Don't expect anyone to come in unless a perceived pozzo bargain materialises on transfer deadline day. Maybe Pererya out if a decent bid comes in and dahlberg out on loan
Pedro is obviously seen as the striking reinforcement. If we could pick up clyne on loan, that Milan LB and replace pereyra with somebody who actually gets involved in our matches that would be a great window. Get rid of pereyra and success for some panic £££
I see Pereyra going to Napoli and Success going to Brentford on loan with an option to purchase. Other than that the selling of deadwood would be a bonus, Prodl, Holebas etc
There's no way Success gets in that Brentford team. There were rumours of Swansea taking him, Surridge has just gone back to Muff now as well.
Interesting that Pearson highlighted the defence as the area we'd be most likely to address in the post match interview. We have a lot of defenders but he clearly doesn't rate Masina or Foulquier, Prodl can't play in a two anymore, Holebas has been up and down, Janmaat and Kiko injured.
The Pozzo's usually give their head coach a couple of signings who they've recommended. Maybe not the name, unless they specifically press for someone, but certainly they give the coach a player for the position on the pitch he sees as needing strengthening. It's clear the quality of defender needs an upgrade. We're linked to a quality left back and hopefully a CB and RB/RWB will be on the list also. I believe, for now, that's all we need. These players can't be another Zeegelaar type, they have to be first teamers. Players who will be first choice. I think we should be able to find this type of player. If we are honest, and not too rose tinted, we've only really got Kabs and Cathcart as reliable central defenders. I'm not saying Dawson is bad, but I've only seen him play well in a back three. Him alongside Cathcart does not really work, but Dawson is a good backup player. A better standard of backup to Mapps and Prodl. Prodl is never fit and Mapps is the perfect club man. Loves the club and runs through brick walls for the cause. A player like him is valuable, but you can't play him in central defence all season. On the flanks, I've liked what I've seen of Masina recently, although it doesn't appear that Pearson shares my view. I think Holebas' days are numbered now, so it makes perfect sense to bring in a new LB in this window if we can get one. Kiko though looks like a new player of the left. I've been really impressed with him. Our only other true option on the right is Janmaat, but he's a regular on the treatment table. Although Mapps and Dawson can play that position well. Mapps has been very good at RB since the arrival of Pearson. That's the way I see it. One new player in each position across the back line and I think we're done. Midfield is strong with good cover and upfront is potentially strong. Sarr, Deuloeu and Deeney, with Welbeck and Pedro to come in. Success and Gray are useful, but we really should be thinking of moving these guys on. Gray is not justifying the contract we gave him, although I suspect no one will get close to offering what we did, so we probably will have to see that one out.
Strange as it sounds I’m not sure we should go too crazy in the January transfer window. We have momentum back and confidence seems good so it would be a risk to destabilise this with whole sale changes that need integration. I’d be happy with 1 or 2 quality defensive signings whilst recognising it may be hard to attract permanent quality due to our position. Any new signing needs to have the right attitude and be up for the fight otherwise I’d rather we got no one.
I'd prefer to hold fire on opinions of Gray leaving until he is given a run in the team under the new regime. We need to see how he responds before making that decision because every player has upped their game since & I do believe he deserves that opportunity after what he contributed last season.
A good run doesn't paper over the fact the defence has needed strengthening for at least the last 18 months I don't think we'd let Foulquier leave unless there was someone coming in so I'm optimistic we'll hear something this week Must be quality over quantity though
I didn't initially clock onto it & don't know if it's been mentioned previously here, but did you know NP signed Vydra at Derby in 2016? Is it beyond the realms of possibility we could be in for a loan surprise this month? It might just be the nostalgia talking, but I could see how it could work. MV's career desperately needs a new lease of life. Put a yellow shirt on it, add a sprinkle of NP/CS 1-2-1 man management, sit back & enjoy.
More chance of Ighalo I’d say. Even more chance if neither of them. We have too many strikers as it is. I think Gray will stay and be given a chance at some point. Joao Pedro hopefully goes above Success in the pecking order. I think Success could go as can’t see him working hard enough under Pearson. Need a buyer though which might be hard given he’s done nothing for a number of seasons.
Gray could well get on the end of Sarr's crosses, I don't think he is finished yet. Deeney, Gray and Pedro is enough variation to get by this season if we can keep creating chances We need a LB to provide Masina competition and a winger to replace useless, half arsed Pereyra
Success should be loaned out to an upper Championship team in Jan, to put him in the shop window for the summer or to see if he gains form & confidence as a plan to re-integrate for next season. Even if we would cover a % of the wages during that time, it's the best move for him because no one else will come in and buy him currently.
We don't need to see anything that's purely down to the management. They see him day in day out during training. Unless all of a sudden he has learnt how to control the ball, Shield it and bring others into play, pass. What he did last season has no bearing on the new. He is simply, not good enough and not the answer. I can't understand how people believe he'd be the one to get on the end of crosses. I'd like to see one piece of evidence where he's sprinted past somebody and left them in his wake. He has no pace, ability, composure he's a liability.
I have to say, watching Andre pass when the subs were out at half time was pretty woeful. He looks like he can't kick the ball properly, his body shape just looks wrong.
Pozzo basically shat on Vydra by dumping him out on loan back to the Championship just after promotion and only weeks after giving him a new contract. It looked like thinly veiled revenge for the actions of his loudmouth agent in engineering a move away after the Palace play-off final. If he's still got the same agent I'd bet there's zero chance of us being in for him or him coming back.
Didn't one of our chief guys say a year or 2 ago that we'd never buy in January because it's an inflated market? Unless they've changed or feel it's so desperate now that we need to, I can only see a couple of loans coming in as cover.
I think that's the general consensus but needs must. We need a striker and a CB. January doesn't have to be expensive in cases where a player only has 6 months remaining on his contract or if a player is surplus to the named 25 in another club's squad.
If we don't buy a new striker we definitely need cover for Sarr and Gerry D Otherwise who's going to score the goals to keep us up if we get any of Deeney, Sarr, Gerry or Doucs injured?
Much like Vydra did to us when going to West Brom in the second season under The Pozzos. Add that to the fact he never seems to get played when in the premier league, it would suggest Gino knows what he’s doing
We need a left back and maybe a right back. I wouldn’t say we desperately need anybody else although a striker would be nice
People saying we need a striker - Pearson has got Deeney playing better than he has been. We’ve got Joao Pedro in, while Deulofeu and Sarr are firing. What we needed was to be more clinical with what we’ve got and that’s starting to happen. Considering we play one up front, with two wide of him - that means we have 3 strikers not starting already. Can’t see anyone taking Deeney’s spot between now and end of the season in the starting XI and we will want to see why Joao Pedro can do as well. I think Pearson quite likes Gray given his comment the other week. We need an extra wide player much more than a striker I’d say. Defenders are what we absolutely must be in for. Everything else can wait until summer (outgoings not withstanding).
Definitely. A wide player with pace is vital this window. If Sarr or Deulofeu get injured then our threat and game plan goes out the window.
Come on, whatever his flaws, pace is not something you can accuse Gray of lacking. What about that sprint he made to get on the end of Sarr's cross vs Palace (admittedly it was a bad miss)?
Where did he run from? Was it simular as Sarr for the third against Villa? Two thirds of the pitch at full speed and still having composure to finish. I hate to slag off Watford players, but sorry I can't see the pace, ability, intelligence to offer Watford in build up play. He's weak, his control rates alongside Devon White. For a former record signing he's a joke. Take the rose tinted glasses off and accept the fact. God I hope he proves me wrong but sadly I've watched too much football over the years to be swayed that this will happen. Off the bench for an instinct goal is our only hope. But again the amount of times he's given the ball away and broken up our own attacking play far outweigh any minutes on the pitch for me.
