January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[Sexual Ealing]

Bruce is a fucking terrible manager who has lived on his reputation for years, with zero tactical awareness beyond geeing up the lads and hoping for the best, which usually results in his teams playing eye-bleedingly shit football. He is an absolute dinosaur who milked that "Championship specialist" thing for far longer than he should have been able to.

The football we were served up under him was every bit as bad as under McLeish, but at least McLeish was a decent bloke rather than a self serving fat fuck with his supporting cast of hangers on and his nauseating son on twitter.

There, that is that settled.

From what I recall of that second season we played decent football when Grealish returned from injury. Granted the tactic was primarily give it to Jack (whisper it but was the same under Deano) but likes of Snodgrass, Grabban, Johnstone, Elmo, Terry, Chester, Hourihane, Hutton likeable lads anyway and good pros. Secured a playoff spot with weeks to spare, beat Boro comfortably in the semi before unfortunately not turning up in the first half v Fulham on the biggest day of all.

Tactically was Deano any better? Granted Mings was a brilliant signing and bringing Steer back was crucial (awful mistake by Bruce to let him go) but we were a rabble until Grealish returned from injury. Wasn't there a particularly shambolic day against maybe Swansea where Hourihane got booed off in the middle of it? A penalty shoot out win v West Brom before beating a poor Derby side under a master tactician/bluffer, it can be small margins too.

Fucking hell, John Terry was likeable?!

Dean Smith got us promoted after clearing up Bruce's mess. It would be wrong to say that there's no comparison between him and Bruce because there's an easy comparison to make - Dean Smith was great for us, whereas...

[tomd2103]

Bruce left his last 3 clubs ,us,Newcastle and the Baggies in or around the relegation zones.We got promoted in the same season,Newcastle are in third place and Albion have won 10 ,drawn 1 and lost 3 under Corberan.Even his media supporters and son Alex can't defend that record.

Yeah, think Albion's immediate upturn in form since his departure has finished Steve Bruce off, even at Chapionship level. 

[edgysatsuma89]

Bruce is shite. I think there is plenty of evidence for that now and I didn't want his fat head at the time.

I do feel like this window will be like many others and we don't quite get what we need. I reckon Dembele or loan cover for striker. We're trying to get Guendouzi, at least.

[eamonn]

Never mind Bruce, happy birthday Brendan! The big 5 0. He'll manage us one day, right...?

[Goldenballs]

Woke up to an extra 4 pages and thought something exciting was happening, turn out it was a Steve Bruce-a-thon

[sid1964]

Read elsewhere that we are trying to sign an experienced centre forward - could we be one of the clubs interested in Michail Antonio from West Ham?

[Goldenballs]

Hopefully not.

[ChicagoLion]

They bought Ings because Antonio is a busted flush, so we buy Antonio?
Yes right

[algy]

Not holding my breath.

Duran is an end-of-season signing cos MLS is played mostly in the summer months. Moreno had a low release clause.

I reckon that might be it. Maybe we're not getting good enough value right now?

[rob_bridge]

Read elsewhere that we are trying to sign an experienced centre forward - could we be one of the clubs interested in Michail Antonio from West Ham?

I bleeding hope not

[Smithy]

There are any number of possible reasons for a lack of transfer activity, but I don't think it has anything to do with the owners not putting their money where their mouths are.  I suspect it might be to do with a mismatch between our longer term targets that we've been watching for a while, and what our new manager wants in the short term. But it's the club's responsibility to back the manager (or why bother appointing him?), so I'm confident that if we don't have much activity before the end of the month, it will be a BIG summer.

I still think two more, though one might be a loan having freed up the Bednarek loan slot.

[Risso]

I just don't agree with the "it's OK to leave it until summer" line at all. We've got a depleted squad now, and we need new faces. If we leave it until summer, we'll first of all have to fill the spots that need filling, and then also try to add some quality to what we've got as well if we want to improve. So if we do that, we're trying to integrate 5-6 new players all at once, or if we still only buy 2-3, we're standing still again at best. At least if we were to make a couple of signings now, there's half a season to bed them in.

[ChicagoLion]

I get the feeling that there are a number of deals that when/ if they go through will have a domino effect.
Not sure if we will be the beneficiary of this but the window has not really taken off yet.

[Gareth]

Bruce is a fucking terrible manager who has lived on his reputation for years, with zero tactical awareness beyond geeing up the lads and hoping for the best, which usually results in his teams playing eye-bleedingly shit football. He is an absolute dinosaur who milked that "Championship specialist" thing for far longer than he should have been able to.

The football we were served up under him was every bit as bad as under McLeish, but at least McLeish was a decent bloke rather than a self serving fat fuck with his supporting cast of hangers on and his nauseating son on twitter.

There, that is that settled.

Perfect summing up…with the players he had access to at the level we were at his performance was every bit as disgusting as others named, a complete football parasite.

[clash city rocker]

Perhaps Unai doesn't do panic buying. He has the self confidence to wait until his targets are getable.