What Is The Clubs Transfer Strategy

[Salvatore Matrecano]

So Colback is the new scapegoat, some people really do need to get a grip, its the manager that is the problem

Yeah your right, Sabri shouldn’t have signed him in first place.

IMO if we were targeting Arter we shouldn’t have signed Colback.
If we knew we were targeting Ioannou and Mckenna we shouldnt have signed Blackett.

[zicorice]

The problem is NOT the individuals we have signed, you can make a case for every one of them except Bachirou who seems to have been signed for the sole purpose of keeping Bong company.

Its is collectively where the problem lies. We did not need 12 players. The club doesn't need the 6 of them who are over 30 and signed on high wages either assuming we will soon get a new manager who will want to bring in his own players as well. We have added depth but not necessarily quality, too many of these are no better that what was already here.

The strongest element of our team last year was the defence. OK we needed to replace Cash and back up left back but that was it. We have bought an entire new defence. It cant help the confidence of any when they see players bought in to replace them. Also importantly there is a knock on effect, players see how their mates are being treated and frozen out it affects overall morale.

Ribeiro was a revelation last season, almost everyone thought he was outstanding. So we bought Blackett in as cover who can play LB and LCB, I get that. Then yesterday both these players see another arrive as competition. Blackett will have thought when he signed this was a fantastic move for him, bet he is having doubts already.

You can make similar cases for poor from throughout the squad, how much of it is simply down to player turnover and not knowing how their teammates play, what their strengths and weaknesses are. There is more to this than will be fixed by changing the head coach.

So aside from the left back situation and perhaps it seems there might be more to it with ribeiro. Who else would you have not signed? 

(I forgot about Fred, weird one so far that one)

We can all agree Figs has been struggling for a while so we needed a new CB for example

Did we really though? Could Figs not have been taken out the firing line and one of Dawson, Benoloune, Hefele or Blackett done the job. The first 3 have all done a decent job for us either with Sabri or previous managers. Dont get me wrong, genuine upgrades like McKenna make sense, but it feels a bit like the Karanka spell of signing loads of players to replace similar standard players but bloats the squad/wage bill

After last season we needed to replace Cash and Watson clearly. But then 3 or 4 decent signings should have been enough. Granted we were lucky with injuries last season (bar Dawson and Sow) but Christie and Colback to replace Cash and Dawson, plus Taylor, Freeman, McKenna and a wide player would have done for me. So many new players is disruptive.

[wassy04]

So Colback is the new scapegoat, some people really do need to get a grip, its the manager that is the problem

Yeah your right, Sabri shouldn’t have signed him in first place.

IMO if we were targeting Arter we shouldn’t have signed Colback.
If we knew we were targeting Ioannou and Mckenna we shouldnt have signed Blackett.

Colback is a replacement for Watson, Arter plays a different position and is more a replacement/alternative to Silva. The blackett signing is clearly one of the ones that makes the least sense but can't see how the signing of a potentially backup left back is really going to have a negative impact on the season?

There's worse things out there!

[wassy04]

The problem is NOT the individuals we have signed, you can make a case for every one of them except Bachirou who seems to have been signed for the sole purpose of keeping Bong company.

Its is collectively where the problem lies. We did not need 12 players. The club doesn't need the 6 of them who are over 30 and signed on high wages either assuming we will soon get a new manager who will want to bring in his own players as well. We have added depth but not necessarily quality, too many of these are no better that what was already here.

The strongest element of our team last year was the defence. OK we needed to replace Cash and back up left back but that was it. We have bought an entire new defence. It cant help the confidence of any when they see players bought in to replace them. Also importantly there is a knock on effect, players see how their mates are being treated and frozen out it affects overall morale.

Ribeiro was a revelation last season, almost everyone thought he was outstanding. So we bought Blackett in as cover who can play LB and LCB, I get that. Then yesterday both these players see another arrive as competition. Blackett will have thought when he signed this was a fantastic move for him, bet he is having doubts already.

You can make similar cases for poor from throughout the squad, how much of it is simply down to player turnover and not knowing how their teammates play, what their strengths and weaknesses are. There is more to this than will be fixed by changing the head coach.

So aside from the left back situation and perhaps it seems there might be more to it with ribeiro. Who else would you have not signed? 

(I forgot about Fred, weird one so far that one)

We can all agree Figs has been struggling for a while so we needed a new CB for example

Did we really though? Could Figs not have been taken out the firing line and one of Dawson, Benoloune, Hefele or Blackett done the job. The first 3 have all done a decent job for us either with Sabri or previous managers. Dont get me wrong, genuine upgrades like McKenna make sense, but it feels a bit like the Karanka spell of signing loads of players to replace similar standard players but bloats the squad/wage bill

After last season we needed to replace Cash and Watson clearly. But then 3 or 4 decent signings should have been enough. Granted we were lucky with injuries last season (bar Dawson and Sow) but Christie and Colback to replace Cash and Dawson, plus Taylor, Freeman, McKenna and a wide player would have done for me. So many new players is disruptive.

Figs cost us loads of points last year, was at fault for a number of last minute goals, Reading/sheff wed for example. Not sure I'd be confident with any of those backups. Either way the point is to improve the team and Mckenna on paper clearly does this.

So you're saying you never criticised the lack of depth in central midfield or the lack of options in attack?

I would argue going into the season we required two strikers, a left back (to replace bong), right back, backup CB, central midfielders (to replace Watson and fill in for Sow), number 10 (replace Carv). Looks like a fair few there and that's before any actual improvements to the first team.

I could go back through this forum and find so many examples of criticism of previous Windows and a lack of depth, now we've got the depth everyone is criticising it! So frustrating

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Sorry Wassy not having a go at you mate but this is bxxxxxks!!
We do NOT need 36 players to have strength in depth
We just need 18 decent ones.

Thats what we wanted last season ,we said our 1st 11 was good just needed some quality options on the bench. You could argue we have that now but we honestly dont need all the extra crap we have accumulated.

[wassy04]

Sorry Wassy not having a go at you mate but this is bxxxxxks!!
We do NOT need 36 players to have strength in depth
We just need 18 decent ones.

Thats what we wanted last season ,we said our 1st 11 was good just needed some quality options on the bench. You could argue we have that now but we honestly dont need all the extra crap we have accumulated.

Hahaha we don't have 36 players and you definitely need more than 18. I'm not sure why you think having these extra players is going to negatively impact the team? Not great for the bank balance sure, but a bunch of players not playing isnt going to impact the team much? 

Most felt we needed more creativity ie freeman plus we needed replacements for cash, Watson and Sow (based on fitness) that's 4 already plus others to build depth.

[tugger2018]

Last season our team picked itself in a 14231 formation I felt to improve that team we should of just replaced
2 of the 3 behind Grabban with top quality
Ie freeman and another bowan type ?

[Salvatore Matrecano]

Sorry Wassy not having a go at you mate but this is bxxxxxks!!
We do NOT need 36 players to have strength in depth
We just need 18 decent ones.

Thats what we wanted last season ,we said our 1st 11 was good just needed some quality options on the bench. You could argue we have that now but we honestly dont need all the extra crap we have accumulated.

Hahaha we don't have 36 players and you definitely need more than 18. I'm not sure why you think having these extra players is going to negatively impact the team? Not great for the bank balance sure, but a bunch of players not playing isnt going to impact the team much? 

Most felt we needed more creativity ie freeman plus we needed replacements for cash, Watson and Sow (based on fitness) that's 4 already plus others to build depth.

I don't think we are ever going to agree mate, my opinion having a bunch of players mooching around knowing they will never play spreads negativity and malaise. I know nothing but it is an argument I have heard from player interviews, of poisonous atmospheres they have encountered within certain clubs.

The thread is about transfer strategy. I am yet to be convinced there is a consistent and coherent one. I am positive about the signings of Mbe Soh, McKenna and ioannou. Maybe we didn't need to spend the money this window with so much focus on defence but at least this trio is an attempt to invest in the future.

[Madforit]

So Colback is the new scapegoat, some people really do need to get a grip, its the manager that is the problem

Yeah your right, Sabri shouldn’t have signed him in first place.

 So Sabri should not have signed a good few of them then

[wassy04]

Sorry Wassy not having a go at you mate but this is bxxxxxks!!
We do NOT need 36 players to have strength in depth
We just need 18 decent ones.

Thats what we wanted last season ,we said our 1st 11 was good just needed some quality options on the bench. You could argue we have that now but we honestly dont need all the extra crap we have accumulated.

Hahaha we don't have 36 players and you definitely need more than 18. I'm not sure why you think having these extra players is going to negatively impact the team? Not great for the bank balance sure, but a bunch of players not playing isnt going to impact the team much? 

Most felt we needed more creativity ie freeman plus we needed replacements for cash, Watson and Sow (based on fitness) that's 4 already plus others to build depth.

I don't think we are ever going to agree mate, my opinion having a bunch of players mooching around knowing they will never play spreads negativity and malaise. I know nothing but it is an argument I have heard from player interviews, of poisonous atmospheres they have encountered within certain clubs.

The thread is about transfer strategy. I am yet to be convinced there is a consistent and coherent one. I am positive about the signings of Mbe Soh, McKenna and ioannou. Maybe we didn't need to spend the money this window with so much focus on defence but at least this trio is an attempt to invest in the future.

Yeah fair play I guess we'll get an idea in the future of how good/bad a decision it was! 

I would say the strategy was experienced championship players with a few younger ones interspersed as mentioned above. This is the exact strategy I would've gone for, allows for success now whilst also hopefully provides future assets too.

Aside from Blackett and maybe Fred (who I know nothing about) I think I would've made every transfer we did if I was in charge. If riberio is off then blackett makes sense too. I get you probably wouldn't want yo get rid of ribeiro/silva which I agree is unnecessary.

I dont like Silva to oly if that happens unless we're getting a fee. Second season in the UK after playing a lot of games and showing glimpses. I would expect a jump in performance from silva if he was playing regularly

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

So Colback is the new scapegoat, some people really do need to get a grip, its the manager that is the problem

Yeah your right, Sabri shouldn’t have signed him in first place.

 So Sabri should not have signed a good few of them then

Colback on a free is a no brainer for ANY club in The Championship surely?

[Uwantlee]

So Colback is the new scapegoat, some people really do need to get a grip, its the manager that is the problem

Yeah your right, Sabri shouldn’t have signed him in first place.

 So Sabri should not have signed a good few of them then

Colback on a free is a no brainer for ANY club in The Championship surely?

I don’t agree with the sheer number of signings made by the club this summer but I find it hard to disagree with signing them as individuals. They, on the most part, are upgrades. The only ones i am against are Fred, Blackett and the goalie whilst also not wanting to see another dcm enter the club
However, the problem at the moment is the manager not the players. Most of our signings would have been snapped up by any other club.