January window

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tidus_mi2
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Re: January window

by tidus_mi2 » 29 Jan 2021 17:02

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linkenholtroyal
South Coast Royal It must be a real quandary for the club at the moment over what players to sign and what players to offer new contracts to especially in light of FFP where we fans are in the dark.

Much has been made of the progress shown by Tommy Mac and Holmes, which in both cases has been encouraging, but can you see them being good enough for Premier League football in 6 or 7 months time?
Will Morro still have the legs to go with his tremendous commitment?

Seeing the sorry state of the WBA squad and Fulham's before they undertook a swift overhaul it is so difficult to know if players that get you to the Premier League are going to be good enough when they get there.

The first thing I suppose is to get there, so do you try between now and Monday to improve a squad that look distinct possibles for a play-off spot and a bit short for automatic or do you just suck it and see and once again "go with what we have got"?

Most of us seem to be of the opinion that centre-back improvements aren't the most pressing.
So, rather than looking at bringing in a centre-back should the club be looking more at the winger and the back-up striker that many feel will strengthen the squad and give added options during the run-in, especially if money is as tight as we are led to believe?

In a way I think we are some way off being good enough for the Premier League as it stands but if we don't take what is the best opportunity for some time do we then next season start again with a possibly weakened squad with Richards and Olise , two of our better players gone?

It is a quandary for all the clubs in and around the top 6 because, as we know, this division can be very hard to get out of (upwards) as many much bigger clubs have discovered over the years -that quandary is greater now because of financial pressures, even though the 3 relegated clubs have the benefit of tidy parachute payments.

The next 3 days will be interesting and let's hope that we do some business to improve our chances.

Interesting bit about where we would need improvements for the Premier League.

Say we got promoted this is where i see the gaps in the current formation to survive in the Prem

Goalkeeping
I think we would need someone with Premier league experience to compete with Rafael. Maybe Butland not that I dont think the others are good enough I just dont think they are yet give them all a season on loan at league 1 champ level and see how they do.

LB Richards is good enough but there is no cover a seasoned pro would be good to give competition and back up.
RB Yiadom is good enough as first choice, need a proper RB unless Holmes moves there permanently. Yiadom is also perma crocked
CB Moore Is good enough and Mcintyre, Morrison and Holmes are good enough to fill in but we will need someone here
CM Laurent and Rinhomota are good enough but we have been very lucky that neither of them have picked up an injury this year realistically would need 2 here as another option / back up
CAM Olise, Swift and Ejaria are both good enough and should cover this
RAM Ejaria and Olise can play here and has done well but this is not his natural position this is an area that needs addressing.
LAM Meite is the real deal and will only get better, no cover though
CF Joao deserves a chance to step up and will, (with or without us), Puscas is world class we have just got to make him fit but in a full prem season you would want a third option and that is not there at the moment.

so to survive in the premier league we need in my opinion-
1 GK, 1CB, 1LB, 1RB, 2CM, 2RAM, 1 LAM and 1CF thats to give cover in each position and the loans and predicted OOC players leaving (Aluko and Baldock)


Meite plays on the right surely ?

For what it’s worth, if we went up I think we would either need to spend huge sums to strengthen right through the team or spend very little, keep faith in who we have and expect to be strong enough to give promotion another shot.
I don’t think ny of our current players are guaranteed to be good enough for the PL although plenty give grounds for optimism. I think we’d need quite a few players with PL experience to provide us with a backbone.
The good news is that should we go up I would expect Dai Yongge to spend loads of money. The issue would be how wisely he spent it and who was advising him.

I would be interested to see stats to back up what I am about to say but I think the most successful teams are the ones that go up and despite the amount of signings they make, only a few displace the ones that just earned promotion.

Sign too few you potentially get us in 2013, sign to many, you get Fulham a few seasons back. It's a generalisation of course and there are exemptions like our 06/07 team barely making any signings because they'd just romped the Championship and at the time, additions weren't needed.

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tidus_mi2
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Re: January window

by tidus_mi2 » 29 Jan 2021 17:31

Yesterday: Aaron Long linked with loan move to Reading
Today: Aaron Long linked with loan move to Liverpool

What? :lol:

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Re: January window

by Snowflake Royal » 29 Jan 2021 19:08

Hound Holmes has done brilliantly, but he has spent half the season playing out of position, and the season before in the 2nd div in Belgium

Lots of potential but certainly not first choice cb in a promotion chasing team yet imo

Yeah, any young inexperienced player is going to make mistakes. The important thing is he doesn't make a lot, doesn't tend to let them affect him when he makes them, and otherwise looks really comfortable.

I think he could be a really big player for us.

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Re: January window

by Snowflake Royal » 29 Jan 2021 19:10

linkenholtroyal As another side note do you think Puscas could play LAM or RAM to get him some game time he certainly has pace just not sure of his ball control or crossing.

No, not at all. He's a big clumsy striker without a great first touch.

That's nothing like Meite. :?

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Re: January window

by linkenholtroyal » 29 Jan 2021 23:01

Side note Obita has gone to Wycombe


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Re: January window

by Royalwaster » 30 Jan 2021 12:16

linkenholtroyal Side note Obita has gone to Wycombe


So did they buy him from Oxford, or did they let him go on a free? Seems a bit of a surprising move as he was a sub for Oxford ...

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Re: January window

by Nameless » 30 Jan 2021 12:18

Royalwaster
linkenholtroyal Side note Obita has gone to Wycombe


So did they buy him from Oxford, or did they let him go on a free? Seems a bit of a surprising move as he was a sub for Oxford ...


Was he on a short contract at Oxford perhaps ?

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Re: January window

by Royalwaster » 30 Jan 2021 12:32

Nameless
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linkenholtroyal Side note Obita has gone to Wycombe


So did they buy him from Oxford, or did they let him go on a free? Seems a bit of a surprising move as he was a sub for Oxford ...


Was he on a short contract at Oxford perhaps ?


To answer my own question - they did pay a fee for him but presumably pretty low, but on a 2.5 year contract whereas at Oxford I think he was just on a 12 month contract. Guess it's job security for him, as he struggled to find a club in the summer. Oxford fans on their forum seem a bit bemused. He was mainly cover at LB/LM ...

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Re: January window

by 3points » 30 Jan 2021 12:38

Nameless
Royalwaster
linkenholtroyal Side note Obita has gone to Wycombe


So did they buy him from Oxford, or did they let him go on a free? Seems a bit of a surprising move as he was a sub for Oxford ...


Was he on a short contract at Oxford perhaps ?

One year deal with Oxford apparently. Signed a 2.5 yr deal with WW for an undisclosed fee. Good bit of business by Oxford?


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Re: January window

by Snowflake Royal » 30 Jan 2021 13:37

3points
Nameless
Royalwaster
So did they buy him from Oxford, or did they let him go on a free? Seems a bit of a surprising move as he was a sub for Oxford ...


Was he on a short contract at Oxford perhaps ?

One year deal with Oxford apparently. Signed a 2.5 yr deal with WW for an undisclosed fee. Good bit of business by Oxford?

Depends if they gave him a signing on fee I guess

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Re: January window

by RoyalBlue » 30 Jan 2021 17:21

gazzer, loyal royal Apparently Liverpool are interested in Long


But their supporters have been very disparaging about the prospect. He'd be better off coming to us where he'd be appreciated, although he might find it a bit harder to get into our starting eleven! :lol:

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Re: January window

by TiagoIlori » 31 Jan 2021 12:11

Could be our first non signing January transfer window in seven years. Eddie not ruling out a last minute loan but doesn’t seem particularly confident we’ll sign some players tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/eddierfc7/status/13 ... 36325?s=21

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Re: January window

by Sutekh » 31 Jan 2021 12:23

TiagoIlori Could be our first non signing January transfer window in seven years. Eddie not ruling out a last minute loan but doesn’t seem particularly confident we’ll sign some players tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/eddierfc7/status/13 ... 36325?s=21


Barring selling a player it was only ever going to be last minute loans if something did happen. Hoping for another “Yermas” tomorrow if all else fails.


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Re: January window

by CountryRoyal » 31 Jan 2021 14:01

I’d still like to see a striker/winger come in.

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Re: January window

by Nameless » 31 Jan 2021 15:41

CountryRoyal I’d still like to see a striker/winger come in.


NOT really sure what another winger would do for us really. Would mean Meite or Ejaria being left out and an unbalanced lineup. Our front 5 are our point of difference to other sides and can’t see us changing them. Also has Joao scored with his head this season ? Not sure feeding him crosses plays to his strength
The Joao back up is a dilemma. If there wS someone suitable, available and free I reckon he would be here by now. So we’d end up compromising. I think that if Puscas is going to be fit in the next couple of weeks he is as good as anyone we could get, and we go with that. He’ll be fresh and desperate to get goals. I think with the passing of our midfield he could actually be devestating. The pass from Ejaria for Joao’s goal is what Puscas wants...

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Re: January window

by Franchise FC » 31 Jan 2021 17:29

Nameless
CountryRoyal I’d still like to see a striker/winger come in.


NOT really sure what another winger would do for us really. Would mean Meite or Ejaria being left out and an unbalanced lineup. Our front 5 are our point of difference to other sides and can’t see us changing them. Also has Joao scored with his head this season ? Not sure feeding him crosses plays to his strength
The Joao back up is a dilemma. If there wS someone suitable, available and free I reckon he would be here by now. So we’d end up compromising. I think that if Puscas is going to be fit in the next couple of weeks he is as good as anyone we could get, and we go with that. He’ll be fresh and desperate to get goals. I think with the passing of our midfield he could actually be devestating. The pass from Ejaria for Joao’s goal is what Puscas wants...

Just because I've seen your post I've watched the Joao goal again from Friday.
How brilliant is the whole sequence ?
Cool from Richards, crisp passing in midfield from Swift, a wonderful pass into Joao from Ejaria and the rollover (including Cook like Bambi on ice) is just delightful.

I think I'll go watch it again 8)

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Re: January window

by Nameless » 31 Jan 2021 17:38

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CountryRoyal I’d still like to see a striker/winger come in.


NOT really sure what another winger would do for us really. Would mean Meite or Ejaria being left out and an unbalanced lineup. Our front 5 are our point of difference to other sides and can’t see us changing them. Also has Joao scored with his head this season ? Not sure feeding him crosses plays to his strength
The Joao back up is a dilemma. If there wS someone suitable, available and free I reckon he would be here by now. So we’d end up compromising. I think that if Puscas is going to be fit in the next couple of weeks he is as good as anyone we could get, and we go with that. He’ll be fresh and desperate to get goals. I think with the passing of our midfield he could actually be devestating. The pass from Ejaria for Joao’s goal is what Puscas wants...

Just because I've seen your post I've watched the Joao goal again from Friday.
How brilliant is the whole sequence ?
Cool from Richards, crisp passing in midfield from Swift, a wonderful pass into Joao from Ejaria and the rollover (including Cook like Bambi on ice) is just delightful.

I think I'll go watch it again 8)


It just looks so simple. A few weeks ago we were over playing it sometimes. That move just had players seeing and doing the right things and doing them accurately. The flicks and tricks are great but we are good enough not to need them.

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Re: January window

by Hound » 01 Feb 2021 09:48

Depends I think largely on the fitness of Moore and Puscas I think

If we’re confident they’ll be back in the suggested timelines, I really struggle to see what the point is of any of the signings were likely to get in

Nelson has been mentioned but not sure he’d be too much of a step up from Esteves who has had 5 months to get used to the team etc. Maybe cover for LB? But again not sure anyone would want to come and we have McIntyre, Gibson and Yiadom/Esteves who could cover in an emergency

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Re: January window

by Royalwaster » 01 Feb 2021 09:54

Is this the last window before the end of season - any emergency loans etc. after this?

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Re: January window

by genome » 01 Feb 2021 09:57

This has been the deadest transfer window I can remember, not just for us, but for everyone. Has anything interesting happened?

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