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Branston Pickle

Transfer window: 2 weeks to go...

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So the transfer window closes two weeks today - but the links to incoming players seem to have rather dried up.  

It’s been an interesting summer - of the promoted sides, we’ve very much concentrated on keeping our squad together on new deals, meanwhile Villa had to spend c£50m just keeping theirs at the status-quo; both they and Sheff U have done a spot of signing on top, with the Blades having broken their (relatively low) record fee a couple of times.

Do we think we’ll have any more (first-team) players come in?  I’m inclined to think so, perhaps 2 more + a PL loan?  Clearly we don’t want to upset the ‘thing’ we have in the squad but I’m thinking we need more depth up front, and also the fabled CDM role needs more cover.

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Think 2 will come in at most, unless there are a few transfers out.

Things I think could still happen;

Srbeny sold to a team in Germany and Rhodes brought in (would happen on deadline day or very close to it)

Defensive midfielder for over £8m

Attacking midfielder/Winger for over £10m

Hanley goes out on loan to a Championship team and a loan defender comes in.

 

Apart from that, I don't think there is much scope for anything else. I did think at the beginning of the window there would be a surprise transfer out - but now pretty much everyone has been given new deals I can't see it - Leitner and Lewis not getting new deals (and seemingly no talk of it) is something to watch though. Have those players said they won't be signing anything?

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I see today villa may have spent £25 million on 2 players (one a loan fee of £15m from Man city)

I think our main priorities (seen by management) have probably been addressed. Excellent cover at RB, GK to challenge Krul, number 2 striker and a wide exciting greedy youngster. Also the u23 squad is looking great.

There were rumours earlier but TBH most seemed ridiculous and really not rumours, mignolet, Mikel, Gayle etc.

There were only a few European rumours from Europe which sounded positive but very happy with what excellent work we have completed, in signing key members of our team. The additions are clearly good eggs from the vibes coming out of the club, bought into the culture and will play a part.

The Turnbull situation seems a lifetime ago.

I am sure that conversations will continue and possibly a new player or two as negotiations continue and the market moves a little quicker.

It was great that we sold Franke, Oliveira moved on and Marshall and Husband are aware that they can look at other opportunities.

Let's see what happens and hope we have some new rumours and new signings. It is better to get them in earlier but I do know we will be doing our due diligence on any potential signing.

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I meant to add that there doesn’t really seem to have been a huge amount of transfers generally in and around the PL - I guess it’ll kick-off a bit more in the next few days, maybe as teams come back from world tours (not that this stops thing happening nowadays).  We’ve probably been busier than most with our u23 overhaul. 

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I know that money does not equal success etc etc and that we will have spent a fair bit on the new contracts, signing on fee for Drmic, loan fee for Fahrmann, Roberts etc...but if we don't sign anyone else and end the summer with a transfer fee outlay of c.£750k (plus say around £2m on loan fees)....then that will be very brave indeed. That would surely constitute our lowest summer spending in years (maybe last summer aside)?

Edited by Excited Canary

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What about Hanley? He could do a job in that position.

I think realistically Bethnal is quite accurate in terms of what we're looking to do in the remaining window.

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2 minutes ago, kick it off said:

I just saw that. I think the headline extrapolates a bit more from his quotes than he actually says. We have heard the 'quiet window' from Farke before and seen players come in - I think he was saying Norwich were done only for Hanley to then arrive in his first summer. 

Norwich obviously aren't going to suddenly drop £50m of players in the next couple of weeks, but one or two players could still be counted as 'quiet' I guess.

The PinkUn boys, who are usually quite accurate have said they still expect to see something happen.

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32 minutes ago, Bethnal Yellow and Green said:

Think 2 will come in at most, unless there are a few transfers out.

Things I think could still happen;

Srbeny sold to a team in Germany and Rhodes brought in (would happen on deadline day or very close to it)

Defensive midfielder for over £8m

Attacking midfielder/Winger for over £10m

Hanley goes out on loan to a Championship team and a loan defender comes in.

 

Apart from that, I don't think there is much scope for anything else. I did think at the beginning of the window there would be a surprise transfer out - but now pretty much everyone has been given new deals I can't see it - Leitner and Lewis not getting new deals (and seemingly no talk of it) is something to watch though. Have those players said they won't be signing anything?

It seems strange that they would refuse to sign a new deal - they're already under contract for three and four years respectively, so in effect they're just being offered (I presume) a significant bump in wages for tagging one more year on top of it.

Or it might be that they've just been given a pay rise above the terms of their original contract without altering the contract's length, and the club didn't think it necessary to announce that publicly? Would that be doable?

Or, alternatively, perhaps when they negotiated their latest contracts (within the last year), their agents played hardball and asked for huge promotion increases that were commensurate with the kind of salary given to those signing new deals this summer?

Obviously it might be that they're announced soon, or it might be that they've said they want away. Several potential options to consider here...

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1 minute ago, Feedthewolf said:

It seems strange that they would refuse to sign a new deal - they're already under contract for three and four years respectively, so in effect they're just being offered (I presume) a significant bump in wages for tagging one more year on top of it.

Or it might be that they've just been given a pay rise above the terms of their original contract without altering the contract's length, and the club didn't think it necessary to announce that publicly? Would that be doable?

Or, alternatively, perhaps when they negotiated their latest contracts (within the last year), their agents played hardball and asked for huge promotion increases that were commensurate with the kind of salary given to those signing new deals this summer?

Obviously it might be that they're announced soon, or it might be that they've said they want away. Several potential options to consider here...

There are a huge number of variables so no conclusion should be drawn from them not signing a new deal. Just when everyone else has so far, then the ones who haven't become more noticeable. 

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One potential reason a player who is looking to step-up wouldn't sign a new contract is if we were setting a ridiculously high release clause or something.

But theres so many different variables as Bethnal says so silly to draw conclusions.

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Regardless of the standard, I like it that the squad is evolving rather than the Fulham model of last year. 

I remember back in 04 when we brought in a load of players and released the likes of Malky and Iwan.

Helveg, Charlton and Jonnson didn't improve us, and didn't hang around long either. 

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That’s as maybe, but it is equally widely regarded that it was the lack of having Ashton here for longer that got us relegated.  IMO we’d be advised to do whatever gives us the best chance of staying up - which would surely be to get a couple more in..if we have faith in SW and DF we ought to be ok with the guys they think we need.

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25 minutes ago, splendidrush said:

Regardless of the standard, I like it that the squad is evolving rather than the Fulham model of last year. 

I remember back in 04 when we brought in a load of players and released the likes of Malky and Iwan.

Helveg, Charlton and Jonnson didn't improve us, and didn't hang around long either. 

I have little doubt that we would have stayed up if we had kept Malky and Iwan.

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If I recall correctly, Malky got promoted and then left three sides - he was not regarded as PL ‘quality’ by separate clubs and I’m not sure they were wrong.

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7 hours ago, Branston Pickle said:

If I recall correctly, Malky got promoted and then left three sides - he was not regarded as PL ‘quality’ by separate clubs and I’m not sure they were wrong.

Didn’t he get promoted with West Ham the season after us, then with Watford the season after that? I think he then played fairly regularly for Watford as a rotation choice in the prem (at 35/36). That  was three seasons after we’d released him - I think he’d have been a valuable asset for us in the prem, even if only for a year or two.

 

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It does look like Malky was kept on by Watford, but not used a lot (15 games in 2 seasons). Love him as we did back then, I’m not sure he was up to being a ‘full’ PL defender.

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Always seemed to me that the damage done in 04/5 was to the dressing room dynamic, as Malky, Iwan & to an extent Paul Crichton were the big characters. Took quite a bit of the heart out of the squad.

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It's a great big plus to keep all the players that contriubuted so much last season. Yes, one or two more squad members would be good - there are spaces, but is there a player who would come in at the last minute either purchased or on loan that could fit straight in to the first team?  I doubt it - without a pre-season steeped in the ways of Farke, any new additions would need assimilating - unless they are of supreme quality, but that seems unlikely given our budget considerations.

 

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I can't see us signing any player for the sums mentioned above, as there is no real need and it goes against what I see as the current ethos.

Those who are here are pretty much staying, however I don't rule out late signings as Webber has said that they are prepared to wait till nearer the 'time' as prices fall at that stage.

Keeping the squad virtually untouched will play a big part in our success this season. There are no 'bertie big bollox' who think they deserve to be elsewhere - whereas we have plenty who are well aware of what a great chance this is for them. I doubt also there is much disparity in the wages either - hence the whole squad being given new contracts.... levelling up I should imagine.

Don't underestimate the importance of having a 'united' squad. One that is happy to be seen as underdogs, but are totally committed, so expect us to be the media's new 'darlings' by the autumn.

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I am sticking with  this from before Farke's interview:

Psychic Purple's predictions:

1) Hanley will stay.

2) Rhodes won't arrive.

3) There is money left at least for a mid-seven-figure signing.

4) Wriedt won't arrive, or another out and-and-out striker (although a Bowen-type might).

5) Dozzell won't arrive.

6) A first-choice defensive midfielder will arrive (unless Farke thinks McLean is that).

I would be surprised if we don't make at least one more significant (which is not necessarily to say big-money) signing before the season starts. What i don't expect is a signing that overturns our wage policy, but that doesn't automatically rule out a big transfer fee.

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2 hours ago, FenwayFrank said:

Malky was a shirt puller and turned like an oil tanker, nowhere near good enough for the prem

Like Craig Fleming then - or was it a coincidence that so many goals were scored by the player being "marked" by him? At least Malky could jump.

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33 minutes ago, Jobsworth Canary said:

Alan Nixon of the Sun is reporting James Husband to Blackpool is on.

one less to get rid of 

aaaaaaaand he's gone.

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