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January window postmortem

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  • Really not sure on squad balance.

    If Taylor gets injured or sulky, we’re in trouble.

    If Lockyer gets injured or suspended, we’re in real trouble.

    We’ve 6 loans but can only name 5 in a squad, so automatically have someone not even making the squad.

    I’m not sure how we are going to manage that midfield in terms of getting players match fit, continuity, understanding and playing in a set formation when it’s going to have to be rotated so much to simply keep them happy? Those three loans wouldn’t have signed today if they weren’t promised a fair crack of game time, would they?.

    How do you pick 4 / 5 out of:

    Pratley
    Cullen
    Field
    Davis
    Smith
    Williams
    Oztumer
    McGeady
    Green
    Doughty
    Oshilaja
    Forster-Caskey
    Morgan

    Thats not even considering

    Lapslie
    Aneke
    Dempsey


    Oshilaja is a centre back so not sure why he's listed in the same group with the likes of Green and McGeady.

    From the players you've listed, the way i see it is:

    Doughty - left back or left wing back
    Oshilaja - centre back

    Pratley/Davis 
    Cullen/Smith
    Field/JFC
    Williams/Oztumer
    McGeady & Green as attacking options either wide in a 442 or 433.
    Aneke is the only one for me who doesn't fit. Perhaps off Taylor in a 4411 in away games?
    Morgan/Dempsey - send out on loan?
    Lapslie - no idea when he'll return.
  • Top achievements: Bowyer signed up for 3 years; Lyle not sold. New recruits look sound and should be enough to ensure we climb out of the relegation zone and keep our Championship place. Nothing could be done to avoid Gallagher leaving.    
  • edited February 2020
    Mixed.

    LB and Taylor staying /signed ------ good

    Three loan signings ----- so so

    The Twater over statement of intent ----- crap


    I'm sure the three loans signed arnt from LBs A list more like C list at best.


  • Good sensible window, this season was always about survival, got some decent players in albeit loans, kept our players, stay up and challenge next season + need a win today 👍🤞👍
  • Definitely ok, still very early days for these guys, survival first and then they can start strengthening the whole club, 
  • I was fed up last night. I’ve mellowed slightly since I woke up and have realised who David Davis actually is. A shrewd signing I think. McGeady is a sticking plaster till the summer and might give us a few highlights.  I don’t get the smith deal at all. Desperation probably although we did actually sign him quite early in the day as we did Davis which probably partly explains Southall’s smug cockiness on twatter. I just wish he hadn’t raised expectations.  Anyhoo, the kids can now go back to the under 23s and we have cover for Pratley. With Taylor staying and no evidence that he is in the huff, we have no excuses now. Mid table please chaps or the summer won’t be a pretty place for ESI. 

    As for our surfeit of midfielders, Dempsey, Vennings and the kids apart from Doughty will go back to the under23s for a rest with our thanks.  Albie will go back into oblivion. Lapslie won’t be seen again this season as he appears to be proper crocked and isn’t up to this level anyway. I suspect Bowyer also (rightly) has serious doubts about Chuks. I think we’ve missed a trick by not loaning some of these guys out.  Oztumer too I think will fade away behind Jonny and McGeady. Deji is a defender who can now concentrate on that. So that pretty much leaves us two players for each position and the option of a 4 or a 5 in the middle which is fair enough. I do wish we had added something at the back though and that Lyle keeps his motivation. But January probably isn’t the place for marquee signings.

    Onwards and hopefully upwards.  I’ll give ESI the benefit of the doubt for the time being but I’m in the “suspicious and slightly wary” camp. 
  • Remain unconvinced by new owners.

    Hopefully we'll stay up barring more injuries. Not overly impressed by signings.
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  • I think this transfer window proves we don’t have rich benefactors . It’s a good window because we’ve strengthened and kept Lyle but I have my concerns that we couldn’t afford Maddison’s wages . 
    Beds, I'm not convinced by this.  IMO, I think given our perilous position, and we are still far from safe, it would be folly to bring people in on big wages  / big contracts.  I think the loans have been shrewd, if a little lacking in excitement.  Reading the following link, I don't think we've missed out too much with Maddison;   https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/football/peterborough-united/marcus-maddison-hull-reaction-great-deal-all-round-money-talks-hes-been-disruptive-mix-brilliance-and-embarrassing-diving-relief-hes-gone-and-his-replacement-excellent-1381776

  • I was fed up last night. I’ve mellowed slightly since I woke up and have realised who David Davis actually is. A shrewd signing I think. McGeady is a sticking plaster till the summer and might give us a few highlights.  I don’t get the smith deal at all. Desperation probably although we did actually sign him quite early in the day as we did Davis which probably partly explains Southall’s smug cockiness on twatter. I just wish he hadn’t raised expectations.  Anyhoo, the kids can now go back to the under 23s and we have cover for Pratley. With Taylor staying and no evidence that he is in the huff, we have no excuses now. Mid table please chaps or the summer won’t be a pretty place for ESI. 

    As for our surfeit of midfielders, Dempsey, Vennings and the kids apart from Doughty will go back to the under23s for a rest with our thanks.  Albie will go back into oblivion. Lapslie won’t be seen again this season as he appears to be proper crocked and isn’t up to this level anyway. I suspect Bowyer also (rightly) has serious doubts about Chuks. I think we’ve missed a trick by not loaning some of these guys out.  Oztumer too I think will fade away behind Jonny and McGeady. Deji is a defender who can now concentrate on that. So that pretty much leaves us two players for each position and the option of a 4 or a 5 in the middle which is fair enough. I do wish we had added something at the back though and that Lyle keeps his motivation. But January probably isn’t the place for marquee signings.

    Onwards and hopefully upwards.  I’ll give ESI the benefit of the doubt for the time being but I’m in the “suspicious and slightly wary” camp. 
    I'm not 100% on this but i think academy players can be loaned outside of the transfer window.

    For example, Toby Stevenson went on loan to Dagenham in November.
  • Im not sure the new owners are as loaded as people think. Time will tell with that. Yesterday was about getting enough reinforcements in to keep us in the division, hopefully we've achieved that. I think Southall went a bit overboard with the Twitter stuff given that we've only bought in a few loans. The way he was carrying on, you would've thought he was spending millions to bring in established stars. I personally think he needs to reign it in a bit, as I don't think he 'walked the walk' as he said in his interview. He's new to the role though and still learning the job so hopefully he learns from it.

    I know people keep saying there was no way we could sell Lyle, but there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that had Roland still been in charge, Lyle would've gone yesterday 
  • @Chris_from_Sidcup

    It's not whether they are academy players but that Dagenham are Non-League.

    We can loan and recall players outside the window to Non-League clubs as we did with Morgan and Doughty.
  • We could not have replaced Lyle with any certainty if he had gone, so that made the window a good one right there. I only know McGeady of those we signed yesterday and if, like Pratley, he still has a bit of an engine, I am excited to see him play. Skilful, eye for goal and can assist.

    Overall, the transfer window was underwhelming in England over all divisions. We have no right to complain. If I were a Chelsea or Utd fan this AM, I would be sat there stunned and furious 😡 

    on balance, good!
  • overall happy.

    positives: taylor staying and mageedy joining 
    negatives: ms overhyping expectations yesterday morning and no evidence of any big money

    can't comment on davis or smith as no idea about either of them but bowyer is a manager who puts big emphasis on the midfield and if he's happy, i'm happy
  • buckshee said:
    What I don't understand is we have six loans only five of which can be part of the matchday squad yet we're told Davis is out of contract at the end if the season at Brum.

    Why isn't his a permanent short term transfer then so he can be part of the matchday squad along with the other five?
    Didnt have time to get a perm deal over the line is my view

    Cant iimagine Birmingham being happy to terminate Davis' contract early so we could get him for nothing

    buckshee said:
    What I don't understand is we have six loans only five of which can be part of the matchday squad yet we're told Davis is out of contract at the end if the season at Brum.

    Why isn't his a permanent short term transfer then so he can be part of the matchday squad along with the other five?
    Can it be turned into a permanent in the next week or two? 
    Nope... He was a Birmingham player when the window was closed

    We of course could make it permanent in a week or two but wouldnt be eligible as a perm signing till the summer
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  • I think I'm whelmed. I've largely been avoiding the transfer gossip threads, was offline for most of yesterday and missed Southall getting overexcited, and haven't been buying into the "we're f*cking rich" hype, so haven't really had any expectations to get deflated. My main worry was we'd lose Lyle at the last minute, and that didn't happen, and it appears we've got the midfield reinforcement we so desperately needed, although we'll have to wait to see how that pans out in practice. Another striker would have been nice, but I'm pretty sure fans of most clubs would say the same. It's not spectacular, but it looks fairly solid, and that'll do me right now.
  • Remain unconvinced by new owners.

    Hopefully we'll stay up barring more injuries. Not overly impressed by signings.
    That’s the spirit. :/
  • Really not sure on squad balance.

    If Taylor gets injured or sulky, we’re in trouble.

    If Lockyer gets injured or suspended, we’re in real trouble.

    We’ve 6 loans but can only name 5 in a squad, so automatically have someone not even making the squad.

    I’m not sure how we are going to manage that midfield in terms of getting players match fit, continuity, understanding and playing in a set formation when it’s going to have to be rotated so much to simply keep them happy? Those three loans wouldn’t have signed today if they weren’t promised a fair crack of game time, would they?.

    How do you pick 4 / 5 out of:

    Pratley
    Cullen
    Field
    Davis
    Smith
    Williams
    Oztumer
    McGeady
    Green
    Doughty
    Oshilaja
    Forster-Caskey
    Morgan

    Thats not even considering

    Lapslie
    Aneke
    Dempsey


    William's, Oztumer and JFC have fitness problems, Cullen and Field are  both coming back from injury. Morgan and Dempsey not ready and may well go out on loan.Pratley should not have to play 7 games in February at his age. Green and Aneke(also with fitness issues) play more a withdrawn second striker role. Oshilaja and Pratley both sometimes play as defenders.
     Smith looks unlikely to figure much and may well have been brought in with a longer term view in prospect.
    So, we have in reality 3 from  Pratley, Cullen, Field, Davis, Doughty as core midfielders, with Oztumer, Williams, McGeady playing for 1 place and the rest bit part.
    I think Bowyer will see this window as mainly strengthening the defence and helping to keep some more clean sheets.
  • We need 20 points from 17 matches to be sure of staying up. I reckon the squad we now have are capable of delivering that, and then some.

    Then we can rebuild in the summer.

     I'm happy enough with that. Oh, and surely we can't have such wretched luck with injuries again?
  • Oh gawd, you've just gone and jinxed it...
  • ads said:
    Really not sure on squad balance.

    If Taylor gets injured or sulky, we’re in trouble.

    If Lockyer gets injured or suspended, we’re in real trouble.

    We’ve 6 loans but can only name 5 in a squad, so automatically have someone not even making the squad.

    I’m not sure how we are going to manage that midfield in terms of getting players match fit, continuity, understanding and playing in a set formation when it’s going to have to be rotated so much to simply keep them happy? Those three loans wouldn’t have signed today if they weren’t promised a fair crack of game time, would they?.

    How do you pick 4 / 5 out of:

    Pratley - rotate
    Cullen - start
    Field - injured 
    Davis - start
    Smith - rotate
    Williams - start
    Oztumer - bench
    McGeady - bench
    Green - bench
    Doughty - bench
    Oshilaja - defender
    Forster-Caskey - always injured
    Morgan - back your 23

    Thats not even considering

    Lapslie injured
    Aneke- has he played in midfield for us?
    Dempsey - back to u-23


    16 midfielders there, Bowyer's gone a bit nuts
    I’ve reduced your list by 7. 9 fit midfielders for 4 starting spots and maybe 3/4 subs spaces seems reasonable to me 

    I agree we are light up top but 16 midfielders in the squad seems right, add injuries, suspension and loss of form into the equation and it’s a good competitive number.
  • _MrDick said:
    I think this transfer window proves we don’t have rich benefactors . It’s a good window because we’ve strengthened and kept Lyle but I have my concerns that we couldn’t afford Maddison’s wages . 
    With respect, I don't think it proves anything. We don't know how much money they have and as MS said, everyone assumes we have money because when we made enquiries for players, clubs we're adding a zero. I suspect, that Maddison's agent was doing the same and we weren't playing ball. The guys we have in charge are shrewd businessmen and they will have a strategy for taking us forward. We now have a squad capable of seeing off relegation and the summer transfer window will be a whole new kettle of fish, in my opinion. By fending off offers for LT, they've given themselves 6 months breathing space to get him re-signed. 

    The future's bright. The future is red and white
     I think (hope!) this is the key thing.  Duchatelet was not a businessman at all:  he was an electronics engineer that happened to strike lucky with a concept.  And was in the right place at the right time.

    His Excellency runs businesses as a profession.  Duchatelet had to get others to do that for him.   The prime example being Françoise Chombar at Melexis.  He tried the same with Charlton but his lack of nous meant he choose a catastrophe in Meire and then interfered in things he did not understand.

    My hope is that there will be significant revenue streams from sponsorship that will allow us to notch things up a bit in the summer.
  • Lot's of assumptions there Braziliance mate. How about you forget about that and try and enjoy what's happening on the pitch in the next 17 games.

    There's no point in mulling over MS and how he acts on social media. Football is a very fickle game and I can guarantee you if we go on a winning streak and pull away from the relegation zone your minds confirmation bias to make some of the points you just made will change.

    All I think we can guarantee is that a Lee Bowyer side will give 100%, and even through these last set of injury hit games where I have moaned about us making silly mistakes, I've still enjoyed watching is compete in every game. 
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