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Thread | Lack of Transfer activity, perception and reality.
at 12:51 29 Jun 2025
When the fixtures came out on Thursday, I suddenly became a little anxious that we had not dipped our toes into the transfer market yet. Lots of outgoings or returned loanees - Delap, Burgess, Tuanzebe, Luongo, Enciso, Phillips, Cajuste, Godfrey with only the returning loanees in the shape of Humphreys, Baggott , Clarke and Al-Hamadi to offset these. I had dismissed those who were getting a little twitchy as being too premature but all of a sudden I found myself feeling somewhat anxious. However, a quick look at the BBC transfers for June and I was back to being more settled. With the exception of Norwich, there has been very little inbound activity at Championship clubs. A few loans and undisclosed purchases here and there but nothing much. I imagine it will pick up in the next fortnight and look foward to a few juicy purchases into the bargain. |
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Thread | Ben Johnson and Harry Clarke - enough for the right hand side?
at 17:33 26 Jun 2025
Maybe not last season but this is the Championship. If absolutely necessary, O'Shea can play there too. I could see no replacement for Axel in the hope we have enough there and more money being spent on central midfield and centre forward. Any thoughts? |
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Thread | Oldham back in the EFL
at 18:03 1 Jun 2025
BFJ will be pleased. Garner and Norwood scorers in the final. |
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Thread | Can't see Latte Lath myself
at 17:33 1 Jun 2025
Just don't see us paying anywhere near the money supposedly payed by Atlanta. I know McKenna seems to return to targets but this one is so much money and we're a Championship club right now. The Chelsea and Man City youngsters are a maybe but I'd prefer a loan with a buy clause upon promotion. Interesting to me is how many strikers we buy. Assuming Hirst stays, what happens to Al Hamadi? Is Szmodics considered a forward or is he part of a three behind the striker? Interesting times and tye next two months will be long. |
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Thread | Szmodics
at 11:31 29 May 2025
Withdrawl from Irish squad. Recurrence of injury after Sunday's cameo or just he's not up to playing speed yet? Hope it's the latter. He'll be very effective for us next season. |
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Thread | When Town bought Delap
at 19:06 27 May 2025
Do you believe KMc bought Liam Delap to lead the line on his own or did the injury to George Hirst, the failure to land the Greek guy or Broja ( lucky escape) force his hand? Was he bought to add more pace and power to the three behind a number 9 but because his early season form was outstanding, he fell into the defacto no 9 at the club. I genuinely feel we would have had more success as a team had Hirst been fit and Delap played as a 10. I guess though it worked better for Delap than the team. |
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Thread | Oh for some genuine pace and power
at 17:37 25 May 2025
To think 10 games in we we're allegedly 'competing' with Crystal Palace. Delap aside, we have no power going forward. As for pace, we have players who's legs move fast but they are deceptively slow! |
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Thread | We don't score goals
at 16:53 25 May 2025
No lack of effort, we just don't score enough goals and the quality of deliveries into the box isn't good enough to beat teams in this league. |
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Thread | Strange comment by Taylor about Enciso
at 10:36 22 May 2025
In the article on the TWTD homepage, Taylor predominantly talks about being ready for next season. Then, near the end of the piece he talks about Enciso still learning about what is needed here. Am I reading something in this that's not there as it felt like the suggestion Enciso would be here next year? Maybe it's just me seeing what I want. |
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Thread | Roy Keane's big men comment.
at 09:43 11 May 2025
If I remember rightly, Keane said something about needing big men with big arms didn't he? Was he right after all? There has been much debate around our lack of Premier League experience but for me, our lack of Premier League physicality and athleticism, especially in the midfield and the three behind the striker has been our biggest problem. I was certainly no fan of Keane as our manager, but he was right about physical / athletic specimens it seems. |
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Thread | Competitive, fine margins
at 17:03 10 May 2025
All very true but we are just not able to come out on the right side of a single game. It's quite soul destroying as the players are working so hard. Roll on the end of May because I've had enough. |
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Thread | I don't see McKenna going to Spurs but
at 16:15 23 Apr 2025
If Bournemouth, Brentford or Fulham lose their boss to Spurs, I fear he may well be in the frame for the vacancy that creates. [Post edited 23 Apr 16:16]
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Thread | We are consistently overrun in midfield
at 19:19 20 Apr 2025
Most of the division have better players than us. They have benches stacked with quality too. It is right to say we have competed in a good proportion of games but even in those games at tge 70 minute mark we have loked goosed and succumbed to the pressure too many times. The 4321 formation has not worked for us in the Premier League. Our two in midfield gets overrun either in terms of numbers or just sheer physicality, speed and strength. The three behind the lone striker have all too often been too lightweight and the formation leaves our striker so isolated.
Today, we actually looked more solid 2nd half with 10 men as we went 531. The tgree in midfield were not so overrun. Just imagine if Delap had beenablecto join Hirst in a 532. We might have actually posed some threat. 4231 works when you are the dominant side. We have rarely been that side this season but our shape hss not reflected this often enough.
Just my opinion though. |
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Thread | History will teach us nothing
at 23:20 15 Mar 2025
We just don't seem to have learned much as the season has progressed. I know for tge last two seasons Davis has been bombing forward, but how many times this season against top opposition have we conceded goals with Leif 10, 15 or 20 yards behind tge scorer struggling to get back? In addition, whilst Delap has scored some belters, why he is continually allowed to run into blind alleys instead of being instructed to bring others into play more often? When will we realise that George Hirst should be getting 30 minutes, not 15 or less? Or maybe that Delap could have even more success playing off Hirst as a 10, giving us some more physicality in those forward areas not provided by Hutch, Clarke, Enciso or Philogene? In too many games we are overrun in midfield by more athletic players with greater physicality but we have continued to only ever play two in there, rarely if ever seeking to counteract opposition strengths in tge centre of the park. Finally, when are our defenders going to realise that backing off and allowing attackers to enter the 18 yard box is not a good ploy as it generally ends badly?
These are the things that have irked me most since the turn of the year. Like I've said, it feels like history has taught us nothing.
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Thread | We have to recruit beyond these shores
at 18:12 9 Mar 2025
Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford, Palace have all picked up powerful, physical and talented players in the European, South American and African markets for significantly lower fees than we paid for several players this season. It really is the next thing the club needs to look at for me.
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Thread | Great to see Hutchinson yesterday
at 13:21 9 Mar 2025
Shoulder charge the Palace player off the ball in the build up to the Johnson headed chance. It's clear we lack physicality but that showed to me that Omari is beginning to develop a little more robustness. Philogene and Clarke need to follow suit. Pity we didn't have Enciso all season, he's a handful.
Greaves is clearly a decent prospect and a class above but he has a touch of the Matthew Pennington's to me - always stretching, lunging and never quite in full control.
It'll never happen but we need wins. I'd play Delap off Hirst with Enciso in behind in a 352 but that's just me, definitely not KM! |
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Thread | I'm sensing Phil has had a belly full
at 19:08 28 Feb 2025
He stopped pòsting live from the presser after just 12 minutes and half a dozen or so posts from himself when the entire thread descended into an argument about Omari's injury and if he should've played through the pain or not.
I feel for Mr Ham at times. We're all passionate about the club but the rapidity with which so many threads can descend into points scoring back and forth is amazing. I bet it is seroiusly trying the man's patience. [Post edited 28 Feb 19:09]
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Thread | Villa v us with ten men and last night
at 13:31 27 Feb 2025
The stereotypical thing to do is compare how difficult Villa found it to break us down with 10 men 11 days ago and our travails against United last night. Nah, not for me. Yes, there was some heroic defending by us at Villa park, bodies on the line etc. However, Villa were banging on the door, Palmer made half a dozen fine saves, one of them almost unbelievable. Last night was nothing like that. Onana will not have had an easier 45 minutes all season than that second half! |
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Thread | We are too slow
at 22:11 26 Feb 2025
Who in our side offers genuine attacking pace?
Delap, yes power and decent pace.
Other than that, I'm not seeing it.
Omari really is trying but he's not getting away from anyone.
Philogene - forget the goals tonight, he has beaten nobody.
Clarke has some nice feet but pace, nah.
Chaplin, Szmodics, Broady - guile but no pace
Ok, Chieo and Wes but they're out.
Leif just isn't as positive as he was last year.
Sa e goes for attacking and midfield physicality.
All points to narrow recruitment. |
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