January 2023 - Transfer Talk - Stick or Twist

It feels like we are still in pre-season, not January.

While we’ve answered a few questions since August and ascertained Lewis is decent, Crich-Platt is our best CB pairing and Halliday is our best RB, we’re still dicking about elsewhere.

- what is our best formation
- is Bola up to it at LB now Foulds has gone
- what is the best defensive midfield option
- who are our best wide men? eisa, Chapman, Banks, Nevers? Nobody knows
- Do we start Cook or Oliver

it’s disappointing to have so many unanswered questions when we are almost into February.

 

Is Perriera still here? if so, why? What a poor window so far.

 

I'd like to think he gets shipped out before the window ends. However, maybe it's only Luton who can play him (other than us) so that could limit things somewhat. Personally I've a feeling someone is going to cotton onto the fact that Cook is not getting any game time, and will put in a bid for him with the promise of regular football. It wouldn't be a Bradford City transfer window, without us letting someone go and have no replacement coming in. Can't see Oliver and Costelloe being the ones firing us up the league, and if that last minute scenario does happen, we're in trouble.

 

Oliver is capable of scoring goals he scored 31 in two seasons in league one before joining us

 

27 in 82 league appearances he managed. However, he has barely looked like scoring for us. Maybe that's down to lack of service, be nice to have a forward who can create his own chances though

 

If Cook goes and isn’t replaced, you’d have to say its as bad as the window when we let Doyle leave to Swindon - we certainly seem weaker having lost Wright and Foulds already. Doyle never fired for us either, whereas Cook has. Would be utter madness to let him leave during a supposed promotion push.

Songo was decent back up often brought on to protect a lead. Kelleher, Young and Angol, meh.

 

Doyle didn't score for us because we didn't play to his strengths. Swindon did and look what happened. We don't play to Cook or Oliver's strengths either, but yet Cook has still some how managed to get 16 goals so far this season, mainly from playing up front on his own. Imagine how many more he could bag if we did play to his strengths.

 

I actually feel quite sorry for Dion and the way things have panned out for him. He seems to be one of those players that needs to feel wanted in order for him to do well. That happened with us the back end of last season, and I'm sure before he left for the summer, Hughes will have made it clear to him that he would like him to come back this season. He also had fans messaging him constantly begging him to come back, and from some of his social media posts, he certainly gave the impression that was something he wanted to happen.
Then Jones decided to keep him for preseason to have a look at him. Realistically, Dion was never going to be part of his plans for this season, but he led him to believe that he was and played him in virtually all of their pre season games. Maybe Luton thought a club from league 1 would come in for him and that's why they were hanging on so long before letting him come back to us I don't know, but by the time he did return, he'd missed out on all of pre season with us, and rather than being happy to be back, he was probably feeling a little bit dejected.
Then on the 3rd September, he comes on as a sub to a hero's return welcome at the same time as some young lad called Wright who totally ended up stealing his thunder. We all fell a little bit in love with Wright that day, and Dion knew it. He was no longer the fan's favourite or the manager's.
Luton have a new manager now, and I very much doubt Dion will be in his plans. He isn't getting game time here, he certainly won't get any if he goes back to Luton, and he can't go out on loan any where else having played for Luton in a cup game early in the season. Maybe next year will be his year somewhere. Maybe.

 

That's all true Petrov, but it is down to him to prove his worth to us and to the football world. earn that starting birth by hard work, He obviously is not showing enough in training to merit that. This was a big year for him and when Wright left he should have been the perfect replacement, instead we went out and brought in Nevers , who appears ahead of him.

 

I agree with all of that, I just think he's a confidence player and at the moment, his confidence is shot. He either needs the arm around the shoulder approach as per Mark Marshall, or if he isn't going to get that from Hughes, he needs a fresh start somewhere else which unfortunately for him, isn't going to happen until next season.

 

His past history is irrelevant with regards his role at Valley Parade, Aaron McLean had a very good record at a higher level when we brought him in that didn't work out too well, do stop trying to defend a player who is not doing his job and that is scoring goals.

 

Can we use the "lack of service" comment nothing has changed recently yet it didn't seem to effect Cook before Hughes took him out of the firing line to give him a rest I bet Cook was delighted to be rested.

 

Pretty much James Hanson type stats.

 

Andy Cook must be well rested by now. Raring to "get started and do a job" at his new club on 4th Feb.

 

At home to Toulouse, though if the International clearance goes through away at Montpellier on the first.

 

Not as good as Hanson though

 

@NorthernMonkey will be along soon

 

“To feel wanted”, one has to make others make them feel like that. He has been the biggest disappointment going since he came back. It’s difficult to show “love” when he’s not performing. There is no point in saying he should be given game time, when he’s not performed when he has been. Don’t forget they see a lot in training we don’t?

 

I feel very proud of myself for resisting.