Zog1

Ceesay Like N'Mai, i was never mad on Ceesay, i understood them from a logic perspective, but there are still loads of decent DM's out there and that agent just sounds like trouble. Plus I'd want us to atleast shift one of our central midfielders before biting the bullet on another. Broome If the intention with our goalkeeping department is to have Sharman-Lowe as number 1 this season and Broome as number 2, with the intention of Broome getting a few league and all the cup matches this season, and if he does well, becoming our number 1 next season. At that same time Hutchinson go out on loan to get league 2 exp, and is our number 2 next season. I can see some sort of logic here.

Decent League 1 target man, has struggled with goals over the last few years but many of those appearances have been off the bench. Would get some stick from most of our lot but could do the job with the right team around him.

I'm giving Rob Holding and Aaron Mooy £20 million each as they were both regular Premier League players. Danny Ward at his peak in the Premier League maybe £10 million. Aaron Ramsdale -£30 million for Arsenal Ashley Fletcher - £6.5 million Maybe £3-5 million each for the rest of them Dont forget how crazy the values got up there after we got relegated.

Danny Ward, Ashley Fletcher, Chris Basham, Aaron Mooy, Luca Connell, Josh Vela, Rob Holding, Joey O'Brien, Aaron Ramsdale, Zach Clough, Nat Phillips. There has to be £100 million in value there at their peaks If we can just get 1 decent one every 2-4 years that's enough on top of the 1, maybe 2 that would drop down to league 1 and 2 for a few 100k every year. Combine that with the signings we've made and while i agree it isn't amazing it might be enough to approach keeping our heads above water.

I think its more of a case that it was working in terms of getting talented players in, what we seemingly lacked was a talent recognition at that next step in the bridge between the academy and the first team. Players like Matthew Cassidy and Nathan Woolfe getting a few first team appearances (opportunities to prove themselves) who've gone on to do very little vs players who were around the academy at that same time couldnt get near the team.

Joey O'Brien Aaron Mooy Aaron Ramsdale All had ok Premier League careers.

Conway is a dark horse this year, could be a big player for us.

Looks like we had a trialist goalkeeper playing against Tranmere Rovers https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/pre-season-friendly-wanderers-1-1-tranmere-rovers

Half the reason we did so poorly in defence last year was the way Evatt had the team set up, the midfield 2/3 was packed with light weights, who other teams knew they could just bypass or bully. This for all intents and purposes mean't we didn't have a midfield from a defence perspective. So all the attacking pressure was put on the centre backs, this did a few things. It caused injury and made the defence look incompetent with mistakes, this caused a drop in confidence which created more mistakes. Toal, Forrester, Farino and GJ didn't go from being leading league 1 centre backs to being rubbish over the course of the 10 weeks between the end of the 23-24 season and the 24-25 season.

Looks like 4231 is back on the menu boys

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25291942.bolton-wanderers-snap-brightons-amario-cozier-duberry/

Character He likes players who get stuck in, he wants a good set of lads, who give it their all, and enjoy playing, who want to play and no d**k heads. Wants to play attacking football, and on the defence he wants to counter press. Talks to each player 1 on 1 before signing to make sure he's the right personality fit. Transfers 1 maybe 2 players in before our first pre season game. Doesn't want to have to drip feed players in over the transfer window but accepts he might have to. He wants wingers. One who can cross, take on a man and shoot, as well as be able to press on the defence and close space. No 35 year old wingers, resellability? Method - He explains that he sets the player positions and profile he wants, which are then found by Dickinson and with the analysts they present him 3 options, with stats, video clips and in person analysis, he picks the one he likes best which Harkin then makes an offer for. 1 player wanted 10k a week Tom Barkhuizen? a 21 year old wanted 6k a week Kelly N'mai? Just a guess Ambition Short - Promotion Medium - Championship stability Long - Everton Manager

Loads of clues as to how he wants us to set up.

Might others from the outside say that about us with Baxter, Santos, and Collins, we knew the flaws of the first two but would they.

Rockhardo Vaz Te

Looking back there are so many of them, Big Sam really wanted Eto, and even the ones we did sign were totally played out of position and all sorts. Rodrigo Moreno, Blerim Džemaili, and Marcos Alonso are the 3 from that time period that really hurt.

We've been down this route before of signing younger players from the lower leagues, hoping they could make the step up and it didn't work, It played a big part in us getting relegated from the Premier League. We spent about £20 million building a Championship squad while still being in the Premier League. Danny Shittu, Marvin Sordell, Mark Connolly, Sam Ricketts, Tyrone Mears, David N'Gog, the list is nearly endless. Not to say it wont work this time but we need some experience and we don't have it.

Just to note, he's available for free in 2 days. I'm not convinced you need to be spending tons in transfers to get the best. Our best singings in the last 5 years have been free or very close to (under 100k).

To be fair they were just some bad examples. Michael Obafemi joined Championship Swansea City from Premier League Southampton for £1.5 million in 2021-22 having played 32 games (inc subs) in the Premier League. We're talking about playing £1 million for someone who played in the equivalent of the National League for 1 season. Just seems crazy.

He's Celtics 6th choice striker, he's nowhere near the Champions League proper, he played off the bench in their qualifying matches. This is another Daniel Braaten.

B Team Dubem Eze has gone out on loan to Scunthorpe United.

Based on their new scouting methodology perhaps they've been waiting for trials for potential free agents or pre season matches for contracted players so that they can see them "live". I think now preseason has started you'll start to see some movement. I am a little worried by the bids we've seemingly had rejected because they're for players that i think on the face of it that we can do better than. What's more worrying is that if we're being rejected for our first choices, how bang average are the second and third choices. ps before you say it I'm aware we're in League One, but these two 500k signings we're being linked with only have experience in League Two and the Shamrock league, that's miles away from even a lower end League One team level.

Exactly as I demonstrated a few posts back there are loads of decent players out there many of which are going to be free agents in 3/4 days. Flashing the cash, £500k here, and there on players with no experience, i don't care how many games you've had in League 2 or the Shamrock league, it's near meaningless. League 1 is a decent step up on its own, and that's without considering the teams we're competing against are full of either Championship or top league 1 talent. Hopefully much of the noise has been teams trying to drum up interest in a player they want gone as the talent we've signed so far is very promising.

Birmingham dominated League One with a midfield consisting of only 1 player at 6ft (just) in a 4231. The others are 5'8/5'9 (on a good day).

I can not believe the amount of sh1t i've heard in the last month, from people demanding we play 442 to rubbish like that.