January - so many correct decisions to be made it feels?

[Overthehills]

After the humiliating circumstances of our last top flight efforts, I don’t think many of us are wanting to head back to that all over again. Our new owners however seem to have set this as their target for this season and with where we are in the league this season, paired with the early financial gains as a result, well you can kind of see why can’t you?

But how do we approach business? It has to be done with so much forward insight it is unreal….

The squad is thin and I don’t need to go into the areas that need strengthening, there are a ton of threads addressing this already and I think we all have our thoughts on where we are light.

Sooo we need signings to hopefully aid in remaining competitive between now and may, as well as getting us over the line! But it’s the January window and only 5 months left of the season!?!

Names are being banded around already, Cannon being the latest today. Undoubtedly we are going to be linked with at least half a dozen more as agents tout their players to our new owners in hope they are about to sign the cheques.

But is Cannon the right answer? He’s banged a few in this season granted, but if the ambition is top flight football, doesn’t he have the growth potential to make that step up if we need him to? Surely any permanent signing would entail a couple of years contract?…. It’s a commitment and a squad place filled next year?

So how do we go about business in this window?

- Do we focus heavily on the loans and securing the high quality to carry us over the line? Would that be enough?

- Do we hope to attract the sort of quality that will go on to hold its own in the top flight? Will it be easy to attract this sort of quality until the goods are delivered?

- Are there many players of significant quality who would be open to shorter contracts? With even the view to extending them later…

- Do we go the proven model of the Championships best players? Hoping that we can build a team capable of holding its own for a season in the top flight should we achieve promotion and in full knowledge that we have a top challenging side if we fluff it.

- What sort of contracts do we expect to offering out to new recruits? Do we insert clauses? If so what?

Just because we have new owners and potential money for signings, doesn’t mean we are going to be ruthless and stupid in our spending… or at least I hope not! The long term security of the club is still paramount!

Head scratching….

 

[s20Blade]

Can't see us attracting the quality this season that we will need to stay up in the prem. I think the plan has to be 2/3 quality loans and a couple of experienced older players like Wilder apparently wants then taking a huge risk if we go up just like forest did.

 

[SUFCinks]

Agree that signing players like Cannon on 3 year contracts is stupid, ability wise he (or similar) can’t compete in the prem and we will then be stuck with a player who has very little appeal to other clubs apart.

I think loans is the way with maybe 1 perm if needed. We shouldn’t be signing anyone, in any window IMO who can’t improve the starting 11, otherwise we are standing still whilst others improve.

 

[Keen Blade]

We shouldn’t be signing anyone, in any window IMO who can’t improve the starting 11, otherwise we are standing still whilst others improve.

That's a good policy

 

[Keen Blade]

We are about to discover how much these new owners understand about British Soccer.
Who is their "man on the spot" to control the funds available to Steven & Christopher ?
Or are they leaving it all up to our dynamic duo ?

Found it quite amusing when the Prince said he wished he'd been better at saying "No" to some of the signings made in PL 1 & 2.
He later said how he was now available at any time for advice to the new owners about how to avoid some of the mistakes he'd made.

 

[Charlieblade]

Remember that any signing, loan, or permanent could fire or fail, whoever you choose.

Whoever guided the recruitment choices for last summer, will be a useful guide for the one who makes the final decision. The American owners will have their own ideas, which may or may not be based on the advice of the Prince?

Wilder might have a criteria based on his own experience. The recruitment team might have to invigilate between the two?

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

We need to try and lock in a permanent option for Brereton - that's one we can barely go wrong with. He's one who can compete in the PL. As for the rest, we can't focus much beyond simply recruiting players who'll help us go up. We should get the best loans we can and take any good permanent opportunities that pop up, typically around expiring contracts.

 

[shorehamview]

We need some Gary Madines. Players to drag us over the finish line to promotion that will not be under consideration for a Premier League contract.

 

[finlaytheblade]

We need some Gary Madines. Players to drag us over the finish line to promotion that will not be under consideration for a Premier League contract.

Ashley Barnes and one other could be under consideration for such roles worked in the past and can work again .The players knowing that at best they would get a short contract with a view to going out in style .
I imagine Barnes would love another crack at it! Norwich don't look like they will be mounting a challenge for the play offs so he should be available ! maybe a small fee or taking over his contract which finishes in the summer .
Better than seeing his contract just peeter out! If he's up for it ! get him in.!

 

[Bladezz]

I would be signing the best players available to us today.

Let’s be realistic if we go up we will come straight back down without huge investment. From the last stint only Hamer could out of it as someone who can perform at that level. Then perhaps Blaster showed he could mix it with them occasionally.

We would be needing 9 players who are PL standard if we want them of the right age they are £20m a pop so £180m plus wages it’s not possible for us.

People turning their nose up at Tom Cannon who’s joint 3rd best goal scorer in league and he’s 22. He has room to develop for when we come down. He would then be 24 and hopefully matured.

Like original poster says it’s a tough one but without huge investment I would just sign the best available.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

Loans to get us over the line. Then invest 'when' we are promoted.
Perm signings now, of sufficient quality, will be expensive up front and ongoing. That means failure to get promoted with another drop off in parachute payments would be a financial headache.
After promotion, but what we can, maybe even struggle that season, but then add again as we go along.
Forest strategy is way too high risk.

 

[Bell4]

Can't see us attracting the quality this season that we will need to stay up in the prem. I think the plan has to be 2/3 quality loans and a couple of experienced older players like Wilder apparently wants then taking a huge risk if we go up just like forest did.

Probably this

 

[SGBlade]

The January of the season you’re hoping to go up isn’t the time to be playing the long game, that ship has sailed. Right now we need 3-4 players who can help the squad get over the line. It’s highly unlikely all those players will go straight into the 11 as first choice pics and even if they did them at would be massively disruptive. And it’s even more unlikely these players are going to be strong Prem starters or they wouldn’t be available in Jan (BBD seems the exception here tbf so I really hope we get him).

I’m happy to back wilder with whatever he needs right now for short term success, even if that includes Barnes et al. If we go up, we just take our chances again. I’d argue this squad is in a better place than the one that went up last time (especially minus Illy). I think we have Hamer, BBD (hopefully), Blaster, Souza (new, improved version), Cooper and Burrows who is all back to be competitive in the Prem next time round.

The future-looking trading / squad build has to part of a longer-term strategy and probably takes 4-5 windows to get to a point where those players are adding value to a first team. The last window was only the first in that series for me. Need to be patient on that one.

 

[SGBlade]

Can't see us attracting the quality this season that we will need to stay up in the prem. I think the plan has to be 2/3 quality loans and a couple of experienced older players like Wilder apparently wants then taking a huge risk if we go up just like forest did.

Yeah we’re not ready for the Prem again this year (although, as above, I’d argue we’re in a better place than last time when we had to sell Illy and Berge). Obviously you take your chance on promotion if it presents itself and hope for the best but most likely it’d be another yoyo season. Personally I’d be ok with that as long as we’re competitive, use the money on quality young players, and don’t roll over like little puppies every week. Plus you never know - wilder might produce some magic again.

Promoted or not, the club needs a deliberate medium-term recruitment and development strategy. It’s the only way for us to really build the backbone of a squad that can compete in the Prem. That’s a 2-3 year journey at best. Brentford took 4-5 years, and that with a lot more $$ than we’ll have to burn.

 

[petcharlie]

Well it is a mine field ,so many things to think about such as the players that are capable of holding their own in the prem if we do get promoted to players that are happy plying their trade at the top of the Championship and who are AFFORDABLE .Might be better with loan players to get us over the line and then assess in the summer what we need depending where we finnish before we splash out on permanent signings.

 

[petcharlie]

Loans to get us over the line. Then invest 'when' we are promoted.
Perm signings now, of sufficient quality, will be expensive up front and ongoing. That means failure to get promoted with another drop off in parachute payments would be a financial headache.
After promotion, but what we can, maybe even struggle that season, but then add again as we go along.
Forest strategy is way too high risk.

I have more or less just posted the same as you mate before reading your post . Great minds think a like ?

 

[robbiez666]

Unless we can get a permanent target on the cheap (contract soon to expire) then there's little point in buying anyone. I expect 3 loans.

 

[petcharlie]

Hopefully the injured players could be fit in the summer and maybe we could go back to the foxes for their hopefully fit center half on a permanent basis We should then have a clearer picture what we are short of depending where we end up .

 

[Sheffsteel]

Found it quite amusing when the Prince said he wished he'd been better at saying "No" to some of the signings made in PL 1 & 2.
He later said how he was now available at any time for advice to the new owners about how to avoid some of the mistakes he'd made.

Think much of the problem is that agents know how desperate some clubs are to sign players.

Approaching this JTW we are now desperate for a centre half, a striker and a left sided attacking player.
So imagine if we approach BBD, Cannon, Barry and a good central defender and those selling clubs add a few million to the price
and the players agent asks for a pay rise and big bonuses or put in demands that there players needs to play a certain amount of games.

The new owners will realise that the selling clubs and players agents are taking the pi$$.
So do we walk away with our dignity and business sense in tact or do we crumble and give in to unreasonable demands?
It's a tricky one because if we don't bring in some decent players, the new owners will receive massive criticism from the fans.and

Regards players to bring in, think we need to think short term and just go for promotion this season.
Doesn't matter if we're relegated next season, at least it helps us build and develop to gain promotion back to the PL the following season.

 

[Keen Blade]

Think much of the problem is that agents know how desperate some clubs are to sign players.

Approaching this JTW we are now desperate for a centre half, a striker and a left sided attacking player.
So imagine if we approach BBD, Cannon, Barry and a good central defender and those selling clubs add a few million to the price
and the players agent asks for a pay rise and big bonuses or put in demands that there players needs to play a certain amount of games.

The new owners will realise that the selling clubs and players agents are taking the pi$$.
So do we walk away with our dignity and business sense in tact or do we crumble and give in to unreasonable demands?
It's a tricky one because if we don't bring in some decent players, the new owners will receive massive criticism from the fans.and

Regards players to bring in, think we need to think short term and just go for promotion this season.
Doesn't matter if we're relegated next season, at least it helps us build and develop to gain promotion back to the PL the following season.

All agreed except I think the owners are less worried about the fans and more bothered about getting to PL

 

[Inter_blade83]

Let's go down the wolves route. Get a load of quality in, doesn't matter. Spend 50m, get promoted, reap the benefits.

Sod ffp

 

[Sheffsteel]

Let's go down the wolves route. Get a load of quality in, doesn't matter. Spend 50m, get promoted, reap the benefits.

Sod ffp

Chansiri had that attitude at SWFC when they seemed to be buying loads of players for fun.
They also splashed the cash buying strikers Jordan Rhodes and Sam Winnall and look how that worked out.

People talk about having good owners or bad owners but much of the time.....luck plays a massive part.

 

[petcharlie]

Unless we can get a permanent target on the cheap (contract soon to expire) then there's little point in buying anyone. I expect 3 loans.

Wilder has been good at exploiting players on short term contracts . He more often than not gets it right ,you just need to look how he has built a team with little cash to play with . Admittedly we have a small squad and we are starting to pay for that but I don't blame him for the lack of numbers that is available to him .

 

[Inter_blade83]

Chansiri had that attitude at SWFC when they seemed to be buying loads of players for fun.
They also splashed the cash buying strikers Jordan Rhodes and Sam Winnall and look how that worked out.

People talk about having good owners or bad owners but much of the time.....luck plays a massive part.

I said quality... Ruben Neves quality

 

[shorehamview]

Ashley Barnes and one other could be under consideration for such roles worked in the past and can work again .The players knowing that at best they would get a short contract with a view to going out in style .
I imagine Barnes would love another crack at it! Norwich don't look like they will be mounting a challenge for the play offs so he should be available ! maybe a small fee or taking over his contract which finishes in the summer .
Better than seeing his contract just peeter out! If he's up for it ! get him in.!

Ashley Barnes may be a decent shout, because I loathe the man just as I loathed Gary Madine. So based on me not liking a player get him in pronto.

 

[Dandulum]

Time for Martin Cranies and James Hansons.

 

[ATL Recs]

We need to try and lock in a permanent option for Brereton - that's one we can barely go wrong with. He's one who can compete in the PL. As for the rest, we can't focus much beyond simply recruiting players who'll help us go up. We should get the best loans we can and take any good permanent opportunities that pop up, typically around expiring contracts.

How do you know he can compete in the PL ? he cant even get near the bench for a team rooted to the bottom of the PL

 

[CPB]

For me it's a case of a few different scenarios depending on the budget.

Players that come in and add quality now either on loan or perm. These could also be short term deals till the summer as the quality isn't deemed high enough for PL.

And then players who we feel we could sign and add quality but may also be capable of stepping up to the PL if we go up.

January is usually an odd time to sign players but we really need some more.

Id say it feels like there are obvious positions we need.

CB x 1 or 2.
ST x 1 or 2.
CM x 1
RB x 1 unless Seriki is back soon.

BBD it sounds like may well happen. Probably a loan but maybe with an option? Wilder got a good output from him too. This is also a good option to have too as he can play wide, just behind or striker. And like others I wouldn't mind seeing Hamer CM with BBD out wide instead.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

How do you know he can compete in the PL ? he cant even get near the bench for a team rooted to the bottom of the PL

Because I watched him do so for us

He's a good physical specimen who works hard, with enough quality to score and create

Don't think Southampton suits him nearly as well as SUFC

 

[Snowflake]

How do you know he can compete in the PL ? he cant even get near the bench for a team rooted to the bottom of the PL

..but he did score for us when we were awful and looked ok against PL defences. I would rather base decisions on what we know than guessing why he is on the bench at Southampton.