January Transfer Window 2021

1) Left back. You can never have too many, and we often have none.
2) Creative midfielder. While under a 4-4-2, the needs for the midfield changes, you still need that incisive pass to feet inside, or the diagonal to the channel or out wide. Also, when teams bunker in, a player that can make one man miss and pull another to creates the numbers advantage that you need.
3) A finisher.
----------------------- "luxuries" --------------------------
4) Talented youth players at any position
5) Right back. Femenia could easily be off in the summer and that leaves us with just Ngakia
6) Left wing

 

Not counting Marc Navarro then?

 

It will make things worse off for clubs with less money, of which we are one. Personally I also think it's a myth that it will lead to any significant resurgence of English players breaking into the upper echelons any time soon. In general, countries which produce a wealth of young top flight talent are not the richest countries. Britain remains one of those. Kids have other things to do than spend 20,000 plus hours in their youth on football - especially if they plan to have going to university as an option. So while I'm sure iot will help some, I don't believe that there are giant untapped pools of players in Britain just waiting for Carlos Kickaballs to lose his work permit so he can take his rightful place.

It will be interesting to see if the Pozzos try and acquire another feeder club in a top 8 league.

 

Evidently no one at the club does.

 

You seem to forget that just 2/3 years back England won two world cup's at youth team level, not sure but I think it was u17 & u20 and we also got to the final of another age group too.

I would think that most of the young ENGLISH players who were in those teams, are probably in or around their current clubs first teams by now. Therefore I disagree with your sentiment that I have highlighted in bold in your quote above.

 

The USA often does well in the youth competitions as well - and it translates to nearly nothing in terms of top class players. I think that at those levels there's still a significant advantage to be had from speed and athleticism. Once everyone has matured, then the differences in technical skill tend to separate the players. It's pretty well understood now that it takes over 20,000 hours to perfect the skills needed and most youth just don't get that. Of course, it doesn't have to be (and in my opinion SHOULDN'T) all be in structured settings. The more players can get out in the park and play against older kids when they're young, the better, but the amount of time needed just often isn't there.

Now that doesn't mean I don't think that some few more English players won't get good chances now - and succeed. I feel certain that they will. I just don't expect a flood. The economics and the population numbers are against it.

 

I think quite a few of those youngsters are still around, look how many youngsters are in and around the current England set up, the likes of Mason Mount, Phil Foden, Tammy Abrahams and many others who's names escape me right now, but I'll look them up if you don't agree.

 

These are all young English players currently playing for top clubs, all of which have England caps: -

Our very own one who got away Jadon Sancho; Hudson -Adoi; Calvert-Lewin; Reece James; Mason Greenwood; Steven & Ryan Sessegnon; Rhian Brewster; Dominic Solanke; Johnjoe Kenny; Walker-Peters; Maitland-Niles; Bukayo Saka; Harry winks; Edie Nketiah; Wan-Bissaka; Fikayo Tamori; Tariq Lamptey; Aaron Ramsdale; James Maddison; Harvey Barnes; Demarai Gray; Joe Willock; Ademola Lookman; Lewis Cook; Kieran Dowell; Shey Ojo; and our very own Ben Wilmot, and I could go on.

 

We all know our strikers are poor at putting the ball in the net, but here's a break down of minutes on the pitch and goals scored this season. I'm not going to include converted penalties as any player in the side can take those.

Deeney - 676 minutes, 1 goal, 2 assists. Goal every 7.5 games.
Gray - 426 minutes, 1 goal (lol), 0 assists. Goal every 4.7 games.
Murray - 110 minutes 0 goals, 0 assists. N/A
Perica - 326 minutes, 1 goal, 0 assists. Goal every 3.6 games

Sarr, Sema and Pedro's stats are a lot better, but they are wingers/wide players and are there mainly to create chances and chip in with a few goals.

Our central strikers are just not good enough. Ok, Murray can be discounted as he's not really being used, but the other three have very poor goals per game ratios and all have been guilty of missing very basic chances.

When they are all misfiring, then it's a big problem. What's the solution?

Well we do have Cucho, who I'd be jumping for joy if we called him back. We do have a clause which will allow this too and the club would be crazy not do so.

I've toyed with the idea of Kiko playing up front too. I guarantee you, he'd do a much better job than Gray. He has pace, a brilliant first touch. He'd he a lot of coaching but I think he's probably the best technical player currently at the club.

 

What do we need?

Depends if Masina, Hughes and Sarr are fit and sticking around, obviously.

I'd say first a combative leader in centre midfield, box to box style.

Second a striker who can get on the end of a cross.

LB is less urgent if we have Masina fit but would be a bonus. Will need one at some point.

 

I do agree there’s a question mark over Cucho in the regard you point out. One caveat to that is that he has been vocal about coming back and playing for us (albeit we were in the PL then) - Suarez and Estupinan were never so forthcoming and were never publicised by the club for visiting the training ground last season like Cucho was.

 

No way in hell Sheff United buy a striker who doesn’t score goals from us. They’d be better going for Deeney.

They have spent a small fortune on Brewster who hasn’t played much and is far better than Gray.

 

Well Matty Vydra looks like he's available. Dyche could have a meltdown and want Gray or Deeney.
In all fairness what do people think is a fair and rational valuation of our strikeforce?

 

I think some of that can be attributed to their awful academy/college system in America which really sucks between the ages of 16-20 or so, it's no surprise that all of their best talents currently (Pulisic, Reyna, Adams etc) are the ones that left America when young and went to ply their trade in Europe instead.

 

Burnley now have new owners so should have a bit more leeway in the transfer window...not saying they'll want Troy or Gray, but maybe they'll be more willing to let Vydra go seeing as they'll be more able to get a replacement in?

 

Getting Hughes and Massina fit is critical but I would still suggest that we need a ball-winning midfielder. We won't sing a goalscorer but its exactly what we need.

 

Our priority in January is for the board to come to it's senses, stop living in fantasy land, and recognise that all the big decisions, the mistakes, they have made over the last 3 years has led to this.

They need to recognise this side isn't good enough for promotion, certainly isn't good enough for the PL, and needs a full rebuild. They need to clear out the dead wood.

They need to look at Brentford and Swansea and say 'we want to build that'. They need to find the right coach, give him the time needed (it can be done in 3 years), back him in the transfer windows, and back him OVER the players.

If that happened in January I'd be over the moon.

 

People take the piss when this is mentioned but I think we would be stupid if we are not in for Matej Vydra, he is proven at this level and would be the best striker at the club by a country mile.

 

A new squad?

 

Ivic could've been that coach but they handed him an imbalanced squad lacking a couple of key positions then sacked him with us four points off the automatic spots. If we'd flushed the bad eggs out over the summer, I bet the players wouldn't have had such a problem with his methods.

 

Without doubt. I've always said that he should of never of gone in the first place.

 

We won't be able to afford him! He'll be on Premier League wages at Burnley and we won't be able to pay them now. We can't pay £40k for Vydra to start whilst £130k Deeney and Gray sit on the bench.

 

That is true could offer them Troy or Gray - I highly doubt we will though and that they would even accept. I think Vydra will also take a pay cut to play football.

 

BOGOF Honestly looked absolutely inept at this level.

 

Can we return Garner and take Ighalo?

 

You’ve changed your tune since pre-season. Have you unblocked everyone who was right?

 

Swansea's manager used to be England U17 boss...if only there were we had someone like that managing us!

 

Will we sign anyone else other than Zinckernagel, and if so, will they be another freebie/loan? Does anyone other than Capoue leave? If so, will we be able to reinvest that money?

 

I agree with the most part but why do we have to look at Swansea and Brentford? Gino may have his faults but what have Brentford done that is so special that we must model ourselves on them?

 

In short. Yes and no.

 

I’m far more bothered about there being numerous outgoings than incomings. I’m glad Capoue has gone, that’s a good start, but a lot more need to be cleared out.

A creative midfielder and a striker are clearly required.

Two in & lots out would be nice.

 

Style of football. Off the pitch I agree there is nothing to learn from them.

 

Any more incomings are very likely to be loans or possibly a freebee or two like our new "Great Dane" Zinckernagel, who I have high hopes for. Plus we really must bring in a striker or two, who can actually score goals, PRETTY PLEASE GINO!!!

As for outgoings I really hope we can offload Deeney and Gray, but who would be crazy enough to take them off our hands, and also return Murray to Brighton

 

Is this really any different to the other thread you already started on the Jan window?!