Cat amongst the pigeons time. If we are looking at ex dingle forwards, then how about a current one? Vokes on loan would be just the type of player to replace Graham...

Interesting -Waggott points out that players like Assambalonga come at very high price. Yet then says they could be pursued if Tony wants them. Clearly there is money to spend. Ties in with what TM said a few days ago about paying over the odds for players from rival teams or looking at loan to buys/loans instead...we know he likes to get value. Think we will end up with someone, possibly leftfield again if It's true Gallagher is staying at Saints. Happy we"ve added Chapman though so anything else a bonus.

You may need to check the floor for your rattle, it appears to have fallen out of your pram.

I think Brereton is a hopeless case. That said, if I close my eyes and pretend we paid £7mil for Armstrong and £1.8mil for Brereton, I feel much better about things. Swings and roundabouts. We only need one of the 2 to 'come good' to have a £10 mil plus striker on the books. If Armstrong were to double his goal tally between now and the end of season, then a 21 year old English striker with 13-14 champ goals wouldn't be far off that bracket. Mad world. In other news, Dingle bricky on loan till summer will do nicely for me. Will give us presence and goals. Then look at the situation again in summer. Shows ambition but no big fee commitment (yes high wages but only a proportion of).

Just can't buy into this Assambalonga link. He can't play the lone role according to Boro fans. Plays better with a partner. Doesn't fit with our recruitment model to date, would definitely break our wage structure and surely hold up the progress of Armstrong who is starting to find his feet at this level. Unless he plays out wide, which may not suit him, I just can't see it. I'm all for signing players better than we've got and smashing our transfer record for someone to push us to the next level but our current set up is so reliant on Graham, that this seems like a stab in the dark (Like Brereton) rather than a perfect fit signing. Gallagher, ticks the boxes and seems the logical choice following our recruitment policy so far. Only striker I've seen that can play that physical front role, is young and scores a hatfull is Tammy Abraham. Now that would be a statement ?. Have a word Madon

Donis. The poor man's Kanchelskis!

I agree. Gallagher loan the sensible option for me.

To be fair, if he was ours, you would expect us to negotiate at least a 20% sell on clause.

Wiki has him at 1.76 m. He's small.

Is he? Oh FFS.

Ok Just playing devils advocate here. Brereton was a leftfield, out of the blue signing. Asambalonga (sp) another potential leftfield signing out if the blue Connection: Nottingham Forest Possibility therefore that the same agent involved?

Bet you wish you never started Madon!

I wonder if we are simply starting to play by the same rules as Derby, Boro, Forest etc. Over the 3 year ffp cycle, spend £30-£40 million. Making sure that you sell an asset every couple of years to balance the books. It's a great ploy if you have that asset sat on your books - which we do in Dack. We basically get to buy players for 4 windows, then sell Dack. If enough of the incomings are a success, you repeat the process - strengthening your chance of promotion. Asambalonga could be the example that TM talked about when discussing buying from rivals and having to pay over the odds and not seeing that back financially. I still think, Chapman aside, that we won't buy anyone straight this window. Any 'big' incomings will be a loan with a view.

Loan with a view for the Ass guy would be a great bit of business...we stump up a big portion of wages and if he fired us up, we buy him. If not, back to Boro and we unleash Brereton?

He can come and play wide for us ??

Agreed. If we spend now, you would hope it's on genuine quality to get us up. One or two astute signings may sneak us in. There are no nailed on certs in this league but a lot of competitively matched teams who can all beat each other. It will be the same next year, regardless of who comes down. Win 4 or 5 on the bounce and you're up there. Feb will be a decisive month I think. If we can get 9 points or more from those games, it will give us as good a shout as anyone.

Reed permanent? Wouldn't be cheap.

To be fair, they are rivals. I'm sure we'd have a few names for ex Burnley players....

This is why TM has to decide on the way forward. If it's 2 centrally, then you would look at Graham and Nuttall/Armstrong as a decent combination. If it's one, then it has to be a target/hold up man to make the system work. Alternatively, sign loads and take your pick!

That's why players are loaned out by the parent clubs. Go and make your mistakes somewhere else and learn from them. I'd be more than happy with Gallagher providing it's with a view to permanent. Different to what we currently have.

Seems to be putting himself about a bit more these days. Maybjystbve a flash I the pan though!

Don't think a 3 year contract would be wise either but an 18 month contract with an option would suit both parties I would have thought. Rodwell rebuilds his career and if he does well, he gets his choice of clubs.

Was completely against the Rodwell signing initially and he may still be injury prone but the last couple of games he's been superb. I have to hold my hands up, if he can maintain it, then he could take Mulgrews spot at the back. Certainly worth a new contract if wages sensible. Well done TM and Rodwell himself for putting his football first.

If the rumoured signings are true (Chapman, Gallagher) we aren't far away from challenging IMO. Especially if we could tie up Reed in the summer and hold on to Dack.

That jump though ??