Summer Transfers and Squad Discussion

[Cjay]

Its nearing the time of silly season.

So this is where it goes

[Cjay]

All players linked so far.
Jerry Mbakogu- Long time rumoured, not the most inspiring choice, god damn awful in fact, spent a lot of this season injured.£4m for a 37 goals in 128 game sin the Italian second division. Interestingly, he is represented by Football Capital, an agency Radz was a director and shareholder before he brought us.
Ollie McBurnie- Decent form for Barnsley and a Leeds lad.
Tom Bradshaw- Another Barnsley player, not a great record, hopefully lazy journalism.
Andy Yiadom- DOnt know much about him, Barnsley again, full back, not needed.
Joe Williams- On loan at Barnsley from Everton, midfielder, not really earned rave reviews there this season.
Joe Nolan- Shrewsbury midfielder, has earned rave reviews for them this season.
Diogo Goncalves- Portugal winger, highly rated from the academy of Benfica.
Alex Gallar- Spanish forward, the replacement for Samu Saiz at Huesca actually, 17 goals last seson for Leonesa, not so sparkling this season.

Departures

Pontus Jansson- Linked with a few clubs, WBA, Burnley, a few others.
Mateusz Klich- Linked with a permanent return to Holland.
Pablo Hernandez- A probable return to Spain with his family, but a possible departure to Birmingham sickeningly..

[1964white]

All speculation Cjay

[faaip]

Indeed though I did like McBurnie from what I saw. Well worth a small investment

[andrewjohnsmith]

I guess we almost signed Mbakogu in January. He's highly rated but his numbers don't excite. I think McBurnie looks a more solid story and a better prospect too. Yiadom might add something to the squad but I think our current full backs are good enough. Not sure about the rest of the targets. Pundits think we need an attacking midfielder. I like Viera, Forshaw, and Philips while Klich and Ideguchi should be giving a preseason to show the manager what they can offer. We really need a solid DC and Bartley is as good a name as I've heard - hopefully we address the situation there. Then theres the ST position - add McBurnie to Roberts and Roofe and that might be enough. GK - I like the Westwood rumors with BPF as competition.

I don't think we need to do much more than that. If we lose Pontus then we might need to sign 2 quality center backs. I don't think Cooper is good enough for a promotion team, and O'Connor and Shaugnessy should probably be our 3rd and 4th CB's.

Losing Saiz or Hernandez would hurt and would need replacing somehow.

[fred]

Interesting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35p4IUNOvWM

[andrewjohnsmith]

Interesting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35p4IUNOvWM

Excellent: In summary as concerns the the squad for next year:
Trim the first team squad to cut the wage bill and allow us to offer higher wages to less players. We signed foreign players last year because we couldn't afford proven championship players. This wage strategy will allow us to target more proven championship players.

[fred]

Excellent: In summary as concerns the the squad for next year:
Trim the first team squad to cut the wage bill and allow us to offer higher wages to less players. We signed foreign players last year because we couldn't afford proven championship players. This wage strategy will allow us to target more proven championship players.

Agree in regaard to reducing the size of the squad. Rather rely on the youngsters and afford 3 or 4 players with higher wages instead, than having a big squad of average players on average players (this correlation isn`t random).
Only problem: gettig rid of the dead wood on long contracts.

[Genghers]

I think a lean squad is fine, but we've seen what a few injuries/suspensions have done to this squad which is relatively big. Only having 2 first team centre halves is obviously an issue (Pennington has been alright, but obviously has limited experience) and we really should have invested there in January, but we've been light across the back four and have limited options up top as well.

We definitely need:
GK - First choice.
BPF has done well, but I still think we'd be selling ourselves short if we rely on him to maintain his form for a full season/keep improving if we're wanting a promotion push.

CB - Partner for Jansson.
Cooper is a good deputy and we've clearly got a few youth players who can do a job.

Striker - Starting.
I hope Lasogga doesn't come back. Obviously we've not seen Roberts yet, but I still think we'll need some more ammunition.

I think we'll lose a few midfielders, as we have a lot of competition for the central 2 or 3 positions, as well as a couple from the u23s looking handy.

Keep: Forshaw, Vieira, Philips, Pablo, Saiz, Alioski
???: Ideguchi, Klich
Gone: Murphy, O'Kane, Anita (if he counts as a midfielder nowadays)

Dallas and Sacko are surplus imo, but both have relatively long contracts, so might be hard to shift.

[Gino 1959]

Good post, Genghers. You need strength in depth, but there has to be quality, too.

In a perfect world you would have at least 2 quality players competing for each position.

Recent history suggests we tend to carry lots of excess weight.

Invariably on long contracts!

[fred]

I think a lean squad is fine, but we've seen what a few injuries/suspensions have done to this squad which is relatively big.

One can always be unlucky in a position if 2 or 3 get injured and/or suspensions. The fact that the squad isn`t small but we have had to play players out of position and/or were forced, thank god, to bring in Youngsters, was down to bad luck AND poor assessment of the squad and what is really needed.
Problem is obvious: you can`t have a large squad with average players with wages not higher than 15`000/week and have and have overaverage players with overaverage wages, this if you`ve got a limit on wages to be spent.
We`ve got players, who we`ve been paying wages without any benefit at all. (Anita, Sacko, Grot, Cibicki, Klich)
Then we have too many players for the same position (midfield), but hardly a single one good enough for other positions (strikers).

We definitely need:
GK - First choice.
BPF has done well, but I still think we'd be selling ourselves short if we rely on him to maintain his form for a full season/keep improving if we're wanting a promotion push.

Agree. But believe he can/should start as the Nr 1. If he is the Nr 2 we will have problems keeping him. He`s had to wait for his chance, and he`s grabbed it with both hands. But that depends on pre-season form of course too. Bringing in a keeper for definite Nr 1 wouldn`t be fair on BPF.

CB - Partner for Jansson.
Cooper is a good deputy and we've clearly got a few youth players who can do a job.

This position needs to be strenghend with a quality CB.

Striker - Starting.
I hope Lasogga doesn't come back. Obviously we've not seen Roberts yet, but I still think we'll need some more ammunition.

We are soo poor up front. Can`t see any of those we have being good enough for our main striker. Need a proven striker if possible. To keep Lasogga would be madness.

I think we'll lose a few midfielders, as we have a lot of competition for the central 2 or 3 positions, as well as a couple from the u23s looking handy.
Keep: Forshaw, Vieira, Philips, Pablo, Saiz, Alioski
???: Ideguchi, Klich
Gone: Murphy, O'Kane, Anita (if he counts as a midfielder nowadays)

We need to get a central midfield player with experience and quality. Viera was poor this season. Forshaw I`m not convinced yet. O`Kane offers more than others going forward...Viera, Philipps offer little in this respect (and Forshaw doesn`t look like a midfielder with much drive going forward either.)

Dallas and Sacko are surplus imo, but both have relatively long contracts, so might be hard to shift.

We missed Dallas on the left wing. He works good going back too. Sacko is aweful.

[weasel]

The theory is good. In having a 20 man squad you can have 2 players for every position if you go with the premise of 3 central midfielders for the 2 positions and likewise in defence. Having players that are capable of playing in 2 positions helps too (although not to the extent of a right back playing left back etc). You then have the 3rd choice player for each position as the U23 player and 4th choice U18 player and should be covered. Hopefully the U23 players have progressed enough to be knocking on the first team door and if they see a path to playing in the first team it should keep them motivated especially as some of them should make the bench given an 18 man matchday squad as it only needs 2 or 3 injuries/suspensions and a spot opens.

[andrewjohnsmith]

You then have the 3rd choice player for each position as the U23 player and 4th choice U18 player and should be covered. Hopefully the U23 players have progressed enough to be knocking on the first team door

I think the issue with that is what we do with the U23's that are most ready. Would O'Connor and Pearce be best sitting in the 23's and waiting for a chance, or would they be better spending a season out on loan? I think the same goes for BPF. Maybe he could be our starter next year, but if he's going to be on the bench behind a senior keeper, maybe he'd be better spending a year on loan too. I only ask becasue I'm still undecided as to the best approach. Totally agree with the 18 man squad if it means we can get better quality in the front end. But I'd also want to make sure we have the strength in depth in case of injuries.

[weasel]

I think the issue with that is what we do with the U23's that are most ready. Would O'Connor and Pearce be best sitting in the 23's and waiting for a chance, or would they be better spending a season out on loan? I think the same goes for BPF. Maybe he could be our starter next year, but if he's going to be on the bench behind a senior keeper, maybe he'd be better spending a year on loan too. I only ask becasue I'm still undecided as to the best approach. Totally agree with the 18 man squad if it means we can get better quality in the front end. But I'd also want to make sure we have the strength in depth in case of injuries.

A tricky one because if you take Lewie Coyle as an example - he started the season as 3rd choice rightback and absolutely the right choice to go on loan, however at January would it have been the right decision to bring him back just to sit on the bench due to Ayling's injury? In hindsight he would have got games due to Berardi being played at left back but just as equally he could have spent half the season just on the bench instead of playing for Fleetwood.

In theory I guess if the U23 player was decent enough then he could go on loan, the U18 player would step up to the U23s and we would hopefully have another youngster to fill in at U18s.

[Cjay]

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leeds ... t-pleased/

Jerry Mbakogu is now an Italian citizen and wont need a work permit, that was the major stopping block apparently in January.

£4mil for a bloke with suspect knees and a 1 in 3 record in Serie B, not the best.

One thing for sure like PH or not, this is a deal that has nothing to do with him, this is Orta, this is a player represented by the agency Radz co founded, this may even not be Orta, could easily be Radz.

[andrewjohnsmith]

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leeds ... t-pleased/

Jerry Mbakogu is now an Italian citizen and wont need a work permit, that was the major stopping block apparently in January.

£4mil for a bloke with suspect knees and a 1 in 3 record in Serie B, not the best.

One thing for sure like PH or not, this is a deal that has nothing to do with him, this is Orta, this is a player represented by the agency Radz co founded, this may even not be Orta, could easily be Radz.

I'm nervous about this one. The bookies have lengthened the odds on McBurnie now too, probably based on this news. It has the sounds of Ekuban all over it. He only plays in Serie B and his goal record is not great. I can only hope that the talent scouts know something. Personally I'd rather have McBurnie.

[Cjay]

I'm nervous about this one. The bookies have lengthened the odds on McBurnie now too, probably based on this news. It has the sounds of Ekuban all over it. He only plays in Serie B and his goal record is not great. I can only hope that the talent scouts know something. Personally I'd rather have McBurnie.

Its a strange one, especially for the reported £4m, thats a lot of money for us, for a player with a dodgy injury record, in there mid 20s without any proven record at any level.

You mention Ekuban, he cost us £500k and is 2 years younger, dont see what makes this guy worth 8times as much? As you say, lets hope the scouts know something we dont, and no other clubs have.

[SG90]

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leeds ... t-pleased/

Jerry Mbakogu is now an Italian citizen and wont need a work permit, that was the major stopping block apparently in January.

£4mil for a bloke with suspect knees and a 1 in 3 record in Serie B, not the best.

One thing for sure like PH or not, this is a deal that has nothing to do with him, this is Orta, this is a player represented by the agency Radz co founded, this may even not be Orta, could easily be Radz.

Sounds like an AR signing rather than Orta. His mates are sure to make a bit of money too.

[Cjay]

https://twitter.com/PhilHayYEP/status/9 ... 16133?s=20

[Clive]

Another pathetic defeat so they leak it to Billy Whizz that they're after Kyle Bartley to stop the atmosphere next week being totally toxic.