(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

1 hour ago, barrycowdrill said:

Derby haven’t paid a penny for him but there’s a sell on fee 

makes the trouble we had around structure of payments even more odd 

Yep did strike me as odd when it seemed obvious Pearson was desperate to bomb him out.

If they had a concern over injury then I’ve no issue with that. 

The cloak and dagger stuff seems a bit weird but again no dramas.
 

5 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

With Knight going the other way, Derby have weakened their squad.

Been a big overhaul of players there this season, be interesting to see how they start. Could be like Ipswich, a bit slow to get going then bomb on

Its a bit chance for us this. Now or never and all that.

Couple of bigboys and budgets gone, Derby in transition, Barnsley lost their captain, manager and got some mad yank in charge. Blackpool are a big danger and fuck knows what Wigan will be like.

We need to be firing from the off big style.

School of thought says Evatt has his cards close to his chest. Wait for Derby, Pompey and maybe Charlton to make their signings, use up their budget then get a free run at top end L1, lower end championship players which nobody else can afford

As he’s highlighted in this interview over the weekend, it’s a domino effect. 
 

yep we might have targets, yep the current club might be willing to let go but they also have a replacement in mind whose somewhere else and that scenario plays out 3 or 4 times over down the chain. 

49 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Its a bit chance for us this. Now or never and all that.

Couple of bigboys and budgets gone, Derby in transition, Barnsley lost their captain, manager and got some mad yank in charge. Blackpool are a big danger and fuck knows what Wigan will be like.

We need to be firing from the off big style.

Think Pompey signed 9, including Regan Poole who signed yesterday he’d of been good for us, Charlton signed 2 wish we’d of signed in May & Dabo, (Dabo not yet confirmed)Derby in transition I’d be surprised if they start that well with all the bedding in,  Pompey finished last season well added to that squad gonna be up there all season and think they might just win the league, think our current squad shouting play offs again… depends on next 2 key signings to see if it’s enough to push us to top 2. 

Edited July 11, 20232 yr by Mounts Kipper
Dabo not confirmed.

1 hour ago, dusan nikolic said:

I've just watched the signing interview done by Derby , Wilson claims the deal as been in the pipeline from the end of last season and all pre season . Make of that what you will.

Maybe this was the hitch in our deal? Derby said they'd take him as part of the Jason Knight transfer and that's why we ended up not pursuing the deal.

51 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Its a bit chance for us this. Now or never and all that.

Couple of bigboys and budgets gone, Derby in transition, Barnsley lost their captain, manager and got some mad yank in charge. Blackpool are a big danger and fuck knows what Wigan will be like.

We need to be firing from the off big style.

We need to fire from the off and beat those who we’re competing with like Wigan & Derby early doors 

Even though some good teams have gone there will be others Portsmouth, charlton and we don’t know what to expect from the 3 relegated sides

 

7 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Think Pompey signed 9, including Regan Poole who signed yesterday he’d of been good for us, Charlton signed 2 wish we’d of signed in May & Dabo, (Dabo not yet confirmed)Derby in transition I’d be surprised if they start that well with all the bedding in,  Pompey finished last season well added to that squad gonna be up there all season and think they might just win the league, think our current squad shouting play offs again… depends on next 2 key signings to see if it’s enough to push us to top 2. 

Pompey winning the league is a good shout after all their signings. Our lot, cant decide where we are at? Now desperately short in midfield, and short, in my opinion, of a Dapo type player who will have a go at taking defenders on. We dont have any flair at present.

It is a bit odd that the very first thing Evatt said after Barnsley knocked us out was that we didn't score enough goals. We've added no players to that part of the team and the most recent suggestion was that we're targeting a centre mid and another wing-back.

We scored 20 less than the four teams above us (40 less than Ipswich). You'd have to be very optimistic about JDB's fitness or Victor/Dan coming good to think we're going to make that up.

36 minutes ago, BeeversLeftPeg said:

Maybe this was the hitch in our deal? Derby said they'd take him as part of the Jason Knight transfer and that's why we ended up not pursuing the deal.

It certainly seems that way . No doubt it will all come out in the wash eventually.  

One thing I’m certain on, this is a big season for the club and more so for Evatt.

Expectation has arguably never been higher since our first season after dropping out of the Prem. 

All the doom mongering at this point with 6 weeks of the transfer window left !   Methinks people are forgetting that the current squad minus Trafford and Bradley absolutely smashed the league winners while could not live with us that day.   And before people say yeah but bradley and Trafford,  well Trafford had nowt to do really, so was only Bradley and 1 player does not make a team. 

Have faith and a bit of patience like mr evatt has asked, I know I have.  

1 hour ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Think Pompey signed 9, including Regan Poole who signed yesterday he’d of been good for us, Charlton signed 2 wish we’d of signed in May & Dabo, (Dabo not yet confirmed)Derby in transition I’d be surprised if they start that well with all the bedding in,  Pompey finished last season well added to that squad gonna be up there all season and think they might just win the league, think our current squad shouting play offs again… depends on next 2 key signings to see if it’s enough to push us to top 2. 

Big call when their manager has only got half a season’s worth of managerial experience - granted they did alright the second half of last season.

It's still a big ask for Pompey to have everyone gel quickly, look at Ipswich last year.

Once they got going in the new year they were formidable but had a couple of big wobbles before that.

25 minutes ago, W.cramp said:

All the doom mongering at this point with 6 weeks of the transfer window left !   Methinks people are forgetting that the current squad minus Trafford and Bradley absolutely smashed the league winners while could not live with us that day.   And before people say yeah but bradley and Trafford,  well Trafford had nowt to do really, so was only Bradley and 1 player does not make a team. 

Have faith and a bit of patience like mr evatt has asked, I know I have.  

You do realise that unless we're basically winning from day one, we aint getting automatic promotion. There isn't anytime to wait for someone to come good etc, we have to be knocking it out of the park from day 1.

If Johnston is out for the season or most of it then...

33 minutes ago, Popeye doyle said:

One thing I’m certain on, this is a big season for the club and more so for Evatt.

Expectation has arguably never been higher since our first season after dropping out of the Prem. 

It is, not least because he has said himself that he has a few quid to spend in the transfer market.

I love what Evatt has done for our club - he's been the almost perfect foil for Sharon and together they've brought back the feel good factor - but I still wonder about some of his decisions.  On the whole, he's made some good decisions, but he does come across as a bit dogmatic in his views i.e. it's his way or the highway - and maybe that's a good thing in a manager.

I'm one of those who wants to trust him implicitly but I just can't help but have a couple of slight niggling doubts - his faith in Dan for example. I presume he believes he can iron out the rough edges we saw last year, and I can't argue against that as he sees the players far more than any of us. He is undoubtedly in the best position to make the decisions.

Last season we were "the best of the rest" and I suspect that there will be a strong group of teams vying for the automatics again this year despite what many are saying, so I reckon we'll need a considerable step up in quality to get to the next level.

Let's hope it's all in hand and we have nothing to worry about.

1 hour ago, Tombwfc said:

It is a bit odd that the very first thing Evatt said after Barnsley knocked us out was that we didn't score enough goals. We've added no players to that part of the team and the most recent suggestion was that we're targeting a centre mid and another wing-back.

We scored 20 less than the four teams above us (40 less than Ipswich). You'd have to be very optimistic about JDB's fitness or Victor/Dan coming good to think we're going to make that up.

I think his gripe was more focussed around the lack of opportunities we create rather than us missing a bucket load. Think he’s made comments about it in pre season too. The players being too process thoughtful, not taking shooting opportunities from outside the box etc 

however your point still does remain. We haven’t as yet addressed the very problem he has highlighted himself.. some creativity. 
 

get one or 2 in who gives us that and Charles will get his 20 again, JDB 12-15? The other 3 a dozen or so between them and it’s fair healthier 

14 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

You do realise that unless we're basically winning from day one, we aint getting automatic promotion. There isn't anytime to wait for someone to come good etc, we have to be knocking it out of the park from day 1.

https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-one/22-february-2023/

1 hour ago, Tombwfc said:

It is a bit odd that the very first thing Evatt said after Barnsley knocked us out was that we didn't score enough goals. We've added no players to that part of the team and the most recent suggestion was that we're targeting a centre mid and another wing-back.

We scored 20 less than the four teams above us (40 less than Ipswich). You'd have to be very optimistic about JDB's fitness or Victor/Dan coming good to think we're going to make that up.

Not scoring enough goals isn't necessarily down to the strikers not being good enough.  Maybe it's down to not creating enough chances for them, being too slow in our build up play which enables the opposition to get every man and his dog in the box.  Maybe it's down to us not playing to our strikers' strengths.  Maybe.

Well there’s still time left in this window to transform the team but right now, assuming MJ does go to MK, I’d say we’re significantly weaker than we were this time last season. MJ, Dapo, Lee, Bradley and Traf all gone and as yet no replacements in critical areas. As I say there’s time yet and I’m sure IE has irons in the fire but whilst all the others seem to be strengthening we seem to be struggling so far so let’s hope that changes soon.

7 minutes ago, Whitesince63 said:

Well there’s still time left in this window to transform the team but right now, assuming MJ does go to MK, I’d say we’re significantly weaker than we were this time last season. MJ, Dapo, Lee, Bradley and Traf all gone and as yet no replacements in critical areas. As I say there’s time yet and I’m sure IE has irons in the fire but whilst all the others seem to be strengthening we seem to be struggling so far so let’s hope that changes soon.

Bradley and Traf have been replaced haven't they?

Dapo won't be replaced like-for-like because he wasn't suited to a position that fitted in with how we play.

That just leaves a replacement for Lee being critical as MJ didn't get near our strongest team anyway.

Be reet.

10 minutes ago, DazBob said:

Not scoring enough goals isn't necessarily down to the strikers not being good enough.  Maybe it's down to not creating enough chances for them, being too slow in our build up play which enables the opposition to get every man and his dog in the box.  Maybe it's down to us not playing to our strikers' strengths.  Maybe.

 

Sure, but we haven't signed any creative players either.

Usual caveats apply - it's only July, Evatt knows best etc. - just seems a bit odd. 

46 minutes ago, Zog1 said:

You do realise that unless we're basically winning from day one, we aint getting automatic promotion. There isn't anytime to wait for someone to come good etc, we have to be knocking it out of the park from day 1.

I'm not sure of your age so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here but Rioch got a team out of this division who didn't click until winter. Points are points and they just have to go on the board, a bad start doesn't kill a season.

1 hour ago, W.cramp said:

And before people say yeah but bradley and Trafford,  well Trafford had nowt to do really, so was only Bradley and 1 player does not make a team. 

Don’t forget Kachunga, who decided to turn up that day