Transfer Window poll.. Happy.. Yes or No?

I went with undecided as I think we are 3 players away from where we need to be

We need another left-back. I know Scales is earmarked by some for that but it's not somewhere he naturally plays and I think he's was brought in as a centre-back. It looks like Jullien is months away from being back in training never mind playing, so bringing Carter-Vickers and Scales gives us CCV, Starfelt, Welsh, Scales as options in the middle of the defence. We might even be going with Ralston at RB and Juranovic at LB after the weekend, but we are still light there

Juranovic/Ralston - RB
Juranovic/Taylor - LB

It's not exactly inspiring stuff, we have Montgomery who has looked decent but is still young and I think more natural up the park, Scales like I said earlier and Bolingoli who is so far out the picture it isn't even worth mentioning him.

LW- Jota and no one else? Unless Ange sees Montgomery as the next big thing and trusts him to back up Jota we essentially have one left-winger. Christie was out there and it's not his natural position and Forrest has been out there on occasion but he's much better on the right. Mikey Johnson can't be trusted, not his fault but we can't rely on someone who can't stay fit. It's a hard position to recruit for admittedly as the top players in this position are a premium. The option to buy is a good clause on the loan, if Jota tears it up £6m could be a bargain.

CM - we lost Brown, Christie, and to a lesser extent Ntcham and replaced them with McCarthy who is already injured. Going away to Europe or Rangers with a midfield three of McGregor, Turnbull, and Rogic does not fill me with confidence. 2 of them struggle to see out 90 minutes at the best of times, and as good as he is, we all saw how Turnbull handled a fast-paced physical derby on Sunday. Soro is not the answer to these problems, walking yellow card, not great positionally, and too slack in the pass. He may grow into the role but I think we are seriously missing a good destroyer in the mold of Wanyama in the middle. Maybe Bosun Lawal in the B team is the guy? I couldn't tell you for sure it just seems like a massive oversight

 

We replaced Eddy with Kyogo, Barkas with Hart, Brown with McCarthy, Ajer with Starfelt and Carter Vickers. Christie has gone and not been replaced whilst LW still looks questionable although obviously we will hope Jota has something about him. If not then expect Forrest and Kyogo to fill that void. All in all a very decent window and kudos to Dominic McKay who has come in at a tumultuous time and done very well to bring in the guys we have. I would be fairly sure Lawell would not have done half of the business had he still been there.

 

On paper though, last year's transfer activity should have been more than enough to get over the line for 10IAR, they brought in international GK, CB, ST and strengthened in other areas as well in addition to keeping the bulk of a squad, including nearly all the key players that had won 3 & 2/3's trebles in a row.

But on paper is one thing and then giving them over to an inept man-manager, unable to get the best out of the players he had, nevermind and *-poor game management... Uggh... we've been down that road often enough, ggrrr. The past is the past... letting it go... and breathes out.

 

If we'd of added McCann or a similar type player, I'd of said yes for now after Vickers..

We'd still of been short but at least we would've had enough til January..

We're short at centre mid
We're short at left wing
We're potentially short up top
We could've done with a quality first team left back in

That's what needs adding in January..

I've went undecided for now. We've made some good/shrewd signings but should've been 2 or 3 more for the depth we lack..

Vickers although I don't think he's great, is a pleasant surprise and someone I think will probably help us having watched some more of his video's..

 

Overall, reasonably happy with additions, but gutted about being unable to shift the deadbeats,
The 2 areas that concern me are midfield and a back up keeper, if anything happens JH. All other positions we seem to have adequate options.

 

No, I'm not happy. We are so light in quality and squad depth in places it is frightening. We look to be an injury to Hart and Kyogo away from disaster. Up front we have a winger that, right at the moment, looks like a striker but has pretty much already played a seasons worth of games this year, meaning burn out or injury are distinct possibilities; an untried Greek striker with one good scoring season behind him, and a striker that has already shown he doesn't fit into the system. This does not fill me with confidence.

The most worrying thing for me though is that the board, as expected, do not seem to be backing the manager properly. Everything is still being done on a reactionary basis rather than getting things done in a timeframe where they can positively affect critical outcomes. Lack of transfers before the qualifiers being a prime example, then waiting until deadline day for 2 players we could have easily had weeks ago, that would have then been available for the zombie game, but they were waiting for outgoings.

Ange may well be able to pull this around, but by * he isn't getting any help to do it.

 

We've ended the window with some quality additions but a very thin squad. Some key business was left far to late in sales of Eddie and Christie, we are missing some key types of player (battling midfielder cdm type, left back upgrade, although I don't hate Taylor as much as most) squad wise we thin, we don't have 2 reliable for every position and still have weaknesses in some areas of out game.

Outgoings were generally good, most were moves out we wanted to see and we got decent money in general for most, could have been a bit better though but last season * that up. Most have been replaced but there are big shoes to fill.

Key questions on our defence and how they up their game, CCV and Scales to be seen on how they integrate in and if they improve things. Juranovic on the left with Ralston right also an interesting option just now given Ralston's form.

Fittness and injury will be key, as we are thin we can't afford big injuries, we just don't have the depth in most places, I'd like to see the youth/fringe integrated especially when we are ahead in games. Getting Henderson, Shaw, Urgohide, Dembélé etc all involved should be something we do as well as players performing for the colts blodded as we could depend on them at somepoint with covid still floating about and the thin squad but I don't really see this happening regularly. I'd even say get boli involved as he is our player still so we should make use (unless he is truly *, but there was ability there and he did well for besiktas before injury)

Looking ahead, we need to have solid scouting for January, get targets identified and plan in for acquisitions to strengthen as we will need reinforced then.

We've seen what this team can do firing, aye we were poor against the huns but it could very easily have been a different game. Play our game to our strengths and we will be a very good and exciting team

 

We've got no cover for Kyogo.

Unless we pull something out of the bag in January, he's gonna be exhausted very soon.

He already had 20 or so games under his belt with the season well underway in Japan.

If no real replacements are bought in for lw especially, he could be forced to play nearly 80 games by time season ends with domestic duty, cups, europa league, internationals?

 

Well put it this way- our academy and B team players are going to have to step up.

 

Isn't ideal but looking at player's that need to step up and it could be

Mikey (If Jota needs a rest or gets injured)
Monty (If Scales doesn't hit the ground running)
Dembele (if Forrest or Abada get injured)
Lawal (if we need more steel and depth on our bench at least)

So only really one you'd class from the b team right now is Lawal..

Brooks I like the look of and could potentially come in as he's versatile and can play the attacking position's..

Dawson our new striker is a big physical striker. If an Ajeti isn't cutting the mustard or injured, we could potentially have him promoted for the bench..

 

Happy enough. The rebuild has started, we have shifted some deadwood (although maybe brought some back in - Mccarthy).

Pleased to see we've been utilising the loan to buy market and have potentially managed to land a gem in Jota and we signed more internationally established players as opposed to projects.

We have enough to see us through 3 months or so until the winter window and see where we are then.

 

Yip, happy with it.

Said last night I’d have been happy altogether if we got a CB in, and Carter-Vickers appeared last minute.

 

Voted no, we still have a major problem at left back, especially given the style Ange plays, where the RB/LB are probably the key positions.

We are now a midfielder short, with Christie going and are also a striker short as well.

That's going on the presumption the defenders we now have are of good enough quality, something I've yet to be convinced about.

On the face of it, signing 10/11 players whatever the final number was, may seem like a good window, however we were just filling the essential gaps, and ontop of that, probably let the same number leave.

Just another window when we have brought in significantly more money than we've spent, let 3 of our most talented players leave (Eddy/Ajer/Christie) and, Kyogo aside, haven't replaced them with guaranteed quality of the same standard.

 

Not sure about any of our signings but I'm chuffed to be rid of Edouard and Christie.

 

We didn’t replace Eddy with Kyogo for me, if that was the case he would have been sold much early in the window.

I honestly think it was touch and go if he stayed and I don’t think Ange would have said no to Eddy staying.

Aye the * was a shambles at times being a moody * but still he could get goals etc.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a decent window at all at this moment in time, we got knocked out of the champions league and got beat of them, while the club dragged its heels to get people in for Ange.

Time will tell if the new Bhoys come good but we are still short in certain departments like you have highlighted LW, centre mid and up top. Be good to do a review of each signing in December time just before the other window opens.

 

Woke up today with that sick feeling, the one you get when you feel let down with mixed feelings, wanting the window to still be open because you just know we are light on.

 

Went undecided. Some good signings undoubtedly in Kyogo, Hart, Juaranovic, Abada, but it's the likes of Scales, Shaw, Uroghide, Lawal that are bizarre. Ange has moaned about using a small core of the squad but hasn't used Shaw or Lawal or Uroghide. That has to happen now or we will lose players through injury in winter.

If yesterday's 3 signings are good then we'll be fine till Jan when no doubt I'm sure Ange will head back to the J league market.

 

Personally believe we have done awrite. Cleared out a massive part of the problem from last year. Got in a good amount of new players aswel. Now we have time to gel them together, and see where we need to improve in January. We could've done it quicker as usual. I'm excited and think we have enough to do this baring injurys..

 

we are in a worse position in terms of players than at the same point last year

 

Have you not watched any games this season? Abada and Kyogo look like excellent signings!!