January 2016 - Transfer Rumours, Speculation & Suggestions

[phantom limb]

I could kind of accept it if someone came out and said that we've basically given up and aren't going to sign anyone in this window, but that the plan is to massively overhaul the squad in the summer to get straight back up again, but we don't appear to even be doing that. There is no guarantee that we're going to make the necessary changes, and it's extremely worrying.

[bertlambshank]

Can't wait for Tuesday,the bullshit will be over.

[pauliewalnuts]

Heres the scenario, What if no one will come unless we pay them crazy wages and they get to walk at the end of May for nothing.

And what if that isn't the case? That's a scenario, too.

Look at our players up-front. Even given us having that ten point gap, I refuse to believe we couldn't get someone in to offer us another option.

We should be fighting like fuck to avoid relegation, but we're just aimlessly drifting along, waiting for it to happen. That entire "couldn't give a fuck" starts from the very top of the club, the owner, and trickles down.

That Man City fan quote someone posted elsewhere is bang-on - as a club, we've given up even trying. It's just so depressing to watch it unfold.

[Chris Smith]

I could kind of accept it if someone came out and said that we've basically given up and aren't going to sign anyone in this window, but that the plan is to massively overhaul the squad in the summer to get straight back up again, but we don't appear to even be doing that. There is no guarantee that we're going to make the necessary changes, and it's extremely worrying.

I think as a club we would be in trouble with the authorities if we said we were giving up so we have to keep up a facade. I have come to the conclusion that relegation is actually the best thing that can happen, no more hiding places after years of muddling through. As long as Garde is here then I have some faith that we will be rebuilding to come back up stronger.

[OzVilla]

Obviously none of us know for sure but my gut feeling is they've tried, they've been knocked back at every opportunity either due to wage demands or players biding their time to see what else transpires. These windows tend to heat up very late. 

As I said, the problem is the 10 point gap, that stuffed this window right from the get go, stick or twist, players no longer interested or will come short term but it's 150k p/w or nothing.  4 points a drift and it'd be worth the gamble, 10 points its just not.

Those Norwich and Sunderland games effectively killed us.

[saunders_heroes]

I could kind of accept it if someone came out and said that we've basically given up and aren't going to sign anyone in this window, but that the plan is to massively overhaul the squad in the summer to get straight back up again, but we don't appear to even be doing that. There is no guarantee that we're going to make the necessary changes, and it's extremely worrying.

I think as a club we would be in trouble with the authorities if we said we were giving up so we have to keep up a facade. I have come to the conclusion that relegation is actually the best thing that can happen, no more hiding places after years of muddling through. As long as Garde is here then I have some faith that we will be rebuilding to come back up stronger.

You'd trust the club to put behind 6 seasons of incompetence and neglect and have some kind of Championship re-birth where all they make all the right decisions and invest the cash into making us a Premier League club again?
What makes you think that?

[Malandro]

Can't wait for Tuesday,the bullshit will be over.

Oh no it isn't!

[OCD]

My concern would be that the club is arrogant enough to believe that coming back up at the first attempt is a given.

[brian green]

I agree with every word of that Chris but I would change your "some" to "considerable" faith.

[DB]

I could kind of accept it if someone came out and said that we've basically given up and aren't going to sign anyone in this window, but that the plan is to massively overhaul the squad in the summer to get straight back up again, but we don't appear to even be doing that. There is no guarantee that we're going to make the necessary changes, and it's extremely worrying.

I think as a club we would be in trouble with the authorities if we said we were giving up so we have to keep up a facade. I have come to the conclusion that relegation is actually the best thing that can happen, no more hiding places after years of muddling through. As long as Garde is here then I have some faith that we will be rebuilding to come back up stronger.

I see where you are coming from, but if given a choice between going down and staying up, then I would choose to stay in PL. No good can come from going down, we could be stuck in the C-ship for years, or even worse -go down further. It can take the club years to recover. Re Garde, I agree, he needs to be here next season for us to have a good chance to bounce back up. Randy on the other hand....

[brian green]

My view is that given the choice of being a laughing stock in the Premiership or being a respected, well run, progressive club in the Championship I would choose the latter.

[curiousorange]

I think its yet another example of stupidity to expect players to flock to our banner in the summer when we've done nothing but wave a white flag for the whole of the month. What happens next January when we're bobbing about in the shallow end of the Championship - do we write that transfer window off too?

Incompetent twats.

[passitsideways]

Obviously none of us know for sure but my gut feeling is they've tried, they've been knocked back at every opportunity either due to wage demands or players biding their time to see what else transpires. These windows tend to heat up very late. 

As I said, the problem is the 10 point gap, that stuffed this window right from the get go, stick or twist, players no longer interested or will come short term but it's 150k p/w or nothing.  4 points a drift and it'd be worth the gamble, 10 points its just not.

Those Norwich and Sunderland games effectively killed us.

Yeah, I think I'd be willing to give the benefit of the doubt only on the basis of our recent performances (yesterday aside). I mean, if Garde's imploring the players to continue to work their arses off, presumably, he's taking that same attitude to transfers. Beyond that, we have absolutely no idea whether it's the board being unwilling to part with too much money even for an expensive loan (e.g., someone on 60k+ a week or something joining us with an option to buy or something), or it really is the case that every player who we've looked into has told us to feck off because we're shit.

As for paulie's point about the fishiness of not having even one additional option in - I mean, I sort of agree with that as well: it's very difficult to believe that they can't manage that. But, again, that might come down to the available options. I mean, just as a hypothetical: would you really bother if the only players who were willing to join on loan without crazy demands were, say, the 2016 equivalent of Grant Holt? In such a case, I personally wouldn't bother - and I'd view that as a a matter of common sense, rather than reflecting apathy towards the situation.

[saunders_heroes]

My view is that given the choice of being a laughing stock in the Premiership or being a respected, well run, progressive club in the Championship I would choose the latter.

Can you give us an example of a respected, we'll run, progressive club in the Championship?

[john2710]

I'm no fan of Lerner nor his cohorts who have overseen the almost total demise of this proud club. But, we all know that our relegation is inevitable and has been for weeks. Faced with the fact that the players we need don't want to come here & those who would will be nothing more than mercenaries looking for a meal ticket.

The planning for next season should start now by identifying those we need next season and shifting those we don't. That doesn't mean we buy players now.

The worst will come over the next few weeks & it won't be nice.

I really feel sorry for Remi, the right man at the wrong time. He's got an almost impossible job to do with what he's been given. I really hope he stays.