Missed opportunity this window.

[Bladeinleeds]

Now I don't want to be too negative because I think overall the window has been decent enough.

We have addressed some of the gaps in our squad and improved the overall composition of the side...

- Decent keeper in blackman
- Stevens and baldock provide options at fullback and genuine competition
- Stearman and CCV I think more than improve the defence.
- Cheap young body's in thomas, this guy from Motherwell and lundstram - with potential to improve
- ched a cheap gamble

BUT given the bids we've made we must have left about £3m still in transfer kitty - we've failed to spend this and make a statement that we are serious about competing in this league.

And we've failed to get most of the top targets we've been in for even attainable ones like Leonard. And been knocked back for most of our top targets Holmes, Leonard, lenihen, Coady (and back up plans like cole and Egan)

To me that's a 6.5/10 window rather than an 8or9 /10. Which is a shame because we are on the cusp of something special that only needed tweaking imo.

 

[shrubbery]

This window?

 

[Ricky]

Let's be honest...

We haven't got any of our top targets have we.

 

[AdamSufc1997]

let's be honest we will never sign players for 1+m until mccabe prince go or show actual ambition

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Seems to have been a conscious effort to make us as solid a defensive unit as possible (as the base to build on?).

But, at some point we'll have to enter the 21st century.

 

[Gretsch Blade]

And at the same time we have retained the likes of Brooks, Sharp, JOC, Fleck, etc. We did not not do what has happened in years gone by, sold assets, as with Deane, Fjortoft, Beattie, etc.

 

[Kozzy_is_my_Dad]

All I wanted was Conor Coady and a pacy, black striker. Was that too much to ask?

 

[Sheffsteel]

Yeh agree BladeinLeeds,

It's as though the board are confident we'll stay up,with what we've got
But don't believe that even with improvements we can make the playoffs.
I'm slightly dissapointed but I suppose it could have been worse, we've not sold any players and kept Brooks.

I think that even with no improvements we will comfortably stay up, however if we bought well today I think we'd have had a chance of sneaking the play-offs, now I'm resigning myself to a season of mid table safety when it could have been better.

However there are some other theories.
1: Maybe the club had their bids ACCEPTED and it won't surprise me if that's what Wilder says tomorrow. However the selling clubs were only willing to sell to us if they could bring in a replacement first.

2: Maybe the club think the market is stupid at the moment and transfer fees will reduce to normal levels in the January transfer window. Also by January18 Wilder will have a much better idea if where our strengths and weaknesses lie. Maybe the club are deliberately holding money back so we have a few million to spend in January18.

 

[Esablade]

let's be honest we will never sign players for 1+m until mccabe prince go or show actual ambition

It's easy spendi.....oh, hang on

 

[zablade]

It's pretty clear McCabe and HRH have almost certainly took us as far they can in getting us back into the Championship (and thanks to the current manager slightly higher than we probably should be) they just don't have the cash to push it on any further.

We are going to have to somehow look towards different owners. It's a gamble, a role of the dice whether you get Bournemouth or Portsmouth in that game, but if we don't we are going to be a yo yo club between tier two and three for the rest of our time.

 

[Martin]

Sorry this window for me 3.5 /10 rubbish why can't we spend some of the money we got Walker answers maguire? Poor poor poor poor just like the two clowns that own my club

 

[Smirth]

Let's be honest...

We haven't got any of our top targets have we.

Wilder himself said he got his number one defender and number one striker in so that's not true.

Lundstram is clearly not first choice, nor Donaldson, but that's just the way it goes.

 

[AdamSufc1997]

It's pretty clear McCabe and HRH have almost certainly took us as far they can in getting us back into the Championship (and thanks to the current manager slightly higher than we probably should be) they just don't have the cash to push it on any further.

We are going to have to somehow look towards different owners. It's a gamble, a role of the dice whether you get Bournemouth or Portsmouth in that game, but if we don't we are going to be a yo yo club between tier two and three for the rest of our time.

so why say we have game changing investment so fans get excited for future but turns out to be a skint prince

 

[Harry's Game]

It's pretty clear McCabe and HRH have almost certainly took us as far they can in getting us back into the Championship (and thanks to the current manager slightly higher than we probably should be) they just don't have the cash to push it on any further.

We are going to have to somehow look towards different owners. It's a gamble, a role of the dice whether you get Bournemouth or Portsmouth in that game, but if we don't we are going to be a yo yo club between tier two and three for the rest of our time.

Apart from I think we could survive for a long time as a midtable Championship side rather than dropping back to league one this is all probably correct.

 

[loyalblade95]

Sorry this window for me 3.5 /10 rubbish why can't we spend some of the money we got Walker answers maguire? Poor poor poor poor just like the two clowns that own my club

Because as wilder has said multiple times since he arrived he doesn't pay over the odds and how easy it is to spend other peoples money he's not redknapp or bruce

 

[Grappler]

Not saying we will sign anyone else, but still stuff coming through..........

Football League

23:50 - Oli McBurnie [Swansea - Barnsley] Loan

23:45 - Callum McManaman [West Brom - Sunderland] Undisclosed

23:45 - Jamie Allen [Rochdale - Burton Albion] Undisclosed

23:45 - Fikayo Tomori [Chelsea - Hull City] Loan

23:45 - Adam McGurk [Cambridge Utd - Morecambe] Free

23:32 - Aaron Jarvis [Basingstoke - Luton Town] Undisclosed

 

[zablade]

so why say we have game changing investment so fans get excited for future but turns out to be a skint prince

A huge mistake to get carried away and say that, but in their slight defence things have jumped on enormously in the football finance world in the last five years. Was even the thought of the Pigs paying £10m for a player even conceivable then?

 

[Pedro's Winger]

Reasonable strength in depth at the back and midfield but a pretty woeful window in terms of strikers.
Hopefully Donaldson will turn out to be Chief Mark II but it's hard to understand why United haven't brought in more (younger) quality.

 

[SB_90]

It's pretty clear McCabe and HRH have almost certainly took us as far they can in getting us back into the Championship (and thanks to the current manager slightly higher than we probably should be) they just don't have the cash to push it on any further.

We are going to have to somehow look towards different owners. It's a gamble, a role of the dice whether you get Bournemouth or Portsmouth in that game, but if we don't we are going to be a yo yo club between tier two and three for the rest of our time.

not sure i think the owners are running the club well. problem is the majority of the championship how it is makes us look tight. as was great article last week that said last season 16 of 24 teams in the championship spent over 100% of all the revenue they bought in purely in wages. which means there are many championship teams borrowing money they dont have. look at Birmingham apparently ive heard 7m - 9m on jota.

i feel we are doing it right. as borrowing on future money only ends 1 way & can be as severe as Leeds Portsmouth or rangers

 

[Davalon]

Not saying we will sign anyone else, but still stuff coming through..........

Football League

23:50 - Oli McBurnie [Swansea - Barnsley] Loan

23:45 - Callum McManaman [West Brom - Sunderland] Undisclosed

23:45 - Jamie Allen [Rochdale - Burton Albion] Undisclosed

23:45 - Fikayo Tomori [Chelsea - Hull City] Loan

23:45 - Adam McGurk [Cambridge Utd - Morecambe] Free

23:32 - Aaron Jarvis [Basingstoke - Luton Town] Undisclosed

Sunderland done some good business today imho.

 

[Davalon]

Wilder himself said he got his number one defender and number one striker in so that's not true.

Genuine question mate - who's the latter?

 

[Roygbiv]

not sure i think the owners are running the club well. problem is the majority of the championship how it is makes us look tight. as was great article last week that said last season 16 of 24 teams in the championship spent over 100% of all the revenue they bought in purely in wages. which means there are many championship teams borrowing money they dont have. look at Birmingham apparently ive heard 7m - 9m on jota.

i feel we are doing it right. as borrowing on future money only ends 1 way & can be as severe as Leeds Portsmouth or rangers

I agree to some degree but I think we have to push the boat out a little more than we have done. I applaud the "not paying over the odds" mantra but it's fair to say we have missed out on targets that wouldn't have put the club in any sort of long term danger but could have made a big difference.

I think we need a slight re-think. I'm not expecting us to pay the ridiculous £5m quoted for Lenihan but I think the £750,000 or whatever Southend wanted for Leanord shouldn't have put an end to the deal. You can get value for money as we have brilliantly in the past 12 months but the higher you go, the more outrageous the prices. I feel we are a bit out of touch in what clubs expect for their players and even what we expect for ours

 

[bromtom]

Slightly disappointed, I'd have liked us to get a striker that could be with us 5 years plus instead of 2 at a push, but we've not sold anyone, we've got some good defenders in to add to some already very good defenders, and maybe that'll allow our attack minded players to push with more confidence. We've also got some big lads to help us in the air, which is an area I think we've been lacking in so far this season, we might get a few goals from set pieces now.

And if anyone can make use of what he's got and use a bit of hardship to our advantage, it's Chris Wilder.

Just need the injury Gods on our side for a few months, and maybe bring in a yoof striker to train with the first team, see how it goes.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Slightly disappointed, I'd have liked us to get a striker that could be with us 5 years plus instead of 2 at a push, but we've not sold anyone, we've got some good defenders in to add to some already very good defenders, and maybe that'll allow our attack minded players to push with more confidence. We've also got some big lads, which is an area I think we've been lacking in so far this season.

And if anyone can make use of what he's got and use a bit of hardship to our advantage, it's Chris Wilder.

Just need the injury Gods on our side for a few months, and maybe bring in a yoof striker to train with the first team, see how it goes.

It's not a long term contract with Clayton I don't think. Suppose we can think about it as a loan. See how he gets on - if he bags one in three and occupies defenders I'll be happy enough.

January is only few months away and at least wilder knows what we're missing I guess - think they will be working to address that!

And like you say CCV and the other new Motherwell guy are supposed to be fairly quick. Donaldson has that physical presence we've lacked - hopefully he hasn't lost too much speed as he has destroyed us a number of times.

Plus we've kept brooks so will see him develop hopefully!

 

[JJBlade]

Seems to have been a conscious effort to make us as solid a defensive unit as possible (as the base to build on?).

But, at some point we'll have to enter the 21st century.

Ha Ha Ha
We've not entered the late 20th Century yet

 

[Champagneblade]

I would have liked to see us go for someone like Ross McCormack on loan.

He's still at Villa and out of favour. A decent loan fee but very proven and would take the burden from Billy and show intent.

That said, 1 in 3 for Donaldson, who I've always seen as useful is an experienced support for Sharp. Clarke has looked decent at home and Donaldson has been doing what he has one level up. Someone who can hold the ball up like Hanson but can also score and can run with the ball is not the worst addition. Takes the pressure off Evans to get match fit toi soon.

 

[Revolution]

I would have liked to see us go for someone like Ross McCormack on loan.

He's still at Villa and out of favour. A decent loan fee but very proven and would take the burden from Billy and show intent.

That said, 1 in 3 for Donaldson, who I've always seen as useful is an experienced support for Sharp. Clarke has looked decent at home and Donaldson has been doing what he has one level up. Someone who can hold the ball up like Hanson but can also score and can run with the ball is not the worst addition. Takes the pressure off Evans to get match fit toi soon.

The Donaldson signing reinforces my view that the club has no expectations this season in regard to Evans. If he does well, fine, but they do not want to be in a position where they have to rely on him. That's a good strategy.

 

[robbiez666]

Donaldson is the kind of player we would have signed in the old days. Cheap and old

Vastly underwhelming window.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

IMO it's not the just fees that have stuffed any deals but wage demands won't have helped. Whatever the fee required you can bet your bottom dollar that wage demands will double or treble the total outgoings.

For example, if a fee for a player is £1,000,000 and his wage demands are, say, £10,000 a week, then his wages over 156 weeks (3 year contract) will be £1,560,000. Plus agent fees and any bonuses on top.

How much money would a £5,000,000 player want each week? We aren't in that league yet.

 

[Bladesince59]

Now I don't want to be too negative because I think overall the window has been decent enough.

We have addressed some of the gaps in our squad and improved the overall composition of the side...

- Decent keeper in blackman
- Stevens and baldock provide options at fullback and genuine competition
- Stearman and CCV I think more than improve the defence.
- Cheap young body's in thomas, this guy from Motherwell and lundstram - with potential to improve
- ched a cheap gamble

BUT given the bids we've made we must have left about £3m still in transfer kitty - we've failed to spend this and make a statement that we are serious about competing in this league.

And we've failed to get most of the top targets we've been in for even attainable ones like Leonard. And been knocked back for most of our top targets Holmes, Leonard, lenihen, Coady (and back up plans like cole and Egan)

To me that's a 6.5/10 window rather than an 8or9 /10. Which is a shame because we are on the cusp of something special that only needed tweaking imo.

VERY disappointing. We seem to have lived down to my expectations,