January 2025 Transfer Window

Common sense , spot on.

 

It’s a good point. If Kavanaghs main role is the press, then you could argue Walkers case to challenge him for a starting spot. However Walker himself needs to really step up as on the most part has been poor this season. Almost certain he will play tonight.

Can’t be too harsh of Kavanagh who was really poor on the weekend, but had shown decent form prior.

 

Leigh scored a lot of his Accrington goals playing the same or similar role as Kav, watch the video? Three players covering one position is sufficient when we used to espouse two players for every position……? Smith and Oliver never were part of the process so why some fans think we should have brought two more in to replace them is beyond me, especially when we were crying out for a decent back up keeper etc.

 

Out of that list I’d probably be happy with Waghorn.

 

I think he just means that IF he does play then he goes it'll be further forward in a role he did well in last time he was here, albeit he played wider in a genuine front 3. I don't think for one minute he's suggesting he should immediately replace one of the attacking mids.

 

To fit him in one of these forward roles who would be dropped to make way based on no change to the current formation? Maybe there’s a slight chance to bring him on late in a game with a change in set up , but from the get go…not for me whatsoever based on current performances.

 

No one 'needs' to be dropped, he's a squad option and we aren't playing the same 11 from now until the end of the season. Who knows what will transpire in the last few months. Injuries, lots of form and maybe even a change of shape could all change the current outlook on what we see as our strongest line up.

Like you, I don't currently see Wright as anywhere near but who knows, I'd certainly welcome the competition if he can impress GA enough.

 

Waghorn seems to be the player with the most football under his belt in recent times. All strikers above recent history, since the start of last season.

Waghorn - 35 apps, 1,242 mins of football (Derby & Northampton L1) and 8 goals (7 Derby, 1 Northampton). A goal every 155 mins.
Wickham - 4 apps, 140 mins of football (Charlton L1) and 1 goal. A goal every 140 mins.
Stretton - 11 apps, 352 mins of football (Stockport L1, Woking & Oldham NL loans - 1 minute of football for Oldham, 272 for Woking) and 2 goals. A goal every 176 mins.
Hiwula - 9 apps, 200 mins of football (Morecambe L2) and 0 goals.
Jakubiak - 27 apps, 1,471 mins of football (Dunfermline SC) 2 goals - A goal every 736 mins

 

The L2 window yesterday as a whole shows how much money is available to clubs …..very little, no statement signings , not even by the wealthier clubs in the division….Port Vale?

Orsi has followed Lindsay to MKD after excelling at Crawley and loaned out by Burton.
Colchester as usual have raided the under 21’s of East Anglia and East London
Walsall have now 7 loanees and haven’t , on paper , replaced Matt nor their leading scorer with anyone significant.


Pretty poor all round and no “ statement” signings I can see.

 

Agree , he’s nowhere near the 11 unless the loanee from Palace flops and we end up with a catastrophic injury list . Honestly Dave other than a last 20 minute bombardment I cannot see the shape changing at all, which means he’s coming off the bench anyway, if selected to sit on it?

 

Well we should’ve agreed for him to stay then. I did say that his resigning was pointless and he would hardly play.

 

It looks like we were the only challenger to do a lot of business for the whole of Jan. MK and Chesterfield did a fair bit but they are getting cut away. Walsall are up unless of a catastrophic collapse.

Wimbledon brought in a young striker from Ipswich who had been playing in the NLS and a two experienced free agent to pad the team out. Donny with a few young loans to pad out the squad. Notts signed a striker yesterday but other than that it was younger lads. Vale signed Headley the LWB from Huddersfield early in the window but the rest were young lads. Crewe did 2 loans, both were players they had last year before selling them up the pyramid. Salford signed a wing back from Swindon and loaned a lad from L1 who's not got going.

Everyone has kinda stuck with their team that's got them up the table up until now, with a maybe 1 or 2 tops for the first team but the rest look like squad filling loans. We are the only team who have tried bringing in names to start or challenge the starters.

 

Wonder if Jack will bring their lass Paris to the games

 

I don't need to watch videos of Tommy Leigh, I remember him from Accrington where he did look a good player. I believe he is an attacking midfielder, rather than a player who can do the Kavanagh role of running himself into the ground every game to sustain our high press.

On the basis that we have moved to a high press, high intensity mode of football - partly because of the return to fitness of Pattison and Sarcevic and also because of the absence of Andy Cook. My point was that we have a lot of games in a short time frame. The three of Pattison, Sarcevic and Pointon will be rotated out at points in the next month. Tommy Leigh appears to be more of a fit for doing that, leaving Mellon as the direct replacement for Kavanagh. An absence of Kavanagh, based on how we are set up, will affect us. Hence my view that either Jamie Walker should now be a consideration through this busy month or another mobile forward would have been a good addition. I accept that finding that mobile forward, at this stage of the season and not coming to be first-choice isn't easy.

 

So if you watched the video, you know I was right? ….. We move on with what we have , three players that can “ cover” the false 9 , which is our current formation. You arnt suggesting we “utilise” Walker there too or are you suggesting he remains as is now, cover for midfield ? He’s a player still with us until his deal expires and thereafter he will leave as us most likely the case.

 

We have different views, but if it makes you happy - you were right!

 

On positional debates, Pep said something the other week which is 100% true in that the modern pros they are becoming less and less positional players. They day of a right midfielder for example are gone, but you are finding more and more than people aren't midfielders, it's like they control heat maps slots on pitches rather than traditional roles and responsibilities. It's happening in the PL and everything filters down and when things change above, they end up at our level in no time. A lot of teams either use the 433 or the 3421, which we have started using and you see players not really rigidly sticking to formations anymore.

So in the Prem these days, taking the right hand side for example again. Arsenal have Saka, Chelsea have Palmer, Liverpool have Salah, City use Bernardo or Foden but mainly Bernardo. Saka is the closest but i wouldn't even call him a traditional winger to take on a man and track back, they aren't wingers but they aren't strikers either, they mould into this right channel forward role and don't want to take a man on, its pass it about before cutting in late. Left hand sides are similar and even the strikers these clubs use. Outside of Haaland, there aren't many that don't use this fluid forward that can also play 10 or as a wide forward. Same in defence, you cant be a full back anymore, you have to know how to be a wing back too which is creeping into all levels. Centre backs have to be ball players that can press or bring the ball forward.

It floods down the pyramid as these academies have their U18s/U21s playing the same way and want their lads to be able to fit. So when they loan them out to clubs, they want to know they are going to a club with a similar plan and the game alters at our level more and more and our level academies pick it up too. Look at our younger lads, anyone under the age of 23 in the first team. We're told Khela is a left channel player who plays midfield but also can play left wing back. Adaramola, left wing back now after starting as a left back in the academy. Mellons youth profile it looks like he played anywhere in a front 3 as a teen before settling as a striker. Wright is another who has played everywhere and needs to find a slot but that left channel is probably his best fit. Richards was a CB, moved to LB and now is playing LWB. Pointon came in as a right winger, but now you wouldn't call him an winger or an attacking mid, he's more of a forward but not a striker. Kav is a striker who has played deeper or wider at times under GA, especially last season and the start of this. Leigh is going to have to be the same, he cant be pigeon-holed into either an attacking mid role or a striker role, he'll be another heat map player expected to play forward and fluidly change and with the way the games going, needs to play both for his career.

 

Everyone was crying out for someone to cover Andy Cook but I shouldn't imagine GA was. If Cooky wasn't such a regular goalscorer (creating a lot of them himself) I doubt he would get much game time under the system GA plays.
And that is no dig at Cooky because for me he is the nearest we have got to Bobby Campbell over the years.

 

I like many, would have liked to see an experienced striker come in
Kavanagh and Mellon, have not got vast amounts of game time between them and if one picks up an injury, then we are looking at Leigh to play a more forward role.
What i have seen of him so far, he looks to have a bit of skill is fairly mobile, but does not fill me with much hope for goals.
If Pattison and Sarcevic also pick up knocks, which there is a good chance with both, we could really struggle.
We covered defense yesterday and have good midfield numbers, but finished up down in the forwards and if Mellon is Cook's replacement, i am amazed. Thought he was more to cover Sanderson or Smith.
We do not even have the useless Vadaine to throw on any more .

 

No one has suggested he’s Cooks replacement have they? Those type of players with well established goal scoring feats weren’t available or far and away too expensive with our budget .