Transfer News 2024 January Window Preview

[Steve Gilbert]

Sheffield W and Birmingham want our loan keeper

Currently playing every week in a team pushing for promotion, very happy here and close to his family or move to a side in a relegation battle with no assurances of being 1st choice. Not sure Brighton will want to rock the boat half way through the season with one of their brightest prospects.

 

[forevayella]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1736735950292603080

Yes please

 

[forevayella]

What is Harris good at apart from running around a lot. He can't hold the ball up, he can't beat a man, he can't header and he can't shoot very well. Not really sure he would make a good winger??

Disagree with the holding the ball up bit. Looks a real confidence player and unfortunately eveything is going against him at the moment.

 

[Foley]

What is Harris good at apart from running around a lot. He can't hold the ball up, he can't beat a man, he can't header and he can't shoot very well. Not really sure he would make a good winger??

He makes space for others. At least one of Rodrigues goals on Saturday was 'assisted' by Harris ( the RO commentary suggested that he drew defenders away)

He definitely needs a goal or 2 and we clearly need another striker on the books to take some of the burden away from.him

 

[dickwalton1964]

He makes space for others. At least one of Rodrigues goals on Saturday was 'assisted' by Harris ( the RO commentary suggested that he drew defenders away)

He definitely needs a goal or 2 and we clearly need another striker on the books to take some of the burden away from.hi

Is he drawing players away though by luck or judgement ? You could argue the opposition are distracted by the presence of the player alone and that could quite literally be any player, one capable of just running around and being there - in which case let’s find one who can do that and score too.

 

[Swaby39]

I think the opinion of Harris will change notably once we get another striker or two in the door. Cardiff fans loved him and it wasn’t for scoring goals. It’s not at all fair/accurate to suggest he offers nothing else.

Joseph was popular here. He was an average-at-best goal threat and missed a lot of sitters, albeit an improvement on Harris in the goals department. They share an incredible work ethic but Joseph was extremely untidy with his general play where Harris is not (note, he is still a L1 footballer so will not do everything perfectly). Joseph would constantly fumble the ball, play poor passes and I don’t think I ever saw him time his jump right for a header which let him down considering his frame…. We loved him nonetheless and most would have him back.

We need someone else at the club renowned for scoring goals and comfortable with the pressure of delivering that every week. Harris is not that guy, but he’s far from a waste of space and offers things that are integral in a complete squad.

 

[SteMerritt]

Is he drawing players away though by luck or judgement ? You could argue the opposition are distracted by the presence of the player alone and that could quite literally be any player, one capable of just running around and being there - in which case let’s find one who can do that and score too.

You do realise that finding space and making runs is a skill in itself? It is certainly not something 'quite literally any player' can do.

 

[Foley]

Is he drawing players away though by luck or judgement ? You could argue the opposition are distracted by the presence of the player alone and that could quite literally be any player, one capable of just running around and being there - in which case let’s find one who can do that and score too.

We have had dozens of strikers over the years who have not drawn defenders away by simply running around!
Finding space for Rodrigues, Bodin Brannagan etc, is in itself a skill and to suggest that any player running around could do that seems to be a bit of a limited view.

 

[WEYellow]

I think people would be surprised at how important Harris is to our team (particularly RR) if we replaced him with a lump of a target man in January...

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Joseph...was an average-at-best goal threat

Very harsh.

Kyle Joseph (at 21 years old) scored 9 League goals in 31 starts (many from out wide) in a really poor side. He had no threaded balls from Rodrigues, no marauding Greg Leigh, no out-and-out wingers like Mills or Edwards. He typically had to create all his own chances.

If he'd started 18 games for us this season, centrally, I reckon he'd be pushing double figures already. And I don't think it would somehow nullify the impact of Rodrigues - Kyle Joseph had work ethic, he could press - and score goals.

Harris does offer something, but this particular comparison does him no favours.

 

[WRox]

Very harsh.

Kyle Joseph (at 21 years old) scored 9 League goals in 31 starts (many from out wide) in a really poor side. He had no threaded balls from Rodrigues, no marauding Greg Leigh, no out-and-out wingers like Mills or Edwards. He typically had to create all his own chances.

If he'd started 18 games for us this season, centrally, I reckon he'd be pushing double figures already. And I don't think it would somehow nullify the impact of Rodrigues - Kyle Joseph had work ethic, he could press - and score goals.

Harris does offer something, but this particular comparison does him no favours.

It really doesn’t, Joseph is the exact type of player we need up front.

I saw Lee Gregory is expected to leave Sheffield Wednesday. That’s a striker you’d trust to finish a good chunk of those chances being created, but equally he could look very isolated when things aren’t going so well.

It’s not necessarily a pure out and out finisher we need, it’s a striker who can fit the way we play, create chances for themselves and finish a higher percentage of chances created than Harris does. Assume this is why Ladapo keeps being mentioned.

 

[n1]

It really doesn’t, Joseph is the exact type of player we need up front.

I saw Lee Gregory is expected to leave Sheffield Wednesday. That’s a striker you’d trust to finish a good chunk of those chances being created, but equally he could look very isolated when things aren’t going so well.

It’s not necessarily a pure out and out finisher we need, it’s a striker who can fit the way we play, create chances for themselves and finish a higher percentage of chances created than Harris does. Assume this is why Ladapo keeps being mentioned.

If we can't get the one we want (presumably a large investment and fee) then I image that option 2 is a more senior 'proven' striker in the final throws of his career - like Gregory.

 

[Swaby39]

Very harsh.

Kyle Joseph (at 21 years old) scored 9 League goals in 31 starts (many from out wide) in a really poor side. He had no threaded balls from Rodrigues, no marauding Greg Leigh, no out-and-out wingers like Mills or Edwards. He typically had to create all his own chances.

If he'd started 18 games for us this season, centrally, I reckon he'd be pushing double figures already. And I don't think it would somehow nullify the impact of Rodrigues - Kyle Joseph had work ethic, he could press - and score goals.

Harris does offer something, but this particular comparison does him no favours.

Stats are one thing and I'm not discounting them as it is important. But what you see with your eyes has value, too, and Joseph was far from a deadeye in front of goal and like Harris he just didn't seem to be where the ball bounced. But he was certainly the better of the two as a goal threat; one is average, the other poor.

Also, despite us being horrendous last year, it sort of suited Joseph to be the underdog chasing spaces and lost causes. There was no expectation on him for starters, but also we learned to accept scrappy, dogged performances rather than anything precise and technically decent. He was never good enough with his back to goal where as Harris is very competent and offers more in his all-round game on and off the ball, he just can't score. I'm sure Manning/Des would've unlocked that part of Joseph's game this year if he'd come back, but it comes more naturally to Harris.

I'd have Joseph back tomorrow FWIW, but I'm not sure he's up on Harris in any other department and not convinced he'd be a sure-thing solution to a lack of goals.

 

[Nadi-]

Harris and Joseph are both suited to the wider position.
Both have a really good work ethic.
Joseph’s touch was very poor, which was instrumental in him having a good period of time out injured last season. And struggled with judging the flight of the ball.

 

[MustardYellow]

I think the opinion of Harris will change notably once we get another striker or two in the door. Cardiff fans loved him and it wasn’t for scoring goals. It’s not at all fair/accurate to suggest he offers nothing else.

Joseph was popular here. He was an average-at-best goal threat and missed a lot of sitters, albeit an improvement on Harris in the goals department. They share an incredible work ethic but Joseph was extremely untidy with his general play where Harris is not (note, he is still a L1 footballer so will not do everything perfectly). Joseph would constantly fumble the ball, play poor passes and I don’t think I ever saw him time his jump right for a header which let him down considering his frame…. We loved him nonetheless and most would have him back.

We need someone else at the club renowned for scoring goals and comfortable with the pressure of delivering that every week. Harris is not that guy, but he’s far from a waste of space and offers things that are integral in a complete squad.

Harris has scored 17 league goals in 151 league appearances. 3 of those 17 were in the National League.

Joseph scored 9 for us in 37 apps in L1 in a very poor team in which he was receiving little to no service.

If you put Joseph in this seasons team, I'd bet he'd finish the season with 15-20 league goals - Harris is on track to score around 7.

Objectively, Joseph offered a lot more both on and off the ball, and was far more likely than Harris to create his own chances or something out of nothing.

If your aim was to defend Harris, comparing him to Joseph has done him no favours at all - Harris is in a better team with more at his disposal, and is doing less with it.

 

[Joey]

At least one of Rodrigues goals on Saturday was 'assisted' by Harris ( the RO commentary suggested that he drew defenders away)

I always think when these arguments start coming out it's a sign that the player clearly isn't doing the business. Hoban dined out on here on a simple layoff to Roofe at Bristol Rovers for a while as a sign that he was a good hold up player. I can't recall who it was we played away when Henry scored a diving header from the edge of the box and people were keen to drag it back to a simple 10 yard pass Obika had made on the halfway line earlier in the move. That's without getting in to players doing things you can't see.

I've just watched the goals from Saturday again and I've no idea what run they could be referring to that made space. Foe the second goal he's almost standing still so assume it is the first goal. All he did for that was run forwards down the left channel rather than joining Rodrigues more off to the right, and by the time Rodrigues was shooting Harris had actually dragged the defender closer as if he was looking for a pullback that I don't think was ever on, the only pass that could have been played was to the back post past the defender. Our standards need to be significantly higher than "he's doing fine as long as he isn't holding someone else's hand on the pitch"

I think Harris has a place in the squad but we're probably all agreed it's not as a first choice striker. I'd be happy enough with him out wide or as another option up front as he's better than he's showing currently but there's nothing about him that screams goals.

 

[Essexyellows]

For all that is written we need options up front.

Be that a decent target man/lump to make space, or a natural poacher/goalscorer, and they don`t come cheap unless you get lucky from the lower leagues.

 

[MustardYellow]

I always think when these arguments start coming out it's a sign that the player clearly isn't doing the business. Hoban dined out on here on a simple layoff to Roofe at Bristol Rovers for a while as a sign that he was a good hold up player. I can't recall who it was we played away when Henry scored a diving header from the edge of the box and people were keen to drag it back to a simple 10 yard pass Obika had made on the halfway line earlier in the move. That's without getting in to players doing things you can't see.

I've just watched the goals from Saturday again and I've no idea what run they could be referring to that made space. Foe the second goal he's almost standing still so assume it is the first goal. All he did for that was run forwards down the left channel rather than joining Rodrigues more off to the right, and by the time Rodrigues was shooting Harris had actually dragged the defender closer as if he was looking for a pullback that I don't think was ever on, the only pass that could have been played was to the back post past the defender. Our standards need to be significantly higher than "he's doing fine as long as he isn't holding someone else's hand on the pitch"

I think Harris has a place in the squad but we're probably all agreed it's not as a first choice striker. I'd be happy enough with him out wide or as another option up front as he's better than he's showing currently but there's nothing about him that screams goals.

Completely agree with this.

The bar for which we consider something 'good' from Harris seems to be getting lower and lower every week, to the point I actually think some people are slightly kidding themselves.

 

[BicesterU]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered elsewhere or is common knowledge, but if players we have on loan are going to be re-called, will we find out on January 1st? Or does it depend on whether the parent club already have firm plans or another loan lined up for them?

I assume if parent clubs have already decided on a re-call and loan elsewhere, that they might've communicated this to us already so we can begin the process of replacing anyone short-term signings we're set to lose?

 

[Carpy]

Completely agree with this.

The bar for which we consider something 'good' from Harris seems to be getting lower and lower every week, to the point I actually think some people are slightly kidding themselves.

I don't think anyone disagrees we need better upfront, but there are a lot (me included) who don't agree that he's a bad player or offers nothing as some suggest