Winter transfer window 2020/1

[TRO]

35 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

im going to assume we have a limited amount of money in the Jan transfer window, so not going to list requirements like im on Supermarket Sweep!

Personally, i would prioritise 2 positions:

1) CDM/MC - someone technically good but also someone who offers power/strength/tenacity etc, to help make our midfield tough as nails. (like an Ndidi/Fernandinho type)

2) Winger/Inside Forward - Hopefully Traore will come good, but if there is any doubt from the Coaching Team, we need someone to actually fill that right wing (or can play right wing/other positions - versatility), imo we need someone who offers something attacking down the right, to balance out the quality on our left wing. (even if Traore does come good, i might still say we need another versatile winger, ie: Grealish, Traore, Trez, NEW)

 

In a fantasy world, would also like a LB to challenge Targett, and possibly even a cheeky bid for Barkley if he continues to do well/improve (but i think both of those can wait until the summer tbh)

yes please.

[Rob182]

Once again, I don’t understand the fascination with wanting a powerful, strong DM. We seem to be getting on okay with a defensive midfielder of relatively smaller stature that has excellent technical ability.

If it’s to offer an alternative for games when we’re ‘under the cosh’, then I suppose I see the logic, but then again we’ve done fine against some great teams without a battering ram in the middle.

[Xela]

I want to hear no more of Rashica   He's missed his opportunity to come here. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Xela

[villalad21]

If we keep getting results we will be very attractive to a lot of players.

But as people have stated FFP will limit us. Sadly.

[barry'sboots]

5 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

If we keep getting results we will be very attractive to a lot of players.

But as people have stated FFP will limit us. Sadly.

I'm sure one of the podcasts said that we could have gone another £50-60m in the summer window and still have been okay.  That position will have been improved, I assume, by the knowledge (certainly by the new year I would hope) that we are guaranteed another season in the PL and hopefully more $$ for a higher finish.

I also thought I had heard that FFP was being suspended due to Covid??

[barry'sboots]

41 minutes ago, Rob182 said:

Once again, I don’t understand the fascination with wanting a powerful, strong DM. We seem to be getting on okay with a defensive midfielder of relatively smaller stature that has excellent technical ability.

If it’s to offer an alternative for games when we’re ‘under the cosh’, then I suppose I see the logic, but then again we’ve done fine against some great teams without a battering ram in the middle.

I think its always useful to have different options to change games or tactics for a different opponent and keeps opposition managers on their toes (the fabled and much debated "Plan B"!!)

[barry'sboots]

1 hour ago, rubberman said:

unless we have injury worries I'd not want to mess with the squad balance in Jan. 

Squad balance??  We have played the same 10 players for every game since Barkley arrived with the only rotation at RW and minimal substitute time.  I'm not sure that is a reflection of a balanced squad?

Our first X/XI is clearly perceived by Smith (and most would agree) to be so for ahead of the back up that there is no room for rotation.

I would like to have some usable options, particularly in midfield and up top.  We are going to get injuries/tired players at some point soon.

[pintpotvilla]

13 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Squad balance??  We have played the same 10 players for every game since Barkley arrived with the only rotation at RW and minimal substitute time.  I'm not sure that is a reflection of a balanced squad?

Our first X/XI is clearly perceived by Smith (and most would agree) to be so for ahead of the back up that there is no room for rotation.

I would like to have some usable options, particularly in midfield and up top.  We are going to get injuries/tired players at some point soon.

Of course we have had the advantage of not playing European games like quite a few of the teams, allowing more recovery time

This may not be the case next season ( hopefully )

[It's Your Round]

We’ve got a settled first team now, but as others have said they won’t stay fit all season. We need quality to rotate, and any player joining must believe that they can fight for a starting place. No new signing should be guaranteed to start, but we know that players of a certain calibre will expect it, which could hinder any move for them. But saying that, I’m sure there are plenty of players out there that are better than our bench that would be happy to join. They might not be guaranteed a start, but still capable of earning one. 

[rubberman]

22 minutes ago, barry'sboots said:

Squad balance??  We have played the same 10 players for every game since Barkley arrived with the only rotation at RW and minimal substitute time.  I'm not sure that is a reflection of a balanced squad?

Our first X/XI is clearly perceived by Smith (and most would agree) to be so for ahead of the back up that there is no room for rotation.

I would like to have some usable options, particularly in midfield and up top.  We are going to get injuries/tired players at some point soon.

Well maybe cohesion is a better word. I'm not saying don't bring anyone in - I said 1 or 2 - but they would have to be special. No point in bringing in back up players because come the summer we will hopefully be further upgrading the first team. And if we are still up around the top 6 come Jan, it's not going to make the players that have got there feel great to be binned. Wes/Heaton should be back by then as well. Just my opinion, YMMV. 

[Sulberto21]

3 hours ago, VillaChris said:

I'd like us to have a proper go.

This is the abnormal season you get every 5 years (last one was Leicester winning it) and with our fixtures up to late December I think there's a decent chance we'll either be in top 6 or very close to it by time next window opens so will be in attractive position to get in good players.

Can understand people saying wait until next summer but we saw in the MON era sometimes tomorrow never comes e.g. winning trophies and qualifying for CL so I'd rather strike in a season where we've shown we're pretty good. And there won't be the oddness of BCD and other stuff next season.

Having a proper go btw dosen't mean blowing 80m on players as January is always a bit of a panic buy month but looking at 1-2 good level players who are out of favour at present clubs. Plenty were turning their noses up at Giroud last January when he was sort of linked but I imagine the impact of Barkley so far has softened people and shown that a short term loan that can raise the quality of the 11 isn't the axis of evil it's sometimes portrayed on here.

In terms of targets I imagine we'll be after an LB given Taylor will be off our books in six months time. Targett been pretty good this season but one injury and it's back to Taylor and the end of overlapping LB runs and good crosses. Same at CB. Mings pulls up and we would put AEM there who to best of my knowledge has never played at prem level as a central defender.

Not sure we'll do anything upfront if Wesley comes back and looks o.k in sub cameos.

I'd also really like a central midfield who's really good against the press. Perhaps not someone who'll come in and start every game but gives us options to change the shape v likes of Leeds and Southampton as we still struggle to impose ourselves v that type of opposition.

Also have to remember eventually our regular players will start to tire late on in the season given they're playing every minute of every game so far so we need more options for that otherwise we'll hit the wall in March and go on a winless run just like in the MON seasons when we lost ground on top 4.

Going to be an interesting month I suspect with some good links to players.

MON had an opportunity to sign two south American strikers who when we were third would have come. I don't mind January signings. They have until the end of the season to get used to the premier League and then a full pre season to really get settled and ready for the following season.

[Sulberto21]

I think this season the team with the strongest defence wins the league. I hope we get a CB and a LB in. Ideally a rapid pacy forward (Daka) for all 3 front positions too.

[mikeyjavfc]

In my opinion we should strengthen in January even if our squad is managing well in the league (assuming we have the FFP allowance).

Thinking long term, with our owners we are clearly on a journey to try and break the top six and European football. In order to do this we will need to recruit expensively in every summer transfer window for several years to come. Bringing in one or two of those summer additions in January will spread out the signings meaning that we do not need to bed-in 4-5 new faces in the summer and therefore there will be less churn and impact to our squad. This is doubly important if recruiting from Europe as it will let those players be introduced gradually to the premier league in the second half of the season (similar to Traore now) and they won’t have to hit the ground running next September. 

[AJ]

I think in this window it might be best to offload some of our understudies, without getting too sell crazy. Any of our first team players should be off the shelf.

When watching Southampton, I was quite impressed with Vestergaard, and I wish we had a basketballer turned footballer playing for us. Mingsy and Ez are excellent for us, but to have a big bastard as a tactical option could help, especially defending and attacking on set pieces. 

[KenjiOgiwara]

I suspect a quality CB might become a bigger need than a winger, CM/DM or striker. 

The idea of Engels or Hause coming in scares me. 

[rjw63]

3 minutes ago, KenjiOgiwara said:

I suspect a quality CB might become a bigger need than a winger, CM/DM or striker. 

The idea of Engels or Hause coming in scares me. 

Engels I don't mind

Unfortunately Hause has a head like a 50 p. I'd ship him out (or both of them if Engels is unhappy) and get a decent replacement.

[Tomaszk]

Any move we make could very well be decided by injury.

If we don't have any pressing matters I would love a good winger, one that can impact a game when we need a goal. We also need some depth in midfield. Hourihane gets swatted aside by 90% of the league and Marv is desperately short on the ball.

Christoph Baumgartner from Hoffenheim would be a good option. Buckets of skill, plays in the middle, off the left, up front, don't think he'll have a set position for a few years yet, only 21. If he stays in Germany he'll probably be at Dortmund or Bayern in two years, we can get him now.

Mounir Chouiar is going to go somewhere about our level soon as well. Perfect impact winger who we can throw on if we're chasing a game.

After the prices we paid in the summer I do wonder if we're shopping slightly above the level I'm thinking of. Which would be absolutely fine, and pretty exciting. 

Perhaps some serious players like Mikel Oyarzabal, Oliver Torres or even the mighty Milot Rashica are on the radar. Probably nothing that big in January.

[tomav84]

2 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

MON had an opportunity to sign two south American strikers who when we were third would have come. I don't mind January signings. They have until the end of the season to get used to the premier League and then a full pre season to really get settled and ready for the following season.

that is an interesting point. wasn't fussed about doing much in jan but might be good to get some of our summer business done in jan if possible, give them time to get up to speed

[kidlewis]

I suspect with injuries we will need some bolstering in Jan.

the bench isn’t strong enough.

we need:

CB

LB

nice to have: 

striker (too expensive for Jan)

Winger

 

 

the above will depend on where we are placed in Jan. I really hope we are close to safety or even better still in amongst the top 6, with the league clearly split into two, ideally three levels. 
 

In 2018 and 2019 in December the top 4/5 were a good 6-9 points ahead and in 2018 another gap appeared between 8-16th positions.

I can see us spending to get genuine quality in January if we are say 4th and an 8 point gap to 5th. 

[VillaChris]

5 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

MON had an opportunity to sign two south American strikers who when we were third would have come. I don't mind January signings. They have until the end of the season to get used to the premier League and then a full pre season to really get settled and ready for the following season.

Was that Falcao and Cavani.And yeah we got Heskey....

Was certainly a bad error not to get another CB in that window given Laursen was all but retired at that point and Mellberg was no long around. Had Davies, Cuellar and Knight but our defensive record went pretty bad with those three and also Reo-Coker filling in at RB. 5-0 defeat at Liverpool in the March basically spelt out we weren't finishing in top 4 that season.