Transfer rumours !

Finally.

Just hope Evatt doesn't tell him to attack every time we get possession.

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Biggie wrote:

wanderlust wrote:

Biggie wrote:Eoin Toal should be incoming. Talks this weekend.

'As it bin dun?

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This isn’t ground breaking, it was obvious this was going to happen after the European games

BoltonTillIDie wrote:
This isn’t ground breaking, it was obvious this was going to happen after the European games

True - but it ain't over 'til the fat lady signs.

I can't believe people are getting excited by the potential signing of a non-league player.

I also can't believe that there are so many happy clappers who still think we're going to get promoted. We've signed one player, just one player, who has played in English football previously.

We're looking at a relegation battle as things stand. We still have a soft centre which has not been addressed.

I think the half decent attacking players - Afolyan. Bakayoko, Bodvarsson will prevent a relegation battle but the central midfield and central defence are short of what's needed for promotion.

If the club would pay 10k a week for one quality striker and 10k a week for one quality central midfielder i think that would be enough for promotion but sadly it doesn't look as though the money is there.We will need to wait until the next Mcateer and Stubbs come through if we wont pay for quality

A centre half from the Irish league is more likely to be the next Gerry McElhinney than Gerry Taggart

Growler wrote:I think the half decent attacking players - Afolyan. Bakayoko, Bodvarsson will prevent a relegation battle but the central midfield and central defence are short of what's needed for promotion.

If the club would pay 10k a week for one quality striker and 10k a week for one quality central midfielder i think that would be enough for promotion but sadly it doesn't look as though the money is there.We will need to wait until the next Mcateer and Stubbs come through if we wont pay for quality

A centre half from the Irish league is more likely to be the next Gerry McElhinney than Gerry Taggart

Bolton's first choice target seemed to be that young defender from Gillingham who went to MK Dons, so I suspect that he and Toal if we get him weren't even earmarked as starters.

I suspect Iredale is the man to strengthen the back three by replacing Johnston - maybe Evatt plans to use Johnston as a defensive anchor in front of the back three perhaps?  Possibly that's why he's not in the market for one - which you would think he would be with MJ being the only one in the squad to play in that position naturally?

I do believe (as I've said along with Bob on the accounts thread etc) that money is still a major issue for FV and can and does impact on the field - maybe that is why Evatt hasn't pushed to strengthen in that area as he clearly sees the priority is for two incoming defenders (Iredale and now probably Toal) to be what he needs to spend whatever transfer kitty he has been given, on.

TBH I think the defenders we do have could do an OK job if they were drilled properly and the system was changed to suit, but Evatt is totally bought into one style of playing which puts extra pressure on the defence when we're out of possession. It's the age old problem of sacrificing attacking strength if we do a bit more defensive work and vice versa. The solution is having athletes who can put in the miles to do a job at both ends, but they are expensive if you want quality so I guess we're stuck with having to find a compromise that works best for each situation.
We are where we are and whilst I hope we have a real go at promotion, I'm not going to get carried away with the idea.
A quick win would be to stop the defence trying to play out from the back when we're under pressure - great if you have the quality to do it, but we don't so I'd settle for hoofing it away and regrouping. Certainly preferable to conceding daft goals.

wanderlust wrote:TBH I think the defenders we do have could do an OK job if they were drilled properly and the system was changed to suit, but Evatt is totally bought into one style of playing which puts extra pressure on the defence when we're out of possession. It's the age old problem of sacrificing attacking strength if we do a bit more defensive work and vice versa. The solution is having athletes who can put in the miles to do a job at both ends, but they are expensive if you want quality so I guess we're stuck with having to find a compromise that works best for each situation.
We are where we are and whilst I hope we have a real go at promotion, I'm not going to get carried away with the idea.
A quick win would be to stop the defence trying to play out from the back when we're under pressure - great if you have the quality to do it, but we don't so I'd settle for hoofing it away and regrouping. Certainly preferable to conceding daft goals.

To be fair to Evatt that isn't true.

He HAS moved away from the three centre backs to a back four when that wasn't working for him and he HAS gone long ball in the games that don't suit the conditions in which to play it - crap pitches and/or weather conditions, etc, he HAS moved from one up front and two wide to playing two up front, etc, etc.

He does try things, he's talking about using Dapo as a central striker, he isn't set in stone at all as you suggest.

My view fwiw is that he lacks a general on the pitch, someone who has the brains and the nous to organise things, change the shape, motivate, bollock players, gee them up, etc, etc, when things aren't going to plan.

Santos isn't the man.

It looks to me that things only change at half time after the team talk and not far more quickly as required during the match.

I was hoping Dempsey might be the sort - because we definitely went out of our way to get him - but up to now he struggles to be even a regular starter.

I find you need someone fighting besides you who gees people and gets that bit more out of folk when they might be on the edge of giving up when things look to be going against you.  It's alright having the manager on the touchlines barking at you but you are much more likely to dig in and do more for your mates, especially if you can see they haven't given up.

It worked for me back in my days anyway.

Sluffy wrote:My view fwiw is that he lacks a general on the pitch, someone who has the brains and the nous to organise things, change the shape, motivate, bollock players, gee them up, etc, etc, when things aren't going to plan.

You bellend, that's my view and has been for months.

Get your own bloody ideas.

Thanks, Owen.

I think a back 3 of Jones, Santos and Iredale will be ok but we will struggle if they pick up injuries as Aimson and Johnston are not good enough for me. It will be interesting to see what Toal looks like but i'm guessing he'll be a back up to start with.

Sluffy mentioned Johnston maybe playing DM, I hope not as he got bullied at CB and can't see it being any easier in midfield. His passing is piss poor as well as he cost us quite a few goals last season with his wayward passing.

Everyone seems to rate Santos, but we had our best spell when he was out injured.

And for such a big man he should be chipping in with 4 or 5 goals a season. I don't actually remember him having a shot/header on target all last season.

Norpig would outjump him.

Santos does have the odd mistake in him too.  Still the good outweigh the bad

I agree with Sluffy (and Nat 🥴) that we don’t have a “boss” type character in the middle of the park. In fact we don’t seem to have one anywhere and pardon me for saying it but the nearest we have had went to Stockport!! We seem such a polite bunch and we don’t have a Mr Nasty anywhere who can bully the opposition. Hopefully our new CH is both a big physique and character but as has been said it’s unlikely he’ll come into the first team immediately. I’m not as worried as some seem and even though we do gift the opposition some goals, I still think we’ve enough to be in the top bunch and if we’re there but short then the board have to look down the back of the sofa for January. Of course there’s always the chance someone can emerge from our B Team that we don’t currently know about so let’s hope so.

Whitesince63 wrote: Hopefully our new CH is both a big physique and character but as has been said it’s unlikely he’ll come into the first team immediately.

He's 6'3" and was made club captain at 21 so he presumably has leadership qualities.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Sluffy wrote:My view fwiw is that he lacks a general on the pitch, someone who has the brains and the nous to organise things, change the shape, motivate, bollock players, gee them up, etc, etc, when things aren't going to plan.

You bellend, that's my view and has been for months.

Get your own bloody ideas.

Thanks, Owen.

No it's not quite the same as idea as you have or at least what I understand you to have.

You seem to want a hard man, a destroyer, as in the mould of Karly Henry, I'm more asking for a player (not necessarily a hard man type or destroyer) to be able to lead on the park with his brains and his motivation, to act quickly on the pitch when he sees things are not going right. as they should be doing.

A leader, not a follower, a decision maker not a buck passer.

Santos isn't one, Jones might be but you really need someone more central to the game rather than a right sided defender is.

Anyway as for dear old Owen, will he soon be getting another relegation to add on to his CV?

I certainly won't be putting money on Queens Park for promotion, that's for sure!

Growler wrote:I think the half decent attacking players - Afolyan. Bakayoko, Bodvarsson will prevent a relegation battle but the central midfield and central defence are short of what's needed for promotion.

If the club would pay 10k a week for one quality striker and 10k a week for one quality central midfielder i think that would be enough for promotion but sadly it doesn't look as though the money is there.We will need to wait until the next Mcateer and Stubbs come through if we wont pay for quality

A centre half from the Irish league is more likely to be the next Gerry McElhinney than Gerry Taggart

We scored 86 goals last season if I remember correctly, going forward is not the issue

BoltonTillIDie wrote:

Biggie wrote:

wanderlust wrote:

Biggie wrote:Eoin Toal should be incoming. Talks this weekend.

'As it bin dun?

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This isn’t ground breaking, it was obvious this was going to happen after the European games

Shhhh btid

Eoin Toal left out of today's Derry squad.

Feby wrote:

We scored 86 goals last season if I remember correctly, going forward is not the issue

7th top scorers in the division last season  so short of a play off spot just on goals scored.

Growler wrote:
7th top scorers in the division last season  so short of a play off spot just on goals scored.

But we also conceded a shedload - primarily because we pushed players forward to get the goals we did and didn't defend well.
So yes we need better quality up front AND better quality at the back AND a more balanced system but we are where we are and we can't afford better quality players - so there's no choice but to try to find a better balance with what we've got to maximise our points tally.
We scored 74 league goals and conceded 57 and the real problem was we lost 15 games - which just on games lost would have put us at 12th.
Question is can Evatt find a better balance.