January Transfer Window

[Oisin]

2 hours ago, benjii said:

I'm not too fussed if we don’t sign anyone else. Realistically, signing better players than Stewart, Armstrong, THB, Stephens etc. in January is not easy. We just need to get our players delivering.

GK was important and obviously it remains to be seen if we've got that right but we have at least tried.

A quality loan like Brooks would be great, though.

I have to disagree - this squad has been crying out for a proper number 9 for years. We need to loan someone in if we can’t find a permanent option. 

Experience tells us Ross will get injured very soon and likely be out for the season … which will leave us without any number 9 and trying to make ArmA work in that role again.

We can cope elsewhere but not up front. It’s not so much the goals but the whole pattern of play, as evidenced on Wednesday evening.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

2 hours ago, benjii said:

I'm not too fussed if we don’t sign anyone else. Realistically, signing better players than Stewart, Armstrong, THB, Stephens etc. in January is not easy. We just need to get our players delivering.

GK was important and obviously it remains to be seen if we've got that right but we have at least tried.

A quality loan like Brooks would be great, though.

Thats the crux for this season, the players, manager(s), coaching staff and club have not delivered this season. 

But hey at least we got LEVEL 1 at St Marys!

[OneMrsWallace]

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker, I can't see anything much happening now. So unless something remarkable takes place this week, for me, that means one of three things.

1) SR are so deluded they believe the current manager and squad can still reach the play offs (Given it's SR that is believable)

2) They have accepted promotion is now unlikely and would rather spend well in the summer 

3) Dragan is planning for a sale of the club at the end of the season and so doesn't want to invest the necessary on decent players in case we're still not promoted.

1 seems most likely 2 sort of middling - but I just have a gut instinct it's 3, based partly on the total silence from the board for much of the season and the fact that I'm not sure his ego will allow him to own a club outside the PL for another season. There's also been some speculation his business is not doing well from what I've read. I guess we won't know the truth for a while.

 

 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

19 minutes ago, OneMrsWallace said:

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker

Would happily see Armstrong moved on, although I do think it should be at the end of the season.

[woodsaint1]

6 hours ago, saintant said:

What you mean the £62 million profit we made on player trading 🙂

Sure SR have pocketed that already

[Harry_SFC]

21 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Would happily see Armstrong moved on, although I do think it should be at the end of the season.

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

[Patrick Bateman]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

I noticed that, but I just assumed it was because he felt Scienza should've passed to HIM to score ... ?? Either way, not great.

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Noticeable that everyone tried to run over to Scienza when he scored but Armstrong just stood there. Body language seemed really poor to me. 

Yep, he actually looked pissed off immediately after the goal. F*** knows why such an un-inspirational shrug-shoulders player is ever entrusted with the captain's armband when Stephens isn't playing (other than the usual poor managerial judgement of course) 

I'd be inclined to move him on in this window if we can get a decent loan replacement for the rest of the season, despite the inevitable howls of derision from the "yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit" fraternity...

Edited 18 hours ago by trousers

[Harry_SFC]

8 minutes ago, trousers said:

Yep, he actually looked pissed off immediately after the goal. F*** knows why such an un-inspirational shrug-shoulders player is ever entrusted with the captain's armband when Stephens isn't playing (other than the usual poor managerial judgement of course) 

I'd be inclined to move him on in this window if we can get a decent loan replacement for the rest of the season, despite the inevitable howls of derision from the "yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit" fraternity...

Yep. He's been really ineffective since the end of November and hasn't looked interested since Christmas. If we can get a decent fee for him and a good replacement then I agree.

[woodsaint1]

44 minutes ago, OneMrsWallace said:

Unless AA is moved out and we may then be forced to go for a striker, I can't see anything much happening now. So unless something remarkable takes place this week, for me, that means one of three things.

1) SR are so deluded they believe the current manager and squad can still reach the play offs (Given it's SR that is believable)

2) They have accepted promotion is now unlikely and would rather spend well in the summer 

3) Dragan is planning for a sale of the club at the end of the season and so doesn't want to invest the necessary on decent players in case we're still not promoted.

1 seems most likely 2 sort of middling - but I just have a gut instinct it's 3, based partly on the total silence from the board for much of the season and the fact that I'm not sure his ego will allow him to own a club outside the PL for another season. There's also been some speculation his business is not doing well from what I've read. I guess we won't know the truth for a while.

 

 

It's also worth adding that the January window is always more difficult. Teams are unwilling to sell mid-season unless they have a good replacement lined up and players are ridiculously overpriced.

When was the last time we actually made a decent permanent January signing? Gabbiadini? We've had some decent loans like KWP and Brooks, but plenty of panic buys like Tall Paul, Orsic, Carrillo and Sulemana 💩

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Yep, he actually looked pissed off immediately after the goal. F*** knows why such an un-inspirational shrug-shoulders player is ever entrusted with the captain's armband when Stephens isn't playing (other than the usual poor managerial judgement of course) 

I'd be inclined to move him on in this window if we can get a decent loan replacement for the rest of the season, despite the inevitable howls of derision from the "yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit" fraternity...

yeah, but he's the division's leading scorer, innit.

I just wanted to join a fraternity. 🙂

[Convict Colony]

sell him while his stock is high

[saintant]

With the defence looking better now we need to bring in a good all rounder in midfield with power and strength plus a big centre forward. Loans from Prem clubs might be the way to go.

[Lord Duckhunter]

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

He played a straight bat when talking to Blackmore after the game. More or less said he's under contract here and will be happy to stay. 

[Harry_SFC]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s a decision to be made regarding Bree now. Do we sell him to Charlton for peanuts or keep him & lose him for fuck all in the summer. 
 

Personally, I’d offer him a new deal, I doubt he’s on much money & he’s a good championship squad option. But I can’t see us offering one, or him even wanting to sign one. 

I wouldn't be against giving him a new deal tbh. Can never fault his commitment and is a steady player, probably doesn't kick up a fuss when he isn't playing. Let's be honest, we aren't going up this season so he would come in handy next year.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

10 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I wouldn't be against giving him a new deal tbh. Can never fault his commitment and is a steady player, probably doesn't kick up a fuss when he isn't playing. Let's be honest, we aren't going up this season so he would come in handy next year.

We've Suguwara under contract until 28 and signed Roerslev until 29. Tonda also likes a wing back. Bree could provide competition on the left too, but we have Manning and Welington there.

So, at least 1 is going to have to go, to give realistic room for Bree, I'd guess.

[Harry_SFC]

36 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

We've Suguwara under contract until 28 and signed Roerslev until 29. Tonda also likes a wing back. Bree could provide competition on the left too, but we have Manning and Welington there.

So, at least 1 is going to have to go, to give realistic room for Bree, I'd guess.

I doubt Bree will actually be here but I can't see a way back for Sugawara either.

I'd happily see the back of Manning as well. 

[skintsaint]

28 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

but I can't see a way back for Sugawara either.

Apparently doing already at Werder so might be off anyway.

[Hawkswood]

22 minutes ago, skintsaint said:

Apparently doing already at Werder so might be off anyway.

Was that meant to say doing alright ?

[Suhari]

20 minutes ago, Hawkswood said:

Was that meant to say doing alright ?

Al Ready is the physio at Werder I believe.

[SW11_Saint]

7 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

I noticed that, but I just assumed it was because he felt Scienza should've passed to HIM to score ... ?? Either way, not great.

He’d have missed…

[coalman]

15 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

I noticed that, but I just assumed it was because he felt Scienza should've passed to HIM to score ... ?? Either way, not great.

Armstrong of all people can't complain when someone decides to take a shot. The man lashes at goal every chance he gets. Leo was clean through one on one and I trust his composure way more.

Not celebrating a goal against the Skates because you didn't score it isn't a good look.

[Turkish]

50 minutes ago, coalman said:

Armstrong of all people can't complain when someone decides to take a shot. The man lashes at goal every chance he gets. Leo was clean through one on one and I trust his composure way more.

Not celebrating a goal against the Skates because you didn't score it isn't a good look.

It cant be that surely? He was one on one he had every right to shoot. Could understand him being annoyed if he missed but he didn’t, surely people reading more into it than there is?

[coalman]

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

It cant be that surely? He was one on one he had every right to shoot. Could understand him being annoyed if he missed but he didn’t, surely people reading more into it than there is?

From the replays I saw it looked like he was already berating Leo for shooting before it hit the back of the net. And after the goal went in he just stood there and didn't celebrate at all. No idea why he reacted that way - but it was a really strange reaction.

[Fabrice29]

I haven’t seen his reaction but from what you’re describing it’s more likely he’s recognising every player is/about to be in our own half and he’s being cautious by staying in the opposition half. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Fabrice29

[Ted Bates Statue]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

It cant be that surely? He was one on one he had every right to shoot. Could understand him being annoyed if he missed but he didn’t, surely people reading more into it than there is?

Yes

 

 

[SaintLondon]

Five days until the window slams shut and not a hint of a rumour. I asked a mate who knows someone high up at the club to ask some questions for me and I've been told that we'll most likely sign a couple but don't get excited by them. 

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, coalman said:

From the replays I saw it looked like he was already berating Leo for shooting before it hit the back of the net. And after the goal went in he just stood there and didn't celebrate at all. No idea why he reacted that way - but it was a really strange reaction.

I wouldn’t have passed to him either.  Won’t be sorry to see him leave.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

9 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

He’d have missed…

Definitely, with the form Armstrongs been in. It would not have been definite goal.

[tdmickey3]

Complacency, arrogance and cluelessness, should be the result if you enter Sport Republic in a search bar on the internet 

That`s why we are lower half of the Championship

[Turkish]

7 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Complacency, arrogance and cluelessness, should be the result if you enter Sport Republic in a search bar on the internet 

That`s why we are lower half of the Championship

It was before SR but they have for sure amplified it. Ever since Koeman went there seems to have been this belief that we could beat the system. SR have taken it up a notch. The fact that Ankersen seems to believe you dont need to watch a player before you sign them sums it all up, utterly bonkers. Would you hire a new employee without interviewing them, just going by what their CV and Linkedin profile said. You wouldn't do it for a self stacker in Aldi so why do they think it make sense to do if for a multi million pound transaction? This eyes can decieve you bollocks is just nonsense, you need to base you decisions on what you see AND data. For a while Jannick Vestergaard was one of the best centre backs in the premier league, but after watching him for 30 minutes you could quite clearly see he wasn't even one of the best centre backs when he was here.

Edited 4 minutes ago by Turkish