who was the other guy we got from Swansea on loan in January and played about three minutes?
Quote from: mr underhill on January 23, 2021, 03:49:58 PMwho was the other guy we got from Swansea on loan in January and played about three minutes?Which one?
Quote from: cdbullyweefan on January 23, 2021, 02:44:18 PMDowning played in the middle for us, to start with, didn't he? So could have been seen as a Barry replacement rather than adding from a position of strength. I may have got my years mixed up, though.Wasn't it that we'd been playing Milner and Young wide, and adding Downing was the thing that allowed Milner to move into the middle?
Downing played in the middle for us, to start with, didn't he? So could have been seen as a Barry replacement rather than adding from a position of strength. I may have got my years mixed up, though.
Quote from: Dave on January 23, 2021, 03:01:57 PMQuote from: cdbullyweefan on January 23, 2021, 02:44:18 PMDowning played in the middle for us, to start with, didn't he? So could have been seen as a Barry replacement rather than adding from a position of strength. I may have got my years mixed up, though.Think Downing played in the middle under Houllier Wasn't it that we'd been playing Milner and Young wide, and adding Downing was the thing that allowed Milner to move into the middle?Maybe. But I'm sure I remember Downing playing in the middle for a bit. Maybe after Milner went and when Albrighton had come through to play opposite wing to Young? Either way, I think I was wrong about him replacing Barry.
Quote from: cdbullyweefan on January 23, 2021, 02:44:18 PMDowning played in the middle for us, to start with, didn't he? So could have been seen as a Barry replacement rather than adding from a position of strength. I may have got my years mixed up, though.Think Downing played in the middle under Houllier Wasn't it that we'd been playing Milner and Young wide, and adding Downing was the thing that allowed Milner to move into the middle?
Quote from: Dave on January 23, 2021, 03:01:57 PMQuote from: cdbullyweefan on January 23, 2021, 02:44:18 PMDowning played in the middle for us, to start with, didn't he? So could have been seen as a Barry replacement rather than adding from a position of strength. I may have got my years mixed up, though.Wasn't it that we'd been playing Milner and Young wide, and adding Downing was the thing that allowed Milner to move into the middle?Maybe. But I'm sure I remember Downing playing in the middle for a bit. Maybe after Milner went and when Albrighton had come through to play opposite wing to Young? Either way, I think I was wrong about him replacing Barry.
Last January was an extremely strange window.
January 2020 we added Danny Drinkwater.
Quote from: cdbullyweefan on January 23, 2021, 04:11:39 PMQuote from: Dave on January 23, 2021, 03:01:57 PMQuote from: cdbullyweefan on January 23, 2021, 02:44:18 PMDowning played in the middle for us, to start with, didn't he? So could have been seen as a Barry replacement rather than adding from a position of strength. I may have got my years mixed up, though.Wasn't it that we'd been playing Milner and Young wide, and adding Downing was the thing that allowed Milner to move into the middle?Maybe. But I'm sure I remember Downing playing in the middle for a bit. Maybe after Milner went and when Albrighton had come through to play opposite wing to Young? Either way, I think I was wrong about him replacing Barry.Try again. I think Downing played in the middle under Houllier
Quote from: kippaxvilla2 on January 23, 2021, 04:46:25 PMLast January was an extremely strange window.I get the impression that we blew our entire transfer budget/FFP allocation in the summer (probably though necessity) and were hamstrung by that in to getting basically free transfers. We only spent £80m or so this summer, which presumably has given us a bit more room to buy pictures now. Plus we haven't needed to replace a striker and keeper at short notice.
Quote from: algy on January 23, 2021, 05:15:30 PMQuote from: kippaxvilla2 on January 23, 2021, 04:46:25 PMLast January was an extremely strange window.I get the impression that we blew our entire transfer budget/FFP allocation in the summer (probably though necessity) and were hamstrung by that in to getting basically free transfers. We only spent £80m or so this summer, which presumably has given us a bit more room to buy pictures now. Plus we haven't needed to replace a striker and keeper at short notice.We weren't assured of safety last Jan. I think FFP would have doe for us if we'd splashed out. This year we're fine and it's not such a gamble to spend.Remember Hourihane is out on loan so this is a replacement.
Quote from: Drummond on January 23, 2021, 05:39:16 PMQuote from: algy on January 23, 2021, 05:15:30 PMQuote from: kippaxvilla2 on January 23, 2021, 04:46:25 PMLast January was an extremely strange window.I get the impression that we blew our entire transfer budget/FFP allocation in the summer (probably though necessity) and were hamstrung by that in to getting basically free transfers. We only spent £80m or so this summer, which presumably has given us a bit more room to buy pictures now. Plus we haven't needed to replace a striker and keeper at short notice.We weren't assured of safety last Jan. I think FFP would have doe for us if we'd splashed out. This year we're fine and it's not such a gamble to spend.Remember Hourihane is out on loan so this is a replacement.Don't forget that we had 2 key players pick up season ending injuries on new years day with another already ruled out for 4-5 months a week or so earlier. The window became all about filling the gaps left by Heaton, Wesley and McGinn with almost no notice on top of needing a backup striker. Doing that with very little spare money (because of FFP) and in the midst of a relegation battle was totally different to the circumstances this time.
Quote from: paul_e on January 23, 2021, 06:38:38 PMQuote from: Drummond on January 23, 2021, 05:39:16 PMQuote from: algy on January 23, 2021, 05:15:30 PMQuote from: kippaxvilla2 on January 23, 2021, 04:46:25 PMLast January was an extremely strange window.I get the impression that we blew our entire transfer budget/FFP allocation in the summer (probably though necessity) and were hamstrung by that in to getting basically free transfers. We only spent £80m or so this summer, which presumably has given us a bit more room to buy pictures now. Plus we haven't needed to replace a striker and keeper at short notice.We weren't assured of safety last Jan. I think FFP would have doe for us if we'd splashed out. This year we're fine and it's not such a gamble to spend.Remember Hourihane is out on loan so this is a replacement.Don't forget that we had 2 key players pick up season ending injuries on new years day with another already ruled out for 4-5 months a week or so earlier. The window became all about filling the gaps left by Heaton, Wesley and McGinn with almost no notice on top of needing a backup striker. Doing that with very little spare money (because of FFP) and in the midst of a relegation battle was totally different to the circumstances this time.Without those injuries last season, I think we would have been fine. Heaton had been amazing.