January Transfer window 2022

[islander200]

7 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

This article says Poveda has had his loan cancelled, which as far as we are aware hasn't happened yet. This makes the rest a bit questionable. 

Story originated from a Pete O'Rourke tweet.He is usually on the money

[K-Hod]

I think one of the saddest things about Nyambe is how people seem to have convinced themselves he is a lot less important than he is, to cushion the blow of his potential departure.

This is a lad who has been here for absolutely years and been a stalwart in the side. I find it utterly bizarre and a bit disrespectful to the lad tbh.

[J*B]

8 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I think one of the saddest things about Nyambe is how people seem to have convinced themselves he is a lot less important than he is, to cushion the blow of his potential departure.

This is a lad who has been here for absolutely years and been a stalwart in the side. I find it utterly bizarre and a bit disrespectful to the lad tbh.

Agreed, successful academy prospect, good player, good human. Will be disappointed to see him leave.

The numbers don’t add up either. It’s suggested theres an option to buy for 2.9M and he’s on 17K a week… over a 4 year contract that’s nearly a 6.5M investment… can’t we just pay Nyambe?

[Sparks Rover]

21 minutes ago, Displaced Rover said:

He’s a fairly average full back, who doesn’t really offer much going forward. 

He's a very solid defender.  I'm not bothered about his forward ability.  Replace with another Pickering who couldn't stop a winger to save his life......decent going forward though eh?

[justaname]

Hello from Berlin...do you have any questions about Zeefuik and his performances for Hertha?

[CambridgeRover]

3 minutes ago, justaname said:

Hello from Berlin...do you have any questions about Zeefuik and his performances for Hertha?

Yes please, strengths and weaknesses.

[bluebruce]

16 minutes ago, J*B said:

Agreed, successful academy prospect, good player, good human. Will be disappointed to see him leave.

The numbers don’t add up either. It’s suggested theres an option to buy for 2.9M and he’s on 17K a week… over a 4 year contract that’s nearly a 6.5M investment… can’t we just pay Nyambe?

Plus a loss of Nyambe's asset value. Unless we are selling Nyambe for a good fee this window, or rate this lad significantly higher, we appear to be cutting off our nose to spite our face.

[roversinmyblood]

27 minutes ago, justaname said:

Hello from Berlin...do you have any questions about Zeefuik and his performances for Hertha?

Hi yes I do please. The YouTube highlights of him show him to be a good tackler but also a very aggressive tackler. Is he too aggressive and therefore a liability for getting red and yellow cards? Also, why has he not made it at Hertha?

Edited January 8, 2022 by roversinmyblood

[bluebruce]

7 minutes ago, justaname said:

Hello from Berlin...do you have any questions about Zeefuik and his performances for Hertha?

I'm curious what the perceived reasons for him not really breaking into the Hertha team are.

[1864roverite]

I have had a re read of some of the comments from TM regarding Nyambe current position and the suggestions it’s not just about money but the fact his football academy in Namibia is important to him. I just cannot fathom how or why this should be an issue when dealing with a players contract unless of course he wants to go back to his country or to play abroad!

I just don’t see a link at this present time.

[Gav]

24 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

I think one of the saddest things about Nyambe is how people seem to have convinced themselves he is a lot less important than he is, to cushion the blow of his potential departure.

This is a lad who has been here for absolutely years and been a stalwart in the side. I find it utterly bizarre and a bit disrespectful to the lad tbh.

We have a history as a fanbase of hammering homegrown talent, its been going on for decades, I just don't get it either. Nyambe isn't a local lad, but he's been with us since he was 13 and he should be rewarded with the contract his loyalty deserves.

[tomphil]

35 minutes ago, Displaced Rover said:

So many comments about Ryan Nyambe in here it boggles the mind. Would I prefer to keep him - yes. Will I be particularly upset if he leaves - no, he’s incredibly replaceable.

There’s people in this thread so clouded by him being an academy grad. He’s a fairly average full back, who doesn’t really offer much going forward. Wouldn’t imagine he’d crack our top 50 right backs of all time.

Incredibly replaceable ?

By who ?   I struggle to recall a right back coming through the ranks with as much raw ability as Ryan. Who is replacing him now who we wouldn't have to pay a fee for or would be wanting 10k pwk ?  The manager has already said he thinks he'll continue to improve.

Some keep citing Pickering as an example for 500k and that's fair enough until we factor in he was replacing Bell. That's like replacing a 25 watt lightbuld with a 50 watt one, you instantly see the difference.

What iv'e found odd in this thread is the people who stick the boot into him so easily because he isn't a right sided Ashley Cole. 

[moerpho]

This is the first transfer window in ages where I feel that no business is good business. The main goal should be to keep this great team intact and sort out some contracts for players already here.

We don't need a "big" signing as I think that would give Mowbray a chance to change to winning formula. Kinda dreading what happens when Dack is back - will he change our setup to accomodate Dack? I'd rather we look to the u23s and promote from there _if_ they are good enough.. 

If we don't sell any players, don't bring in any "big name" player and manage to do a Burnley and avoid injuries, suspensions and covid.....I truly believe we are good enough to take one of the two places up top. A big ask, but at least now I dare to dream. COYB! 

[AllRoverAsia]

37 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

I have had a re read of some of the comments from TM regarding Nyambe current position and the suggestions it’s not just about money but the fact his football academy in Namibia is important to him. I just cannot fathom how or why this should be an issue when dealing with a players contract unless of course he wants to go back to his country or to play abroad!

I just don’t see a link at this present time.

He basically wants to be paid enough so that he can support his academy in Namibia. He has said nothing about going back to Namibia now or playing abroad. He wants the PL or at least better wages.

This gives clues.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/57768029

Maybe our current league position becomes a factor to him but rumoured incoming suggest to me the Club are ok to see him go.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by AllRoverAsia

[justaname]

Okay then, let's see...

He definitely came to Berlin during difficult times. You've probably heard this story before, a club gets a rich investor, buys a bunch of overpriced but ill-fitting pieces, nothing works the way it was supposed to, a bunch of coaches come and go, etc...not the easiest environment to play in.

Zeefuik was one of the cheaper investments during that time but he was supposed to easily take over the right wingback spot. His main competition was Peter Pekarik, an aging yet underrated defense-first Slovakian international. 
Yet somehow he never managed to properly get it going. There were a few months during 2021 when it felt like he had finally arrived but that ended up being short-lived as well. Now it's understandable that some of the coaches decided to go with the old-school reliable player instead of him when facing possible relegation but we definitely expected more out of him.

His main strength is obviously his strong body. He's built like a tank and will not be overpowered by brute force. He's better in a more offensive role and had his best games for us in a 3-5-2 setup. Not really a dribbler but rather someone who uses by bulk to do most of his damage.

He also seems to be a pretty nice guy, never complained about not playing. I know that's not the first thing people want to hear about a new signee but disgruntled players can be annoying too.

People on here have mentioned those youtube videos showing him doing dangerous tackles. We obviously watched those same videos when he first joined us and were equally concerned but that ended up not really being a factor. He only had 3 yellow cards and one second yellow booking in over 1400 minutes here, that's not much. I'm more concerned every time he goes into aerial duels, he's a bit reckless there with his arms and elbows all over the place. Overall I'd say he's more clumsy than evil, I've never seen him hurt players on purpose.

Now as for his weaknesses...he's made way too many blunders for us. He always seemed a bit nervous and I'm not sure if that's just who he is or if that's related to his difficult situation here. The past few weeks were ripe with mistimed back passes that gifted the other team a corner or put our goalkeeper in peril. There was one nightmarish game in particular where you could see how it affected him but to his credit he kept on fighting and at least tried to play through it. 

If that doesn't sound great to you, well that's why you're getting him on a cheap loan, right? 🙂
Best case scenario is that he was just in the wrong spot for his skillset. I could see his game being much better-suited to English football, plus winning more games might calm his nerves a bit.

Additional trivia: He might wear the smallest shin guards I've ever seen. Are ankle guards a thing? 

Additional trivia: How do you pronounce his name? Well I looked for dutch content on youtube and it sounded more like ZEH-foik. But of course most people will create their own version and to be fair, it's just too tempting to do it. 😉

 

 

[bluebruce]

1400 minutes is equivalent to about 15.5 games. Picking up a red for a second yellow in that time doesn't suggest it's not a problem to me. Added to what you say about arms flailing and potentially giving away penalties, I'm a bit concerned about this area of his game. Poor backpasses are also a worry. We don't play that way too much this season, unlike last, but plenty of Championship sides who try to close down teams passing at the back and having success with it. Including us.

What I do like the sound of is that he is best in a 3-5-2 setup, as that's what we play.

[joey_big_nose]

12 hours ago, SuperBrfc said:

If we were to take Swag at face value for a moment, he has been pretty adamant that any of the three that don't sign new deals will be sold in January. He has said it more than once. That makes me think at least one will be going, despite us being 2nd in the league. Most likely Nyambe after the story on the Dutch guy today and Brown arriving the other day.

Mowbray has come out and said nobody is leaving, yet has qualified that by saying something along the lines of "unless we receive a substantial offer". Would they consider a bid of £2m-3m for Nyambe as being "substantial" at this stage of his contract? Probably, imo.

Then there was something on Sky about the owners apparently saying nobody is for sale. The question is, which one of those viewpoints is the true position? Swag's, Mowbray's or the owners'? We'll find out soon enough, I suppose.

I worry there may be a bit of a face saving exercise going on with them wanting to bring money in for one (Nyambe) at the very least, instead of letting all three leave for nothing in the summer. They surely wouldn't consider any bid from Bournemouth for Rothwell, though, would they? That has to be an attempt at mind games from them.

My own view is sell nobody, bring in the Dutch guy to compete at RB, along with Maja and a couple of others to help us go for it. If we miss out on promotion and lose the three in the summer then so be it, that would be our own fault for letting the contract situation get to that stage. Just don't scupper the opportunity we have right now by trying to save face.

Broadly agree.

I think we could weather losing Nyambe. A new player can come in and the brief isn't too difficult.

Lose Lenihan or Rothwell and I think we are in real trouble. Rothwell dribbling from central deep positions is absolutely critical to how we play, and Lenihan has been outstanding on the right of the three both defensively and in his distribution, plus he's our captain.

[RoversClitheroe]

12 minutes ago, justaname said:

Okay then, let's see...

He definitely came to Berlin during difficult times. You've probably heard this story before, a club gets a rich investor, buys a bunch of overpriced but ill-fitting pieces, nothing works the way it was supposed to, a bunch of coaches come and go, etc...not the easiest environment to play in.

Zeefuik was one of the cheaper investments during that time but he was supposed to easily take over the right wingback spot. His main competition was Peter Pekarik, an aging yet underrated defense-first Slovakian international. 
Yet somehow he never managed to properly get it going. There were a few months during 2021 when it felt like he had finally arrived but that ended up being short-lived as well. Now it's understandable that some of the coaches decided to go with the old-school reliable player instead of him when facing possible relegation but we definitely expected more out of him.

His main strength is obviously his strong body. He's built like a tank and will not be overpowered by brute force. He's better in a more offensive role and had his best games for us in a 3-5-2 setup. Not really a dribbler but rather someone who uses by bulk to do most of his damage.

He also seems to be a pretty nice guy, never complained about not playing. I know that's not the first thing people want to hear about a new signee but disgruntled players can be annoying too.

People on here have mentioned those youtube videos showing him doing dangerous tackles. We obviously watched those same videos when he first joined us and were equally concerned but that ended up not really being a factor. He only had 3 yellow cards and one second yellow booking in over 1400 minutes here, that's not much. I'm more concerned every time he goes into aerial duels, he's a bit reckless there with his arms and elbows all over the place. Overall I'd say he's more clumsy than evil, I've never seen him hurt players on purpose.

Now as for his weaknesses...he's made way too many blunders for us. He always seemed a bit nervous and I'm not sure if that's just who he is or if that's related to his difficult situation here. The past few weeks were ripe with mistimed back passes that gifted the other team a corner or put our goalkeeper in peril. There was one nightmarish game in particular where you could see how it affected him but to his credit he kept on fighting and at least tried to play through it. 

If that doesn't sound great to you, well that's why you're getting him on a cheap loan, right? 🙂
Best case scenario is that he was just in the wrong spot for his skillset. I could see his game being much better-suited to English football, plus winning more games might calm his nerves a bit.

Additional trivia: He might wear the smallest shin guards I've ever seen. Are ankle guards a thing? 

Additional trivia: How do you pronounce his name? Well I looked for dutch content on youtube and it sounded more like ZEH-foik. But of course most people will create their own version and to be fair, it's just too tempting to do it. 😉

 

 

Sounds remarkably similar to a flop we bought and sold last season.

What's he like at stopping crossing going into the box? 

1 on 1 defending? 

[JacknOry]

14 minutes ago, justaname said:

Okay then, let's see...

He definitely came to Berlin during difficult times. You've probably heard this story before, a club gets a rich investor, buys a bunch of overpriced but ill-fitting pieces, nothing works the way it was supposed to, a bunch of coaches come and go, etc...not the easiest environment to play in.

Nope 🙂

Zeefuik was one of the cheaper investments during that time but he was supposed to easily take over the right wingback spot. His main competition was Peter Pekarik, an aging yet underrated defense-first Slovakian international. 
Yet somehow he never managed to properly get it going. There were a few months during 2021 when it felt like he had finally arrived but that ended up being short-lived as well. Now it's understandable that some of the coaches decided to go with the old-school reliable player instead of him when facing possible relegation but we definitely expected more out of him.

These pesky defence-first international fullbacks!

 

 

 

[bluebruce]

16 minutes ago, justaname said:

Okay then, let's see...

He definitely came to Berlin during difficult times. You've probably heard this story before, a club gets a rich investor, buys a bunch of overpriced but ill-fitting pieces, nothing works the way it was supposed to, a bunch of coaches come and go, etc...not the easiest environment to play in.

Zeefuik was one of the cheaper investments during that time but he was supposed to easily take over the right wingback spot. His main competition was Peter Pekarik, an aging yet underrated defense-first Slovakian international. 
Yet somehow he never managed to properly get it going. There were a few months during 2021 when it felt like he had finally arrived but that ended up being short-lived as well. Now it's understandable that some of the coaches decided to go with the old-school reliable player instead of him when facing possible relegation but we definitely expected more out of him.

His main strength is obviously his strong body. He's built like a tank and will not be overpowered by brute force. He's better in a more offensive role and had his best games for us in a 3-5-2 setup. Not really a dribbler but rather someone who uses by bulk to do most of his damage.

He also seems to be a pretty nice guy, never complained about not playing. I know that's not the first thing people want to hear about a new signee but disgruntled players can be annoying too.

People on here have mentioned those youtube videos showing him doing dangerous tackles. We obviously watched those same videos when he first joined us and were equally concerned but that ended up not really being a factor. He only had 3 yellow cards and one second yellow booking in over 1400 minutes here, that's not much. I'm more concerned every time he goes into aerial duels, he's a bit reckless there with his arms and elbows all over the place. Overall I'd say he's more clumsy than evil, I've never seen him hurt players on purpose.

Now as for his weaknesses...he's made way too many blunders for us. He always seemed a bit nervous and I'm not sure if that's just who he is or if that's related to his difficult situation here. The past few weeks were ripe with mistimed back passes that gifted the other team a corner or put our goalkeeper in peril. There was one nightmarish game in particular where you could see how it affected him but to his credit he kept on fighting and at least tried to play through it. 

If that doesn't sound great to you, well that's why you're getting him on a cheap loan, right? 🙂
Best case scenario is that he was just in the wrong spot for his skillset. I could see his game being much better-suited to English football, plus winning more games might calm his nerves a bit.

Additional trivia: He might wear the smallest shin guards I've ever seen. Are ankle guards a thing? 

Additional trivia: How do you pronounce his name? Well I looked for dutch content on youtube and it sounded more like ZEH-foik. But of course most people will create their own version and to be fair, it's just too tempting to do it. 😉

 

 

You said he is better in an offensive role. What kind of player is he offensively? How is his crossing? It looked a lot better than our current incumbent, but hard to tell from a highlights video.

We are essentially hoping for a Nyambe (current RB) that can contribute more in the final third. He looks to have the same physical attributes as Nyambe but sounds less reliable defensively.

Also, what fee do you personally think is fair for him?

[RoverCanada]

Some varied thoughts:

- I'm surprised that us apparently not being able to unilaterally cancel Poveda's loan hasn't gotten much attention on here given he's probably a pricey loan. Frankly, sounds like a blind spot in our negotiation (we've sent back injured loan players before...) Maybe could have assumed PL clubs wouldn't be so bothered about taking back wages in the past, but they're also under financial pressures these days. Picking up Sommerville instead as a 'make weight' could be a sensible compromise.

- Whatever the speculation about our wage 'structure' and what we can afford vs what players can get elsewhere, I think it's important to keep in mind that even if our wage bill is ~£25m, which pushes our wage/turnover to nearly 200%, that is still below the Championship average (~£35m) and is half that of parachute clubs (some of which will be tied up in 'legacy' PL contracts, but they definitely still have plenty to spend). That's simply a function of our bottom-tier turnover. Supposing £15k/week is our 'cap', that's a good Championship salary (and high relative to other 2nd tiers), but there's certainly Championship clubs still willing/able to pay £20k+/week (as demoralising as it would be to see players leave for a Championship club; hard to begrudge players for a PL move). Hell, we were paying Rhodes £40k/week back in our parachute payment days... The big uncertainty for the out-of-contract players is if such contracts are still readily on offer given pandemic-related financial pressures.

- Nyambe... it's clear his agents have been angling for a bigger move for a while now, whether that be a random laudatory article in The Athletic, a quiet kid suddenly having a pretty active Instagram page, strained negotiations last year, etc. Starting an academy in Namibia won't be cheap either. We've had our debates about whether he could be a PL player someday and he's had his times out of the squad (if still generally a regular starter). Certainly has the basic physical qualities, and you can see an agent's thinking, but still a work in progress. I'll be disappointed if he goes, but, whatever wage allegedly on offer, selling him this month (for a cut rate...) and replacing him with a (potentially promising?) player like Zeefuik would be a sensible last resort, if a sad conclusion. However, it also makes sense to simply run down his contract (and the others) for the sake of keeping the squad together for our (unexpected) promotion run. Maybe return for one last offer if we get promoted (or Nyambe/his agent finds offers elsewhere aren't as high as he hopes)

- I love Rothwell, but I also think TM's past criticisms haven't been off base. Capable of amazing play, but can still go missing for stretches and his defensive positioning can be wanting (although he certainly has been putting in more effort this year). He's finally putting it all together this year, so I'm not surprised it's been a tricky negotiation. The Rangers link worried me as, whatever you think of Scottish football, they've got twice our wage bill. Similar if a parachute club like Bournemouth is sniffing... He's thriving in our midfield 3 setup and obviously can't complain about game time anymore, so I would assume he's at least pretty happy at the moment.

- Lenihan threatening to leave surprised me. Not sure what to make of that... hope he stays as I've always thought he's a solid Championship CB, if not quite PL quality, but he's been excellent this year. Maybe he's worried this is his last shot at PL football (Sheffield U were sniffing at one point, but I don't think there have been any rumours since?) and/or is tired of being overlooked in the Ireland national setup (where has some relatively tough competition). I suspect/hope he'll eventually sign.

Edited January 8, 2022 by RoverCanada

[Miller11]

1 hour ago, 1864roverite said:

I have had a re read of some of the comments from TM regarding Nyambe current position and the suggestions it’s not just about money but the fact his football academy in Namibia is important to him. I just cannot fathom how or why this should be an issue when dealing with a players contract unless of course he wants to go back to his country or to play abroad!

I just don’t see a link at this present time.

Waggott’s exact words to me and @PeteJD13were “It’s not all about the money with Ryan, his academy in Namibia is very important to him…”

This was after he’d talked about Lenihan’s demands being unrealistic and Rothwell fancying a move to Rangers who were looking at him that afternoon. The context was that he was most hopeful of Nyambe signing the deal that was in front of him, and his demands weren’t miles away from the offer. He put Nyambe across as very level headed and grounded, whereas he was pretty critical of Lenihan. 

I also got the feeling Waggott was well aware the offer wasn’t all that competitive. He spoke a lot about the difficulties the pandemic had caused and how there was a tightening of belts in all areas.

This was obviously before our recent upturn in form.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Miller11

[1864roverite]

The Rothwell scenario has been a repeat of his time at Oxford, and by that I mean playing extremely well - much better than at anytime during his contract- and then winding his contract down.

I would hope he would sign but his head was clearly turned by Rangers. Now that ship has sailed I wonder if he will have a change of heart and similar with Lenihan. Rovers showed incredible loyalty to him when he had issues with his back injuries so for me, it’s time for a bit of loyalty back with incentives.

[joey_big_nose]

33 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Waggott’s exact words to me and @PeteJD13were “It’s not all about the money with Ryan, his academy in Namibia is very important to him…”

This was after he’d talked about Lenihan’s demands being unrealistic and Rothwell fancying a move to Rangers who were looking at him that afternoon. The context was that he was most hopeful of Nyambe signing the deal that was in front of him, and his demands weren’t miles away from the offer. He put Nyambe across as very level headed and grounded, whereas he was pretty critical of Lenihan. 

I also got the feeling Waggott was well aware the offer wasn’t all that competitive. He spoke a lot about the difficulties the pandemic had caused and how there was a tightening of belts in all areas.

This was obviously before our recent upturn in form.

I wonder with Lenihan if he wants parity with Ayala. I wouldn't be surprised if Ayala is on 2x or 3x what Lenihan is on, and you could see why he is aggrieved if so.

[Miller11]

12 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

The Rothwell scenario has been a repeat of his time at Oxford, and by that I mean playing extremely well - much better than at anytime during his contract- and then winding his contract down.

I would hope he would sign but his head was clearly turned by Rangers. Now that ship has sailed I wonder if he will have a change of heart and similar with Lenihan. Rovers showed incredible loyalty to him when he had issues with his back injuries so for me, it’s time for a bit of loyalty back with incentives.

Loyalty was a word used several times by Waggott when discussing Lenihan.