(That long since we've had any, couldn't find the thread)

Alan Nixon: "Top Liverpool starlet Cameron Branagan will Ben allowed out on loan in Jan.

Bolton lead the race for the 20 year old midfielder"

Edited December 11, 20169 yr by Ratwhite

3 minutes ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

Quick question.......how many absolute sitters have we missed this season,?  I've lost count

Quite a few but loads of teams have and miss chances like that every game, the thing is they're creating 3-5+ of those every game so it doesn't matter. Check out these highlights, the reason they can score these goals is because theyre not doing the same thing over and over again. This creates space and time, which turns opportunities into REAL chances.

 

 

 

On 09/01/2026 at 11:24, Wanderlust said:

Whatever happens, I just can’t buy into the idea that we can spend our way to promotion - our challenge will surely be founded on the manager finding a way of getting the best out of our squad, even if he has to rethink his system to achieve it.

I’m sticking with this viewpoint in the absence of any evidence we have decent money to spend.

Schumacher is on thin ice now. He made it clear he was delighted to inherit Evatt’s squad, he’s had a year in charge, he’s brought in and got rid of a bunch of players and he’s had ample opportunity to show he can get the best out of them.

Not what I’d hoped for performance and results wise. I wish him well but he’s got to start getting a tune out of them soon.

 

17 hours ago, Zog1 said:

xG is bollocks in this situation as it ignores build‑up quality and ultimately, football is too complex for a single metric. This treating it as god is why Evatt turned a team of footballers into a team that could pass well.

SS has won league 1 before and for some reason he's come to us and decided to play a totally different set of tactics, make it make sense.

 

 

 

Maybe he changed tactics to suit the players and their abilities? Just a guess, it's the only thing I can think of which is better than when a manager comes in and says "I'm playing x formation and you need to adapt to it" and then the players struggle and the manager is gone after a few months like what happened at Old Trafford 

I would be looking to cancel the loans of both Burstow and Forrs if possible and sign a permanent striker if that is possible.

Stockport interested in Cogley apparently.

57 minutes ago, Blondi said:

Stockport interested in Cogley apparently.

Be a few interested clubs I suspect.

56 minutes ago, Blondi said:

Stockport interested in Cogley apparently.

We shouldn't want him to go.

If he has to then, honestly, good luck to him. Obviously I don't want a competitor to benefit but no bad wishes to him.

3 hours ago, Rizlar said:

I would be looking to cancel the loans of both Burstow and Forrs if possible and sign a permanent striker if that is possible.

I’d personally send all the loans back and revert to wing backs and 3 in central defence but then I wouldn’t have dispensed with Will Forrester either.

I still don't understand why we can't bring in a decent keeper at our level, there must be loads of decent backup keepers in the Championship that  would love to join us.

54 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

I’d personally send all the loans back and revert to wing backs and 3 in central defence but then I wouldn’t have dispensed with Will Forrester either.

I  don’t like wing backs at this level the quality of the players aren’t up to it unless you can get a couple of Conner Bradley’s on loan . Forrester would have been good enough in a 442 or 3 at the back .

I’m not sure what SS prepared formation is if he was starting from scratch but he does like wingers may be he needs another window to move players on that were bought for evatts system 

1 hour ago, Blondi said:

I still don't understand why we can't bring in a decent keeper at our level, there must be loads of decent backup keepers in the Championship that  would love to join us.

Whether on loan or sign there are plenty of Premiership or Championship bit part players around. Squad limits mean good players get left out completely. Many would prefer to play, I'm sure.

6 hours ago, Rizlar said:

I would be looking to cancel the loans of both Burstow and Forrs if possible and sign a permanent striker if that is possible.

The obvious response is it depends who the permanent striker is.  There's only one thing worse than a bad loan signing, and that's a bad permanent signing.  We saw the damage IE did in the last January (and the August one), we need to bear in mind that any signings we make now will be starting next season with us whoever the manager is.  At least we know the loan players are only here till May.

2 hours ago, Blondi said:

I still don't understand why we can't bring in a decent keeper at our level, there must be loads of decent backup keepers in the Championship that  would love to join us.

Yes, it's been an issue for some time.

Would help instill more confidence in the back line.

 

On 10/01/2026 at 14:22, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

Quick question.......how many absolute sitters have we missed this season,?  I've lost count

Also hit the woodwork approx 14 times this season . Fine margins .

2 hours ago, Blondi said:

I still don't understand why we can't bring in a decent keeper at our level, there must be loads of decent backup keepers in the Championship that  would love to join us.

Most 'middling' teams we play at the Reebok seem to have more than competent keepers tbh

31 minutes ago, Burnden Pies said:

Most 'middling' teams we play at the Reebok seem to have more than competent keepers tbh

It's odd how SS has followed-up on an early Evatt weakness. The difference between Cullen & bringing in an experienced but aging & initially unfit Gilks.

He maybe fell lucky with Trafford's loan, Baxter offered ability but no heart.

I'd take a 33+ years old with experience in a heartbeat.

On 31/12/2025 at 11:21, auckland_bwfc said:

Is Elliot Moore still available on a free, the mountain that was Oxfords captain last season? 

Get him in, stick him up front and have sheehan rain hail Marys in at him for 90 minutes. 

Cobblers.  Signed for Nolan, 18 month contract. 

5 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

It's odd how SS has followed-up on an early Evatt weakness. The difference between Cullen & bringing in an experienced but aging & initially unfit Gilks.

He maybe fell lucky with Trafford's loan, Baxter offered ability but no heart.

I'd take a 33+ years old with experience in a heartbeat.

Stange 

Because a fair few don't seem to want the 33 year old with experience that we have..  

1 hour ago, only1swanny said:

Stange 

Because a fair few don't seem to want the 33 year old with experience that we have..  

He's not 33 till 12th March.

tbh I'd not realised. He's not got that far for this age. Do you rate him ?

7 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

He's not 33 till 12th March.

tbh I'd not realised. He's not got that far for this age. Do you rate him ?

Feel there's something there. 

Needs a stronger defence in front of him, because he's not solely to blame for the goals on Saturday. 

Guys been brought in as a benchwarmer he'll know that, buy I'd imagine based off interviews, he's actually good behind the scenes too. You don't want an upstart keeper as backup as they'll gey antsy at the lack of game time 

Feel Coleman got the same treatment from fans. 

I watched Brighton's keeper last night- he was excellent. 

Commentator said it was a good opportunity to put himself in the shop window. 

Jason Steele.

35 years old.

Does that qualify?

 

17 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

The obvious response is it depends who the permanent striker is.  There's only one thing worse than a bad loan signing, and that's a bad permanent signing.  We saw the damage IE did in the last January (and the August one), we need to bear in mind that any signings we make now will be starting next season with us whoever the manager is.  At least we know the loan players are only here till May.

One we should certainly be looking at is Ashley Fletcher at Blackpool. His contract is up in June so could get him for a lowish fee. Scored his 16th of the season on Saturday.

Had him as a kid and brought up and went to School in Bolton. Him and Mcatee would do a decent job without a big outlay

18 hours ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Whether on loan or sign there are plenty of Premiership or Championship bit part players around. Squad limits mean good players get left out completely. Many would prefer to play, I'm sure.

After our share in the development of Trafford I was surprised we couldn’t get another keeper on loan to develop. Then I remembered that we got shut of the best keeper coach we’ve had in Matt Gilks.

Same with Bradley.  I’d have hoped we had a decent enough relationship with Liverpool to be offered a young’un for a season.

18 minutes ago, FrancisFogarty said:

After our share in the development of Trafford I was surprised we couldn’t get another keeper on loan to develop. Then I remembered that we got shut of the best keeper coach we’ve had in Matt Gilks.

Same with Bradley.  I’d have hoped we had a decent enough relationship with Liverpool to be offered a young’un for a season.

Liverpool sent us Owen Beck and Calvin Ramsey.

What's happened to Neil Danns's lad?

3 hours ago, only1swanny said:

Feel there's something there. 

Needs a stronger defence in front of him, because he's not solely to blame for the goals on Saturday. 

Guys been brought in as a benchwarmer he'll know that, buy I'd imagine based off interviews, he's actually good behind the scenes too. You don't want an upstart keeper as backup as they'll gey antsy at the lack of game time 

Feel Coleman got the same treatment from fans. 

I agree, I never had a problem with Coleman who I thought after a shaky start did a decent job. Obviously SS wanted his own in but it hasn’t turned out too well.