I get the doubts about TC in the Championship, I have them too, but what should help him is having a group of 5 strikers who are all good enough to start for us. That will allow him to be rotated and subbed on/off as needed, and I think he'd look better for it. He had to start regularly in the last few months because we only had Chuks, Kanu, Mbick and Hylton - for different reasons none of them were serious alternatives for a team chasing promotion from L1.
He should also benefit from teams pushing higher up the pitch against us, rather than getting behind the ball in numbers with 2/3 opponents closing him down.
Only a guess, but I imagine the aim will be to keep TC (assuming we don't get a bid too good to turn down) and Godden, bring in an alternative to each and get Leaburn fully fit, and it'll be up to all of them to fight for their place and NJ to work out the best partnership. Mbick and Dixon will then be 6th and 7th with perhaps one of them going out on loan until January before we reassess all strikers.
Dijksteel Lockyer Ajayi [Beloved former left back]
Wiredu
Shelvey [Former academy product]
JRS CBT
[Striker who scored 3 goals for us but could 'do a job']
Come on suggesters, just three more spots left. Fill the gaps, we're so close!
He's a little long in the tooth and it's been a while since he played league football but Ricky Holmes could do a job as a false 9 in the Championship.
I get the doubts about TC in the Championship, I have them too, but what should help him is having a group of 5 strikers who are all good enough to start for us. That will allow him to be rotated and subbed on/off as needed, and I think he'd look better for it. He had to start regularly in the last few months because we only had Chuks, Kanu, Mbick and Hylton - for different reasons none of them were serious alternatives for a team chasing promotion from L1.
He should also benefit from teams pushing higher up the pitch against us, rather than getting behind the ball in numbers with 2/3 opponents closing him down.
Only a guess, but I imagine the aim will be to keep TC (assuming we don't get a bid too good to turn down) and Godden, bring in an alternative to each and get Leaburn fully fit, and it'll be up to all of them to fight for their place and NJ to work out the best partnership. Mbick and Dixon will then be 6th and 7th with perhaps one of them going out on loan until January before we reassess all strikers.
I wouldn't even say there are doubts. He's a great player who's improving all the time. But Jones will have a decision to make when the offers come. As AFKA said,There are lots of questions to be asked with how this current squad will cope stepping up a level. Jones will know what it takes. And having extra wedge available to bring in more bodies to cover any frailties would no doubt be entertained . It's a balance between deciding TCs worth in our new plight against maybe bringing in 2 maybe 3 more.
Realistically it was TC first proper season in terms of consistent football, minutes and a completely new style and system. Last year 90% of fans would have wanted him gone or loaned out at a minimum his progress has been absolutely mental in 1 year. Is he consistent enough to step up to championship football yet that’s arguable, but can also say based on what we’ve seen last 12 months he does have the potential to completely go up another gear and can reach those levels would be ludicrous to throw the towel in on him at this point it’s not like he’s had 3-4 years of proper football, same manager and a consistent role and style of play Or in his prime years at late 20’s.
There are a few players, like TC, Small, Ramsay and Jones who are unproven at Championship level. If they step up successfully, then their transfer value in January will jump considerably.
Donley or Louie Barry on loan are two potentially realistic loan signings who would be good.
Barry will have interest from over half the championship clubs. I’m afraid that makes him unrealistic for us
Donley is not as out of reach as Barry but is also unrealistic for me, I think we are going to be quite far down the food chain when it comes to the prem loans going to the championship
Unless it’s a huge offer of more than 6 or 7 million, which could be huge for strengthening our squad to stay up, we shouldn’t be selling anyone
Disagree, it's harsh but frankly a lot of the players who were good enough to be squad players in League One won't be good enough at Championship level. A Mitchell, AMB, Taylor etc would all be moved on and upgraded in an ideal world honestly. If money wasn't an issue and you could guarantee better quality coming in you might even be adding the likes of Doherty and Berry to that.
I don't for a minute think that all the above WILL be sold but if the right offer came in and we had the right replacement lined up I'd not hang on to any of them.
So that's JRS, CBT, James Beadle and, remarkably, Tom Lockyer who have been added to the 'suggestions for signings that I remember' list. We're going at a good clip this year considering it's still only May. Can we get a full on-pitch 11 before the transfer window properly opens?
Pretty sure Dijksteel has been suggested, too. I can't believe I'm saying this but of those all listed, he actually feels like a sensible-ish option (depending on wage), probably as utility RCB/RWB cover...
Oh no, I've been sucked in to the trap
Cannot see any chance Boro would let him go. Strong performer all year, saw him waltz through Burnley defence and score at Turf Moor.
@crispywood - No I didn't! The way Boro mate goes on about him lol. He was decent that game too. SO would I want him to come to us???? I'd have said yes but the fact he's been booted ............
Campbell had two, and sometimes three, defenders on him.
If we had better midfielders we would have exploited the space created. We have a young player that can play both sides, cut in or go past a defender, with pace, scores goals, and only 20. When he was not playing we looked ordinary.
We do have to remember though that it's only because of TC that we ever properly found our groove. There is nothing more important to our team than the pace and width that the likes of TC and Small force. It might be one thing to sell TC but we would have to replace him with a lightning fast winger/striker with the physical strength to hold the ball, the ability to finish chances and the strength to get kicked and keep going. Those don't commonly exist so we'd probably have to make one ourselves. That's what we did with TC; he put the work in over the summer to build his physique and then spent pre-season and the league matches that followed figuring out the striker role before being allowed to pull wider and working out how to link up better with his wingback, developing his far-post finishing and helping us develop a whole new dimension to our play. Realistically are there people we can afford to sign who can offer all that, and assuming not do we have time in the Championship to take a winger from someone else and try and turn him into the next TC starting from scratch? Easier to do that when you're playing the likes of Burton and Northampton not Leicester and Sheffield United. I think we'd be mad to sell him whatever the fee
Agree apart from your last sentence. A bigish fee reinvested in the squad could be the difference in how we fair next season. I don’t think TC has quite reached his ceiling yet but we’re not going to see the same level of improvement or effectiveness next season as last.
One potential option for a goalie with Championship experience could be James Beadle. Unlikely to get a game at Brighton, has some experience at Sheff Weds last season and, obviously, a Charlton fan too.
No thanks.
Current England U21with 60 games in the Championship at 20 years of age and over 100 appearances under his belt at various levels PLUS 25 for England from U15 to U21 Apparenty he's 6'7" so an inch taller than Pope Valued at £5m on Transfermarkt Sheff Weds fans were largely delighted with him and want him back next season.
Definite step up on what we've got
Don't care. Hope he never plays for us.
He signed a contract just prior to his departure to guarantee us a fee of half a million despite never playing for us.
There's definitely an argument for selling TC, but we sell him now we get the value of a good young L1 prospect. He does it in the championship and that probably triples what we would get for him now. I get the sell 1 one player bring in 2-3 good players but we’ve got to be absolutely convinced TC would flop at championship level to even consider selling him at this time which I’d be very surprised if there’s a single person who thinks there’s not even a remote chance he can do it. Can see what he can do with time and space on the ball at the likes of Huddersfield etc, he will get that time and space on the ball because no team is going to set up to defend and nullify against us.
Jordan Gabriel to Port Vale. So that was just nonsense then
Alan Nixon talking shit... Well I am SHOCKED... the bloke is pretty much just a soundbite for Agents, to basically panic other clubs into making moves.
Jordan Gabriel to Port Vale. So that was just nonsense then
Alan Nixon talking shit... Well I am SHOCKED... the bloke is pretty much just a soundbite for Agents, to basically panic other clubs into making moves.
I got the impression he's got the hump with us because he was getting fed stuff by the Sandgaards and now gets nothing.
Comments
He should also benefit from teams pushing higher up the pitch against us, rather than getting behind the ball in numbers with 2/3 opponents closing him down.
Only a guess, but I imagine the aim will be to keep TC (assuming we don't get a bid too good to turn down) and Godden, bring in an alternative to each and get Leaburn fully fit, and it'll be up to all of them to fight for their place and NJ to work out the best partnership. Mbick and Dixon will then be 6th and 7th with perhaps one of them going out on loan until January before we reassess all strikers.
Bonne has scored MORE than 3 goals for us AND has Championship experience. Surely he’s the obvious choice?! Not sure we could afford him though.
But Jones will have a decision to make when the offers come.
As AFKA said,There are lots of questions to be asked with how this current squad will cope stepping up a level. Jones will know what it takes. And having extra wedge available to bring in more bodies to cover any frailties would no doubt be entertained . It's a balance between deciding TCs worth in our new plight against maybe bringing in 2 maybe 3 more.
I don't for a minute think that all the above WILL be sold but if the right offer came in and we had the right replacement lined up I'd not hang on to any of them.
We have a young player that can play both sides, cut in or go past a defender, with pace, scores goals, and only 20.
When he was not playing we looked ordinary.