Are you ok with the fact that we signed no one?

[cambridgeshire canary 6,680]

Honestly curious to see and feel the general attitude. Yes, we broke our transfer record twice the last window. But could we have at least showed some classic 'Hambitionn'  and at least tried to strengthen us given we are now out of the relegation zone rather than just sending players we might need as backup out.. Nevermind how many of the teams around us in the table have gone and spent big this window. I do get the feeling there's a lot of anger across social media right now in regards to this window..  

 

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by cambridgeshire canary

[cornish sam 948]

The problem with trying to spend our way to safety is that a) we don't have very much money and b) we're trying to spend against the richest club in the world™

Either what we already had is good enough or we would still fail despite spending so we go with what we have, don't upset the team that is starting to emerge and don't have to wait for new players to settle

[Jim Smith 2,314]

No I’m not. It’s pathetic given our situation and the fact we’ve given ourselves a sniff of safety but it’s par for the course with the attitude of the club to retaining premier league status. 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Although I do think it would have been possible to try a permanent signing without the wheels falling off the club if it didn’t come off / we didn’t stay up, I am okay with us not doing that given we’d spent the budget in the summer.

But if we are including sending back Gilmour, Kabak or both for a new loan deal(s) then no I am not particularly.

Expecting / hoping to see these two loans feature more for the rest of the season and to improve, otherwise it will have been a waste of loan fees / wages. 

[The Great Drinkell 50]

No problem with this, we did the same business as Leicester, West Ham and Leeds all of these clubs have rich owners but didn't/couldn't spend. I think we need a DCM if Norman is gong to be in and out but if we get the plyers back then against 30% of the league we give ourselves a chance.

The transfer window is hyped by the media

[Beetley Yellow 57]

Would have liked some visible effort to try to find a DM, who knows there may have been work done behind the scenes in that respect, who knows? Given our financial position we were always restricted in what we could do. I suppose the question now is do we need to do much in the Summer (assuming we have been relegated).

[hogesar 9,618]

Most signings we made without anyone on here, or in the media, knowing anything about it. I don't doubt we had a look in the time leading up to January and throughout the window but we don't have a huge budget and prices are inflated in January. Considering when we had more of a budget the moaners on here complained we couldn't buy Premier League quality talent, how on earth did they think we'd be able to do it with less money in a highly inflated window?

[TheGunnShow 5,933]

17 minutes ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

Although I do think it would have been possible to try a permanent signing without the wheels falling off the club if it didn’t come off / we didn’t stay up, I am okay with us not doing that given we’d spent the budget in the summer.

But if we are including sending back Gilmour, Kabak or both for a new loan deal(s) then no I am not particularly.

Expecting / hoping to see these two loans feature more for the rest of the season and to improve, otherwise it will have been a waste of loan fees / wages. 

Pretty similar to my view. If we were spending on a purchase, I'd only want a player who was a clear Sörensen upgrade, basically. Finding one of those with extra mobility and Premier League experience in our price range is a very hard job, especially in a January window which is generally a seller's market.

The main caveat is that we don't know the nature of the loan deals in question and it might not have been possible, or it could but only with financial penalties. I'd also say it's possible that even if they only end up as squad players, we could have a Fährmann situation where other players kick on just in their presence, but that's far harder to establish with outfielders than goalies.

[Move Klose 303]

We are a Pukki or Rashica injury away from being game over. 

People say Normann coming back is like a new signing etc, which I agree and I think once we get the midfielders back for the wolves Cup game we will have plenty of options and cover in defence and midfield.. 

My problem is the top end of the pitch, at the moment we are playing Rashica, Sargent, Idah & Pukki which has worked last couple of games. What happens if one of those gets injured, which they will. 

Placheta, Dowell, Tzolis, Rowe are the only options, who are either not good enough or not ready for this level yer.

Sadly I think the outcome of all this is inevitable and I can't wait to hear the we will learn from this next time spiel to come out.

Smith has put us in a much better position with these last 2 results and I can't help but think a new creative, wide, forward etc player would've helped. I'm not saying go spend £20m, but we still had a overseas loan space we could've used.

 

[Dean Coneys boots 1,398]

Anyone who thinks this squad couldn’t do with help in terms of quality is delusional. The only reason we didn’t bring anyone in is down to money. We are two injuries away from calamity and outside a handful of the the starting XI are players nowhere near good enough at this level. 

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,020]

It is a bit like asking if I am OK with it being cold, cloudy and windy today........not really........not a lot I can do about it, however I feel.........

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

29 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Most signings we made without anyone on here, or in the media, knowing anything about it. I don't doubt we had a look in the time leading up to January and throughout the window but we don't have a huge budget and prices are inflated in January. Considering when we had more of a budget the moaners on here complained we couldn't buy Premier League quality talent, how on earth did they think we'd be able to do it with less money in a highly inflated window?

So are you saying that you feel the club DID actively look to buy players (without firstly selling) but couldn’t find anyone? Because that’s not the vibe I got from anything Bailey has written, nor the club’s own messaging.

RE the bit in bold - That’s weird as I would say the opposite for the most recent window. I recall the Rashica one happening quickly and under the radar at the start of the window, but nearly everyone one else was heavily rumoured up to the transfers happening. I can recall the Tzolis, Normann, Williams, Sargent, Kabak ones all being on the radar several days before they signed. I guess the ‘transfer rumours’ thread would reveal all but I can’t really be bothered to go back…

An obvious example that springs to mine is the ‘hope Sargent doesn’t sign’ thread from TVO, I don’t think he made that thread after Sargent was already announced 😆

I guess what we don’t know is the extent in which we tried to sign players but didn’t / couldn’t. The likes of Billings, Josh King, and Ajer were all strongly rumoured but presumably they’d have been others.

However, the fact that there has literally been not even the slightest sniff of a rumour of a purchase, combined with the tone of the club’s own messaging, I’d say we most definitely weren’t actively looking at bringing anyone in. I don’t doubt we had targets in mind, but we clearly just needed to generate some ££££ first, which is a real shame if we end up falling slightly short on staying up. 

 

[BarclayWazza 91]

Nope. 

But it's OK because wE aReN't GoInG tO waste MoNeY lIkE wE dId On NaIsMiTh.

As someone else said, and I've been saying for years, it's perfectly possible by recruiting the right kind of player who will have a sell on value to actually step outside the comfortable self funding model to give ourselves a better chance of staying up.

But, predictably, the club and the usual suspects who defend it are more than ok with being the only club with a chance of staying up who don't spend a penny.

[Fuzzar 1,702]

I don't think there's any guarantee we'll bounce straight back up if we go down, so given we now have a (albeit slim) chance of staying up, I'd have liked to have seen a couple of players to help the group - a central midfielder and another body to replace Cantwell.

Even someone like Hourihane, who we were linked with, would have been better than nothing.

[Move Klose 303]

1 minute ago, Fuzzar said:

I don't think there's any guarantee we'll bounce straight back up if we go down, so given we now have a (albeit slim) chance of staying up, I'd have liked to have seen a couple of players to help the group - a central midfielder and another body to replace Cantwell.

Even someone like Hourihane, who we were linked with, would have been better than nothing.

Hourihane is not better than nothing. He would be about 7th in the pecking order. He isn't getting in front of Normann, PLM, Gilmour, Rupp, McLean, Sorensen

[Fuzzar 1,702]

1 minute ago, Move Klose said:

Hourihane is not better than nothing. He would be about 7th in the pecking order. He isn't getting in front of Normann, PLM, Gilmour, Rupp, McLean, Sorensen

I wouldn't have played him in any of the above's positions, but in Cantwell's as an option off the bench more likely to change a game than Dowell has looked capable of doing.

[DraytonBoy 142]

The lack of spending was predictable but also a gamble given that the two wins have provided hope of escape. With the other teams at the bottom splashing the cash you have to assume that Dean Smith has been told he'll have to wait until the summer for replacements or he's confident that a fully fit squad is good enough to survive, the loan exit of Cantwell makes the former more likely.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Irrespective of strengthening the team, a new signing invigorates the support and can even increases the gate on occasions. A new name of note is always a big deal, especially when its a striker.

I remember being at Ted McDougall's Carrow Road debut which caused much excitement and probably put a few thousand on the gate  ... it perhaps also had something to do with his punch up at West Ham and the fact that our greatest ever striker was a controversial character as well. A big name at the time though.

There will have been a few others and even the much mallgned Naismith signing was eagerly accepted by the support, with his debut justifying the build up.

No such thing to look forward to this time around, even though any addition would likely just be moving those deck chairs around such is the task ahead of Smith, Shakespeare and the squad.

Some of the heat has probably been taken out of the situation by young Idah's sudden coming of age and by Josh Sargent turning into a goalscorer, even though high hopes of both could be well premature.

Edited February 1, 2022 by BroadstairsR

[TheGunnShow 5,933]

Well, we beat Watford after exploiting two of their new signings. Pukki robbed Samir to set up Sargent's first goal, and Sargent absolutely aerially overpowered a new, small full-back in Kamara when heading in his second.

If we are showing signs of a lot of new players gelling, why over-complicate the matter by adding even more new players to a relatively embryonic team unless they are a very clear upgrade on what we have? We've surely seen enough trouble from signing players in January that didn't hit the ground running and were seen as liabilities.

Rupp and Duda were probably the main two there. It took Rupp a relegation and then a pre-season to hit the ground running with us, but he really did look the part after that.

[Gordon Bennett 780]

Not necessarily OK with it but I accept that its just how it is, particularly with the business done in the summer. January is notoriously difficult to buy players unless you pay over the odds and take big risks, we have a large squad which may or may not be good enough but I'm afraid our situation is the reality of being run how we are however much people want to jump up and down and moan. 

[AJ 1,218]

Anyone who looks at this squad and thinks they have enough to stay up is a bit delusional! We've seen 14 very good reasons why we're not good enough. I'll disappointed we haven't gone out of our way to sign a decent CDM which such Normann's injury concerns seems to be an obvious area of weakness. With Todd leaving we could also have done with another winger, preferably right sided. But hey ho, at least we're financially secure when we get relegated again

 

 

[Mason 47 1,373]

It's always a little bit disappointing when you don't get to be involved with the transfer scramble, but I understand why we didn't.

Nobody ever wants to get successful slowly.

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Some seem to be justifying the lack of strengthening by the fact that any (even one?) new signing might disrupt a well-integrated squad that,. due to of a couple of wins against fellow lower league opponents, has suddenly gelled.

Let's prey that they are right and that even that the Toon's new display of quality will take  enough time to get going to allow us to steal a march on them.

A bit hopeful that, but hope is all we have.

I bet Dean Smith would have welcomed a new face or two, and our manager now seems to be our strongest card.

[tricky974 61]

👆 I agree with BroadstairsR and also we know we don't have much money and spending more may not have helped, unless there was someone who was just too good to turn down and wanted to be part of a relegation battle and fight for everything each week then absolutely no point.

[Google Bot 3,259]

I'm OK with it, but it's madness that we haven't boosted the squad.  I honestly think survival this season is not all that harder than promotion next season if we were to go down - and the squad issues we may face.

Reason I'm OK with it though, is knowing how bloated the squad is - we've got plenty of players out on loan, but they're still on the books here, and to bring anyone of quality beyond what we have you're talking 10,15,20m cost in January window.

Pissed off no-one wanted Cantwell is the underlying feeling really.  Feels like that's an asset that we've been robbed off - for whatever reason.  We would've had our eye on someone if we could get him out the door - makes you wonder who that would've been.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Google Bot

[Nora's Ghost 157]

I have every faith in Dean Smith and Shakey.

 

If they manage to keep us up without any overpriced mercenary signings it will better the achievements of any other manager here before them.

[TheGunnShow 5,933]

56 minutes ago, BroadstairsR said:

Some seem to be justifying the lack of strengthening by the fact that any (even one?) new signing might disrupt a well-integrated squad that,. due to of a couple of wins against fellow lower league opponents, has suddenly gelled.

Let's prey that they are right and that even that the Toon's new display of quality will take  enough time to get going to allow us to steal a march on them.

A bit hopeful that, but hope is all we have.

I bet Dean Smith would have welcomed a new face or two, and our manager now seems to be our strongest card.

That looks squarely aimed at me, I'm not saying the team has suddenly gelled, but I am saying the team does look to be gelling more. Process over state.

[Highland Canary 76]

Simply a reflection that our business model is not compatible with competitive PL football.

[Yellowhammer 86]

No it’s sad that the only transfer headline is that one of our young players with talent has gone , ok he has not been great with this season but got a feeling he will flourish in the future . 

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

13 minutes ago, TheGunnShow said:

That looks squarely aimed at me, I'm not saying the team has suddenly gelled, but I am saying the team does look to be gelling more. Process over state.

Not really (I tend not to notice the name behind the post in any case) as I am filled with some hope myself by the way that we have attacked the last two games. Five goals no less, such excesses hitherto unknown this season.

The problem is that this false dawn business has happened before, only to be thwarted by a seemingly inevitable run of demoralising defeats.

Palace could be a marker. Beat them and we are on a roll.

Another hitman would have been nice.