January Window - expectations, hopes and fears

[Nemo]

Okay, it’s more or less transfer window time. We’ve all been saying ‘wait until January’ for months, for good or ill. What’s a good or bad window in your view? What do we need - everything?

My rough idea is…

Good Window
New keeper loan to replace Mahoney
Two CBs allowing FBT to play on the left
Keep Hutton or suitable replacement. Not so fussed on Kokolo.
Destructive midfielder in
Keep Khan or replace adequately
Keep Kemp
Keep Young or replace adequately
At least one, ideally more two strikers to allow Austin rest

So broadly replace anyone who leaves and at least 4 more players total. Doesn’t seem hugely likely.

Bad Window
Brann as backup for the rest of the season
Kemp, Young, Mahoney all gone
Hutton and Khan go and not adequately replaced. Maybe RHM and Kokolo go too.
Overall squad numbers comparable to current side, maybe plus one or two

Basically ending where we started numbers wise but without Kemp and Young. We'd be very poor and the Beamish Line would be well in play.

I guess my actual expectations are somewhere in between? New keeper in, maybe Wakeling back as that makes a lot of sense, hopefully at least use all 5 loan spots this time.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

What’s the point in 2 new CBs if they’re asked to play in the same manner of the current CBs? Whatever system Flynn is attempting to play - if there actually is one - isnt and won’t work, especially in L2.

[STFC_Gazza]

Regarding the Goalkeeper, my understanding of the rules would suggest if we had Ward as first choice for the rest of the season and he was injured or suspended we would be able to sign a goalkeeper on an Emergency Loan as our other Keepers are not counted as Professional Keepers

You can download the EFL Rules at https://www.efl.com/documents/efl-handbook.pdf Rule 58 is the one that affects Emergency loans

This was the Rule that Forest Green used to sign James Belshaw as an Emergency Loan when there keeper Luke Daniels was injured.

This therefore brings the question do we sign a keeper or Keep Ward as first choice and sign an additional Outfield player on loan?

[Cowley38]

Okay, it’s more or less transfer window time. We’ve all been saying ‘wait until January’ for months, for good or ill. What’s a good or bad window in your view? What do we need - everything?

My rough idea is…

Good Window
New keeper loan to replace Mahoney
Two CBs allowing FBT to play on the left
Keep Hutton or suitable replacement. Not so fussed on Kokolo.
Destructive midfielder in
Keep Khan or replace adequately
Keep Kemp
Keep Young or replace adequately
At least one, ideally more two strikers to allow Austin rest

So broadly replace anyone who leaves and at least 4 more players total. Doesn’t seem hugely likely.

Bad Window
Brann as backup for the rest of the season
Kemp, Young, Mahoney all gone
Hutton and Khan go and not adequately replaced. Maybe RHM and Kokolo go too.
Overall squad numbers comparable to current side, maybe plus one or two

Basically ending where we started numbers wise but without Kemp and Young. We'd be very poor and the Beamish Line would be well in play.

I guess my actual expectations are somewhere in between? New keeper in, maybe Wakeling back as that makes a lot of sense, hopefully at least use all 5 loan spots this time.

I have a feeling Morfuni may go shit or bust in this window, where he gets the money from heaven knows

Could put us in a dire financial position

[tans]

I have a feeling Morfuni may go shit or bust in this window, where he gets the money from heaven knows

Could put us in a dire financial position

We already are!

[Cowley38]

We already are!

A worse financial position....

Hopefully if could signal the sale of the club

[Legends-Lounge]

A worse financial position....

Hopefully if could signal the sale of the club

Within FFP rules of course. Don’t want to piss off the EFL any more than we already have.

[Bob1978]

Expectations:
2 loans out
5 loans in
2 perms on short term deals.

[molepar]

Okay, it’s more or less transfer window time. We’ve all been saying ‘wait until January’ for months, for good or ill. What’s a good or bad window in your view? What do we need - everything?

My rough idea is…

Good Window
New keeper loan to replace Mahoney
Two CBs allowing FBT to play on the left
Keep Hutton or suitable replacement. Not so fussed on Kokolo.
Destructive midfielder in
Keep Khan or replace adequately
Keep Kemp
Keep Young or replace adequately
At least one, ideally more two strikers to allow Austin rest

So broadly replace anyone who leaves and at least 4 more players total. Doesn’t seem hugely likely.

Bad Window
Brann as backup for the rest of the season
Kemp, Young, Mahoney all gone
Hutton and Khan go and not adequately replaced. Maybe RHM and Kokolo go too.
Overall squad numbers comparable to current side, maybe plus one or two

Basically ending where we started numbers wise but without Kemp and Young. We'd be very poor and the Beamish Line would be well in play.

I guess my actual expectations are somewhere in between? New keeper in, maybe Wakeling back as that makes a lot of sense, hopefully at least use all 5 loan spots this time.

My thoughts are very similar to yours on this one. I think maybe one experienced centre back with a decent number of EFL appearances may suffice, especially once Clayton is back in the frame (but agree two would be nice).

Assuming that the loanees all go back, I would like to see:
1 new GK
1 or 2 CB
Kokolo to sign short term deal
1 midfield destroyer (or Flynn trying Clayton or Brewitt as DCM)
1 new attacking mid (may end up being Aguiar)
1 new striker (as some have said, Wakeling on loan could be a decent option here)

If we lose Hutton and Khan then replacements for them. Regardless of what happens with Kemp I think we should recall
Aguiar.

Not too optimistic but would like to think that after all the backlash about squad size that we will at least try to end Jan with more numbers in the squad.

[DiV]

Mahoney, Kemp, Young, Hutton, Khan, FBT, Clayton & RHM out.

Wakeling in on loan.
Aguiar loan return

[kirky69]

We need physicality throughout the spine of the team, a big center half,  a central midfield enforcer and center forward plus replacements for Mahoney, Young & (god forbid) Kemp.
 
So net 3 in which will take squad size to 24 excluding youths, which is where it should have been all season.

Happy for Ward to be number 1, if it helps free up budget elsewhere, maybe forces us to be a bit more direct, which with increased physicality in the squad shouldn't be an issue.

Shade version 2.0 almost seems like a new signing and if Devine regains fitness this will give us an extra option at left wing back. On the other hand I fear that Austin version 2.0 is now a bit part player at most and maybe could be offered a player/coach role with emphasis on the latter.

Will this all happen? Probably not, although feels like Morfunis last chance to save the season and get fans on board to fork out for season tickets.

[Nemo]

What’s the point in 2 new CBs if they’re asked to play in the same manner of the current CBs? Whatever system Flynn is attempting to play - if there actually is one - isnt and won’t work, especially in L2.

I think you want one if them to be an organiser type, a Darren Ward who can put our other defenders where they're supposed to be and yell at them when they're not. Our current defenders are all very quiet.

[joeydubya]

Would rather leave Ward as is - if anything happens to him we can use the emergency loan system and I'd be more concerned about outfield. If we were to get a loan, maybe Flynn could give Tom King a call? Or Vigs?

One or ideally two experienced CBs, same for central midfield. Would recall Aguiar for the last chance saloon but leave Adeloye as he's probably better where he is for all concerned.

Feel like Morfuni might want to hit the nostalgia button - McKirdy or Wakeling loan?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

McKirdy hasn’t started training yet after his heart problem

[Batch]

what do we need. with nobody leaving:

centre forward. maybe 2
cereal midfielder lump
at least one centre back that defends in preference to bring able to fanny around with the ball

and I'm not sure that gets us to the playoffs