This January window pivotal to our season?

[hallamblue]

Sounds dramatic doesn’t it. But I think it is. I’m just hoping and praying we are still in touch with the top two by the time the window opens. Make no mistake, the alarms bells are ringing loud, and have (for me) been ringing loud for some weeks! Why? Well these are my thoughts.

1) INJURIES: We have a ridiculous level of long term injuries which has ripped the the guts out of this squad. It’s now visibly taking its toll on the players left fit enough to play. Last night we looked visibly tired and heavy legged , in the FIRST half. The second half it was clear we had nothing left to give as an attacking force, and we sat back.

Ideally, We need our injured midfielders back NOW. Is that going to happen? Unlikely. You can see K McK already toying with the idea of play Woolfie there as an emergency stop gap. Trust me, Town are down to the bare bones in midfield . Can we hold on until Evans returns? I’m not so sure we can.


2) STRIKERS: In short they’re not good enough. They can’t even spell “ clinical” let alone display it in front of goal. Time and again this is coming back to bite us in the bum. For all our possession, and shots stats, the ONLY stat that matters is the score line. Do we beat opponents when on top? No, we do not, and especially at home. Is the quality of our strikers good enough to get us over that promotion line? I’d say emphatically not.
Too many of them blow hot and cold . Mostly like warm. We need a striker that has physical presence, mobility, pace, and is deadly in or around the box and can truly lead the line.

None of our current strikers can do that on a regular basis. None of them can take that one chance they might get in a game, and bury it.
We need a bloody good striker.

3) DEFENCE: Soft underbelly, prone to a goal conceding mistake, every game. That’s our current group of central defenders. Burgess is by far the best we have. Edmundson isn’t good enough. Woolfie isn’t good enough. Being “ good on the ball”, or being able to dribble out of defence or run up the pitch with ball doesn’t mean “ good defending”. It means you have a player that’s playing a poor man’s defensive midfielder role! We need defenders that are good in the air. Command that box. Make the correct defensive decisions. Clear the ball. Marshall their opponent. Not let the ball bounce. All basic defending credentials. Burgess is the only one who comes close. We need IMHO 2 CB’s


That’s my take anyway. What do others think?

[rossi]

CLINICAL - there, Liz, I think I've spelled it correctly, does that qualify me to me a Town striker?

[Bluemike]

You would think we were second bottom lol

[AzzurroMark]

CLINICAL - there, Liz, I think I've spelled it correctly, does that qualify me to me a Town striker?

Hmm, possibly the "me to me" might guarantee it

Was going to ask Liz if she'd checked the correct spelling of clinical before posting, I know I would have done to save any embarrassment.

[hallamblue]

Lol well you know ( no?) what I’m trying to say hopefully.

I doubt the likes of Ashton / McKenna are sitting there thinking we’re ok with what we’ve got squad wise , going into the second half of the season. This window is pivotal for us I feel.


Remember that season under McCarthy ? Heading for top 6 just needed some money spent in a striker. It didn’t happen, snd the rest is history. I actually think McCarthy gave up trying after that season. Knowing Evans wouldn’t put anymore in.

I think we do need to bring in a couple of players to get us over that line. I think it’s going to go down to the wire , with as many as 4 teams going for those top 2 places. So being active in the window is not a negative, “ thinking we’re second bottom” mentality, it’s actually being positive snd looking build an even stronger squad for promotion AND next season hopefully in the Championship

[hallamblue]

CLINICAL - there, Liz, I think I've spelled it correctly, does that qualify me to me a Town striker?

Hmm, possibly the "me to me" might guarantee it

Was going to ask Liz if she'd checked the correct spelling of clinical before posting, I know I would have done to save any embarrassment.

Being a clinician myself I’d hope I’d got it right … but I’ll be the first to admit , my spelling’s not the greatest lol !

[Bluemike]

Lol well you know ( no?) what I’m trying to say hopefully.

I doubt the likes of Ashton / McKenna are sitting there thinking we’re ok with what we’ve got squad wise , going into the second half of the season. This window is pivotal for us I feel.


Remember that season under McCarthy ? Heading for top 6 just needed some money spent in a striker. It didn’t happen, snd the rest is history. I actually think McCarthy gave up trying after that season. Knowing Evans wouldn’t put anymore in.

I think we do need to bring in a couple of players to get us over that line. I think it’s going to go down to the wire , with as many as 4 teams going for those top 2 places. So being active in the window is not a negative, “ thinking we’re second bottom” mentality, it’s actually being positive snd looking build an even stronger squad for promotion AND next season hopefully in the Championship

I'm actually being tongue in cheek, for me with Evans and Aluko returning I feel the Midfield is fine, hopefully Harness back in Feb too. I wouldn't be against another CB and striker to freshen it up. I would however welcome Morgan Whittaker here with open arms, if there was any truth in that rumour

[hallamblue]

When is Evans due back Mike? Because he’s really needed. I thought it was another month tbh?

[Bluemike]

I think he's out on the grass now so getting closer, some time this month hopefully

[hallamblue]

Can’t come quick enough.

Who did you see at the Spa? Just been snd had a hot chocci there today ….

[Shed on tour]

Ashton recently stated that some January signings have already been worked on and down the line but as always until the player signs on the dotted line you never know.

[Shed on tour]

I think he's out on the grass now so getting closer, some time this month hopefully

Bloody hell I know some of us think certain players aren't up to the task but surely none of them are that bad.

[number 9]

Been saying we need another striker for weeks, if not months. Another CB would be great, but statistically we still have one of the best defences in the league. I think Ashton/KM will certainly be looking into bringing in another striker, but I’m not so sure they’ll feel a CB is the necessity. Probably another defensive or attacking midfielder, but that’s about it I’d guess. I tell you what though, if we fail to achieve promotion there will be serious consequences…KM leaving for a start. Hopefully the americans will remain committed, but I’m not sure they will if we f*ck this up.

[Bluemike]

Why will KM leave ? I don't see that myself

[marko69]

Watch what you’re doing with that pivotal window, Hallam. Very dangerous.
Maybe try a tilt & turn. Much safer.
Maybe even find a few decent “tilt & turn” players in the January tilt & turn window.

[number 9]

Why will KM leave ? I don't see that myself

It's a possibility.

[Bluemike]

Yeah it's always possible but it could also be deemed that him not getting this Town team up would be failure, thankfully that won't happen

[hallamblue]

Ashton recently stated that some January signings have already been worked on and down the line but as always until the player signs on the dotted line you never know.

I was thinking about this earlier today , and wondering who we’d be likely to be “well down the line” with and which player we’d be more likely to get in quickly and who’d be available . And I’ve come up with Bonne! He’s virtually out of contract, is apparently allowed to leave QPR now, and wouldn’t cost us a much if any fee. It’d just be his personal contract to sort out. I don’t think he’d be a bad shout ( I know a few on here will groan a this suggestion). But he closes down really quickly. And I think he’d be pumped up for a a second opportunity. Put it this way, I’d much rather him than Connor Wickham!

[Bluemike]

I think Bonne would be a poor, lazy signing, certainly no better than what we already have.

[Blue Wilf]

Indeed - Bonne - no thanks from me...