Emerald Isle Rover

Mid feb he’s due back won’t have kicked a balm so add another month on itl be mid March - I get if he available and we’re top of the pile he’s a good fit going forward bit for me if there are alternatives that are ready we should prioritise those. we aren’t in a position to blow the majority of a small budget on a player who could be good next season. We have wasted the last 3 jan windows and fell off a cliff what we need is players for the now give this second half of the season a right good go with no excuses

Mid feb he’s due back won’t have kicked a balm so add another month on itl be mid March - I get if he available and we’re top of the pile he’s a good fit going forward bit for me if there are alternatives that are ready we should prioritise those. we aren’t in a position to blow the majority of a small budget on a player who could be good next season. We have wasted the last 3 jan windows and fell off a cliff what we need is players for the now give this second half of the season a right good go with no excuses

100% agreed I’m hoping and praying after todays game things start moving (don’t say that with any confidence) fa cup match aside allows for 2 weeks before the Pompey game

I will never get this JE has asked for 2/3 quality players to help the group now why on earth would Ross Stewart who is beyond injury prone be on anybody’s radar in January - he missed a whole season has come back and now missed the last two months poku - long term yes but if we have any sort of budget I wouldn’t be using on him as it does not help us here and now he’s out til feb then he will need time on the grass see how the team works etc it could be mid March before ya see him we need players fit and available for the here and now if that can be addressed and poku can still be added (highly doubt it) then by all means

He has been making the bench and got some minutes recently due to Reiss Nelson’s injury last month - probably a big factor now

Jrc is far from our worst footballer that’s a truly awful take baker isn’t Travis many aren’t but yesterday showed he’s more than capable with a run of games striker tops the list winger centre half preferably left sided

As was hyam and now look at him as was batth by all accounts now look at him different set up here now

Different manager different set up - he’s prem quality - but irrelevant as he won’t be coming here

have to say that’s harsh on baker very harsh he was excellent yesterday. Has had to play second fiddle to Travis and tronstad now with a run of games ahead of him it would be absolute madness to get rid of him AND Buckley. JE says he wants experience what experienced centre mid is available (in our budget) fits that bill? Would leave us extremely short

Cb is not top priority - but it needs addressed regardless and preferably left sided that can also cover Pickering and if there’s competition for places come feb onwards so be it Striker / winger / left sided cb

Dennis was on my list also but he hasn’t kicked a ball this season and wages would be double or more of our top earner that’s the problem we face we don’t/wont pay what’s required to get that 9 we need al-hamadi would be the most realistic one and even then he’s not a natural 9 al-hamadi Louie barry tyler bindon I’d be happy with that all things considered hoping for a pleasant surprise but expecting the normal failure

Il rephrase then but it comes to the same conclusion - we won’t spend the resources required to get such a player

We don’t have the resources for that type of player

Evan Ferguson will be moving to a premier league team in January and at the very worst Leeds or sheff u but I’m pretty confident itl be a prem team For what we need we just don’t have the resources unfortunately we would need players to take a pay cut or the parent clubs to pay over 50% of their wages and also for the player to be willing the only realistic one I can think of would be Al-Hamadi from Ipswich

In terms of what ability or what he brings to team/squad be more specific for instance he’s miles ahead of Buckley but it could be argued Buckley has more ability but that’s not what makes a good footballer on its own

If he’s that bad there’s always another option or a formation change the fact is he isn’t that bad at all but as posted above he isn’t the traditional winger all fans want he’s not a Giggs type he offers something different to how we play. And again fans really underestimate a persons value in their presence off the pitch also

Which brings me to the manager aspect of it. Eustace along with others see value in him whether that’s on the stat sheets or gps behind the scenes in the changing room or future role as coach fans just look at ‘stats’ nowadays and never the bigger picture

Evans played in a truly atrocious rovers team I think the midfield options were something like Williamson etuhu Lowe etc along with the revolving door of managers in our worst time But this hedges debate is silly for me like my main issue or response is ‘so what if he’s offered a new contract’ what’s the drawback for it. Seems it’s just fans jumping on him because they don’t like him which they are entitled to their opinion but it seems petty given it’s not really a big issue he’s not the best player we have but far from the worst And I do think there’s something to be said for a manager selection given JDT for our champ time has been our most successful in terms of getting close to playoffs and now currently Eustace who’s overseeing our best championship run in years all in which hedges is playing a significant role minutes wise As a ‘traditional winger’ fans are correct he should have more goals and assists ( I think his chance creation is high enough though so that’s on the forwards) but how we play he’s used more defensively he provides balance which allows freedom for others. It might not be what fans want but it’s what Eustace wants and gets from him

Do the stars show ‘key passes’ as we all know stats can be misleading prefect example is gueye getting credited an assist hes no world beater but I don’t see why there’s such a fuss from fans over his contract talks won’t be much more than he’s currently on could even be less so no odds really and I’d hazard a guess that he’s brilliant in an around the changing room and young ones coming through

Urgency? Maybe he’s the easiest of the ones needing contracts to get sorted. Maybe the others have been approached and said come back to me in the new year or summer. Who knows we certainly don’t but il stand by my point managers love him (whether fans agree or not) so there’s something he offers that’s with their trust. we live in a stat based society now unfortunately which fans live off but doesn’t tell the whole tale

Hedges is a solid squad player nothing more nothing less very versatile he’s trusted by all managers he’s worked under he’s experienced and clearly a presence in the changing room. I don’t see an issue at all having him around

Sheff u will be looking bbd on the left

Who do we think would be ‘realistic’ signings in Jan for the positions we require winger striker cb Ps I’m aware we’re run by idiots and the history of the Jan window but let’s live in hope

Yea it’s probably halved which is still double and more than we can afford for a very unreliable striker

70k per week - no thanks