My feelings exactly, unless SVH rises to new levels with us. The rest was all loss for our push for the playoffs.
I’d agree, we feel a little short staffed now with the likes of Hwang, Forshaw, Idah, Placheta, Warner and Springett leaving permanently or loan for only one to come in
https://www.skysports.com/football/...ransfer-window-2024-championship-ins-and-outs A list of all the Championship ins and outs for your review
Hwang: was a last minute signing made necessary by Sargent's injury; Sargent is back. Idah: replaced by SVH; we don't know whether that weakens or strengthens us, but in terms of bodies available, no difference. Placheta: both Giannoulis and McCallum are comfortable playing further forward; in the event of injury, both McLean and Sørensen can deputise; and Montóia is already pushing at the first team squad door. Forshaw: another last minute, injury-induced, signing in view of Sørensen's continued absence. Sørensen is back. Warner: Hanley is back, so we have four experienced CBs plus Sørensen and McLean. Springett: failed to push on and challenge those ahead of him in the pecking order; in what sense are we "weaker" without him? There are other U21 players apart from Montóia, Aboh the most obvious, who will look elsewhere if they feel the first team path is less open than previously. Having Springett occupying a seat on the bench for little to no reason in performance terms is counter-productive in that context. We are now into February, with 17 league games left to play. We have decent cover in all positions, and a manager wedded to the same starting eleven game after game. Why do we "need" a squad of, say, 25 rather than 22 backed up by promising U21s looking for their chance?
The answer is two injuries in one or more positions. Put whatever gloss on it you will, the squad is weaker than before the window. It may be ok, but then again it may not.
Interesting that his height will increase our threat at corners - I feel like that is already a standout improvement to our attack this season, or am I just imagining things?
To my knowledge, nobody has suggested bringing in another keeper in case Gunn and Long are both injured. Do we need another RFB -- we've only got Stacey and Fisher? Position by position, and acknowledging that RVH is an unknown quantity, who among those that have gone without replacement offered more quality than the options we now have?
I liked this bit from the man himself: "I know where the net is and I know how to move, if the ball comes there I know what to do ......." That's an improvement on Idah straight away. And this from Brassell: "......... it's being smart as well with the timing of his runs, the fact that he scores goals from all sorts of different angles and pops up in exactly the sort of place that you want him to."
Whether the squad is now as strong or weaker is open to debate - I tend to side with Robbie on that - but it is certainly not stronger. It has been, and was probably intended to be, a window for the balance sheet. Are the loan deals for Idah and Sydney straight loans, loans with guaranteed purchase at an agreed price or loans with an option to buy?
My understanding is that Celtic do not have an option to buy; Idah's is purely a loan deal. We do have an option to buy RVH but I've no idea whether any price has been agreed. RVH himself has said he is hoping to earn a longer contract with us, and that that is the club's hope too. (As I see it, that is exactly the sort of room for manoevre that Attanasio's involvement brings.)
Idah's loan has no buy option but we do have a buy option on van Hooijdonk's loan and he seems determined to make that happen. The club would never disclose it if a price has been agreed. This would seem to be the key factor: "That season was when he really burst into the mainstream, scoring 16 league goals, more than Luuk de Jong and Steven Bergwijn, to come third in the Eredivisie’s scoring charts. He was subsequently linked with moves to Nottingham Forest and Celtic, with the world’s biggest clubs standing up to pay attention. He returned to Bologna before any of that interest had been given the chance to develop, hoping to make an impression on boss Thiago Motta on a pre-season trip to Spain. With all the context surrounding their reunion, it seemed likely to go smoothly. But with little indication as to why, van Hooijdonk was excluded from that camp, a controversial move and one that inspired the striker’s father, former Forest and Feyenoord man Pierre, to strike out against the Italian. “It is incomprehensible that such a decision can be taken without anything motivating it,” he said. “I don’t think Sydney could ever have created problems for the coach. I say take him to the retreat, so you can judge him properly and protect the value of the player.” Motta kept his head with his response, but it was clear that things were unlikely to get easier for van Hooijdonk Junior. “I’m happy with how he trains,” said La Dotta’s head coach. “He always gives his best. But that doesn’t alter the fact that he has to go and play continuously. He has to find another situation for himself.” Hopefully that situation is NCFC if things go well. https://www.pinkun.com/sport/norwic...city-transfers-sydney-van-hooijdonk-profiled/
Replacing Idah and Hwang with SVH takes 10 goals, 2 assists out of the team, and reduces our depth up top. SVH could be another Pukki or another RvW, it's hard to know what we've got yet. If he flops we're an injury away from a tricky situation. Sorensen and Forshaw are both injury plagued, unreliable players. Forshaw has the better pedigree, and both likely walk for nothing this summer. I'd be curious if Sorensen would have fetched any kind of fee this month. I think a "fit" Forshaw to a "fit" Sorensen is a downgrade. I don't think Placheta, Warner, Springett are losses for this campaign, (unless injuries force us to move Sargent back to the wing, but that feels unlikely), but when you look at what other teams did in January, I feel like our squad has fallen back. Bristol, Blackburn, Cardiff, Hull, Ipswich, Leeds, Southampton, Stoke all look to have strengthened (on paper). At best we've stood still.
From Wiki: "On 19 January 2024, Forshaw joined Championship club Plymouth Argyle on a free transfer having had his contract with Norwich City terminated."
