October 2020 Transfer Window

AND IT SLAMS SHUT.

Phew. What a great day of business.

 

Mid-table obscurity (at best) incoming.

I look forward to a couple of Josh McEachren level loans over the next 10 days.

Good times.

 

We'll be lucky to make the playoffs

Unbalanced and bloated squad which has lost most of its quality and creativity

 

Got an image of Nath screaming ‘Bombs Away’ as he hit the ‘Create Thread’ button.

 

Disagree with this completely. We've made millions of pounds in this window and sent our best player to our sister club where he can help them do well and then definitely definitely come back when we get promoted.

A successful window that we should applaud Gino and the team for getting the right business done!

 

I've been watching too much Mortimer and Whitehouse gone fishing, I think he's fishing for a pike

 

They can. But I really doubt they will. Mainly because we like to buy from abroad and our window to replace him from abroad is closed now - and United can’t play him in the CL either.

How United didn’t sign a world class CB is ridiculous. That Woodward fella should resign really.

 

Relax - It's only the international transfer window that's shut though isn't it. The BBC saying domestic transfers until the 16th October or is that wrong?

Plenty of time to sell anyone decent and sign some 18 year old youth team player who has just been released.

 

Ngakia for free.

Free!

Plus the window has only slammed half shut. So, not really slammed at all.

 

The window isn’t closed, will judge when it is.

 

Excellent business today, super happy we've still got Troy, Danny and Dre.

 

This. If we play the right formation we'll be fine. However that formation isn't 3-5-2. If we transition to a 4-3-3 and hold onto (and get their heads right) the likes of Capoue, it'll be ok.

 

I know they're not the same players by any means, but Fulham, prime panic buy candidates, signed Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan today, who else would sign Capoue?

 

Perhaps a West Brom or Leeds?

 

Christ, I’m actually relieved I haven’t paid too much attention today.

I guess the only semblance of positivity to take is that Deulofeu is still ‘in the family’ so to speak.

What the f*ck is going on with Penaranda, I don’t know. The kid clearly needs an arm around his shoulder and a bit of a kick up the backside, but cracking effort of making him feel wanted and trying to actually help him fellas, well done.

If we’re not willing to utilise him in the Champ, then that’s him done for us.

 

If we can get to the Derby match with Sarr and Capoue then it is a good window.

All of our mooted targets are UK based and it's an international break so no rush.

Great GK, good defence, great first team wing backs, good/great midfield if Capoue stays, great wingers.... no available strikers.

Few loans and we're set. Just don't lose Sarr.

 

I'm actually pleased. This window was always going to be "hold on to your players" and we've pretty much done that.

We've lost a couple of good young players, which I am still disappointed about, but we did have to sell, even though we got rubbish money for Doucoure, Suraez and Estupinan, it's still money. Pereyra was always going to go, as was Doucoure. Deulofeu is still a Watford player.....how good is that.

We've kept Capoue, Welbeck, Sarr and Deeney....for now.....and I believe at least three of those will stay with us.

Our signings have been a mixed bag....but Troost-Ekong, Garner and Perica have to be considered decent. Sierralta is only going to be a squad player but Murray was a brain fart by the club. Don't forget Ngakia was part of this window and he has been a superb signing.

It's not been a stunning window by any means, but I think it's been very good for lots of reasons.

Not over yet of course, and we could still lose a lot of good players over the next 11 days, so I wont be celebrating until the 17th October. But so far, I'm pleasantly surprised at how well we've got through the first stage.

 

I don't see how Perica "has" to be considered decent. At all.

 

In terms of the international deadline, yes it would have been nice to bring in a few quality players, but resisting interest in Sarr and Capoue is obviously more important than bringing in a foreign left back for £4m.

What’s more, we still have 11 days to bring in players from the Premier League or the EFL - and considering that Ivic is on record saying that he prefers to work with English players (from last week) it was always likely that our end of window business would happen during this domestic window. Should we not strengthen during the next 10 days - and it’s possible that we won’t, or we won’t as much as I would like - then sure, have a meltdown. But for now it’s all a bit silly.

 

Some of what you've said is a bit pie in the sky (Deulofeu almost certainly won't play for us again, Welbeck is probably off and Deeney will be backup at best), but yes, keep Sarr and Capoue and we've done well. Get rid of Dawson and Welbeck for some kind of fee, bring in 3 players (probably on loan, but whatever), and I'll be ecstatic

 

What is even crazier is that they sold Smalling who is better than who they have at the club at the moment

 

The only thing is the squad doesn’t immediately strike me as ‘creative’.

 

A cursory glance at West Brom suggests they're actually OK for midfielders, they probably need defenders and a striker. Leeds also have quite a few central midfielders, though who knows, they might decide they need one more

 

I really don’t get the pessimism. We’ve probably kept Sarr, Hughes and Capoue, all of which Gino could easily have let go and didn’t (so far). Get a left back and a little depth on the wings and a striker if Deeney or Welbeck leave and we have an outrageous 11.

 

Not sure we ‘resisted’ interest in Capoue so much as Valencia just not offering a reasonable fee. The club even pretty much told us he was leaving so easy to believe something fell through.

 

Realise it’s a big ‘IF’ but if we get promoted, I would fully expect him back.

 

What do you mean? We’ve scored twice in four league games?

It’s just a matter of time before we put four or five past a team... right? Right?!

 

I still think we need a creative/No.10 type player beyond Quina.

 

Did we really have a creative side before though? Sure Pereyra was good with the ball and had some brilliant moments, but they were quite isolated. Geri could make things happen from nothing, and we'll of course miss a player like that, but we were never going to keep a player of his quality in all reality.

We'll have to rely on players like Garner to spot a killer ball. Quina with his quick feet in tight areas. Pedro with his trickery and Sarr with his pace. It should be enough in what is a very bland league. Only a couple of clubs are menacing. The rest are basic hardworking sides, with little danger or flair about them.

We should have more than enough to win this league, as long as we maintain those keys players.....who have basically not featured yet. Hughes, Capoue, Deeney, Welbeck......they'll make a big difference to us......even Gray with his pace. No clinical finisher is all we lack, but how many clubs have absolutely everything in their armoury?

A little concerned over the backup keeper. If Foster had a long injury, then I'm not too convinced about Bachmann and Parkes on the bench. We'd be very vulnerable then.

 

Step forward Christian Atsu! In all seriousness though, Quina could be a star in this division, Pedro too, and Hughes is plenty creative for the division imo. I think we're OK for creativity for now, if we could bring in someone else, by all means, go ahead with it

 

Don't think we 'should' win the league, I'd be delighted if we scrape 2nd 20 points behind Bournemouth with a goal off Deeney's backside in the last minute, but yeah, I basically agree with that. Foster is clearly our #1, although I wouldn't be so down on Bachmann, I think he's fine (and besides, Foster hasn't had much to do this season at all)

 

I suppose that might happen if he's a modest success in Italy, come back and absolutely storm the league, you'd expect major interest, come back an absolute shadow of his former self, and nobody will want him

 

Look at the numbers DaSilva and Mbuemo put up for Brentford last season or Pereira for West Brom. We don't have anyone in the same ballpark.

Quina could be, but he has struggled so far. Hughes has never registered more than 6 assists in a season even back in the champ. He is a very good midfielder, with excellent ball retention and passing, but he has never really had that killer ball.

The only ones who have carved out chances so far is Ken Sema and Ngakia, and teams have already figured out that if they pin back our wing backs, we dont create anything.