Incoming? Jonathan Kodjia

[KiwiBlade]

Been alot of talk about using the loan market, which could be wise. 2 from the PL perhaps and even 1 from abroad?

There's no limit to the number of loan players you can have in the Championship. You can't have more than 5 loan players in your match day squad and no more than 4 players on loan from a single club.

 

[Booker4]

Christ alive - the doom & gloom merchants are out in force!

The manager hasn't officially started in-post yet (although I'm sure he's already heavily involved in activities); most players' contract don't expire for another few weeks and already people are having a moan - current player X is no good, HRH is skint, there's no money to spend, only old players are being targeted, so & so will be sold cheap etc. etc.

Give SJ and the club a chance. After all, he wouldn't have joined had he not been assured of budget/ambition and Utd wouldn't have recruited him if he hadn't impressed with his knowledge and plans for the club. He may well have different ideas to CW, which in some cases is likely to be no bad thing.

I, for one, am really looking forward to the season. SJ is renowned for playing attacking, attractive football and will a few tweaks to the squad, I'm confident it will be well placed to challenge next season.

I'm not expecting a signing until July to be honest and with our squad I'm not that concerned, although we need some more competition. Tell me a better team than this in the league, even without new signings:

1 Rammers

6 Basham RCB 5 Egan CB 5 JOC or RND

2 Bogle RWB 3 Stevens or Lowe LWB


8 Norwood RCM 4 Fleck LCM

10 Freeman - Duffy role

9 McBurnie CF 10 McGoldrick CF

We've got the best manager we could have, our rivals are still in limbo or at Fulham have a manager I'd not want anyway and rumours of problems with ownership. We'll need 6 players max, some for cover but if good enough can put say Norwood on bench - 1 for RCB competition, 2 for CB cover, 4 for LCB cover if Kean Bryan leaves although we may not need that if JOC fit anyway and RND, 5 for RCM role to rival Norwood, and 6 for an attacking mid to offer competition for Freeman, who covers for Fleck potentially as does Osborn.

 

[BlairBlade]

Bloody hell have been linked to anyone under 30 yet?

If any of them are any good, can last for a whole game and put themselves about just a wee a bit more than Mousset - we might be on to a good thing.

 

[bongleblade]

I'm not expecting a signing until July to be honest and with our squad I'm not that concerned, although we need some more competition. Tell me a better team than this in the league, even without new signings:

1 Rammers

6 Basham RCB 5 Egan CB 5 JOC or RND

2 Bogle RWB 3 Stevens or Lowe LWB


8 Norwood RCM 4 Fleck LCM

10 Freeman - Duffy role

9 McBurnie CF 10 McGoldrick CF

1 for RCB competition, 2 for CB cover, 4 for LCB cover if Kean Bryan leaves although we may not need that if JOC fit anyway and RND, 5 for RCM role to rival Norwood, and 6 for an attacking mid to offer competition for Freeman, who covers for Fleck potentially as does Osborn

If we are happy with our u23s having a bigger role, then we actually have decent defence/midfield cover with players already here or returning off loan in addition to the players you've identified

LCB - Kyron Gordon
RCM - Coulibaly
CAM - Didzy / Ndiaye/ Siriki

RCB - Loan signing
CB - Loan Signing


Saying that, it'd be much more comfortable having an experienced CAM who can drop into CM where possible, a creative playmaker of sorts... plus two more CB's is a must IMO.

I feel SJ might also look at bringing in Wingers and move on a few of the strike force to enable switching up the formation

 

[Bladesman]

Not sure Slav would be after him.

 

[ShropsBlade]

Board have made it clear we have too many strikers and not enough midfielders .So be surprised at this having any substance.

 

[Upton_Blade]

Saying that, it'd be much more comfortable having an experienced CAM who can drop into CM where possible, a creative playmaker of sorts... plus two more CB's is a must IMO.

Unless we go abroad for this type of player, at which point I have no idea who, then IMHO Nick Powell is the one we should be targeting. Just entering the last year of his contract and Stoke having to cut their cloth a bit so shouldn't be that expensive.

Him and Clucas would be an excellent start to the window for a modest outlay.

I need to add as well that we have a new manager so trying to guess who he wants may be impossible as he'll be wanting his own version of the 352.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I nearly started this thread as a joke last week having seen he’d played for Slav overseas. Maybe I should be a journalist?!

 

[SotonBlade]

For the next month, we're going to be "linked" with anyone who's ever played under Jokanovic, aren't we?

I think I read somewhere that Slav hasn't got a history of going back for players he's previously worked with.

Also read today that he's never really got that heavily involved with transfers previously, so unless a previous player is suggested by the board he won't be proactively going after players he's worked with before.

 

[Pedro Verde]

Gone to Villa !!!!

 

[Blade58]

I think any links with any forwards are going to be bullshit.

The Prince is switched on and knows we already have 7 strikers. You saw in his interview he was questioning why Wilder wanted a DM when we already had Berge, Norwood and Ampadu. He's not daft. I'd imagine part of the conversation with SJ will have been how he can maximise the players we have. With £50m+ tied up in Brewster, McBurnie, Mousset - and Sharp, Jebison, Hackford, Burke too - we've no room.

With our limited budget this Summer: midfield and CB are the only areas he'll sanction spending proper money on.

7 strikers fair doos, but I’m sure many of us are hoping perhaps one, two, or even three will be moving on

I don’t buy this theory that those that were shite last season will suddenly tear the Championship a new one

it’s been very disappointing from a blade point of view watching Mousset, McBurnie, Burke and to some degree Brewster, although I still think there’s a player in Brewster ………… somewhere.
Still, it’s up to SJ to decide who he wants with him next season

 

[IdLiketoRogerMoore]

7 strikers fair doos, but I’m sure many of us are hoping perhaps one, two, or even three will be moving on

I don’t buy this theory that those that were shite last season will suddenly tear the Championship a new one

it’s been very disappointing from a blade point of view watching Mousset, McBurnie, Burke and to some degree Brewster, although I still think there’s a player in Brewster ………… somewhere.
Still, it’s up to SJ to decide who he wants with him next season

The issue is, who do we move on and how much of a haircut does the Prince want to take. You assume Brewster and McBurnie and the two we can't shift without taking a huge hit. Mousset similar really. McGoldrick is our best player and Sharp is our leader. Leaves Burke really, and can't see us getting more than a couple buttons and half a kit Kat for him...

Ideally we'd move some on, but not always as easy...

 

[Blade58]

The issue is, who do we move on and how much of a haircut does the Prince want to take. You assume Brewster and McBurnie and the two we can't shift without taking a huge hit. Mousset similar really. McGoldrick is our best player and Sharp is our leader. Leaves Burke really, and can't see us getting more than a couple buttons and half a kit Kat for him...

Ideally we'd move some on, but not always as easy...

I agree. You can only sell players if someone wants to buy them

Not sure when Mousset’s contract is up? Suspect he has a year left. McBurnie is at least a year, but I have it in my my head it’s two years left. Did Burke sign a three year deal? In which case he has two to go.

Difficult,but hoping we clear a couple out and make way for another signing and perhaps Jebbs joins the squad

 

[ancientblade]

i think 2 at least of our strikers possibly 3 will be moved on more or less given up on brewster but slav might just bring a system in that suits him and still think he might want to bring his own striker in or an attacking wide player in a front 3