Thetownend.com

What do we think we need to keep a promotion push going

Left back
Defender
Striker

That's it for me and some turnstiles of course

Good post and I agree with the positions that need strengthening anyone got any names to wet the appetite🤔

100% on all of that.

Surely you mean ‘attacker’

I would also send Gilbert back but definately keep Crichlow, Simpson and KKH.

Gilbert is a strange one as Brentford rate him highly but it just hasn't happened for him apart from a brief spell earlier on.

A lawyer to fight the FA/FL charges?


In all seriousness when you consider where BC/BG started from the fact that a) we are where we are and b) that we 'only' need the above to kick on is a massive tribute to what they achieved.

This all day.

Agreed about Gilbert, send him back. Look to move Grant on if we can. Would love him to be part of the team but clearly out of favour and taking up a wage. Sign a left wing back, striker and centre back.

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I wonder if Wrexham will be back for Hunt

I have watched every game so far (bar Crewe in the FA cup) and I honestly don't remember Gilbert ever impressing me yet.

Unlikely as they signed a right back from Leeds instead.

I can't remember which game it was JJ maybe when he made his debut he looked ok in patches and you could see he had potential but now seems to have lost his way.

ditto

Gilbert is truly dreadful

We are going to need a keeper too, with Jojo going away for the African Nations.

Send Gilbert back, would also see if we could maybe get JML a loan deal somewhere where he can play every week.

I had forgotten about a keeper, yes we will need a youngster to come in as benchwarmer in goal, also I doubt we will send JML out on loan, even though he needs games, he fills our "homegrown" player quota on matchdays, unless Parsons comes back and does that.

His debut off the bench v Stevenage was pretty bright from memory. But not happened for him since.

I have honestly forgotten that then!

I like Gilbert, i think when you look at the bigger picture he is a very young lad with just 7 league appearances to his name. He is making a bigger impression than most 19 year olds do.

That being said on Saturday he was horrific but there's a player in there i reckon

Yeah, I don’t think Gilbert is like some young loanees we’ve had where they clearly aren’t going to cut it in men’s football. He has technical talent, but just struggles to influence matches at the moment however he’s only young and I think he’ll probably haunt us somewhere down the line playing against us.

For the here and now though, he’s an obvious upgrade in January.

Oh I am sure there is a player in there somewhere but I am not sure we can afford to nurture him along enough, hes not getting much game time so won't develop enough.

Simpson who is also 19 isnt doing badly ;)

Edit: pretty much as Chang says.

When he has played in Gladwins role he has looked a lot better

A quality left wing back and another striker are the main areas, maybe a centre back as well.

Dom Thompson & a striker.

Could do with two strikers really.

Been almost an ever present on the bench for Brentford in the Prem this season and given the number 2 shirt.

I agree there may be a player in there, and it's hard to get going being in and out the team.

but if we need to sacrifice a wage ...

yeah ok Grant may be off, but you get the point

Has only played two EFL Cup games though - so how close he is to playing vs which quotas he meets and who else meets them in their squad I guess.

Just the sort of player we could do with.

Ipswich away Dom Thompson was great, it went downhill faster than Franz Klammer from then on! thanks Sheridactyl.

Yes, wouldn't mind seeing him back in an environment where he would get some proper coaching with an opportunity to develop.
I'd imagine he would relish a chance to get that last loan spell out of the system regardless of where he ends up.

It's not soured the relationship with Brentford anyway.
Gilbert will do ok in the pro ranks I suspect.
A run of games would do him good, albeit he might not get them here as it stands.
Simpson might have been in the same boat if he had been playing second fiddle to the mythical "experienced" striker this season.

I think Gilbert will make a decent fist of a Football career, there is plenty of good to work on.  The issue he has had is influencing a game, he seems on the periphery for the most part.  I think he'd do well when played wide, which isn't going to happen here.  He gets a bit lost in the traffic in the middle.  I can well imagine him getting game time in the top two leagues in the coming years though.

I'd agree on a left back.
Another striker would be nice.
Assuming we continue to always play three central defenders, we could do with one with a bit of height.

Totally. I would of been happy to stay up and have a viable club.

Who knows what budget we will have? We could already be maxed out?

Gilbert was excellent first half in a home game earlier in the season. Colchester maybe?

But agree, most logical approach (unless he has a very good month) is to send Gilbert back and find another out and out striker on loan.

Think we have one loan space left? So a keeper in for Woolacott for Jan/Feb.

CB or LB would be nice, but we have enough cover to be competitive.

We do have Mildenhall who has sat on the bench recently to save money on a GK loan and maybe leave the space for another player??

Does he count as home grown?

Can't see why not.

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Not the only club with a striker berth

https://cumbriacrack.com/2021/11/25/if-anyone-has-any-names-let-me-know-carlisle-united-boss-happy-for-fans-to-suggest-new-faces-for-squad/

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I hope Carlisle fans aren’t like ours otherwise all the managers getting is a list of players who’ve played for the club in the last 10 years and are still in the football league

I agree. I rate Gilbert quite highly and think he has a lot of technical ability. Currently he looks more suited to playing 'in the hole' behind McKirdy and Simpson. He doesn't look suited to playing up front. With Gladwin and Williams we don't need him.

I think Gilbert is a decent player but I can't see a place for him. Not got enough about him for the first team at the moment. He isn't going to come on if we are chasing a game - He is behind Williams/Gladwin/JML there. He isn't coming on to hold a game either- Lyden/East/Grant  will do that. I don't see what us, Brentford or Gilbert himself are getting from him being here.

LWB. I want to like Iandolo, and the boy has skillz, but he's too inconsistent.

A CB, for obvious reasons. Maybe two.

Another striker. Not just another 'forward', we have a shed load of those. I want another out and out striker to complement the big lad up top (who I like).   

Shrivvy and I both said that Iandolo was the weakest player in our first team a few weeks ago and got pelters for it, now the general consensus is that a LWB (along side a striker) should be our priority in January - funny how views change so quickly.

Totally agree with your assessment Flash.  Iandolo is a very handy squad player to have in there, but he is not to the level of the rest of the first 12/13 players..  If we are serious about having a go at climbing up the leagues, we need to be aiming at better.

Iandolo definitely the weakest link. Imagine we had a player with the attacking flair of KKH on the left.

I seem to recall that the left hand side of the field has been problematic for many teams over the years

And funnily enough any good consistant ones at our level are quite rare. Maybe we'll get lucky and unearth a gem that no one else spots.

I would genuinely try him on the left and hunt on the right

KKH may well benefit from cutting inside on his right than being an overlapping wingback as he is on the right.

It would be a different approach especially as Williams is great at playing the wing role on the left they could compliment each other.

LB/LWB has been our weakest position since Donohue left, Iandolo has some good games but they are interspersed with far more average or poor games, he is massively inconsistant and is a decent backup option but not good enough to claim the position.

Not just you 2, I have taken a lot of abuse for suggesting that over the last 2 years from a couple of posters in particular.

Hes a solid squad player but thats his limit I am afraid. We need a good left back and if that means trying KKH in that role then who knows? with Crich back it would free Hunt to go back to RB, might be worth trialing it in the PJT on Tuesday in a game that is deemed not as important.

Nah not for me. Hunt is a decent defender but not great going forward. We should be looking at signing an attacking, left footed full/wing back.

I would have the young left back from Brentford back if he was available who looked good before Sheriden shot his confidence.

Hes been on the bench for almost every game for Brentfors this season in the Prem, hes a non starter.

In agreement with the three main positions that need filling the only difficulty I see is that they will need to hit the ground running as there will be little time to integrate into the system we are playing and young untried players will probably not be the answer. Have to assume Ben Chorley has players in mind providing they are not going to break the bank.

I didn't know that so definitely forget that one😅

In an interview yesterday with Garner and Rob Angus, Angus confirmed there is some play in the budget to bring in new recruits, although Garner stated vehemently that is very happy with his current attacking options and has no plans to add to them or send any loans back unless they are called back by their parent club.

Of course you’re assuming everyone wants another LB/LWB type to replace Iandolo.
Personally speaking I suggested we need another player in that position because we have no depth there.

Of course I'm not.  Still doesn't change my point though.  Iandolo is the weakest player in the starting team, and if we are serious about climbing up the leagues we need better than him not a back up for him.

The key thing will be and will be the decider on the type of player we get in is if Clem & Angus decide it is worthwhile paying off the FA loan to be able to expand the wages that are paid.

We have players out of contract at the end of the season that we will want to tie down, and they may need to be paid a little more that the £1200 a week we are currently able to pay so there is that consideration also, they may not want to leave it until the end of the season when other clubs may start sniffing around.

Or will we be able to turn any loans into permanents ?