January 2022 Transfer Thread

[Johnny75]

I think a CH and CM (if recruited properly) allows us to go to a back four which gives us less reliance on our wing backs, obviously, and gives us more options in front of the ball to be able to break down teams better. Ideally we would have done that yesterday with 30 left but understand why Bruno didn’t

I think this is certainly one approach and most agree but it's still not being done.

I think I'd try another approach, I look at Chelsea and Dortmund who play 3 at the back and are still attacking and it seems to me the problem isn't CM or CB, for 3 at the back we're rock solid as the clean sheets have shown. Moreso than Chelsea.

It seems to me the problem is our wing backs. I'd be looking at bringing Giles back to challenge RAN and get a RWB who can actually cross, shoot and have some sort of end product.

That's 1 player.

It means the end of Semedo but then I don't think anybody would shed any tears about that. Even though he has clearly improved.

Our inside forwards can then play as inside forwards and hopefully improve their finishing (Neto and Pod help here) and our CM's can keep doing what they are doing which they are bloody good at.

 

[Jabbawolf]

I think this is certainly one approach and most agree but it's still not being done.

I think I'd try another approach, I look at Chelsea and Dortmund who play 3 at the back and are still attacking and it seems to me the problem isn't CM or CB, for 3 at the back we're rock solid as the clean sheets have shown. Moreso than Chelsea.

It seems to me the problem is our wing backs. I'd be looking at bringing Giles back to challenge RAN and get a RWB who can actually cross, shoot and have some sort of end product.

That's 1 player.

It means the end of Semedo but then I don't think anybody would shed any tears about that. Even though he has clearly improved.

Our inside forwards can then play as inside forwards and hopefully improve their finishing (Neto and Pod help here) and our CM's can keep doing what they are doing which they are bloody good at.

Agree about Semedo - he’s a very classy footballer but doesn’t feel a great fit for us as a RWB.

 

[slink]

I think this is certainly one approach and most agree but it's still not being done.

I think I'd try another approach, I look at Chelsea and Dortmund who play 3 at the back and are still attacking and it seems to me the problem isn't CM or CB, for 3 at the back we're rock solid as the clean sheets have shown. Moreso than Chelsea.

It seems to me the problem is our wing backs. I'd be looking at bringing Giles back to challenge RAN and get a RWB who can actually cross, shoot and have some sort of end product.

That's 1 player.

It means the end of Semedo but then I don't think anybody would shed any tears about that. Even though he has clearly improved.

Our inside forwards can then play as inside forwards and hopefully improve their finishing (Neto and Pod help here) and our CM's can keep doing what they are doing which they are bloody good at.

I actually wouldn't mind this either but we still need a CB and a CM no matter what. Our biggest issue is the full backs and has been all season apart from Raul who for me is the biggest other issue because we know all of our other forward options are inconsistent but we can get by with them being like that.

We don't know if Giles is good enough defensively but he can definitely beat a man and he's a great cross of the ball so i wouldn't mind seeing that because RAN at the moment is defending well but doesn't seem confident in beating a man. While Semedo has improved since he signed he's still not what we need. Slows it down too much, his first touch is never getting him on the front foot, he doesn't take anyone on and has no end product in the box when he gets there. His movement is actually fantastic though so it's a bit of shame that his end product flatters to deceive.

Neto and Podence being regularly available will be a big positive but i also think Trincao being able to come inside with a better option outside of him will be a good option too.

As i mentioned at the start we still need a CM as apart from Neves the others aren't good enough now, they're not bad but they're just doing a job at the moment and we have needed a CB for 3 years even thought the back 3 right now are defending very well.

Striker is the next big issue too, Raul used to have the odd game like last night but now there's more of those games than the West Ham's so we need another option. Bruno obviously doesn't think Fabio is ready so we need someone who can come off the bench or even start a few games to give Raul that break. I mean i understand all the reservations regarding Fabio but there's no way he could have been any worse than Raul last night and that absolutely kills us.

 

[YoungWolf]

Re Giles - his underlying numbers aren’t that good, particularly in open play. Cardiff been very good at making most of his dead ball ability though from looks of it.

 

[slink]

Re Giles - his underlying numbers aren’t that good, particularly in open play. Cardiff been very good at making most of his dead ball ability though from looks of it.

Do we think that's just because of how Cardiff play or is he just not good enough in open play? Not seen anything of them but seen enough of Giles to know he can cross but as you say if his numbers in open play aren't good he's probably not good enough to have an impact here.

 

[YoungWolf]

Do we think that's just because of how Cardiff play or is he just not good enough in open play? Not seen anything of them but seen enough of Giles to know he can cross but as you say if his numbers in open play aren't good he's probably not good enough to have an impact here.

Quite possibly. Actually his open play xA is quite good tbf just everything else he contributes little too. Clearly he has a very set role in that Cardiff team, so could be just as you say. I’d be surprised if he could contribute for us at this point though

 

[Tredman]

Sounds like Barry Douglas

 

[BillyDee]

Oh for a Barry Douglas corner...

 

[Quirkafleeg]

What is the reason why?

They finally found they have lives...

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Btw when Vis puts his foot down you'll all know about it..

 

[Tredman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1466402407722717185

 

[Carsy]

The more I see, the more the notion of just getting a CM and a CH makes me think that is papering over the cracks.

We need a fundamental re-think of how we get to be more dangerous - too many neat footballers who are more pretty than effective.

I would be happy to not spend in January with a view to ripping things up in the summer and starting again.

I do think another central midfielder could have a huge impact on the team and chance creation. It’s all about getting the correct one.

Ofcourse there are other areas we can improve, however I think we will a huge difference if we get one

 

[The Bear]

Having someone like Sanches driving forwards through the middle would be great right now.

I think we've missed our chance with him though.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Sanches has 12 goals in 205 career appearances. He isn't the silver bullet that people think.

 

[Tredman]

Bring back Alf

 

[The Bear]

Sanches has 12 goals in 205 career appearances. He isn't the silver bullet that people think.

It'd be his assist stat I'd be more concerned about. Or his chances created.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Sanches has 12 goals in 205 career appearances. He isn't the silver bullet that people think.

That’s about a goal every other injury isn’t it?

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I do think another central midfielder could have a huge impact on the team and chance creation. It’s all about getting the correct one.

Ofcourse there are other areas we can improve, however I think we will a huge difference if we get one

Who makes space though? I like the idea of an extra man but how do we get this new midfielder into the team?

 

[Carsy]

Who makes space though? I like the idea of an extra man but how do we get this new midfielder into the team?

I don’t think we necessarily need 2 of neves /mout/dendonker some games as they play deep. Last night prime example if you had a cm making forward runs it helps move Burnley around, gives another option for the wingbacks to play a 1-2 rather than into strikers feet, also just a ball inside rather all the way back

Some games you may well play 2 of mout/neves/dendonker and the third cm and play 2 up top rather than Raul abs 2 inside forwards

A front part of

Neves mout
?
Raul Neto

With our current back 5 for example could work in those instances for example

 

[Jabbawolf]

Who makes space though? I like the idea of an extra man but how do we get this new midfielder into the team?

That is kind of my point - think the issue is more fundamental - we always seem a man or two light when we get to the final third.