January 2017 transfer window

[dn1982]

1 hour ago, Eastie said:

I don't see how it's baffling given that we have had time to target players before the window opens - if we miss out on the play offs by the odd point will we look back on January as the time we dropped points we could I'll afford to drop.

i feel we need to be 6 points at worse off the play offs come Jan 31 to really fancy pulling it back .

If we have identify our targets and it means paying a bit over the odds now then so be it .

 

 

It's baffling because we are active. Lansbury by the sound of it is is done pending the approval of the Forest owner/new owner. I explained that signings tend to have knock on affects. Things are imminent. I don't think it's anything to do with the money. It's harder to buy in Jan because it's all condensed into a short period and teams don't want to weaken themselves if they can avoid it. I'd rather us get the right option rather than the easy option. If we chose the easy one and dont go up we will be in trouble later on. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by dn1982

[Stratvillan]

44 minutes ago, dn1982 said:

It's baffling because we are active. Lansbury by the sound of it is is done pending the approval of the Forest owner/new owner. I explained that signings tend to have knock on affects. Things are imminent. I don't think it's anything to do with the money. It's harder to buy in Jan because it's all condensed into a short period and teams don't want to weaken themselves if they can avoid it. I'd rather us get the right option rather than the easy option. If we chose the easy one and dont go up we will be in trouble later on. 

Definitely the right option, not just the available option. That's why we're in this situation. If we see a right back better than Hutton, but can't see a better forward, we should sign the right back. otherwise we will be in championship for ever.

[VILLAMARV]

42 minutes ago, thunderball said:

Despite or league position, we have resources and ambition well above where we are now, and any player and agent will know this. Any player considering offers from us, Palace, Sunderland etc would know they run the risk of playing championship football next season, despite the latter being above us and in the PL now, so it's a level playing field.

i would fancy Bruce has gone cold on Westwood and Gardner, so even if they stay they would not be in his first team thinking so at least two or three midfielders are needed.

I agree in the main with this but it's not an entirely level playing field. LOADS more money in the PL this year and the potential parachute payments for those teams flirting with the drop. This is the reason last year was a particularly bad time to go down. They could theoretically blow us out of the water contract wise and not even blink whereas we may be looking over our shoulder at the FFP rules and/or gambling on promotion if we matched them.

Still I think you nailed it with the opening line though. We are AVFC. Surely there are some players that would relish the chance of joining us at this time and weirdly maybe we're a bit more of a draw what with Lerner being gone and the ambitious DrX talking big even if we're not in the big league.

[Jas10]

For our level, the players we are being linked with are not bad at all. I just don't know whether there is any substance or truth in those reports or rumours but...

Brady Downing McCarthy Lansbury Cleverley

that doesn't look bad does it?

Definitely an improvement on our current midfield. Bruce has said he's not keen on playing 433 and would prefer 442 so a midfield like this would be pretty useful, wishful thinking though it may be (I don't think we'd be able to get McCarthy and struggle to get Brady)

Brady McCarthy Lansbury Adomah

I wasn't initially that happy with the link to Downing but, upon reflection, he could be a useful loan signing. We need to beef up that midfield and fast, at least we're trying to strengthen in the right area(s) but I too am getting a bit impatient...

I still believe a striker is needed, Kodjia is the only consistent goalscorer we have.

Rumours of a McCormack for Brady swap deal today and interest in Cleverley...

Edited January 9, 2017 by Jas10

[Grasshopper]

9 hours ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

11 signings needed to make the playoffs... That's up there with 85-0. 

Last week it was 'only' 9?

Hey Dave

I'm surprised that as you see nearly every game live you dont subscribe to the view that all the shit needs to go and the Ok's that we have need upgrading plus the holes that need to be filled by new players

Add the fact that even scraping into the playoffs is nowhere near a garantee that we'll even get over the first hurdle. Let alone a final. Add on top of all the improvements that have to be made for this. Getting into the PL is no garantee we'll stay there.

So I ask you to revisit my last week 9 this week 11 opinion then consider this.

As we are, are we capable of reaching the playoffs?

if not, how many do you think we need in?

If we get to the playoffs would we have enough to beat 2 of Leeds, Derby, Reading, ShefW, Hudds or Fulham?

if not, how many more would we need?

Whats needed as a Starting Squad for a possible PL campaign?

From what we've seen so far

GK's no PL experience

RB Not Good Enough

CB Chester yes Baker maybe

LB Amavi maybe

DM Jedi no

CM Tish no AW/GG no way

RW Adomah possibly

AM Ayew/Grealish maybe

McC cant say

CF Kodjia possibly

So basically we need a Whole new F******** team

In reality 11 is conservative as we need 18 for a matchday squad

I make it 1 cert (Chester) & 7 maybe's

[VILLAMARV]

Can I just reiterate that personally I'd love to see us bring a striker in.

I just can't see Bruce doing it this window. No one is going to be queuing up to take Gabby off our hands and that's a big contract. McCormack has been disappointing also presumably a big contract. Kozak is off in the summer but taking up budget and surely fairly hefty wages at that. If any of those 3 leave then maybe it will free up some space for Bruce to bring someone in. Any loan is surely going to happen later in the window and I think it would be churlish to go throwing big money at a striker in Jan just to cover Ayew and Kodjia for a few weeks. Now if Ayew has a blinder at AFCON......

I'm sold on Kodjia and I like him. The other 4? I'd like to persevere with McCormack as, like others, I think he's a good player surrounded by mediocrity. Kozak and Gabby are largely irrelevant and Ayew just doesn't do it for me. but then who wants 3 strikers who've got about 10 goals between them in about the last 2 years? albeit for vastly different reasons. And on big money?

I hope I'm proved wrong.

But do we always get what we want? And when has needing better than Gabby up front made a blind bit of difference to this club?

[skarroki]

32 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

As we are, are we capable of reaching the playoffs?

 

If we get to the playoffs would we have enough to beat 2 of Leeds, Derby, Reading, ShefW, Hudds or Fulham?

 

Whats needed as a Starting Squad for a possible PL campaign?

As we are, we are in play-off position form and have been since Bruce came in. If we continue in this way, with one lucky purple patch, then we'll make the play-offs. 

If we get into the play-offs then I think we've got the right players and manager for the big occasion to see us over the line.

If we don't make the play-offs, then we can build for a title winning campaign next season, with most of the last bits of deadwood in the squad having their contracts expire this summer. 

Signing 11 players this transfer window is effectively impossible and is likely to have never happened in a January transfer window before for any club, at any level of English league football. Even then, to get the quality of player you are expecting, ones capable of stepping up to the premier league, are extremely difficult to come by in this division if you are sitting pretty at the top of the table like Brighton and Newcastle, so for a midtable team the odds are even longer. 

We need steady progress now and we need to do what Bruce has already said and reiterated. Sign players that will significantly improve the starting XI. If we can get in a midfielder who's good enough for a midtable Prem team, do everything we can to get him. If he's only good enough for the championship, his club want too much and he's demanding a silly contract length then what is the point. 

I think the club is now all about the long term and trying minimise the chance of mistakes being made and players with no sell-on value will not be touched. So if you want anything more than 3 permanent signings this window you'll be bitterly disappointed. 

[Jas10]

3 signings would be great, 4-5 would be excellent so long as the players are an improvement on what we have.

Obviously, the priority is midfield and I feel 2 quality signings are a must in that department. It's the only area of the team that kind of needs "replacing" or significantly enhancing - mainly centrally. It almost feels as though any reinforcements would be an improvement on what we have there, though Jedinak is a useful player to have. Obviously, most players perform better when surrounded by better quality.

A goalscorer is definitely required too imo. We're too reliant on Kodjia and don't have anyone else at a similar level of ability.

After that, a RB would be great but not a must.

So we don't need a new team or anything quite so drastic, but it is essential to strengthen the first team as I certainly don't think this squad is equipped for a play off challenge as is. This is not a promotion worthy team atm but the right additions could work wonders...

 

Edited January 10, 2017 by Jas10

[Grasshopper]

Well

looking at our first XI (pre-JanWin)

Bunn/Gollini

1 in SJ

RB Anyone is better than Hutton

thats 2

Cover at CB (Elphick not good enough)

3

DM (Jedi fit and effective for 21 more games? imho no)

4

2x CM

6

we have no LW

7

Playmaker ?

8

CF

9

We would still only have Hutton, Aly, Jedi, 2 from Tish Westwood & Gardner, Gaby as back ups. 

11+ players are needed for a squad - we literally have to go in now unbeaten many of the results being wins - or do we just take 6th, draw Leeds and get done by them for the 3rd & 4th time.

Does anyone really want to go into our last 6 games using 2 or more of any of the above because of injuries/form-loss/suspensions needing maximum points

Then the playoffs

Then Wemberley

????????

By all accounts

Bunn is shit

So is Hutton

Elphick is too slow

Amavi is now shit cos his heads turned

Jedi is shit because he cant pass

Westwood & Gardner are both shit

Grealish is shit because he falls over a lot

Ayew is shit because he's "head-down" only

McC is shit because he's surrounded by shit

Gaby is shit

Kodjia scores goals on his own

So basically we have a new GK, A great CB partnership, An effective RWinger and a goal scorer who wont pass to McC

4 worthy players and an unknown quantity

And the reality still hasnt hit home?

WTF????????????

 

[Lerner's Driver]

The team still aren't gelling into a cohesive whole - that's a very frustratingly obvious fact. 

But, it does not make all of our players shit. It's a bit like making a cake and using all the ingredients apart from eggs and milk. 

The cake tastes repulsive, but not because the sugar and flour are low quality.

Oh and we don't need icing, we do need eggs and milk.

Edited January 10, 2017 by Lerner's Driver

[KSV]

MIdfield is the cog of a team. Our midfield is shit. Fix the midfield and the forwards will start to play better and work more as a unit. 

Still think we should switch to a 442 whilst in January. Sign Rhodes and partner him with McScoremack. Bang. Supply them with Hourihane and Lansbury. Its a simple game football. 

*logs back into FM17*

Edited January 10, 2017 by KSV

[theboyangel]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-city-lead-chase-big-9591944

Mirror reporting man city will try and sign James Bree from Barnsley ahead of us. Cannot see us being able to compete with their offer even if we can offer first team football straight away. 

(However, I've also Red Leicester don't rate Brie;) )

[It's Your Round]

1 minute ago, theboyangel said:

 

(However, I've also Red Leicester don't rate Brie;) )

Ha very good. 

Whats this kid like anyway? I can't remember him from our trip to Barnsley. If Man City are actually in for him then he might have some potential. More potential than Hutton, who has none. 

[theboyangel]

1 minute ago, It's Your Round said:

Ha very good. 

Whats this kid like anyway? I can't remember him from our trip to Barnsley. If Man City are actually in for him then he might have some potential. More potential than Hutton, who has none. 

Never seen him play but if the big guns are sniffing around him, he must be showing more than just potential. 

[It's Your Round]

Just now, theboyangel said:

Never seen him play but if the big guns are sniffing around him, he must be showing more than just potential. 

True, and as money talks most players would opt for the glamour of Man City reserves than the starting place at Villa Park. 

[Marley the Bognor Villan]

Had a dream last night that Sanchez and Gil came back from loan and were awesome all season in a midfield of Gil - Jedi - Sanchez - Albert and somehow Palace decided they are going down anyway so sold us Tekkers back.

Million miles away from the transfer business being talked about I know but I was still gutted when I realised it was a dream.

[jon_c]

2 hours ago, Lerner's Driver said:

The team still aren't gelling into a cohesive whole - that's a very frustratingly obvious fact. 

What gets me about this is that I think many think this. That we DO have some  good championship players. But their not being played to their best or organised into a team/system that suits them. 

But apparently people also think  our manager and coaching staff are fantastic and doing a really good job. 

It can't be both. 

[AJ]

4 minutes ago, Marley the Bognor Villan said:

Had a dream last night that Sanchez and Gil came back from loan and were awesome all season in a midfield of Gil - Jedi - Sanchez - Albert and somehow Palace decided they are going down anyway so sold us Tekkers back.

Million miles away from the transfer business being talked about I know but I was still gutted when I realised it was a dream.

Last night I dreamt I was being chased around and around this table by an angry naked trolley boy with a frying pan wedged up to the hilt in his ass demanding I pay him back his eight dollars when a hole opened up and I fell into a pit of warm melted banana ice cream.

From what I took from that, Benteke was signing for us next week.

[Mantis]

5 minutes ago, jon_c said:

What gets me about this is that I think many think this. That we DO have some  good championship players. But their not being played to their best or organised into a team/system that suits them. 

But apparently people also think  our manager and coaching staff are fantastic and doing a really good job. 

It can't be both. 

I think the manager is doing a decent job and we do have some very decent Championship players but as we have a poor midfield that pretty much affects everything.

[Marley the Bognor Villan]

2 minutes ago, AJ said:

Last night I dreamt I was being chased around and around this table by an angry naked trolley boy with a frying pan wedged up to the hilt in his ass demanding I pay him back his eight dollars when a hole opened up and I fell into a pit of warm melted banana ice cream.

From what I took from that, Benteke was signing for us next week.