Could This Be the Most Important January Ever?

[orangecity23]

We have struggled to do business in a efficient or timely manner in the January window for years now. It's far too easy to see us mucking about until the end of the month before scrabbling around at the end for a couple of bodge solutions that don't accomplish what we need and still leaves one or two of the problems completely unhanded.

[The Doctor]

2 hours ago, Pita said:

Have we got any money to buy players ???

the issue is PSR, not whether we have the money. that said, given how forest have benefited from just straight up ignoring the rules, just splurge and take the -8 points (as a maximum, probably lower) penalty next season (or more likely in 26/27 with how slow they are to dish out punishments)

[l444ry]

Pretty poor situation when the club seemingly have to right the wrongs of the last window first.

[Pita]

8 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

the issue is PSR, not whether we have the money. that said, given how forest have benefited from just straight up ignoring the rules, just splurge and take the -8 points (as a maximum, probably lower) penalty next season (or more likely in 26/27 with how slow they are to dish out punishments)

Premiership don’t like us and will love to give us a major points deduction just to get there own back 

[Bilo]

We cut something of a frustrated figure in the summer and it was obvious that the points deduction uncertainty really hindered us. I suspect that, despite spending what we did, there was more in the pot that went unspent. The panic loan of Edouard after trying and failing to sign Hlozek and Ioannidis tells you we wanted another striker, and you'd have to say that RVN will feel similarly. 

 

One option could be to sell Hermansen at his peak value now, given we know that Stolarcyzk has that dog in him, and we could have a nice little war chest. 

 

The priorities are RB, a CB who can move at more than a glacial pace and probably a winger as well. Three or four signings, perhaps one or two on loan if Bounanotte and Edouard are going back, should be achievable given the context.

[HankMarvin]

A tricky Brazilian winger could get us out of trouble 👀

[VG Fox]

2 hours ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

Spot on,  Jakub showed last night he is more than capable of stepping up and it not hurting us, so if there is an opportunity to cash in for ridiculous money then we should take it in January especially as in the summer following relegation it will knock a hefty wedge off the potential transfer fee as we saw with Madders and Barnes. 

sad but true, aim to get 80-90M for Mads in Jan 

[Bilo]

1 minute ago, VG Fox said:

sad but true, aim to get 80-90M for Mads in Jan 

It's true. Having a Champions League standard GK worth that sort of money when you desperately need to spend it elsewhere, and have a very competent deputy who's only going to improve as he gets more games, seems a bit of a luxury.

[The Doctor]

20 minutes ago, Pita said:

Premiership don’t like us and will love to give us a major points deduction just to get there own back 

they can't do more than 8, the rules are established that the punishment cannot be of equal level or worse than that for admin (-9). they can try going harder and Nick De Marco can take their bank accounts for his kids Christmas presents again

[JimmyC74]

No one is paying more than 30-40m for Mads.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

In my opinion with this regime it’s arguably too far gone. A good January may be enough to stay up, but then what? What other has been or never has been wants a last and generous pay day? 

I’m pretty close to declaring we need to start again in League One with competent people in charge.

[markko]

January is key. We have a new manager who should have decent contacts if, not why employ  him? Rudkin has been here since day dot (He needs to show he is worth his place otherwise hee can go). We are going to need to shift.some out and wheel and deal a bit. Would not mind Trippier and Almiron (experience and tenacity). We do need a new striker (Daka might be one to ship out). Would not be against Evan Ferguson. KDH loan. What I want to see more than anything is fight and some bite. We then have half a chance. If we do not go for it we will be relegated.

[VLC86]

Even if we have the money, surely nobody is trusting us to get it remotely right enough to save us.

 

We basically need a whole new spine to the team other than keeper, it’s not happening.

[Winchesterfox]

I’d rather sign no one than sell Hermansen.  He’s our best player by a mile.  

[Dahnsouff]

It’s not all doom and gloom, we got Bilal and he looks like a proper player, with a massive return in the future. So we are occasionally able to pick a decent player, and I have not given up on Okoli just yet.

[lcfc sheff]

Could we swap the training ground for players? 😳

[StanSP]

24 minutes ago, Winchesterfox said:

I’d rather sign no one than sell Hermansen.  He’s our best player by a mile.  

There's no way we can keep going with the defence as it is and distinct lack of depth even if we keep Hermansen. 

[oxtonfox]

Yes it’s the most important and pivotal January ever because its next month and past Januarys  dont matter. 

My concern is 1. The lack of quality we have and 2. The mental fragility, we can’t hold on to a dog collar let alone a lead. We simply fold like cards when under pressure or conceding a goal. 

 

Need more than a couple of decent players, we need a team of psychologists and some steel. 

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, StanSP said:

Feels like a lot hinges on recruitment in the next month. 

 

If we don't sell anyone (ie Hermansen) we have to be looking at buying/loaning a RB and a LB, bolstering CM options, and definitely 1-2 wingers because we can't be relying on Reid and Ayew until May. 

 

It's a shame Rudkin is still around to have his hand in transfer business. I hope RVN is backed positively and not just having to rely on has-beens or free transfers. He has to be backed to get players in that he wants to build a team around. We cannot be signing any more players in the shape of Ayew/Reid just because they're free.

I'd say the most important thing is a back up to Vardy. If you can't defend, then you need to score goals. Also, a decent attacking threat takes the pressure off the defence.

[Stadt]

5 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Nah. The most important one was in 2023 and we ****ed it.

We finally had Glover in place after the disastrous summer of 2022. We had the Fofana money, it was all set up to smash the first January we properly needed signings for, time was of the essence to save our season and we ended up with Kristiansen as the first in on the… 20th  

 

I think that’s when I realised we were just shit at getting deals done. Should have had 2 or 3 organised to join on the 1st (like Wood in 12/13).

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

3 minutes ago, Stadt said:

We finally had Glover in place after the disastrous summer of 2022. We had the Fofana money, it was all set up to smash the first January we properly needed signings for, time was of the essence to save our season and we ended up with Kristiansen as the first in on the… 20th  

 

I think that’s when I realised we were just shit at getting deals done. Should have had 2 or 3 organised to join on the 1st (like Wood in 12/13).

 

Man I miss the three wise men so much. Pearson gets asked if we're in for Wood and he goes "nah". January 1st he's here holding the shirt.

[Death by Football]

I’ve just been on the Transfer Talk section. I’m pretty sure we’re ****ed. 

[Stadt]

12 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Man I miss the three wise men so much. Pearson gets asked if we're in for Wood and he goes "nah". January 1st he's here holding the shirt.

Probably the best alignment between a manager and chief scout ever. Pearson, Walsh, Shakespeare, Rennie, Balsom et al built something so special that even today the last vestiges keep the lights on.

 

Pearson as non-executive director of football would be about the only move the incumbent ***** could don’t buy more time with me.

[Clever Fox]

We need to sign players with a Physical presence as well as ability. We're too lightweight especially in key area's like Defense.

 

The movement of Liverpool was a joy to watch last night. They bever stopped moving and probing for space.

 

They do that because they have a big physical presence throught the team.

[SpacedX]

The most important January business ever was securing Robert Huth in 2015 on loan from Stoke City, without whom, 'the great escape' would not have been possible and went on to prove instrumental in our title season.