January Transfer Window

[cdbearsfan]

Lansbury could be a great player but has had a bad season with niggling injuries. Would be sad to see him leave

He could be a great player, were it not for the fact he's shite at football.

Lovely hair though.

I still miss Sanchez. Best hair we've ever had.

[Jon Crofts]

Lansbury could be a great player but has had a bad season with niggling injuries. Would be sad to see him leave

He could be a great player, were it not for the fact he's shite at football.

Lovely hair though.

I still miss Sanchez. Best hair we've ever had.

Best since Tony Daley surely.

[Hookeysmith]

I'm not even sure we need any other players - keep the 4141 formation and just change personnel as and when required as it is attacking / defensively minded when you want it to be

simple this management game

[Toronto Villa]

If we are going to keep playing the way we did with a DM being so important, then maybe we should be looking for a player there as a third option to the Jedi/Whelan?

In a pinch and if both Elphick and Terry are fit I reckon Chester is more than smart enough to play there.

Never thought of Terry playing anwhere else. But now you mention it I could see him doing very well there.

Just to be clear I was suggesting Chester.

[tomd2103]

I like a DM who stays there, it means the full backs can get forward without leaving the centre backs exposed.  if we're going to play 4141 then one of the other 2 central midfielders (Grealish and Hourihane the other day) needs to be able to sit in and make it a 2 in the defensive roles if needed. Onomah is ideal to be the 1 who does that because his mobility means he can switch between the 2 quickly.

We shouldn't ever need to go more defensive than that so long as 3 of the front 4 that are left work hard and press the ball high up the pitch (Grealish, or whoever is in that role, should be excluded from this so he's always available to spring the counter-attack).

I like 4-1-4-1 and we have probably had our two best home performances this season playing that way (Norwich and Bristol City).  Like you mention, we still need a bit of flexibility though and that is where I worry a bit with Bruce.  The next home game after Norwich, we played Brentford and they had obviously watched us because they played a similar formation.  They put that little ginger haired lad in front of the defence and pushed their two more advanced midfielders on.  Our two more advanced midfielders dropped, so we basically had a flat three in there and the ginger lad had acres of space.  Not only that, our midfield dropping so deep meant that Davis became isolated and the ginger lad was able to sit in front of him and stop balls coming in to him.  Bruce should have changed it around in midfield after about 15 minutes, but he didn't and it became more and more frustrating.   

Not meant as a pop at Bruce and I like the 4-1-4-1 formation, it's just that we need that flexibility in games. 

[ASHTONVILLA]

If we have to sell to clear space off the wage bill and raise funds (FFP issues) then who would we get shot of?

Obviously I would love to see Richards and Agbonlahor off the wage bill, but neither look very likely to go.

I guess one of De Laet or Bree are disposable as we have Elmo and Hutton there.

We have too many central Midfield players, so Lansbury could go. Could let Onomah go back to Spurs maybe?

McCormack is an obvious one if Bruce wont play him, but unlikely we would get much of a fee given how public the fall out has been.

That leaves players we don't want to sell with Chester, Kodjia and Grealish being the ones most likely to attract bids.

On balance I would rather see us bring kids through unless we can sell unwanted players.

[dave shelley]

Wasn't Bree bought as one for the future?  Given the age of the current full back options I personally think it would be an error to move him on before he's had a proper opportunity to fulfill any potential he may have.

[mr underhill]

he needs time to mature

[PaulWinch again]

Selling Bree would be a terrible idea.

[DB]

he needs time to mature

Titter

[ciggiesnbeer]

If we are going to keep playing the way we did with a DM being so important, then maybe we should be looking for a player there as a third option to the Jedi/Whelan?

In a pinch and if both Elphick and Terry are fit I reckon Chester is more than smart enough to play there.

Never thought of Terry playing anwhere else. But now you mention it I could see him doing very well there.

Just to be clear I was suggesting Chester.

Ah gotcha. I dunno, Chester seems the most most natural and gifted CB we have had for..... well for a long time. I would be kinda scared to see him move out of position even though he probably could. Terry on the other hand just knows what he is doing all around the pitch and his passing and distribution from DM on paper at least sounds plausible.

[clash city rocker]

 

he needs time to mature

I think there could be an 'abondance'of puns here.

[Rigadon]

Chester in midfield?  Not for me, he's a very solid centre half but his passing and movement would be exposed playing there.

[godzvilla]

he needs time to mature

I think there could be an 'abondance'of puns here.

Sweet Dreams are made of Cheese , who am I to dis a Bree ?........................Godzvilla!

[garyshawsknee]

Who is the young centre back we bought from Bury ?