FE123

I think they’ve got a centre mid lined up. They were trying sell travis now Garrett is going, trying to make room.

Do the powers that be think the window shuts at the end of July rather than the end of August ? 😂😂

McFadzean will come in when we switch to a back 3 away from home . He won’t feature in a back 4, he will probably also feature towards the end of games that we are a goal up and hanging on. He certainly won’t let us down, albeit probably not mobile enough to feature in a back 4 anymore.

Now that is a good question that I do not know the answer to. Quite an important one when we think about recruitment for the rest of the window.

You’ve got me there!!

No. I mean they now need a left back as well as 2 centre backs. Might mean they aren’t as fussed about one of their centre halves being left sided.

JE has clearly made the decision that championship football isn’t for him yet, despite impressing at Motherwell. Don’t think we can attribute this to money. He’ll earn very little and the fee will be small with a year left on his deal. Maybe explains why they are signing Batth and Fadz if they now need a left back.

My prediction is McFadzean is off and Batth is after a u turn on McFadzean.

No one is free. All worth 100’s of thousands or millions depending on the length of their contract. 2 months of nothing, a week of chaos, multiple signings and others clearly on their way. It’s bizarre!! I’m convinced there has been either a change in approach whether it’s a change in personnel involved in either negotiation or authorising deals.

If he is using contacts he’s developed from his playing career, speaking multiple languages and identifying players to support Park it can only help surely. If he is lined up to replace Waggott, it’s also in his interests to appear to be than man finally recruiting players for the club- especially if one or two turn out to be good ‘uns. Could easily be a PR exercise, but could also be him helping to broker deals. What I’m more confused about, is what has happened in the last 7 days which has resulted in multiple players joining and others looking close? I’m not buying it’s Szmodics related. Something has happened financially that has allowed the club to open the flood gates.

Wouldn’t be surprised. Either that or medical/fitness issues for McFadzean

Be surprised if we get both Fadz and Batth. Neither left sided, both fill a similar role. I wonder if something has changed with Fadz over the last couple of days which has made the club do a U turn and go for Batth.

That was my first thought.

Wide players must be in the pipeline with the Gueye signing and Eustace previous style of play. Reckon they will be foreign again with Hedges and Dolan both still here and playing in those positions. Possible they will also look at loans for these positions as well

From reports Gueye is going to be more like a Rudy style player, prolific in the air, limited in other areas. It’s important we play to his strengths. Hopefully he can have an impact and give defenders something different to think about when they come up against Rovers.

Don’t think we’ll sign Dembele from Birmingham, he’ll be on decent money from his initial move to Bournemouth, then again getting signed for a decent fee at Birmingham, doubtful we would want to pay him at the level he’s earning.

Eustace likes a compact team, he’ll pick 2 holding midfielders and at times 3 at the back . Going forward he’s previously played a target man and wingers with pace (Dembele, Mitoma, Khadra). It will be undeniably different to JDT, less possession, more direct. But worse on the eye? I love watching good counter attacking teams who try and get balls into the box.

I don’t think anyone could argue at this point that he will be much better than Gallagher. There’s a reason Gally is wanted by clubs up and down the championship. I do think it’s a decision the club had to make though, not sure he offer’s enough to be a top earner on a new contract and we were clearly risking losing him for 0 next summer if we didn’t move him on and bring someone else in. It could be a shrewd decision but we could easily be missing Gallagher after a few months. He’s had years of opportunities to prove himself and has been unable to do so.

There’s no doubt that Gueye and Ohashi are gambles. Both have been indifferent at times in their careers but to sign two players in their prime after they have both just had good seasons is promising. These players are certainly a step up from the level of Telalovic and more closer to playing level and experience of Trondstadt. Hopefully at least one of them can come in and hit the ground running. In terms of a Szmodics replacement, Our recruitment team *should* have players identified at all prices as they will for all positions in case we were to lose a player. I expect again it will either be a player from abroad or a younger player making a step up that will come in for a relatively low fee and scope to improve. I presume the Gueye transfer is in response to Gally leaving and wages being freed up from that.

Gallagher, a top earner out, Gueye in on probably half of his salary. If indeed we are signing these 3 today, another centre back, a goalkeeper and a winger away from a decent squad. Would also need a replacement for Szmodics when he leaves.

The strange world of disorganised Venky’s. Nothing for weeks, clearly tap was turned off, then suddenly the last week of July allowing transfers. It is utterly bizarre, I don’t even think it’s Szmodics related, something else is afoot here

They will have been looking to give Ruddy, Batth, Cooper 12 month deals, which would mean they would either want more money or feel they could get 2 years elsewhere

Rovers will not pay 2.5 million and give a 3 year contract to a 29 year old on 15-20k per week. It simply will not happen. They wouldn’t even give him a contract like that if he were free. Even if they have a sudden impulse to spend they won’t invest that in him because in all likelihood he will be worth 0 in 3 years and he’d still be one of the top wage earners. It will be low fees from abroad or lower end championship/league 1 players at an age where they can in theory improve and increase their transfer value. I’m even amazed they’ve agree to giving Fadz 12 months.

Makhtar Gueye played in the pro league last season not the 2nd Division. Scored 11 goals. Standard Liege have had a loan to buy bid rejected, the club have said he can only leave on a permanent basis. He’s 6 foot 5 and has had a steady record throughout his career, mainly in Belgium. I wonder if they have been told they can now spend some of the Szmodics money.

Szmodics won’t play tomorrow and there will be news following the game of an impending move would be my best guess.