Do we need to strengthen in January?

To be fair we always need to strengthen....just that January isn’t the best time for value?
 
Given it usually takes new players time to settle in the Bmth way (except for players like David brooks), a January signing is a good way to prepare new players for next season.

Noted the comments re Rico, still think he will be a great signing for us.
 
AFCBade said:
Is funny how the new signings have worked. Last two seasons acquisitions have been great signings but have not addressed some of our weaker areas

In 16-17, the top 3 players in player of the season awards were king, s cook and boruc. We signed ake, begovic and Defoe who are 3 really decent signings but this displaced king for a while and then Wilson forced him wide; ake pushed cook to right centre back and he lost form; while begovic replaced boruc. This didn’t address other weaker positions.

This summer again theee top signings in brooks, Lerma and Rico. Arguably this has displaced two top performers from 17/18 in Lewis cook and junior.

6 great signings over two seasons but not the huge incremental lift in performances that might be indicated and still leaves us weak at right side of defence and defensive wide midfield in the mould of Ritchie and Pugh.

So right defence and wide midfield for me are where we should strengthen
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Disagree with most of this!

This season especially, the signings have been in positions that have improved us. Fans have asked for a midfield enforcer since we came up - Lerma is that man. Brooks is a vast step up on Ibe, who was in that position last season. Rico is the only one that is open to question but am sure he will become a fine successor to Charlie at some point.

The previous season too, Begovic is an upgrade on Boruc. Ake an obvious upgrade at centre back.

And overall, we look so much stronger this season than last.

The only thing I agree, is that the right side of defence still needs strengthening, although even that would be open to debate if Smithy was still fit.
 
Fans have been asking for midfield enforcer since Bartley was sold. When Howe came back he decided to go down a different route that didn't require one and there were plenty bemoaning that decision at the time. He called it right then although it does feel like a deliberate change in tactical set-up that has brought Lerma in.
 
davygravy said:
Disagree with most of this!

This season especially, the signings have been in positions that have improved us. Fans have asked for a midfield enforcer since we came up - Lerma is that man. Brooks is a vast step up on Ibe, who was in that position last season. Rico is the only one that is open to question but am sure he will become a fine successor to Charlie at some point.

The previous season too, Begovic is an upgrade on Boruc. Ake an obvious upgrade at centre back.

And overall, we look so much stronger this season than last.

The only thing I agree, is that the right side of defence still needs strengthening, although even that would be open to debate if Smithy was still fit.
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We both agree the new signings were an upgrade so very good recruitment. I think Eddie has made excellent signings recently. My point was that we haven’t had the full benefit as it made other parts weaker.

Thus ake was brilliant but our previous best defender cook suffered as he moved right side and made errors before returning to form. Lerma has been brilliant but Lewis cook has lost out and he was our best midfielder last season. And so on. Surely brooks has replaced junior?

Didn’t say we shouldn’t have made those signings. Just saying we haven’t had the full benefit looking at the team as a whole (but team is stronger) and thus trying to narrow down where we need January reinforcements.

You don’t agree with this?
 
Not really, no.

Am sure Brooks has played more on the right side, where Ibe played more last season? If Lewis has lost a bit of form this season, that is down to him, he's in basically the same place but with a better player alongside him to help.

If the team is stronger, that is the be all and end all really. Brooks and Lerma have not made other areas weaker at all. Rico is still settling in.
 
Sorry Tinpot, I absolutely disagree. Franno is about to play 300 games in a month, or whatever Arsene Wenger used to say, cos we have no one else to play there. Even is Smith is back by the end of the window, Franno is going to be utterly shagged.

An even worse case would be if we have to sacrifice our most dangerous attacking threat in Fraser so that he can do an average/poor job at right back, or the defensive midfielder we've waited 8 seasons for who's been instrumental in our good form so far. And the knock on to that is Andrew Surman gets a run in the side, which'll be nice and positive and in no way a backwards step to our most average and disjointed season in (an admittedly very spoiled) recent memory.

And it's not like Franno's immune to the odd red card or injury.

And you know what else? As I write all of this I've just been getting visions of Eddie sitting down with Rico and explaining how he'll be training to become a right back from now on.

Pure madness to not bring someone in.
 
Sorry if I've missed this on another post.... The Sun's splash that we're in for Solanke and Preston's Robinson. Seems odd - both strikers - unless Defoe on his way (plausible) and maybe Wilson (worrying).

There was me thinking we need new blood in midfield and at the back.
 
davygravy said:
Not really, no.

Am sure Brooks has played more on the right side, where Ibe played more last season? If Lewis has lost a bit of form this season, that is down to him, he's in basically the same place but with a better player alongside him to help.

If the team is stronger, that is the be all and end all really. Brooks and Lerma have not made other areas weaker at all. Rico is still settling in.
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I didn’t say it made the team weaker. I said the incremental benefit was less as other high performing players have suffered as a result.
 
simonhpieman said:
Sorry Tinpot, I absolutely disagree. Franno is about to play 300 games in a month, or whatever Arsene Wenger used to say, cos we have no one else to play there. Even is Smith is back by the end of the window, Franno is going to be utterly shagged.

An even worse case would be if we have to sacrifice our most dangerous attacking threat in Fraser so that he can do an average/poor job at right back, or the defensive midfielder we've waited 8 seasons for who's been instrumental in our good form so far. And the knock on to that is Andrew Surman gets a run in the side, which'll be nice and positive and in no way a backwards step to our most average and disjointed season in (an admittedly very spoiled) recent memory.

And it's not like Franno's immune to the odd red card or injury.

And you know what else? As I write all of this I've just been getting visions of Eddie sitting down with Rico and explaining how he'll be training to become a right back from now on.

Pure madness to not bring someone in.
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It's blunt stuff Simon, but I can't disagree with much.

We're going to be forced into playing Fraser as a right wing back for a period to give Franno some help, and that's going to impact the shape and selection of the rest of the side. Now it can still be a decent side, we smashed Chelsea with that system last season. But it's a compromise to the side we've spent the summer and season to date building.
 
Doubt there will be any early movement outwards in the transfer window as our reserve squad needed for third round of FA Cup and semi final of ELF Cup if we catch Chelsea on an off night.
 
langham said:
Sorry if I've missed this on another post.... The Sun's splash that we're in for Solanke and Preston's Robinson. Seems odd - both strikers - unless Defoe on his way (plausible) and maybe Wilson (worrying).

There was me thinking we need new blood in midfield and at the back.
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Perhaps Mousset is not the answer hence this ?
My Preston mate at work talks up Robinson all the time ...
 
OLDSKOOL said:
Perhaps Mousset is not the answer hence this ?
My Preston mate at work talks up Robinson all the time ...
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Thought mousett looked very good last season and helped a number ofthe comeback performances by making an impact. Hardly seen him this season. Not sure Solanke is that much better is he?
 
Even if we weren't to get a right back ( which would be completely ridiculous if that happened) we could always attempt to retrain Lewis Cook as a RB. He posses some great dribbling skills much like Adam Smith, and is good at crossing too and probably most importantly, he's young. Plenty of lower-league sides convert midfielders to full-backs, even Man City did it with Delph! It might be a bit of a burden on the midfield with only Surman and Gosling beside Lerma though.
 
Some interesting points in this thread. No mention of Simpson, is he not considered by anyone?

Put yourself in the manager's shoes and you're picking a back-3, back-4 or back-5, dependant upon the opposition and/or who is fit and ready to play in midfield or upfront.

You make your choice of defenders from:
Smith (A), Francis, Cook(S), Simpson, Ake, Mings, Daniels, Rico, Smith(B)
I've not included Fraser, as he would be a wing-half in a back-3, rather than a right-back in a back-4.

The biggest concern, is that the last 6 of that list are predominently, left-footed. And of those, neither Ake or Daniels are very good with their right-foot. (This has the advantage of making Ake less attractive as a transfer target I believe).
 
AFCBade said:
Thought mousett looked very good last season and helped a number ofthe comeback performances by making an impact. Hardly seen him this season. Not sure Solanke is that much better is he?
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One of the commentators said Mousset was coming on for his 40th AFCB appearance the other day, I think against Arsenal?

Surely that isn't right?!

Quite a fan of Moose, though. He's like a bulkier, slightly less skillful King with that shot of his. I think he'd be a great target man to play up with Callum.
 
Unless Mousset gets a run of games it’s hard to tell. Not sure he has 90 minutes in him. Looked amazing in cameos last year though.
 
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