Was he bought though?, I thought he was a freebie, I’m not sticking up for him, never liked the bloke, wouldn’t have touched him with a barge pole. Just don’t really think he’s a good example of money wasted buying players .
It doesn’t always work like that Ashton. I know it was only League 1 but Matt Smith had more to his game than being a lump. My opinion is that it simply gives us another option. One that we currently don’t have.
Simpson was free but according to various different wage sources on the internet was on £15k per week. This may have been a load of rubbish, but they were the same sources everyone believed when they quoted how much we were paying Wells and Palmer.
We always go route one if we have a big number 9 type player, plus a decent one of championship standard is likely to set us back an arm and a leg. It’s a shame Conway is injured as he’d be likely to score Around 20 goals given decent service. Imo it’s midfield that’s lacking at present. It doesn’t matter how good the strikers are if they don’t get the service.
I was just asking if we had the funds what players are you thinking that’s available and would want to come here? what I’m getting at is you can spend big money but no guarantees they will gel any better than we have… for me it’s all about the players that are likely to fit to our style rather than just splashing the cash..
Thats the beauty of stats BCRW, it doesnt matter how they are presented the actual deed is there as it happened ... you cant change them as it but made a profit and in top half of Prem!
Not sure if this is good or bad move -not good enough for wba first team but good enough for bristol city first team.
In other news, the Bristol Post report that any chance of Tomas Kalas returning to the club is ‘all-but-over’ amid talk on social media. Several posts had claimed Kalas would return, however he won’t be signing a deal at Ashton Gate. The 30-year-old was offered a new contract in May albeit on reduced terms, and talks reached an impasse, and now the Czech Republic international is a free agent. He did not train with the club in pre-season or go on their tour to Austria, and Nigel Pearson has since moved on. Bristol City will need to change their centre-back partnership for the first time this season however after Rob Dickie was sent off against Birmingham City. Pearson could opt to play Cameron Pring as a left-sided centre-back alongside Zak Vyner, and bring in Haydon Roberts into the starting 11 as a left-back. https://www.bristolworld.com/sport/...-as-return-ruled-out-for-chelsea-star-4263653
Medical tomorrow seems to be happening. TAYLOR GARDNER-HICKMAN: SCOUTING REPORT BY RICKYLEE GRIFFITHS March 16, 2023 · by Jacek Kulig · in Guest articles. · Taylor Gardner-Hickman: scouting report by Rickylee Griffiths Taylor Gardner-Hickman seems to be the jewel in West Bromwich Albion’s academy crown and has, at times, offered hope in an otherwise bleak period for the club. Nationality: English/Irish Date of birth: 30/12/2001 (21 years old) Place of birth: Telford (England) Height: 188cm (6ft 2 in) Youth career: West Bromwich Albion Current club: West Bromwich Albion Squad number: 29 Current national team: England U-20 Position: Central midfielder, Right back, Left back Market value(Transfermarkt): £1.2million Contract until: 30/06/2026 Strengths: technique – very strong passing – very strong versatility – very strong timing of tackles – strong 1v1 defending – strong crossing from deep – strong receiving in the build-up phase – strong corner taking – strong To improve: defensive awareness spatial awareness poor aerially (despite his height) desire to win the ball back after a turnover awareness when in possession of the ball in midfield areas feet in tight spaces discipline long passing under pressure pass selection in the build-up phase Style of play: Looks to progress the ball immediately after winning it back which could make him an interesting option for a direct and high-pressing team. Better from deeper areas. He prefers to have players and space ahead of him which can limit his effectiveness when playing further forward. Willing to take responsibility in the build-up phase. Can play passes on the outside of his boot which opens up interesting passing angles for him. Tenacious off the ball. Comfortable inverting from full-back positions. This could potentially help him fit in at a more possession-based team. With that being said, for him to be a fullback in a possession-based side he would need to improve his resistance to pressure and pass selection. When playing as a right back he very rarely plays the ball into midfield, instead opting to play the simpler pass to the winger ahead of him. If given time on the ball he can hurt the opposition with his range of passing and excellent final ball. When he is under pressure he keeps things simple and prioritizes keeping the ball instead of playing a riskier pass and potentially losing it. His athleticism is one of the weaker parts of his game. He lacks pace and agility which could be one of the barriers between him and the Premier League. However, his height and longer strides do mean that if he were to become a bit stronger, which you would expect him to do with age, he would be difficult to dispossess when driving with the ball. Links up well with his teammates on the right side of the pitch which can help him get out of tough situations in the build-up phase. Prefers for play to be ahead of him and looks awkward when in more advanced positions. Gardner-Hickman is better in a midfield three as he benefits from the freedom in possession. He also doesn’t have the defensive ability to play well consistently in a double pivot and has struggled when asked to do so in the past. To work around this he has been allowed to step into the forward line and help create a 4-4-2 shape off the ball. This is only possible in a midfield three. He is more suited to the right side of the pitch as it is where he links up with his teammates best. He also prefers the passing angles on this side of the pitch and is much less positive in his play from the left. A role that could suit him well is one similar to Kevin De Bruynes at Manchester City a few years ago where he is allowed to roam the right side of the pitch in possession looking for space and crossing opportunities. League summary (as of the 16th March 2023): EFL Championship 2021/22: 19 games/ 0 goals EFL Championship 2022/23: 22 games/ 1 goal Description: Gardner-Hickman began his career by joining West Bromwich Albion aged 7. He progressed through the youth ranks as a forward but it was a shift to right-wing back which saw him make his first professional league appearance aged 19. He had a decent game against Hull City in what turned out to be a 1-0 win for West Brom. However, it was in a match vs Coventry City he really began to impress. Against the Sky Blues Gardner Hickman won the man of the match award whilst playing his first-ever match in central midfield. This match showcased both his ability and versatility and forced fans of England’s 2nd tier to take notice of his talent. Since then e has struggled for game time which has led to him making much less of an impact. With that being said West Brom are going through something of an injury crisis lately which may lead to a re-introduction to the first team. His form last season led to him being capped by England at U-20 level where he made his debut in a 2-0 loss vs Poland. Potential: Gardner Hickman has played less than 50 games in his professional career and in this limited game time has shown that he is more than a capable player at Championship level. He is by no means the finished product but with time there’s no reason he can’t blossom into a Premier League player. His ability with the ball at his feet is already to a good standard and if he could grow to be more aware of what is happening around him off the ball he wouldn’t look out of place at a bottom-half Premier League side. His ceiling is probably between the mid-table and top half of England’s top flight and it would be a massive surprise to see him play for a team with European ambitions. please log in to view this image
This is a text from a good mate of mine who’s a Baggies ST holder. Young and a bit raw. Good engine. Best position is box to box midfielder but he’s played right back and right wing back for us. I’d rather he stayed with us because I think he has potential for the future. But he is prone to mistakes, which is normal for someone his age. Overall I like him, he’s not going to replace Scott but he will put a shift in and is at least a solid squad player at champ level. And who knows if he will develop further..
This was never an option. I said before, NP fell out with Kalas last season over him not signing a new deal, and refused to play him when he was fit as a result. Never a way back when the manager does that to a player.
I agree, we have enough players with 'potential', we need some experience in the squad now. The blend between the 2 has to be right, I feel we are a bit overloaded on potential vs experience at this point in time.
As I said on another thread, without wishing to sound like Red Robin, I have it on very good authority there was a big breakdown in the relationship between Kalas and NP over not signing a new deal, hence NP didn't play Kalas after that. Which is entirely consistent with what he did with HNM. The acid test will be if Vyner doesn't sign a new deal, will he banish him as well?
Bristol City expected to complete signing of young Irish midfielder this week The 18-year-old is expected in Bristol this week to put pen to paper on a long-term contract at Ashton Gate Bristol City are expected to complete the signing of exciting midfielder Adam Murphy from Irish outfit St. Patrick's Athletic before the end of this week. According to the Irish Independent, the 18-year-old's move to Ashton Gate is close with the prospect's contract with his current employers set to expire in November. The Irish youngster is believed to have had other options elsewhere whilst the Saints still have plenty to play for this season in the league and FAI Cup. Ultimately though, joining Nigel Pearson's side has proven too good an opportunity to turn down. It is also reported that Murphy is expected in Bristol this week to sign a long-term contract with the Robins after telling St. Patrick's that he wants to make the move. Although the 18-year-old's arrival isn't expected to be a direct replacement for Alex Scott, whose club-record departure for Premier League outfit Bournemouth was confirmed earlier this month, the compensation received for Scott will help make this deal happen. Pearson's men currently sit 14th in the Championship table after three matches with one win, draw and defeat respectively in the early stages of their league campaign. They have also advanced to the second round of the Carabao Cup where they will host fellow second-tier outfit Norwich City next Tuesday. Additionally, City are increasingly confident of completing a deal for West Brom defender Taylor Gardner-Hickman in time for their Championship clash at Hull City on Friday, as revealed by Bristol Live earlier today. Talks are around a loan move with a provision to potentially make the deal permanent further down the line.
These are all well and good but not what’s required, we need quality not quantity, what happened to I’m not bringing anyone in who’s not better than we’ve already got.
