January 2025 Transfer Window

I said 'shite like Wilson' as in the collection of shite players we like to collect.

 

Hopefully him returning and Huntington leaving will open up an opportunity for another centre back. Hopefully this time we push the boat out and get someone better than the other average joes we have collected.

Reality is we will probably offer Huntington a deal until the end of the season. And welcome Callum Johnson as a 'new signing'.

 

I think we see one new face for sure, maybe two if loanees go back or what have you. Whatever way you look at that defensive unit, they need that little bit of improvement to be a promotion level outfit.

We're joint second worst for clean sheets, 3rd worst for getting cards, we're 4th worst for on average most fouls committed on average per game & 10th for winning aerial duals. We're between 10th and 12th for shots blocked, passes blocked and crosses blocked per game. They are as everyone keeps saying, an average L2 unit but if we can get someone in to sort out the discipline and organise us better, we'll improve in no time.

On improving the unite as a whole, I'd love a proper keeper contest but I cant see that being a priority. Walker has had a few ropey moments this year and as said cant keep a clean sheet to save his life this season, especially in the last few months. But he also has a good save percentage? Again, if we tune up a few things it should all settled into place a little better.

 

Is the below too much to ask? Im trying to be realistic...There are a few more I would bin off but we won't/can't.

GK - Walker - Doyle - NEW
RWB - Halliday - Benn
LWB - Richards - NEW
CB - Shepherd - Kelly - Baldwin - Byrne - Johnson - NEW
DM - Smallwood - NEW
AM - Pattison - Walker - Sarcevic - Pointon - Wright
FW - Cook, Kavanagh - NEW - NEW

SEND BACK - Diabete - Sanderson
OFFERS/RELEASE - Huntington - Stubbs - Evans - Oduor - Wilson - Smith - Oliver

 

To be fair, if GA is still winless after tonight and Saturday and we are what 1 win in 10 or 11 by that stage? We might well be looking for a new boss who might want a back 4 or wingers on the books and everything starts again.

 

I'd be inclined to move TW into that 4th striker spot, with Cook, Kav and a new striker. He was most useful upfront when he first came, he's no LWB.

 

Sparks? Self awareness? You've heard and interview of his before? He's this decades David Brent.

It's an odd scenario as we can't buy a win or a clean sheet and usually in football that only means one thing. Usually with Sparks that only means one thing too. But as you say how many more failures can he have?

 

Yeh said this a few times. His best football at City was in a 3 or playing just off Cookie.

 

Same. Moving him to a more forward role and investing in a quality LWB is the logical thing to do. Which is probably why it won't happen.

 

Like the summer, I don't believe we need lots of new players.

The key thing is playing the ones we have in the right way like we did at Stockport.

Our success this season is more down to how we play rather than who we sign.

 

100%. I genuinely believe our midfield area needs a permanent tweak, from the 1 sitting DM and 2 AMs being asked to play 10/15 yards deeper, to a setup similar to last night. I know you have to take it with a pinch of salt as Stockport made 9 changes and a lot of their lads last night hadn't played in a while. But we looked so much better having a CM partnership to play off each other. Evans and Pattison worked fantastically and Pointon and Kav in support of Cook worked a treat. It doesn't help asking Smallwood playing that anchor role in the league, sort of 10 yards from the CBs and 10 yards from his midfield partners and we get isolated in midfield.

As I said yesterday in the match thread, Evans and Smallwood won a L1 title in midfield for Blackburn and with the bits we've seen from Evans, I think they still would complement each other very well for the next 6 months. Drop the 1 DM role and play a proper partnership with an attacking midfielder in his natural role. With Evans fitness history, he cant play every week or 90 minutes too often but Sarce is getting back in to rotate too and if you want legs in there, Pattison can play there as shown last night. But i'd probably start Pattison in the 10 if all were fit to play infront of those two as his pressing is so needed centrally. We play 3 CBs who rarely cross the half way line, if we do its one on that side for a helping hand ot the wing back, we dont also need a sitting midfielder too which causes a rigid setup thats easy to break wide on and gives one less body to the attack when we all know we struggle to get help for Cook.

 

Come on fella, we beat Stockport reserves. It papers over the cracks so lets not start pretending this squad is capable of promotion. It is at least 4/5 short of that.

Competition for Walker.
A commanding CB.
Two new Forwards.

Bare minimum this January.

 

I think January could potentially be a mini rebuild more than us just adding 2 or 3. Just because there's a lot who could well be out the door. We have Evans and Huntington out of contract on Jan 1st, with J Walker, Johnson, Kelly, Richards, S Walker, Smallwood & Oliver all out of contract in the summer. Any of those lads could well be asking to move on early and could be on their phone to agents to get them a quicker move, especially if the club don't plan on having them next season and get get similar money and minutes but longer deals arranged now and we get a few quid back. Of the squad players, Oduor and Smith certainly know by now they wont be starters at City, they might well be wanting out to give their careers a start again. Then with the loanees, i think Benn is best suited for a starting role at the minute but I cant see Sanderson or Diabate still being here. Shepherd might but i think Kelly probably starts ahead of him.

I think Diabate, Sanderson, Smith & Oliver will be gone for sure. We'll offer Evans and Huntington extensions but they might be a better offer elsewhere? If they get fresh terms, sort it soon City. Oduor and Jamie Walker are two i wouldn't be surprised to see leave, in one case to get minutes and in another to maybe get money as we weren't willing to offer Walker similar money in the summer, i cant see us offering him what he wants this summer either now he's no longer a nailed on starter in the team. Who knows what's happening with Johnson but even if he's fit, does he get in this side? There could easily be 7 or 8+ people leaving this window for one reason or another and we might well need 5 or 6 more.

 

I imagine we would want to do that, but shifting 7 or 8 unwanted players is a big ask.

 

It really is a tough one to call. We definitely need better than we have got but a potential January rebuild wastes even more of the season. Bottom line remains we should have recruited much better in the summer to give it a real go this year. If investment doesn't happen in both January and Summer 2025, 1000s of fans are going to start voting with their feet, more than they are already. And yes agree we are only papering over cracks right now. Or is it papering over crocks!

 

I think 2 will be taken from us in Sanderson and Diabate. If Huntington and Evans have interest elsewhere or get guaranteed minutes, there might be anther two taken. It's about the squad players for me and if they are happy to spend another half the season not playing.

Oduor is 25 now and he's played the most football of his career at City.... can anyone pick out even 5 games he's looked "worth it" in? He's had 46 starts in the last 3 seasons, his career is plateauing and he can spend 18 more months that way or try find a new home. Tyler Smith has played 181 minutes of football so far this season, surely he will be asking to go? Clearly not in the plans and another who just cant hold down a starting place. I think Oliver the one we want to move on but wont as his deal is just ridiculous. He's 33 and barely kicked a ball for 2 years and is one of our highest earners, you'd be crazy to take him off our hands.

 

Last night showed that with the right balance in midfield it allowed a decent high press. There was movement in around the middle of the park which in turn gave other players confidence to get involved at the same tempo.
I'm not saying the players we have are world beaters, far from it and I don't think anyone is irreplaceable. But last night did show that playing a certain way with players suited for roles is more important than wholesale changes because things aren't working.
No excuses for Saturday now though, if we regress back to aimless long balls to Cooky and go back to the ponderous slow midfield we've seen this season then I'll have to question the manager and his tactics.

 

I said "we don't need lots"
You've quoted four roles/positions.

I'd say we're on the same page.

 

I agree with you.

Not saying our players are world beaters but my questions are more on "is the manager setting the right plan" rather than "can these players do what they're being asked to do".