Transfer News January 2018 Transfer Window Rumours

beyondthefourth said:
He's a centre back that can play at full back.

At the moment, we have two natural full-backs who are both over-30. Raglan/Carroll/Ruffels/Dickie/Mousinho who can do something of a job in that postion, but only defensively.

From what I've seen so far this season, our wingers want to cut inside to support the attacking midfielder and strikers, and the fullbacks come up semi-regularly to cover the flanks, but they've not got the legs to bomb up and down all game, so mostly end up just being defensive.

From the system Pep played at the start of the season, with two fairly defensive CM's in Ledson and Ruffels, I think he would like to have had some young, fit, proper wingbacks in that team, to add width and stretch the opposition back line, which opens up our tippy-tappy stuff in the final third.

I'm no (proven) tactical genius or anything, but I'd take two good wingbacks over an amazing striker in this window.
Click to expand...
#

Have to agree with that.
 
I don't understand the obsession with a striker some have. We are one of the top scorers in the league. Goals are not our problem. Our strikers don't get buckets as individuals, but we score goals across the whole team. This is exactly what Pep said he wanted. I prefer this system to the single talisman striker, which leaves you very sensitive to fitness of that player.

Our problem is absolutely defense imo, so i echo the sentiment that is where we need the players. If had a above even average defence this season we would be top 6 for sure.
 
bazzer9461 said:
Still

need a striker that will shoot rather than tipey toe I’m the box to score.
Click to expand...

Right now that's not the system we're playing. The strikers you want to shoot are facing a wall of defenders because everything is in the centre of the pitch. I never see us up against opposition full backs because Gino/Hall/Henry/Rothwell/Mowatt/literally everyone we've played on the wing is cutting inside. Which is fine if you have overlapping wing backs, otherwise it's all congestion.

Think about our better wins this season, take MK Dons a couple of weeks ago. Healthy win, our first goal came from Gino getting past a full back and cutting the ball back from traditional wing play. Any other chances we seem to be getting lately come from counter attacks, and strikers being in behind the centre backs.

We're playing pretty much the same style as Guardiola, and the reason he failed last season is due to having aging full backs. Reason they're so much more lethal this season is because they spent £150m on wing backs. And no new strikers.
 
beyondthefourth said:
He's a centre back that can play at full back.

At the moment, we have two natural full-backs who are both over-30. Raglan/Carroll/Ruffels/Dickie/Mousinho who can do something of a job in that postion, but only defensively.

From what I've seen so far this season, our wingers want to cut inside to support the attacking midfielder and strikers, and the fullbacks come up semi-regularly to cover the flanks, but they've not got the legs to bomb up and down all game, so mostly end up just being defensive.

From the system Pep played at the start of the season, with two fairly defensive CM's in Ledson and Ruffels, I think he would like to have had some young, fit, proper wingbacks in that team, to add width and stretch the opposition back line, which opens up our tippy-tappy stuff in the final third.

I'm no (proven) tactical genius or anything, but I'd take two good wingbacks over an amazing striker in this window.
Click to expand...

Disagree on Carroll only being able to do a defensive job. He amply proved he can do the attacking bit last season plenty of times. For example, Millwall subbing their fullback at halftime as Carroll was tearing him a new one and he has got forward in the games Vs MK Dons and Blackpool from what I saw (on one occasion demanding the ball when others were hiding a bit). He will make mistakes but then he is a young, inexperienced player learning the game.

I wonder what instructions Clotet gives to the fullbacks in terms of going forward as whilst Ricardinho gets forward he hardly bombs forward like JJ Kenny or George Baldrick used to.
 
Marked Ox said:
Disagree on Carroll only being able to do a defensive job. He amply proved he can do the attacking bit last season plenty of times. For example, Millwall subbing their fullback at halftime as Carroll was tearing him a new one and he has got forward in the games Vs MK Dons and Blackpool from what I saw (on one occasion demanding the ball when others were hiding a bit). He will make mistakes but then he is a young, inexperienced player learning the game.

I wonder what instructions Clotet gives to the fullbacks in terms of going forward as whilst Ricardinho gets forward he hardly bombs forward like JJ Kenny or George Baldrick used to.
Click to expand...

Like I say, he's approaching mid-30's, so probably doesn't have it in the tank to go end-to-end for the entirety of the match. Much more likely to be caught on the counter if he does anyway, the amount of times the opposition is targeting our channels.
 
I worry with Carroll at full back. His inexperience and positioning have been his downfall on occasions. Neither of our full backs fill me with confidence. Carroll is made to be a central defensive midfielder in my opinion. He has talent and potential - but not as a full back. Tiendalli is simply a liability with his lack of pace. Two decent wing backs would solve 90% of our problems.
 
We desperately need a first choice right back (preferably one with pace), and possibly cover at left back. I’m sure we must have the budget available to go out and get these players.

I’m reasonably happy with our options up front, and don’t think a striker should be a priority. Still think we could do with a fast winger though. The lad from Man City sounds promising, but I’m not sure we can expect him to set the world alight straight away.

I know it’s a bit cliche to say, but some of the players we should hopefully have returning from injury in the near future will definitely feel like new signings:

Raglan (I think he’ll make a big difference to the defence)
Hall
Pekalski
Rothwell (assume he’ll be back at some point this season?)

Of course, all of that assumes that there will be no further departures. If Eastwood and/or Ledson leave, I’d definitely expect reinforcements in their respective positions.
 
CheltenhamYellow said:
I worry with Carroll at full back. His inexperience and positioning have been his downfall on occasions. Neither of our full backs fill me with confidence. Carroll is made to be a central defensive midfielder in my opinion. He has talent and potential - but not as a full back. Tiendalli is simply a liability with his lack of pace. Two decent wing backs would solve 90% of our problems.
Click to expand...
He cannot stop getting booked as well.
 
We've had Raheem Hanley in on trial so I'd guess that Pep knows what sort of full-back we need, it's just whether or not there are any decent ones available. Some of our best performances this season came when Ribero was playing - we miss him.
 
A rare bit of OUFC knowledge I came across through work: OUFC are not in the market for a striker this window unless 'an exception player is available at an exception price'.

Hardly a surprise considering that end of the pitch is going well, but still interesting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Carpy
  • Poll
Transfer Window January 2024 Post Transfer Window Thread
16 17 18
Replies
357
Views
28K
n1
N
Carpy
  • Poll
General Player of the Month January 2024
Replies
10
Views
846
Swaby39
S
Carpy
  • Locked
  • Poll
Transfer Window January 2024 Transfer Window Thread
314 315 316
Replies
6K
Views
454K
Northstandboy
Northstandboy
Y
  • Locked
Transfer News 2024 January Window Preview
47 48 49
Replies
970
Views
82K
uptheus
U
Northstandboy
Transfer News January 2023 Transfer window thread
209 210 211
Replies
4K
Views
311K
MiddleBartonYellow
MiddleBartonYellow
Back
Top Bottom