CP has said the board have given him some dosh for the loan market. Any areas you think we need(!) to strengthen? I wouldn't mind a signing if it's a view to a permanent move, but I can just never forget when we were going strong in the championship under pards and we took gambles on players like Cook and Lita to see us over the line. We finished 11th.
Although I have heard it could be Matt Derbyshire from Forest, they only bought him last August but that was when the clown was in charge.
Need a hard-tackling, pass-spraying, ball-winning, goal-scoring midfielder please, not asking for much am I ! - does Derbyshire fit that mould ?
is the signing for this season or next? as in do we need someone to get us over the line or are you thinking about the areas to stengthen for the champ?
I've just noticed Michael Stewart is still clubless. I'm not suggesting him but I am surprised a little. I don't want anyone else for now. Not on loan at least.
I hope we don't sign Derbyshire, we have Kermit and BWP who are clearly two of the best strikers in the league. Add to that Haynes who is good enough to warrant a starting place (and is around the same level of ability as the previous two). Yes Clarke is a donkey, and Euell/Smith and Hayes are out on loan, but we can't have 4 or 5 senior strikers competing for a starting role without at least 2 losing their patience. I'd like to see a back up left-winger (someone with pace) and of course, a back-up right-back. If they have to be loans, then ideally just bring in Premier League/Championship youngsters who will not be expected to start week in week out.
I would want a new right winger brought in. I still see Danny Green as the weak link in our starting eleven. Perhaps a loan signing will give him a kick up the bottom.
Strangely, for the first time this season, on Saturday I began to wonder whether Danny Green is good enough. All season I've viewed him as a great-player, but I'm wondering if this view is clouded by my start-of-season expectations of him. He frustrates me a great deal when he chickens out of every challenge. Its annoying - Wagstaff is too afraid to go past the full back, Green doesn't mind getting past the full back but is too afraid to commit himself after doing so.
Spot on, WWOCB. Perhaps Haynes should be given a go out on the right? It sounds daft changing a team that is not losing, but I still think we can get an extra ten per cent out of the team with a bit of tweaking.
Haynes would be an interesting choice at RM. I know he's played there a lot throughout his career but that his preferred position is upfront (and he seems to drift inside a lot whenever he's placed on the wing). He certainly has the deadly pace ideally suited for a winger. His pace is clearly effective upfront, but I have noticed a tendency for him to take one touch too many and end up off balance/in too weak a position to make the most of a shot. So perhaps he should be given a go on the wing, does anyone know what his crossing is like?
More and more thinking that he isnt up to it. Def not next season. So many times he infuriates me by shooting with every opportunity he gets instead of looking for someone better positioned - and his now legendary bottling out of tackles - no, he's one to go in the close season. Maybe Marshall instead.
Do we even need wingers? Someone mentioned a 3-5-2 last week that sounded interesting with Rhoys and Solly as wingbacks, add Cort in and push Jacko to a free role.
You may be thinking of my suggestion of a 4-3-3 (with a narrow midfield and attack; three CM's - Stephens/ Hughes/Hollands(or Jacko), three CF's - BWP/Kermit/Haynes, with Solly/Wiggins going forward on occasion if needs be). Very unlikely though, few managers seem to really experiment with formations (though Exeter have been using the 3-5-2 system for a few years). When you consider that playing wingers is designed mainly to allow for crosses into the box, which inevitably will mostly be cleared by defenders, it seems illogical to constantly rely on a tactic which frequently loses us possession. Thus playing with no wingers will make passing the ball along the floor more effective. An interesting philosophy, but one which I doubt we will see at The Valley.
