Dowell

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Remember last time we went up when we could pinch players like Hulse off Leeds for £2m?

Now you've got Leeds demanding and getting £15m+ for Chris Wood from Burnley (good player though he is). Or maybe for a better direct comparison, PNE getting up to £10m for Jordan Hugill!

Completely different ball game. I'd love us to snap up the best of the Championship but it's no longer realistic.

£30m would seem like a lot to us now but it would be about the equivalent of our budget back then - which wasn't enough!

I could see us using the loan market very well if we got promoted.

I think we'd stick to the 'British and Irish only please' policy - which I wouldn't mind to be fair, initially.

I can also see Wilder trying to sign Madine regardless.

To be honest, when you look at the likes of Bretford, Norwich, Forest, Derby, Leeds, Preston - there's some very very good young players amongst that lot. I reckon here is where wilder would be looking.

(I'd still be tempted to get Ryan Woods from Stoke before they totally ruin him).

 

[Chali 2na]

Highly thought of enough that they didn't let him come to us at the start of the season.

Maybe on a similar level to Holgate.

But Dowell plays a more demanding position, so they could be willing to let him go. But not cheaply.

Can see Everton changing manager though, in which case the reset button is hit and it's anybody's guess.

Didn't realise we were after him I the summer. Think you're right that we'd have probably been top by now if we'd managed to get hold of him then.

I personally think they'll stick with Silva, especially after the ordeal then went through to get him - If that's the case, let's hope he sees him as surplus.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Didn't realise we were after him I the summer. Think you're right that we'd have probably been top by now if we'd managed to get hold of him then.

I personally think they'll stick with Silva, especially after the ordeal then went through to get him - If that's the case, let's hope he sees him as surplus.

Re Silva: Since our discussion on him a few weeks ago, they've lost every game. He's an enigma, I truly can't fathom why they're so bad.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

who do we actually replace?

Ok - here's a few suggestions - but only after promotion.

Egan to RWB
Go and persuade Cahill (on a free and 33) to come on a 2 year contact to play in the middle.
Consider putting Stevens at LCB and let JOC compete as his replacement.
Purchase/loan a really good LWB - no idea who btw.
Up front - go and try and get Maupay from Brentford.
Centre midfield - look at the big 6 and get someone who is 22/23 (ish) and they actually want out of the club as they only play half a dozen games per season. As an example and only as an example - Carroll who was at Spurs and went to Swansea.

UTB

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Egan to RWB
Go and persuade Cahill (on a free and 33) to come on a 2 year contact to play in the middle.
UTB

I can't agree with this at all. Cahill will want 50/60k+ at a minimum. Even with the increases contractually, our players will be on nowhere near this and we know how Wilder doesn't like to upset the applecart.

In addition, Egan can't play the RCB role, the centre is tailor made for him.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Peter Reid it is then.

......who I believe was the first to suffer the wrath of the song "cheer up Peter Reid....................."

Blades have one ready for Mr Bruce on Monday.

UTB

 

[Ricky]

To be honest, when you look at the likes of Bretford, Norwich, Forest, Derby, Leeds, Preston - there's some very very good young players amongst that lot. I reckon here is where wilder would be looking.

(I'd still be tempted to get Ryan Woods from Stoke before they totally ruin him).

Jake Cooper, Callum Robinson, Ryan Woods, Romaine Sawyers, John Swift, Luke Freeman - players like that. Not quite the top, most expensive bracket, but just below that, and with the potential to improve.

I think we'd sign 2 or 3 like that, then look for loans and experienced players who don't require a big fee.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I can't agree with this at all. Cahill will want 50/60k+ at a minimum. Even with the increases contractually, our players will be on nowhere near this and we know how Wilder doesn't like to upset the applecart.

yes he well ask for that, but there is no transfer involved - and the two things everyone says about the Prem is: score at one end, don't concede at the other. Huddersfield were lucky in year 1 and simply didn't address both problems in year 2. We might also need an experienced GK. Hendo may be the future - but is he the now in the Prem?

UTB

 

[SUFC Guy]

To be honest, when you look at the likes of Bretford, Norwich, Forest, Derby, Leeds, Preston - there's some very very good young players amongst that lot. I reckon here is where wilder would be looking.

(I'd still be tempted to get Ryan Woods from Stoke before they totally ruin him).

...and James from Swansea would be quite delightful

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Jake Cooper, Callum Robinson, Ryan Woods, Romaine Sawyers, John Swift, Luke Freeman - players like that. Not quite the top, most expensive bracket, but just below that, and with the potential to improve.

I think we'd sign 2 or 3 like that, then look for loans and experienced players who don't require a big fee.

Plus, taking them to the Prem, they only need to perform for 10 games or so and their value rockets. Win win situation really.
Basically try and emulate what Howe has done at Bournemouth.

 

[PittsburghBlade]

He didn’t. He was very often a passenger. Dowell is a far better player. There is a sycophantic Bladey mythology surrounding Darling David. Let’s see where he is in a couple of years.

And in steps the biggest moron to grace our message boards with yet more drivel.

 

[PittsburghBlade]

Really ?



I suspect the best is yet to come.

He crossed the ball directly out of play at least twice against WBA along with his crossing being a clear weak point in his game from previous games, a couple of passes just straight out of play and a through ball that went out easily for a goal kick. He's a decent young player and one that's growing each game but he's far from Brooks.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I really don't know how anyone who has watched us play for the past 12 months can say Dowell is a better player than Duffy.

It is good to have the choice. Duffy seems the better option against teams playing defensively, as he is so good at finding the little pockets of space to exploit. From what we have seen of Dowell so far, he is at his best when United win possession and look to break quickly, running into the space that the opposition are not covering. And they are both good to watch, and effective.

 

[Pinchy]

And in steps the biggest moron to grace our message boards with yet more drivel.

Noise and nonsense.

Do Bournemouth not have a message board? That’s the place to discuss Bournemouth players.

 

[Pinchy]

I really don't know how anyone who has watched us play for the past 12 months can say Dowell is a better player than Duffy.

I have. I do.

I don’t know how an admirer of the despicable, odious racist “Tommy Robinson” has any credibility whatsoever.

 

[JackSUFC]

My Forest mates raved about Dowell last season, which makes the fact he’s now doing it for us even sweeter.

 

[Angef1Blade]

I don't actually know, it's a newer tune but can't place it.

Was hoping somebody would jump in and say before I had to do this post...

- Paul Johnson Get Get Down

 

[Akinbiyi]

Comparing Dowell and last seasons Brooks is fair. But come on, one is on loan in the championship now and the other has taken the premiership by storm. No argument.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Dowell is offering more to the team than Brooks did last season, granted, but to say Dowell is a far better player when Brooks is tearing it up in the PL is laughable.

We’re also not comparing like for like. Dowell has been here not even 2 months and has already played more games in the Duffy role than Brooks did. We tried Brooks in that role, and it didn’t work well. It’s why we had to play him more as a 2nd striker in order to get him game-time, and in that role he didn’t really score enough. I feel this season we have generally had a better balance than we did last season, and in Dowell we finally have someone contributing a similar amount to Duffy in the same role. That’s not to say that Brooks couldn’t have developed into that role – I think he probably would have done this year in fact had he stayed.

Current Duffy role rankings displayed in games under Wilder.

1. Duffy
2. Dowell
3. McGoldrick
4. Brooks
5. Carruthers
=6. Holmes
=6. Thomas
8. Woodburn

 

[nopigfansintown]

Comparing Dowell and last seasons Brooks is fair. But come on, one is on loan in the championship now and the other has taken the premiership by storm. No argument.

Brooks was also playing in his first year of men's football, and was effectively done for the season after contracting glandular fever. The knowledgeable people on this board knew he'd go to the top of the game - we've rarely had a such a portentous player.
I think Dowell will play the games in which Wilder expects there to be more space behind the opponent. Rotherham will sit deep; Brentford will probably play a high line and go at us; as will Leeds. The pigs are the mystery. He will rotate as and when too regardless of opposition (in the striker positions and attacking midfield role).

 

[Chali 2na]

We’re also not comparing like for like. Dowell has been here not even 2 months and has already played more games in the Duffy role than Brooks did. We tried Brooks in that role, and it didn’t work well. It’s why we had to play him more as a 2nd striker in order to get him game-time, and in that role he didn’t really score enough. I feel this season we have generally had a better balance than we did last season, and in Dowell we finally have someone contributing a similar amount to Duffy in the same role. That’s not to say that Brooks couldn’t have developed into that role – I think he probably would have done this year in fact had he stayed.

Current Duffy role rankings displayed in games under Wilder.

1. Duffy
2. Dowell
3. McGoldrick
4. Brooks
5. Carruthers
=6. Holmes
=6. Thomas
8. Woodburn

Good point: Brooks doesn't really play the same role as Dowell.

 

[Booker4]

Dowell is a great prospect but maybe just lacks that turn of pace that Brooks has.

He's not in the same league as Brooks, but arguably Dowell suits us more than a Brooks type, but we all know we'd have loved to have kept Brooks. I'm not sure Everton will sell Dowell this summer though, especially if he does well for us.

 

[Rodley]

Dowell better against an attacking opposition with space to run into. Duffy better against a static defence to unlock the door with a clever pass. Both are outstanding, but Duffy currently edges it for me!

 

[true99blade]

I’ve come to learn that nobody can replace Duffy. The way he plays is so unique and I don’t think there are many players as good at retaining the ball in his position. Dowell brings other qualities though that I reckon have allowed us to play differently. Similarly to how bringing in Madine has. January is proving to be one of the best JTWs in memory.

 

[Northyorksblade]

When you are a kid playing football, all you want is to score goals. How can any player NOT want to come to us, when we are such an attacking team. Literally anyone can score. Hendo next?

 

[Grizzly blade]

Ok - here's a few suggestions - but only after promotion.

Egan to RWB
Go and persuade Cahill (on a free and 33) to come on a 2 year contact to play in the middle.
Consider putting Stevens at LCB and let JOC compete as his replacement.
Purchase/loan a really good LWB - no idea who btw.
Up front - go and try and get Maupay from Brentford.
Centre midfield - look at the big 6 and get someone who is 22/23 (ish) and they actually want out of the club as they only play half a dozen games per season. As an example and only as an example - Carroll who was at Spurs and went to Swansea.

UTB

Here are my thoughts....Egan, Stevens, JOC, Baldock, Fleck, Norwood, Bash, Sharp have earned the right to have a crack at the premier league with us if we get there.

I don’t think Duffy will have the legs, and would struggle.

We need some pace up top, so for me I would blow the whole budget on 2 well
Scouted, quick young forwards that will only go up in value.

So...we see how that lot does. If we go down again we rebuild with the parachute payments and go again.
I honestly feel there is that much difference from the back line through midfield between the majority of the premier league and the better champ sides. It’s up front where the difference lies

 

[MobileBlade]

yeveryone says about the Prem is: score at one end, don't concede at the other.

Please tell. Why is that different from any other game of football?

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Please tell. Why is that different from any other game of football?

The difference is that the Premier League has some very good and expensive footballers from all over the world and we have to give ourselves a chance of staying in it.

I happen to believe that we are a number of key positions short if we manage to go up this season - that includes a very good GK, and I am not convinced Hendo has the experience yet, but could see it would be a possibility to go with him on another loan . A quality centre half and a quality goal scorer. Perhaps a centre midfield also, and I would as an initial suggestion, put Aaron Mooy in the frame, who may want to leave Huddersfield once they get relegated.

Huddersfield quite simply don't have the quality in the right places and clubs like ours should look at other clubs who have gone up and struggled. It will be touch and go whether Cardiff stay up and we certainly don't have the quality that Wolves had going up last season.

You may think we have sufficient quality - you may also think we could play 3-5-2 with attacking centre backs. You might be right, I just don't want to be a one season wonder again like 2006 - it really hurt.

UTB

 

[LondonBlade89]

Ok - here's a few suggestions - but only after promotion.

Egan to RWB
Go and persuade Cahill (on a free and 33) to come on a 2 year contact to play in the middle.
Consider putting Stevens at LCB and let JOC compete as his replacement.
Purchase/loan a really good LWB - no idea who btw.
Up front - go and try and get Maupay from Brentford.
Centre midfield - look at the big 6 and get someone who is 22/23 (ish) and they actually want out of the club as they only play half a dozen games per season. As an example and only as an example - Carroll who was at Spurs and went to Swansea.

UTB

No personal disrespect meant, Fulwood Blade, but this is a truly shocking set of suggestions and I'll be mightily relieved when if we go up, Wilder and Knill do nothing of the sort!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Here are my thoughts....Egan, Stevens, JOC, Baldock, Fleck, Norwood, Bash, Sharp have earned the right to have a crack at the premier league with us if we get there.

I don’t think Duffy will have the legs, and would struggle.

We need some pace up top, so for me I would blow the whole budget on 2 well
Scouted, quick young forwards that will only go up in value.

So...we see how that lot does. If we go down again we rebuild with the parachute payments and go again.
I honestly feel there is that much difference from the back line through midfield between the majority of the premier league and the better champ sides. It’s up front where the difference lies

Yep - can see those 8 giving it a go, although I would question Basham at the top level and Billy would be fine with another striker to take the scoring burden off him.

I would almost certainly want a good GK - perhaps Butland could be persuaded. I could see Egan being in the Bash position, JOC or Stevens at LCB (after his last 3 outings) and lets say Cahill in the centre of the 3 to call on his experience. Bash as RCB backup. That defence may give us a platform to compete further up the pitch.

It's all speculation and of course dependant on us going up - but what I firmly believe is that CW and his management team are already making plans now for the potential of going up, in case we pull it off.

UTB