Summer 2021 transfer window

[YoungWolf]

Players are gonna miss games though, it'll happen next season too. We can't only function when Boly plays. I fear this season has exposed a lot of our players as being as system-dependent as Doc was.

If we sign a centre back this summer (we will - whether they are good or not we'll see), then it would be pretty unlucky to then have both him and Boly out injured. There is the question of AFCON which we may need to consider if we want to sign another, but I find it unlikely. In that event, we would still have Coady, new CB and Donck to play a back three temporarily. The new CB allows players like Saiss and Donck to become important squad members for those exact scenarios, rather than first choice players.

 

[Tony Towner]

Players are gonna miss games though, it'll happen next season too. We can't only function when Boly plays. I fear this season has exposed a lot of our players as being as system-dependent as Doc was.

Chicken and egg. We bought players for either 343 or 352. Even the Summer recruitment wasn't with 4 at the back in mind, although I don't think with the players signed that makes much of a difference, but does with those we didn't ie no commanding centre half. We all wanted the Bennett upgrade, but you can build a back 3 with Boly, Donck, Hoever, Saiss, Kilman and Coady. 6 options to cover 3 slots. With a back 4 you've only got 1 and after that you are fudging it. Even in his case I still think it's more of a projection, although it's a projection I agree with

 

[AndyWolves]

This new CB is going to have to be very good, experienced and slot straight in.

Two very good CBs and a very good CM would make the world of difference to this side.

 

[prawnking]

If we sign a centre back this summer (we will - whether they are good or not we'll see), then it would be pretty unlucky to then have both him and Boly out injured. There is the question of AFCON which we may need to consider if we want to sign another, but I find it unlikely. In that event, we would still have Coady, new CB and Donck to play a back three temporarily. The new CB allows players like Saiss and Donck to become important squad members for those exact scenarios, rather than first choice players.

Boly is 30 and has missed significant portions of this and last season with injury. No doubting his quality but we can't be building our back four around him and scrapping it when he doesn't play. We've had all our left-backs in the treatment room at various points this season, not having Boly and the new guy for a run of games isn't that unthinkable.

 

[YoungWolf]

So you want us to do what?

 

[PuntsWolf]

Have we possibly reached Nuno's ceiling? He's certainly over-thought and shot himself and us in the foot since last season ended.
.

He played 4-2-3-1 at Valencia and was pretty successful. So it’s not like he’s a total moron and doesn’t know what he’s doing and the players are just doing as they please. It just looks like that sometimes the way we are set up.

A proper preseason, and some signings shoud solve our issues if we actually stick to a way of particular style. Back 4 or 5, not fussed.

 

[prawnking]

Chicken and egg. We bought players for either 343 or 352. Even the Summer recruitment wasn't with 4 at the back in mind, although I don't think with the players signed that makes much of a difference, but does with those we didn't ie no commanding centre half. We all wanted the Bennett upgrade, but you can build a back 3 with Boly, Donck, Hoever, Saiss, Kilman and Coady. 6 options to cover 3 slots. With a back 4 you've only got 1 and after that you are fudging it. Even in his case I still think it's more of a projection, although it's a projection I agree with

Regardless of the formation they were bought for, if we only have 1/6 CB's fit to play in a back four it doesn't say much about them or our recruitment tbh. We're not asking them to go up top or back Rui up.

I think as well as getting players to make the 4231 work, we also need to think about how we can make 343/352 work next season imo

 

[YoungWolf]

I think as well as getting players to make the 4231 work, we also need to think about how we can make 343/352 work next season imo

I think Nuno's plan is to be able to do both

 

[prawnking]

So you want us to do what?

Mate, I don't have the answers, I'd presume Nuno and the club have a plan! All I'm saying about Boly is factual. I don't think it's realistic that we'll sign more than one starting CB either, so we have a lot of work to do with our existing CB's and try and get a functional 4 at the back system and functional 3 at the back system before next season.

I'm just being realistic, we've royally unpicked a lot of what made this team work and now we're in some kind of unsatisfactory halfway house and we need the summer of all summers to get back on track

 

[Tony Towner]

Regardless of the formation they were bought for, if we only have 1/6 CB's fit to play in a back four it doesn't say much about them or our recruitment tbh. We're not asking them to go up top or back Rui up.

I think as well as getting players to make the 4231 work, we also need to think about how we can make 343/352 work next season imo

We haven't really recruited any centre halves though. 3 are converted midfielders because of the formation we played, one a cheap punt from non league and one a development project. The one real centre half we've signed is the one who can play there. Vallejo was the only swing and a miss

 

[prawnking]

I think Nuno's plan is to be able to do both

You'd hope so. He's certainly got the pre-season of his career ahead of him!

 

[Tredman]

At least we actually get one this time, best hope Portugal crash and burn at the Euros though.

 

[Johnny75]

So you want us to do what?

We need 6 CB's in case 4 of them are all out injured. Not development players but actually International CB's all of which are ready to step in and become Ruben Dias at the drop of a hat.

The other 19 squad places we can deal with another time.

 

[prawnking]

We need 6 CB's in case 4 of them are all out injured.

He was asking me, not you. Stick to your hilarious emoji trolling

 

[Tredman]

If we want to plan to play 4 at the back then Sanderson should be kept.

 

[Jinky]

The links to Dias/Cancelo etc show that we've at least acknowledged for some time that we need improvements in defence. Obviously we couldn't get Cancelo so later on ended up with Semedo, who on paper, has pedigree to be a top player (even if performances haven't backed that up just yet). But the centre of defence has been an issue since we came up, really. It's all very well identifying a target like Dias (some would say unrealistic), but getting it over the line is another thing. All of the other attempts have failed miserably, which is why we've ended up persisting with Donk/Saiss/Kilman & many others at points.

The buck of identifying targets and getting them over the line lies at Jeff Shi's door, does it not? Obviously there are other people who need to take some of the responsibility, as they are part of the process. But Shi is the main man. I also remember how smug people on here were when we signed Semedo and Fabio. But anyone who slightly criticised or questioned the recruitment team got accused of panicking, not supporting the club and were effectively mocked continuously for their lack of faith.

We don't have the pull of European competition. We're not big payers, when it comes to the PL. We're whimpering to a 14th - 16th placed finish this season. I also think we'll encounter issues signing certain players with the Euro's going on etc. We've seen that before.

I think we're all hoping for a top window where we bring in 2-4 readymade first teamers; but I'm not holding out much hope. Sorry.

 

[YoungWolf]

Mate, I don't have the answers, I'd presume Nuno and the club have a plan! All I'm saying about Boly is factual. I don't think it's realistic that we'll sign more than one starting CB either, so we have a lot of work to do with our existing CB's and try and get a functional 4 at the back system and functional 3 at the back system before next season.

I'm just being realistic, we've royally unpicked a lot of what made this team work and now we're in some kind of unsatisfactory halfway house and we need the summer of all summers to get back on track

If we sign a centre back this summer we'll have

Boly, CB, Coady, Saiss, Kilman

I assume Kilman will go on loan or be sold tbh. So that puts us with those four with Dendoncker as an emergency centre back option. I don't think that is overly negligent if it is the plan.

 

[YoungWolf]

If we want to plan to play 4 at the back then Sanderson should be kept.

Based on?

 

[AndyWolves]

Maybe trying to find CBs who can play in a 3 was proving difficult, they need to be excellent on the ball as they're expected to contribute more to attacks.

Finding CBs who can play in a 2 should be easier, distribution is less important as long as they can pass it to a teammate.

 

[Jinky]

If we sign a centre back this summer we'll have

Boly, CB, Coady, Saiss, Kilman

I assume Kilman will go on loan or be sold tbh. So that puts us with those four with Dendoncker as an emergency centre back option. I don't think that is overly negligent if it is the plan.

Gary Neville made a good point on MNF last night when he was talking about the England squad. He said you don't try and cheat on a position. As in, you don't take Shaw as your only left back and leave Chilwell at home because you have Saka in the squad who *could* play at LB. You cover all bases with the strongest options possible.

So if we really want to improve and strengthen the squad, realistically, we need two new readymade CB's in the next window, who can rotate/compete with Boly in a back 4, with Coady/Saiss as the back ups/cover elsewhere and Kilman sold. Otherwise your new CB signing gets injured and you're left with the same players.

We probably both agree that it won't happen though.