2024 Released Players & City transfer rumours

We probably need a right sided defender to compete with Johnson.we have Stubbs and Byrne central and Kelly and Baldwin to the left.

 

Interested to see what we do with Baldwin. Looking at footage of him, he played in the centre of the back 3 at Notts. Looks more right footed from the footage and his main ploy is his long ball rather than short passing. But Notts fans say he was the quickest of their CBs and has a surprising burst in him. But he doesn't look the tallest.

Our long balls tended to come from either the left or right handed CBs rather than the one in the middle last year and we pinged it more down the half space down the channels. I wouldn't be surprised to see the 3 be Baldwin Stubbs Kelly and we again use Baldwin and Kelly as the sprayers from the back.

 

Aden Baldwin played in the middle of the back 3 and is also right footed so it's very doubtful that we'd use him on the left of a three if we had the choice.

 

There are formations and tactics where pace in the back line isn’t as problematic.

Remember when Adams and Hughes had centrebacks sat on the halfway line.? GA doesn’t do that.

 

That's my guess for a back 3 at the moment but Byrne didn't get a lot of minutes last year so it's definitely up in the air and for GA to work out the best combination.

 

We still need quality cover/ addition for the back line Dave . Didn’t we find 6 centrebacks were insufficient with injury and suspension , ie Rides in the back three on several occasions.
Maybe a quality loanee if not a contracted player as well?

 

I think any further signings will be loans unless Oliver moves on

 

My guess is we will have another CB who is an U21 lad from up the pyramid on loan.

 

From what I remember of Baldwins video he looks like he likes to carry the ball out of defence...maybe even dribble it from the edge of the 6 yard box lol. He looked a bit more in the Critchlow mould to me. If he plays I think he will have us on the edge of our seats. Didn't a Notts fan describe him as the most entertaining defender or something like that

 

I can’t see him going unless he’s paid off tbh.

 

Yeah.... no more Baldwin disasters in the box please the videos of him trying to play short are cringey at best! Although most Notts fans I've seen describe him say that wasn't his strength and his relief long balls were his best tool.

 

Scary stuff but if it comes off I can see him becoming a cult hero! (not the slips though)

 

I think it will be a loan if we do sign another CB, I hope I am wrong but I'll go with GA's judgement and see how it goes.

 

Notts co played risky football we don’t Baldwin will not be collecting the ball on the edge of our six yard box

 

I think we're very short in terms of quality for the back line Kev but depending on how you view the versatility there is hopefully space to bring in at least one more.

I personally wouldn't count Johnson as contrary to popular belief, he's never actually played there bar filling in the odd game so unless we are using Richards as extra cover we've only Stubbs, Kelly, Baldwin and Byrne as out and out centre backs.

 

I'm in the same boat, I think Johnson is going to be a utility defender to cover everywhere but mainly to ease the workload on Halliday given he's been pretty much our only real right back for 2 years. You need a squad to battle promotion and someone like him is perfect on paper as he's filled in at all 5 of our defensive positions for moments before and even a spell as a holding midfielder.

He's only played 12 games at CB his entire career, 10 of those for Fleetwood as the right side of a back 3 in 2022. He isn't going to be a main central defender here off the bat.

 

I believe he’s been brought in as a “cover” defender, in the event Halliday and AN Other are unavailable. A bit similar to Oggy’s role ? We shall see how GA’s ideas pan out.

 

Ditto.

 

We need both Oliver and McDonald moved on and replace McDonald. That's what I hope Rupps investment will allow if we cannot get interest in them.

 

He's probably going to stick around right up to the deadline and then someone will take a punt on him in the last couple of days - bit like Stevenage did.