I don't think our squad is a million miles off now, considering the recent recruits and results, and unlike previous seasons we're not dependent on loan players who'll go back in the summer. We've brought in 2 centre backs and 2 wing backs in January/February already.
4 quality permanent signings topped up with decent loans will suffice.
Miles to me is better playing off a target man, as he doesn't have the strength off his old man yet, so an experienced lump up front like Wickham would be a useful asset for all our current strikers.
Kanu is going to be a top, top player. He was scoring a stupid amount of goals on a constant basis for the youth teams, quite surprised he is still here. Think he has a higher ceiling than leaburn, especially now he has filled out a bit
All just opinions, but I think Leaburn could become a special player with his physical and technical attributes.
Kanu has demonstrated a bit of pace, superb work rate, decent finishing and improving hold up play, but... technically he seems a little off. His assist yesterday was a hashed shot, and he airshotted the first attempt for his goal. This isn't something that's likely to improve much.
Wickham and Lua Lua make sense as it gives NJ a couple of months to look at them before making a decision long term on each. I’m more enfused by Wickham than Lua Lua as the latter is 33. But happy for NJ to decide if he’s what we need or not.
Would say though that I thought we might be aiming higher than the two aforementioned.
Wickham and Lua Lua make sense as it gives NJ a couple of months to look at them before making a decision long term on each. I’m more enfused by Wickham than Lua Lua as the latter is 33. But happy for NJ to decide if he’s what we need or not.
Would say though that I thought we might be aiming higher than the two aforementioned.
I would not assume that we won't be. Jones may simply be experimenting a little bit with getting ideas for formations and tactics that we can use - getting a feel for how we play with a proper target man for instance. It doesn't NECESSARILY mean that Wickham will be that player but hes what's available right now.
Wickham and Lua Lua make sense as it gives NJ a couple of months to look at them before making a decision long term on each. I’m more enfused by Wickham than Lua Lua as the latter is 33. But happy for NJ to decide if he’s what we need or not.
Would say though that I thought we might be aiming higher than the two aforementioned.
Lua Lua allows us to play with wingers and for Jones to see TC in his natural position. I'm viewing these signings as stop gaps to plug a gap and let Jones experiment, if they earn a place in next years squad even better
Jones stated this week that they are nowhere near where they want to be and I assumed that was with regards to the squad. I think the defence is not quite right, Thomas has done well but we need better in there and I'm not sure that Hector will be re-signed. We need more width in the midfield as an option and I'm hoping that Wickham turns out to be an able replacement for Chuks. Lots of players to leave and quite a few to come in .
The fact that Wickham has already been given a pseudo-trial already and rumours of another similar deal being done suggest that Jones has one eye on next season already.
The squad does need a lot of work though. As was said the season before. And the season before that. And the season before that. And the season before that. And the season before that.....
100%. We need to be building a squad window upon window not making signings that give us an unbalanced miss mash that needs dismantling and rebuilding every summer. I’m assuming and hopeful that Jones has been given a remit and assurances that he can do that. What we’ve had for years is trying to build on a liquid foundation. One or two quality players here and there but basically a journeyman squad. We have at best ten players that we can build something around. We won’t do it in one window but if Jones wants a 22 man squad with an upgrade in personnel then I can see a summer of significant churn, followed by several windows of additions. I’d say at this point we’re miles off.
Disagree that we're miles off. If we could go into next season with our current strike force or even upgrade on Ladapo and/or Wickham that's half the battle already. I completely agree with your logic about several windows of additions but i'd say that more applies to being in The Championship pushing for The Premier League, when all fit there's no better strike force in depth in this division than Leaburn, May, Kanu, Wickham, Aneke, Ladapo.
Jones stated this week that they are nowhere near where they want to be and I assumed that was with regards to the squad. I think the defence is not quite right, Thomas has done well but we need better in there and I'm not sure that Hector will be re-signed. We need more width in the midfield as an option and I'm hoping that Wickham turns out to be an able replacement for Chuks. Lots of players to leave and quite a few to come in .
The fact that Wickham has already been given a pseudo-trial already and rumours of another similar deal being done suggest that Jones has one eye on next season already.
The squad does need a lot of work though. As was said the season before. And the season before that. And the season before that. And the season before that. And the season before that.....
100%. We need to be building a squad window upon window not making signings that give us an unbalanced miss mash that needs dismantling and rebuilding every summer. I’m assuming and hopeful that Jones has been given a remit and assurances that he can do that. What we’ve had for years is trying to build on a liquid foundation. One or two quality players here and there but basically a journeyman squad. We have at best ten players that we can build something around. We won’t do it in one window but if Jones wants a 22 man squad with an upgrade in personnel then I can see a summer of significant churn, followed by several windows of additions. I’d say at this point we’re miles off.
Disagree that we're miles off. If we could go into next season with our current strike force or even upgrade on Ladapo and/or Wickham that's half the battle already. I completely agree with your logic about several windows of additions but i'd say that more applies to being in The Championship pushing for The Premier League, when all fit there's no better strike force in depth in this division than Leaburn, May, Kanu, Wickham, Aneke, Ladapo.
All 6 never have or will be fit at the same time whilst here this season. If they had, quite simply they wouldn't all be here anyway, so it's a pretty irrelevant point.
And I really can't see us stocking 6 strikers next season, especially not of that calibre where all would be expecting to play. It creates it's own problems and NJ is looking for a trimmer and better balanced squad.
I know everyone always says about former players or not signing them or whatever it might be, and they’re fair points… but in terms of creativity and someone who can play in the 10 role behind the front two, I don’t think there will be a better player out there on a free than Tariqe Fosu…
Can I just say all these new links with Fosu and that he’s now training with us and there could be an opportunity to sign him, I called this over a month ago.
If he can prove any kind of fitness, and he wants to be here, he’d be a great addition and with next season in mind.
Jones is the right type of manager to get the best out of him and with the way his career has gone over the last 12 months or so, he’ll know he needs to join a club with a manager who can get his career back on track.
Fosu played a bit of wing back at Brentford in the championship, so he’s an attacking alternative there and can obviously play as an attacking midfielder like we have seen before
Fosu being unemployed since last summer is a bigger mystery than Wickham. He had 2 loan spells in the Championship last season, where he played regularly for Stoke and Rotherham, so fitness concerns weren't an issue.
Fosu being unemployed since last summer is a bigger mystery than Wickham. He had 2 loan spells in the Championship last season, where he played regularly for Stoke and Rotherham, so fitness concerns weren't an issue.
I think when you have plenty of money you can chose your next career steps a lot more carefully and both might have been waiting for something that suited them.
Fosu being unemployed since last summer is a bigger mystery than Wickham. He had 2 loan spells in the Championship last season, where he played regularly for Stoke and Rotherham, so fitness concerns weren't an issue.
I think when you have plenty of money you can chose your next career steps a lot more carefully and both might have been waiting for something that suited them.
I think that’s possibly true but in the main footballers want to play don’t they ? Hes how old ? 28. Still got possibly five years of career left so best part of a year out seems odd to me. Perhaps he priced himself out of a summer contract but you’d have thought a Championship club would have offered him something after the window. Looks older than 28 to me from a couple of photos I’ve looked at. In Jones we trust.
Was absolutely class when we had him under Karl Robinson but a lot has changed since then. The other thing is we don’t actually play with wingers or even wide forwards as such so struggling to see where he would fit into our current system
Was absolutely class when we had him under Karl Robinson but a lot has changed since then. The other thing is we don’t actually play with wingers or even wide forwards as such so struggling to see where he would fit into our current system
Played his best attacking football under Robinson, as he then did well for him at Oxford. If Robinson wasn't managing L2 Salford, I imagine he might have gone back for him.
I see having a winger as an option off the bench with the current system when chasing a game rather than starting.
As it is only six weeks to go in the season could we 'audition' both Fosu and Lualua to see who might be worth keeping next season? Like Wickham I suspect that they would want to play some competitive football before the close season.
Only problem I see with this is that just like Wickham, neither will be match sharp. That in itself provides problems with seeing them as worth something in the summer. Not enough time or games left for them to both get sharp and make a fair representation of their potential. Looking ok in training is one thing but in first team competition it’s much harder. We’ve seen enough players this season not up to speed and both the player and team have suffered as a consequence.
Fosu being unemployed since last summer is a bigger mystery than Wickham. He had 2 loan spells in the Championship last season, where he played regularly for Stoke and Rotherham, so fitness concerns weren't an issue.
I think when you have plenty of money you can chose your next career steps a lot more carefully and both might have been waiting for something that suited them.
Either that or he was asking for too much money himself.
Was absolutely class when we had him under Karl Robinson but a lot has changed since then. The other thing is we don’t actually play with wingers or even wide forwards as such so struggling to see where he would fit into our current system
He played a bit at wing back for Brentford in their championship promotion season. So he will be good enough to play there for us as a more attacking option.
He has also played as an attacking midfielder for us under Bowyer so that would be his main position in our system, but an option at wing back too and then obviously he can play as a winger if we changed system in-game
Weird thing is that had we said we were signing Wickham ,Fosu and Lua Lua at the start of the season or even in January we would have been more excited than for the ones we did get ( bar Alfie)
Only problem I see with this is that just like Wickham, neither will be match sharp. That in itself provides problems with seeing them as worth something in the summer. Not enough time or games left for them to both get sharp and make a fair representation of their potential. Looking ok in training is one thing but in first team competition it’s much harder. We’ve seen enough players this season not up to speed and both the player and team have suffered as a consequence.
Depends on their motivations I guess. Train with us to the end of the season and if they show enough promise then come back for pre season on a formal trial?
Only problem I see with this is that just like Wickham, neither will be match sharp. That in itself provides problems with seeing them as worth something in the summer. Not enough time or games left for them to both get sharp and make a fair representation of their potential. Looking ok in training is one thing but in first team competition it’s much harder. We’ve seen enough players this season not up to speed and both the player and team have suffered as a consequence.
Again this is where I suspect Jones is looking for more in terms of "proof of concept" rather than expecting or wanting to sign these exact players specifically. Do we need wingers at all, how does it affect the balance of the squad, is bringing in experience worth the money or do we aim for a much younger squad in general etc.
If they do well enough to earn a "proper" trial or even a deal, great. If not, it's still useful information for what we need do in terms of reshaping the whole squad.
Comments
4 quality permanent signings topped up with decent loans will suffice.
Miles to me is better playing off a target man, as he doesn't have the strength off his old man yet, so an experienced lump up front like Wickham would be a useful asset for all our current strikers.
Kanu has demonstrated a bit of pace, superb work rate, decent finishing and improving hold up play, but... technically he seems a little off. His assist yesterday was a hashed shot, and he airshotted the first attempt for his goal. This isn't something that's likely to improve much.
Would say though that I thought we might be aiming higher than the two aforementioned.
I would not assume that we won't be. Jones may simply be experimenting a little bit with getting ideas for formations and tactics that we can use - getting a feel for how we play with a proper target man for instance. It doesn't NECESSARILY mean that Wickham will be that player but hes what's available right now.
And I really can't see us stocking 6 strikers next season, especially not of that calibre where all would be expecting to play. It creates it's own problems and NJ is looking for a trimmer and better balanced squad.
If he can prove any kind of fitness, and he wants to be here, he’d be a great addition and with next season in mind.
Jones is the right type of manager to get the best out of him and with the way his career has gone over the last 12 months or so, he’ll know he needs to join a club with a manager who can get his career back on track.
Fosu played a bit of wing back at Brentford in the championship, so he’s an attacking alternative there and can obviously play as an attacking midfielder like we have seen before
As it is only six weeks to go in the season could we 'audition' both Fosu and Lualua to see who might be worth keeping next season? Like Wickham I suspect that they would want to play some competitive football before the close season.
Depends on their motivations I guess. Train with us to the end of the season and if they show enough promise then come back for pre season on a formal trial?
If they do well enough to earn a "proper" trial or even a deal, great. If not, it's still useful information for what we need do in terms of reshaping the whole squad.