[Archived] Transfer Window - January 2016

[den]

I get the feeling some on here would shove him through the door for a pittance and automatically think a big target man will solve all our lack of scoring problems.

No Tomphil, they don't think that. If you believe that, you're missing the argument entirely.

[tomphil]

I know exactly what the argument is and I know it won't be solved easily. If he is sold for the greater good then I'm at the stage now where i'll back it because we have a real manager. I'd still rather use it than lose it though.

[JHRover]

I'll believe that Leicester want Lawrence back when a reputable newspaper reports it. At the moment it has only appeared in the Daily Mail, and they have got a lot more wrong than they have right over the last few seasons when it comes to Rovers.

i don't think Lambert will ever be told by the owners that he has to sell Rhodes. They have shown over the last 2-3 years that they are absolutely determined to keep him at all costs even when it appeared that Bowyer and Shaw were prepared to let him go, and even when Rhodes himself indicated he wanted to.

I anticipate that Middlesbrough will try again to sign him in January, but at a lower fee than what they offered in the summer. They will hope the change of manager and our unlikely promotion will see their bid accepted.

I think it would be a huge gamble to even consider letting him go. All our efforts need to go into STRENGTHENING the squad, and if the first thing we do is look to sell our only goalscoring forward then our job will be even harder.

Lambert's job needs to be finding players who can come in and replace Chris Brown and Delfouneso and who can assist Rhodes on the pitch. If we lose Rhodes and Lawrence then we will need a massive rebuilding job and probably 3-4 quality forwards in January. That is almost impossible to do in the space of a few weeks.

[Neal]

Can't see Boro wanting Rhodes now. With Stuani, Kike and Nugent they've got goals and work ethic, Rhodes wouldn't get in their team.

[chaddyrovers]

I do think PL will sell Rhodes. But not in this window unless a) they get top dollar for him AND he has his first and second target lined up ready to bring in. Rhodes needs an indulgent manager to do his thing. PL is not that man and his game plan tactically is about the team, not individuals.

Lawrence is a loss in so much that he's proven what he can do but there are better players than him around; Zac Clough is the one I'd buy to play the 10 role. Danny Mayor from Bury is excellent.

We also need a winger - Buckley has been mentioned by Chaddy. He's very good.

A Creative CM - Mark Davies

Assuming they don't sell JR this window a target man with pace - Anichebe, Vaughan, Agbonlahor?

I agree on Lambert point and the way he has his tactics and he wont change them. The players need to adapt to his tactics.

Clough would be great replacement for Lawrence but I feel he will go to a Boro or Hull City.

Wasn't Mayor at Preston?

Buckley would be good but so would Gnarby.

Anichebe would be good addition to this squad. Plus Irvine knows him from his days at WBA and Everton.

If we are looking for a pacey striker then I would look at Hibs striker Jason Cummings.

Scott Allan from Celtic would be good creative Midfielder for us

[Stuart]

No manager in our position sells a 20 goal striker unless they have too.

The managers you mention above had millions at their disposal for replacements, we don't, and the fact you've mentioned Venables shows you've struggled to find good examples I'd wager.

I find it incredible, GAV, I really do.

20 goals per season WITHOUT a team set up to get the best out of him, and some people want rid!

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

It is not about setting a team up to help Jordan score. It is about setting up a team to win.

[BlueMonday]

Agbonlahor alongside Rhodes will do

That's the way I think we should go. Someone to support JR and link midfield. If it doesn't work out I guess he needs to go in the summer.

[Stuart]

It is not about setting a team up to help Jordan score. It is about setting up a team to win.

I agree. And with our current squad, the latter is best achieved by the former.

I wonder if Leicester fans are grumbling about Vardy's lack of all round game. You can be damned sure plenty on this mb would be.

[T J Hooker]

I dont think the owners or PL will actively try to sell Rhodes, but if another ridiculous 12+ million offer came in I think finally accepting the offer would be the most sensible decision all around as long as PL is aloud to spend a reasonable sized chunk of the money to buy a new striker or 2

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

I agree. And with our current squad, the latter is best achieved by the former.

I wonder if Leicester fans are grumbling about Vardy's lack of all round game. You can be damned sure plenty on this mb would be.

Does Vardy lack an all round game?

The best chance of winning games is setting up a team to keep clean sheets.

[Stuart]

Does Vardy lack an all round game?

The best chance of winning games is setting up a team to keep clean sheets.

Gary, is that you?

In all seriousness though, it really isn't.

[Amo]

Irrespective of Rhodes' future, January calls for some much needed firepower. Preferably someone with bags of pace to give us an extra dimension in attack.

[Pedro]

No manager in our position sells a 20 goal striker unless they have too.

The managers you mention above had millions at their disposal for replacements, we don't, and the fact you've mentioned Venables shows you've struggled to find good examples I'd wager.

I tried to give you a range of them Gav and pointed out glaringly obvious ones who have done it, time after time, and won things. But hey, I don't want to come across as a bad poster and maybe you are right, ignoring all of those who have done so, maybe no manager has ever sold a 20 goal striker (who is not even a top flight one) and gone on to improve a squad.

Regardless, whilst these ffp rules linger, I keep trying to point out that the only way we will have millions to spend is to sell our misfiring fella up top. Is it that inconceivable that the guy who has come in with experience, a pair of balls and bucket fulls of common sense won't also see this?

One part of the general arguement I don't side with is the notion that teams need individuals to score 20+ goals to be successful? I think you are much more likely to achieve success sharing a greater amount of goals throughout the team and stopping that bouncy thing coming back towards our goal too quickly. We seem to have solved half of that, but we offer little and lose the ball too quickly in the opposite half. Something has got to give and it can't come cheaply and poor Rhodes is going to have to learn a stronger and much more rounded game quite quickly.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Gary, is that you?

In all seriousness though, it really isn't.

it really is.

[patrickvalery]

I agree. And with our current squad, the latter is best achieved by the former.

I wonder if Leicester fans are grumbling about Vardy's lack of all round game. You can be damned sure plenty on this mb would be.

I think we've always been in agreement about Rhodes Stuart. Seems to me there aren't that many strikers who have that deadly instinct and its that reason why i think we need to find a better way to give him service. But his game could be improved and i think you have just highlighted the example Rhodes should be following. Vardy isn't the biggest and i'd even argue he doesn't have Rhodes' finishing prowess (as daft as that sounds after this season's exploits). But he is dogged, never gives the opposition a moments peace and chases every lost cause. As i say, i'm a big fan of Rhodes but i think he could be exceptionally good if he took a leaf out of Vardy's book. Nobody knows what the future holds, but i fear that come the end of his career he might regret not giving that bit extra. Its not an ability thing - just purely desire. And come the end of a career, i'm not sure he could look at himself and say contently that he left it all out on the pitch.

That said, what do i know? Maybe his managers have told him to do the exact opposite and concentrate on working within the width of the penalty area.

[Athlete]

Agbonlahor may be a loan option I'd go for but don't know what the script at Villa was with PL....

Anyone considering getting rid of JR really needs to give their head a wobble has his goal ratio is irreplaceable unless you fork out top top dollar

[Stuart]

it really is.

Thousands upon thousands of games have been won without clean sheets.

Not a single one has been won without a goal.

[Mani]

Mani, you suggested a target man with pace and then suggested Vaughan and Agbonlahor. Surely neither of those are target men??

I'd be happy with either of them but they're not target men in the Crouch and Kenwyne Jones style.

Yeah, sorry that wasn't very well explained. I meant strikers who can play that lone role. Who are physically strong, quick and mobile. I don't think he'd go for the Crouch option as he's too immobile to shut people down.

[Mani]

It's not about getting big lads in etc...

It's about getting strikers in who can understand and actually physically cope the gegenpressing and have enough in the tank to compose themselves when an opportunity comes along. I chatted with Kammy about this on Twitter last week. We agreed that Rhodes is struggling physically with the pressing and then snatching at opportunities or even being a yard behind the game...his fitness will come.

PL won't change that high pressing for JR so either he learns to cope with it or he will be sold. I think he will be looking for a strong, quick and mobile forward to compliment the system.

No one player should ever be put before a team. We've spent long enough playing to JR's strengths and losing football matches.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I think we've always been in agreement about Rhodes Stuart. Seems to me there aren't that many strikers who have that deadly instinct and its that reason why i think we need to find a better way to give him service. But his game could be improved and i think you have just highlighted the example Rhodes should be following. Vardy isn't the biggest and i'd even argue he doesn't have Rhodes' finishing prowess (as daft as that sounds after this season's exploits). But he is dogged, never gives the opposition a moments peace and chases every lost cause. As i say, i'm a big fan of Rhodes but i think he could be exceptionally good if he took a leaf out of Vardy's book. Nobody knows what the future holds, but i fear that come the end of his career he might regret not giving that bit extra. Its not an ability thing - just purely desire. And come the end of a career, i'm not sure he could look at himself and say contently that he left it all out on the pitch.

That said, what do i know? Maybe his managers have told him to do the exact opposite and concentrate on working within the width of the penalty area.

Some players are more naturally athletic than others. I honestly feel no matter how hard Rhodes trains he'll never be a hard running type of player. He's just not made that way.

[Ribble Rover]

Swap JR for Sone Aluko and 10m.

[bluefred]

I agree. And with our current squad, the latter is best achieved by the former.

I wonder if Leicester fans are grumbling about Vardy's lack of all round game. You can be damned sure plenty on this mb would be.

Vardys lack of all round game? you haveing a laugh? Rhodes ain't a patch on that lad , now he is one we should of got before he went to Leicester .

[JHRover]

I tried to give you a range of them Gav and pointed out glaringly obvious ones who have done it, time after time, and won things. But hey, I don't want to come across as a bad poster and maybe you are right, ignoring all of those who have done so, maybe no manager has ever sold a 20 goal striker (who is not even a top flight one) and gone on to improve a squad.

Regardless, whilst these ffp rules linger, I keep trying to point out that the only way we will have millions to spend is to sell our misfiring fella up top. Is it that inconceivable that the guy who has come in with experience, a pair of balls and bucket fulls of common sense won't also see this?

One part of the general arguement I don't side with is the notion that teams need individuals to score 20+ goals to be successful? I think you are much more likely to achieve success sharing a greater amount of goals throughout the team and stopping that bouncy thing coming back towards our goal too quickly. We seem to have solved half of that, but we offer little and lose the ball too quickly in the opposite half. Something has got to give and it can't come cheaply and poor Rhodes is going to have to learn a stronger and much more rounded game quite quickly.

It isn't the case that we have to sell Rhodes to generate funds to do business within FFP constraints.

If that were the case then a club like Middlesbrough would never have been able to offer £12 million for him.

Middlesbrough, Leeds, Derby, Fulham, QPR, Wolves etc. all spent substantial amounts of money last summer and none had to sell off their best players before doing it.

I think we can all agree that it is highly unlikely that a Premier League club will be coming in with a huge bid for Rhodes in the near future. In 3.5 years the only one that did was Hull City, and they were relegated the season after.

Therefore the only likely interest in Rhodes is going to be from rival Championship clubs.

Two problems with that though. One is the issue that if he isn't good enough for us then why would he be good enough for our rivals for promotion, Middlesbrough being the prime example?

The other is that if we need to sell him so we can strengthen within FFP constraints then how does that work if our rivals are able to go around offering £10 million+ to get him? Do they not have to worry about the same constraints?

[chaddyrovers]

Agbonlahor may be a loan option I'd go for but don't know what the script at Villa was with PL....

Agbonlahor is only 29 years old. I thought he was older like 32/33 years old.

I agree would be good loan option

Yeah, sorry that wasn't very well explained. I meant strikers who can play that lone role. Who are physically strong, quick and mobile. I don't think he'd go for the Crouch option as he's too immobile to shut people down.

exactly so. Lambert's style is a direct style of play with a us either playing 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1. with us pressing the ball from the front.

I don't see Lambert changing his style for any players who cant play his way.

It's not about getting big lads in etc...

It's about getting strikers in who can understand and actually physically cope the gegenpressing and have enough in the tank to compose themselves when an opportunity comes along. I chatted with Kammy about this on Twitter last week. We agreed that Rhodes is struggling physically with the pressing and then snatching at opportunities or even being a yard behind the game...his fitness will come.

PL won't change that high pressing for JR so either he learns to cope with it or he will be sold. I think he will be looking for a strong, quick and mobile forward to compliment the system.

No one player should ever be put before a team.

I agree with this that Rhodes is struggling fitness wise with this high pressing game of Lambert.

I defo don't see Lambert changing his style one bit. The players will either adapt to his style or they will be sold IMO.

You suggestion that he is looking for a strong, quick and mobile forward to compliment the system this is why I suggestion Victor Anichebe. cos he strong, some pace and He knows Lambert coaching staff due to playing at Everton and WBA under them(Irvine and Kelly)