Thought it might be until January. The fact it's until the end of the season suggests he was always going to be the centre back signing rather than a stop gap or loan signing on deadline day
I don't think this proves that, I think it only shows that he was the back up in case something didn't happen on deadline day. I think if he were always going to be the CB signing we would have signed him last week (if not before).
I think this is a decent signing. He's obviously more experienced at this level than Ness or Deji. He's not a world beater, but he's now probably our most mobile senior CB and he's decent on the ball. As a fourth CB with one or two youngsters pushing him, I think he's perfectly adequate.
The ideal would have been getting in a CB who is a better fit for the system than Inniss and Lavelle. I don't think there are a lot of good on the ball, mobile CBs at League One level, but hopefully we at least looked into that. With that not happening, Thomas makes sense. Low risk, potential for moderate reward.
The timing will probably influence how this is seen. If he'd signed in July I think we all would have said it's a sensible signing for squad depth. League One experience, was on the books of a Championship club last season. Signing now makes it feel like it's a bit of an afterthought. I know he's been training with us, but he almost certainly hasn't had a proper pre-season and he'll probably be asked to at least be in the bench before too long.
I think its a smart move. He'll come in as 4th choice, it's more competition for CB which should hopefully improve Lavelle, O'Connell and Innis. Play the pizza cup games etc, and a 1 year deal has low risk, we saw from CBT sometimes shorter deals can work in clubs favour.
Is it just me or is that not exactly a ringing endorsement from BG
It's positive, not glowing but it doesn't have to be for a 4th choice centre-back.
I particularly noted the part where Garner mentions that it gives us more defensive flexibility. Perhaps he has an eye on playing three at the back?
Well you may have hit the nail on the head... Perhaps BG would have preferred to have signed a defender who improved us rather than a 4th choice.
Don't disagree there. I do think someone who could be first choice alongside O'Connell would've been preferred - and maybe that can be revisited in January if there's any money to spend.
When that first choice didn't materialise, TT is probably the best we could've hoped for in terms of free agents to get us through to at least the next window.
Perhaps TT surprises us all and becomes that player.
Some interesting tweets replying to the news when Crewe released him.
Might be that he wasn’t happy up north, he’s spent most of his career in and around London.
As with CBT this is a big chance for him which might not come along again if he doesn’t do all he can to make the most of it.
Is the fact he has been training with us for 3 weeks, and there was not even a hint of us getting that rumoured CB on deadline day mean that we actually rate him and this was essentially always the plan?
Thought it might be until January. The fact it's until the end of the season suggests he was always going to be the centre back signing rather than a stop gap or loan signing on deadline day
Or just that it makes sense to get him nailed down for the year. Any loanee would likely to have been a season long loan too. And the chances of Sandgaard finding a ton of money down the back of the sofa between now and January is pretty unlikely.
Is the fact he has been training with us for 3 weeks, and there was not even a hint of us getting that rumoured CB on deadline day mean that we actually rate him and this was essentially always the plan?
Is the fact he has been training with us for 3 weeks, and there was not even a hint of us getting that rumoured CB on deadline day mean that we actually rate him and this was essentially always the plan?
Or is that very wishful thinking.
I think that's possible, but given how transfers were done this summer, I don't know that we can rely on the fact that there weren't rumors about a CB on deadline day meaning we weren't after one. It could just mean nothing leaked.
But who knows? I think either way it's a signing that makes sense, especially now. Hopefully he's at least close to fitness. We are short on CBs.
The negatives seem to be around his effort rather than ability, hopefully returning here he feels he has something to prove, imagine if he didn’t bother knowing he’s already been released by the club once, hoping he feels he’s got a reputation to save…
Well it’s only highlights of course and probably does not show the time he trips over his feet or passes to an opposition player. But he obviously moves well, has a bit of pace and looks quiet technically assured.
I saw him play for Woking a few times after he left us. Decent player but didn't particularly impress at that level, although he was still very young. I guess his league experience puts him ahead of Ness in terms of strenghtening the squad in the Centre Back position and I'm ok with Deji staying out on loan, where he is much more likely to get senior minutes.
Comments
I think this is a decent signing. He's obviously more experienced at this level than Ness or Deji. He's not a world beater, but he's now probably our most mobile senior CB and he's decent on the ball. As a fourth CB with one or two youngsters pushing him, I think he's perfectly adequate.
The ideal would have been getting in a CB who is a better fit for the system than Inniss and Lavelle. I don't think there are a lot of good on the ball, mobile CBs at League One level, but hopefully we at least looked into that. With that not happening, Thomas makes sense. Low risk, potential for moderate reward.
The timing will probably influence how this is seen. If he'd signed in July I think we all would have said it's a sensible signing for squad depth. League One experience, was on the books of a Championship club last season. Signing now makes it feel like it's a bit of an afterthought. I know he's been training with us, but he almost certainly hasn't had a proper pre-season and he'll probably be asked to at least be in the bench before too long.
When that first choice didn't materialise, TT is probably the best we could've hoped for in terms of free agents to get us through to at least the next window.
Perhaps TT surprises us all and becomes that player.
Or is that very wishful thinking.
In fairness, presumably only released because they knew they were going to sign Sarr.
Didn't they?
But who knows? I think either way it's a signing that makes sense, especially now. Hopefully he's at least close to fitness. We are short on CBs.
if it had been announced on deadline day it would have been accepted I suspect.
Be a winner.
4 defenders
A goalkeeper
A defensive midfielder
2 attacking midfielders.
And not a striker in sight. Must be because the existing 3 we have are all fit goal machines.
Oh wait.....
Lets hope we can CBT him.