Now that all the fussing about is finished where do we end up. Incoming. 1.....Ok...Hiram Boateng (C Palace) hasn't arrived during the January window, The hope is that he will arrive next week during the emergency window......this has restrictions......it can only be for 93 days,which wouldn't stretch as far as the play-offs (hopefully we will not need that)....also he could be called back after the first month has been completed....this way Pardew can make sure that he can be available if Palace need him .....which would be surprising seeing that he is lowish on the pecking order of a Premiership club. 2.....Craig Tanner (Reading)......extended loan until the end of the season. 3.....Oscar Threlkeld (Bolton).....extended loan until 3rd April.....misses last six games and not available for the play-offs. 4.....Jordon Forster (Hibernians).....loan deal until the end of the season. 5.....Daniel Nardiello (Bury).....loan deal until the end of season. Outgoing. 1.....Aaron Bentley.....Contract cancelled by mutual agreement. 2.....Lee Cox.....free transfer to Stevenage.......strange happening there.....they bring in nine new players and at the same time sack their manager Teddy Sheringham....weird. 3.....Deane Smalley.....loaned to Newport County until the end of the season......seeing his Argyle contract expires then.... that probably means he won't be back. Ok that helps me to see things in perspective......hope it helps others as well. What it does show us is that January was reasonably busy for PAFC although yesterday did seem a bit of a damp squid.
I go back to one of my earlier posts in that Forster provides defensive cover/competition; Boateng midfield (assuming he does arrive) and Nardiello is another interesting option up top. Don't think we will miss any of those outgoing, so for me it has been a pretty good window especially as we didn't lose anyone we didn't want to. Best thing is that all three newcomers are of sufficient quality to offer real competition for starting berths. I appreciate yesterday was a damp squib but it was pretty much all round - leaving it to the last day must be a bit of a desperate plan. I think DA will be fairly content-results will tell!
An article has popped up this afternoon on the PAFC website containing the good news that Derek Adams thinks Boateng will be back at PAFC.. and the bad news (for us) that he's in the Palace squad for their PL game against Bournemouth tonight.
Strange really.....why has Pardew got him in his match day squad ......his he short at present in mid-field .....because of injuries......what if Boateng has to come on and then plays a blinder......does that mean he won't be coming to Home Park.....will this influence Boateng to want to stay at Palace for longer because he is nearer the first team starting line-up......will Pardew hold on to him until March and then maybe let him come......who the hell knows.
I for one don't think we should worry about this Boateng saga. We are doing ok and still in it..If he comes good if not we just get on with what we have.. Will he make that much difference??
Martyn Starnes article today suggests that Hiram Boateng's loan was held up because of mid-field injuries at Selhurst Park......and things will change soon......lets hope so. Also news that Aaron Bentley released by Argyle during the January window....has joined Truro on a contract until the end of the season.
I think he will Joe he was a stand out before he was injured and the sort of midfield player we had been looking for. You are right though, if we get him then good if not then we have to do without and that's that and nothing we can do to change anything. I was still disappointed with this window. 2 in and 3 out wasn't what I wanted to hear. Not unhappy with the two in and not unhappy with the 3 out if honest but did expect a bit more than that. Other clubs were signing left right and centre and we are supposed to be better off financially than them. If we get promoted then all of this won't matter a jot but if we don't............you know what comes next.
Well yes, i knew he was a player we relied on, but i think we have had our bad patch.. hopefully. Hopefully we can get a run going and stay in the top 3.. its in our hands.. Yes agree with the window, but DA must be happy with what he has to work with and the targets if any may not have wanted to come. We wont know who they are if any. As long as we keep injury free.. i feel we will be ok.. But if we dont get promoted then i think Mr Brent may feel the backlash.. some how.. But i don't entirely blame him , if there was money there in the pot is it not up to the Manager to find players for that budget? I think we have enough to do it and finish in the top 3.. That is all i am hoping for in the Prediction league also.
There is the assumption there was a pot for the manager to have in the first place Joe. I'm not going to rake over old stuff again as we all have our opinions on the finances. None of us really know one way or the other and what's more nobody is likely to tell us either. I'm absolutely rooting for promotion this season and will be bitterly disappointed if it doesn't happen. We can't suddenly become a bad team so I don't expect us to fall away like a stone. But other teams have become better and have strengthened so are likely to improve. I'm not as confident as I was a month ago for example. Mind you the way Argyle have gone over the last 5 years or so I think we are programmed to expect the worst. I'd still go no matter what but I suspect an awful lot wouldn't anymore. If Argyle hit the skids again then I do think it would be curtains and people wouldn't be so forgiving again. That's what Brent needs to understand because he would get the blame for sure.
We have work to do as the teams around us have games in hand but I did think we looked better as soon as Carey came on on Saturday. Presumably he'll start on Saturday but perhaps play only an hour and we need three points from that game. A poor Wycombe side made us look vulnerable at times by merely pumping high balls out of defence. I think we were far too aggressive with Mellor, McHugh and Threlkeld all getting forward at the same time - and sometimes with Curtis Nelson joining in. We could have looked stupid and lost 0-2. One of those going forward at a time is enough surely? We've got good options in the front 4 and we don't need to empty the midfield like that. Boateng has got everything at this level - size, strength, skill and hard work. If there is a chance of getting him back we must.
Trouble is no matter how bad Wycombe were we still had to claw back the goal and I think were becoming desperate hence the flood of attacking players. We needed to calm down, put foot on ball and be more picky with what we did. Easy to say after the event of course. The players were desperate to do something. We do miss Boetang even though we did well enough when he wasn't there at the outset of the mini crisis. Same applies to Carey. I'd rather have the points than games in hand any day. Playing catch up in games can be a dodgy one. Not only catching up but then keeping up thereafter of course. Pompey were the ones I was watching but they do seem to shoot themselves in the foot too often with draws. I don't understand them given the class of players they have along with the budget. They have a pool of players second to none in this league yet are finding it hard to get up to the top once more. I think Accrington have too many games to make up and will struggle with their smaller squad. That leaves Bristol Rovers and Oxford to worry about. Don't think the rest are capable of climbing over us unless we blow it big time ourselves. Carey is on record today as saying he thinks we can get back to back promotions if we go up this time. A bit premature for me to start looking that far in advance although I know what he means with momentum. I don't think any game is a crucial 3 points yet and with luck won't become that. They all matter and all of the players need to screw the right head on in games. I seriously would drop Reid because I don't think his head copes with pressure very well. Brunt give it everything every game and his head never seems to drop. Horses for courses as they say and Reid is too hit or miss. He is my one big doubt out of the players we have.
