January Transfer Window.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Iceman said:

If i was Van Hecke, i would think very long about signing a new deal at Brighton. The guy is too good to be riding a bench, even if its for a PL team. He can do better 

van Hecke will be 23 in summer. Assuming Brighton are looking to do a Khadra-style short extension of his contract for not much more than what he's on now, van Hecke should be considering that he'd be able to command a much bigger salary than that, even from a Championship club, if he becomes a free agent. He'd also have a plethora of choices, no doubt.

My suspicion is that Feyenoord, who have already talked to him, were discussing a pre-contract deal for summer. I think that would be difficult for him to refuse.

[Iceman]

we as fans always have the worst time during transfer windows when it comes to this team, lol 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

So based on that you went on to write this:

"For those getting their hopes up about Hugo Vetlesen, forget it. He's being linked with clubs like Benfica, and even then, he's well out of our price range."

Fair enough. I should have been more accurate that it was a Twitter rumour mill with no substantial article to back it up. But the gossip is there, and to have it come from supporters of a club with CL funding behind it tells me that we won't be remotely near to signing this guy.

4 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

If BBD leaves we'll have enough funds to cover the fee

I have a feeling we're going to end up with another Rothwell situation. He's had contract offers from Rovers, apparently, but hasn't signed them. Unless we get promoted, he is off in summer, methinks. The problem is that last season's contract issues were a distraction. Players were half-way out of the door, as was the manager. The only thing going for us this time around is that there are fewer players in that situation (at least ones that we're bothered about).

4 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

According to @glen9mullanthere's a 'secret' war chest for marquee signings, like Jordan Rhodes or BBD.

They happen once every five years or so. It's around that time, now. Who knows?

[Danny O.Brien]

13 hours ago, bluebruce said:

It will only prove worth the risk if we achieve promotion, even if BBD scores 30 more goals.

It's not 'our' money, but we are part of the club and care about its fate, which is inextricably tied to how much money is in the budget. So of course it matters to us. Never understood the 'it's not our money' argument.

What makes you so confident we'd see any of the money, if he was sold? Maybe a tenth of it like with Armstrong.

[J*B]

1 minute ago, Danny O.Brien said:

What makes you so confident we'd see any of the money, if he was sold? Maybe a tenth of it like with Armstrong.

There’s three options from what I can see:

Option 1: We sell BBD and a sizeable amount of money for the transfer is available to replace him 

Option 2: We sell BBD and the budget to replace him doesn’t change

Option 3: We don’t sell BBD and the budget to replace him doesn’t change.

In order preference I’m sure we would all go: 1, 3, 2. If option 2 happens we will have learnt a lesson about the future and the club should be scrutinised. The Armstrong reference is wrong, Armstrong (like the training ground) was sold to keep us within FFP and that’s been confirmed by all local journalists plus club management. The best reference is Rhodes who was sold and the money disappeared.

 

[Iceman]

26 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

So based on that you went on to write this:

"For those getting their hopes up about Hugo Vetlesen, forget it. He's being linked with clubs like Benfica, and even then, he's well out of our price range."

 

I agree with you that he's probably out of our price range but:

1) If BBD leaves we'll have enough funds to cover the fee

2) According to @glen9mullanthere's a 'secret' war chest for marquee signings, like Jordan Rhodes or BBD.

 

I think Evjen would be more realistic and more likely a bigger gamble, but also someone who could come here and re-ignite his career and really become a player for us for a couple of seasons.

Venkys and the board need to wake up a bit here imo. Its cool to have a war chest, but the time to strike the enemy is right now, so release the funds, and bring those quality players in. We were in this very position under Mowbray, a chance to strike, cement a top 6 place, and they got cold feet, and Bournmouth and Forest said thank you very much, we'll have some of that. 

Give it a go, and worry about whether it didnt work at the end of the season. We can re assess, as long as this window is done well, but also still mindful of FFP. We have to do better in terms of quality, because it says plenty about our scouting system, when we bring in players, and they are no where near the standard expected of them or this league

Edited January 11, 2023 by Iceman

[tomphil]

32 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

So based on that you went on to write this:

"For those getting their hopes up about Hugo Vetlesen, forget it. He's being linked with clubs like Benfica, and even then, he's well out of our price range."

 

I agree with you that he's probably out of our price range but:

1) If BBD leaves we'll have enough funds to cover the fee

2) According to @glen9mullanthere's a 'secret' war chest for marquee signings, like Jordan Rhodes or BBD.

 

I think Evjen would be more realistic and more likely a bigger gamble, but also someone who could come here and re-ignite his career and really become a player for us for a couple of seasons.

When will we see the money ?   Because it certainly wouldn't be this window.

There's no secret war chest at all just an outside chance that once every 5 or 6 yrs somebody can get some extra money for an investment signing.

[Iceman]

23 minutes ago, tomphil said:

When will we see the money ?   Because it certainly wouldn't be this window.

There's no secret war chest at all just an outside chance that once every 5 or 6 yrs somebody can get some extra money for an investment signing.

in all honesty, their plan has always been to loan players, with the odd cash signing here and there. Mrs Venky said that when they bought the club, so all this war chests and money to spend are false and wide of the mark 

[RevidgeBlue]

14 hours ago, Andy said:

I mean, you're entitled to have an opinion, obviously.

But this is genuinely just baffling...

Disagree, Hirst, Szmodics, Mola?

Only Hyam could be classed as a good signing. Need a much much better January window 

[Sweaty Gussets]

2 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Disagree, Hirst, Szmodics, Mola?

French lad?

[RoversClitheroe]

13 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Disagree, Hirst, Szmodics, Mola?

Only Hyam could be classed as a good signing. Need a much much better January window 

Szmodics for a perm signing is an awful signing imo 

[Torgeir]

1 hour ago, Iceman said:

Venkys and the board need to wake up a bit here imo. Its cool to have a war chest, but the time to strike the enemy is right now, so release the funds, and bring those quality players in. We were in this very position under Mowbray, a chance to strike, cement a top 6 place, and they got cold feet, and Bournmouth and Forest said thank you very much, we'll have some of that. 

Give it a go, and worry about whether it didnt work at the end of the season. We can re assess, as long as this window is done well, but also still mindful of FFP. We have to do better in terms of quality, because it says plenty about our scouting system, when we bring in players, and they are no where near the standard expected of them or this league

We could and should strengthen, but I think top two is never going to happen, and by the looks of things we won't find the stability to go through via the play-offs this season - but you never know unless you manage to get there. Like last season, it's a play-off spot is there for the taking.

 

[TheRevAshton]

I recall that JDT said he wanted players in sooner in the window, rather than later... I also remember he wanted players in, before players went out.

As it stands, we've sent 2 packing (Hirst/Annesley), with 3 more likely to be off soon (Edun/Mola/Brown).

Meanwhile, no rumours for incomings... whilst we sit in 3rd, and urgently need to make improvements if we're looking for promotion.

Maybe things are happening and they're doing a good job of keeping it under wraps? If not however, they need to get a bloody move on with just 20 days left!

Edited January 11, 2023 by TheRevAshton

[Mr. E]

I perfectly understand our financial restraints and limitations.

However, unless we are in complete financial meltdown, I do not understand why window after window we have several players leaving in the very first week or two...while we don't begin to hear of even half-serious incomings news until like days before the window closes. I don't understand how this is being allowed to happen. 

[Torgeir]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

When will we see the money ?   Because it certainly wouldn't be this window.

There's no secret war chest at all just an outside chance that once every 5 or 6 yrs somebody can get some extra money for an investment signing.

Not sure we'll see any of the money. Merely speculating that Vetlesen could be lined up as an in case BBD leaves.

 

I wrote 'secret' because we never know when and if we spend a larger sum on one player. Ahmedodzic was around £4m, wasn't he?

[Danny O.Brien]

I like Brittain too when he's been fit. Looks good value and can actually get forward. So a step up from nyambe.

Hyam as disappointed as we all were to lose Lenihan, for me a is considerably better all round defender. Signing of the season for us (so far). 

The jury is still out on szmodics, whether he is as good as rothwell remains to be seen. I think rothwell is better going forward but szmodics has more to how overall game. He might not be as exciting to watch but he's certainly an option. 

 

[superniko]

5 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

I like Brittain too when he's been fit. Looks good value and can actually get forward. So a step up from nyambe.

Hyam as disappointed as we all were to lose Lenihan, for me a is considerably better all round defender. Signing of the season for us (so far). 

The jury is still out on szmodics, whether he is as good as rothwell remains to be seen. I think rothwell is better going forward but szmodics has more to how overall game. He might not be as exciting to watch but he's certainly an option. 

 

Narrator: He isn’t 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, goozburger said:

Fair enough. I should have been more accurate that it was a Twitter rumour mill with no substantial article to back it up. But the gossip is there, and to have it come from supporters of a club with CL funding behind it tells me that we won't be remotely near to signing this guy.

I have a feeling we're going to end up with another Rothwell situation. He's had contract offers from Rovers, apparently, but hasn't signed them. Unless we get promoted, he is off in summer, methinks. The problem is that last season's contract issues were a distraction. Players were half-way out of the door, as was the manager. The only thing going for us this time around is that there are fewer players in that situation (at least ones that we're bothered about).

They happen once every five years or so. It's around that time, now. Who knows?

Yes, although we aren't second with points to spare and don't look as convincing as we did at times last season pre Jan we are the best placed we've been in a decade.

New regime, unhappy sulking mob long gone, not much pressure because no one expects us to do anything except slide away.

So hopefully this time they have a real go at it, some good fresh blood in the team instead of squad players and experiments could make all the difference.

It would be nice to see a guy in charge of the team who actually wants to go for it regardless and doesn't look to hide behind the finances 24/7 !

[Danny O.Brien]

13 minutes ago, superniko said:

Narrator: He isn’t 

I don't think so either going forward but to be boring how many of rothwells runs or balls into the box actually amounted to anything? Szmodics already got three goals and an assist and has only started about half the games so far. Again I'm not defending him because I'm not full convinced but rothwell although good to watch never really contributed.

[davulsukur]

30 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

I recall that JDT said he wanted players in sooner in the window, rather than later... I also remember he wanted players in, before players went out.

As it stands, we've sent 2 packing (Hirst/Annesley), with 3 more likely to be off soon (Edun/Mola/Brown).

Meanwhile, no rumours for incomings... whilst we sit in 3rd, and urgently need to make improvements if we're looking for promotion.

Maybe things are happening and they're doing a good job of keeping it under wraps? If not however, they need to get a bloody move on with just 20 days left!

 

[Iceman]

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Iceman

[only2garners]

36 minutes ago, Danny O.Brien said:

The jury is still out on szmodics, whether he is as good as rothwell remains to be seen. 

I think he probably is, but more because of Rothwell's failings. The archetypal show pony, having a great game about 1 in every 10 but still having little end product. He managed 11 goals for Rovers in 4 full seasons, when he played 30+ games in each. Szmodics has 3 in 16 games, many of which he didn't play all game.

I See Rothwell didn't even get beyond half time in Bournemouth's side against the dingles on Saturday.

[JHRover]

38 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

I recall that JDT said he wanted players in sooner in the window, rather than later... I also remember he wanted players in, before players went out.

As it stands, we've sent 2 packing (Hirst/Annesley), with 3 more likely to be off soon (Edun/Mola/Brown).

Meanwhile, no rumours for incomings... whilst we sit in 3rd, and urgently need to make improvements if we're looking for promotion.

Maybe things are happening and they're doing a good job of keeping it under wraps? If not however, they need to get a bloody move on with just 20 days left!

The way I see it is that in the absence of Mrs Desai or Balaji picking up the phone and throwing 'big' money at it we are crunching the numbers and balancing the books each January. I think they authorise a budget in the summer, which invariably is mostly used up by the end of the summer window, so by January we are left having to generate whatever we can from the existing pot of cash, which isn't very much.

The departures of Hirst, Annesley and others soon to follow I don't think are any loss but from a financial point of view put them all together and you might be looking at £10k+ a week off the books for the next 6 months. This gives us something to play with on the wages front, albeit not much in the scheme of things, if we are lucky we might get a couple in for that.

When it comes to paying out transfer fees I think there is authority to do something provided it is a 'manageable' figure both in terms of fee and wages. Which is why we get lots of talk about money being available but when it can only be spent if the player in question fits into our wage structure or doesn't get a better offer elsewhere it is difficult or even impossible to get it spent. 

These owners don't care that we are 3rd or have a shot at promotion. I don't think they will even think about us until their annual summit meeting. 

People like Waggott are here to keep up pretences and make us think all is well and normal and a big part of that is the FFP line - the perfect cover story - when really even before FFP was introduced they took zero interest outside of the summer meeting and spent very little in January. 

[ben_the_beast]

Regarding Szmodics, people saying he's awful is a little much. I do think we overpaid for him, but he does have something to offer. 

My personal belief is that he's pretty woeful in a 10 position when we're defending deep. He can't keep possession and the resurgence of Dack shows the gulf in technical quality between the two. I think Szmodics has a role to play as a box to box midfielder. We've overpaid for him but he's not a complete waste of money. Considering the cost I'd rate him as a 4/10. Hopefully with better technical quality in the midfield (mainly Dack), Szmodics can forge his own position and show more value over time.

[superniko]

15 minutes ago, Iceman said:

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

53 points after 29 games then 63 points after 43 games. It was horrific wasn't it, 10 points from 14 games from sitting in 2nd position. 10 points from 14 games!!

It truly was a twitchy arse and complete collapse. What an opportunity that was.