2024 January transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[ChicagoLion]

I agree RB is the mos critical need.

[LeeS]

I will readily admit that I don't fully understand the intricacies of FFP, but accept that it is likely to mean that we are going to be hampered in what we do this window. 

If that is the case, then I just hope we can bring a RB in to bolster that area.  That is the main priority for me.  If having Lenglet and Zaniolo on loan prevents us getting another loan option in, then I would seriously consider the option of ending the latter's deal if possible so that we could potentially look at a forward option.

I agree. All teams need new faces and fresh blood or they go stale. If we cant afford to buy anyone then we need to rotate out our loan players. Neither are exactly pulling up trees.

[exigo]

There was a thread on x/twitter that was informed on FFP and took some best guesses on our situation, that reckoned we currently have about £40m wriggle room in the January window. That would change in the summer, particularly if we qualify for the European top table. So, certainly won't be a busy January, but maybe one bigger signing, or two Duran level signings focussed on right back and an attacker of some sort.

[Gareth]

The caveat with Champions League qualification is don’t the team finishing 4th (or 5th if that materialises) have to play a two leg tie to get to the group stages and unlock the riches? So if we do go to get there we really need it to top 3 to unlock the finances for the summer window :-)

Always remember Everton ‘qualifying’ and getting dumped out in the qualifiers by a very European savvy Villareal….

[Dave]

The caveat with Champions League qualification is don’t the team finishing 4th (or 5th if that materialises) have to play a two leg tie to get to the group stages and unlock the riches? So if we do go to get there we really need it to top 3 to unlock the finances for the summer window :-)

Always remember Everton ‘qualifying’ and getting dumped out in the qualifiers by a very European savvy Villareal….

Not anymore. Top four (or five next season, if that pans out) go straight to the league stage.

[Gareth]

The caveat with Champions League qualification is don’t the team finishing 4th (or 5th if that materialises) have to play a two leg tie to get to the group stages and unlock the riches? So if we do go to get there we really need it to top 3 to unlock the finances for the summer window :-)

Always remember Everton ‘qualifying’ and getting dumped out in the qualifiers by a very European savvy Villareal….

Not anymore. Top four (or five next season, if that pans out) go straight to the league stage.

Excellent- not that I’m counting any chickens:-)

[PaulWinch again]

It’s that weird massive league now isn’t it? Where you play 8 games I think?

[Ads]

Yeah, Swiss League.

[tomd2103]

I will readily admit that I don't fully understand the intricacies of FFP, but accept that it is likely to mean that we are going to be hampered in what we do this window. 

If that is the case, then I just hope we can bring a RB in to bolster that area.  That is the main priority for me.  If having Lenglet and Zaniolo on loan prevents us getting another loan option in, then I would seriously consider the option of ending the latter's deal if possible so that we could potentially look at a forward option.

I agree. All teams need new faces and fresh blood or they go stale. If we cant afford to buy anyone then we need to rotate out our loan players. Neither are exactly pulling up trees.

Lenglet has been OK so far and is probably going to be needed as the season progresses or until Tyrone Mings returns. 

Zaniolo, for whatever reason, has contributed very little so far and I think it is unlikely that we would look to sign him permanently come the summer at this rate, so I would maybe look to end his loan (if possible) if there is a better option out there.

[algy]

It’s that weird massive league now isn’t it? Where you play 8 games I think?

Yeah ... it'll be horrendous, and I expect will be heavily criticised.  The fact is that it just doesn't work that well for football.  I've run numerous table soccer tournaments using the swiss system, and whilst I'm personally a fan - it often comes in for heavy criticism, and most of the time that criticism is justified.

Worse still, table soccer is reasonably suited to on-the-fly fixtures since 'the next fixture' typically involves moving a distance of a few feet.  Actual European football takes place across an entire continent, so there's a high chance it'll be an absolute nightmare for travelling supporters (maybe home supporters too).

That's before you get on to the criticism levelled at it as a system anyway - that it can be manipulated by a weaker player/team to work their own advantage.  For example, if a team is losing 1-0 away at Manchester City at half time, there would be a case for saying that they should take the foot off the gas.  That's because your future fixtures are decided by your league position, so a draw is likely to give you a stronger opponent than a defeat.  And, assuming they go for 3pts for a win, you're incentivised to prioritise defeat+win over 2 draws.  So in that instance, there's really little to be gained from exhausting yourself trying to get a goal back against Man City when you could just go easy, maybe shove on a few stiffs to rest your better players, and win the following game - over having 2 exhausting games which ultimately yield fewer points.

And whether teams actually use that method of manipulation or not is irrelevant, because people will notice the oddities pretty damn quickly anyway and it'll be put down to 'manipulation'.  Any unlikely result will end up being fobbed off as intentional manipulation, and the whole thing will look like a complete farce.  Which plays entirely in to the hands of these super league goons.

[Dave]

Zaniolo, for whatever reason, has contributed very little so far and I think it is unlikely that we would look to sign him permanently come the summer at this rate, so I would maybe look to end his loan (if possible) if there is a better option out there.

Unless he gets injured and doesn't play the required amount of matches, I'm pretty sure we will.

[frank black]

Zaniolo, for whatever reason, has contributed very little so far and I think it is unlikely that we would look to sign him permanently come the summer at this rate, so I would maybe look to end his loan (if possible) if there is a better option out there.

Unless he gets injured and doesn't play the required amount of matches, I'm pretty sure we will.

I suspect if we don’t want to sign him, he certainly won’t play the required games. Jury’s still out on him

[dekko]

It’s that weird massive league now isn’t it? Where you play 8 games I think?

Yeah ... it'll be horrendous, and I expect will be heavily criticised.  The fact is that it just doesn't work that well for football.  I've run numerous table soccer tournaments using the swiss system, and whilst I'm personally a fan - it often comes in for heavy criticism, and most of the time that criticism is justified.

Worse still, table soccer is reasonably suited to on-the-fly fixtures since 'the next fixture' typically involves moving a distance of a few feet.  Actual European football takes place across an entire continent, so there's a high chance it'll be an absolute nightmare for travelling supporters (maybe home supporters too).

That's before you get on to the criticism levelled at it as a system anyway - that it can be manipulated by a weaker player/team to work their own advantage.  For example, if a team is losing 1-0 away at Manchester City at half time, there would be a case for saying that they should take the foot off the gas.  That's because your future fixtures are decided by your league position, so a draw is likely to give you a stronger opponent than a defeat.  And, assuming they go for 3pts for a win, you're incentivised to prioritise defeat+win over 2 draws.  So in that instance, there's really little to be gained from exhausting yourself trying to get a goal back against Man City when you could just go easy, maybe shove on a few stiffs to rest your better players, and win the following game - over having 2 exhausting games which ultimately yield fewer points.

And whether teams actually use that method of manipulation or not is irrelevant, because people will notice the oddities pretty damn quickly anyway and it'll be put down to 'manipulation'.  Any unlikely result will end up being fobbed off as intentional manipulation, and the whole thing will look like a complete farce.  Which plays entirely in to the hands of these super league goons.

I dont think it'll be following exactly that kind of Swiss format.  The fixtures are all drawn before the league begins, and you'll get one team at home and one team away from each pot.

[Dave]

Zaniolo, for whatever reason, has contributed very little so far and I think it is unlikely that we would look to sign him permanently come the summer at this rate, so I would maybe look to end his loan (if possible) if there is a better option out there.

Unless he gets injured and doesn't play the required amount of matches, I'm pretty sure we will.

I suspect if we don’t want to sign him, he certainly won’t play the required games. Jury’s still out on him

Agreed. But given he's played in five of the last six, it suggests that we have no issues using him in enough games to trigger the permanent signing, no?

[dekko]

Has it been confirmed anywhere that there is a trigger after x games?