Transfer News 2024 January Window Preview

[m]

Harris isn't an out-and-out scorer, but he contributes a lot. People need to stop getting hung up on this goalscoring number 9 thing. The important thing is whether the team scores goals. Between Aguero and Haaland, Man CIty played without a proper striker. Yeah Haaland now scores bucketfuls, but the total number of goals scored by the team didn't really change after he arrived. Arsenal now do the same (the non-striker these two teams had in common is of course Gabriel Jesus, who recently said he didn't think scoring goals was his "strong point".) Spain won Euro 2012 with Fabregas "up front". There are many ways to skin a cat...

The alternative view is that he's being cut a lot more slack than Ciaron Brown (the fullback) and Sam Long are.

He's a deeply flawed number 9. We should be looking to get a number 9 who does everything that Harris does, and chips in with goals.

...and quite where this myth that he's good at holding the ball up has come from I don't know.

We need much more from him, and we desperately need competition.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Arsenal now do the same (the non-striker these two teams had in common is of course Gabriel Jesus, who recently said he didn't think scoring goals was his "strong point".)

Gabriel Jesus has scored 18 goals in 51 appearances for Arsenal. Mark Harris has scored four more goals than that in his entire 167 appearance career. Not sure that’s the best comparison to make if you’re defending Harris… Jesus is the perfect example (at a higher level obviously) of a striker who can work hard, press, close defenders down, make space for others and still chip in with goals / generally take easy chances when presented to him

 

[brightonyellow]

@Nadi- watched much of Aodhan Doherty? Would be someone I hope we’re tracking. Break at season at Linfield, only 17.

 

[Swaby39]

The alternative view is that he's being cut a lot more slack than Ciaron Brown (the fullback) and Sam Long are.

He's a deeply flawed number 9. We should be looking to get a number 9 who does everything that Harris does, and chips in with goals.

...and quite where this myth that he's good at holding the ball up has come from I don't know.

We need much more from him, and we desperately need competition.

I understand this view of him, I just find words like ‘flawed’ incredibly harsh. He’s just not your purebred no.9 but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing good about him. The standout issue is we are FAR too dependent on him and his rather niche/particular skill set and that is a rabbit hole we’ve been living in for some time. As Kip says we just never seem to have ‘the one’. With someone like Harris, we should be using him when the opponent/game situation calls for it rather than in every available minute. He’s not in the mould of a Rodrigues who will threaten any team at any ground. He excels at a small number of useful things but that’s too obvious and easy to plan for if it’s all you have in the ranks.

We need a striker. Ideally one in the raised class bracket we tapped in to in the summer with Rodrigues etc. Do that and I think we would unlock a different use and subsequent liking for Harris.

 

[Nadi-]

@Nadi- watched much of Aodhan Doherty? Would be someone I hope we’re tracking. Break at season at Linfield, only 17.

I haven’t watched a lot of Linfield this season.
Have seen more of Cliftonville and Larne
But a lot of good youngsters come through swifts

 

[Jster]

btw I obviously agree that we need another striker. There's basically no cover for that position at all.

 

[battman]

The alternative view is that he's being cut a lot more slack than Ciaron Brown (the fullback) and Sam Long are.

He's a deeply flawed number 9. We should be looking to get a number 9 who does everything that Harris does, and chips in with goals.

...and quite where this myth that he's good at holding the ball up has come from I don't know.

We need much more from him, and we desperately need competition.

If a player like that is out there, they'd either be incredibly expensive or playing in the top half of the Championship. Add goals to Harris's game and he's a Championship player easily, and I think it's harsh to call him "deeply flawed".

I think Harris is a confidence player who has shown flashes of what he's capable of (like away against Derby), and does need to improve his finishing if he's to score more goals. However what I don't think has helped is a lack of other options to rotate with him when it's not his day - not every striker will fire every game but we're having to start him every match due to a lack of options.

Donks showed flashes of promise at the start of the season, but really needs a loan to a division lower if he's to become a well-rounded striker; and Perkins hasn't lived up to the promise that West Ham and Leeds saw in him, with now Buckingham not fancying him as well as Manning. Bringing in two strikers should be our main focus come January.

 

[TheOx96]

Freddie Ladapo will join us or another league 1 team I’m told by the same person who told me about Leigh weeks before he signed

 

[Joey]

If a player like that is out there, they'd either be incredibly expensive or playing in the top half of the Championship. Add goals to Harris's game and he's a Championship player easily, and I think it's harsh to call him "deeply flawed".

I think Harris is a confidence player who has shown flashes of what he's capable of (like away against Derby), and does need to improve his finishing if he's to score more goals. However what I don't think has helped is a lack of other options to rotate with him when it's not his day - not every striker will fire every game but we're having to start him every match due to a lack of options.

Donks showed flashes of promise at the start of the season, but really needs a loan to a division lower if he's to become a well-rounded striker; and Perkins hasn't lived up to the promise that West Ham and Leeds saw in him, with now Buckingham not fancying him as well as Manning. Bringing in two strikers should be our main focus come January.

Not sure about that. If the player who does everything Harris does and also has 12-15 goals already then fair enough but if they're only on 6 or 7, as Harris should be, then I don't think they're interesting many Championship clubs. I'm not sure exactly what he's that good at? He's quite quick but hardly rapid, his movement is ok but not great (much better running on to through balls than anticipating where it will land in the box), his link up play is alright but nothing exceptional. I think claiming he's nearly at Championship level is wide of the mark, he could have doubled his goal tally and he'd be on the same as Ben Garrity who plays in midfield for Port Vale. Again it's the lowering of the bar. I appreciate he's played a good number of games at Championship level but that's where he came through and he may well have been seen as a useful player to have in the squad or an option, I doubt any Championship club is buying him. Similar to G'OD who I've never thought was League 1 ready despite his potential, I think most are agreed on that now but he's still played 45 games at this level.

Absolutely agree that he's been a victim of a lack of options though. I compared it to the Seddon situation, Harris isn't that far off it but in both cases it's players who look like they desperately need to be taken out of the firing line being forced to play every week and it benefits no one. I think with some reinforcements so he can be used more sparingly and potentially in different positions we'll see a better player in the second half of the season.

 

[holdsteady]

Not sure about that. If the player who does everything Harris does and also has 12-15 goals already then fair enough but if they're only on 6 or 7, as Harris should be, then I don't think they're interesting many Championship clubs. I'm not sure exactly what he's that good at? He's quite quick but hardly rapid, his movement is ok but not great (much better running on to through balls than anticipating where it will land in the box), his link up play is alright but nothing exceptional. I think claiming he's nearly at Championship level is wide of the mark, he could have doubled his goal tally and he'd be on the same as Ben Garrity who plays in midfield for Port Vale. Again it's the lowering of the bar. I appreciate he's played a good number of games at Championship level but that's where he came through and he may well have been seen as a useful player to have in the squad or an option, I doubt any Championship club is buying him. Similar to G'OD who I've never thought was League 1 ready despite his potential, I think most are agreed on that now but he's still played 45 games at this level.

Absolutely agree that he's been a victim of a lack of options though. I compared it to the Seddon situation, Harris isn't that far off it but in both cases it's players who look like they desperately need to be taken out of the firing line being forced to play every week and it benefits no one. I think with some reinforcements so he can be used more sparingly and potentially in different positions we'll see a better player in the second half of the season.

I think it’s absolutely mental that O Donkor has managed 45 appearances for a league one club at his age with where he is standard wise, admittedly a lot of those have been as sub but still to have a forward who would struggle to get in most national league teams as your second choice up front and as the option off the bench is insane, no other club in our league (and probably the division below) is sending a lad of 19 who looks national league south/north level on regularly.

Our attitude to centre forwards has been borderline insane for 5 years now with only the Taylor band aid pre legs going holding everything in place, but Mackie, Winnall, Baldock as back up was bad enough before we ended up with Harris as first choice and O Donkor covering.

You just hope that a miracle can happen and a club that has barely done anything much in the centre forward position in terms of recruitment can have a complete turnaround and magic two up in the January window.

 

[greatunclekip]

I think it’s absolutely mental that O Donkor has managed 45 appearances for a league one club at his age with where he is standard wise, admittedly a lot of those have been as sub but still to have a forward who would struggle to get in most national league teams as your second choice up front and as the option off the bench is insane, no other club in our league (and probably the division below) is sending a lad of 19 who looks national league south/north level on regularly.

Our attitude to centre forwards has been borderline insane for 5 years now with only the Taylor band aid pre legs going holding everything in place, but Mackie, Winnall, Baldock as back up was bad enough before we ended up with Harris as first choice and O Donkor covering.

You just hope that a miracle can happen and a club that has barely done anything much in the centre forward position in terms of recruitment can have a complete turnaround and magic two up in the January window.

Baldock was actually a signing that showed what a decent centre forward could look like.

Since then we have been an absolute joke up front. I'll say it again. Greg Leigh is our second top scorer. And some wonder why we are not winning games.

Let's stop this absolute crap about our style of play. Ipswich smashed it last season by having 4 superb strikers. Portsmouth likewise this by having 2. We have none.

 

[Foley]

Whoever "fault' it was, beginning the season with Harris, O'Donkor and Perkins, has clearly been a massive mistake.
We need to move very quickly in the transfer window.

 

[holdsteady]

Baldock was actually a signing that showed what a decent centre forward could look like.

Since then we have been an absolute joke up front. I'll say it again. Greg Leigh is our second top scorer. And some wonder why we are not winning games.

Let's stop this absolute crap about our style of play. Ipswich smashed it last season by having 4 superb strikers. Portsmouth likewise this by having 2. We have none.

For about four minutes and then the obvious happened.

There are only 11 players and 11 positions on a football team, you should be aiming to get good players into all positions, might not happen but the idea you don’t try and then cover that up by being stronger in other positions is absolutely mental, that is an obvious left over from the headcase we had in charge until under a year ago, just leads to massively imbalanced teams who can’t achieve anything meaningful.

 

[holdsteady]

Whoever "fault' it was, beginning the season with Harris, O'Donkor and Perkins, has clearly been a massive mistake.
We need to move very quickly in the transfer window.

My worry is the culture that has led us to being weak up top is still in the club, I think the speed we bring at least one centre forward in will show if the thinking has changed, if half way through January our centre forward options are still the same then I would worried.

 

[greatunclekip]

My worry is the culture that has led us to being weak up top is still in the club, I think the speed we bring at least one centre forward in will show if the thinking has changed, if half way through January our centre forward options are still the same then I would worried.

Des has said we dont need anyone. I hope after today he has reconsidered else his EFL management career will be a footnote in history.

 

[Pgyellow]

It's almost like the emperor's new clothes, they tell us we don't need one and imply we're fools for thinking we do

 

[Foley]

Des has said we dont need anyone. I hope after today he has reconsidered else his EFL management career will be a footnote in history.

I not sure that he ever said that.
I hears an interview where he was suggesting that we needed a striker.
With Edwards and Browne now more long term, he will now say that we need a wide man as well

 

[Osei Yaw]

There is absolutely no way that our recruitment team will not be prioritising a striker in January. You must be mad to think otherwise. You don't go picking out gems like Beadle and working on one of the most in demand free agents in Rodrigues, to then not bother with getting in someone who can finish it all off.

 

[Brahma]

Whoever "fault' it was, beginning the season with Harris, O'Donkor and Perkins, has clearly been a massive mistake.
We need to move very quickly in the transfer window.

Based on today's angst, that would be Buckingham.

I think we'll act early and get JCH in to play versus Carlisle.

 

[bazzer9461]

Listening to Buckingham’s pre Northampton match interview on ifollow I don’t think he is any hurry to find a replacement for Harris. He says he’s a very good no. 9 and very important in contributing to the way we play. He also has no doubts that he will score goals and says that when Harris gets one they will be ‘like buses’.

I’m not saying that I don’t think we will bring another striker in - it looks like we’ll have to replace Perkins - but Buckingham made a definite statement that Harris is his no. 9 and sees no problem with him and what he’s bringing to the team.

Yeah but when?