(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

4 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

Just to remind you that Schumacher is the head coach; not the manager. Jimmy Dickinson is the head of recruitment, while Fergal Harkin is the Sporting Director.

All three work together and need to agree. Ultimately, though, Fergal has the final say.

This system is fairly common across football. The days of everything sitting on a single manager are long gone. I rather suspect this is what got to Evatt, in the end.

I see that and I think you’re probably right but what responsibility then does Fergal take if the players he champions don’t perform? We know what happens to the manager/coach.

I didn't even know Dalby was player of the season till I read it on this thread.

I know exactly what he brought to the team, and of course he was our leading scorer and proved himself undroppable when available. But his season started on 27th Jan when he scored those 2 v Burton. Prior to that he had more horror shows than stand out performances. If the votes were for the last 4 months of the season, yes Dalby was arguably our main man (with Forino and Sheehan IMO).

But over the season in what world was ACD not our player of the season? Every Bolton fan surely recognises he was the standout difference maker and the one player we would have starting for us in August in a heartbeat. Not because he's got potential or because he's a nice lad, but because he was clearly our best player last season.

Rant over, wrong thread etc.

25 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

I see that and I think you’re probably right but what responsibility then does Fergal take if the players he champions don’t perform? We know what happens to the manager/coach.

Fergal is the face of the 'football' department and would have to explain it to the board

ACD was our sprinkling of game changing stardust, the time he spent out clearly didn't help us, though may have helped him, to be able to burst back on the scene with freshness and vitality at a key stage of the season. He'd arguably just started to look a little jaded when the injury struck.

In terms of consistent performance over the course of the season, accounting for SS questionably leaving him out on some occasions, Forino was my standout. Hadn't been convinced about him last season but grew immeasurably through this one.

45 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

I rather suspect this is what got to Evatt, in the end.

I always got tge impression with Evatt and Markham that Evatt was the one in charge

I’m sure each of the 3 people involved in the decision making process also have a number of veto’s. So rather than the final decisions resting with Harkin and him overriding Schuey it’s more likely Schuey felt his concerns weren’t big enough to use his (or one of) his veto’s

3 hours ago, Tombwfc said:

Nombe would've been our top scorer this season and last season playing in sides worse than ours. In 22/23 he'd have been second behind Dion (15 goals vs 17) but our next best scorer had 5 so he'd still have been useful.

We'll never know but given we failed by two games then one game, it's certainly plausible we'd have gone up already if we'd signed him instead of Vic.

Sadly with Vic, its likely his trajectory will only be downwards and he'll be likely to end up in L2, Scotland or low level European scene. At the time we bought him he'd already scored 13 (11 league) for relegation candidates. Despite IE trying to make him be something he wasn't, in the season he started, before the injury that effectively ended his season, he'd scored 10. Not earth shattering but not the complete duffer he's ended up being viewed at.

Having said that, if signed at the same time, and able to have been got for what we were out to pay then, and stay fit, fair to say a reasonable chance Nombe would have been a more likely addition of 15+ across either of those couple of seasons.

Adeboyejo was a complete duffer

47 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

ACD was our sprinkling of game changing stardust, the time he spent out clearly didn't help us, though may have helped him, to be able to burst back on the scene with freshness and vitality at a key stage of the season. He'd arguably just started to look a little jaded when the injury struck.

In terms of consistent performance over the course of the season, accounting for SS questionably leaving him out on some occasions, Forino was my standout. Hadn't been convinced about him last season but grew immeasurably through this one.

It seemed bizarre (with hindsight) that Forino was unused for so long. First name on the teamsheet in defence now, with Sheehan in midfield, ACD on the wing and Dalby up front. If the season had started that way (injuries permitting obviously) its hard to see we would have had the same struggles (relatively). But we only had 1 of the 4 starting in the first couple of months then 2 of the 4 upto about Christmas. If Dalby's season started late Jan, Forino's started a couple of weeks earlier at Wigan.

2 hours ago, Sluffy said:

We've moved on from Evatt and Markham - you HAVE NOT.

Anyone can have an opinion you don't seem to like it when YOURS is challenged though.

The players you talk about above were recruited for League 1 (and we got promoted with them) it is completely irrelevant as to who Harkin. Schumacher and Dickenson are now recruiting for the Championship.

You are correct in saying "we wont know until the season starts if many can make the leap up" - 'as in you and I' but Harkin, Schumacher and Dickenson are paid handsomely to make as certain as possible that their recruitment DOES ensure the squad they put together WILL 'make the leap'.

Let me put it simply, we are just a bunch blokes chatting shit on a forum, it's Harkin/Schuy/Dickinson well paid jobs to know what they are doing, committing millions of FV money to meet the targets they are set.

Yes there is an element of risk but their job is to minimise it, you on the other hand acts as though you know better than those who are vastly more informed than yourself.

The truth is you don't - its only your opinion based what exactly, tea leaves perhaps?

Ahhh at last you have finally got it anything said on this forum is just hot wind. Does not matter what you or i say in the bigger picture in means nothing. Christie, Rodrigues, Bonham, Simons and Davies were all deemed not good enough to play in the Championship.

We cannot go out and pay 10m like some teams in this league or offer 100k wages so i am ok with our recruitment policy. I am just saying do not have big expectations next season

55 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

It seemed bizarre (with hindsight) that Forino was unused for so long. First name on the teamsheet in defence now, with Sheehan in midfield, ACD on the wing and Dalby up front. If the season had started that way (injuries permitting obviously) its hard to see we would have had the same struggles (relatively). But we only had 1 of the 4 starting in the first couple of months then 2 of the 4 upto about Christmas. If Dalby's season started late Jan, Forino's started a couple of weeks earlier at Wigan.

With ‘hindsight’ is key. I saw nothing about in his early days here and with his injury history do not think many who have blinked if he had moved on.

However he has proven myself and plenty of others wrong with the second half of the season performances. All that experience gained playing for St Lucia must have improved him 😂😂. I was just as wrong about Dalby so it is not as though it is only defenders I can not judge

15 minutes ago, Ani said:

With ‘hindsight’ is key. I saw nothing about in his early days here and with his injury history do not think many who have blinked if he had moved on.

However he has proven myself and plenty of others wrong with the second half of the season performances. All that experience gained playing for St Lucia must have improved him 😂😂. I was just as wrong about Dalby so it is not as though it is only defenders I can not judge

This. He was shyte, early doors (but I said the same about Santos 🙃)

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

It seemed bizarre (with hindsight) that Forino was unused for so long. First name on the teamsheet in defence now, with Sheehan in midfield, ACD on the wing and Dalby up front. If the season had started that way (injuries permitting obviously) its hard to see we would have had the same struggles (relatively). But we only had 1 of the 4 starting in the first couple of months then 2 of the 4 upto about Christmas. If Dalby's season started late Jan, Forino's started a couple of weeks earlier at Wigan.

In fairness it was bizarre Forino wasn't playing at the time, not just with hindsight. Almost every team in league 1 launches balls on the box all game so leaving out our 1 dominant defender so much till January was puzzling.

Not a rumour, I've just been looking at some Championship free agents to see what that market looks like.

I wouldn't mind bringing Jonathan Panzo in, just had 6 months at Birmingham, bounced around a bit so far but 25 and athletic. Think we need some bodies in at centre half and early so we can get a partnership together that works and can hit the ground running.

On 10/06/2026 at 11:49, masi 51 said:

Awful signing..........7 starts last season in a team that was relegated

You can see why folk get argumentative with you though can’t you?

I’ve got used to you now, but when your first post about a signing is this, (example on Ben Davies) you have to accept folk coming back at you and disagreeing and questioning your opinion against that of our recruitment team?

1 hour ago, Ratwhite said:

This. He was shyte, early doors (but I said the same about Santos 🙃)

My memory might be deceiving me but I don't remember him ever being shite. Not saying he was top quality but he was decent most of the time in league games. He also had his Wigan moment over a year ago, but even when playing OK this season he was immediately dropped as soon as Toal was available. I'm not criticising that, but Toal was no.1 right sided CB and Forino the stand in, irrespective of form or results , for a long time, even post-Wigan in Jan Forino was left out when Toal returned.

At the top end football is a very competitive game, and the fact that someone can spend years in the championship, and get signed by Liverpool and then Rangers, shows there's something there, you don't stay at that level or get signed by clubs like that for no reason. While things might not have worked out for a few years we have to take the risk, that it won't, this is how we compete. This is how we prioritise what budget we do have on the area's in which need the biggest investment. I think it'd be fair to question unknowns and signings from lower leagues, but signings like this can come all day for me. Not sure people have really understood how many signings etc we might make this year, we could be looking at 15-20 players by the end of the season. Even with the worlds best recruitment, there's going to be hits and there's going to be misses, hell Richard T might turn out to be a legend for us yet.

Edited Tuesday at 17:255 days by Zog1

12 minutes ago, desperado said:

You can see why folk get argumentative with you though can’t you?

I’ve got used to you now, but when your first post about a signing is this, (example on Ben Davies) you have to accept folk coming back at you and disagreeing and questioning your opinion against that of our recruitment team?

What do

13 minutes ago, desperado said:

You can see why folk get argumentative with you though can’t you?

I’ve got used to you now, but when your first post about a signing is this, (example on Ben Davies) you have to accept folk coming back at you and disagreeing and questioning your opinion against that of our recruitment team?

What do you want me to say great signing big, big improvement on what we have got but the facts are Three Rangers managers loaned him out

Did ok at Birmingham in lge1 but struggled at Oxford last season. Injuries and age catching him up. Awful may be over the top and l hope he proves me wrong.

Nothing wrong with two opposite opinions

3 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

What do

What do you want me to say great signing big, big improvement on what we have got but the facts are Three Rangers managers loaned him out

Did ok at Birmingham in lge1 but struggled at Oxford last season. Injuries and age catching him up. Awful may be over the top and l hope he proves me wrong.

Nothing wrong with two opposite opinions

Are we at a point where we're saying 30 year olds are too old and age is catching up?

4 minutes ago, only1swanny said:

Are we at a point where we're saying 30 year olds are too old and age is catching up?

That doesn't bode well for most of the posters on here then.

7 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

What do

What do you want me to say great signing big, big improvement on what we have got but the facts are Three Rangers managers loaned him out

Did ok at Birmingham in lge1 but struggled at Oxford last season. Injuries and age catching him up. Awful may be over the top and l hope he proves me wrong.

Nothing wrong with two opposite opinions

I think the point is that you don’t know it’s an awful signing. You think it might turn out to be an awful signing.

There’s a big difference and how you say it changes how people will read it. You’re unbelievably definitive in most things you say - sometimes you’ve actually got a really good point but you state everything as fact, not opinion.

If you said “based on his recent record with Birmingham and Oxford and his injury problems, I think it will be an awful signing” then it’s far easier to understand and read, gain the context and then either agree or disagree with what is a very fair opinion.

When you state it so factually, you’re basically saying this is right and anyone that thinks differently is wrong.

20 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

What do

What do you want me to say great signing big, big improvement on what we have got but the facts are Three Rangers managers loaned him out

Did ok at Birmingham in lge1 but struggled at Oxford last season. Injuries and age catching him up. Awful may be over the top and l hope he proves me wrong.

Nothing wrong with two opposite opinions

6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I think the point is that you don’t know it’s an awful signing. You think it might turn out to be an awful signing.

There’s a big difference and how you say it changes how people will read it. You’re unbelievably definitive in most things you say - sometimes you’ve actually got a really good point but you state everything as fact, not opinion.

If you said “based on his recent record with Birmingham and Oxford and his injury problems, I think it will be an awful signing” then it’s far easier to understand and read, gain the context and then either agree or disagree with what is a very fair opinion.

When you state it so factually, you’re basically saying this is right and anyone that thinks differently is wrong.

I now don’t have to write my response. Perfectly put @Eddie 👍

Have we signed Rivaldo yet?

24 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I think the point is that you don’t know it’s an awful signing. You think it might turn out to be an awful signing.

There’s a big difference and how you say it changes how people will read it. You’re unbelievably definitive in most things you say - sometimes you’ve actually got a really good point but you state everything as fact, not opinion.

If you said “based on his recent record with Birmingham and Oxford and his injury problems, I think it will be an awful signing” then it’s far easier to understand and read, gain the context and then either agree or disagree with what is a very fair opinion.

When you state it so factually, you’re basically saying this is right and anyone that thinks differently is wrong.

It is never final and is only my opinion, i hope i am proved wrong but he is playing less year on year.........We are not getting the 25 year old version or we would be paying decent money for him. Just the same as Cyrus Christie a player who has played at a decent level but his best days are behind him

39 minutes ago, only1swanny said:

Are we at a point where we're saying 30 year olds are too old and age is catching up?

Not so much age......Niggles, Injuries Michael Owen was on his way down before he reached 25