Just curious as to what other people's thoughts are on what we may do next transfer window.

Personally think we will strike while the irons hot regards recruitment. Layering the side with more youthful squad members. Possibly 4 or 5 signings coming in, 1 of which will be the biggest signing under Kompanys reign. The others just young lads for cheap fees but ready to step in when needed.

With these coming in can see us trying to offload as many as possible of the old guard, at a minimum Lowton, Long and Barnes. Can even see Brownhill going if a big enough offer comes in. Allowing us to maybe get two marquee signings, a O'Hare type signing and a centre half, possibly the lad Kouyate (?) From Metz.

Others thoughts?

Too early to say but right now I'd have though a quiet one with incomings.

I’d guess we are still keen on a striker given the late bidding for Obafemi. An injury to Jay leaves us a bit in the mud in that department.

Lowton will surely go

Can't see Long or Barnes going anywhere until they run their contracts down and neither can I see us bringing in 5 signings in an inflated January transfer window, 2 maybe but I doubt anymore

taio wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 7:10 am

Too early to say but right now I'd have though a quiet one with incomings.

I would have probably thought the same but we have 6 out of contract, Johan, Barnes, Westwood, Norris, Long, Lowton, plus the four loanees THB, Maatsen, Dervisoglu, Tella all going back (hopefully Beyer staying if we go up is true) that's 10 players we are down on which if promoted would mean a better standard of player, all at extra cost, having to try to bed them in. So I would hope we would bring in 4 or 5 whilst still not as cash rich from the outside to hopefully get a few bargains whereas we wait until, if promoted premiums will be put on players we want.

Obviously we may retain a couple of them loanees and hoping so but nothing is guaranteed so we need to pre plan with the thought they won't be staying.

Cleveleys_claret wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 7:40 am

I would have probably thought the same but we have 6 out of contract, Johan, Barnes, Westwood, Norris, Long, Lowton, plus the four loanees THB, Maatsen, Dervisoglu, Tella all going back (hopefully Beyer staying if we go up is true) that's 10 players we are down on which if promoted would mean a better standard of player, all at extra cost, having to try to bed them in. So I would hope we would bring in 4 or 5 whilst still not as cash rich from the outside to hopefully get a few bargains whereas we wait until, if promoted premiums will be put on players we want.

Obviously we may retain a couple of them loanees and hoping so but nothing is guaranteed so we need to pre plan with the thought they won't be staying.

I'd be very surprised if we brought 4 or 5 in. I expect we'll do the majority of our transfer business in the summer when the club knows which league it'll be in.

I can see us signing Obafemi and O’Hare (if he has proven he is fit again). They’re clearly the two identified.

Lowton needs to go, he’s far, far too good to not even be making the bench in the Championship and we have loads of good depth there. Long we would struggle to shift so I imagine he will be here till the summer. Barnes will surely be kept until the summer as a backup as we are light on strikers even if we do sign Obafemi.

I wonder if we might loan McNally out to give him some football.

Suspect we’ll be in for a striker, if nothing else.

Can see the Turkish lad being recalled too. Brentford won’t want him sat in our U23s.

I’d have thought Charlie Taylor will be agitating for a move if he’s not getting a regular game.

scouseclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:35 am

I’d have thought Charlie Taylor will be agitating for a move if he’s not getting a regular game.

Agree with this, and maybe Roberts too. Yes the overhaul was unbelievable in the summer but still think there is a fair bit to do. Bellamys comments in a recent podcast about handing out inflated contracts to over 30s or those close tells me when the players VK inherited come to a their contracts end, unless they sign on massively reduced terms they will be going. Vk also strikes me as someone happy to get reinforcements early, not waiting if everything ties in

Yates at Blackpool might not be a bad shout for a striker option.

What did we think of Obafemi yesterday?
should we be going back in for him in January?

I don't expect many incomings perhaps 1 or 2, possibly we'll try and offload some fringe players who aren't making the bench.

Lowton is an obvious one who might well leave, Norris also must be wondering if he'd be better seeking pastures new.

Vital we retain Brownhill he's been one of our standouts this campaign.

Barnes and Long are worth retaining as back-ups in my view.

Worth remembering, we still have Darko, Twine and Westwood to return.

Striker is a priority if we're looking to strengthen as Jay might not be able to last 46 games, and if he is out for a lengthy period then we are looking at Barnes and Dervişoğlu as the alternatives, Costelloe may also be an option, but it appears VK would prefer him to get regular youth team footy under his belt.

With the squad we have i can only see a striker as a possible weak link… but how is the Turkish striker we signed from Brentford doing? Keeping what we have will be the prime goal. I can see Brownhill in particular attracting a Prem bid.

Need for a striker the obvious gap in January as it was in the summer when many people on here rightly said that.

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:55 am

Yates at Blackpool might not be a bad shout for a striker option.

Not a bad shout however he's tied to a long-term deal (expires 2024 with the option of another year) so I doubt Blackpool will contemplate selling unless we offer silly money.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:57 am

What did we think of Obafemi yesterday?
should we be going back in for him in January?

I made a point of watching him yesterday, particularly his off the ball running and movement. Didn't see anything spectacular to be honest , but you have to trust VKs judgement. He's not been far out with his signings so far has he.

Norris, Lowton, Long and Barnes out

Striker in, a loan made permanent and/or a defender coming in.

Anyone we bring in will need to be good enough for the Premier league or there's not much point.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:57 am

What did we think of Obafemi yesterday?
should we be going back in for him in January?

Offered nothing but it would be hard to judge any Championship player up against what we put out yesterday. He had one moment second half where he beat two or three showing good control before belting it over the bar. I didn’t get that sinking feeling that I did when I saw Ian Moore for Stockport against us a few weeks before we signed him though.

Got to trust Kompany on any recruitment though, he’s not got a single one wrong (that we can make a fair judgment at this stage on, anyway).

I thought the Swansea lad was poor - perhaps not the best game to judge, even so I saw nothing to suggest he’d be a big difference maker for us.

Defending set pieces remains our biggest problem and we can expect teams to adopt the defensive tactics that were successful for teams like Cardiff, Stoke and Luton.

We have the technique, speed and style to deal with teams that will come at us, but we cannot cope with the late, late bombardments. This is one reason that we keep seeing Barnes continue to appear late in the game ( for defending more than attacking duties - something that Sam Vokes and Chris Wood were good at).

We need height and an aerial presence to be available at key stages of games. At the moment scoring isn’t a problem ( most goals scored from 10 different players) so we need a bigger, better Barnes to come from the bench to help defend corners etc. or when we need to chase games.

Otherwise I think, with the players that we have in reserve and those coming back from injury, we are pretty well set up.

Certainly our stock is rising in this division and if we can stay in the top two or three positions, we would be a very attractive option for the best Championship players. With the attraction of playing a part in getting us promotion and certainly a much larger salary.

If we are looking more likely than not to get promotion when we reach the transfer window, surely it’s time to invest in best of the Championship players in the positions we need to strengthen,who have the right age profile.

They will cost more , but give a higher return and a better chance of being eventually good enough for the premier league.

Striker. If we are still in the top 6 then we need to invest to win promotion and also to start to build a team strong enough for the Premier League. UTC!

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:57 am

What did we think of Obafemi yesterday?
should we be going back in for him in January?

Certainly not at £9m or whatever. If that’s the asking price, and I can’t see them reducing it in Jan, no thanks.

wilks_bfc wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:57 am

What did we think of Obafemi yesterday?
should we be going back in for him in January?

Not very much but perhaps harsh to judge as we completely overwhelmed them as a team for the most part.

Saw something on a Swansea message board saying Kompany/ Obafemi we’re embracing or something after the game? I didn’t see that & imagine someone would’ve picked up on it.

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:55 am

Yates at Blackpool might not be a bad shout for a striker option.

Agree with this. As a fairly low cost back up option could be a really good shout.

1882Clarets1882 wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 9:15 am

I made a point of watching him yesterday, particularly his off the ball running and movement. Didn't see anything spectacular to be honest , but you have to trust VKs judgement. He's not been far out with his signings so far has he.

Cleveleys_claret wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:54 am

Agree with this, and maybe Roberts too. Yes the overhaul was unbelievable in the summer but still think there is a fair bit to do. Bellamys comments in a recent podcast about handing out inflated contracts to over 30s or those close tells me when the players VK inherited come to a their contracts end, unless they sign on massively reduced terms they will be going. Vk also strikes me as someone happy to get reinforcements early, not waiting if everything ties in

The bigger question is, which PL team will want Taylor or Roberts? Because it will need to be a PL team to better their wages.

If SD gets a PL job with a leaky defence I can see us losing Taylor. Don’t sense Roberts was part of his clique.

That is, of course, if they didn’t already have moves lined up in summer that we rejected but will now entertain having bedded others in. But there wasn’t a lot/any speculation about either really.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:55 am

Saw something on a Swansea message board saying Kompany/ Obafemi we’re embracing or something after the game? I didn’t see that & imagine someone would’ve picked up on it.

Just seen the extended highlights on sky and he embraced several of the Swansea players including Obafemi and said a few words.

NewClaret wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 10:55 am

Saw something on a Swansea message board saying Kompany/ Obafemi we’re embracing or something after the game? I didn’t see that & imagine someone would’ve picked up on it.

They were having a chat. I think Kompany had his arm round him. I'm no good at lip reading though .

Commy wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:12 am

They were having a chat. I think Kompany had his arm round him. I'm no good at lip reading though .

Saying sorry but I’m not paying £9m for you when you play like that

Don’t judge Obafemi on yesterday’s performance. Imagine him in a team that stretches play rather than one that was snuffed out at every opportunity. He has a great guest touch, is good on the turn and loves running at players.

Yesterday, he was snuffed by Cork/Cullen/Beyer and THB. Tough day!

A second striker and another centre back. I think Taylor gets sold and maybe Roberts gets shifted on as well. Lowton is too good to not play, he has a couple of seasons left.

Obafemi was fairly poor other than the moment in the second half where he tied some of our defenders in knots but then thumped it over. Harwood-Bellis won most stuff in the air against him too and he rarely got away from his man.

But put it this way, would Jay Rod have looked good in that Swansea side yesterday? The answer's no, they were dire. We made them look dire.

I think we'll be back in for him in January and I think he'd improve us.

If we are still in the top two come January, I'd rather be looking at making some of the loan deals permanent than making "new" signings. What we don't wanna do is sign 4-5 players in In January that then need replacing for the premier league.

Definitely need a striker, I'd take an established CB as well, although Charlie does ok when called on.
Everywhere else we are pretty much covered.
We still have Twine, Westwood, Churlinov and Devisoglu to come into the equation. It will be like 4 new signings

On the Tella thread, if he were to get recalled in January, we would need someone who can sprint past the last man, control the ball, and finish. I haven't seen anyone in the squad that comes near to playing that role in his stead, and we would need somebody to, if we want to keep the push for promotion going.

Pickles wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:51 am

Obafemi was fairly poor other than the moment in the second half where he tied some of our defenders in knots but then thumped it over. Harwood-Bellis won most stuff in the air against him too and he rarely got away from his man.

But put it this way, would Jay Rod have looked good in that Swansea side yesterday? The answer's no, they were dire. We made them look dire.

I think we'll be back in for him in January and I think he'd improve us.

Swans fans, on their MB, said neither Pirloe or Obafemi are playing anywhere near as good, as they did last season. Whether it is because he missed out on joining us, who knows, but after yesterday, and it is only one game, I don't think he would improve us at all.

If we are still in the top two come January, I'd rather be looking at making some of the loan deals permanent than making "new" signings. What we don't wanna do is sign 4-5 players in In January that then need replacing for the premier league.

In an ideal world yes but not going to happen... We won't have or be willing to splash that sort of cash in January and these players aren't going to sign until we are guaranteed promotion...

Even if we get promoted, I feel that most of these loans will be out of reach anyway, except for any loan-to-buy deals with a price already agreed upon for a potential future purchase...

My feeling is that we have absolutely no chance of signing Harwood-Bellis and Maatsen on a permanent deal... We probably have a very small chance of buying Tella and a fair chance of buying Beyer.

3 players:

1. Forward
2. Defensive/Deep central midfielder
3. CB

BigChaCha wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:46 pm

In an ideal world yes but not going to happen... We won't have or be willing to splash that sort of cash in January and these players aren't going to sign until we are guaranteed promotion...

Even if we get promoted, I feel that most of these loans will be out of reach anyway, except for any loan-to-buy deals with a price already agreed upon for a potential future purchase...

My feeling is that we have absolutely no chance of signing Harwood-Bellis and Maatsen on a permanent deal... We probably have a very small chance of buying Tella and a fair chance of buying Beyer.

Apropos of nothing, how do you quote without the person’s name? Is it a settings thing, or do you actively delete their name??

Saints fans were very dismissive of Tella which seems surprising considering their other forward options are hardly red hot. Difficult one to predict as I wouldn’t be surprised if Saints changed their manager soon who may consider Tella deserves a chance in the first team.

The only thing this squad really needs is a forward. Suspect the ideal is a Chris Wood/Keinan Davis type - someone with physical presence (we need it in both boxes) and the mobility to run in behind and instinct to play on the shoulder. Obafemi is sort of in that mould- the thing that struck me is that he's built like a tank, unusually so for someone so quick- but clearly he's not tall.

I don't think we need a centre back unless someone leaves. Kompany might be greedy and resurrect his interest in O'Hare but I'm not sure it's a priority if Twine comes back OK after the world cup break. We've plenty of options in that position.

Also, in addition to the 3 players I feel we could do with I don't see players OOC this season going in January. They will surely let their contracts run down and move on a free. Barnes, a great example. I think we'll struggle to shift any of them before the symmer.

Only need a striker in. Lowton may go. Can’t see many other changes as long as we can keep our current loans.

xxmunkyennuixx wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:51 am

A second striker and another centre back. I think Taylor gets sold and maybe Roberts gets shifted on as well. Lowton is too good to not play, he has a couple of seasons left.

Agree with the above - certainly need cover for Cork/Cullen too. Lose Cork for any length of time and as mentioned in one of the posts above, I think we'd notice it.

Westwood, when fit, is surely the cover for Cork and Cullen, and we've also got Brownhill and Bastien who can slot in there. So unless there are departures, I think we're fine in that department and you can have too many players.

I think the only priority in the January window is to try and possibly permanently sign one of our loan players. That would be my only priority. They've been fantastic. I'd potentially try and move on Barnes, Long and Lowts - not through fault of their own as they've been terrific servants to the club, but as older players would make space for more younger players.

claretspice wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 16, 2022 1:06 pm

The only thing this squad really needs is a forward. Suspect the ideal is a Chris Wood/Keinan Davis type - someone with physical presence (we need it in both boxes) and the mobility to run in behind and instinct to play on the shoulder. Obafemi is sort of in that mould- the thing that struck me is that he's built like a tank, unusually so for someone so quick- but clearly he's not tall.

I don't think we need a centre back unless someone leaves. Kompany might be greedy and resurrect his interest in O'Hare but I'm not sure it's a priority if Twine comes back OK after the world cup break. We've plenty of options in that position.

Obafemi would be like signing Andre Gray in 2015. Real pace and power... and probably Gray's first touch.