(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

He's free. He's experienced at this level. He plays in a position we need strengthening and cover. He's not our marquee signing.

Have a Solero and shut the f**k up will ya.

21 minutes ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

What did they sing

"🎶Champione, champione ...🎶"

“Sign him up,

Sign him up,

Sign him up!”

1 hour ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

What did they sing

Yer just a vile druggy dipstick

2 hours ago, desperado said:

You missed the bits about his spells at Preston and Birmingham?

Not really, he was young and upcoming at Preston and did well there but didn’t figure for Liverpool at all just loaned out then sold on to Rangers. Birmingham gave him one season but let him go and again he didn’t figure much for Oxford so not sure there was much to miss.

3 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Mixed feelings on this one. I was callng for solid Championship experience and this lad has it in bundles. The fact he made little impression in a relegated Oxford side last season is something of a concern. His recent nomadic existence is also a wee bit of a cause for concern . Still, as others have said, if Rangers and Liverpool signed him there was clearly something ticking boxes with the lad. Let's hope it is still there.

I do have a feeling Davies is a Richard Taylor rather than a George Johnston replacement. We need a lot of new defenders. We obviously released Johnston and Tutu but also sold and never replaced Forrester and Dacres Cogley in Janury. We went in to that play off final with five fit defenders. To be frank we skimped on the defence in the last half of the season and were lucky not to have a bad run of injuries in that department. Time to end the neglect re the defence. We need quality and depth.

He hasn't been an every week starter in the Championship since pre-COVID.

Doesn't mean he'll be shit, but no point pretending he's a proven second tier performer. He's another who I'd imagine we'd have signed regardless of the result at Wembley.

Edited Wednesday at 22:013 days by Tombwfc

3 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Not really, he was young and upcoming at Preston and did well there but didn’t figure for Liverpool at all just loaned out then sold on to Rangers. Birmingham gave him one season but let him go and again he didn’t figure much for Oxford so not sure there was much to miss.

Well you could have been less categoric than “he doesn’t seem to have overly impressed ANYWHERE”

When his 7 seasons at Preston and 1 at Birmingham contradict that.

9 hours ago, desperado said:

Davies signed.

looks like he can't believe his luck

as for Burstow

would be happy to sign him as a back up

preferably as a back up for Kenny

but not anywhere near the £2M Hull might think they can get for him

3 hours ago, Zico said:

looks like he can't believe his luck

as for Burstow

would be happy to sign him as a back up

preferably as a back up for Kenny

but not anywhere near the £2M Hull might think they can get for him

i fellow his bird on inster

they are still in the house in Horwich

13 minutes ago, little whitt said:

i stalk his bird on inster

they are still in the house in Horwich

Corrected for you

10 hours ago, desperado said:

Well you could have been less categoric than “he doesn’t seem to have overly impressed ANYWHERE”

When his 7 seasons at Preston and 1 at Birmingham contradict that.

Fair enough and his start at Preston was impressive but I was more referring to his career after that where as I said, he doesn’t seem to have overly impressed at any of his clubs. He seems a decent squad player but I’m not sure he’ll be a regular starter but let’s see, maybe I’m being a bit unfair on someone I don’t recall seeing playing and if Schuey and Fergal think he can do a job I won’t argue with them.

8 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Fair enough and his start at Preston was impressive but I was more referring to his career after that where as I said, he doesn’t seem to have overly impressed at any of his clubs. He seems a decent squad player but I’m not sure he’ll be a regular starter but let’s see, maybe I’m being a bit unfair on someone I don’t recall seeing playing and if Schuey and Fergal think he can do a job I won’t argue with them.

I’ll be honest, like most of our signings, (since around 2014 😂), I didn’t know a great deal about him, until he signed (even now, it’s YouTube videos, Wikipedia, few interviews and quick social media searches of fan/journo opinion)

I’m always amazed (and I’ll be honest a little dubious) of fans who somehow have in-depth knowledge of every lower league player and are therefore able to tell us that they will be a great or shit signing.*

I think your bit about waiting to see them and trusting SS/FH is very much in my line of any early appraisal.

*This isn’t to stifle debate/opinion, just my take 😊

8 hours ago, Zico said:

looks like he can't believe his luck

as for Burstow

would be happy to sign him as a back up

preferably as a back up for Kenny

but not anywhere near the £2M Hull might think they can get for him

I don't think back up striker is a genuine thing, if they are in the 1st team squad they tend to get rotated - due to loss of form, injuries, mixing it up when losing etc. Very different to defenders where GJ played every minute he was available, and Toal not much further behind, then Forino once established. They don't just get rotated and substituted like midfielders and forwards.

For me, our strikers are absolutely crucial, and we can't afford to carry any. Dalby isn't going to play 90 minutes every week (there will be games he can't get a kick for half an hour), we simply need something better than Burstow. The way Sidebe caused us constant problems with pace and direct running and power and finishing ability (both games), shows the difference a genuine striker can make (a year earlier it was Olaofe doing the same). I'm not saying sign them for the championship, but we need better than Burstow, simple as that.

28 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I don't think back up striker is a genuine thing, if they are in the 1st team squad they tend to get rotated - due to loss of form, injuries, mixing it up when losing etc. Very different to defenders where GJ played every minute he was available, and Toal not much further behind, then Forino once established. They don't just get rotated and substituted like midfielders and forwards.

For me, our strikers are absolutely crucial, and we can't afford to carry any. Dalby isn't going to play 90 minutes every week (there will be games he can't get a kick for half an hour), we simply need something better than Burstow. The way Sidebe caused us constant problems with pace and direct running and power and finishing ability (both games), shows the difference a genuine striker can make (a year earlier it was Olaofe doing the same). I'm not saying sign them for the championship, but we need better than Burstow, simple as that.

well no, you wouldn't sign either ahead of Burstow because neither has done anything better than Burstow has in terms of goals, regardless of pace and power

Burstow strikes me more as someone who will score with decent service, like Dalby, but with a bit more skill

I'd be ok with them being our main two who we alternate between

no issues if we don't sign him and take a punt on someone else

but unless they're proven championship level forwards it's a punt regardless

see Charlton with Olaofe and Apter

Burstow, nombe, Kenny. All nonsense either not good enough or won’t sign.. whole forum needs to move on.

Loan market from the prem/champ will be crucial with our budget and where we will go down or stay up depending on the success of them.

Ben Davies was a very solid player a few tears back and I presume he can still tackle, head, provide a physical presence and pass but I’m just slightly concerned about whether his injuries have left him without enough pace for the Championship. Still, I guess we’ve got to give him a chance. Could turn out to be what we need.

I'd expect FH and SS know if there are physical considerations and risks regarding Ben, they signed him anyway. So they either think its not a consideration due to tactics or they think they can fix them if they exist. If they aren’t an issue we've just got a leading Championship centre back for free. I'd also expect that these aren’t the marquee signings which will need to come if we are to progress with resources probably being saved for wingers and full backs, where we are currently weakest.

All things being equal, I might be tempted to sign Sidibeh ahead of Burstow, to be fair

18 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

I'd expect FH and SS know if there are physical considerations and risks regarding Ben, they signed him anyway. So they either think its not a consideration due to tactics or they think they can fix them if they exist. If they aren’t an issue we've just got a leading Championship centre back for free. I'd also expect that these aren’t the marquee signings which will need to come if we are to progress with resources probably being saved for wingers and full backs, where we are currently weakest.

Ben Davies has made 32 Championship appearances since the 20/21 season. Six years on from his time at Preston, it'd be a surprise if he turns into one of the leading centre backs in the division. Or if he ever was.

Incidentally Burstow has made 51 Championship apps in the last three seasons and Xavier Simons 33. I wouldn't consider any of them being here for their second-tier experience and all have a lot to prove they belong at this level.

But I agree with you, the players who'll actually define our season (replacements for Kenny and ACD if not those players themselves) will come later in the window.

23 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

All things being equal, I might be tempted to sign Sidibeh ahead of Burstow, to be fair

It's always difficult to judge a player you've watched play every week vs the mystery box of a new signing, but even considering that I'd probably go with Burstow. He's still 22 and can improve. When Sidibeh was that age he was playing for Cheadle Heath.

I'd pick Tolaj over both if we're talking L1 strikers capable of making the step up.

16 hours ago, bwfc87 said:

Hopefully turns out to be a solid Mike Whitlow type we had in the past. Underrated, unsung, solid pro that every side needs.

What we'd give for a Mike Whitlow or Simon Charlton

27 minutes ago, Tombwfc said:

Ben Davies has made 32 Championship appearances since the 20/21 season. Six years on from his time at Preston, it'd be a surprise if he turns into one of the leading centre backs in the division. Or if he ever was.

Incidentally Burstow has made 51 Championship apps in the last three seasons and Xavier Simons 33. I wouldn't consider any of them being here for their second-tier experience and all have a lot to prove they belong at this level.

But I agree with you, the players who'll actually define our season (replacements for Kenny and ACD if not those players themselves) will come later in the window.

The price to buy a leading Championship centre back starts at £10-15 million, even an average one will set you back £5 million, if we don’t take risks we won't stay up.

The difference between Simons, Burstow and Ben is, Simons and Burstow were bit part Championship players. Ben was so good at Preston, he was signed by Liverpool, and then signed again by Rangers to play in the Champions league. It didn't work out the difference is Ben HAS been someone, Simons and Burstow are still young and are yet to be anyone.

Edited Thursday at 13:053 days by Zog1

16 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

The price to buy a leading Championship centre back starts at £10-15 million, even an average one will set you back £5 million, if we don’t take risks we won't stay up.

The difference between Simons, Burstow and Ben is, Simons and Burstow were bit part Championship players. Ben was so good at Preston, he was signed by Liverpool, and then signed again by Rangers to play in the Champions league. It didn't work out the difference is Ben HAS been someone, Simons and Burstow are still young and are yet to be anyone.

The last time Ben Davies was anything more than a bit part player for a Championship side, we were in our Ken Anderson-Lawrence Bassini era. Simons and Burstow were in school. It's a football lifetime ago. He wasn't a leading Championship centre back then, so the chances of him being that now are incredibly slim.

I agree we're not going to be spending millions buying top quality in every position. So I think people - mostly on Twitter - writing him off as a shit signing are being harsh. He'll have a role to play and might do it well. But equally there's no point making out we've signed a proven commodity based on games he played when Theresa May was Prime Minister.

1 hour ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

All things being equal, I might be tempted to sign Sidibeh ahead of Burstow, to be fair

Looks much more of a threat to me. If we had to play the play off final again and we had a choice of Burstow or Sidibe to play against, I'd play against Burstow every time. On the day he was anonymous and wasteful and that happened a few times post-October. Well played to him for his first 2 or 3 months, and that's the reason he had a good overall scoring record last season, but its impossible to ignore the combination of his last 6 months and the higher level we'll be playing. And its a shame because he's clearly got the right attitude and seems robust (not so-called injury prone which makes a nice change), but he's limited.

51 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

The price to buy a leading Championship centre back starts at £10-15 million, even an average one will set you back £5 million, if we don’t take risks we won't stay up.

The difference between Simons, Burstow and Ben is, Simons and Burstow were bit part Championship players. Ben was so good at Preston, he was signed by Liverpool, and then signed again by Rangers to play in the Champions league. It didn't work out the difference is Ben HAS been someone, Simons and Burstow are still young and are yet to be anyone.

Just playing devil's advocate here, we'll see what he's like with our own eyes not based on 5 years ago or Twitter comments.

But Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U do sign duds as well.

Rob Holding to Arsenal (he was great for us, but never that level and hardly played anywhere in the last few years).

Liverpool had Nat Phillips in their team for a while (not good enough for the Prem and just an OK championship defender probably).