Winter transfer window

[FellTop]

I said yesterday coaching isnt the issue, it is the readiness of players we signed in the summer. We are weaker in terms of player quality than we were last season. I stand by that this morning.

We need 3 or 4 straight into the first team. Another CM is clear as day. Ekwah hasnt looked up to it for a while and Jobe needs rolling in and out of the side. We all know a striker is key, maybe even 2 tbh. I dont see Mayenda or Hemir contributing this season. Both could be loaned out. I would go for a genuine right winger if we could. And I would definitely go for a left back. All of them need to have played a significant number of games at this level.

My concern is whether we will pay for them. Our wage bill in particular seems very much at odds with expectations the club has. Hope I am wrong, but I dont see a window to give the coach a chance to be successful. I reckon Mowbray knew he had been dealt a rough hand after 8 games or so. Beale may be less likely to argue the point, but I suspect he is seeing a bunch of young lads with great technical ability, but a limited ability to impact games consistently over 90 minutes.

 

[Nads]

Interesting bit at the end of the post match analysis on Sky with the pundits Jobi McAnuff and Nathan Jones:

JM - Sunderland are missing experience throughout the squad and a number 9. They are things that you can’t cut corners on. I know they’ve got a way of bringing in youth and letting them develop. The experience helps you in those key moments in games that help you get a result when things aren’t going perfectly.

NJ - They are missing two players, for me. A dominant centre back and a number 9. I know O’Nien well and respect him a lot. He is doing a good job as a makeshift central defender. A number 9 won’t just be able to score goals but will also give them a plan B. They can get the ball into them and play off. Because once they are in that final third they’ve got some wonderful individuals.

Nailed it.

Pundits talk about the club without the emotion. Even those who rate LON as a CB it’s slightly overdone due to the love of the bloke.

I love what he does, stands for for the club. Love his passion, determination and will to improve.

I’d have Seelt or Alese CB over him in a blink, I’d actually rather switch him and Alese and have him at full back.

He absolutely deserves to be at the club. He is not a CB.

 

[FellTop]

Joe Rothwell, bournemouth to southampton. That is an example of what I am talking about when I say I am concerned about our ability to pay to give a coach a chance.

 

[Nads]

I know it’s been said but where were we when Whittaker was up for grabs?

I seen lads mention him on here long before he went to Plymouth and if we had him and Clarke we might be ****ing flying.

 

[Prehab26]

Joe Rothwell, bournemouth to southampton. That is an example of what I am talking about when I say I am concerned about our ability to pay to give a coach a chance.

There does need to be more investment into the playing squad. More experience brought in.

 

[Scout73]

Joe Rothwell, bournemouth to southampton. That is an example of what I am talking about when I say I am concerned about our ability to pay to give a coach a chance.

Not going to be able to compete against a team thats made as much money as Southampton have recently

We def need to sign more players for the now tho

Coaches also have to do better imo, need to be trying things to get the best out of what we have rather than playing the same formation with the same players every week

Recruitment hasnt been great in the last 3 windows (inc this one) but also think the tactics have been poor

 

[Prehab26]

Not going to be able to compete against a team thats made as much money as Southampton have recently

We def need to sign more players for the now tho

Coaches also have to do better imo, need to be trying things to get the best out of what we have rather than playing the same formation with the same players every week

Recruitment hasnt been great in the last 3 windows (inc this one) but also think the tactics have been poor

Agree on both fronts. Speakman has to turn it around a little. Beale is his man and the recruitment over the last 2 or 3 windows has been poor with only 1 of 12 signings getting consistent game time. That's poor no matter how you dress it up.

 

[LBW]

Watched the game again this morning and I feel even worse, our defence is so exposed it’s obvious we need a cdm, stick Seelt in at centre half and put Onein 10 yards in front of the the 2 centre half’s, he can do exactly the same as what he does at centre half but without the risk of having him in and around the 18 yard box for 90 mins. He can pick a pass, he can tackle but he can’t mark a man. Give Jobe a rest and put Rusyn in behind a big experienced centre forward and we will look a different team. It’s easy this coaching malarkey, if us mere mortals can see it why can’t these world class coaches see it

 

[FellTop]

Not going to be able to compete against a team thats made as much money as Southampton have recently

We def need to sign more players for the now tho

Coaches also have to do better imo, need to be trying things to get the best out of what we have rather than playing the same formation with the same players every week

Recruitment hasnt been great in the last 3 windows (inc this one) but also think the tactics have been poor

My point is this is what a coach is compared against though. Martin gets Rothwell, lets see who Beale gets. If we are serious about promotion then we need a Rothwell or similar. They are out there, but will need a bigger wage than we seem set on. The natural consequence is lower league position and poorer performances.

I wonder what changes the coaches could make. The Leeds game probably needs revisiting as that was good. Beyond that I am struggling to see many options. Mowbray tried rolling Hume inside but Hume wasnt able to do it. He played Burstow for 8 or 9 games but he wasnt good enough. It is not like things havent been tried. I think in reality we are short of players for the here and now. I can guarantee Mowbray and Beale are both looking at the players and assessing if they are good enough and they both must be concluding they arent. Dodds did the same. When you get two or three coaches upsetting the supporters about tactics, my guess would be the supporters are wrong. Coaches see so much more than we do, and if they arent trying different formations or tactics it isnt because thay havent heard of them, it is because they dont believe it will work. I feel doubly sorry for Beale. Absolutely the worst time for any coach to come in and change much is Christmas. Game after game. He would probably love to be able to put on a couple of 11v11 60 minute games to work on different formations, but time doesnt allow that.

 

[WorkyTicketFTM]

Watched the game again this morning and I feel even worse, our defence is so exposed it’s obvious we need a cdm, stick Seelt in at centre half and put Onein 10 yards in front of the the 2 centre half’s, he can do exactly the same as what he does at centre half but without the risk of having him in and around the 18 yard box for 90 mins. He can pick a pass, he can tackle but he can’t mark a man. Give Jobe a rest and put Rusyn in behind a big experienced centre forward and we will look a different team. It’s easy this coaching malarkey, if us mere mortals can see it why can’t these world class coaches see it

Just playing players in their natural position is a start. If you can’t do the basics right you’re going to struggle. Said on another thread look at the team we beat Boro with about a year ago.

Bathh and Ballard CB. Evans/Michut DM. Diallo 10. Stewart 9. Alese playing LB is probably the biggest concern we had that day. Everyone playing where they’re comfortable everyone knows their role. Granted it’s hindsight now but this season has shown me I didn’t realise at the time that Michut actually done a better job than I thought as a makeshift 6.

 

[Sour Patch]

My issue is how the club as a whole misprofile players. Thats from the recruitment team to the coaches. Ba brought in as a box to box player, has played in about 8 positions since then, Aouchiche is a 10 but gets brought on to be a defensive winger or plays upfront, is Rusyn a winger or a striker, is Mayenda a winger or a striker, where is Jobes best position, asking Hume to roll into midfield when he doesn't have the qualities to do that, asking Ekwah to be a 6 when he barely played there in youth football, Seelt doesn't play and when he does its at right back, Pritch being played as a false 9 or a wide player. I'm sure there is more. There is a disconnect between recruitment staff and coaching staff.

 

[Comfy]

Think we might see a couple leave for good money before we buy anyone who is better than what we've already got, that is gonna be in the summer as I cannot see anyone leaving this window.

 

[Mackem 10.1]

If I may, Dodds is and always was KS's spy in the camp.
This issue re Burstow and TM was over cooked by Dodds.
This was the start of TM's downfall.
KS knows his choice is under scrutiny by the fans, but not by KLD yet, unity is their strength as KS and KLD will stick this out together.
This transfer window will not be used to strengthen the team the way we hope, it will be a bland unimpressive attempt to paper over our short fall's.
I told everyone at the begining KLD will not use HIS money to fund our rise back to the prem.

Not sure why some me people pretend to know what KLD will do with his money, only him and those he trusts will know what he would or wouldn't do with his money

 

[Random lad]

Utterly stupid free kick given away for their second, have players got no brains at all ?

 

[LBW]

Utterly stupid free kick given away for their second, have players got no brains at all ?

I agree about the free kick mate but he shouldn’t even be in that position, he’s a number 10, should never be covering in a left back position but he was made to play on the left and obviously told to cover his fullback. He clearly can’t defend, he can create and attack that’s where he should be used

 

[smithy in nl]

Utterly stupid free kick given away for their second, have players got no brains at all ?

don’t think he did much wrong tbh it was a very soft free kick and even worse defending.

 

[Pure River Slut]

I agree about the free kick mate but he shouldn’t even be in that position, he’s a number 10, should never be covering in a left back position but he was made to play on the left and obviously told to cover his fullback. He clearly can’t defend, he can create and attack that’s where he should be used

To be fair Ba is a 10 but did well and Aouchiche has played 10 and 9 and done nowt. Rusyn maybe could have come on wide right but you’d be saying he’s a 9. We’re short on quality at the top and overloaded in the 10 and 8 positions and maybe short with wide players (Rusyn maybe) but it needs rebalancing.

 

[Daz]

To be fair Ba is a 10 but did well and Aouchiche has played 10 and 9 and done nowt. Rusyn maybe could have come on wide right but you’d be saying he’s a 9. We’re short on quality at the top and overloaded in the 10 and 8 positions and maybe short with wide players (Rusyn maybe) but it needs rebalancing.

For me Ba isn’t strong enough to be a number 10, he’s way more effective on the right cutting in.

 

[TopCat.]

Utterly stupid free kick given away for their second, have players got no brains at all ?

Drives me potty. Happens every match. Some footballers really are as thick as mince

 

[TopCat.]

Nailed it.

Pundits talk about the club without the emotion. Even those who rate LON as a CB it’s slightly overdone due to the love of the bloke.

I love what he does, stands for for the club. Love his passion, determination and will to improve.

I’d have Seelt or Alese CB over him in a blink, I’d actually rather switch him and Alese and have him at full back.

He absolutely deserves to be at the club. He is not a CB.

If we can see it, and pundits can see it then surely KLD and Speakman can see it.
So if we end the window with the same lack of experience then we know it's a deliberate decision rather than ineptitude in the transfer market