The January 2026 Transfer Window

[briansol]

21 minutes ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Why is everyone so desperate to keep this current 3-5-2 (5-3-2) formation?

It was employed first away to Coventry, and has been used for 17 games now. In that span we have won 5, drawn 6, and lost 6... That might well be 57pts over a season.  But that is 1 win in 10 and 41pts season average since late November. It has been found out.

Alebiosu can play in a 4 or 5, and between Pickering, De Never and Ribiero - the LWB options are horrid.

We're playing 2x academy kids, calling loans back from L1, and being linked to below average CBs to feed bodies into a back 3 formation that is barely successful as is. 

If Miller cannot play in a 4, then so be it, he can be a reserve RB. Go find a player who can. Or rotate Carter, Wharton, McLaughlin, O'Riordan, Pratt, NEW signing.

Starting with "wing backs" and two holding midfielders at home to Charlton Pathetic is embarrassing. No wonder we are in 20th with the 3rd lowest goals scored.

This team needs proper attacking reinforcements, and a new idea.

I think the reason is that is probably that's the lesser of two evils given our squad. The squad is unbalanced no matter what formation we play. The total lack of wingers makes it hard to play 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 etc. The 3-5-2 at least gave a platform to play Ohashi and Gudjohnsen together and pushed our only decent wide option Alebiossu further up. Right now it's just putting 11 bodies out their and call the formation what you like. Looking at the bench and the fit options there is absolutely nothing to work with.

 

[wilsdenrover]

Sign two wingers and play 4-4-f-2 

[davulsukur]

29 minutes ago, briansol said:

I think the reason is that is probably that's the lesser of two evils given our squad. The squad is unbalanced no matter what formation we play. The total lack of wingers makes it hard to play 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 etc. The 3-5-2 at least gave a platform to play Ohashi and Gudjohnsen together and pushed our only decent wide option Alebiossu further up. Right now it's just putting 11 bodies out their and call the formation what you like. Looking at the bench and the fit options there is absolutely nothing to work with.

 

Yes, our abysmal summer "planning" has left us with a squad of players not fit for either formation.

[Tugayslongwalkoff]

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but Ben Brereton has managed one goal in 21 starts for Derby. If he gets sent back Rovers would be stupid not to try and get him in on loan. Being back at Rovers might re-kindle something in him. I doubt we will be looking at anybody who’s actually scored goals in this league before though. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

20 minutes ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but Ben Brereton has managed one goal in 21 starts for Derby. If he gets sent back Rovers would be stupid not to try and get him in on loan. Being back at Rovers might re-kindle something in him. I doubt we will be looking at anybody who’s actually scored goals in this league before though. 

He’s flopped big time at Derby. Once bitten twice shy for me.

[davulsukur]

22 minutes ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but Ben Brereton has managed one goal in 21 starts for Derby. If he gets sent back Rovers would be stupid not to try and get him in on loan. Being back at Rovers might re-kindle something in him. I doubt we will be looking at anybody who’s actually scored goals in this league before though. 

Might not have scored many but he's still getting games. 21 appearances so far.

I doubt they'll cut his loan short.

[Ricky]

37 minutes ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but Ben Brereton has managed one goal in 21 starts for Derby. If he gets sent back Rovers would be stupid not to try and get him in on loan. Being back at Rovers might re-kindle something in him. I doubt we will be looking at anybody who’s actually scored goals in this league before though. 

He can’t play for another team can he? Played for Southampton and Derby this season already. Or is it different with loans? 

[wilsdenrover]

3 minutes ago, Ricky said:

He can’t play for another team can he? Played for Southampton and Derby this season already. Or is it different with loans? 

No

[Tomphil2]

43 minutes ago, Tugayslongwalkoff said:

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this but Ben Brereton has managed one goal in 21 starts for Derby. If he gets sent back Rovers would be stupid not to try and get him in on loan. Being back at Rovers might re-kindle something in him. I doubt we will be looking at anybody who’s actually scored goals in this league before though. 

Feck me he's the last person we need here in a relegation scrap.

Derby fans hate him by the way.

[MarkBRFC71]

3 hours ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Why is everyone so desperate to keep this current 3-5-2 (5-3-2) formation?

It was employed first away to Coventry, and has been used for 17 games now. In that span we have won 5, drawn 6, and lost 6... That might well be 57pts over a season.  But that is 1 win in 10 and 41pts season average since late November. It has been found out.

Alebiosu can play in a 4 or 5, and between Pickering, De Never and Ribiero - the LWB options are horrid.

We're playing 2x academy kids, calling loans back from L1, and being linked to below average CBs to feed bodies into a back 3 formation that is barely successful as is. 

If Miller cannot play in a 4, then so be it, he can be a reserve RB. Go find a player who can. Or rotate Carter, Wharton, McLaughlin, O'Riordan, Pratt, NEW signing.

Starting with "wing backs" and two holding midfielders at home to Charlton Pathetic is embarrassing. No wonder we are in 20th with the 3rd lowest goals scored.

This team needs proper attacking reinforcements, and a new idea.

The problem is our CB options are horrible.  You can’t play only 2 because any combination of them gets rinsed - hence why it’s 3 and perceived stability.  We need a strong, first choice, quality CB this window and only then can you even think about playing 2 and trying to pick the least worst option from the rest to play alongside the new one.

[Ghost7]

8 minutes ago, MarkBRFC71 said:

The problem is our CB options are horrible.  You can’t play only 2 because any combination of them gets rinsed - hence why it’s 3 and perceived stability.  We need a strong, first choice, quality CB this window and only then can you even think about playing 2 and trying to pick the least worst option from the rest to play alongside the new one.

Nail on the head. Selling Hyam without a replacement that was even close to him undid everything.

There are managers that would have resigned because of it.

[...]

😢

 

 

[47er]

SO---Barnsley want £4M for their striker, Everton are reported to be offering £4M for Alebiosu.

Is there a direct link here? Does the club enjoy being shafted? Are players not not brought in to build a side but to sell for a profit and that's all?

[ageoftherover]

Smodiczs is hardly setting the league alight this year either.

[philipl]

I had been expecting Gueye to be sold almost immediately.

Suggests that either the planning for the window was incomplete or everything has gone tits up on the plans they did have.

Probably most realistic assessment is things had been planned but those plans are in the bin following the Pasha trip to Pune and we are signing Akron for £3m. 

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, ageoftherover said:

Smodiczs is hardly setting the league alight this year either.

been injured for most of it

Edited yesterday at 07:52 by KentExile

[KentExile]

15 minutes ago, philipl said:

Suggests that either the planning for the window was incomplete or everything has gone tits up on the plans they did have.

Probably most realistic assessment is things had been planned but those plans are in the bin following the Pasha trip to Pune and we are signing Akron for £3m. 

That cant be the case, we keep getting told that planning & homework have all been done and we are ready to get all of our business done before midday on Friday this week (so they can be registered in time to play v Hull *) 😉 

* ideally you would want them in sooner so that they could at least have a training session

Edited yesterday at 08:05 by KentExile

[Torgeir]

23 minutes ago, philipl said:

I had been expecting Gueye to be sold almost immediately.

Suggests that either the planning for the window was incomplete or everything has gone tits up on the plans they did have.

Probably most realistic assessment is things had been planned but those plans are in the bin following the Pasha trip to Pune and we are signing Akron for £3m. 

They're probably trying to get an auction going for Gueye, with the current highest bidder a lot lower than they had hoped for. Plus goalposts move quickly in the transfer market when you see what other clubs are asking for their players.

I think if we're offered £5m for Alebiosu then we'll sell and try another cheap option at RWB plus strengthen the forward line. 

I don't know the ins and outs of negotiating but I would be pretty annoyed if we end up paying Barnsley what they want. I think most on here agree that we could've spent the £7m we spent on Brereton a lot more wisely than we did. But that was the era of the 'marquee signings', and that era is long gone it seems.

[KentExile]

8 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

I think if we're offered £5m for Alebiosu then we'll sell and try another cheap option at RWB plus strengthen the forward line. 

I can see £5M + a loan of a young right back (someone like Roman Dixon if its Everton, we wont pay the wages for a Nathen Patterson who I have seen some mention) from wherever buys him being enough for our idiots to sell

Edited yesterday at 08:24 by KentExile

[Torgeir]

6 minutes ago, KentExile said:

I can see £5M + a loan of a young right back (someone like Roman Dixon if its Everton, we wont pay the wages for a Nathen Patterson who I have seen some mention) from wherever buys him being enough for our idiots to sell

Alebiosu has been our main outlet so far and is sorely missed, so I hope we wait until the summer before letting him go. But (the biggest of ifs) if we can replace him with a fairly solid youngster on loan full of running, and a striker that knows where the net is, then we might not be worse off. 

We desperately need some pace combined with skill in our team.

[MarkBRFC]

I mean I hope not, but is Paul Mullin one to watch?

Been recalled from Wigan, seen he has the same agent as Ismael, Cashin & co.

Edited yesterday at 08:43 by MarkBRFC

[Waggy76]

8 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

I mean I hope not, but is Paul Mullin one to watch?

Been recalled from Wigan, seen he has the same agent as Ismael, Cashin & co.

Well , it will be someone nobody else wants !

[KentExile]

10 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

I mean I hope not, but is Paul Mullin one to watch?

Been recalled from Wigan, seen he has the same agent as Ismael, Cashin & co.

I hope not too

In his 30s and has a lower than 1 in 6 goals to games ratio in League 1 over his whole career.  In his day, he was ok in League 2, so maybe we will revisit that in a few years 😉 

Edited yesterday at 08:53 by KentExile

[benhben]

Gonne all quiet on the player we put a bid in for last week (Carney?). Suspect as we all thought, it was a ridiculous bid to look good in the press and was never a serous offer. The fact theyve not gone back since shows that. 

As usual, a lot of talk before the window, turns out to be smoke and mirrors. 

Expecting a couple of cheap incomings late in the window, after selling a few. Boring.

[Torgeir]

Mullin lacks both pace and power, so you're probably on to something, Mark.