Transfer Gossip

[DomRepWanderer]

If we're gonna give the captaincy to anybody it's gotta be Dempsey.

[DirtySanchez]

1 minute ago, Cheese said:

A good point. I just think we need more aggression at the heart of the team, and George Thomasson has got that.

Aye but he picks up so many unnecessary yellow cards 

Maybe we're over estimating the role of a captain these days 

It's not like cricket where they can change things during a match 

If a player fucks up any of the others should be able to say sort it out

Teams have had keepers as captain but they're not in the midst of the action 

[Gonk]

1 minute ago, DomRepWanderer said:

If we're gonna give the captaincy to anybody it's gotta be Dempsey.

He needs to be starting every week to be considered - that's not been happening recently though

[Wanderlust]

2 minutes ago, thebells said:

These lads are the exact profile of enthusiastic and ambitious players we need.

I'd much rather a young, aspirational League 1/2 player than a 'disgruntled' Championship player.

To say these lads are ok as bench / competition / injury cover is unfair. Unless you are an afficionado of League one and two football, you can't possibly know how good they are / will become. I'm not, so will wait and see - we signed Ricardo Santos from Amazon and he's turned out ok!

In addition to enthusiasm and ambition, Collins, Forino and Lolos  all have engines, enough physicality to compete and are technically good which does suit the style.

Last season I thought Evatt's plan could actually have worked, but we were let down by getting bullied too easily plus poor passing and movement at times - and the occasional lack of defensive organisation. Perhaps if we'd had these players then we might have got over the line.

That said, I still feel we need someone in the same mould to dominate midfield. I've been hoping for a while that George would be that player but he's not quite there yet. Sheehan could never be a dominant ball-winning midfielder and although he distributes well, it's no coincidence that he was moved to pick up the ball deeper. Put a ball-winning beast in there so the forwards wouldn't have to track back so much.

Sheehan is a dilemma for me. When he played further forward we had a greater attacking threat so the opposition closed him down and man marked him. At the same time we were better defensively as George shielded the back three. Understand why they were swapped around, but it did coincide with our results tailing off.

 

[thebells]

3 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

Aye but he picks up so many unnecessary yellow cards 

Maybe we're over estimating the role of a captain these days 

It's not like cricket where they can change things during a match 

If a player fucks up any of the others should be able to say sort it out

Teams have had keepers as captain but they're not in the midst of the action 

100%. It's a symbolic role in most cases. There's value in it for the person they give it to, but their impact on the team is minimal. 

Santos will remain club captain (a role which will hold far more significance since he'll report into first team management about players worries / concerns / etc). Reading the quotes, and i have no knowledge on this, I would imagine Santos has asked to be removed from the team captaincy role in order to focus on his own performances. It will take some pressure off him and allow a younger player to receive the accolade. I'd expect it might be shared between 2-3 of them on a game by game basis, most likely Thomasson, Toal and Sheehan.

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

18 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

He captained albeit a weakened Wales team 

Maybe there's more to being a captain than shouting at people 

He was only really the captain because there were so few senior players in the starting eleven

[Cheese]

18 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

Aye but he picks up so many unnecessary yellow cards 

Maybe we're over estimating the role of a captain these days 

It's not like cricket where they can change things during a match 

If a player fucks up any of the others should be able to say sort it out

Teams have had keepers as captain but they're not in the midst of the action 

Everyone knows he picks up too many yellows, but I reckon if he keeps improving at the rate he has over the last couple of years, that'll be something he focuses on.

[masi 51]

Glad no ones mentioned Jones, for me its between him and Cogley for RWB/RB Johnston or Toal for me as Captain

With Thomason getting the vice Captain

 

Edited June 28, 2024 by masi 51

[Zog1]

35 minutes ago, thebells said:

It's clear from the 3 signings what the club's policy is (and it has been this way for 3 years now). It also doesn't take a genius to say that this squad now needs some freshness to help move on from last season. These lads are the exact profile of enthusiastic and ambitious players we need.

I'd much rather a young, aspirational League 1/2 player than a 'disgruntled' Championship player.

To say these lads are ok as bench / competition / injury cover is unfair. Unless you are an afficionado of League one and two football, you can't possibly know how good they are / will become. I'm not, so will wait and see - we signed Ricardo Santos from Amazon and he's turned out ok!

Nonsense, some of the best players we've ever had including Anelka have come here because they were disgruntled for their home club.

In 2006 would you rather have Anelka not happy at Fenerbahçe or 22 year old League 2 top scorer Izale McLeod? McLeod who evenutally made it to the Championship for 1 season, struggled to score (3). The reason for this...he wasn't good enough and his great league 1/2 goal scoring record mean't nothing.

There's often a reason a player is playing for a league 1/2 team and it isn't often bad luck. Don't forget Santos did drop down to the national league with Barnet from League 2 but he had been playing regularly for Peterborough in League 1 until 2017. We've just returned him to where he was.

 

 

[kent_white]

29 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

In addition to enthusiasm and ambition, Collins, Forino and Lolos  all have engines, enough physicality to compete and are technically good which does suit the style.

Last season I thought Evatt's plan could actually have worked, but we were let down by getting bullied too easily plus poor passing and movement at times - and the occasional lack of defensive organisation. Perhaps if we'd had these players then we might have got over the line.

That said, I still feel we need someone in the same mould to dominate midfield. I've been hoping for a while that George would be that player but he's not quite there yet. Sheehan could never be a dominant ball-winning midfielder and although he distributes well, it's no coincidence that he was moved to pick up the ball deeper. Put a ball-winning beast in there so the forwards wouldn't have to track back so much.

Sheehan is a dilemma for me. When he played further forward we had a greater attacking threat so the opposition closed him down and man marked him. At the same time we were better defensively as George shielded the back three. Understand why they were swapped around, but it did coincide with our results tailing off.

 

This new lad had presumably been brought in to do the job I always hoped Sheehan (Or Gomez) would do (ie act as a playmaker but further up the field). 

I expect there will be a few occasions when Sheehan is subbed for the new lad when things aren't going well or Evatt expects us to dominate. We need that creativity in the middle as well as the pace and crossing from the WBs at times. 

Nice that we've now got that option!

 

[Marc505]

1 hour ago, Steejay said:

100% agree with this thought.

Yeah, we need forwards, defenders, wide men etc but the area of central midfield is where we need strengthening most.

Our midfield was deficient against teams with more nous and physicality and this would be, imo, our most important signing of the summer.

A leader, mentally strong, would motivate the rest of them, who might still (like me) be suffering from the Wembley hangover.

 

And someone who didn't suffer the Wembley fiasco (or to a lesser extent who didn't experience throwing away the kind of advantage we had in new year) might be a good way to move on.

Short of candidates otherwise for me, I see the arguments for Thomason for his battling elements and for Sheehan for the way he's (supposed) to be the director of how we play. I'd possibly suggest Baxter who comes across as a confident bloke, but really I think we need something fresh.

[Johnnyrotten]

2 hours ago, TrickyTrotter said:

I like Tommo and he’s still improving, but if we’re supposed to be improving as a team, he’s not guaranteed a start.

Still expecting at least a couple more to come in midfield, more if Morley moves on. 

He's as guaranteed to start as anyone.  Its hard to imagine anyone other than Santos being a guaranteed outfield starter any more than Tomo, whoever we sign.  Does the captain have to start every game, is that not what vice captains (Jones) are for?

[Biggish Dave]

Jack Cork is still without a club. Just saying.

[Johnnyrotten]

1 hour ago, Steejay said:

100% agree with this thought.

Yeah, we need forwards, defenders, wide men etc but the area of central midfield is where we need strengthening most.

Our midfield was deficient against teams with more nous and physicality and this would be, imo, our most important signing of the summer.

A leader, mentally strong, would motivate the rest of them, who might still (like me) be suffering from the Wembley hangover.

 

I agree 100% with the type of player you have in mind, that's what we are missing.  But it'd be a huge call to bring someone in, presumably from a team below us as is the norm, and then give them the armband.  They would have to have a huge self confidence and character and above average ability.  Imagine trying to settle in to a bigger club, better players, you don't really know anyone, and the manager says your going to be playing every week and your new teammates should listen to what you say and follow your example to an extent.  Maybe we thought Dempsey would be like that when we signed him but he just isn't that type, not a talker in the slightest on the pitch and strikes me as introverted off it.

[Steejay]

2 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I agree 100% with the type of player you have in mind, that's what we are missing.  But it'd be a huge call to bring someone in, presumably from a team below us as is the norm, and then give them the armband.  They would have to have a huge self confidence and character and above average ability.  Imagine trying to settle in to a bigger club, better players, you don't really know anyone, and the manager says your going to be playing every week and your new teammates should listen to what you say and follow your example to an extent.  Maybe we thought Dempsey would be like that when we signed him but he just isn't that type, not a talker in the slightest on the pitch and strikes me as introverted off it.

It wouldn’t be someone from a lower division at all.

It should be an experienced guy with some authority who the others respect. Wouldn’t come cheap but it’s what we need more than anything else.

[Zico]

4 hours ago, Marc505 said:

Interesting interview re. Santos in BN today, the captaincy still not discussed yet seems telling.

In the debate about what alternatives there are if its not Santos, I wonder if we'd possibly go and try to sign someone who's captaincy material this summer rather than give it someone else currently with us. Might be a positive thing to give it someone new to the team perhaps.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/24416505.bolton-wanderers-boss-makes-big-statement-ricardo-santos/

huge statement that about Santos staying

can't move for statements these past few days since they went back to work

getting bored of the statements now to be honest

but

why make a statement, then leave it open about who will be captain

when will we get a statement about our new captain?

#statement

[DirtySanchez]

24 minutes ago, Biggish Dave said:

Jack Cork is still without a club. Just saying.

Leroy Lita is still knocking about in the lower leagues 

Coalville have had to pull out of the league as their chairman has had enough 

Could be available on a free

[thebells]

1 hour ago, Zog1 said:

Nonsense, some of the best players we've ever had including Anelka have come here because they were disgruntled for their home club.

In 2006 would you rather have Anelka not happy at Fenerbahçe or 22 year old League 2 top scorer Izale McLeod? McLeod who evenutally made it to the Championship for 1 season, struggled to score (3). The reason for this...he wasn't good enough and his great league 1/2 goal scoring record mean't nothing.

There's often a reason a player is playing for a league 1/2 team and it isn't often bad luck. Don't forget Santos did drop down to the national league with Barnet from League 2 but he had been playing regularly for Peterborough in League 1 until 2017. We've just returned him to where he was.

 

 

I'm not sure Anelka was a disgruntled Championship player!

... and i'm even more sure we weren't a League One club when we signed him!

 

Totally agree about Santos though. We have developed him to be the best version of himself! Maybe we will do the same with the signings you have written off as bench players.

 

[Mannyroader]

1 hour ago, Biggish Dave said:

Jack Cork is still without a club. Just saying.

Didn't his dad work for us in the Megson era? Happy memories? Maybe not.

[Mounts Kipper]

Nicky Cadden would be perfect for us I really hope we are in for him. 

[boltonboris]

A fit Santos is the most important player in our team. Absolutely ridiculous for people to write him - Get him back upto speed, support him and he'll bring the goods as he so often did.

 

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

 

[kent_white]

7 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Nicky Cadden would be perfect for us I really hope we are in for him. 

Is he out of contract? 

[kent_white]

Just now, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

 

I'm sure they were saying the same thing about him last year. 

Jesus - if we can recoup some of the money we spent on him I'd snatch their hands off! 

[Steejay]

Any ideas about how much we have paid for Lolos?