DutchRover

Why on earth is Miller playing as striker next to Ohashi

Ugly and clumsy challenge by Pratt there, and late, we'd want a pen for that

Wait Powel, Henrikson and Dlamini is our front 3? God help us

Youan would also make sense as a cut-price alternative to Reyes Cleary, similar profile of versatile forward with some pace, though perhaps more record as a striker.

God of L2/Nats, actually that might be useful in a couple of years...

We do have a track record of returning to targets we were linked with in the past, not sure if that makes our scouting team persistent or uminaginative?

I wanted Youan when we were linked last year, not prolific but plays all across the front three, mostly from left or as a striker. First two years at Hibs in 22/23 and 23/24 were very good. His best recent run for Hibs came in December last year when he was playing striker, couple of goals and an assist, but then was injured for pretty much rest of season. Not an inspiring signing, but a decent back-up forward imo, scored a couple last weekend vs Kilmarnock as a striker.

Brum fans clearly not fans of Cashin, but he was highly rated at Derby and Brighton don't usually pay 10m for duds, so hopefully just a poor fit for him. That said, makes zero sense that our first signing is another left footed CB, and one on loan at that. It will stifle opportunities for Pratt who has looked good since coming in, as Brighton will have demanded he play The not having to pay him wages will have been Suhail/Gestede's main reason for signing him I am sure.

Last thing we need is a loan CB, we already have enough young guys from academy there. If we do get a CB it has to be an experienced guy with impeccable fitness record, ideally some international games.... Someone like that Wrexham Captain Dom Hyam....

I was sceptical of the Baradji signing in the summer, given his injury, but the loan-to-buy deal made sense to protect us from that. I have seen enough since he started playing to know he is miles ahead of Tavares and Henrikson, and probably TGH as a mid. If we were even a vaguely competent outfit or actually following our alleged plan to sign talent, develop it and then sell them on, we would exercise his option now if we can, and sign him to a long deal like the one we did give to Henrikson. That, as we have found with Reyes at Barnsley, actually increases a players value when we inevitably sell anyone half decent in the summer. With the buy-option do we know when it can be exercised? Is it appearance related or just whenever we want? Is the contract here pre-agreed as part of the buy-option or could we negotiate a better contract now we have seen him and thereby increase our bargaining power when we sell him. Oh wait Suhail and Gestede don't care about any of that....

It's a good Venkys link too because we were supposedly after him when he left Derby, as if we could have paid the 9m Brighton did. (Venkys as in Suhail and Gestede leaking to Nixon)

Cashin link is surely just usual Venky leak to try and placate fans

Surprise surprise, he will pull a Eustace by the end of the month, and the happy clappers will believe he is a snake too

I'm sure Suhail and Gestede offered our best 1 penny coin and two bags of crisps, there was nothing more they could do...

If we are finally looking at League 1 players, we could do worse than look at Ballard from Orient, and Wooton at Stockport. Both having good seasons as strikers. Ballard young with good So'ton academy pedigree, but only half a good season goals wise might make him cheap enough for us; ideally we'd get more experienced guy but I'd rather take a punt on him than a 20y/o Estonian kid from the Belgian third tier which is probably Gestede's plan. Orient nowhere near promotion too, so he is scoring playing for a poor team presumably; I like El Mizouni there too, the midfielder, and I would have taken Koroma on a free in the summer. Wooton I saw a fair bit of when he was at Notts; big target man, and you'd think he can compete with physicality of Champ having worked his way up in National League. I make five consecutive good seasons now in terms of goals (2 in Nat, 2 in L2 and now L1), so worth a punt, though Stockport will want to keep him for their promotion chase, and tbh they are as likely to be in Championship as us next year. I said last January we ought to be chasing top League 1 players, instead we dove into the overseas bargain bin and hoped for the best. Sam Smith, Ethan Erhahon and Thelo Aasgaard were all eminently attainable even for us and would have solved both our striker and midfield issues had we got them last Jan. Even Kwame Poku would have been possible, though his injuries have become a worry and he doesn't play at QPR.

Alebiosu links are a worry, Suhail and Gestede will be delighted, flip him for a 3m profit after just 6 months wages, that's their dream. Would be a disaster to sell him, so basically guarantees we do it anyway...

With the window open, it's the perfect chance for us to sign cheaper alternatives for our better players, but I figured I would try and give an objective assessment of the squad as I did in the summer. GK: Toth, Pears, Michalski Toth is a good no.1 at Championship level, and now for Hungary, was having a decent year before the injury. Pears is Pears, usual horror mistakes but otherwise solid, and proving that the plan to offload him without a replacement in the summer was a bad one, surprise surprise. Michalski talented but not yet ready for Champ, could do with a loan. I would happily swap Pears for a new back-up to Toth, but don't trust Gestede to bring in someone with Champ experience which is what the back-up needs. RB: Alebiosu Best signing by far, now a Nigerian international; shame about leg gash but doesn't sound too serious thankfully. We will no doubt sell him in the summer... Need a back-up desperately; Litherland and Miller aren't wing-backs. CB: McLoughlan, Pratt, Miller, Atcheson, O'Riordan, Litherland, Wharton, Carter Really missing Hyam, absurd decision to sell him. McLoughlan and Miller are meh but not as bad as some think. I think both are back-ups rather than starters in an ideal world. Younger guys have been impressive, especially Pratt. Hopefully O'Riordan can finally break into team. Wharton and Carter injuries hurt. Lower on list given needs elsewhere, I would try to offload Carter and bring in an actual replacement for Hyam in a world where we have competent owners. LB: Hedges, De Neve, Pickering, Ribeiro Two wingers trying to play wing back, and two full-backs with no position in our formation. Hedges has been one of our better players but that means little. I would happily sell all three of the others if we would actually replace them. De Neve in particular has looked utterly unsuited for Championship, no attacking nous and an awful defender; terrible signing. CM: Tronstad, TGH, Baradji, Montgomery, Garrett, Forshaw, Tavares Tronstad looks checked out, TGH is back-up standard, Garrett and Forshaw injured. Montgomery I don't think looks anything special sadly. Tavares I thought looked good his first couple of games, but since then he has completely flopped. Clearly has attitude issues too, at least with how Ismael wants to play, and offers no energy in midfield. Another bad signing. Baradji is interesting, clearly more skillful than the rest but need him to get up to speed of English football rest of season. Need a starter, someone like Travis, oh wait... AM: Cantwell, Morishita, Henriksson, Tyjon Tyjon leaving, Cantwell flatters to deceive, not good enough for his salary but also clearly too good for the rest of our team. Not sure 3-4-1-2 suits him, would be better in a 4-2-3-1 with wingers and runners beside him. Morishita I like, good energy and looks more talented than others, still needs to find best position for us, but a decent signing. Henriksson I was excited for but looks a complete dud, would offload if we can. ST: Ohashi, Gudjohnson, Gueye I like Ohashi a lot, works so hard with no support most games, and lest people forget his finishing is better than many of our recent strikers (remember Bristol goals last season). Clearly suffering from having to play every single game and run after lost causes, could do with a rest every now and then. Gudjohnson second best signing after Alebiosu, great poaching instinct but I would like him to press harder with Ohashi. Gueye clearly going, and we already needed another striker, so two strikers needed in January, especially with Gudjohnson injury. By my reckoning, we made three good signings in summer: Alebiosu, Gidjohnson and Morishita. Baradji looks like he might make it into this category. Miller, McLoughlan, TGH are mediocre, nothing special but back-up standard. De Neve, Tavares, Henriksson are disasters, complete wastes of our limited money. I said in transfer thread we need 6 players and I stand by that: ST, ST, CM, RWB, LWB, CB and if we offload Pears a GK. Gueye, Pickering, De Neve, Henriksson, Tavares I would happily offload, even Ribeiro if we plan to keep the wing-backs. So much work to do, and clowns like Gestede in charge. Relegation here we come...

Given the quoted prices for most of them, it smacks of the agent shenanigans that happened the year before we got relegated to League 1. Methinks Suhail having complete control both times might be related...

Watching second half today he already has downed tools...

So Ismael says...

Encouraging to see that Atcheson, like Pratt looks a good prospect, way we are going academy is only hope with the dross we sign. Baradji there is something there, not quite found pace of England yet, but unlike others (Henriksson etc) he has the talent to play in championship. Agree regarding Tronstad, he looks like a guy who doesn't care.

Should never have sold Hyam, surprise surprise; and I wanted us to sign Sam Smith from Reading, we have 2 mil for Tavares but not a proven English striker... Baradji had some good touches since I have been watching in the second half, linking well with Ohashi. Henriksson doing nothing at all.

Seems possible, especially with the Reyes link, but selling Pickering and pursuing Gibson says back 3, though completely illogical planning is our forte. Whatever is cheapest today is the plan I reckon, tomorrow be damned

"Well we had to sell him now or risk losing him for free in the summer"...

Oh how predictable...