The Summer 2024 Transfer Thread.

[The Bear]

Gaz says he expects Guedes & Podence to stay - so we’re not getting a new winger then. You can put that down as another failure for the recruitment team, Hobbs & Shi.

Also seen some suggestions that the signing of Andre signals the end of our pursuit for a new centre back, as we’re going to change tactics/set up anyway (which Gaz’s comments posted above also indicate)

We’ll be switching to 4-3-3 by the looks of it.

Or back to 3 at the back with Santi and the young French kid backing them up.

Could even be 3-5-2 with Larsen and Cunha and Guedes and Hwang backing those two up.

 

[b3h]

We’ll be switching to 4-3-3 by the looks of it.

If so it still seems odd that we'd get another CDM type player when we already have 2 good ones

 

[Johnny75]

Gaz says he expects Guedes & Podence to stay - so we’re not getting a new winger then. You can put that down as another failure for the recruitment team, Hobbs & Shi.

Also seen some suggestions that the signing of Andre signals the end of our pursuit for a new centre back, as we’re going to change tactics/set up anyway (which Gaz’s comments posted above also indicate)

We’ll be switching to 4-3-3 by the looks of it.

Now I don't think Jeff Shi is in any way competent but not even the recruitment team can make people pay for players they don't need or want.

We do have a ludicrous amount of wide players and we're not Chelsea.

I'd like Koleosho too but having Cunha, R.Gomes, Pod, Guedes, Chiquinho and Bellegarde to play wide or inside forwards is a lot of people for 2 places.

That's before you get to GoN's bizarre use of Hwang out wide. A role he is suited to like you are to the NBA*

Hwang should be back up for a STR spot but Guedes looks like he had that for now.

*I know this is a cheap gag and I apologise.

 

[Carsy]

If so it still seems odd that we'd get another CDM type player when we already have 2 good ones

Depends on the type of player, though. All well and good having bodies but if they’re not fit for purpose.

If he’s wanting a mobile 3 in the middle then Doyle isn’t the answer, for example

 

[Stan Hullis]

I said to Johnny on Sunday that if we could sign a 6 to sit in front of the back four and offer more protection then that would be a good way forward. Means Lemina and Gomes can continue to play more box to box and go hunting/pressing aggressively.

Probably means we can sit a little deeper and negate the lack of pace for Dawson alongside Mosquera. Dawson was fantastic tonight.

I’m also happy for Guedes to be in the squad if he plays like he did tonight. I had written him off but on tonight’s performance he looks way more up for it and is actually looking like a player we should have spent money on. Long way to go yet with him but promising none the less.

 

[Carsy]

Gaz says he expects Guedes & Podence to stay - so we’re not getting a new winger then. You can put that down as another failure for the recruitment team, Hobbs & Shi.

Also seen some suggestions that the signing of Andre signals the end of our pursuit for a new centre back, as we’re going to change tactics/set up anyway (which Gaz’s comments posted above also indicate)

We’ll be switching to 4-3-3 by the looks of it.

If they are staying, then I can see why we won’t be signing another winger to be fair.

Would still want another centre back though, irrelevant of whether Andre signs or not

 

[Alan]

No idea on the player to be honest, but as much as I like Gomes and lemina, they are incredibly easy to play through. We can point fingers at the defence but we’re hardly a sure thing middle of the park. Maybe looking more down the 433 route and feel they need that third centre mid?

I have to call this out as a specific quirk/flaw of O’Neil’s system. I don’t think that it’s an inherent issue with either player. It’s what they’re asked to do that renders them as such.

 

[Tony Towner]

That's before you get to GoN's bizarre use of Hwang out wide. A role he is suited to like you are to the NBA*

I still have high hopes for him as a Point Guard

 

[Alan]

I still have high hopes for him as a Point Guard

More of a Small Forward IMO

 

[Tony Towner]

I said to Johnny on Sunday that if we could sign a 6 to sit in front of the back four and offer more protection then that would be a good way forward. Means Lemina and Gomes can continue to play more box to box and go hunting/pressing aggressively.

I still think that leaves you a little light on creativity in the middle. Neither are terrible on the ball, but also aren't known for opening teams up with their passing or going beyond the forward

 

[Stan Hullis]

I still think that leaves you a little light on creativity in the middle. Neither are terrible on the ball, but also aren't known for opening teams up with their passing or going beyond the forward

I don’t disagree but equally I don’t see any other sustainable way forward with the way the squad is currently built.

 

[Tony Towner]

I don’t disagree but equally I don’t see any other sustainable way forward with the way the squad is currently built.

Yeah, it's more sustainable than what we've been trying so far with the players we have.

 

[Stan Hullis]

I also think Lemina and Gomes can be more creative with less defensive responsibility.

With Doyle/Boubacar in reserve.

 

[Carsy]

I have to call this out as a specific quirk/flaw of O’Neil’s system. I don’t think that it’s an inherent issue with either player. It’s what they’re asked to do that renders them as such.

Yeah you could well be right, as I don’t get how easy we are to play through with them both in the middle. Both agile, not as if they get caught ahead of the ball continuously. Etc.

Point being whether it is the players, or GoN tactics, it still needs sorting. If Andre makes us more difficult to play through, will have a knock on effect and should by default improve us defensively.

 

[Alan]

I feel they do get caught ahead of the ball quite often but I respect your point.

 

[Carsy]

I feel they do get caught ahead of the ball quite often but I respect your point.

Yeah I’ve not worded it well to be fair. I guess I mean we don’t have 2 mids who’s legs have gone, and there first thought is to get forward. If that makes more sense?

Anyway, I know what I mean

 

[Squeak]

I can see a 4-1-2-3 type of formation coming from this and that can quickly convert to 3-1-4-2 when necessary.

 

[The Bear]

Andre is supposed to be very creative on the ball and a deep lying playmaker like Neves used to be.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

As Johnny has alluded to - an issue with 4-3-3 is if fit, Cunha and Strand Larsen are taking two of those front three spots pretty much every time (our best player + our only actual striker). Which only leaves one space for a LOT of players (R Gomes, Hwang, Sarabia, Bellegarde, Chiquinho, Podence and Guedes). It's a pretty inefficient use of the squad.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Maybe it looks different in the ground, but from watching on screen, it always seems like when we have the ball both FBs are given licence to push on quite high leaving Lemina to drop in to help the defence. If he gets caught forward as well we are absolutely wide open with just 2 at the back. We also give the ball away so much when trying to play out from the back. I'm sure there was a stat last season where we had conceded goals doing it way, way, way more than any other side. We are bad at it.