Thetownend.com

So something has to give doesn't it and can see a few going back in January but who?

I got a feeling we will see El Habd go back and Thomas

It seems like Williams will be sent to back to Liverpool. I hope he is anyway, waste of a loan at the moment.

I doubt Thompson and Gladwin will be extended either. Louis wants Championship football and I think QPR might give Gladwin a shot given his form here.

El Abd may well sign on a permanent, potentially Thomas too if we can shift Smith (so probably not)

I think we will keep Gladwin. QPR are looking at signing Huddleston so think he will be further down the pecking order

This is why we need to make the most of our good run, as it is likely to be all change in Jan.

El Abd is a tricky one....obviously from the noises we'd like to sign him, but won't be able to afford his wages....Shitty will want to play hardball.

 As regards Thomas, I suppose it depends on the deal agreed with Barnsley for Michael Smith...if as was anticipated we sell him, then maybe that might enable something to happen with Wes. However it really hasn't worked out for Michael, so who knows?

For me getting Louis and Ben back up and running has turned us around...lose the 2 of them as seems likely and a return to the mire is feasible.

Agree with all that Reg. If El Habd does indeed return then a left back is a must

Yep.

BOO has been a disappointment, a bit like a Jack Bartram, tidy enough player, but doesn't really do enough to affect the game, of course players develop at different speeds, so might be unfair to write him off just yet.

One thing is for sure, Power is going to be in ducking and diving paradise in Jan.

Would like to see him sort it out early this year. Be interesting to see what happens with Kasim aswell

Yaser is indeed a conundrum...his contract must be up in the summer, and there's been no talk of renewing. I can't imagine there'll be too many suitors in Jan, given his form, so I'd guess he'll just run down until May and then move on....probably abroad. You can pick up some seriously silly money playing for someone like Al Sadd.

Would he go there I get the impression from his attitude that its Real Madrid or nothing!

I think we will keep gladwin, get smith back through no choice meaning losing Thomas, Louis I can't see staying and two Liverpool outfield players suddenly become more important even though I've seen nothing of them..

Humph.

We've got this foreign lad Yelko Pino joining on loan in January as well that is already training here as well having we ?

That is another one to fit in if he is good enough!

El abd & vigeroux will be made permanent (or at least attempted to)
Thomas will probably be off
Thompson will be sent to a championship side. Gladwin possibly, but I'm more convinced he'll be here all season
Williams will be cancelled

I'd be surprised if Pinko is not a permanent deal. He's been training with us for months now.

Bournemouth have signed Juan Iturbe on loan for the season.

Can we get Ritchie back on loan?

:p

@aelabd6: Huge thank you to everyone at Swindon town FC. Appreciate being treated so well. Really enjoyed my time there...

@aelabd6: ..Good luck to everyone at the club for the rest of the season #STFC

Bollocks

Bugger.

Bristol City have sent three loanees home and so will need El-Abd as cover until they make signings.

He won't play for them again.

Maybe we'll re-sign him when/if they make signings then?

That's currently my line of thought.

Is he out of contract at the end of the season? If so, could see him terminate his deal and sign on a free.

Who've they sent back? Think he's got another year left hasn't he?

On the plus side, it means Turnbull can come back into the middle and we can, perhaps, get another left back in.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/BRISTOL-CITY-Robins-boss-Steve-Cotterill-talks/story-28455240-detail/story.html

Simon Cox, Callum Robinson and Liam Moore are City's returnees, but none of them have featured much. Moore is a defender.

-----
Still think/hope/prey we'll see el-abd back.

With Cox, Robinson and Moore all leaving Bristol City have 18 professionals including a rookie goalkeeper (and if Norwich let them keep Bennett). One injury and they're dipping in to the Academy which Cotterill seems very reluctant to do.

I still think that Bristol City will bring in a fair few players in January and eventually El-Abd will become available.

They don't want him.

This. Left back is a priority imo. BOO not good enough from what I've seen & Brophy has promise but playing him & Barry would leave us very weak & susceptible to being attacked down the flanks. Although tbf BOO & Brophy both suit a 3-5-2 more than a 4-4-2 imo.

Really cant see us signing another LB, we have 2 and can't see power funding another one with other positions needing to be reinforced

It would be nice to see Brophy at LB, as when he has mostly played, he's been playing out of position as left midfield.

I thought I read it as a perm deal :hmmm:

Reading between the lines, maybe he ain't good enough.

Power's last statement was that we'd have to see what the next manager thought of him.

I'd definitely like to see more of brophy.

Perv

Stephens loan at Boro terminated. Could there be something in him returning to us? Would definitely get game time. Maybe play Stephens CDM?

Stephens would be ideal, least with us Southampton would get a guarantee of first team football. Not sure Championship clubs would give that.

But we need to free up loan spots though not add more players

To be fair 2 have gone back

As things stand, Wes Thomas and El Abd have gone back...we've been told that Jordan Williams will go back, also that Norwich want Louis into the Championship and a ? over Ben Gladwin. Which seems to leave Vigs and Kevin Stewart for definite.

I think we will see Gladwin and Thompson stay to be honest.

Tbf to LP he has delved into his pocket if he thinks a player will bring him a profit in the long run. Whether Stephens falls under this remit & indeed whether he would want to come back here are two very different questions.

Don't forget Turnbull!!

I had a niggling feeling I'd forgotten someone.....Jordan though feels like part of the furniture. Not sure about his status.

Here until the end of the season unless Soton do a Stephens & recall him which is unlikely considering he's playing regularly.

I can't see Gladwin or Louis attracting much interest from the Championship. They have had some good performances but have not set League One alight on a consistent basis. They could both do with another 6 months to prove consistency.

Agree, Gladwin was awful at Burton. Thompson has been pretty average last few games IMO, the latter been saved from criticism due to being "one of our own." Still feel it's essential to keep them until end of the season though. 

El-Abd definitely not coming back then.

His words in an interview with FLIC

http://www.flicwiltshire.com/el-abd-states-there-is-no-possibility-hell-be-returning-to-town/

Very strong comments.

If it's a permanent move elsewhere then I'm sure he'd just say it.

Cotteril being a dick I reckon

Just about to say something along the same lines. Nothing in that interview hints at it being our reluctance to conclude the deal so can only assume it is something their end.

Perhaps City have reevaluated his potential value in their relegation struggle, what with Flint not turning out to be the messiah after all.

I was wondering if he'd fallen out with somebody but his latest interview pretty much puts paid to that. I'm now leaning toward the 'Cotterill being a dick' camp.

It would indicate that Bristol City want him for cover. Which will infuriate their fans as everyone knows that he has zero future at BS3 and will need better cover to stay in The Championship.

Unless they're trying to sell El-Abd and we don't want to and/or can't afford him.

Maybe they're trying to force him out and he's refused to take a pay cut or severance pay on the remainder of his contract. I suspect he's probably signed up to about 5 times what he would likely get here for the next 18months. Can't really blame him if this is the case.

This.

I was talking to a City fan at work before Christmas, and he was convinced that they wanted El-Abd off the wage bill. They certainly don't want him.

I'm in the 'Cotterill being a dick' camp...

According to the man himself, money has nothing to do with it.

I took that as being Swindon money has nothing to do with it.

My immediate thought was City have sold him to someone who have yet to announce. Only because it was so definite in nature.

Would be very disappointing if he went to anybody else in this div tbh.

Me too, but money talks and we aren't flush. Can't see it being a championship club (if any)

Pullen may have a point about being kept for cover mind. Would be odd though as impressions were he surpless - would think they need to improve their back line with recruitment(s) and use whoever gets dropped as cover.

Hes off to Oxford

Fool me once.....

El-Abd not even on City's bench & they only had 6 subs!!

Cup tied! Played for us against Rochdale.

Course he is. Forgot about that. My bad!!