frugal? 

We are being punished for financial indiscretions, so of course we're at a disadvantage. That's entirely reasonable. It'll benefit the club in the long run.

[Srg]

5 minutes ago, Andicis said:

We are being punished for financial indiscretions, so of course we're at a disadvantage. That's entirely reasonable. It'll benefit the club in the long run.

Who are being punished?

The fans? Wasn’t our fault. 

Clowes? Wasn’t his fault, in fact, he should be rewarded

This punishment serves a regime that is long long gone and does nothing more. It’s pathetic. 

[Andicis]

19 minutes ago, Srg said:

Who are being punished?

The fans? Wasn’t our fault. 

Clowes? Wasn’t his fault, in fact, he should be rewarded

This punishment serves a regime that is long long gone and does nothing more. It’s pathetic. 

You can just change ownership to avoid punishment. That would be so incredibly exploitative. It's a tough one, but really there isn't any other way to do it.