We needed to strengthen the defence and I hope we’ve done that. Needed cover for when one, or other of our main midfielders were out. We don’t have problems scoring goals and our strikers are good enough.
Our options if Cole or McAtee get injured are worrying and likewise having Russell to step in for Kane or Connell are equally alarming so I’d say we’ve had a poor window.
Who's got like for like replacements with a 16 goal striker happily sat bench warming at this level ? Deary me, have to laugh sometimes
Well we have managed to get to 5th in league with what I think has been worst defence I’ve seen at oakwell in a very long time, so hopefully with the new defensive signings we can only improve ...... we score goals regularly so now hopefully we will stop letting as many in and should at least get top 6, also in with a shout at automatic if we get lucky injury wise.
I'm not dissatisfied, but I do think we needed an alternative to Connell/Kane. We've got one, we've got Russell and he's played very well in a few games this season. But he's played really badly too. Properly terrible. Imho he's way too inconsistent to risk. He's not without skill, but he's so far off the pace in the modern era I don't think you can play him. He would have been great in the 80s, but the game's moved on and he doesn't have the pace.
We've kept Cole, Connell and Kane. Strengthened the defence which we needed to do - Styles needed to go. It's an OK one for me
We'll not know till May if its been a good window or not.. the final league position won't lie. Weren't too fussed about a striker, we've more than enough. Its getting what we've got firing will be key, Our main problem as everyone knows is defending. We've brought two in which is fine but we've been that poor i would have been greedy and gone for 3. Also instead of yet another tippy-tappy midfielder i would have gone for a muck n bullets type like Owen Moxon who went to pompey.. But have we've seen for years now there's only tippy-tappys in our database.. So lets wait and see what happens.. i think play offs yes, but top two,? Well we failed last season with a better team, but last season the league was stronger. I again don't see top two for us... but prove me wrong .... Ureds
Everyone is hoping that the defence has been strengthened but we will have to wait to see. For me, it's only strengthened if Pines is better than Lopata and Williams moves to RWB. Don't know about Earl, he may be just a backup for McCart / Cadden. He obviously has more experience than Shepherd.
I think you expect far too much mate. Earl, Pines and Grant are what we needed. Unfortunately, we can want a new striker all we want, but fact is Watters and especially Cosgrove still cost substantial amounts of money with their wages.
On paper a reasonable window. Brought in promising players who match the specification where it was needed. Sent a few younger ones out on loan to get experience. Only lost one 'big ticket' player and he wanted out. And as I explained to my Sunderland supporting workmate, while Styles has the technique and control, he weakened the Barnsley midfield, lacks pace and composure and at LWB Cadden is significantly better where it counts; beating a man, putting in a cross and unleashing thunderbolt strikes.
Think our plan included Jalo coming through as the additional striker but injury has scuppered that one. brought people in at back and midfield with McArt to return we should have improved the defence but time will tell. We wanted changes and we've got em it's just a question of how much they influence the run in..
