I was never certain what the midfield was supposed to be doing under Walter, I'm not certain the players were either.
Can't imagine Dublin would have been involved a lot as he didn't come to us until mid August with only a couple of weeks of the window left.
Just googling dates. Dublin left Stoke in May. Darnborough joined Stoke in June. City officially announced Dublin on 14th August. It's probably safe to say he'd been involved well before the official announcement (photo shoot etc), so likely sometime in July or early August? Loan signings: Burns 9th Aug. Zambrano. 16th Aug. Bedia. 22nd Aug. Puerta. 27th Aug. Rushworth. 30th Aug. I'd imagine Burns and Zambrano had been progressing for some time, although he likely still had some input. Anyway, point is simply 'we' have to do much better with loans in January!
To be fair, I’m fairly thankful that Bedia is a loan. We have done a poor job of the loan market on the whole this season compared to last, possibly due to the summer upheaval? Hopefully the team we have in place now can start having a better long term look at it - although evidence so far under Acun suggests otherwise
You can only have so many loans in the team, and there can only be so many players in the squad. Plus they’re all costing us, likely a decent amount of money. They are definitely wasteful on the whole.
Zambrano and Puerta seem like the kinda players you'd see at Stoke, they do tend to pick up random players from around the world from time to time. The loans we get in January are going to be huge. We need an Elphick or Pugh like signing to help us get over the line. Philip Billing might be available on loan from Bournemouth which would help with the strength (and height) in midfield. Luis Guillherme is also available for loan from West Ham, but he falls more into the young PL player loan.
I'm not sure we usually do particularly well with loan signings really. Last season was probably an exceptional year in terms of the quality we brought in on loan and the amount of football they played. Less impressive signings like Bedia etc are closer to the norm in our recent history.
Yes the players are, the loan slots aren't wasted, that was my only point and no idea why it descended into what it did. Burns being here doesn't "waste" a spot for instance. And he'd also be on a minimal wage.
Holloway was criticised by Grimsby for having signed loads of loan players when you can only have five in a matchday squad, but I think if you need squad depth and funds are tight, then it’s a fair call. Our problem has been that we have two loan slots taken up by players who have barely kicked a ball for us between them. I understand Burns isn’t a senior player when compared to our other three centre halves, but he’s actually older than Hughes and if he isn’t even getting in the match day squad and isn’t injured, it feels kind of pointless and you have to question whether he is needed longer term. Rushworth has been the victim of both injury and Pandur’s form and I don’t think the GK department is in need of a loan signing to strengthen. We have Racciopi, Tim LT (who granted was injured but I think is back in training), Cartwright (likewise) and young Owen Foster and Callum Yam, so if it were me I’d be sending Rushworth back. Bedia I think just hasn’t adapted. He looks like a decent player on the ball, but he has struggled to adapt to the pace of the Championship. Unlike Pedro, who has consistently played and scored at the highest level in the countries he has been in for a decade. And it shows. Even though his legs have slowed, he’s quite clearly a level above Bedia by quite some distance. We’ve got a striker incoming, Bedia can go back. Omur I’d keep. I would understand if he left because he is on a high wage, but he’s another player that has obvious quality and has struggled because the players around him have either been poor or out of form. On the one hand, in our position we can’t afford to have hangers on, but on the other, it’s players of his quality we need and I doubt better would replace him in this window. Zambrano and Puerta I’d buy January 1st, no brainer. We have clauses in there, they’re young players who have shown they can play at this level and will only improve. It would free up two loan spots and secure very good talent for the future. Yes Zambrano is banned, but come next season he’ll be settled and ready to go.
Sort the wage bill out, get rid of 4/5. Mainly the loans we don’t need. Needs a mini clear out. We won’t stay up adding 1/2. We need mini surgery.
Agree with the most of this ST, but on Bedia.... its not a question of adapting... he has one foot, needs a touch and is not instinctive, doesn't hold the ball up and runs like a headless chicken.. frankly Noah Ohio would have been great in this team and we wasted money on Bedia and to a less degree an ageing Pedro.
