Wing Wizard Windy Miller

Caulker on a free 6-7 years ago would be a good signing. Last 5 years suggest you shouldn't touch him with a barge pole. Another example of a talented player who didn't fulfil his potential.

Can we Hecke. He would no doubt cost more. But comparatively, even at twice the price. He would be a better option for the club. That said, I'd rather not spend a large amount in JPVH either😂. I'd rather we invested up front.

I can see the logic there. However, the likelihood of us signing 2 permanent CBs seems unrealistic to me. Especially 2 who will cost upwards of £6 million. We have holes all over the squad. I would guess that if Hyatt does sign, he will be the only permanent deal at centre back. Out of the options mentioned to date, that would be the poorest solution in my opinion. If the fee for Hyatt was a lot lower, I'd be more comfortable with it. Feels like a Paul Downing option.

So that's a no?

Eyes before stats any day.

So for the reported fee you'd rather have the more experienced lad from Coventry over the 2 Dutch lads?

To be fair you've kind of missed the point I was making. If I've never heard of him, he's clearly not stood out at championship level so compared to the other names we've been linked with, he's an underwhelming signing (to me at any rate). He doesn't seem to fit with our modus operandi for spending decent sums. He may turn out to be great but I bet he wasn't on the A, B or C list..certainly won't be somebody JDT is familiar with. It's also a relatively large fee. Let's go back to the early interviews with Broughton and JDT. If you were told we're going to spend around £7 million (if fees are to be believed). Then get told in the next breath who the 4 players are (Brittain, Szmodic, Morton and Hyatt) what would the general reaction have been?

Well batted 👏

...well yes because we would no doubt be signing them from Gibraltar, Andorra and San Marino.

Cool. What are his best attributes?

Compared to the other centre back signings we'd been linked with. Hyam is an underwhelming option - whether you like to it or not. It's like us signing Bauer from Preston. It's not a terrible signing but not as good as Anel or JPVH would be. Rovers do it every year- get linked with good players who we all get excited about but they never arrive. Then up pops some left field signing.

Had you heard of him?

Highly regarded by whom?

No Coventry defender has stood out in any of the games we've played against them. I'm sure he's ok but it's an underwhelming option. Again.

Anel: 23: Malmö: Bosnian international: highly regarded✖️ Ben Davies: 27: Liverpool: well regarded at Champ level. Good enough to earn a prem move.✖️ JPVH: 22: Brighton: Dutch under 21: previous player of year.✖️ Dominic Hyam: 26: Coventry: played for Aldershot before joining Coventry in League 2. ✔️✔️✔️

Never heard of the guy. Certainly Sounds no better than Lennihan after a quick read. £2.5 mil seems an awful lot.

Kick the bucket down the road for another year.

What would your expectations be by the close of the window for it to be a satisfactory one?

No chance with wages on any of that lot.

So by that logic, surely domestic prices will rise accordingly. Edit: The only players that may come down in value are those like Diaz, with one year left.

Exactly. Everybody bemoaning the small pool of players available post Brexit, yet as the deadline approaches, they are all going to become cheaper. Surely, it works the opposite way.

Another day with no activity or rumours - except outgoing. Standard. Tick tock goes the alarm clock.

Good move for Brereton I'd say. Stays in the North West, good chance of getting game time and if he does really well, bigger clubs will circle. If he goes, I think he'll go for around £12.5 mil plus add ons. Broughton made a big deal about our budget not being dependent on Brereton going. That tells me we won't be seeing any of it reinvested.

And not getting the player we spent all that time on?

Or very badly if we are pinning hopes on a guy that we all knew would fail a work permit! Given that we never seem to get deals done at a weekend and have a league match next weds, is our cricket analogy now 6 runs from the last over?