Transfer News 2022/23 Season Incoming Transfers and a few other things

[uptheus]

He needs time to grow

Do you mean gain experience rather than grow?

 

[uptheus]

Well he is going to need to start the next 4/5 games as he was so poor Tuesday night. But do we risk him being that ooor for those 4/5 games for him to gel?

Wouldn’t mind him being on the left side as he has a tendency to turn inside on his favoured left foot when playing on the right, so just wondered if he was on his natural side he might be stronger/more confident!

 

[Osei Yaw]

The more I reflect on it, the more I realise it’s what we lost this window than what we brought in that’s hurting us. McNally, Sykes, Williams and Forde all gave you options (three of those down the right and RWB options for a 3-5-2) and were nearly always available to play. Even Forde who never racked up the appearances to a great amount was there and waiting whenever we needed him. We lack that nowadays. Looking at the bench we had available for the opening game against Derby, three of the seven were youth players with barely any appearances at all.

Whilst they were all part of the team that didn’t make the playoffs last year, they weren’t passengers and contributed. What I’d give to have Williams and Sykes as options now.



I have to say that I came to that conclusion before a ball was kicked. Something didn’t feel right about the summer. We joke about the transfer thread being incredibly long but that it had too go pages and pages before any new players came in speaks volumes.

Contracts have been thrown around too easily without the thought for squad balance. I’m would not have given contracts to Bodin, Baldock and an extension to Henry when you consider that’s four of our main frontline who are 30+. I certainly wouldn’t have neglected the defence and DM roles as they contributed to us having the worst defence in the top 10 last season. Findlay may have the experience but McNally had the class and ball-carrying abilities – we miss him greatly. I don’t know why Eastwood is still here and Stevens has been the one to be loaned out.

I have a feeling our main targets (Cadden being key) were overly ambiotious and were missed out on and we’re now drastically trying to put together a team based on the bits and pieces left. Sorry, folks. That’s not good enough. Be ready for 30th July, not 1st September.

I don’t want to be a misery guts about it. It’s just that the squad assembled this season looks like the weakest we’ve had since 2018-19 – it’s hardly a team, more a squad of decent prospects, youngsters, injury-prone gambles and League 1 mainstays who contribute but aren’t good enough to be part of a promotion campaign. It’s a mess.

I agree with what you're saying overall, but I am happy to have Bodin, Baldock and Henry here.

They are all classy, composed and intelligent players who thrive when they have a little space to pick a pass or get a shot off. They'll be at their best surrounded by robust, faster and more energetic players who create the space they need. We shouldn't be setting the expectation that any of these 3 are going to be playing 40 games this season (especially Baldock) but can be safe in the knowledge they have the experience and quality to get up to speed quickly when they do feature.

It's the squad around them that's the issue (which I know you acknowledge). Give Baldock a ball across the 6 yard box from a winger who's done his man on the byline and he'll finish it. Give Henry a few runners in front of him and he'll normally always pick the right pass. Fire the ball into Bodin when he's within 30 yards of goal and he can get a little flick to a winger cutting inside.

Problem is, all the other players that are supposed to be doing those bits are injured or so prone to injury that they need their time on the pitch managing. And we haven't even sorted the defence yet. I don't want to be a misery guts either but it's so unbelievably frustrating when the problem is so obvious.

 

[Cotswolds Cowboy]

Really feel for the lad if that’s the case, it must be terrible to go through all that rehab, only to do it again so soon after returning.

But although as sad as it is for him, this wasn’t bad luck, this is a player who completely wrecked his knee, and had to have it rebuilt, and was still recovering when we signed him, and there was always a big chance this was going to happen again.

Due to how good he is, I was happy to see us take a punt on Browne, but he should’ve been the only player we’d taken such a punt on for this season.

Instead, we’ve taken a similar punt on the majority of the signings we’ve made so far, and 4 games in, 4 of them are already out injured, and Jones is already apparently carrying a slight injury as well, and we’re already in the s**t.

I dread to think who KR has got his eye on next…

Jones isn't carrying an injury
He's fit but lacking match sharpness
Hopefully we'll start to see the best of him now he and his family have moved to the area

 

[Mad Dog]

Jones isn't carrying an injury
He's fit but lacking match sharpness
Hopefully we'll start to see the best of him now he and his family have moved to the area

 

[bazzer9461]

Wouldn’t mind him being on the left side as he has a tendency to turn inside on his favoured left foot when playing on the right, so just wondered if he was on his natural side he might be stronger/more confident!

Never know but considering KR played Gavin Whyte on the left side last year when Hume is a right winger……I wouldn’t hold your breath.

 

[yellowbow]

Digby would’ve been a decent signing IMO. Was disappointed when he turned us down to stay at Cambridge last summer.

Now Digby is big! But on the hairy side though…

 

[Swaby39]

, and loaning out the one keeper that could at least play from the back at this level).

No, come on now. There's a pattern forming here and it's getting on my nerves a tad. There is enough to reasonably criticise without desperately searching for more. The goalkeeper situation was attracting a lot of negative attention after last year and whilst I thought Stevens would come good, last season they were statistically poor and even to the naked eye, neither were reliable shot stoppers or distributors of the ball. McGinty is obviously seen as the long-term solution and I think he will be 1st choice before long, but Stevens is rightfully not in goal for us this year and will hopefully come back a more confident version of himself. The loan suited everybody.

 

[OX14]

No, come on now. There's a pattern forming here and it's getting on my nerves a tad. There is enough to reasonably criticise without desperately searching for more. The goalkeeper situation was attracting a lot of negative attention after last year and whilst I thought Stevens would come good, last season they were statistically poor and even to the naked eye, neither were reliable shot stoppers or distributors of the ball. McGinty is obviously seen as the long-term solution and I think he will be 1st choice before long, but Stevens is rightfully not in goal for us this year and will hopefully come back a more confident version of himself. The loan suited everybody.

Not with Karl still in charge he won't.

 

[Up The U's]

No, come on now. There's a pattern forming here and it's getting on my nerves a tad. There is enough to reasonably criticise without desperately searching for more. The goalkeeper situation was attracting a lot of negative attention after last year and whilst I thought Stevens would come good, last season they were statistically poor and even to the naked eye, neither were reliable shot stoppers or distributors of the ball. McGinty is obviously seen as the long-term solution and I think he will be 1st choice before long, but Stevens is rightfully not in goal for us this year and will hopefully come back a more confident version of himself. The loan suited everybody.

I knew Long was versatile didn't know he could play in goal .

Whilst not writing of McGinty yet, a run of games in goal will be the only way we can really tell if he is good enough to be the long term solution.

 

[Osleroad]

Wiki says he's 5 ft 8, whereas Kelly was 5 ft 4 - but he looked smaller than that to me. Might be OK when slotting into a team that's working a bit better

Doing the conversion..he's 5'6"

 

[Carpy]

I don’t want to be a misery guts about it. It’s just that the squad assembled this season looks like the weakest we’ve had since 2018-19 – it’s hardly a team, more a squad of decent prospects, youngsters, injury-prone gambles and League 1 mainstays who contribute but aren’t good enough to be part of a promotion campaign. It’s a mess.

Sadly agree with you, we had the foundation of a good squad last year, it really wouldn't have taken a great deal to push us up a level, instead it feels like we've taken quite a few steps backwards. Fingers crossed it can be turned around before the window closed, if not, here's hoping we have enough any real threat of a relegation battle.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Absolutely agree with you there. Bate just looks too small and from what I recall Camara is a beast and also skilful.

Camara is still available for transfer.

 

[Swaby39]

I knew Long was versatile didn't know he could play in goal .

Whilst not writing of McGinty yet, a run of games in goal will be the only way we can really tell if he is good enough to be the long term solution.

I think on the basis that Eastwood hasn't been much better than 'OK', I expect the change will come once there's a little less pressure.

 

[Coffin dodger]

Doing the conversion..he's 5'6"

Same height as Messi, didn't mess up his career though.

 

[Swaby39]

Not with Karl still in charge he won't.

What does his time at Port Vale have to do with Karl? He's just given him a new contract so it's hardly a vote of no confidence.

 

[OX14]

What does his time at Port Vale have to do with Karl? He's just given him a new contract so it's hardly a vote of no confidence.

No the club gave Stevens a contract not Karl. Remember we also gave Forde a contract and then sold him to Wrexham, Stevens could come back to us next season to be included in the squad after Eastwood has left or he could be sold and we will demand a higher fee due to his time left on his contract.

 

[Swaby39]

No the club gave Stevens a contract not Karl. Remember we also gave Forde a contract and then sold him to Wrexham, Stevens could come back to us next season to be included in the squad after Eastwood has left or he could be sold and we will demand a higher fee due to his time left on his contract.

Exactly so.... Win, win?

 

[werthersoriginal]

No the club gave Stevens a contract not Karl. Remember we also gave Forde a contract and then sold him to Wrexham, Stevens could come back to us next season to be included in the squad after Eastwood has left or he could be sold and we will demand a higher fee due to his time left on his contract.

The club gave him a contract? I thought the narrative was that Karl did everything

 

[ubermeistervonmeat]

Camara is still available for transfer.

He wants Championship not a team doing even worse than his current team