Transfer window

[bring back the cowshed!]

The January transfer window is 10 days old with no comings or goings so far. According to Les, he is looking to bring a player in (allegedly a forward) and is waiting for replies to his requests. But it's really quiet. Does anyone have any rumours?

Les is also thinking of loaning uninvolved players out. I'm not sure who he's thinking of. I'm not sure this is a good idea unless he means youngsters like Max Power. With our small squad, almost everyone is guaranteed some action now and again. I've noticed Les has changed his selection strategy recently. For most of the season, he's been loyal and usually kept the same team except for injuries and suspensions - even during our bad spell. For the last two or three games, he's not been afraid to drop players to freshen up the team. I'd be worried if the squad got any thinner.

 

[Boz]

Not heard any rumours at all, it's really quiet on that front.

It was a bit worrying what Les said about having to move players out to get others in. As you point out, we've not got a big squad and with injury,illness and suspensions it can get quickly depleted.

I don't know why Les has given Max so little opportunity, after his promising debut at Huddersfield. Given Labadie and Welsh are carrying injuries and Robinson's not back to full fitness it would seem risky to loan him out at present. One of the 3 right-backs, maybe, given Weir and McChrystal can also cover there. I was surprised Ash rather than Mark asked to fill in there when Danny Holmes went off.

 

[Sparky]

When Raven is fit I expect Kay to go out given he is probably 3rd choice right back now Holmes has done okay. Power also possibly.

Oli Johnson has just been released by Norwich. Another one who scored at PP either last year or the year before when on loan at Yeovil. No doubt they will be after him but he started out at Stockport.

I also heard a rumour about Danny Cadamateri

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Les is also thinking of loaning uninvolved players out. I'm not sure who he's thinking of. I'm not sure this is a good idea unless he means youngsters like Max Power.

Les's comments seem strange as loaning the youngsters out would surely make little difference to the wage budget anyway, and we have already let Stockton and Vaulks go out to non-league clubs. As has been commented, other than Kay I can't really see who else we could afford to let go.

On the subject of potential players to come in, it is interesting to see that James Wallace, who was a target of ours a few months ago, has signed on loan for Stevenage.

 

[drwhoman]

ANDY ROBINSON

Has injured his knee in training and will be out 6 weeks. Les really does need to get his skates on now with getting some loan players in now with Baxter gone as well.
On an unrelated but interesting note I see that Chris Dagnall has moved from Scunthorpe to Barnsley. He certainly knew where the goal was before Little sold him! GBP25k if I recall.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Has injured his knee in training and will be out 6 weeks. Les really does need to get his skates on now with getting some loan players in now with Baxter gone as well.

... and will have even less money to spend on actually improving the squad.

On an unrelated but interesting note I see that Chris Dagnall has moved from Scunthorpe to Barnsley. He certainly knew where the goal was before Little sold him! GBP25k if I recall.

I always rated Daggers. Little certainly couldn't get the best out of him. The fee we got was derisory with no sell-on fee, although he eventually left Rochdale on a Bosman.

 

[Ian]

To be fair he has made enquiries and is waiting for some Prem clubs to get back to him. No point just signing anyone to make up the numbers. Most of the loan signings Les has made have been good quality and provided suitable cover.

 

[bigmart]

We really could be in trouble now as we are struggling to get a squad together and its rather worrying that there is talk of players going out on loan to enable us to get players in.

The lack of a cup run is certainly hurting us financially as a couple of wins could have got us some prizemoney which may have helped fund a loan signing or two.

 

[Ian]

The lack of a cup run is certainly hurting us financially as a couple of wins could have got us some prizemoney which may have helped fund a loan signing or two.

Yep, it really puts a huge dent in the funds. Maybe next time they will take these competitions seriously. ](*,)

 

[Boz]

Agree that it would have been good for the finances to have a Cup run and our dismal capitulation to Cheltenham still rankles.

However, we got some monies from the sales of Jennings and Cresswell, very little of which appear to have gone back into improving the squad

 

[Sparky]

I would have loved to have had Mike Jones back but I see Sheff Wed have snapped him up today.

Was amazed Dagnall went to Barnsley - I know Keith Hill managed him at Rochdale but that was 2 levels down when he was scoring regularly in league 2. At league 1 although he scored against us, he hasnt exactly been plorific for Scunny.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Agree that it would have been good for the finances to have a Cup run and our dismal capitulation to Cheltenham still rankles.

However, we got some monies from the sales of Jennings and Cresswell, very little of which appear to have gone back into improving the squad

If anything, the budget for loans seems significantly lower this season than last, which seems strange given the sale of the players you mention. Then again, with Robinson and Devaney in the squad, perhaps our permanent wage costs are higher this year (pity they have both spent 80% of the season injured).

 

[SonkORLY?]

We have a handy player signing on loan from a Prem club tomorrow. Expect you will recognise him...

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

We have a handy player signing on loan from a Prem club tomorrow. Expect you will recognise him...

Andy Carroll?

 

[WildRover]

We have a handy player signing on loan from a Prem club tomorrow. Expect you will recognise him...

Tevez?

 

[drwhoman]

Mmmm Andy Carroll would be about right for Rovers! Or Dirk Kuyt but he is incapable of scoring a goal either. On reflection, mabye we should give them both a miss! Maybe Les compares notes with Kenny Dalglish. Liverpool had three full backs on their bench on Saturday and played with three centre backs against a team that everyone knew was coming to park a bus on the penalty spot. Weird! Maybe Managers get so close to things that they ignore the obvious?

Anyway, back to Rovers - let us hope they get someone decent and not someone just to make up the numbers.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Mmmm Andy Carroll would be about right for Rovers! Or Dirk Kuyt but he is incapable of scoring a goal either. On reflection, mabye we should give them both a miss! Maybe Les compares notes with Kenny Dalglish. Liverpool had three full backs on their bench on Saturday and played with three centre backs against a team that everyone knew was coming to park a bus on the penalty spot. Weird! Maybe Managers get so close to things that they ignore the obvious?

I was there yesterday. It was interesting - Dalglish did the same thing vs Stoke last February in a 2-0 home win. I think the logic is that having 3 centre-halfs on the pitch would go some way to combating Stoke's main threat attacking threat, which obviously comes from set pieces. Although it left Liverpool with a surplus of centre-halfs (vs Stokes 4-5-1) it also allowed Johnson and Enrique to play very high up the pitch, theoretically encouraging inside runs from Downing and Henderson in their attempts to support the lone-striker. Skrtel carried the ball forward well at times too.

So the system was ok IMO, it just didn't really work out. Stoke were well organised as always, while Downing and Henderson were pretty poor in their attempts to support Kuyt, who genuinely looked as isolated as Tiryaki at times; dropping deep to pick up the ball, being forced out wide, no midfield runners, scapegoated by the crowd...

Andy Carroll?

No

Tevez?

Yes

 

[drwhoman]

TRANSFERS

Thanks sonkORLY. Very interesting. I only tend to see Pool on the tv unless visiting UK but I agree that they fail to get men into the box. Several times on the highlights I saw, the ball came across and there was no one there. I am not sure if Maxi was injured but he did not even make the bench. That is one guy who is always prepared to 'goal hang' as we used to call it. When Downing gets the ball it is usually deposited into row Z of the Kop! Talk of Defoe but it is really the midfield that needs to be more active - maybe Gerrard will start his box to box running again when fully fit although at 31.....

Anyway, fingers crossed for a good signing by Rovers who are my 'home' team being born in Birkenhead and all my folks coming from Bebington. I first saw them in the days of Peter Farrell and Tommy Eglington!!

 

[bigmart]

I take it the signing will be Lateef.

 

[Sparky]

Yeah Lateef has signed for a month - hopefully that means Akins will finally be dropped !!

Pleased with that - a genuine goal threat