Looking back in hindsight..

[cambridgeshire canary 6,742]

Does giving one of our players away on a free transfer and sending another away on loan and bringing in a new backup 2nd choice striker count as a succesful window?

Edited February 9 by cambridgeshire canary

[Ulfotto 637]

It doesn’t exactly shout, playoffs here we come.

[It's Character Forming 1,161]

I probably sound like a broken record, but at the start of the transfer window, I'd have said "success" means getting in a CDM and strengthening up front. 

We'll have to see whether Knapper agrees on the need for a CDM in the next window, as January is never a good time to buy, and whether we've ended up stronger up front, only time will tell.

[Gordon Bennett 786]

59 minutes ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Does giving one of our players away on a free transfer and sending another away on loan and bringing in a new backup 2nd choice striker count as a succesful window?

Don't think it's possible to answer that until the final fixture has been played really, and even then opinion will probably be divided. 

[Capt. Pants 4,250]

If Van Hooijdonk outscores Sargent for the rest of the season then we'll all say it was a masterstroke.

Our midfield looks paper thin though as Gibbs and Sorensen don't have fitness or capability to excel over Sara/McLean/Nunez. We must be due for another Kenny injury soon shouldn't we?

[Ulfotto 637]

It’s the same as the end of last season and in the blip this season. We are a couple of 8 week ish minor injuries to a couple of key players away from missing out on the playoffs. Particularly if said injury injuries affect the same position for this season see Sargent and Barnes for last see Hanley and Gibson. Fingers crossed we get lucky or someone steps up when needed.

[Google Bot 3,278]

Spent nothing, got a new striker, leaned out the squad to allow younger players to come in, and no unwanted outgoings.

I'd say we're stronger and this is a clear step down the path, but it's success can only be measured come end of season.   Only they know internally how much of a success this window was through what their true aims were and how that fits longterm.

Personally i'm quite happy that we're in a position of having our injured players back, and Hooijdonk does have the potential to be a beast at this level. 

The only concerned with SVH is that we may have bought someone in who's strengths we won't play to.

Edited February 9 by Google Bot

[Mason 47 1,384]

To me this window was the start of a greater transfer plan, the majority of which will happen in summer. In this sense I don't think it was bad at all.

[Pyro Pete 1,897]

We didn't have any money.

Unless we sold someone, we were never going to get any serious additions.

[chicken 2,627]

I think folks fear was that we'd lose one or more of Sara, Sargent, Rowe and Gunn.

Not only did we not lose any, but we 'strengthened' in many ways.

Foreshaw wasn't playing for us and wasn't a future option for us. Soresen is back from injury so we've no need for an extra body kicking their feet.

Idah loan makes perfect sense. He needs regular game time. Either to demonstrate he can return and be an important part of our squad or to put him in the shop window because he isn't.

Donk loan with view to buy again gives us an oppertunity to look at a player whilst also ensuring we have cover for loaning out Idah. Perhaps those asking for four strikers will be happier with four on the books?

DM is a bit debatable. We rarely deploy a dedicated one. Sara is more of a Dickson Etuhu box to box player, McLean reminds me of Fox playing at the base of the diamond.

Either way, not all issues were ever going to be solved in one window, especially a January window.

It could have been a lot, lot worse. We have had worse January windows. Not many hugely better either.

[Petriix 2,842]

I'm relatively happy with the first 11, except that we're mostly playing two strikers (false 9s or otherwise) and there's no genuine 6 in the squad who can anchor the midfield. McLean, Sara and Nunez are all good 8/10s but don't have the defensive instincts I want to see. Yawn... We've been debating this forever. 

The real problem I have is that our only options from the bench (or in case of injury) in the AM role are Hernandez and Fassnacht. If we're pushing for the playoffs then I feel we need a bit more quality on the periphery of the first team. We're allowed 5 subs and, as things stand, they could each make the team worse; otherwise we're resorting to deliberately weakening the first 11 to leave some quality on the bench. 

I don't really know anymore. If the core team stays fit then we might be fine. Our run-in is relatively smooth. Ask me again in May. 

[Google Bot 3,278]

23 minutes ago, Petriix said:

The real problem I have is that our only options from the bench (or in case of injury) in the AM role are Hernandez and Fassnacht.

Few days back there was a thread discussing the comparisons between Stacey and Aarons, and I never realised, until looking, how much Stacey played out wide for Bournemouth in the Championship.

In regards to athleticism i'd probably put him in that position before Fassnacht.  I do like Fassnacht as more a thinking mans player, but as a replacement for either Sainz or Rowe I don't think he can bring that impact.

Question is whether Fisher and Stacey would be a better combo, or considerably weaker.  It does make me curious to know.

Edited February 9 by Google Bot

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

7 hours ago, chicken said:

I think folks fear was that we'd lose one or more of Sara, Sargent, Rowe and Gunn.

Not only did we not lose any, but we 'strengthened' in many ways.

Foreshaw wasn't playing for us and wasn't a future option for us. Soresen is back from injury so we've no need for an extra body kicking their feet.

Idah loan makes perfect sense. He needs regular game time. Either to demonstrate he can return and be an important part of our squad or to put him in the shop window because he isn't.

Donk loan with view to buy again gives us an oppertunity to look at a player whilst also ensuring we have cover for loaning out Idah. Perhaps those asking for four strikers will be happier with four on the books?

DM is a bit debatable. We rarely deploy a dedicated one. Sara is more of a Dickson Etuhu box to box player, McLean reminds me of Fox playing at the base of the diamond.

Either way, not all issues were ever going to be solved in one window, especially a January window.

It could have been a lot, lot worse. We have had worse January windows. Not many hugely better either.

Agree with pretty much all of that, bar the first paragraph. I don't think was ever a realistic possibility of us selling one of those four in January. 

I'd be extremely surprised if Rowe is still playing Championship football next season, however.

[RobJames 881]

Rather a silly question, if you don't mind e saying. The squad have been playing well, certainly well enough to make the play offs. Swapping Idah for Sid will have to be seen how good that was. This absurd fixation with the supposed CDM is certainly not shared by the club, nor the players as they seem well able to defend as do other teams without this mythical creature. Perhaps we are missing a corner keeper - a keeper who can deal with corners.

Any signings will have to fit in with 24/25 budget, assuming we are not promoted Having Hanley, Sargeant, Lungi back has certainly strengthened the squad, if only as better cover. Likewise with Sainz now firing on all cylinders we are in a far better position that before the window,

The best way of looking at this is to suggest that the amount you put in a petrol tanks is a measure of how successful your visit to the service station was. A car with an almost empty tank has had a more successful visit than one who only managed squeeze in a tenners worth......really ?

[Yobocop 1,099]

13 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Does giving one of our players away on a free transfer and sending another away on loan and bringing in a new backup 2nd choice striker count as a succesful window?

Yes 

next 

[repman 635]

14 hours ago, cambridgeshire canary said:

Does giving one of our players away on a free transfer and sending another away on loan and bringing in a new backup 2nd choice striker count as a succesful window?

Looking back at it, especially after Knapper's interview, it looks like this was more Wagner trying to put pressure on instead of an actual description of events. 

I think the window was certainly a sensible one, albeit maybe not as active as people hoped. Knapper alluded to it in his interview but January is often a month when you can go for it if you're already in a strong position, I don't think we're in such position so it's best to start looking towards next season. 

[CardiffCanary 128]

It’s certainly not Boxing Day against forest with Hucks on the pitch essentially getting us to the prem …

[chicken 2,627]

3 hours ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

Agree with pretty much all of that, bar the first paragraph. I don't think was ever a realistic possibility of us selling one of those four in January. 

I'd be extremely surprised if Rowe is still playing Championship football next season, however.

"Realistic possibility" very much depends upon whether a club tabled an offer we couldn't refuse... £20m for Rowe or Sargent for example...

Possibly not even as much as that. Realistic, yes, I think so. Didn't happen so it can be speculated on. 

[skittles 11]

A Manager who is with us till the end of the season at least who doesn’t play a CDM is not going to be given one this window, people need to realise we don’t play that system so why sign one!!!!

[Terminally Yellow 2,461]

6 hours ago, skittles said:

A Manager who is with us till the end of the season at least who doesn’t play a CDM is not going to be given one this window, people need to realise we don’t play that system so why sign one!!!!

He plays a midfielder deeper which bares responsibility for giving extra cover to the defence, turning over possession and starting counter attacks. This is a role we do not have a player who can do these things well, every player who plays this role lacks something which makes him effective. 

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,822]

7 hours ago, chicken said:

"Realistic possibility" very much depends upon whether a club tabled an offer we couldn't refuse... £20m for Rowe or Sargent for example...

But I don't think an offer that high was realistic in this market. There was limited movement and very few big deals.

We were never going to sell unless a silly offer above their real value was made, like you say. But nobody was ever going to make such an offer, so the chances of a big sale in this window was never, in my opinion, a realistic possibility.

[Well b back 3,220]

There will be some hoping it has made no difference as they will be bored on a Saturday evening, Sunday morning 

[Indy 3,301]

Keeping Rowe & Sarah is a successful January, keeping them in the summer shows that we are moving in the right direction! We beed to build on good players not keep cashing in our best players if we really want to go up and stay up!

Unless it’s a stupidly daft offer!

Edited February 10 by Indy

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

CDM can wait

We know it's too late

As Jan passes on by

Our form slides away

But don't look back in hindsight

I heard Ben say

[Danke bitte 966]

9 minutes ago, Robert N. LiM said:

CDM can wait

We know it's too late

As Jan passes on by

Our form slides away

But don't look back in hindsight

I heard Ben say

I appreciated this 

[chicken 2,627]

16 hours ago, Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man said:

But I don't think an offer that high was realistic in this market. There was limited movement and very few big deals.

We were never going to sell unless a silly offer above their real value was made, like you say. But nobody was ever going to make such an offer, so the chances of a big sale in this window was never, in my opinion, a realistic possibility.

There were offers of £10-15m being thrown around, not floods of them. Certainly interest in Rowe.

I suspect that in many cases, to our luck, the domino effect didn't happen.

I don't think it's unrealistic to consider that we could have easily lost one of them. We'll never know how close we came. If any of them move on in the summer, it's entirely possible that discussions started with an offer last month, for example.

[mastoola 183]

On 09/02/2024 at 12:44, Google Bot said:

Spent nothing, got a new striker, leaned out the squad to allow younger players to come in, and no unwanted outgoings.

I'd say we're stronger and this is a clear step down the path, but it's success can only be measured come end of season.   Only they know internally how much of a success this window was through what their true aims were and how that fits longterm.

Personally i'm quite happy that we're in a position of having our injured players back, and Hooijdonk does have the potential to be a beast at this level. 

The only concerned with SVH is that we may have bought someone in who's strengths we won't play to.

who is the younger player?

[Monty13 2,235]

On 09/02/2024 at 12:46, Mason 47 said:

To me this window was the start of a greater transfer plan, the majority of which will happen in summer. In this sense I don't think it was bad at all.

It definitely wasn’t bad, however I’d agree it didn’t scream play-off push.

It was sensible, pragmatic and started the transition that’s needed though. If we’d got Varane as well there would be very little to complain about.

I’m just surprised there wasn’t a loan. I thought Knapper might have had a youngster in mind who could make a difference in the run in.

Edited February 11 by Monty13

[mastoola 183]

it was same old norwich to monty 13

Edited February 11 by mastoola