Transfer pause
This week was always going to be quiet on the transfer front. Jim Rodwell needs to refill his biro and give his phone a rest and Nathan Jones will be hard at it on the training field.
9 signings by the start of August has been phenomenal work, and whilst it is right to reason that not all 9 will be terrific, the ideology of strengthening key positions with a cross of experience and potential is to be applauded.
I don’t expect any of us in the pubs around Wembley had any expectation of the impending activity and how much money the owners would invest. Credit to all the parties for giving us a very exciting summer.
We now watch as I expect the new players will be introduced to the line-up, perhaps piecemeal as Jones likes consistency and dependability and some of the newer signings won’t be up to his speed or fitness levels. Obviously those signed earlier in the window like Carey, Bell and Kaminski will be more matchday ready whilst there are already doubts over the fitness of Burke and Rankin-Costello has also missed some training.
There was rumour of an early week signing, possible the right wing back from Japan, Fukuda, but that passed and I suspect the view now is to get the season under way, embed the new lads, build the system and some early confidence and then dip back into the market later this month.
Jones is very against loan signings, but that doesn’t mean that won’t happen as Premier League youngsters will start to flood the market after clubs have to assign squads for the season. I still think a right wing back is on Jones’ wish list, allowing him to play Raptor higher up the pitch if he wants and possibly cover at left wing back too.
Then there are the out’s, with Bolton back in again for Gassan Ahadme.
I read yesterday that Lewis Miller, a fullback at Hibernian, that Charlton were interested in has now joined Blackburn so the lad from Wolves (Lembikisa) could now be in the box seat for a move?
CA you are right about getting some players off the books as we now have 31 players in the First team squad, which I believe is more than last year, as Jones has also added Fuller and MBick to the first team and only Asiimue has gone out on loan!
Obviously one of the goalies will go, either Brewer or Mannion and Terry Taylor, when fit again and certain others maybe loaned out to gain some more experince.
Re moving some players on permantly I think that will be a bit harder, as even with Bolton who are looking at Ahadme again, they have been advised to only get him on loan, with an option to buy if he performs, considering his overall poor record of scoring goals!
So it will be interesting to see what Jones does, as he has always intimated he doesn’t like to have too big a squad around 24 players, otherwise players get disgruntled who are rarely selected, for games.
So for now we all wait to see who Jones will select for the first game, including the subs, which I bet there will at least a couple of surprises. More importantly lets hope we get off to a good start, especially as looks like we will have almost a full house!
COYR
31 first team players I thought Charlie said we could only fit 22 on the training pitch 😀
We now have 36 squad players as Jones has now given First Team squad numbers to five players from the under 21 Team! So maybe we are increasing the size of the training pitch? 🙂
One thing to consider is that in the championship you can have a bigger senior squad size than in league one and two. Name up to 9 substitutes (7 for league 1) and use 5 ( same in league one). So you do need a bigger squad to be in the championship. So you can have 20 players involved in every match. Now, what is the squad figure that NJ is looking at. I agree that 31 appears to be too high.
Injuries during the season will bring down the number of players available.. so is 26 a reasonable number?? There 3-4 players out all ready. Can you expect that amount of injuries each season? The 22 on the training pitches fits then!
But it does appear that players will be moved out either sold or loaned. Under 21’s don’t count towards your maximum squad size but need to registered nor do goalkeepers.
I agree that Taylor and Ahadme are prime candidates to be moved on. The keepers are always interesting conundrum as generally you need 3 in the squad, but undoubtedly neither mannion or AMB will want regular squad games if not 1st team football.
So maybe a loan situation there? With an u 21 being the third choice.
Others to go? I can see Berry being released if anyone comes in for him. Maybe a Kanu loan too . Injuries suddenly plague you and then the squad depth is not enough.
I tend to agree on PL loans too, as if they are successful then other clubs come around in January, offering better loan deal, and the PL club cancels the loan and off they go. That season long loan deal is quickly ripped up. We have benefited from loans in past seasons, but equally lost out or they were simply not good enough.
I am excited about the season, and do think we will get better as it progresses. Don’t forget last time we were 2nd by the end of August and got relegated. I don’t think Portsmouth and Sheffield Weds had good starts either but turned it around in the second half of the season. So all is not lost! But agree it is good to get points on the board early, to build the confidence.