Look forward to that not being trueThe much criticised George Smith has suggested we are after a second Japanese player …
If, and it’s a big if, he is correct there will be a few embarrassed posters on here …..
What's the viability in signing all 9 in a job lot?Looking at some interesting possibly available players.
available on free:
Yusuf Yazica AM
Andre Gomes M interest from Rennes
Joel Matip CB interest from Germany
Robert Skov LM
Dele Alli AM Everton still weighing option
Available to buy, Worrall CB around 5m, Omar Richards LB around 2.5m.
Possibly available to loan
Died Spence RB/LB
Fabio Viera AM
Looking at some interesting possibly available players.
available on free:
Yusuf Yazica AM
Andre Gomes M interest from Rennes
Joel Matip CB interest from Germany
Robert Skov LM
Dele Alli AM Everton still weighing option
Available to buy, Worrall CB around 5m, Omar Richards LB around 2.5m.
Possibly available to loan
Died Spence RB/LB
Fabio Viera AM
Who is it then?The much criticised George Smith has suggested we are after a second Japanese player …
If, and it’s a big if, he is correct there will be a few embarrassed posters on here …..
George never says. Covers himself for when it's inevitably bollocksWho is it then?
Frees*Looking at some interesting possibly available players.
available on free:
Yusuf Yazica AM
Andre Gomes M interest from Rennes
Joel Matip CB interest from Germany
Robert Skov LM
Dele Alli AM Everton still weighing option
Available to buy, Worrall CB around 5m, Omar Richards LB around 2.5m.
Possibly available to loan
Died Spence RB/LB
Fabio Viera AM
A lot of paranoia here Gibb.There is a consensus, as far as I can see, that we need strengthening in central midfield and central defence. The problem is that both those areas are covered by either recently acquired players or a strong established pairing
All four central defenders have been acquired in the last 15 months, one assumes with Robins' sign off. To acquire a fifth, presumably to be 1st choice implies one or more of those was a mistake and should go. That seems premature
In defensive midfield Sheaf is the obvious first choice but Eccles is as good as we will get as cover.
I was always mystified by the Stamenic thing. Was he to replace Sheaf? For similar reasons I have always been puzzled at the outlay on EMC, unless the expectation is Wright will go and EMC slot in. I don't go for the far too slavish 'In Robins we trust' mantra, but clearly I'm missing something
My gut feeling is that we’ll sign a Prem loanee for CB this window. Looking at our defensive performances so far and following 2024 as a whole, we don’t look capable of keeping a clean sheet. Yes, it’s true our defensive record was 6th best in the league (or thereabouts) but we had an incredible defensive record in November & December.To improve our CB stock we’re going to have to spend 5-6m. If we have that I’d rather spend it on RB. We have 4 CB’s all capable of starting. Do we really need 5?
I'd be very surprised if anyone is better than him. If they are they must be incredible.I don’t understand the desperate need for a RB, it’s nowhere near a priority, Milan is one of the best in the division, and we have Lati or even Eccles as adequate cover. Even Sakamoto has played there.
Very few of the alleged ITKs have named the player …. Just given clues out ….George never says. Covers himself for when it's inevitably bollocks
Just listened to the interview Haaland on Sky so similar player's, get too it Arse or Paris!
You confuse me sometimes Wingy!Just listened to the interview Haaland on Sky so similar player's, get too it Arse or Paris!
. Cousins from different mother's
Very few of the alleged ITKs have named the player …. Just given clues out ….
What names have been mentioned?They are a bit more elaborate than someone Japanese tho
Yeah but does that mean the Japanese are just more direct,or prone to brevity, just like their football?They are a bit more elaborate than someone Japanese tho
What names have been mentioned?
Looking at some interesting possibly available players.
available on free:
Yusuf Yazica AM
Andre Gomes M interest from Rennes
Joel Matip CB interest from Germany
Robert Skov LM
Dele Alli AM Everton still weighing option
Available to buy, Worrall CB around 5m, Omar Richards LB around 2.5m.. it
Possibly available to loan
Died Spence RB/LB
Fabio Viera AM
Looking at some interesting possibly available players.
available on free:
Yusuf Yazica AM
Andre Gomes M interest from Rennes
Joel Matip CB interest from Germany
Robert Skov LM
Dele Alli AM Everton still weighing option
Available to buy, Worrall CB around 5m, Omar Richards LB around 2.5m.
Possibly available to loan
Died Spence RB/LB
Fabio Viera AM
We have plenty of options but none of which have taken their opportunity to make themselves nailed on starters. For me if we to cut one to get another in then I’m all for it.Please, for fuck sake just sign a proper centre half. I'm boring myself with these posts now, but I'm not letting go of hope. I will not lose this battle.
Sota Kawasaki, 23, DM, Captain of his J League club, contract expires next summer, mentioned here before. Ticks every box.
Is this a suggestion or something to it?Sota Kawasaki, 23, DM, Captain of his J League club, contract expires next summer, mentioned here before. Ticks every box.
SuggestionIs this a suggestion or something to it?
We appear to have two marquee signings in one position. I remain puzzled that we spend a couple of million on a bench warmer.A lot of paranoia here Gibb.
EMC was brought in to be a marquee signing but it’s competitive in those wide areas and he’ll need to fight his way in. It’s as simple as that and no need to overthink it. We signed him in January on the expectation he’d be our player in Jan. There was no suggestion Wright would leave in Jan and nothing has changed from then on in relation to EMC. Being able to bring on players like EMC and BTA rather than Godden and Tavares is going to make us a lot stronger.
As for Stamenic, it’s a case of signing a player who is (arguably) better than what we have and again, the deal was considered completed until the last minute. There’s an element of back to the drawing board because we’ve missed out on targets because of it (e.g. Browne). He was a quality player available at the right price - so we thought.
As for CB, it’s most likely that we’d be after a more experienced pro because all our CBs are 22-25. In relation to Lati, he‘a covering Thomas and MVE and over 50+ games there’s a chance both may be unavailable over the season. We either need to sign a RB or a CB and in my view, with MVE being arguably our best player, I’d rather us sign a CB that could do a better job than Thomas or Lati.
We appear to have two marquee signings in one position. I remain puzzled that we spend a couple of million on a bench warmer.
Dunno where you get the paranoia idea from. In the two areas most identified on here, we actually have 6 players covering three positions all of whom are either of an acceptable level or are recently acquired - Sheaf Eccles Lati Thomas Kitch & Binks.
Adding a seventh or eighth would mean offloading somebody before the window closes. A squad is basically 22-23 players.
What is acceptable level in this context? We failed to make the playoffs last season so I’m struggling to see how we improve on last season’s defensive record without adding any new players. We kept 2 league clean sheets in 2024 so was a soft underbelly and will continue to be so on the goals we’ve conceded so far.We appear to have two marquee signings in one position. I remain puzzled that we spend a couple of million on a bench warmer.
Dunno where you get the paranoia idea from. In the two areas most identified on here, we actually have 6 players covering three positions all of whom are either of an acceptable level or are recently acquired - Sheaf Eccles Lati Thomas Kitch & Binks.
Adding a seventh or eighth would mean offloading somebody before the window closes. A squad is basically 22-23 players.
RealisticNat Phillips, Michal Helik, Jack Stephens, and Cameron Humphreys fit the profile we're looking for (and realistic).
We were after Humphreys before he went to RotherhamRealistic
The depth is not looking good and we’re asking a lot from Eccles defensively playing with Allen/Rudoni in the CM role.
Look at how strong our attack was in the Oxford game. You had Tats, EMC, Simms, BTA and Wright playing. That’s the kind of depth you need to be pushing automatics. You don’t have that same depth in midfield or defence.