The January 2024 "Will we actually sign a striker or just Che Adams/Kieffer Moore" Transfer Thread

[Alan]

Not forwards, granted, but Lemina and Dawson show that there is good value to be had in January and that someone at the club (I guess it could have been Lop calling the shots on both those buys) is decent at finding it.

 

[Sniffer]

We were linked with Lemina and Dawson in the summer of 2022.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

GO made them limited when he Sasa and Fabio on the bench, so nothing new there. Just an U21 is going to take up the role of either not being used or getting a few mins in added time.

Obviously the issue is if any of the few players we have get crocked but we know that. I am sure we will sign players but its fast heading towards being late in the day when they arrive and, at best, being Meh signings

Substitutions are becoming a more and more effective tool in the Premier league, we don't seem to be considering this unfortunately.

 

[Jinky]

Being linked to Jack Clarke from Sunderland. Good player.

 

[Alan]

Substitutions are becoming a more and more effective tool in the Premier league, we don't seem to be considering this unfortunately.

I think we are, I also think, though, that the club (or perhaps Shi) are still licking their wounds from spaffing 35m or w/e on Fabio and 40m or w/e on Cunha; one of whom has never made and will never make an impact and one of whom struggled a bit to hit the ground running.

I think the club want a January buy to be a sure thing, possibly to our own detriment.

 

[Sniffer]

Being linked to Jack Clarke from Sunderland. Good player.

From the Guardian

West Ham: David Moyes is believed to be in the market for a left-winger and has lined up Sunderland’s Jack Clarke in his corss-hairs. The 23-year-old has been a revelation since leaving Spurs for the Stadium of Light a year ago and his current employers have no desire to lose a player who has chipped in with 24 goals and 20 assists in 99 appearances. Brentford and Crystal Palace are also understood to be interested in Clarke but will have to pay top dollar if they are to secure his signature as he has two-and-a-half years left on his contract.

 

[Lycan]

Sounds like one for the summer if we are interested

 

[AndyWolves]

This is the absolutely perfect time to be strengthening, we aren't going down so we get 6 months of bedding in time to hit the ground running for next season.

If we want to talk about ambition, now is the time to show it. Not by spaffing loads on players but by bringing in new players now with a chance to bed in, or consciously deciding to give minutes to our younger players.

I find the "we aren't in any danger of being relegated so don't need to do anything" a bit limiting

Edit. Not directed at you Lycan - just a general observation!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I find the "we aren't in any danger of being relegated so don't need to do anything" a bit limiting

Absolutely, but it's what the club seem to be thinking.

 

[Lycan]

Absolutely, but it's what the club seem to be thinking.

Or the excuse they're currently using

 

[Tony Towner]

Clarke is a decent Championship player, not convinced there's anything he does well enough to be successful at PL level though. Awful on Saturday, although appreciate that's just 1 game.

 

[Alan]

Clarke is a decent Championship player, not convinced there's anything he does well enough to be successful at PL level though. Awful on Saturday, although appreciate that's just 1 game.

Didn’t seem like Mr. Beale had Sunderland set up for success on the day. They were poor across the team.

 

[Kenny]

If we are taking anyone who was shit on Saturday for Sunderland it would Jobe for me

 

[Wilf Wolf]

This is the absolutely perfect time to be strengthening, we aren't going down so we get 6 months of bedding in time to hit the ground running for next season.

If we want to talk about ambition, now is the time to show it. Not by spaffing loads on players but by bringing in new players now with a chance to bed in, or consciously deciding to give minutes to our younger players.

I find the "we aren't in any danger of being relegated so don't need to do anything" a bit limiting

Edit. Not directed at you Lycan - just a general observation!

Bedding in certainly worked for Gordon at Newcastle as he’s looked twice the player he did last season.

 

[Johnny75]

Clarke is a decent Championship player, not convinced there's anything he does well enough to be successful at PL level though. Awful on Saturday, although appreciate that's just 1 game.

I remember thinking the same about Bowen after he was awful for Hull for a few games.

Both players quite similar at the same stage of their careers.

 

[Tony Towner]

I remember thinking the same about Bowen after he was awful for Hull for a few games.

Both players quite similar at the same stage of their careers.

I wanted Bowen as cover for Jota, didn't think he'd become the player he has though

 

[Johnny75]

GO made them limited when he Sasa and Fabio on the bench, so nothing new there. Just an U21 is going to take up the role of either not being used or getting a few mins in added time.

Obviously the issue is if any of the few players we have get crocked but we know that. I am sure we will sign players but its fast heading towards being late in the day when they arrive and, at best, being Meh signings

Having a small squad and U21's fill spots when they're not good enough is not a good thing.

It doesn't prepare the squad for competitive play well enough as there isn't the intensity or ability when training.

It also leads to burn out as players are flogged and complacency in some as they don't have to be at peak form or ability to be picked.

Not everybody needs to be a world beater but the stronger the squad the better the training, the more competitive the team.

This stuff isn't hard, but we want to make it this way for some reason.

 

[Tony Towner]

I still come back to Fabio and Sasa not being options by discovery not design. We looked leggy against Burnley a good manager would have freshened that up against Forest, GON didn’t because he thought players breathing out of their arses would be better than the alternatives. We'll have those situations again and need better 'solutions' even before you consider injuries or suspensions. The alternative is losing games we dont need to, which won't be terminal, but is disappointing

 

[The Bear]

I don't think the club want to do nothing. It's just that we have to make sure we're not buying for the sake of it with substandard players just filling gaps.

I'd much rather wait until the summer in that scenario and get someone near the top of our target lists.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745131538843418995

Ekitike loving the liquidator = he’s on his way