The scouting network our club now has in place is pretty extensive and is the best its ever been. He wouldn't even need to have seen a scouted footballer play himself to know every last detail about him. So I wouldn't worry too much about the fact he's been shopping in a different 'supermarket'. I do think we need to try and source a left winger if possible. Who that would be I'm not sure. I had felt we could try moving Olsson forward (as has been suggested on here before) to give balance but he 'might' be leaving. We shall see... (just for sn23)
This is very satisfying. For all the disasters from a first team perspective of the last couple of seasons, I remain confident that the club has at least largely spent the PL money wisely
Transfer Central TNC @TransferNewsCen 5m5 minutes ago Mark Hughes confirms that Robert Huth is avaliable for a short term loan deal.
IMO, McNally deserves a lot of credit for improving the infrastructure of the club. A lot of people don't realise what goes on behind the public face of the club.
If we get a decent price off of Swansea for Olsson i'm personally not going to cry too much. I actually think Garrido may be more suited for Jerome up front. He's got a wicked cross on him and would increase dead ball options also. I don't see too many championship wingers threatening him too much with Johnson covering him. Would have liked to see him play more this year as Olsson until recently i'd describe as 'poor'
I agree on Garrido, Billy. He was heavily criticised when we were in the PL but IMO he is more than capable of doing the job at this level and his delivery really is head and shoulders above the rest of the team
I'm sure that is true to an extent and the reports are comprehensive, but if the scouts have been scouting players for the last 2 years with attributes that CH and the subsequently NA found to be upper most, the attributes that AN may prise most highly may have rendered his sort of player less scouted! I.e. big and strong for Hughton, "5'8''!! don't bother looking at him!" NA who knows! couldn't see any obvious plan. Bah!
I think what Supers is probably alluding to is that our scouts will know the atributes of many players and will brief AN on what they have seen, thus he will then be able to determine which of these players will fit in with his plans (at least I think that's what he means
I'm not expecting alot of transfer activity because I don't think we need it. Players I'd like to leave, Whittaker, Hoolahan. Players I don't mind leaving Grabban, Lafferty, Cuellar, Bassong In addition, does anybody know what has happened to Miquel, I've not heard a word about him since he signed. Totally forgotten.
He played against Preston but was pretty dire. As were most of the team! Wouldn't want to see Cuellar leave, he has good experience and organises the defence pretty well. Especially as RB is out it would leave us short in defence.
Pretty much agree with this although I wouldn't let Whittaker go unless we buy a replacement. Would also want another CB if both Cuellar & Bassong go. The rest I can't say i'm too fussed about.
I wouldn't want to see Lafferty go, Carrabuh. He's far better on the ball than any other striker we have had recently, better than Hooper. His problems are obvious: (1) he doesn't quite fit into the "target man" category (2) his shooting is a bit wayward (3) he loses his head too often This means he doesn't naturally fit into any formation that we have unless he sorts out (2). If he scored a couple and got himself playing sensibly I think he could be absolutely brilliant for us. We just need a manager that understands what will make him tick...
Agree with that Rob. A goal or two could make all the difference. I also like his tracking back skills, though that's often when he 'loses his head'. Another red & yellow card addicted ref today, even more so than Foy.
While I agree in many ways it would be good to see him back, the money being quoted is just ridiculous and it has got to stop - the wages for even modest championship players are bad enough but the Prem levels are really making me physically sick. After seeing Sky Whatshisface being interviewed recently about the Ched Evans case, it is more sickening to think that t*ssers like him are the real beneficiaries of ludicrous wages and it is the decent honest fan that supplements his income. I am finding it very hard not to breach the swearing code that I signed up to while writing this piece, I will go and lie down now before I get banned or red carded myself!
Alex Neil has just said in his post-match interview that we're working hard to see what we can do, but there's nothing imminent. Any business likely to happen in the last week of the window.
If Huth is available I would be on the blower. We desperately need a centre back. Don't kid yourself, we played a very poor Cardiff team today and if it weren't for a saved penalty and some VERY bad finishing from Cardiff we would of drawn or lost. If AN watched today he would of seen how delicate our back 4 are.
I don't think Huth is the right type of Centre Back though. He's an aerial presence and an organiser, something we've already got in Turner, Cuellar and perhaps Bassong. What we lack is a centre back with the pace to get us out of trouble, and someone good at playing out confidently from the back. I'm not sure Huth is that player. There's also the issue of how pairings work. Martin, Turner and Cuellar are right sided centre backs Bassong, Miguel and Bennett are left sided. Not sure about Hooiveld. We have players who can play RCB, but with Bennett out for 2 weeks, Bassong not match fit and with doubts over his mindset, that leaves Miguel and he's crap. That's forcing us to play someone on the wrong side of defence, and also to play two similar players. Huth also generally plays on the right of a pairing, so I don't think he's a solution to either problem.
