Stay or Go?

I would like to take a punt on Joe Piggott from AFC Wimbledon, doing a good job for them this season and should be well in our budget. Sounds like Carlton Morris could be the one coming in though by sounds of things.

 

Question mark is how long do we wait?

40 odd appearances so far for the club and 1 goal maybe 2 if I’ve missed one and a few assists is no where near good enough if we want to progress we’ve got to be more clinical. He’s an out and out winger and we don’t play wingers it’s a square peg in a round hole. It all depends on how much we could get for him if we had a suitable offer I’d be selling he looks largely anonymous in our current system. His decision making is very very poor and doesn’t seem to have got any better in the last 40 odd games.

I think he could do well elsewhere as he’s young but we shouldn’t be prepared to wait another 40,50,60 games for the penny to drop 40 games is enough for me I’m afraid. Replacement wants to be tall, quick, physical.

 

It's not, but he gets in some really good advanced positions (all credit to him), there were a couple of occasions against Preston especially when he was so high up the pitch I thought it's a shame he can't just leather it from the edge of the area. He will often stop and slow play instead and play out wide for the ball to be crossed in, which is fine, but it's good to have options from range and the ball out wide becomes predictable (admittedly it helps having the sublime Brittain on the end of it). I'm glad Mowatt's come alive this season in that respect (goals from range). Would like to see Woodrow start belting them in from range again too, just for his confidence, and it also adds another dimension to our play.

 

It's definitely another relegation scrap if all three leave.

 

like to see us drop on our feet with a signing from a lower league that's as a good as Brittain
who hit the ground running, or are they just once a flood
and unfortunately I think James will go back
so the midfield will be
Styles--Mowatt--Kane
with Palmer coming on first choice @ 60 mins

 

Yeah I'd say keeping hold of Mowatt is key unless we can find a replacement or have one lined up. Kane seems similar to James. Like Lovechild said Styles could play back in the middle but then we need a left back to come in and hit the ground running. The jury is out on Oduor for me.

 

Don't know how true it is, but this article claims Little Lee is interested in signing Thomas.


https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/12/...m-man-frank-lampard-said-has-great-potential/

 

Agree, I really like Oduor but I'd like to see him maybe on the left of the front three? Styles is quality and CM his position but he's made that LWB position his own, defensively and going forwards. Definitely need to keep Mowatt I'd say.

 

I do not think that James is head and shoulders above Mowatt.

In fact if you gave me the choice between the two, I'd pick Mowatt.

 

Just read an article online in the Chron where big Val says 'a lot of players will leave in January'. Interesting

 

Each to their own, I guess. I like Mowatt, but he doesn’t have the same composure and balance that James has. If he stays and gets up to full speed in the new year, he’ll be a massive positive for us.

 

Just read that too as was getting worried. Big Val said he knows exactly what he needs, which is encouraging. I'd expect maybe Green, Schmidt, Simoes to go out on loan. Val also says we need a striker and he doesn't care if he's '2 feet tall or 6' so I think big Val's prone to a bit of exaggeration. Saying 'many will leave' probably means 2 or 3 fringe players.

 

I think he said 2 metres tall, or 1.85m (6ft) like Cauley.

We have a huge squad, some out on loan, but its way too big and certainly needs trimming. I think we likely tried in the summer but with the backdrop as it was, there was minimal movement. I think there may be a bit more movement this, but I suspect clubs will be looking to offload more than bring in.

 

This^
in an ideal world we'd be able to offload some of the squad players who aren't in VI's plans, but unless we're happy to simply reduce the wage bill it'll be difficult, most teams aren't splashing the cash.

 

The bail out might see more clubs in league 1 bringing in players. Sunderland have just had three games postponed due to Covid, so they'll have a fixture pile up to handle later on which they'll need extra players for, imagine other clubs will be in the same boat.

Salary cap might be an issue, but I think players like Miller and Thomas will still be within reach for clubs.

 

Apologies, must have read it wrong. I still doubt there will be a mass exodus.

 

I wouldn’t say huge more unbalanced

 

I think Mowatt might be on the list of players leaving if he won't sign a contract and James might well go back to Leicester. That said we still have Kane, Styles and Palmer who can play midfield along with Christie Davies. Then we have Oduor that could slot back in at LWB and Jordan Williams that can play anywhere along the back and in a holding midfield role.

I'd like to see a midfielder such as Whiteman brought in a LWB maybe Kitching and that lad Morris brought in up front.

Then we've Bahre, Thomas, Schmidt and Miller that need moving on.

 

Don't forget we have Europa League prodigy Ritzmaier to recall.

 

Not necessarily once a flood, but I think we'll be lucky if we get more than one a season. Especially at this level. The Championship is a huge step up from the lower leagues. If we were in L1 again, it might be different, but even then it's a lot to expect a young player to hit the ground running. Plus we have to spot them in the first place and try to sign them before other clubs. Not easy.