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We Recruit Late Again

Discussion in 'Bristol City' started by wizered, Jan 24, 2020.

  1. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    Bristol City transfer window priorities with a week to go: Robins to recruit late again
    Our City writer on the job facing Lee Johnson and Mark Ashton as the clock ticks on

    With a week to go in the summer transfer window Bristol City struck: Lee Johnson had admitted he wanted up to five new signings. In the end he got four.

    Han-Noah Massengo was wandering around Ashton Gate as Leeds United won on the first weekend of the season in BS3 before Pedro Pereira's loan was confirmed on the following Wednesday and Adam Nagy and Benik Afobe joined up on the final day.

    Bristol City even moved their weekly pre-match press conference from one end of the stadium to the other to stop any pesky reporters getting a glimpse of the cavalry arriving in the first week of August 2019.

    The boost to the squad back then led to a 10-match unbeaten run and catapulted the Robins into promotion contention, however.

    With just seven days to go in the January window Bristol City are hoping to do likewise again.

    What they need
    The club has already explained publicly that they want a forward. And we believe that ideally they would like two, if deals can be arranged before deadline day.

    Whether that happens will depend on the availability of their transfer targets, and the feasibility in terms of wages requested and the fees needed to bring in the quality that City are looking for.

    The club is open to upgrading in defence or midfield - but their priority is to recruit another forward. And with time ticking it may be that only a striker or two arrives before February.

    However, the Robins remain the equal fifth highest scorers in the league currently (42 goals netted so far), and while they have created only the fourth most chances of all the teams in the league, only nine sides in the division have conceded more than their 40.

    Arguably more work is needed to create opportunities and stop them going in their own net, then.

    What might happen
    Given that Bristol City completed several late deals in the final week of the summer window - and Tomas Kalas arrived late in the summer window the year before - the Robins have the propensity to splash the cash late doors, even if things fizzled out in January 2019.

    So we expect some movement next week and know that the Robins are well capable.

    As to the names? The field has slunk in recent days to Nahki Wells, Lyle Taylor and Ivan Toney, with the Peterborough United forward a possible capture for a club record fee, if it was successful. A sure sign that City are willing to spend big if necessary in the final week to land a target or two.

    It's not completely over regarding previous targets such as Eddie Nketiah, Connor Wickham and even Dwight Gayle or Britt Assombalonga but the chances appear remote due to availability or the requested wages. Though as we near deadline, clubs can become more flexible occasionally and the level of wage contribution requested towards a loan can alter.

    City will certainly have to spend big if they're to recruit, it seems at present, with Charlton, Peterborough and others determined to dig in and hold on to their key men.

    Indeed, could Bristol Rovers striker Jonson Clarke-Harris hold the key for City to recruit, as the Gas forward replaces a Robins-bound incoming signing? An ironic denouement could yet happen.

    Any outgoings?
    Yes, about that possibility of spending big... it could be fuelled by the sale of Josh Brownhill. As we revealed earlier this week, the midfielder has a release clause in his contract in the summer that means City will have to consider any big offers in January.

    Anything over £7m, as we understand it, could be tempting with plenty of Premier League sides circling the City captain, the latest suitors being West Ham and Leicester City.

    If Brownhill goes then Joe Morrell could be recalled from Lincoln City to replace him. One in, one out. Antoine Semenyo will be permitted to leave on loan, should a striker be signed.

    Meanwhile Kasey Palmer is set to remain in BS3, despite being offered as part of a deal to sign Charlton Athletic's Lyle Taylor.

    An intriguing last seven days of the January transfer market remains.

    https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/bristol-city-transfer-window-priorities-3772763
     
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  2. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    It seems to me MA/LJ had planned only one major signing for January, Nketiah and Arsenal crapped on us and we had no plan B, result- No signings so far, sorry bad and inefficient management.

    Still time for them to redeem themselves but they had better pull their fingers out.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 24, 2020
  3. bcfcredandwhite

    bcfcredandwhite Well-Known Member

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    I can’t believe that MA and LJ would only have been after 1 player. Everyone knows that deals fall through and to sit back and rely on another club who have already snubbed you once would be incompetence at the highest level - I can’t see it myself.
    I’ll wait until the window shuts before making my final judgement. Frustrated and disappointed so far though.......
     
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  4. Supcon72

    Supcon72 Well-Known Member

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    The Jan window is notorious for last minute deals, so it shouldn’t come as much surprise if we don’t do anything until the final day/hours of the window
     
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  5. johngalleyfan2

    johngalleyfan2 Well-Known Member

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    its catch 22 week now … don't want to pay v we want to sell .. but who will crack first!
     
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  6. AshtonRed

    AshtonRed Well-Known Member

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    Summed my thoughts up completely, except the last sentence, though I obviously hoped we’d sign someone early I really didn’t expect to, it’s not how the January transfer window works.
     
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  7. wizered

    wizered Ol' Mucker
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    Well we all have different thoughts and that what makes life interesting, I remember reading recently how well organsied our recruitment team were and how our plans were all in place for the approaching January window, Nketiah and Arsenal were history but we were well prepared for forthcoming events.

    Plan A had obviously failed, no plan B it appears, since then nothing has happened, to be honest I just want something positive to develop and we will all be happy.
     
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  8. johngalleyfan2

    johngalleyfan2 Well-Known Member

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    not much seems to happen over the cup weekends so there is likely to be 119 hours of feverish activity …… left
     
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  9. AshtonRed

    AshtonRed Well-Known Member

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    In his interview post match last game Lee seemed fairly relaxed about the fact we haven’t signed anyone yet this window, however I did read into his comments that to get into the playoffs We’d Need some quality incomings , seemed to me a coded way of saying if we don’t get them don’t blame me if we don’t make it into the playoffs, setting up his defence to the board whilst also putting pressure on the recruitment team. That’s how I read it anyway.
     
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  10. johngalleyfan2

    johngalleyfan2 Well-Known Member

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    like the Watford manager! pre Tranmere .. don't really care for the cup, league is more important.. placed a spade and ladder in his hole!
    Lee has done quite well to have us within a few games of others losing/ us winning and 6th … we have had some bad luck at the wrong times … and really when you analyse it the defence is to blame! by about 50% .. .. .. luck about 20% & 30% to style of play ..viz …. allowing teams to come at us, last season that would have worked we had a superb defence this season injuries and WEBSTER not so
     
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  11. AshtonRed

    AshtonRed Well-Known Member

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    Odd isn’t it , I can’t understand why we are so poor defensively this season compared to last, Webster is good but not that good , maybe missing Marlon in front of the back 4?, I do think most of our problem is midfield offering little protection in front of the back 4, I may not be popular for saying this , but Williams experience is obviously an advantage but generally he’s too slow , if fit I’d prefer Kalas , Moore , and Baker before Williams.
     
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  12. johngalleyfan2

    johngalleyfan2 Well-Known Member

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    Sometimes there is a spark between 2 -3 -4 players that blend together to form a tight knit grouping .. not always the £80m players sometimes a £best player and 1 or 2 others of lesser ilk, be they young old quick or slow, but they read each others mind/know what the others are doing and cover etc. We had that last year settled and "formidable"
    Williams may be slow? but is it that or he see's around him what should happen but often doesn't?
    we have off loaded Wright [ not been in squad for a month or so ] Kalas been out … and at one point this was a part / 50% of the defence, no Webster so that means3/4's of the defence is new! But it has not had the stability of regularity.... maybe from here to the end it will have!
     
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