January Transfer Window

[AndyT]

Partly agree, but we also have 4 strikers (5 maybe) so why get 2 more in?

If we needed a spare body, it was in defence more than attack, IMHO.

It's not just fitness, it's whether the four are playing well together and statistics would show that, all season, we haven't defended overly well.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Because we needed height, pace and goals with physical presence Andy. We didn’t have that. We now have two good options to partner Cox. Wabo and Ba are both untried but would be options instead of Cox, not to partner him, and we quite rightly tried to move Robinson on anyway. So four of our five options were effectively competing with each other for one spot on he team sheet with MAF the only suitable option to partner any one of them. We now have good options for the second striker spot and can field a proper centre forward partnership. Crucial if we want to score more goals.

 

[AndyT]

Yep, but why two players, that's my point?

Why not one forward and one centre-half.

Makes more sense to me and we need to stop letting goals in, as much as scoring them.

Currently, we have leaked the most goals in League One, except two sides, who have both played a game more than us.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

We don’t need a CB, for the reasons I gave. We need to train better. Then we need to defend better from the front and have effective partnerships at CF and CM that will occupy the opposition at the other end of the pitch.

As for why Ladapo and Harrison? Well, in our position in the league we can’t afford to put all our eggs in one basket, we need someone to make a proper success of that spot partnering Cox and as much as MAF has done his best he hasn’t scored or got enough assists. Ladapo and Harrison are both only contracted to the end of the season. Good business IMO and we have proper options now that we can work with on the training pitch and whoever is in form gets the shirt.

 

[Barry.C]

Defensively we need to quickly sign up Oxley, White and Smith as their contracts expire shortly, upfront Cox as well, maybe we could get some more steam up after these recent signings and move on these contracts and start a new era Of getting a little ahead of the game , hopefully Sir Chris has seen enough to get these in the locker.

 

[AndyT]

We don’t need a CB, for the reasons I gave

We do need a CB for the reasons I and 'lee' gave.

We might have been able to do without any additions to the squad, but having made them, I was just surprised that we didn't look to add a centre-half.

Hopefully you're right and we'll start banging goals in and our defensive frailties will be less important.

Bottom line is, we have conceded 49 goals this season in 29 games and that's with arguably our POTS being the goalkeeper.

At that rate, we'll ship 77 goals this season.

That's a lot of goals to concede and still stay up.

 

[NZamba Legend]

Yep, but why two players, that's my point?

Why not one forward and one centre-half.

Makes more sense to me and we need to stop letting goals in, as much as scoring them.

Currently, we have leaked the most goals in League One, except two sides, who have both played a game more than us.

Maybe planning for next season when Cox and Fortune are gone. May as well take a look at some players now.

 

[AndyT]

Yep, agreed, definitely worth keeping our options open and trialling a few players in the squad.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Maybe planning for next season when Cox and Fortune are gone. May as well take a look at some players now.

I think this is why I agree with AndyT. A CB brought in now, as the current ones are suspect, would give him experience in readiness for next season.

 

[kentblues]

Also don't think we need a CB.

JohnWhite- best CB we have- travesty he ever converted from CB to RB in the first place to get first team football when he was younger. Could of had an even better career in his original position. Good in the air (won most things again Sat), for CB quick (certainly quicker than the other three on Sat), good positional sense, and can actually use both feet (left almost as good as his right)- don't under estimate this, can clear, control, pass off either foot (as useful as a CB as a CF). Wouldn't be surprised if he earns himself another new contract.

Turner has impressed me- a real pro. Is he the fastest no, but let let you into a secret, he never has been even at Hull. He is a big tall CB who does what it says on the tin, and relies on positional sense and reading the game not pace. Pops up with goals and we have been moaning we don't have a tall CB- now we have.

Kiernan- we know he is very decent- Chris Powell will have the latest on injury and availability

Ferdinand- if fit and rested we know he can do a job (ahead of Turner and White maybe not, but not having to play every week yes)

Kyprianou- again we know he can do, sure he will get back to where he was and I would rather he was one of 4 CBs available than 5.

 

[leeblue]

I still can't agree on not needing a CB given the amount of goals we let in

 

[RHB]

I still can't agree on not needing a CB given the amount of goals we let in

You just wait until Kiernan's fit. (and wait, and wait, and wait...........)

 

[westie]

I think it's worth remembering Chris Powell had little time to assess the current squad and its fitness before the Transfer Window closed. I am sure he has looked very closely at the likes of Turner, Ferdinand and Kiernan before deciding where to add to the squad.

Given the poor form of Robinson and the uncertainty of Ba & Wabo, having just Cox & MAF is risky IMO. I am not surprised that Powell has opted for two forwards, both from Clubs he has connections with (Palace & Spurs) and a much-needed experienced combative midfielder, who is now apparently fit and ready to go.

For me, the squad now has more balance and certainly up front there are more options. I wish the new signings the best of luck with their new Club and hope they make an immediate impact.

 

[Jim Levenstein]

Lets not forget this was the poster who claimed Lenny was in his car as we speak on his way to Sheffield......The only thing is he said he was on the M6

Cute you remembered me.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yep, I agree with the above.

To me, the spine needed bolstering.

A good, tough tackling central midfielder and a solid centre-half were priority, IMHO and a forward with height would be my 3rd on the list.

The last 9 games we've leaked 20 goals. On those ratios, that's 100+ goals in a season.

As you mention 'Lee', none of our centre-halves are overly fit or even centre-halves as their first choice position in some cases.

I noticed Rory McArdle was on the bench on Saturday, which surprised me. Wondered what his situation is at Scunthorpe.

Overall, I think we have enough to survive anyway and in SCP, a manager who will get the best out of this squad, so I'm not unduly worried, but we do have to tighten the defence, as we aren't going to win every game 3-2.

Absolutely we needed a spine, but of those an energetic centre-mid and a physical forward were quite rightly the priority.

Fortune is not going to be able to play 90 minutes every game between now and the end of the season. He couldn't play 90 minutes last week - and that was when he was fresh from the week before's game being called off. Fortune still has a role to play but we'll need to keep him fresh to keep him effective. Ladapo will hopefully be able to do that.

A big centre-forward like Ladapo should also help us defensively: at set pieces and by holding the ball up to relieve pressure.

A decent centre-midfielder will also help us defensively.

I don't think centre-half is a position where we'd have wanted an inexperienced teenage loanee either whilst someone like Rory McArdle will be on far bigger wages than Shayon Harrison. If I'm getting in an inexperienced loanee I'd rather one at centre forward than centre half. So that all points to centre-half being a position that we wait to address in the summer. In the meantime we can strive for greater defensive cohesion to try and tighten up, something that would be hindered by chucking another body into the mix.

It's early days but so far I'm impressed by the clarity of the Chris Powell plan. He's not just signing players just because they are good without knowing how to fit them in the team (the most egregious example of recent times probably being John-Joe O'Toole), he's seemingly signing players because he's got a specific role for them in his side. So far so good on paper. Now to see them on grass.

 

[AndyT]

A lot of sense there 'Yorkshire'

I guess the toss-up is whether we needed two strikers in or one from each area of the field. As you can tell, I'd have opted for the latter.

Being young, doesn't mean that you can't be good enough to play centre-half and again, I'm not saying throw a 19 year old straight in, but see how they develop in training under Ferdy, Turner and the like and make the call from there.

Good example of someone I mean is Ben White at Newport County. On loan from Brighton. I was impressed with him in the League Cup game and there he was, marking Harry Kane on Saturday.

Just my feeling that we are light at centre-half and leaking goals and having an extra option there was just as important as an extra striker, for me.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

A lot of sense there 'Yorkshire'

I guess the toss-up is whether we needed two strikers in or one from each area of the field. As you can tell, I'd have opted for the latter.

Being young, doesn't mean that you can't be good enough to play centre-half and again, I'm not saying throw a 19 year old straight in, but see how they develop in training under Ferdy, Turner and the like and make the call from there.

Good example of someone I mean is Ben White at Newport County. On loan from Brighton. I was impressed with him in the League Cup game and there he was, marking Harry Kane on Saturday.

Just my feeling that we are light at centre-half and leaking goals and having an extra option there was just as important as an extra striker, for me.

I would say a wide midfielder was more important than a centre back - we only have 3 (I don't class Wright as a wide midfielder) and 2 of those have their fair share of injury problems

 

[AndyT]

How about a wide midfielder instead of the second striker?

 

[Barry.C]

J
Music to my lug pieces
...................

Sir Chris " Normally I dont do anything on the last day ( transfer window ) , I think you should have your targets and they should be over the line way before the last day, You run the risk of missing out and why do that when you can do it a few weeks before "
Yippeeeee Could this be the start of the revolutione, thank you Sir Chris, thank you and may I say thank you, and thank you again

 

[Jay_SUFC]

How about a wide midfielder instead of the second striker?

I would have been happy with that - maybe CP will covert Theo to a winger, he actually looked better there than upfront :smile: