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With just over a month until the next transfer window opens we will no doubt be linked with every player under the sun and end up signing maybe one or two at the most, this one has resurfaced and to me it is one that may have some mileage in it, I don't know an awful lot about Watkins but he did some damage down here when they played us and having had a Million Pound offer turned down we must see him as a decent target. Clearly a big target man is an area that we need to strengthen in and he has/can play there apparently, the question is, is Marley Watkins what we are looking for ?

Town will reportedly renew their interest in Barnsley’s Marley Watkins during the January transfer window. The Blues had a £1 million offer for the versatile 26-year-old turned down in August following Daryl Murphy’s departure for Newcastle, shortly after Watkins had scored and claimed an assist in Town’s 4-2 opening day win over the South Yorkshiremen at Portman Road.

According to the Sunday Mirror Town are set to revive their interest in Watkins, who scored his fifth goal of the season for the Tykes before being sent off in Friday’s 5-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest, when the transfer window opens.

Lewisham-born Watkins was brought up in Swansea and joined the youth set-up with the Welsh club.

Watkins, who is 6ft 1in tall, moved on before making a senior appearance and broke into first-team football with Cheltenham before joining Bath City, initially on loan, and then Hereford United in 2012.

A year later he moved on to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, where he scored the opening goal in the 2-1 2015 Scottish Cup final win against Falkirk, before signing for Barnsley in the summer of 2015.

Watkins, whose grandfather was famous Welsh poet Vernon Watkins, who was close friends with Dylan Thomas, is out of contract at Oakwell next summer. He has made 54 starts and six sub appearances for the Tykes, scoring 13 goals.

Primarily a right-sided midfielder for much of his career, Watkins can also operate on the left and as a centre forward, having played there for Barnsley earlier this season and previously at Caley Thistle.

I think we need a like for like replacement for Murphy. Target man.

If Micks going to stay here ( which is very likely) might as well go with players of the style he likes.

He's never going to go for tippy-tappy, sexy football.... that's not his thing. Target man no. 1 priority.

The dropping and re-in statement of Douglas lasted about 3 games. That was really down to fan pressure and not what Mick wanted.

If that's the case, a box to box CM midfielder might be with going for as well. A more younger, tenacious CM than Douglas. ( the guy is 34) . I don't see Bishop or Dozzell making an impact or even the type of player he wants. Maybe as an impact sub. If we get some interest for Bishop or Dozzell... maybe flog one of them and invest.

I don't want to sell talented, young players, but, being realistic, we know what Mick likes in style and type of player.... isn't it better to offload ones who don't fit in and bring in ones who will be a Mick style player ( and not freebies).

Big target man and another CM partner for Skuse would be my realistic wish list based on MM-like team.

The forwards we possess are largely ineffective so a new addition to the attacking line would seem almost paramount if the team is to entertain any thought of a top six finish. While that's not the only area of the squad that requires improvement, we were before the last game the lowest scoring outfit in the division if correct and filling the void left by Murphy with someone reliable is a near necessity.

The kid from South London who was mentioned, could be a useful addition and creative from set-pieces but time will reveal who arrives at the club. In the meantime there will be other alternatives that will come to the fore but yesterday showed an insight that the club can achieve something when they are in the right mind, can only hope this follows through to the new year when Evans and McCarthy go about their business in the next loan window and evaluate potential new additions.

I doubt whether there is budget for a 6th forward. So if someone's coming in then someone has to leave first.

Is the lad better than what we have? Hard to say.

If Reg continues to play like he did Sat , we have Murphy's replacement already on the books.

Centre mid remains the priority imho - someone like H Lansbury. He shone against us, and was outstanding against Barnsley on Friday. Out of contract at NF in the summer.

tangfastic wrote:I think we need a like for like replacement for Murphy. Target man.

If Micks going to stay here ( which is very likely) might as well go with players of the style he likes.

He's never going to go for tippy-tappy, sexy football.... that's not his thing. Target man no. 1 priority.

The dropping and re-in statement of Douglas lasted about 3 games. That was really down to fan pressure and not what Mick wanted.

If that's the case, a box to box CM midfielder might be with going for as well. A more younger, tenacious CM than Douglas. ( the guy is 34) . I don't see Bishop or Dozzell making an impact or even the type of player he wants. Maybe as an impact sub. If we get some interest for Bishop or Dozzell... maybe flog one of them and invest.

I don't want to sell talented, young players, but, being realistic, we know what Mick likes in style and type of player.... isn't it better to offload ones who don't fit in and bring in ones who will be a Mick style player ( and not freebies).

Big target man and another CM partner for Skuse would be my realistic wish list based on MM-like team.

As you say I think if we are looking for a like for like replacement I don't think Watkins would come under that catergory.

Not sure if he is a week in, week out striker and from what I have seen of him he seems to come deep alot rather than playing up top all of the time.

We may very well be interested in him but if so unless Mick has decided on a complete change of strategy not sure if he will be the answer to replacing Murphy.

Shed on tour wrote:

tangfastic wrote:I think we need a like for like replacement for Murphy. Target man.

If Micks going to stay here ( which is very likely) might as well go with players of the style he likes.

He's never going to go for tippy-tappy, sexy football.... that's not his thing. Target man no. 1 priority.

The dropping and re-in statement of Douglas lasted about 3 games. That was really down to fan pressure and not what Mick wanted.

If that's the case, a box to box CM midfielder might be with going for as well. A more younger, tenacious CM than Douglas. ( the guy is 34) . I don't see Bishop or Dozzell making an impact or even the type of player he wants. Maybe as an impact sub. If we get some interest for Bishop or Dozzell... maybe flog one of them and invest.

I don't want to sell talented, young players, but, being realistic, we know what Mick likes in style and type of player.... isn't it better to offload ones who don't fit in and bring in ones who will be a Mick style player ( and not freebies).

Big target man and another CM partner for Skuse would be my realistic wish list based on MM-like team.

As you say I think if we are looking for a like for like replacement I don't think Watkins would come under that catergory.

Not sure if he is a week in, week out striker and from what I have seen of him he seems to come deep alot rather than playing up top all of the time.

We may very well be interested in him but if so unless Mick has decided on a complete change of strategy not sure if he will be the answer to replacing Murphy.

A striker who drops deep, sounds like a defensive minded forward, mick must chomping at the bit to get him!!

Someone like Ryan Fraser..scored against Liverpool today,think we missed him badly last season..Really class player but has been hit by injuries.

ipswichtownNo1 wrote:A striker who drops deep, sounds like a defensive minded forward, mick must chomping at the bit to get him!!

Couldn't say. But I've just opened a selection box and stole a chomp. You're getting the blame for it.

Looks like on TWTD we are putting a bid of £500'000 for a 22 year old Blackpool Midfielder Brad Potts, supposed to be an up and coming star, can play right midfield or right back, but we need a striker to come in to fill the Murphy slot, now someone who would be worth a punt is the young 22 Year old ex Liverpool youth striker Adam Morgan, who scored a hat trick against AFC Wimbledon for Curzon Ashton on Monday nights FA Cup Loss, he comes very highly recommended by Robby Fowler, who says he's the best striker he's seen for a long time, also worth a punt would be the Bristol rovers Striker Matt Taylor he 26 years old so mature enough to fit in our current team, and there's Marley Watkins, the 26 year old Barnsley striker who can play left or right sided, and we had a Million pound offer turned away in the last window, and are set to up the offer in Jan window, and to seal the deals I would offer Scuse, Douglas, Berra, Chambers. well past their best now, plus others like Bru,& Knudsen, I just don't think Knudsen will cut it as a quality left back in the same moulds as Mings, and Cresswell, we have to start looking for younger players to come in to complement our current good young players, and then lets see if tight at the back Mick has the balls to play a much younger side.

ashfordblue wrote:Looks like on TWTD we are putting a bid of £500'000 for a 22 year old Blackpool Midfielder Brad Potts, supposed to be an up and coming star, can play right midfield or right back, but we need a striker to come in to fill the Murphy slot, now someone who would be worth a punt is the young 22 Year old ex Liverpool youth striker Adam Morgan, who scored a hat trick against AFC Wimbledon for Curzon Ashton on Monday nights FA Cup Loss, he comes very highly recommended by Robby Fowler, who says he's the best striker he's seen for a long time, also worth a punt would be the Bristol rovers Striker Matt Taylor he 26 years old so mature enough to fit in our current team, and there's Marley Watkins, the 26 year old Barnsley striker who can play left or right sided, and we had a Million pound offer turned away in the last window, and are set to up the offer in Jan window, and to seal the deals I would offer Scuse, Douglas, Berra, Chambers. well past their best now, plus others like Bru,& Knudsen, I just don't think Knudsen will cut it as a quality left back in the same moulds as Mings, and Cresswell, we have to start looking for younger players to come in to complement our current good young players, and then lets see if tight at the back Mick has the balls to play a much younger side.

Ash I think we already have replacement for Murphy, and that is Leon Best. Trouble is MM wont play him.

New striker in January? Most probably Varney will get his contract extension. And our great and fantastic leader Mick will say that Reg is good isn't he?

To be honest does it matter if we get anyone in?
Take people like Ward for example comes here from spurs promising player,scores a hatrick in his first game and now look at him! All confidence and flair drained out of him by MM's tactics and dogma.Williams sitting on the bench because we can't fit him in our 'system' of play!
Actually the question should be who will want to come.

bluejacko wrote:To be honest does it matter if we get anyone in?
Williams sitting on the bench because we can't fit him in our 'system' of play!
.

Not Surprising as MM wants to play defensive in midfield all the time.

There's this kid at Blackburn name of Danny Graham who could be a worthwhile addition to the squad. Any attacking names we now possess are once again invariably ineffective and since Murphy departed the requirement for another recognized forward seems often much required.

So many if's and but's i.e. would Blackburn sell or release on loan, would McCarthy even utilize the player if brought in etc, but no harm in making a suggestion and would appear someone at least who could make a difference. All someone needs do is make enquiries.

saint jude wrote:There's this kid at Blackburn name of Danny Graham who could be a worthwhile addition to the squad. Any attacking names we now possess are once again invariably ineffective and since Murphy departed the requirement for another recognized forward seems often much required.

So many if's and but's i.e. would Blackburn sell or release on loan, would McCarthy even utilize the player if brought in etc, but no harm in making a suggestion and would appear someone at least who could make a difference. All someone needs do is make enquiries.

Danny Graham.... He's not a kid... he's had his 'purple-patch' and his big-money move to the PL and has headed back to the Championship.

Not a like for like for Murph. Just be bringing in more players over 30 on the slide as well.

Williams off to Swansea come the window then!!!!. At least he will get a full game their. MM is a tw*t.,.nuff said

tangfastic wrote:

saint jude wrote:There's this kid at Blackburn name of Danny Graham who could be a worthwhile addition to the squad. Any attacking names we now possess are once again invariably ineffective and since Murphy departed the requirement for another recognized forward seems often much required.

So many if's and but's i.e. would Blackburn sell or release on loan, would McCarthy even utilize the player if brought in etc, but no harm in making a suggestion and would appear someone at least who could make a difference. All someone needs do is make enquiries.

Danny Graham.... He's not a kid... he's had his 'purple-patch' and his big-money move to the PL and has headed back to the Championship.

Not a like for like for Murph. Just be bringing in more players over 30 on the slide as well.

yup he's 31 and his time has come and gone. No thanks.

Ben Marshall being touted as a target which I would definitely be in favour off, unfortunately we will not come close to meeting his wage demands.

Rudy Gestede would be a replacement for Murphy and I'd get Nathan Dyer from swansea

Well i rarely comment on here, but surely the first question should be just who is going to be shown the door, we can,t just keep bringing new players in, thus increasing the over stretched wage bill as it is! we have this wonderful chap called Coke somewhere, doing exactly what i,m not sure, certainly not playing football!!
We have a whole host of strikers that do not know what a striker is supposed to do? another chap called Best, now he was going to be our new Murphy? not seen or heard much of him either, midfielders again we seem to have quite a few but resort time and time again to the same names? so do we actually need these others?
So many names on the squad list, yet for the most part we never hear or see anything of them?
A massive clear out is in order, contracts to be settled which will cost!! thus taking necessary funds which should be used for quality replacements.
Then we have the MM/TC situation, both on extended contracts, to out them will cost a hefty amount, and of course neither will just walk!
The entire club is in disarray, no direction nor plans it would seem, as for this chap Milne? just what he does to earn his substantial crust is beyond me?
Evans will not stump up any form of a pot of gold, he has been there and got burnt by the dark lord and Paul Fool or is it Jewell! we are nothing more than a tax accountants toy, to offset his other dodgey business activities, we as a club are fast becoming a complete joke!
I had a chat with dare i say a City fan the other day and he was astounded to learn actually how much our squad cost when we faced them at PR a few months back, "how much" he asked!! he just could not believe that we were functioning on such a budget!
Should we bring anyone in, or the question should be would anyone want to come? it will be no super star or three, just another poor sod looking for a final payday or a reject from some other club, just how many so called gonna be superstars have we had from the land of Guiness? they come and six months down the line are released,
One could say i,m totally fed up with Evans, Milne and MM with his sidekick, i question my own sanity everytime i tune in! cos i am certainly not going to drive from North Norfolk, get mugged at the turnstiles and refreshment bar while the club is under this regime!!

listen you fans, the only way to get possible changes is to protest at home matches, large banners with your comments, especially when televised, and also if that don't work just stop going is another good process, when the gates are down to around 5000, maybe the invisible owner just might sit up and listen, me personally I wont go to matches until there is a change in both situations, Manager, and owner going, we the long serving fans do not deserve this p*ss taking manager and invisible owner,

hallamblue wrote:If Reg continues to play like he did Sat , we have Murphy's replacement already on the books.

Reg only has a contract till January. He could be one that leaves the payroll to make way for a new signing, although I know first hand he'd prefer to stay.

ashfordblue wrote:listen you fans, the only way to get possible changes is to protest at home matches, large banners with your comments, especially when televised, and also if that don't work just stop going is another good process, when the gates are down to around 5000, maybe the invisible owner just might sit up and listen, me personally I wont go to matches until there is a change in both situations, Manager, and owner going, we the long serving fans do not deserve this p*ss taking manager and invisible owner,

Here here...

Another couple of defeats (starting with Wigan) and you may get your wish regarding MM, Ash. He won't want a championship relegation on his CV.

I agree to a point Ashford Blue, more about not going than taking banners etc. I don't like to voice against the club during the game, it is not good for the players and wont help anything. But outside the ground protests I think is fine, I remember it happening towards the end of Magiltons time. I myself have missed 3 of last 5 home games because I don't enjoy it any more. Ive decided unless there is big changes its unlikely I will renew my ST, I will just pick and choose some away games to go to instead. I know they count all ST holders on the attendance figures, well I know at least 3 or 4 others who have not been going, so I wonder what the real attendances were. Sad state of affairs really....

Macus Evans has a lot to answer for, MM is just the manager, most people would do the same as him, hes on big wages (double Chris Hughton apparently?) and so why would he just walk.

Just a thought. If MM left and we got a young manager who wanted a footballing team but with no funds for new players other than lower league young ones. Have we got the players lready here to put out an exciting team to play passing football.
With T Smith back could we play a 3 man defence. Could Knudsen be employed more as a left midfielder. Would Kenlock/Emmanuel be automatic starters?
Could Williams, McG, Bishop, Dozzell, Pittman, Seats form the basis of a good footballing and equally importantly durable midfield. Are McDonnell, Benyu eye ready to be impact subs on a regular basis at this level

Would love to hear people's thoughts on this and their team line ups emphasising passing and durability.

We have the players to put out a team yes, you have named most of them, whether they would be competitive, attractive and play good passing football who knows. One thing I do know is that Emmanuel & Kenlock are every bit as good as Chambo & Knudsen, I also know that big clubs will not be looking at Dozzell for nothing, he will make it. Bishop has quality but has taken a bit of a knock to his progression due in the main to injuries so I think he too will come good. In Kundai benyu it is felt we have a very good talent on our hands but it appears much depends on him. I saw a kid called Tristan Nydam come on for us in a pre season friendly at cambridge and from that cameo alone I will bet he will be better than any of them, hopefully it will be here with us.

The big thing is would any manager anywhere be prepared to play a team full of inexperienced youngsters and the answer to that is no, any manager would always supplement his team with older and more experienced loans or freebies even if they had no money. You mention Tommy Smith coming back and yes he would make a good captain in the scenario you paint, however he cannot pass p*ss let alone a football.

The other thing is something I touched on Three weeks or so back, no matter what Town fans may tell you now they would not accept this kind of team losing games to gain experience, Josh Emmanuel was a classic example, he had a decent game or two but the minute he was found out the moaning and criticism of him started, oh he's not ready, oh he looked lost, oh he kept losing possession, that kind of silly comment, saw them everywhere, on here included so all this accepting of a scenario where by we go with youngsters over results doesn't wash with me. That said I think we have some very good young players coming through and maybe it is a little bit slower than many would like but they are getting their chance here, Dozzell, Bishop, Emmanuel, Kenlock have already been in the first team, Benyu almost certainly would have had he not behaved like a tit somewhere along the line.

I didn't mention them but Berra, Webster, Lawrence, Bart are all experienced as is McG, Sears, Pittman. Would a team built round these players with the young ones added not add up to a team that could both play attractive football and hold their own in this division with a new manager who would believe in them

We all believe there will be no real money good players to come in and loans and frees
especially in January are not worth the bother

My question really is do we not already have the players to play passing football and still be able to compete?