Will Arsenal be happy sending him to us to be a squad player, as no way would Smith be part of our first choice midfield 4 at the moment, which presumably is Millar, JFC, Pratley and Shinnie, with Morgan, Watson and Gilbey all in the wings
Plenty of football to be played and with Smyth gone, it still only leaves us with one winger. Williams been playing there too so if he goes I definitely think we need a wide man. Or is he a CM?
From the customary you tube clip above he’s a CM not a wide man.
In that case I agree with Killer and would go further and say it's pointless. I think we need to be looking at a winger to replace Williams.
Wouldn’t disagree with that if Smyth is followed out the door by Williams although Bowyer, I think said earlier that he wanted a box to box midfielder so maybe a wide man will also be signed 🤷♂️.
Just seems a waste to me. I think Shinnie, Gilbey, Morgan and JFC are all sort of box to box midfielders. I think very few of us look at our squad and see a CM as being a priority. If we can afford to sign two a CB has to be second on the list.
Personally I don’t feel we have replaced Cullen. Not saying Smith will do this but Bows definitely wanted another cm. We need more mobility there.
In an ideal world, I'd sign a No 2 keeper and allow AMB to get some game time, sign a CB, a mobile CM like you say, a winger and a striker with pace. The problem is we have a salary cap and need to prioritise.
I’m not sure we’ll get a keeper but I think we’ll sign 3 players tomorrow. After I saw that Valley Pass clip of Gallen a week ago talking about how he was looking at a number of positions I feel we’ll be busy tomorrow. I wouldn’t rule out more exits in addition to Williams either.
1) It's another loan, which is hardly building for the future 2) It's another passing midfielder. Looking at his bio on the Arsenal website, it says Matthew typically looks to operate as a deep-lying playmaker, tasked with controlling the tempo of games and picking out runners in the final third, which surely is similar to the roles of Shinnie and Morgan already, and similar to Levitt who Bowyer never played! Or the likes of Henry and Vennings in our academy
And while he might have played well for Swindon this season, he's hardly been a stand out player in L1 this season, That John Sheridan is prepared to give him up, so that he can bring in a loan player in another position, doesn't suggest he's a key player for them.
I'd say that's a different type of player to Shinnie and Morgan. In the 4-4-2 we're now playing one of them will play on the right and get forward, link up with an overlapping right back and look to get goals and assists.
If Smith is capable defensively and not just a passer then he could be an improvement over Pratley/Watson in that holding role.
I'd be staggered if a 20 year old on loan to L1 who can pick out a brilliant pass was better defensively than Pratley or Watson (or indeed JFC).
Arsenal doing to Swindon what Chelsea did to us with Gallagher?
Doesn’t sit well with me for that reason. If you are on a season long loan that’s what it should be. If the parent club wants to recall you and loan you out again then it should only be allowed to a club in a higher league.
Not sure about letting Williams go. He has his flaws but I think he’s a good player in a decent team, just maybe not someone that turns an average team into a good one single handedly. He can carry the ball, is positive in possession, links midfield and attack, and wins free kicks which can be very useful if you’re trying to kill a game. Fitness is a frustration, for sure, but I think his contribution goes beyond his statistics for goals/assists, which do look sub par at face value. I also see him as being the closest we have to a backup to Millar, although he doesn’t have that raw pace. I hope we are signing a winger if he goes.
Another centre mid doesn’t feel like a priority, but we’re an injury to JFC away from having a big box to box type hole in it. Gilbey has been a bigger disappointment than Bogle or Maddison in my opinion, and Albie has improved his work rate but he’s still a bit naive defensively sometimes and certainly has been inconsistent.
In and ideal world we be signing a couple tomorrow with no departures but the salary cap leaves in a non-ideal world, unfortunately.
At some point we need to build a squad of players on longish contracts. We can’t keep rebuilding every summer, as we will have to again this, having so many players out of contract and so many loans. If that means having to pay 1m for a young lad then so be it. If he’s as good as we seem to think then you’d more than recoup that on resale (unless we get promoted and can hang on to him longer) and he’s young enough to be able to give a long term deal to.
Smith has played 90 minutes 24 times this season for Swindon.
Looking at this another way and that is more starts (27 appearances in total) than any of our outfield players. LB has been at pains to stress that too much football for youngsters (Smith was only 20 in October) is not good for them. Presumably Arsenal won't be too unhappy if he isn't a regular starter for that reason too as long as he does get an opportunity to develop.
Genuinely believe that within a year a club will stick 2 fingers up to the EFL and say 'fuck you' to the salary cap and it'll end up being abolished in court. Most probably it'll be Sheff Weds if they get relegated.
Either that or a bunch of clubs will demand a re-vote this summer.
Williams does not count towards the cap under his current contract so doesn't make sense to let him go. Might be an idea for Bowyer to figure out why a club at a higher level is interested.
Or why he can't manager or use flair players who make games interesting . One minute people are saying how piss poor League 1 is and the next minute they are happy that the flair players are being flogged off. Lately I have been bored by this never ending defensive stance and demands that players do duties ill fitting them.
However I am fed up with Williams' constant falling over when blown one by an opponent .
I don't know what to make of this news. 25 appearances this season apparently.
Is Millar not a flair player?
One swallow does not a summer make.
Fosu Williams Maddison
None greatest at a tackle but is that always necessary.
What about Doughty and Gallagher then?
Or Lyle Taylor...
Bowyer being unable to work with flair players is a myth - the difference is he sets his teams up to all work, those who dont, dont play...
Doughty isn't a flair player is he . He is about pace alone mostly.
Gallagher is a midfield player who is box to box and can pass well. He also likes a tackle.
Maddison and Fosu and Williams are flair type players.
Exactly a flair player is someone who is skillful with the ball
Gallagher and Aribo were perfect examples of players who could run with it, pass or shoot
The difference being is those two could do it with consistent results at the right end whilst also putting in a shit at the other
Maddison | Fosu | Williams have all thought they're too high and mighty to do the dirty work, doesnt wash down here
That doesn't seem to put Brentford of Fosu and Brentford are a far better team than Charlton.
Williams, high and mighty ?
Maddison 246 plus appearances in 5 and a half years with a big goals and assists record doesn't sound like a player not pulling his weight does it ?
Aribo, well the one I watched went missing for stretches of the game.
Re. Maddison, I am afraid...what you are quoting has been and gone. You may want to ask Hull for example about their thoughts on him....a team who have also had him since this goals and assists record you mention. Something ain’t right between the ears!
Now THAT would hurt his delicate ego! The man bought in from Maidstone United to replace him at Wimbledon, now joining him at Forest and pushing him further down the pecking order.
Taking this with a pinch of salt until Cawley or someone else well-connected ratifies the interest but this is exactly the sort of player we should be targeting when taking a long term view on squad-building strategy. Intriguing.
Comments
We'll have to get our skates on, then.
In and ideal world we be signing a couple tomorrow with no departures but the salary cap leaves in a non-ideal world, unfortunately.
Either that or a bunch of clubs will demand a re-vote this summer.
https://www.nottinghamforest.news/2021/01/31/report-nottingham-forest-want-derby-linked-joe-pigott/
Taylor clearly not rated up there.
Charlton have bid £500k for Crewe Forward: Charlie Kirk... Sky Sports
https://www.skysports.com/transfer-centre
Is he centre forward or more of a winger? Cant see we need another striker.
More of a winger.