I have to be fair. I think the club have had an excellent window. Whether all the players succeed is yet to be proven, but compared to January we've done well. We sold just one player under contract who would have played, Marc Roberts. The money we got for him at 27 justifies that I'd say, whether his mam says he wanted to stay or not. We refused to sell another asset in Andy Yiadom on the cheap. He'll probably leave free in the summer or for a reduced fee in January, but we did not have our pants down. We agreed a good fee with Huddersfield, didn't happen, Swansea then tried to take the piss apparently. For me it sends the message out that if clubs want our players we aren't selling them cheap anymore, pay the going rate. Whilst it might have been better all round if he'd gone, we have him to select for now when fit and the football world know we aren't to be conned. Positive I'd say. Other than that we've shipped out players for whom it didn't work out in Kpekwa, d'Almeida, Jackson and Payne, lost two good players who had no contract so we could do little about in Watkins and Scowen, plus loaned out another who hasn't pulled up trees but has talent in Mowatt. Incoming we've signed I think a dozen permanently and five on loan. Some of which have shown excellent early promise already. I'm not so sure the bookies will have us second favourites to go down for too long. Apologies if I miss any: In Zeki Fryers - Crystal Palace (free) Liam Lindsay - Partick Thistle (undisclosed) Stevie Mallan - St Mirren (£200k) Jason McCarthy - Southampton (£200k) Cameron McGeehan - Luton (undisclosed) Ethan Pinnock - Forest Green (undisclosed) Ben Williams - Blackburn (free) Lloyd Isgrove - Southampton (free) Brad Potts - Blackpool (undisclosed) Matty Pearson - Accrington (undisclosed) Mamadou Thiam - Dijon (undisclosed) Dimitri Kevin Cavare - Rennes (undisclosed) Ike Ugbo - Chelsea (loan) Joe Williams - Everton (loan) Harvey Barnes - Leicester (loan) Gary Gardner - Aston Villa (loan) Oli McBurnie - Swansea (loan) Out Marc Roberts - Birmingham (undisclosed) Josh Scowen - QPR (released) Marley Watkins - Norwich (released) Cole Kpekawa - Colchester (undisclosed) Kayden Jackson - Accrington (undisclosed) Sessi D'Almeida - Blackpool (undisclosed) Stefan Payne - Shrewsbury (undisclosed) Alex Mowatt - Oxford (loan)
I was very sceptical a few weeks ago, but I'm pretty excited for the coming season, seeing how these youngsters develop. We've signed some experience in the middle of the park in Gardiner, so I agree we've done well. In an ideal world to have got Roberts on a new contract would have been the icing on the cake.
Looks like we may have sold Yiadom. Given the inexperience of those we have signed it is very difficult to evaluate whether it has been a success or failure. On the surface of it you'd probably score it a 5/6 out of 10 as we have signed potential rather than here and now players but that could go higher or lower depending on how that potential develops.
Spoilt totally by selling Roberts. I like the look of Lynsday, and Jackson shows signs of improvement imho, but can't help feeling that Roberts was sacrificed on the altar of 'the plan' - Fck the plan in that instance. As for the rest - time will tell etc.
