Although I think it’s unlikely that we re sign Williams I wouldn’t be too disappointed if we did. Under Bowyer Williams was not used in the same way that he would be under Garner. In a team always wanting to retain possession and looking to push forward which is what we’re hopefully getting then Williams would look a different player to the one that left us. I’m not saying as a starter week in week out but a very useful and effective squad player. I’d rather JW than young PL loan who either isn’t ready or not good enough.
The World Cup means signing Williams would be a bad idea in my opinion. I think as a player he’s good enough but if he’s going to miss at least a month of the season (and that’s without injuries) when we have a squad cap that doesn’t feel like a smart signing
Wales these days are a very competitive international team. If we can get hold of a player good enough to be going to the World Cup then I think for a league one side it’s a very smart move.
I thought the concept was signing young players on the up from the leagues below that might show a return... not signing players from the leagues below that are on the way down and were not good enough for us 12 months ago.
Although I think it’s unlikely that we re sign Williams I wouldn’t be too disappointed if we did. Under Bowyer Williams was not used in the same way that he would be under Garner. In a team always wanting to retain possession and looking to push forward which is what we’re hopefully getting then Williams would look a different player to the one that left us. I’m not saying as a starter week in week out but a very useful and effective squad player. I’d rather JW than young PL loan who either isn’t ready or not good enough.
The World Cup means signing Williams would be a bad idea in my opinion. I think as a player he’s good enough but if he’s going to miss at least a month of the season (and that’s without injuries) when we have a squad cap that doesn’t feel like a smart signing
Wales these days are a very competitive international team. If we can get hold of a player good enough to be going to the World Cup then I think for a league one side it’s a very smart move.
Love the signings so far, and everything else coming out of the club - all sounds very positive. BUT - what is it with BG's white T-Shirts?! What are those about, they look terrible! Put on some CAFC clobber, come on!
Although I think it’s unlikely that we re sign Williams I wouldn’t be too disappointed if we did. Under Bowyer Williams was not used in the same way that he would be under Garner. In a team always wanting to retain possession and looking to push forward which is what we’re hopefully getting then Williams would look a different player to the one that left us. I’m not saying as a starter week in week out but a very useful and effective squad player. I’d rather JW than young PL loan who either isn’t ready or not good enough.
The World Cup means signing Williams would be a bad idea in my opinion. I think as a player he’s good enough but if he’s going to miss at least a month of the season (and that’s without injuries) when we have a squad cap that doesn’t feel like a smart signing
Wales these days are a very competitive international team. If we can get hold of a player good enough to be going to the World Cup then I think for a league one side it’s a very smart move.
I am not sure how a maturing non scoring, nil assisting attacking midfielder like Williams is going to propel us up the league even when he is fit.
Hes a nice chap and wins freekicks in the 75th minute, I don't really see what else he brings at this stage.
Retains possession and passes very well and is a player who can pick a lock. This won’t be the same style of football that under Bowyer he was completely unsuited for.
The ability, potential and "the right fit" of the player, is possibly more important than the league they played in last season. I also think the player's hunger/desire is also a factor that shouldn't be dismissed.
In hindsight Dobson from L1 was a better signing than Watson or Gunter from The Championship.
In hindsight (although many of us thought beforehand), Marcus Maddison has issues and didn't have the required hunger/desire. Yes, he is an extreme, but it is a factor.
A hungry Steve Brown or a less hungry Maddison or Marcus Bent?
Millwall's relative success for a "smaller" club is centred on signing committed players with hunger/desire.
Sausagedog has been told one more Swindon player will be joining.
The obvious ones everyone will talk about are Mckirdy, Reed, Payne and Williams.
However we need an attacking left back and Ellis Iandolo had a good season for them. 7 assists.
And the keeper. Him and Payne could be the easiest/most likely given they're out of contract.
I feel like we're unlikely to change keepers this season. Mac isn't a bad keeper at all, he just goes through a few too many phases. Having a defence in front of him that isn't made out of rice paper and sadness might help this season too, especially having a consistent one. In his first season with us he's had to line up behind a struggling back four in a team that could barely get the ball out of our half and then a back 5 that had wingers at wingback, fullbacks and central midfielders at centre back and a constantly rotating set of personnel. I think we had 8 different players line up at CB in various combinations. Keepers thrive when there's a consistent defence in front of them, he didn't even consistently have defenders in front of him. He also reacted to and improved a deficit in his game with his command of the box which was good to see. We have AMB hopefully ready to challenge, so I think given that no matter what Sandgaard puts in and how much we get in sell on fees there will still be a budget, there's a lot of empty priority positions to fill before we decide to change up a spot where there are two serviceable players. Switching the keeper for one more comfortable with the ball at his feet might be a season two job for Garner, but we'll see.
Does O'Connell look like an upgrade on Pearce - Pearce is an old school stopper and looked like he'd trip over the ball. He's not the kind of CB who will be picking up short goal kicks in his own box and playing it out. So looks positive.
Does Egbo look like an upgrade on Matthews - Given how bad Matthews was last season, it would be hard not to be. Sounds like Egbo is more an athlete, at the very least.
O'Connell is clearly an upgrade on Pearce as a passer, but seeing that Pearce has played 5 seasons in the Championship, I doubt he's a better all round player than Pearce was at his peak. Hopefully better than the 34 year old Pearce though.
Sausagedog has been told one more Swindon player will be joining.
The obvious ones everyone will talk about are Mckirdy, Reed, Payne and Williams.
However we need an attacking left back and Ellis Iandolo had a good season for them. 7 assists.
And the keeper. Him and Payne could be the easiest/most likely given they're out of contract.
I feel like we're unlikely to change keepers this season. Mac isn't a bad keeper at all, he just goes through a few too many phases. Having a defence in front of him that isn't made out of rice paper and sadness might help this season too, especially having a consistent one. In his first season with us he's had to line up behind a struggling back four in a team that could barely get the ball out of our half and then a back 5 that had wingers at wingback, fullbacks and central midfielders at centre back and a constantly rotating set of personnel. I think we had 8 different players line up at CB in various combinations. Keepers thrive when there's a consistent defence in front of them, he didn't even consistently have defenders in front of him. He also reacted to and improved a deficit in his game with his command of the box which was good to see. We have AMB hopefully ready to challenge, so I think given that no matter what Sandgaard puts in and how much we get in sell on fees there will still be a budget, there's a lot of empty priority positions to fill before we decide to change up a spot where there are two serviceable players. Switching the keeper for one more comfortable with the ball at his feet mihgt be a season two job for Garner, but we'll see.
Plus his partner gave birth mid season. I'd be very surprised if that together with interrupted sleep wasn't a factor as well. Let's hope every day they have him practicing coming for crosses in a crowded penalty area.
Does O'Connell look like an upgrade on Pearce - Pearce is an old school stopper and looked like he'd trip over the ball. He's not the kind of CB who will be picking up short goal kicks in his own box and playing it out. So looks positive.
Does Egbo look like an upgrade on Matthews - Given how bad Matthews was last season, it would be hard not to be. Sounds like Egbo is more an athlete, at the very least.
O'Connell is clearly an upgrade on Pearce as a passer, but seeing that Pearce has played 5 seasons in the Championship, I doubt he's a better all round player than Pearce was at his peak. Hopefully better than the 34 year old Pearce though.
Yeah but like you say we're not replacing Pearce at his peak so don't think the comparison serves
I thought the concept was signing young players on the up from the leagues below that might show a return... not signing players from the leagues below that are on the way down and were not good enough for us 12 months ago.
I wouldn't be surprised if Garner wants him because he's known him since his early days and say's he'd have played at the highest level consistently were it not for his injuries.
Can't see the recruitment team being all in agreement on this one though, and we don't have space to accommodate more bench sitters with Aneke, JFC and Inniss all potentially injury prone based on their records last season.
Slight bit of pedantry: the X factor player is Chuks Aneke and has always been. What we need is another X factor player for when our first one gets broken
I'm a fan of Chuks Aneke and he is more our Y-factor player. Y can't Aneke play more games and minutes as he would slaughter League 1 as his record of a goal every 100 minutes is top notch. He could even afford to win the crossbar challenge most weeks if he gets 3 chances or more a game. He enjoys being the super sub which tells you his mind as well as his body can be an issue. Play Stockley for 60 and Aneke for 30 if need be but we need the option of the headed goals. (Shrewsbury at home) He was taken off more to save him getting a second yellow than because of injury in his time at Cafc; unlike Ryan Inniss !
If the club was street smart they would give Gunter a new deal as if he goes to the world cup we would get some £££'s from FIFA liked we got when Reza played
Yeah, better stop looking upwards. That road is littered with Watsons and Gunters.
And Bieliks, and Cullens and Gallaghers.
For fuck's sake ... we aren't getting out of this League (and beyond) with League 2 'maybes'.
It's just so weird to whine like this at the current stage. Bielik, Cullen and Gallagher were all loans from Premier League clubs. they were still all punts given that Cullen had just had an unsuccessful loan at Bolton, injuries had stopped Bielik making any impact at all at Walsall and Gallagher had never played a minute of men's football, but regardless they were loaned to us from Premier League academies. Gallagher now plays for England; we're not gong to be able to sign these sorts of players on permanent deals and we can't build an entire squad out of loans. You're comparing two things that aren't comparable at all. We will likely get some loans from Premier league sides (all three of those loans signed in August by the way, pretty common for loans from the Premier League) but we need to sign permanent players as well. I'm sure we'll look up for some of our signings but any players we get from above who aren't loans are likely to be players on their way down in terms of their reputation. I'm happy with us signing player who fit the system and want to move up at the moment, and I'm sure we'll sign some players from around us, maybe some players coming down from above and some top level loans. It's June, we've got a little bit of time yet. Or we can have temper tantrums about our transfer business two signings in. Whichever.
I thought the concept was signing young players on the up from the leagues below that might show a return... not signing players from the leagues below that are on the way down and were not good enough for us 12 months ago.
I wouldn't be surprised if Garner wants him because he's known him since his early days and say's he'd have played at the highest level consistently were it not for his injuries.
Can't see the recruitment team being all in agreement on this one though, and we don't have space to accommodate more bench sitters with Aneke, JFC and Inniss all potentially injury prone based on their records last season.
If he was fit (fewer knocks) it'd be a no brainer I agree. Pearce fits the old head role perfectly and does the take a place in the squad.
I am not getting into the Williams debate because it goes in more circles than the blackbox but..............
The oldest player we have got is about 28 we do need a bit of experience. The key is getting an Andy Hughes not a Chris Gunter.
Think we would have got promoted with or without Andy Hughes that year
It wasn't only Hughes though was it, Euell, Court, Hayes were all very experienced players. I hate the expression but we have lacked "locker room leaders" for a while.
I think we have had far more success with young Premier League loan players, like Millar, Maatsen, Da Silva, Cullen, Bielik and Gallagher than dropping down Champ players. Obviously, you get the odd lemon like Dylan Levitt, Nile John etc but generally they have more to prove that they can make it in mens football. I also like raiding lower level teams for their best players, Danny Hollands, Rhys Wiggins, Dale Stephens all come to mind. Therefore I am supportive of the current player acquisition strategy although a little nervous about the ball playing, attractive football nonsense. I think those who drop from the Championship like Matthews, Gunter, Watson , Arter and Famewo are always a bit disappointed at the level they are playing at and don't perform so well. Sorba Thomas has shown brilliantly this year that you can move from lower leagues to the Championship. Below the Premier League, I dont honestly think that the gulf in quality is that big. If I look back further into our history, Lennie got us promoted by pinching Steve Thompson and George Shipley from division below Lincoln and John Pender and John Humphrey from relegated Wolves. Time will tell, but nothing on player recruitment so far to be disappointed about.
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maybe more than 1?, maybe an old message?
I also think the player's hunger/desire is also a factor that shouldn't be dismissed.
In hindsight Dobson from L1 was a better signing than Watson or Gunter from The Championship.
In hindsight (although many of us thought beforehand), Marcus Maddison has issues and didn't have the required hunger/desire. Yes, he is an extreme, but it is a factor.
A hungry Steve Brown or a less hungry Maddison or Marcus Bent?
Millwall's relative success for a "smaller" club is centred on signing committed players with hunger/desire.
The oldest player we have got is about 28 we do need a bit of experience. The key is getting an Andy Hughes not a Chris Gunter.
I'd be very surprised if that together with interrupted sleep wasn't a factor as well.
Let's hope every day they have him practicing coming for crosses in a crowded penalty area.
Can't see the recruitment team being all in agreement on this one though, and we don't have space to accommodate more bench sitters with Aneke, JFC and Inniss all potentially injury prone based on their records last season.
I'm a fan of Chuks Aneke and he is more our Y-factor player. Y can't Aneke play more games and minutes as he would slaughter League 1 as his record of a goal every 100 minutes is top notch. He could even afford to win the crossbar challenge most weeks if he gets 3 chances or more a game. He enjoys being the super sub which tells you his mind as well as his body can be an issue. Play Stockley for 60 and Aneke for 30 if need be but we need the option of the headed goals. (Shrewsbury at home)
He was taken off more to save him getting a second yellow than because of injury in his time at Cafc; unlike Ryan Inniss !
Someone who’s watched him does he have a lot more to his game?
I think those who drop from the Championship like Matthews, Gunter, Watson , Arter and Famewo are always a bit disappointed at the level they are playing at and don't perform so well.
Sorba Thomas has shown brilliantly this year that you can move from lower leagues to the Championship. Below the Premier League, I dont honestly think that the gulf in quality is that big.
If I look back further into our history, Lennie got us promoted by pinching Steve Thompson and George Shipley from division below Lincoln and John Pender and John Humphrey from relegated Wolves.
Time will tell, but nothing on player recruitment so far to be disappointed about.