January 2023 - Transfer Talk - Stick or Twist

Needs must at times mate .

 

Totally. Like Smallwood stated in his interview, let's get a statement win at Salford. Keeping Watt quiet will be one key element to achieving that.

 

Timing it with the clubs 120 year anniversary and recognising a rebrand takes time to bed in are probably the thinking around this. Hopefully the rebrand aligns with the clubs rise up the leagues - which would then be very well timed.

Honestly don't think we can criticise the clubs willingness to spend on recruitment. Hughes has been backed and there is more for January.

Harsh criticism in my opinion.

 

Very good point.

 

Come January we need to be looking at getting the likes of Sutton,Hendrie, Eisa, Ridehalgh moved on. Harrat is probably going back, let Periera go back maybe send Odusina out on loan. And we need to be getting players in that can push the likes of Gilliead to be fighting just to get on the bench. Personally I think too many are waiting for Walker to be fit to be the answer and he's been as inconsistent as the rest when he's played. We need RW CM CB LB RB minimum. Personally I would play Banks at the side of Smallwood, he's great going forward gets stuck in and can pick a pass out but Hughes doesn't see it.

 

A lot of pretty wild ideas here. Shipping out half our squad in the middle of the season when things are generally going well is crazy. Moving on both our backup fullbacks who are as good as you’ll get as a second fiddle fullback at L2 level. Getting rid of our 3rd choice CB also seems pretty insane. Whilst Pereira hasn’t done great so far this season, we know he can be a quality player so I’d keep him. Again, if we let him go and get rid of Eisa we start to look pretty light out wide, especially if you want to move Banks in CM (which is another pretty wild move).

All in all, I wouldn’t quit your day job to take up a role in football.

 

Eisa is a proven goalscorer and chance-creator at this level. If he gets fit he could be a real asset in this team. If he doesn't get fit then no one will touch him with a bargepole.

 

Just an alternative forward who is rapid and gets in behind the centre backs.
I thought Harratt would be that player.
We have midfielders to return and a number 10.
The defence is well stocked but maybe 1 more CB on loan.
2 players in January for me.

 

Feel for Jake Young when everyone is fit. The lad has really impressive stats for the amount of minutes he's played. But when Walker, Banks and Eisa are fit and you add them to Wright, Pereira, Chapman, Osadebe can play there and he seems to like bringing on Angol and Sutton to play wide too, he has no chance.

To be fair, I'd be amazed if Eisa gets a good chance. I'd be tempted to see if any National League clubs want him on loan until Jan, gives him a chance to get fit, gives us a chance to see if he's the same player after so long out.

 

Apart from his goals its hard to decide what Young does better than competent, especially in that position in 4-2-3-1. When Walker is fit Chapman becomes an almost first choice out wide and i'd say him and Wright have those two positions sewn up. In the formation Hughes prefers, the two wide of the '10' really do need to be able to beat a man and Young seems more of a Gillead type of player.

 

It's tough as he actually has some end product, which our wide men have struggled with this season but when everyone is fit, he hasn't a chance of getting in. Really wouldn't be surprised if him and Eisa get offered out for loans otherwise its very slim chances of minutes.

 

Young is so lightweight. He has a good shot but he's been bullied off the ball so many times and has a habit of being robbed in situations which lead to us being counter attacked.
I think you may be underestimating Eisa. There's a big issue as to whether he'll attain and maintain match fitness. But if he does, his scoring and assist record in a very poor Scunny side was very good indeed, and he could be a real asset in this team.

 

He has a good record for Scunny, not underestimating his ability, just don't see him really getting a crack when there are so many infront of him.

It's going to take him so long to get back to any kind of shape and form. He hasn't started more than 3 games in a row since March 2021 after having an injury hit last 6 weeks or so for Scunny. If I were Hughes I'd be on the phone to York, Halifax, Oldham even Scunthorpe to see if they want him until Jan on loan. Fax have 12 games until Jan, gives him time to build fitness and form then reevaluate in January to see if we have a player we'd use for the second half of the season or if he can't get going again after 18 months out, we let the lad try get his career going again if he isn't going to play here.

 

Maybe. But it depends how he does in training. He's already played a few minutes in the pizza cup so he's obviously back in full training.
It seems pretty clear now that Hughes doesn't think Young is ready for regular L2 football yet. And Pereira is pulling up no trees whatsoever. Eisa is a proven player at this level. Once fit he may be further up the pecking order than you're assuming

 

We need an upgrade on Sutton in that “busy” midfielder role. Someone with more quality on the ball. Wouldn’t need to be a starter but someone of more quality who if called upon to start, would be more of an upgrade than Sutton and wouldn’t weaken the starting 11 as much.

 

We need an upgrade on both Gillead and Sutton, A tough no nonsense tackler who can win the ball and compete in midfield while Smallwood does the creative stuff

 

That's been Smallwood's role for most of his career.

 

That's what I thought we were getting. I think he was a very good signing but tbh he wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was expecting a take-no-prisoners, midfield enforcer type. Not criticising, he's just different to my idea of what we were getting, never having seen him play before he came here

 

Spot on

 

Don’t recall many midfield “ enforcers” in the Prem or CC? He never was that sort of player ever!