The Officially Not Official Summer Transfer Thread 2023

[cambridgeshire canary 5,452]

1 minute ago, Captain Holt said:

Shane Duffy and Ashley Barnes are two very experienced players who have played at the highest level for many years. Very happy with them two as an initial foray into the market but VERY concerned that the chatter seems to be that we don’t want any more forwards. Barnes and Sargent will be fine (although Sargent has 5 goals in 30 games) but Idah is painfully inadequate. I can already see how this plays out. 

Do wonder how many more goals Sargent could have got if he had been played as our main striker all season rather than having beeen on the wing for most of it..

More than Pukki dare I say?

[Soldier on 109]

Think almost more of an issue is adding goals and creativity from midfield. Now Dowell has gone Sara aside nobody adds any goals

[BroadstairsR 1,660]

5 minutes ago, Captain Holt said:

Shane Duffy and Ashley Barnes are two very experienced players who have played at the highest level for many years. Very happy with them two as an initial foray into the market but VERY concerned that the chatter seems to be that we don’t want any more forwards. Barnes and Sargent will be fine (although Sargent has 5 goals in 30 games) but Idah is painfully inadequate. I can already see how this plays out. 

Well said sir.

We need a "sniffer," a Jordan Rhodes or an Ernie-type. Fundamental.

But, they cost. Easier said than done.

Now Duffy might be coming on another free, perhaps what funds we have can be used for such a player. Priority = DMF though.

Oh for the disposable money we had even two years ago.

[KiwiScot 1,167]

Shane Duffy on a free and he's a central defender with experience. Sounds good. He's maybe not done a full season of late the only niggle.

If people are correct in saying Barnes is going to be our only Forward signing then it's probably because we need to sign players across most positions. I suspect if we manage to get reasonable coverage across the squad we will try to add a cheap or youth player to the front line.

[BroadstairsR 1,660]

9 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Do wonder how many more goals Sargent could have got if he had been played as our main striker all season rather than having beeen on the wing for most of it..

More than Pukki dare I say?

Sargent consistently got panned on this forum after his introduction. It was extreme, and one poster n stated that he "was not even a footballer."

Clearly he was nowhere near PL level when signed for that purpose.

I prophesised that he would become a "fan's favourite" in the Chumps. So what, we were playing in the Premier League at the time

A case of the wrong player at the wrong time seems likely.

He has goals in him, and we love the man, but more goals than Teemu. Come on!

[KeiranShikari 1,277]

More than Teemu in this system.

[Soldier on 109]

33 minutes ago, KiwiScot said:

Shane Duffy on a free and he's a central defender with experience. Sounds good. He's maybe not done a full season of late the only niggle.

If people are correct in saying Barnes is going to be our only Forward signing then it's probably because we need to sign players across most positions. I suspect if we manage to get reasonable coverage across the squad we will try to add a cheap or youth player to the front line.

So much presumably dependant on how much cash we bring in

[KiwiScot 1,167]

15 minutes ago, Soldier on said:

So much presumably dependant on how much cash we bring in

I'd hope any budget they get for players they don't blow it all on this window as something tells me we need to have something in the bank to deal with the next set of flops. No point replacing a whole squad then having nothing to show

[Branston Pickle 3,057]

1 hour ago, BroadstairsR said:

Players don't really sign to a club because of its facilities. It can be a positive, but the bottom line will be the deal offered.

We are paupers.

There’s a load of factors - money is clearly one but so is the level: why come to us if there’s real PL interest, but Johnston apparently was interested in playing abroad and Scotland-to-England isn’t (yet).  We are definitely not paupers at this level. 

[BroadstairsR 1,660]

1 minute ago, Branston Pickle said:

There’s a load of factors - money is clearly one but so is the level: why come to us if there’s real PL interest, but Johnston apparently was interested in playing abroad and Scotland-to-England isn’t (yet).  We are definitely not paupers at this level. 

We are at the business end of this level.

[ged in the onion bag 716]

When are our club recruitment going to catch on that there's been a few changes in football and there's this newer position evolved called a Central Defensive Midfielder..... they seem to be all the rage with competitive teams these days.... its a phenomena where you employ physical, athletic types who anticipate danger, like to get stuck in and generally screen the defence.    

Can we have some?  

[Terminally Yellow 2,226]

52 minutes ago, ged in the onion bag said:

When are our club recruitment going to catch on that there's been a few changes in football and there's this newer position evolved called a Central Defensive Midfielder..... they seem to be all the rage with competitive teams these days.... its a phenomena where you employ physical, athletic types who anticipate danger, like to get stuck in and generally screen the defence.    

Can we have some?  

The season hasn't even finished in England yet, you sauerkraut. Chill. 

[hogesar 8,086]

1 hour ago, ged in the onion bag said:

When are our club recruitment going to catch on that there's been a few changes in football and there's this newer position evolved called a Central Defensive Midfielder..... they seem to be all the rage with competitive teams these days.... its a phenomena where you employ physical, athletic types who anticipate danger, like to get stuck in and generally screen the defence.    

Can we have some?  

Well we can only sign free agents at the moment and the order we sign players in is never dictated by what position we think we need most. 

[KeiranShikari 1,277]

One for the future.

[cambridgeshire canary 5,452]

6 minutes ago, KeiranShikari said:

One for the future.

Straight in the academy I imagine

[Dr Greenthumb 683]

42 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Straight in the academy I imagine

What gave that away?

[LaUnionCanary 67]

No position mentioned in any report I have read.

[dylanisabaddog 3,474]

5 hours ago, ged in the onion bag said:

When are our club recruitment going to catch on that there's been a few changes in football and there's this newer position evolved called a Central Defensive Midfielder..... they seem to be all the rage with competitive teams these days.... its a phenomena where you employ physical, athletic types who anticipate danger, like to get stuck in and generally screen the defence.    

Can we have some?  

Sorry Ashley, we'd like to sign you but we need a defensive midfielder first. You'll have to wait.... 

[TheDarkKnight 445]

2 hours ago, KeiranShikari said:

One for the future.

Did anyone watch the recent 17s European Championships? (The matches might be available on iplayer)

He was Scotland's best outfield player.

He's a winger. Fast feet. Good dribbler and fast. He was a standout.

Plus he's from my town.

Edited May 28 by TheDarkKnight

[PockthorpePete 331]

6 hours ago, hogesar said:

Well we can only sign free agents at the moment and the order we sign players in is never dictated by what position we think we need most. 

Why. Are we under some transfer embargo ? Duffy would be a good signing. Certainly fitsd in with the thought that we 'give it a good go' while we still have parachute money. Players with experience.

 The young scots lad will join a long line of promising youngsters who have joined, then slipped away. However, there have been others who have succeeded, so here's hoping.

[KeiranShikari 1,277]

2 hours ago, TheDarkKnight said:

Did anyone watch the recent 17s European Championships? (The matches might be available on iplayer)

He was Scotland's best outfield player.

He's a winger. Fast feet. Good dribbler and fast. He was a standout.

Plus he's from my town.

No but that's interesting. Will take a look if we sign him.

[TheDarkKnight 445]

Just now, KeiranShikari said:

No but that's interesting. Will take a look if we sign him.

We played France, Portugal and Germany, so generally, we didn't get much of a look in. It was a great experience for the players, though.

He started against Germany and France. It was against France that I made note of him.

Definitely looks like a promising player.

[PockthorpePete 331]

Age is not the main determinant. Plenty of pro footballers are still fit at that age.  It is whether he can deliver it on the pitch. Idah cannot. Not at this level, anyway. We don't yet know who will be playing up front yet. Sargeant might be sold, and Idah allowed a transfers to Blackpool. Giving kids a ride along the beach. Is Tzolis in our plans ?

Look at the goalscorers at Millwall, Coventry, Luton, Did they cost millions upon millions ? Signings from abroad (with a couple of exceptions) have proven poor value for money. How much di Lambert spend ? Time to get realistic and cut our cloth accordingly.

[Danke bitte 916]

31 minutes ago, PockthorpePete said:

Age is not the main determinant. Plenty of pro footballers are still fit at that age.  It is whether he can deliver it on the pitch. Idah cannot. Not at this level, anyway. We don't yet know who will be playing up front yet. Sargeant might be sold, and Idah allowed a transfers to Blackpool. Giving kids a ride along the beach. Is Tzolis in our plans ?

Look at the goalscorers at Millwall, Coventry, Luton, Did they cost millions upon millions ? Signings from abroad (with a couple of exceptions) have proven poor value for money. How much di Lambert spend ? Time to get realistic and cut our cloth accordingly.

Proven English signings are very expensive. So we have little choice but to take punts on foreign signings and / or English free agents. When you say a couple of exceptions re: Foreign options those exceptions have been benchmarks aka Buendia, Pukki and even Sara. Not every player signed will be a hit nor should there be that expectation, there’s a squad to consider not just the starting 11. We won the 18/19 Champ season with a squad filled with second rate foreign signings… and didn’t do too badly in 20/21 either 

[HazzaJet 227]

1 hour ago, PockthorpePete said:

Why. Are we under some transfer embargo ? Duffy would be a good signing. Certainly fitsd in with the thought that we 'give it a good go' while we still have parachute money. Players with experience.

 The young scots lad will join a long line of promising youngsters who have joined, then slipped away. However, there have been others who have succeeded, so here's hoping.

As we failed to go straight back up and get our final parachute payment this summer we will effectively be under a bit of a transfer embargo this summer - I think we’re going to see a summer similar to that of 2018

[PockthorpePete 331]

53 minutes ago, HazzaJet said:

As we failed to go straight back up and get our final parachute payment this summer we will effectively be under a bit of a transfer embargo this summer - I think we’re going to see a summer similar to that of 2018

That is NOT any transfer embargo, any more than it is for any other club. It just means we have to cut our cloth accordingly, that's all.

[Monty13 1,702]

12 hours ago, Captain Holt said:

Shane Duffy and Ashley Barnes are two very experienced players who have played at the highest level for many years. Very happy with them two as an initial foray into the market but VERY concerned that the chatter seems to be that we don’t want any more forwards. Barnes and Sargent will be fine (although Sargent has 5 goals in 30 games) but Idah is painfully inadequate. I can already see how this plays out. 

I’m not sure who we’d get as a third striker that would be better than Idah. I’m more concerned that Idah just won’t get game time again, at least not up front where he should be.

He’s in a complete catch-22, not good enough to play up front for us regularly but not going to develop until he does.

Hope we can find another striker cheap as backup to let him out because he desperately needs 30 games up top somewhere and has done for years IMO.

[PockthorpePete 331]

1 hour ago, Danke bitte said:

Proven English signings are very expensive. So we have little choice but to take punts on foreign signings and / or English free agents. When you say a couple of exceptions re: Foreign options those exceptions have been benchmarks aka Buendia, Pukki and even Sara. Not every player signed will be a hit nor should there be that expectation, there’s a squad to consider not just the starting 11. We won the 18/19 Champ season with a squad filled with second rate foreign signings… and didn’t do too badly in 20/21 either 

Rather a confused and muddled reply you post. Look at the Championship clubs with good strikers. Were they bought from parachute payments. Were they 'proven' when signed ? And we are not 'taking a punt' when signing foreign players now. The players available are limited (due to Brexit) so any we buy are no longer the bargains of 18/19, but those who cost many millions. Which is my point. Rashica, Tzolis and Sergeant were certainly not worth the sums quoted. Nor were loanees such as Norman & Kabak.

I am perfectly aware of the success rate. As my comment regarding the scots youngster signed (?)We won in 18/19without the huge fees of recent. That we won then rather suggests we have wasted an awful lot of money for at most bang average players.-You can put together a squad without the wasteful spending, as clubs above have shown.

[Danke bitte 916]

21 minutes ago, PockthorpePete said:

Rather a confused and muddled reply you post. Look at the Championship clubs with good strikers. Were they bought from parachute payments. Were they 'proven' when signed ? And we are not 'taking a punt' when signing foreign players now. The players available are limited (due to Brexit) so any we buy are no longer the bargains of 18/19, but those who cost many millions. Which is my point. Rashica, Tzolis and Sergeant were certainly not worth the sums quoted. Nor were loanees such as Norman & Kabak.

I am perfectly aware of the success rate. As my comment regarding the scots youngster signed (?)We won in 18/19without the huge fees of recent. That we won then rather suggests we have wasted an awful lot of money for at most bang average players.-You can put together a squad without the wasteful spending, as clubs above have shown.

How is it confused? You state “signings from abroad (with a couple of exceptions) have proven poor value for money”. So I pointed out that our signings from abroad prior to the 21/22 have actually been decent as well as Sara and Nunez, both require a season of transition. 

Your previous post alluded to the fact that Lambert did well with a squad of majority English misfits. I concur it did. My point, if it wasn’t clear, is that we cannot take that punt now on lower league English players because of expectation, equally we cannot afford proven Prem “has beens” but we can vie for those out of contract. Apologies if I wasn’t literal enough. But I don’t think my previous post was at all confused. 

[TheDarkKnight 445]

Am I right in saying that Norwich were interested in buying Lewis Ferguson, when he was at Aberdeen?

Yesterday he scored his 6th goal this season for Bologna, in Serie A. He's doing well. Much weller than I thought he would do.

Talking of midfielders from Aberdeen. You should get 20 year old Connor Barron. He reminds me of a young Rino Gattuso.

Already been talk about him being watched by Bologna, Sassuolo and Genk.

Edited May 29 by TheDarkKnight