No signings again

[TVC15]

Holy sh-it the transfer window is getting more painful on this forum.
I thought it was hard work (but still fun) when we had lots of transfer rumour threads about who we are going to sign. Now we have more “no signings” threads than we do about players linked.

For all those people who can never stop morning about our team have a look at yesterday’s team sheet.
5 internationals on our bench
5 players who had played or been called up for England in the last 3 years
£50m of international talent not even in the 16.

Enjoy the fecking ride - it will not last for ever

[evensteadiereddie]

The words pot, kettle and black spring to mind. Are we not allowed to express an opinion? Thought that was the whole point of an online forum or am I missing something?

What is the pot, kettle and black rubbish supposed to mean ?
Search my posts : you'll see at no time over the past few weeks have I ever doubted Dyche, Mee, etc etc etc . Far from it, I and a few others, seemed to be in the minority at one point as the whingers and grumblers infested and took over the board.
Of course, everyone is entitled to an opinion - just don't complain when your "opinion" is shown to be absolute ollocks.

[Clarethalffull]

The January window is usually a joke. Signings are made either in desperation or to appease the mob. If we can sign a player at the right price and for the long term then great. If all that is available are overpriced cast offs then I will be happy if we sign nowt !

Not sure this forum is the place for this sort of level headed reasoned thinking.

[FCBurnley]

See Cardiff and Fulham are splashing the cash. We must be super confident of our current squad not to spend. Huge call by The Board. Hoping the current bottom 3 go down . Big game and opportunity for Fulham today against a weakened Spurs ( no Kane or Son)

[Murger]

It's not a surprise that the club comes out with the same guff every window, it's expected. But the small time mentality must put off any transfer targets from joining.

[gawthorpe_view]

Alex Ferguson said ' there's no value to be had in January'.
Just panic buys and inflated prices.

[SGr]

Alex Ferguson said ' there's no value to be had in January'.
Just panic buys and inflated prices.

Summer was the time to find value. We didn’t. Now we need additions to the squad, if only on a short term basis.

[claretspice]

I think there's a danger in these discussions in underestimating and doing a disservice to what we already have.

When attention first turned to this window, there was a prevalent view that to survive, we had to improve upon Westwood - I think most people (myself include) thought a starting midfielder should be high on our agenda. Since then, Westwood has been our best player and has probably proved his credentials as a Premier League player, whilst Cork has returned to something approaching his best form. Likewise, McNeil's emergence, and the performances of Hendrick in the last couple of games, mean that there's probably no longer the same urgency to upgrade in wide areas.

As a result, overall the first eleven is sound, and in most areas there's pretty good cover. I'm not sure there's a single position where we don't have two credible options for each position when everyone is fit. The only area is probably across the midfield given Lennon is out for the medium term, and so personally, I'd like to see more cover for Westwood and Cork if Hendrick is going to be used our wide - we've only really got Defour in reserve at the minute. You can perhaps make an argument that if Vydra isn't going to be trusted, we could use another creative forward player but again, Barnes and Wood are the men in possession so anyone who came in would have to be patient. Perhaps right back if Lowton is struggling.

But bringing in cover in January is not easy. Loans are clearly out of the equation because they won't play. Signing strikers - and particularly creative ones - at any time is not easy, because everyone wants better strikers, and the sort of withdrawn forward we really want (and for which we'd earmarked Rodriguez in the summer) needs to be a rare mix - strong enough to hold the ball with their back to goal, mobile enough to run the channels, and technically sophisticated enough to add more creativity and precision in and around the box. Vydra was the closest thing in the Championship last season to offering all of those things, and he's not currently looking good enough. We can debate whether we should mine the European market, but it's still a hugely specific search.

I'm not saying we shouldn't strengthen - I'll be disappointed if we don't bring in at least one midfielder, and perhaps someone to offer pace off the bench up front would be nice, too. But I don't think we should be bringing in bodies for the sake of it. After next weekend, realistically we'll only have the league to focus on, and so all of the secondary competitions that threatened to overwhelm the squad will be a thing of the past. We had a very poor summer last season and as a result missed huge opportunities - I'm not defending it, but I'd challenge the presumption that this month is necessarily the right time to correct those mistakes. Better, I'd have thought, to make sure we've got enough cover in key areas, and pick up any players that are available that fit our long term strategy. If not, then lets let Rigg truly get himself established and hit the ground running in the summer.

[joey13]

Alex Ferguson said ' there's no value to be had in January'.
Just panic buys and inflated prices.

Didn’t we sign Brady in January

[Dark Cloud]

Didn’t we sign Brady in January

Yes we did. So sir Alex clearly knew his stuff!!!

[Dark Cloud]

I can only assume we must have signed Steve Blatherwick in January too!!!!
Mark Kendal for definite!!! I remember it clearly

[Dark Cloud]

I think there's a danger in these discussions in underestimating and doing a disservice to what we already have.

When attention first turned to this window, there was a prevalent view that to survive, we had to improve upon Westwood - I think most people (myself include) thought a starting midfielder should be high on our agenda. Since then, Westwood has been our best player and has probably proved his credentials as a Premier League player, whilst Cork has returned to something approaching his best form. Likewise, McNeil's emergence, and the performances of Hendrick in the last couple of games, mean that there's probably no longer the same urgency to upgrade in wide areas.

As a result, overall the first eleven is sound, and in most areas there's pretty good cover. I'm not sure there's a single position where we don't have two credible options for each position when everyone is fit. The only area is probably across the midfield given Lennon is out for the medium term, and so personally, I'd like to see more cover for Westwood and Cork if Hendrick is going to be used our wide - we've only really got Defour in reserve at the minute. You can perhaps make an argument that if Vydra isn't going to be trusted, we could use another creative forward player but again, Barnes and Wood are the men in possession so anyone who came in would have to be patient. Perhaps right back if Lowton is struggling.

But bringing in cover in January is not easy. Loans are clearly out of the equation because they won't play. Signing strikers - and particularly creative ones - at any time is not easy, because everyone wants better strikers, and the sort of withdrawn forward we really want (and for which we'd earmarked Rodriguez in the summer) needs to be a rare mix - strong enough to hold the ball with their back to goal, mobile enough to run the channels, and technically sophisticated enough to add more creativity and precision in and around the box. Vydra was the closest thing in the Championship last season to offering all of those things, and he's not currently looking good enough. We can debate whether we should mine the European market, but it's still a hugely specific search.

I'm not saying we shouldn't strengthen - I'll be disappointed if we don't bring in at least one midfielder, and perhaps someone to offer pace off the bench up front would be nice, too. But I don't think we should be bringing in bodies for the sake of it. After next weekend, realistically we'll only have the league to focus on, and so all of the secondary competitions that threatened to overwhelm the squad will be a thing of the past. We had a very poor summer last season and as a result missed huge opportunities - I'm not defending it, but I'd challenge the presumption that this month is necessarily the right time to correct those mistakes. Better, I'd have thought, to make sure we've got enough cover in key areas, and pick up any players that are available that fit our long term strategy. If not, then lets let Rigg truly get himself established and hit the ground running in the summer.

As per usual a well thought out and sensible position which few sensible people could disagree with, but my fear is that if we aren't careful Rigg will hit the ground running in the summer with us back in the championship and he'll be dealing with as many outs as he is ins as our best players jump ship. We won't be tinkering and strengthening, we'll be full on rebuilding.

[Lancasterclaret]

Well, realistically Fulham and Huddersfield have to win a lot of games to stay up from here, which leaves us really only Cardiff to worry about.

I reckon our squad already is a lot better than the one they have, and like Spice says i'm not sure who we can sign who will walk into our team (bar Jay Rod who I don't think WBA will sell)

[AshevilleNCClaret]

Agree the above analysis is spot on. To overpay just for the sake of bringing in bodies is ludicrous.
Cardiff just spent 15 million on an unproven-in-the-PL 28 year old striker ?

However, I would give our last summer signings as adequate at that time. Hart, Gibson and Vydra were solid but not spectacular.
(Tottenham did not sign anyone.... and look how that is turning out for them now as Kane, Son and Alli are out).

I hope we would add a player for depth but if not, I think we have enough to keep us up.

[Socrates]

I don’t get this line of thinking.

In the whole world there is only Jay Rodriguez we can realistically sign who would improve our team? Just one player?

It just doesn’t seem realistic. And i’m not even sure Jay would get in our team anyway.

[Lancasterclaret]

You are quite correct, but I'm thinking of players with PL experience, would come, and you'd think "Yep, need someone there".

I'm struggling with more than Jay Rod, as if we did sign a striker from (random club) Leganes, then I couldn't see him starting straight away.

[Spijed]

It's not a surprise that the club comes out with the same guff every window, it's expected. But the small time mentality must put off any transfer targets from joining.

Funny how the same guff and mentality, as you put it, has made us more successful in recent times than the vast majority of clubs could ever dream of!

[ClaretAndJew]

If we're not starting last years Championship top scorer we may as well bin off any idea of buying anyone from the Championship.

[Long Time Lurker]

As per usual a well thought out and sensible position which few sensible people could disagree with, but my fear is that if we aren't careful Rigg will hit the ground running in the summer with us back in the championship and he'll be dealing with as many outs as he is ins as our best players jump ship. We won't be tinkering and strengthening, we'll be full on rebuilding.

Completely agree with this.

DANGER: EPIC RANT AHEAD

I agree with a lot of what Claretspice said. However, bringing in new additions isn't just about the first team. Looking to the future we will probably have to replace Defour, Ward and Bardsley in the next couple of years.

We either wait until that moment arrives, and hope we bring in somebody that can do the job for a reasonable price, or we can bring players in earlier and train them up. If they work out then they slot into the squad and if they don't we sell them on.

The difference is that buying players who can slot straight into the first team is probably going to be more expensive than a player who could be considered something of a work in progress. To illustrate that point we only need to look at Dwight this season. He has gradually moved our ranks and he is now playing a huge role for us. Had we not had him in our ranks we could be in a very different position now.

I'm not simply suggesting the stand out young players, who already have high price tags in todays market, because Rigg is supposed to be an expert in identifying young talent. I'm talking about under the radar talent or talented players who are looking to move on. Anyone can identify the stand outs, it's identifying the diamonds in the rough and the bargains that separates good recruitement from merely getting by.

Transfer windows aren't simply an opportunity to bring in players for the first team, they represent a chance to improve every aspect of our wider team. They shouldn't be seen as representing a window for success today, because they are also a window of success for tomorrow.

Hitting the ground running after seven months is a contradiction in terms. If we bring in a new player for the first team we naturally expect them to be able to make a contribution from day one. Imagine if we signed a new player and the associated press release stated " bob has joined us today, he is fully fit, but he isn't going to contribute until next season". I'm guessing the shared response would be WTF.

We have a match against Man City coming up. I can't imagine Sean saying to the players

"Look lads, it's going to be a very difficult game. Nobody is expecting a win, but that doesn't mean it is impossible for us to come away with something. However, we have some easier matches further down the line so I want you to save your energy out there. Jog about a bit so you don't look like statues and we will focus all our best efforts on the easier games coming up."

Which would be very similar to

"January is difficult for every club so there are no promises from any perspective in January because it's so tough. I think the real difference will be the longer term - we've got to get focused on the summer."

If you are standing their telling me you aren't up to the job, I'm standing here asking why we brought you in. We need winning characters who can make a difference at every level of the club. The type of people who are going to embrace the impossible head on with tenacity and spirit. What we don't need are defeatist flip chart warriors who talk a good job and do a lack lustre one.

Yes, we need to be realistic, nothing is going to be easy for us, but we don't need to hear the same broken record of excuse filled drivel. If a player isn't performing to the required standard then they don't get a place in the match day squad. Should they prove themselves incapable of meeting the competitive requirements associated with their position in the team over the longer term then we have to consider shipping them out and bringing in someone that is.

The same should apply to everyone. It's the difference between earning a wage and stealing a wage.

Are we odds on to beat Man City, definitely not, but It is a safe bet that our lads are going to go out there with the sense of belief that they have what it takes to upset the apple cart. More importantly they will be giving everything they have to do exactly that. To use an oft quoted Dyche phrase "they won't be crying it in", they will rise to the challenge giving it everything they've got.

We were hoping a couple of things would develop, but sadly they haven't. Oh, so you where placing our success in the hands of others and playing the re-active game. If things go well for them they go well for us and if they lose out we lose out. That isn't a cohesive well structured plan that is designed to give us the best chance of success in a chaotic environment it's a poorly formulated **** take.

To achieve success in a chaotic environment you need to think holistically. You need a plan that has multiple outcome branches, even though many of them won't play an active part. At the outset the singular goal is one of improvement. That plan will include multiple targets that can add value to the club throughout the player and staff hierarchy.

It's the difference between an active "golden thread" strategy and a meaningless management buzz word.

That will include primary first team players, temporary loan players (possibly with a view to a future purchase), players who are on the cusp of first team involvement (who could play a small part now, but a larger part down the road) and young players for the development squads. It could also mean players on pre-contracts, players on immediate loan backs, players we don't urgently need now who would be cheaper in this window or prone to less competition for their signatures than if we waited for the next window. And it means having lots and lots of viable alternatives on your short lists.

We want players who can snuff out attacks, open up teams, create chances and deft the odds. What we don't want are players who will sit back and say "the task at hand is too difficult" we will sit back and only compete when it is easy. The same goes for our recruitment, we need people who can step up to the challenge of a difficult environment and achieve results. We need people who can dig up the hidden gems, sniff out the bargain truffles and subdue the impact of the chaos with a flexible framework. We need to set ourselves up to bend with the wind instead of blowing hot air.

None of us are football professionals, but we could all sign the obvious players in an easy environment if we had a blank cheque book and unlimited funds. Consistently putting in a shift, showing a bit of creativity, over- coming all the odds and pulling unexpected rabbits out of the hat is what our players do week in and week out. The world of footballis a big place filled with opportunities, especially when you are being paid to work full time looking for them.

Our recruitment team needs to step up to the challenge instead of whining about it, because at the moment they are letting our lads down. Doing nothing is unacceptable, because the "minimum expectation is maximum effort" and that applies to everyone at the club.

We still have a reasonable amount of time left in this window, but if we end up doing nothing at all then I will be very disappointed. I don't think we urgently need any new first teamers, even though they could help us, but that doesn't mean we can't do anything at all. If we can't identify anybody that can help us today we should shift our focus towards players that could help us tomorrow.

and relax

Still confident we can come out of this window stronger than we entered it UTC

[Woodleyclaret]

Some interesting pespectives on the topic I started.
But we do need a pacy wide player . GK in on loan again?
He already contributed to our survival with his excellent assist in Spurs winner yesterday.

[TVC15]

Long time lurker - you do realise we already have a squad which cost about £150m
We had a bench on Saturday that had 5 experienced internationals and worth best part of £40m.
We had 3 players who did not make the 16 squad who are worth over £50m.
We have 5 players who have been in the England squad in the last 3 years.

There is hardly a team in this league where the fans don’t think their club can improve and we are no exception.

But the reality is that firstly we haven’t done too bad have we ?....especially when you see the clubs we are trying to compete with on and off the pitch....and secondly at some point it’s 99% certain we will be relegated - because that is basically what has happened to every club who has ever been in the Premier League bar 6 or 7 clubs who operate in a completely different world to Burnley and the rest of the 30 or 40 teams who ever managed to play in the top flight.

I know you mean well but there is nothing in your post which is new or tangible or the club won’t be doing or considered doing. Even the stuff we are not doing there are other clubs who have implemented things you are saying and they got relegated too !
Dyche and the board did things in their way to get us up
and keep us there and from the outside it should not really have been anywhere as successful as it has been - it’s the same now...they are doing it there way. Each to their own and all that but in my view it’s jusr better to have a bit of perspective and enjoy it whilst it lasts (cos it won’t !!)

[ClaretShaun]

TVC15. Great post.

Agree. We don’t really need any new players as of now, people get obsessed with it, it’s quite strange.

You would think most would understand how we work by now. Very selective over the players we would like to bring into the club, leading to a ridiculously good success rate on recruitment, probably second to none. Which no doubt is largely down to MG’s expertise in this areas.

Also, the way we do it means we never know when things will align to bring in one of the players we want and it could therefore be unexpected and maybe we when up strengthening an area some think doesn’t need strengthening.... but that’s because that player became available at that moment.

We don’t want a high turnover of players, we don’t wanta ‘bigger’ squad than we have, we want the right players at the right moment in their career, players that will be happy to buy into our wage / bonus structure and buy into what we are about. Players who are either British or, at very least, well settled and proven in this country, ideally mid to late 20s with an eye for a younger one at times.

In a nutshell, we’ve mastered it going from about 35th to 7th and now to 15th while almost breaking even on fee’s over 6 years shows this.

We’re lucky.

[Long Time Lurker]

I get it and I'm not asking or expecting us to bring in any permanent new first teamers. I posted "no" on the thread that asked if we needed anyone, but that doesn't mean we can't do any business.

If we aren't in the market for any new additions then the recruitment team can go home early and it has to be asked why we are expanding our recruitment staff if nothing needs to be done at this immediate juncture. I'm fairly certain that the reason we have brought in new people is because we have recognised a need for improvement.

In relation to our "mastery" our last window was barely adequate and it made our European journey a lot more difficult than it could have been. We are currently playing Dwight on the left wing, who is doing extremely well for us, but I'm not sure we had it in mind to move him up quite so early. On the right wing we have Jeff, who is playing out of position and doing us proud again. Tarks was playing at right back during the Barnsley match and we currently have a grand total of five goal keepers on our books. Arguably this last one can be excused due to extenuating circumstances. However, the fact remains that in recent matches we have been forced to put some square pegs in round holes.

We have Nahki, Dunne, Okai and a goalkeeper on loan. Looking at the development squad we don't appear to have many, if any, players that are ready for first team action in our current league or the Championship.

Prior to the very welcome rediscovery of our form we were loitering in the relegation zone.

Our recruitment team have made some astute transfers in the past, although some of the people directly responsible for those transfers have left us. However, considering our last window and the one we are in now (which is representative of our current recruitment team) our performance has dipped noticeably. Although this window hasn't closed yet and we still have time left. Still, taking everything into account and being reasonable "mastery" is miles away.

I'm all too aware of the point raised by TVC15, namely that the prospect of relegation will always be perched on our shoulder. Unfortunately, I can't see any real provisions being put in place to provide us with a little security in the event of that happening. Apart from a lot of crossed fingers that we will continue to stay up and that our players will stick by us if we don't. I think a total rebuild could be a possibility in that eventuality and if we can't manage a few tweaks how can we ever hope to pull that off if we don't up our game.

We have been promised a "golden thread", but at the moment the only thing I'm seeing is a tatty bit of cotton that fails to do justice to a town with a great weaving heritage.

Once again, we have time remaining on the clock, we always play our cards close to our chest, and it is a bit unfair to condemn all and sundry at this point. However, after all the "cry it in" negativity that has been voiced recently I felt a well intentioned "kick up the bum" rant was in order.

Putting aside the notion of any incoming first teamers we still have the opportunity to make important moves in this window that could benefit us in the longer term. Waiting for the stars to align doesn't always pan out, which is why it helps to have a strong supply of your own stars coming through.

[TVC15]

You are beginning to make stuff up
“Rigg supposed to be good at spotting young talent” - is he ? Where’s that from ?
“We were promised a golden thread” - by who and when ?

There are a hell of a lot of words in your posts but unfortunately little substance or realism.

Oh and btw even though we have never been promised a golden thread take a look at my last post and tell me any other point since the 1960s that has been more “golden” than the last 6 years

[Dougall]

People are appointed to positions of responsibility based on evidence of good judgement (usually).
People with good judgement don't panic (usually).
Panic leads to a LOT of money being spent in the January window (usually).
Big money signings in January struggle to reverse the fortunes of teams that are struggling (usually).
To improve on any of the current squad, an incoming player would have to be a VERY good premier league player-who would cost a fortune (usually).
An incomer may not improve (and could impair) performances without preseason etc.
My inclination is to trust people with good judgement, who don't panic.
Don't get me wrong - I'd love it if we were to sign a really skilful, creative, playmaker type or a prolific top level goalscorer. But in what universe is that ever going to happen during the January transfer window? We don't need either a director or the manager to tell us that - we watch the pantomime every January! And the reason that it's a joke every year isn't because BFC don't panic - it's because so many other directors and managers do, when it's so rarely successful !

[mdd2]

TVC15 I guess 1973-1976 was pretty good. Finished joint 5th (6th of goal difference) and reached the FA Cup SF in 73-74 and 10th in 74-75 but 21st in 75-76. After that a slide down and down with a brief upturn in 81-83 and then more sliding until 1987 and most of us know the rest.
Set against life in the 70's and now (football wise) we are on a much steeper playing field now and the last 6 years have been pretty exceptional.
Without an outside backer, bigger gates and so a bigger ground we will remain at high risk of slipping off that steep field. I am not sure outside support of any significance is likely as I doubt that a 40,000 sized out of town stadium would get the necessary bums on seats without some "idiot" trying club mergers, which would be a failure from the off I imagine.

[houseboy]

Given our recent run, the unearthing of McNeil (whose like a new signing coming good)
and JBG, Defour, Ward and Pope all hopefully back alongside Brady then I suspect it will be highly unlikely
we'll be getting anyone in.
Sean must now feel relatively confident that we can stay up with the current squad.

Wonder whether he's said anything of the kind to Garlick?

However, still think another midfielder and a forward wouldn't go amiss.
A few injuries in those departments and we could be struggling again.

Not so sure he would say to the board, 'Oh it's okay, we've got a good enough squad, save your money lads'. He's a football manager, has a manager ever, in the entire history of the game, ever said such a thing?

[Long Time Lurker]

You are beginning to make stuff up
“Rigg supposed to be good at spotting young talent” - is he ? Where’s that from ?
“We were promised a golden thread” - by who and when ?

There are a hell of a lot of words in your posts but unfortunately little substance or realism.

Oh and btw even though we have never been promised a golden thread take a look at my last post and tell me any other point since the 1960s that has been more “golden” than the last 6 years

Fair enough, I stand corrected. Rigg hasn't formally promised anyone at Burnley "a golden thread". Having seen, heard and read a number of interviews by him they all seem to melt into one, which resulted in my honest mistake.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... h-football" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

FA's new talent developers explain their plans for a 'golden thread' from England Under-16s to Roy Hodgson's national side

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/may/2 ... g-forwards" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At 14:10 We have a real joined up theme, their is a 'golden thread' that runs through the club

The 'golden thread' is a reoccurring motif used by Rigg.

I think Riggs talent spotting history and credentials are very well documented.

https://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/new ... -director/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can find far more detailed information with a bit of quick searching.

[claretspice]

I don’t get this line of thinking.

In the whole world there is only Jay Rodriguez we can realistically sign who would improve our team? Just one player?

It just doesn’t seem realistic. And i’m not even sure Jay would get in our team anyway.

I don't think anyone is saying that only Jay can improve our team, and I certainly didn't. Just that whenever we look to sign players, we look to sign players who are compatible with what we already have, and which will therefore enhance the existing mix rather than upset it. Using a "second striker" as an example - this is obviously a role we wanted to fill last summer, and we ended up with Vydra because we couldn't got Rodriguez, who appears to have been our first choice for the role. I can think of a few other alternatives, but it's not a big field (partly because not too many teams play 4-4-2 with a second striker these days, and partly because Wood is at his best with someone who can help out with holding the ball up, so our search was presumably for an unusual hybrid of mobility, skill, tactical intelligence and strength, all within a budget).

We all want the club to get more creative in the market - and I think there is force in the point that if we can't get players ready made, then perhaps we ought to be looking for players who could have the attributes we are looking for an working to mould them to our system - by getting them before they're fully established and at the top of their market value. I've made a similar point before, and I think our biggest failure last summer wasn't the absence of marquee signings, but the absence of players who could be making a big impact 6 months to a year from now. I also think we all agree the club (especially Dyche) need to get out of the habit of complaining about this to the media.

But this is not easy. You only have to look at how Michel-Seri has struggled at Fulham this season having been signed from French football for huge money to realise that even the leagues that a few years ago were seen as a source of bargains are now getting hot in much the same way the Championship has. And these are not players who realistically make an enormous difference to whether we stay up this season, which will always depend on keeping a good proportion of the existing first XI fit and in form. Everyone is looking to "beat the market" and just because we've now got Mike Rigg it doesn't mean we're suddenly better equipped to do so than those clubs who have literally hundreds of scouts covering every game in Europe.

They way we have beaten the market is to sign only those players who fit our very exacting criteria. Sometimes that will mean a quiet window if the right players are not available (even if summer was too quiet). We cannot improve too much on our current squad because we're operating at the very top of what Burnley can ever expect to achieve.

[TVC15]

TVC15 I guess 1973-1976 was pretty good. Finished joint 5th (6th of goal difference) and reached the FA Cup SF in 73-74 and 10th in 74-75 but 21st in 75-76. After that a slide down and down with a brief upturn in 81-83 and then more sliding until 1987 and most of us know the rest.
Set against life in the 70's and now (football wise) we are on a much steeper playing field now and the last 6 years have been pretty exceptional.
Without an outside backer, bigger gates and so a bigger ground we will remain at high risk of slipping off that steep field. I am not sure outside support of any significance is likely as I doubt that a 40,000 sized out of town stadium would get the necessary bums on seats without some "idiot" trying club mergers, which would be a failure from the off I imagine.

Yep losing 2-0 in that semi final to Newcastle was one of my earliest memories of Burnley FC - I was only 6 ! Different times then I suppose and an era when there was much more of a level playing field and as a club we were still benefiting a little from the infrastructure and scouting network aswell as the good reputation we must have had from a great decade for the club in the 1960s and a pretty successful history before that where we were one of the established top flight clubs.

To have the period we are enjoying now on the back of 40 years out of the top league, at least half of which we were skint and playing in the bottom leagues etc is not something I ever thought I would personally see in my lifetime.

Playing against some of the best teams and players in the world and only a year ago drawing against United and City given who they are and who we are is still pretty surreal in my mind. Unfortunately for some fans the more you give them the more they expect and want....which ultimately will mean they are in for some very upsetting years when we do go down !!

[TVC15]

Fair enough, I stand corrected. Rigg hasn't formally promised anyone at Burnley "a golden thread". Having seen, heard and read a number of interviews by him they all seem to melt into one, which resulted in my honest mistake.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... h-football" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

FA's new talent developers explain their plans for a 'golden thread' from England Under-16s to Roy Hodgson's national side

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2015/may/2 ... g-forwards" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At 14:10 We have a real joined up theme, their is a 'golden thread' that runs through the club

The 'golden thread' is a reoccurring motif used by Rigg.

I think Riggs talent spotting history and credentials are very well documented.

https://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/new ... -director/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can find far more detailed information with a bit of quick searching.

What young talent has he unearthed so far in his career ?

[Dark Cloud]

Another well reasoned and very sensible post, Spice. My concern is that at present we're playing far batter and players who were struggling have come into some form, so on the surface no need to panic and make daft buys. BUT we've been here before and a couple of key injuries/suspensions on Feb 2nd might make us all suddenly wonder why we didn't strengthen when we had the chance (again). Also we have to assume that after the Man U game we'll still be on 22 and the saints game assumes mammoth proportions, as do all our games from now on against anyone outside the top 6 as they are all potential rivals and we can't afford any slip ups as we've had more than enough in the Autumn.

[claretspice]

Another well reasoned and very sensible post, Spice. My concern is that at present we're playing far batter and players who were struggling have come into some form, so on the surface no need to panic and make daft buys. BUT we've been here before and a couple of key injuries/suspensions on Feb 2nd might make us all suddenly wonder why we didn't strengthen when we had the chance (again). Also we have to assume that after the Man U game we'll still be on 22 and the saints game assumes mammoth proportions, as do all our games from now on against anyone outside the top 6 as they are all potential rivals and we can't afford any slip ups as we've had more than enough in the Autumn.

Don't disagree and I hope that by the end up the window we've at least a bit more cover in the centre of midfield. I'm certainly not saying that we don't need to sign anyone at all. But our squad is not small - this is not like 4 years ago when we ended January without any recognised cover in central midfield and immediately regretted it when Marney got injured. We have two players in pretty much every position. There's only so much insurance you can realistically carry.

[Long Time Lurker]

What young talent has he unearthed so far in his career ?

As I pointed out in my earlier post, his previous job roles and talent spotting credentials are detailed in the article that was posted when he arrived at our club, along with what he has been hired to do.

https://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/new ... -director/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Rigg, who has held a variety of high-profile roles within domestic and international football, will head up the process of talent identification and recruitment throughout the whole club, from Academy to first team."

All the players that he brought in during his time at QPR and Fulham are well documented. You can include Manchester City in that as well, although we don't have a blank cheque book so the first two teams provide a better idea of what we can expect from him in terms of talent identification and transfers.

QPR April 2012 - December 2012

https://www.transfermarkt.com/queens-pa ... erein/1039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fulham Dec 2014 - December 2016

https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-fulham ... verein/931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to see his history of youth signings then you will have to look at the U18 and U23 squads.

Think of it as a football transfer treasure hunt.

[Darthlaw]

Alex Ferguson said ' there's no value to be had in January'.
Just panic buys and inflated prices.

Then he signed Evra and Vidic. Remember how shite they were...

[CombatClaret]

I'm all too aware of the point raised by TVC15, namely that the prospect of relegation will always be perched on our shoulder. Unfortunately, I can't see any real provisions being put in place to provide us with a little security in the event of that happening.

I thought our entire transfer & wage policy is a massive provision in place for the eventuality of relegation. Ensuring the club is not in huge amounts debt when the funding rug is pulled from under us when we go down is surely a key security. Also we've improved the ground and more importantly the training facilities which will be with us far longer than the current squad or anyone we sign this window.

[TVC15]

As I pointed out in my earlier post, his previous job roles and talent spotting credentials are detailed in the article that was posted when he arrived at our club, along with what he has been hired to do.

https://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/new ... -director/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Rigg, who has held a variety of high-profile roles within domestic and international football, will head up the process of talent identification and recruitment throughout the whole club, from Academy to first team."

All the players that he brought in during his time at QPR and Fulham are well documented. You can include Manchester City in that as well, although we don't have a blank cheque book so the first two teams provide a better idea of what we can expect from him in terms of talent identification and transfers.

QPR April 2012 - December 2012

https://www.transfermarkt.com/queens-pa ... erein/1039" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fulham Dec 2014 - December 2016

https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-fulham ... verein/931" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to see his history of youth signings then you will have to look at the U18 and U23 squads.

Think of it as a football transfer treasure hunt.

Well you should be happy with his appointment then based on how well you think he’s done. Why post the Magna Carta if we have the man to grant all your wishes ?

In all the guff you post it’s very hard to see what point you are making.

Our club is having its most successful period in many years.
We have a squad worth between £150m and £200m which has been assembled on very little net spend.
We have world class training facilities
Etc
Etc

[Long Time Lurker]

Well you should be happy with his appointment then based on how well you think he’s done. Why post the Magna Carta if we have the man to grant all your wishes ?

I don't recall passing any personal opinion on his past performances in the transfer market.

I'm reserving my judgement until I've seen what he contributes here.

[TVC15]

Ok super....look forward to your assessment on his contribution !

[Nonayforever]

Someone above mentioned McNeill worth about £15m.
For a young player with his talent, in today's inflated market, that's about right.
Surely there must be another player of his ilk somewhere in Europe playing for a club that is desperate for £15m.

That's a Kings ransom in most European leagues.

[tim_noone]

[quote="Nonayforever"]Someone above mentioned McNeill worth about £15m.
For a young player with his talent, in today's inflated market, that's about right.
Surely there must be another player of his ilk somewhere in Europe playing for a club that is desperate for £15m.

That's a Kings ransom in most European leagues.[/quote So we pay 15m.for a player with talent when we Discarded one we had on Loan Last year that probably cost us next to Bugger all!

[CombatClaret]

Someone above mentioned McNeill worth about £15m.
For a young player with his talent, in today's inflated market, that's about right.
Surely there must be another player of his ilk somewhere in Europe playing for a club that is desperate for £15m.

That's a Kings ransom in most European leagues.

It's needle in haystack stuff v teams with far more advanced scouting networks.

Also Dyche prefers English speakers or players with strong English as a 2nd language eg: Defour. This isn't "Dyche the racist" thing, he wants to know he can fully communicate his message and ethos to a player.

[SGr]

One week from now the window will be closed. Not even the slightest inclination that we’re going to add to our squad.

I mean fair play, at least they’re not giving me any sense of false hope this time.

[Tall Paul]

One week from now the window will be closed. Not even the slightest inclination that we’re going to add to our squad.

I mean fair play, at least they’re not giving me any sense of false hope this time.

Closing early this year is it?