January 2025 Transfer Window

I just dont think he is good enough, plus Wilson is 25 in a few months.

 

I mean, we signed him then stopped using his position, it doesn't really matter if he's good enough.

Good luck to the lad, probably moves on in January, then in February we appoint a manager who wants to play wingers, then we begin the arduous task of trying to find any.

Sparks won't recognize the problem, or understand how it's gone wrong.

Again.

 

Things we urgently need to address:

Competition for Walker at GK
Competition for Smallwood at DM
2 more strikers to take the load off Cook.

Defence
Diabete - send back to Exeter
Huntington - release

Midfield
Evans - release
Oduor - get rid
Walker - listen to offers

Strikers
Smith - get rid
Oliver - pay him off
Sanderson - send back to Fulham

A whole lot more work to do in the summer...

 

It's Amazing to think that that the hieriacy thought we'd recruited well and only needed a tweak in January.
Is it another restart and reset with another manager,
Alluded to before, but its groundhog day YET again

 

We've got 2 defenders as manager and assistant then wonder why we don't create anything in the final third. It's essential to add a proven attacking coach to the coaching staff who can insist on starting at least 5 forward thinking players. You can recruit the best attackers in league 2, but if all you're going to do is lump it into the box then you may as well give in. Where's the intricate passing in and around the box, or shots from outside the box? We haven't been a front foot side since McCall was here.

 

We shouldn't need to keep resetting, we just need real quality in a couple of areas.

That those areas morph every time we appoint a new manager is on Ryan.

 

That’s what Coke does to you!

 

I've seen Wharton playing for Rovers academy side since around 2010 as he was in the same team as a family member. I don't think you can call him a player that slipped through the net. Whilst he was always a very neat and tidy midfielder, he didn't stand out as being exceptional.

Youngsters develop at different rates and at different ages.
The kid who you think will go on to play for England at 13 is released by the club at 16 and only goes on to play in the non league. Then there's players like Wharton who flourish in their later teenage years and seem to come out of nowhere.

Young players have never been as analyzed and scouted, even a club like Rovers are videoing games from a young age. If Wharton looked like he was going to be as good as he now is a few years back, a club from the Prem will definitely have gambled and bought him for relative peanuts compared to what he's now worth.

 

There's having quality and there's having a manager who knows what to do with it. The tactic GA uses is dire and not conducive to bringing the best out of our attacking players.

 

There's a few from around that time who looked decent at Blackburn and have dropped down or out of the leagues. If they haven't got an agent at 14 or 15 they don't have the contacts to get a foot in the door at other clubs.

 

Oh yes can’t argue with that either CW , either way we are both right in a different way.

 

We have a squad of 25+ players ????? Hand on heart how many would you keep ??? 2 to 3 at a push so in a nutshell we have a squad that contains 20+ players that in a nutshell are crap and your banking on this recruitment team to get it right when they have failed for years ...................give over talk of recruitment the right players is pie in the sky ...............this shod have all been sorted in the summer not when it maybe to late to do anything ..................but hey we all know that should we be off the pace come January then it gives there summer season ticket campaign a boost.

 

Dont worry about cover for Sam Walker,i am sure Alexander thinks Halliday could play there if required,he has played most other positions.

 

Thou may be right, however I won’t dismiss the injury calamity he’s faced, a 1/3 of the top squad players missing and unavailable would slaughter every club in the EFL. ( I laughed at an away side commentary team a few weeks back bemoaning a drastically weakened squad through their “injury crisis ….” . Three players injured and unavailable as it turned out .

What I can’t fathom is the Benn, Halliday, Richards conundrum , that’s a farce…playing Halliday on the left or in the back three what? Round holes square pegs many have mentioned !

Looking at the squad …we lack passing pace, pace in general , mobility , running off the ball is almost absent …All too laborious and all too predictable.

That’s a prime reason we are getting absolutely mullered in midfield every single game.

Bobby still largely disappoints , Walker , heart of a lion , but he won’t be retained as he’s out gunned in the centre as he’s too slow . Smallwood spending too much time trying to protect the weak and unsupported defence, causing him to be ineffective in the middle.

Year on year we say it , a massive clear out in the summer.

I as suggested yesterday GA selections are and remain puzzling as a result , however he’s stuck with 15 moderately fit players to patch the 11 and subs together.

 

It's tough for me. I think every fan knows we need far more than a few tweaks. We need pace and quality otherwise it's another 10th place.

Questions around GAs future is another worry. One win in 7 which was against a NL opponent in the cup. Can't score or create in open play. If we are still winless this time next week we could likely be looking for a new manager who'll have a small turnaround time for January planning. If a new boss doesn't want to use wing backs, it's another rebuild.

 

A lot of it in the lower divisions for youngsters is being in the right place at the right time, players like Wharton are the one in a generation that make it to the very top because they have something you just can't teach. Having an academy and staff that can see early what that talent is goes a long way to determining their future, forward thinking data driven set ups like Brighton have even scoured places like us for potential future talent.

 

Pace and quality. We said it was needed in the summer, we said it last January, we said it the summer before. I have absolutely no faith it will be addressed this January either.

 

Same fundamental problems that will always hamper moving forward. Not necessarily poor individuals recruited but a system seeing us playing players out of their best positions due to injuries/ manager brain farts etc.
I don't think anyone should be shocked at how dull the football has been on show, GA has never been renowned for playing 'out of your seat' football. But you forgive that if the results are forthcoming the consistency you need for results to count.
GA has shown since being here the team can go on a run but unfortunately in separate directions. Wouldn't be surprised if we beat Barrow then Crewe but then embark on an another winless run.

 

Me neither, zero faith. Seems from Sharpes interview that he still needs sign off from Sparks in dealings?

I can see one of Shep or Diabate going back. We have another loan slot available too with Adams going back. Evans and Huntington I'd release. Need to try get Smith and Oliver out the door too. Getting the outs is just as important as the ins for me.

 

Who’d have thought giving a near 31 year old journeyman striker a 3 year deal would come back and bite us on the arse?


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