Summer transfer, gossip and speculation thread

[ozzjim]

It would be madness to get rid of Albert.

Agreed.

If we are going 3-5-2 we need to get a forward that can play the target man role in on loan (Gallagher, Hugill) a left wing back who can run and tackle and cross, all the thing Neil Taylor can't, and a couple of centre halves because we have Tommy and Chester. Oh and a keeper. Tim Krul is on a free, and seems a complete no brainer to me, or loan that Jakupovic that  Bruce had at Hull, he must be 3rd choice at Leicester after they paid 12 million for a reserve keeper yesterday (seriously the money in the PL has gone to new levels of stupid). All of this can be done through loans etc. Take Onomah and Carter Vickers from Spurs without paying their wages as part of the Grealish deal for example. We have to buy cheap and get the best squad together we can, plug the gaps and hope Hourihane and Kodjia fire. Oh and keep Albert, could be a good wing back.

[mr underhill]

simple!

[eamonn]

Good old Ozz - practical, workable solutions. Let's do it. I think Onomah could thrive given the right players around him. A real pisser that our two young fellas most likely to - O'Hare and Hepburn, are crocked again.

[SoccerHQ]

Isn't Michel Vorm rumoured to be coming on loan as part of the Grealish deal?

He's a decent enough keeper at premier league level so that will be the keeper position sorted.

[Mister E]

I hope we don't take loans from Spuddds: we have taken several duds from them before, at the expense of our youngsters.
Screw them to as much as we can for Jack and set our own agenda for our squad, with a view to long-term squad  development.

[sirlordbaltimore]

If we are planning on going 3-5-2 this season then resigning Hutton makes even less sense to me

He can't cross or do anything constructive in the oppositions half so he'd be utterly useless as a wing back

And the thought of him trying to be a centre back is frankly giving me heartburn

[mr underhill]

it's giving me the wild shites

[KevinGage]

It would be madness to get rid of Albert.

Would depend on how inflated the fee was.  Not one that stands out as a player that needs to be moved on, admittedly. But we signed him for the equivalent of £6 million from memory, so any offer close to £10 million (considering his age and considering how much his form dipped after Feb last year) I'd look at.

[Steve67]

I doubt we will be going 3-5-2 with Bruce in charge.  It's way too imaginative for him.

[sirlordbaltimore]

I doubt we will be going 3-5-2 with Bruce in charge.  It's way too imaginative for him.

Hasn't he been famous for playing a back three at every other club he's managed ?

[Steve67]

I doubt we will be going 3-5-2 with Bruce in charge.  It's way too imaginative for him.

Hasn't he been famous for playing a back three at every other club he's managed ?

He tinkers, but he didn't do it at Birmingham or Sunderland that I can recall.  I really like 3-5-2 and hope he goes with that but we will need at least two new centre backs, especially if Chester leaves. We will probably need another forward too.

[paul_e]

3-5-2 isn't imaginative, it's a simple case of taking wide players away so you can overload centrally. The problem is that it very quickly becomes 5-3-2 against a team that pushes it's wingers high. If they're playing 433 in particular you give their full backs acres of space to play in.  For a good tactical manager there are way's to address that, for someone like Bruce it just doesn't happen and you end up playing far too deep but still conceding too many chances.

[brontebilly]

I doubt we will be going 3-5-2 with Bruce in charge.  It's way too imaginative for him.

He has already tried it at Villa on a number of occasions with disastrous consequences each and every time.

[OCD]

He likes the formation as it allows him to play 2 up front and I think he's desperate to put Hogan and Kodija together and let them become a partnership. As paul_e says, the problem is that it can easily become 5-3-2.

[Salsa Party Animal]

When the transfer windows for Football League close ? I know Premier League is 5th August or something like that.