• The morning after the night before!

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:21 am**

Just wondering what the consensus is to our transfer window and hopes for promotion?

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:30 am**

Fairly pleased although would have preferred an out and out striker, having watched Leeds and Sunderland I think that we will finish below them in 3rd (ugh) really hope I’m wrong.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:37 am**

I think it largely depends on how much Shelvey and Edwards add to our ability to carve out chances.

We’ve also got to stay clear of significant injuries in a couple of positions. I don’t fancy relying on 35 year old Barnes being our only striker off the bench and an injury at left back or centre half leaves us a bit stretched given the fact that Humphrey is cover for both positions.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:41 am**

I think our failure to sign a striker will cost us automatic promotion in the end. What we have just isn’t prolific enough.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:45 am**

Underwhelming for a team that should be pushing for automatic promotion.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:46 am**

If we hadn't signed Edwards it would have been an extremely poor window.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:47 am**

Decent considering how January windows can often go. I agree a striker would have been nice but I think we should be getting more out of what we've got. Foster and Flemming should be enough to get goals at this level. We need to sort the system not the players.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:50 am**

To go from 6 to 3 Centre Halves is a strange one whilst not signing a goalscorer is even stranger.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:50 am**

If Edwards is as good as people say he is, we might just have enough for second place

With no real links to a striker I don't think Parker was as keen as some on here to get one in

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:51 am**

randomclaret2 wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:50 am
To go from 6 to 3 Centre Halves is a strange one whilst not signing a goalscorer is even stranger.

We have 4 centre halves

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:52 am**

No striker. We knew we needed one before the season started. Barnes doesn’t solve the problem in any way.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:53 am**

I would like to know if Scott wanted to add a further out and out striker- No 9, if so, massive failure by the recruitment team, especially when looking at the other clubs in the mix completed business.

Here's hoping Foster has a massive transformation in the second half of the season with the arrival of Edwards.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:55 am**

Row x wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:51 am
We have 4 centre halves

If thats the case, we have 1 Left Back

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:57 am**

agreenwood wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:37 am
I think it largely depends on how much Shelvey and Edwards add to our ability to carve out chances.

We’ve also got to stay clear of significant injuries in a couple of positions. I don’t fancy relying on 35 year old Barnes being our only striker off the bench and an injury at left back or centre half leaves us a bit stretched given the fact that Humphrey is cover for both positions.

Agree with this.

A striker seemed essential - this team needs a livewire forward who can stretch the game in normal play and be sharp in their goalscoring movement in the box. We don't have one. You can have all the creativity behind the striker you want but if you don't have someone providing a focal point to your build up, or getting across the defenders to get on the end of moves in the box, you won't score enough goals.

I also think we've ended up slightly light in the left back/centre half department, although with Sonne and Sambo still in the squad I suppose we've got some cover. I think a more athletic left back option might have been helpful for this squad given Pires hasn't been quite as effective in the final third in the last few weeks.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:57 am**

We have 5 centre backs if we include Beyer who returned to training a month or so ago.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am**

ArmchairDetective wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:57 am
We have 5 centre backs if we include Beyer who returned to training a month or so ago.

Beyer wont be playing for a long while yet..

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am**

Don't think the squad needed much recruitment, with some of the injured players getting back and onto the grass. I think its the system and how the team are being asked to play is the problem and stifles creativity in order to prevent conceding goals. Some of our most creative players, I think have been playing with shackles on and don't look remotely like the players they have been previously. Its a balance, but we haven't found the right balance yet to allow us to get forward with purpose.

It's disappointing that we haven't brought in an out and out poacher/goal threat as I think although we are not creating enough statistically, there have been few chances in the 0-0's where a true No 9 would have sniffed out balls fired across the box/pulled back to the pen spot or to the edge of the box and put them away. There's nothing that beats a true strikers instinct, just look at some of the greats over the years, you cant teach being in the right place a the right time.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am**

randomclaret2 wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am
Beyer wont be playing for a long while yet..

How close/far away is he?

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:59 am**

We did well to loan out Delcroix and Ekdal and sell Egan
Did very well to get in Edwards as well as Shelvey
Barnes I am not sure about. As Jay has just proved probably at best a League 1 striker
Did well to keep Esteve, CJ, Brownhill
The big failure is a goal scorer. Millwall away when Flemming was ineligible and we had to rely on Jay & Hountondji should have emphatically said we need a goal scorer if we wanted promotion. Since then both (who were not up to it), have gone . That game was early November so we have had 3 months to get someone over the line

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:04 am**

Still feel we should have got a decent striker with pace to get us up , now i feel if Fleming gets injured or Foster could have a relapse we could be snookered and all the good work we have done over half the season could come back and hurt us ..

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:10 am**

If Foster gets decent service, I believe he can score goals. I'd like to see Flemming as the number 10 and Shelvey as the creative midfielder. Unfortunately, if Cullen plays as the DM, Brownhill and Laurent will have no role apart from as bench warmers.
I know, it's fantasy, but as soon as Edwards is match fit, I would like to see if this more positive side will be played.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:14 am**

AmbleClaret wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:45 am
Underwhelming for a team that should be pushing for automatic promotion.

We are pushing for automatic promotion.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:16 am**

ArmchairDetective wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am
How close/far away is he?

I wouldn’t expect to see him this season.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:19 am**

Here's a good overview of all the deals (look at Swansea for a good laugh)

https://www.skysports.com/football/news ... s-and-outs

Leeds - no one in. The question is, did they need anyone?
Sheffield Utd - Choudry, Cannon, BBD, Rob Holding - they have significantly strenghtened
Sunderland - Le Fee and Isidor - Not bad - Still waiting on Danns (which would be a good signing)

We seem a bit light still. Here's hoping Edwards hits the ground running and Redmond and Benson can start contributing, otherwise it is play offs for us.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:20 am**

Not sure we've done enough to sort the lack of goals out. Hope I'm wrong and that it is an indication that Parker is confident of Benson's impact coming back and getting Ramsey involved soon.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:25 am**

There’s always an element of assessing a window being a complete nonsense. The true assessment can only be made at the end of the season.

There’ll be teams out there who think they’ve done brilliantly, but in actual fact they’ve just wasted a **** load of money.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:27 am**

Have we signed players that improve us so much Parker won't be playing for a clean sheet and hoping for the best? No. Were we trying to? Probably no.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:29 am**

I'm pinning all my hope on Edwards and Benson to add a spark - if those two aren't top notch then we don't go up imho

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:30 am**

martin_p wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:14 am
We are pushing for automatic promotion.

Tickling.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:36 am**

daveisaclaret wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:27 am
Have we signed players that improve us so much Parker won't be playing for a clean sheet and hoping for the best? No. Were we trying to? Probably no.

Surely Edwards and Shelvey will be a massive upgrade on any creative players that we already had fit and available?

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:37 am**

This is a horrifying window for us! The only two players we have signed who could maybe help with the attacking side are Jonjo Shelvey and Marcus Edwards. One of them is a punt, is knocking on, and hasn't pulled up any trees in England for years, and neither has played much football all season.

Even if we picked Shelvey and Edwards tonight, it will take at least five games to get up to speed, maybe up to ten, which will be far too late. We seem to have given up on automatic promotion and concentrated on trimming the squad instead!

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:42 am**

We have not lost anyone apart from Jay Rod. Keeping our defence till the end of the season is masssive, Imagine if we had lost Trafford and CJ , but we didn't . Also it looks as though Brownhill is staying. We really missed him on Saturday.
As far as the outright attack is concerned it maybe that the signing of Edwards as an attacking winger will allow Foster and Flemming to play in the favoured positions, with Benny and Shelvey coming off the Bench and Barnes and Worrall adding strength as we. play out games. We also have potential in Ramsey , Bauress, McDermott and possibly Banel to develop when appropriate . On top of this we have flexibility in the current squad with Hanibal/Laurent Pires/Humphries , Roberts/Sonne. Its now up to SP to manage this as wisely as possible. Not a bad window for me.!

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:46 am**

BigChaCha wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:37 am
This is a horrifying window for us! The only two players we have signed who could maybe help with the attacking side are Jonjo Shelvey and Marcus Edwards. One of them is a punt, is knocking on, and hasn't pulled up any trees in England for years, and neither has played much football all season.

Even if we picked Shelvey and Edwards tonight, it will take at least five games to get up to speed, maybe up to ten, which will be far too late. We seem to have given up on automatic promotion and concentrated on trimming the squad instead!

Go and see a counsellor.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:46 am**

We will finish top

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:47 am**

Burtonwoodclaret wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:42 am
We have not lost anyone apart from Jay Rod. Keeping our defence till the end of the season is masssive, Imagine if we had lost Trafford and CJ , but we didn't . Also it looks as though Brownhill is staying. We really missed him on Saturday.
As far as the outright attack is concerned it maybe that the signing of Edwards as an attacking winger will allow Foster and Flemming to play in the favoured positions, with Benny and Shelvey coming off the Bench and Barnes and Worrall adding strength as we. play out games. We also have potential in Ramsey , Bauress, McDermott and possibly Banel to develop when appropriate . On top of this we have flexibility in the current squad with Hanibal/Laurent Pires/Humphries , Roberts/Sonne. Its now up to SP to manage this as wisely as possible. Not a bad window for me.!

What a refreshing post. Thank you.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:51 am**

We really could have done with at least one striker but we are not miles off it.
Excited to see what this new lad can do as I know nothing about him.

What we really need is the manager to change approach. If he’s willing to do that we’ll be there or thereabouts.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:53 am**

ClaretOfMancunia wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:46 am
If we hadn't signed Edwards it would have been an extremely poor window.

If my grandma had balls, she'd be my grandad.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:54 am**

Heading for our first appearance in the Play offs for 16 years

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:56 am**

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:59 am**

Good that we haven't lost any first teamers (possibly Rodriguez excluded) and moved on a few that we didn't need.

Bad that we've not added much.

Edwards could be good and is the main bright spark of the window, but it is likely he'll need easing in and may not feature enough to make a difference.
I may be entirely wrong but I'm predicting that Shelvey will have as much impact as when we signed Gazza.
Sonne seems fine as backup and will be valuable if Roberts is out but unlikely to improve us.
Barnes I just can't see him featuring much apart from seeing games out (which we haven't really struggled with).
Banel, suspect we won't see much of him this year.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:00 am**

CJ_Claret wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am
Don't think the squad needed much recruitment, with some of the injured players getting back and onto the grass. I think its the system and how the team are being asked to play is the problem and stifles creativity in order to prevent conceding goals. Some of our most creative players, I think have been playing with shackles on and don't look remotely like the players they have been previously. Its a balance, but we haven't found the right balance yet to allow us to get forward with purpose.

It's disappointing that we haven't brought in an out and out poacher/goal threat as I think although we are not creating enough statistically, there have been few chances in the 0-0's where a true No 9 would have sniffed out balls fired across the box/pulled back to the pen spot or to the edge of the box and put them away. There's nothing that beats a true strikers instinct, just look at some of the greats over the years, you cant teach being in the right place a the right time.

Couldn't have put this any better cj, I've also thought it's about the desire as well, desire to make the net bulge, we just don't seem to be showing enough of it, there's been numerous occasions where a ball has gone across the 6 yd box, we just don't seem to have had the desire to get there, awareness etc.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:11 am**

CJ_Claret wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am
Some of our most creative players, I think have been playing with shackles on and don't look remotely like the players they have been previously.

Which ones specifically?

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:17 am**

Holtyclaret wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:16 am
I wouldn’t expect to see him this season.

The only way we could possibly see him this season is if one of the cb's and full back is injured or unavailable at the same time, but it won't happen yet because he'll be at least a month away yet in any case, but I would think Parker will want to take a look at him in game to work out he's plan's for next season whatever happens.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:17 am**

Great window in my opinion.

Never expected a striker to come in. Signing a top winger was always the target and it was achieved.

With other players coming back to fitness in Ramsey and Beyer. The squad is starting to look really healthy.

I just hope Parker doesn’t go safe in the next couple of games and gives Edwards the opportunity to shine even if it is just for half a game

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:32 am**

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:17 am
Great window in my opinion.

Never expected a striker to come in. Signing a top winger was always the target and it was achieved.

With other players coming back to fitness in Ramsey and Beyer. The squad is starting to look really healthy.

I just hope Parker doesn’t go safe in the next couple of games and gives Edwards the opportunity to shine even if it is just for half a game

I agree too..
I don't know if we'll ever see Tresor play again but with Ramsey, Redmond and Benson coming back that's enough in the squad to push on with.
Ok a striker would have been nice but SP will never play 2 up front together.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:36 am**

We have certainly improved and by quite a distance, if we include players coming back from injury our last 16 games should be a lot stronger than our first 30.

The striker and a better left back would be perfect but in Edwards we see why we didn’t sign Whittaker and we have a winger for mid table in the Premier League. That is why I suspect we didn't panic buy, we don’t want incapable PL players in 6 months. A big risk but Parker must be confident he could pull promotion off with what he has.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:43 am**

Newcastleclaret93 wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:17 am
Great window in my opinion.

Never expected a striker to come in. Signing a top winger was always the target and it was achieved.

With other players coming back to fitness in Ramsey and Beyer. The squad is starting to look really healthy.

I just hope Parker doesn’t go safe in the next couple of games and gives Edwards the opportunity to shine even if it is just for half a game

When are Ramsey and Beyer back ?

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:52 am**

We can’t rely on Ramsey, Redmond, Beyer, Edwards - even if fit, they’re a long way off match fit and probably need a pre season - we might get a game or two out of them - might be useful in the playoffs!

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 11:54 am**

Excited to see the incomings in action and happy that our main men have been kept at our club. It all might be enough to get us up, I hope we can all look back on this window as one where we played a bit of a blinder, for the rest of this season and into the future.

Posted: **Tue Feb 04, 2025 12:48 pm**

ArmchairDetective wrote: ↑
Tue Feb 04, 2025 9:58 am
How close/far away is he?

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