Man Down - The January Window Reviewed

So to summarise the window..........


In (9): Ayoze Perez, Jack Colback, Siem De Jong, Remy Cabella, Emmanuel Riviere, Daryl Janmaat, Facundo Ferreyra, Jamaal Lascelles, Karl Darlow.

Out (10): Shola Ameobi, Dan Gosling, Luuk De Jong, Loic Remy, James Tavernier, Romain Amalfitano, Mathieu Debuchy, Sylvain Marveaux, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Hatem Ben Arfa.


The net effect of our attempts to strengthen our first team squad is a deficit of 1 player.... plus we don't actually have the option of seeing Lascelles and Darlow in a Toon shirt so it could be argued that we're 3 down.

Not a bad window at all for the fat man......



.... from a balance sheet ponit of view.

I was positive after our initial signings but further sales and lack of striking reinforcements has changed that view.

By my reckoning we are 2 CB's and two Strikers short of being a top 10 side.

Over to fatty in January to deliver.... although I expect to see Tiote and Jonas depart then to further balance the books...

Hope I'm wrong like.

 

funny that Jonas is missing, despite his short comings we could do with him at the moment

 

Let's just hope we're not cut adrift by January.

 

Who's currently "unattached" that we bolster the head count with?

 

http://www.thepfa.com/transferlist/listedplayers/sortbydate/cf/-1/-1/-1/premier league/1/

Earnshaw or Loverman maybe?

 

http://www.thepfa.com/transferlist/listedplayers/sortbydate/cb/-1/-1/-1/premier league/1/

For defence... Zat Knight?

 

Smart work by Ashley. Aside from the odd outgoing and incoming, we've basicaly traded one set of average players for another. I wonder ow the wage bill has been affected by this work.

 

Just to be the voice in the darkness, Remy was not our player and was always going back to QPR and on from there, also just to be pedantic, January? As for the rest Debuchy was the big loss, HBA if he had played to his potential would have been hunted by one of the big dogs, says it all that he has gone to Hull, of the others I actually think that we are better off with the guys bought in, it is only 3 matches and I think the team will gel better and start getting results.

 

How long before they gel though? Remy was not our player but he was part of our squad for the whole season, so whichever way we look at it, we've swapped him for Riviere. That looks a downgrade. Of the real regular first team players, we seem to have downgraded. As someone who didn't think we were all that good last year, I think that is a slight concern.

My personal biggest worry is we have got worse defensively and have less numbers despite looking weak. We've bought only one player (Colback) who can hit the ground running and once again bought all foreign players. We don't seem to learn from our mistakes. Darlow and Lascelles is a good start. We need two or three more of those types to get a good domestic core to the side.

 

What amazes me is this happens every window unless relegation looks likely yet you all keep expecting more our of them.

I believe we are one of the smallest clubs in the premiership along with burnley palace

The likes if Leicester are now bigger clubs.

 

I'd say only West Brom and Burnley look like weaker teams than ours now.

 

We've had a pretty poor window, but I've seen some of the Nottingham Forest games and those two lads look decent. It's a shame they could get Forest promoted but still be playing Championship footy next season!

We have got Aarons coming through as a senior player, but overall our squad quality and depth has taken a backwards step, and it was already on the ****ing breadline. It's put so much pressure on the likes of Cabella and De Jong now. People were saying it'll take time for them to improve. Yeah, it will. Problem is, we don't have time!

 

They both have at least one centre half and striker each. Our midfield is probably better but that's it

 

This.. plus maybe palace..

 

And some of the fans won't give the new lads that much time. One misplaced pass and out come the boo boys.

 

Exactly. We all know where the bile should be aimed at. Pardew should be met with the same level of hatred as at the Cardiff game. TBH if results continue the way they are I think that will happen very soon anyway.

 

Poor window but we still have good depth in midfield. We've taken a big risk on the fact that Aarons will continue on his upward curve and that Cabella, De Jong and Rivierre will adapt quickly.

I personally hope that Aarons see's as much game time as possible, it's about time we put some faith in youth. I also rate Janmaat and Haidara highly so think we've improved in both full back areas (Haidara didn't play last season and Janmaat looks like the complete athlete, big, powerful and has a great engine). We probably have the most options since the days of Robson in midfield when you look at Tiote, Colback, Anita, Sissoko, Cabella, Gouffran, De Jong, Aarons and Abeid. In my opinion the first 8 names there are all more than capable of doing a good job in the first team, only Abeid has a few question marks hanging over him.

As everyone is saying we're short at CB and up front, but in terms of our first 11-14 players we're okay. An injury to Colo and Taylor at the same time (which let's face it is far from improbable) and we're left with Williamson and nothing else in terms of first team experience. Such a huge risk to take.

 

The names have changed but the game remains the same.

Mid-table mediocrity and a life as Premier League also-rans.

Enjoy!

 

I fully expect Pardew to give Aarons a starting berth (the fans will love it) to try and mask the hatred that will most likely be directed his way over the HBA debacle. You can bet your life there will be chants of "Hatem Ben Arfa" at our next game, even more so our next home game...and not just because we're playing his new club either !

 

I think you are probably right, the fans are that stupid. To be fair Pards playing Aarons is nothing to do with currying favour, he clearly rates the lad.