Looking Forward Again

[KeelansGlove 0]

With it looking like we might be able to just about keep in touch with a few other clubs in crisis in the premiership untill the transfer window opens (fingers and toes crossed) I saw my "contact" over the weekend sadly he wasn''t giving too much away other than to indicate to the best of his knowledge that someone is lined up for transfer (I would be rather annoyed if we weren''t ready I guess) I would suggest in all likleyhood we will buy someone for say 1.5 mill + maybe 500k if we stay up. I have no real Idea who it will be I just hope Worthy gets it right.

Where would your money go ?

Ashton perhaps ?

Think I would prefer him to Harewood.

Leading Championship Marksmen:

Ashton (Crewe) 12 Kitson (Reading) 12 Furlong (QPR) 11 TOO OLD Ellington 11 & Roberts 10 (Wigan) NO CHANCE.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

[quote]With it looking like we might be able to just about keep in touch with a few other clubs in crisis in the premiership untill the transfer window opens (fingers and toes crossed) I saw my "contact" ove...[/quote]

Without trying to sound pesimistic, I really can''t see Worthy being given £1.5M in January.  That would double his transfer kitty.  He said in the summer that he would rather bring players in before the season starts because 1)  They have longer to intergrate into the club and 2) No decent players will be left on the shelf in January.  The only way Worthy might have that kind of money would be to sell Green. 

[ZLF 271]

Ashton continues to look like a real option and I would be happy to see him at the club.

What I would like to see requires more cash than we have!

I think a new central defender remains an issue (Joleon Lescott maybe) if Worthy thinks Shacks and Doc are not an option.

I would also like to see a real prem midfielder come in to the club to partner Francis once he returns. Someone like Parker on loan would be excellent although I accept that he will be a target for other clubs. Mullers is doing well but I am not sure if he will continue to perform at the required level and I dont think Safri is any different.

What I dont know is which one we need first! Given our poor defensive organisation I think that is my current priority rather than a striker.

OTBC

[First Wizard 0]

[quote]Without trying to sound pesimistic, I really can''t see Worthy being given £1.5M in January. That would double his transfer kitty. He said in the summer that he would rather bring players in before t...[/quote]

DD: £1.5 million?, bloody hell mate, I was hoping for at least double that, my friend!.

I must respect your opinion, because you don''t often get it wrong. But anything less then £2.5 million is really going to pi*s me, and other supporters off big time.

I know who my finger''s going to be pointing at, if its less than what you believe.

The blue mob (despite my continued curses) may well get promoted. If this happens, and we go down through lack of investment, then we must start querying the motives of our so called board.

Binmen in the premiership?, after the way they have behaved towards their creditors, and us in the championship?, now that''s the stuff of real nightmares, yes?.     

[Pauly H 0]

In all honesty I can''t see anything that exciting happening in Jan. No player ,real decent player, is gonna want to join us if we''re down the bottom come new year. I suggest we hold on to the money and when we stay up at the end we can then bring in some real quality.
I don''t think this would be a gamble either just being realistic.

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

[quote]DD: £1.5 million?, bloody hell mate, I was hoping for at least double that, my friend!. I must respect your opinion, because you don''t often get it wrong. But anything less then £2.5 million is reall...[/quote]

I''m sorry Wiz my friend but get prepared to be p****d off!  We will have nowhere near £2.5M.  I absolutely guarantee it.  It''s a shame because I think significant investment in the squad (£3M for e.g.) would benefit us massively in staying up.  Ho hum. I can but dream

As for the scum, you''re right.  The way they behaved when they went into administration was nothing short of disgusting.  If there is any justice in the world they shouldn''t be promoted. 

[Ayrton Twigge 0]

The problem of the January window is that just about everybody else is in there as well. For a start, ALL of the premiership trailers will be there - plus the mid-tablers who are pushing on for a high finish.

Hopefully, Nigel was on the case last Aug/Sept to get ahead of then rest.

By my calculations he has got at least £2.5m to spend - the new £1.4m plus unspent monies/saved wages from the summer.

I would be inclined too to "mortgage" Greeno. Invest some of his value now - say up to £2m - but without selling him yet. If that keeps us up, we don''t need to sell him at all as we start out second campaign. If it doesn''t come off and we get relegated, well he ain''t gonna stay anyway.

[Morph 19]

Sorry to be despondent about this, but I don''t think it''s going to matter how much Worthy gets to spend in January. His record for the current campaign with regard to transfer dealings is less than exemplary. This is clearly not helped by the fact that he doesn''t really give his signings a chance to get a run in the first team to stake their claim to a place.

Charlton £250k - currently a first team regular, looks to be excellent value for money, but is he playing in his preferred position?

Jonson £800k(?) - in and out although an extended run in the team hasn''t allowed him to stake a claim to a place every week

Doherty £750k(?) - not even yet had the chance to start in the his preferred position at centre half, whilst showing that he''s nothing more than a "donkey" up front

Helveg Free - best value signing by far, but also not been given a chance for an extended run in the team to show what good value his signature really was.

Bentley "Free" - on paper a good bit of business to bring in the young talent but he''s hardly set the team alight, has he?

Safri £500k - another player seemingly left out in the cold having played for just a couple of matches. A ball winner and ball player but once again left on the sidelines.

Someone posted the other day that they thought City needed to sign seven players. I disagree but I think they need two possibly three, unless Worthy is prepared to shake off his personal disagreements with players and pick the best 11.

I think they need a centre half who can command the back four and also command the team on the field. Malky was that man when he was at the club although I''m not convinced he was in control of the back four. However, they don''t currently have a "leader" at the back and I really think they need one. There''s no reason why Helveg can''t be that person if he was given a chance in the side.

I also think they need a killer striker who scores for fun. I had hoped McKenzie was going to be that killer striker. His pace has good and he harries the hell out of defenders but he can''t seem to hit a bloody barn door which is not good.

[ZLF 271]

My info is that our budget is around £3m and there already one player due to arrive and we are talking about a couple of others - however the connections are keeping very tightlipped about the positions and names so hopefully your est of around £1.5m will be pessimistic.

 

I have always thought that the real challenge will be getting anyone decent to sign rather than being able to spend the money.

 

OTBC

[funny old game 1]

Am i right in thinking that we are still allowed to bring in 1 additional player on loan when the TW opens?

If this is the case there will be 16 games remaining - 20k per game will cost the club 320k, there are some decent players in prem squads that would interested by that sort of money & its the type of deal that offers no risk to the club if the worst were to happen. The club has received transfer income & saved wages from Malkys departure, as well as saving the wages of Rivers, Abbey, etc since august, which means that it wouldn''t cost the club anymore than has already budgeted for.

In addition to this we will have a transfer fund, 

I for one wouldn''t expect the club to broadcast whats available to spend in Jan. This will merely alert clubs & force up transfer fees of players we inquire about. As to who we go for, we are all very good at pulling names from a hat unfortunately there are no guarantees, for what its worth my selections would be - Ashton & Huth, or blow the lot on C Sutton plus Parker on loan