Transfer News and Gossip Transfer Rumours Thread 2024/2025.

[Barry.C]

Paul Clark is also frustrated with our 3-5-2. He thinks its ok providing but we must do it better, By that he means be more confident about playing the ball FORWARD

 

[Callumturner22]

I asked about potential replacements for bim. And he’s got a piece out tomorrow for us fans be interesting to see who he’s suggested .

 

[Danshrimper]

If we are up against football league sides we have no chance. Begs the question as to why we didnt make a move when the transfer window was closed. We have waited untill Jan and now have competition from bigger clubs

Not necessarily. Just because they are interested doesn’t mean they will be willing to make an offer.

Or if they are going to make on offer, they may not offer as much playing time as we would, or may offer a shorter term deal than us etc. There are plenty of variables that might mean the player would prefer to come here over an EFL side.

 

[Barry.C]

Dont worry though be patient and wait til Summer ?

Slight burst of sarcasm allowed given current frustrations , hopefully new Business soonish this window, although we are traditionally fairly sluggish in the market , including pre-seasons and we have also added the layer of Moneyball man, although in practice that shouldnt take ages surely

Kevs been calling for more in for months, no wonder hes getting a bit shirty, as we reverse once again to struggling to offer 7 on the subs bench in fact with 2 ill we could only provide 5 at best with Walker absent

Dare I also risk saying, after 6 months COSU cannot escape all responsibility on the squad front ?

I know the mantra

be patient. Trouble is the more my wife tells me that, guess my reaction? same as if I risk "Calm down dear"

 

[Strykr]

Why do you think these players find themselves in the 5th tier? Not having a go. But being sharp mentally is as much a skill and technical and physical. It's frustrating, but they're 5th tier for a reason.

Its not rocket science, The 5th tier players of york FGR barnet and gateshead seem to be managing it....

 

[SeldomSeenShrimper]

Bonne confuses me. He was pretty ineffective at first, then seemed to gain a bit of fitness .. put himself about .. looked a threat alongside Bim. Then he got benched for a couple of games from memory and seemed to lose that momentum. He seems to be struggling again and desperately needs a goal to get going. I think he can win balls in the air and hold it up BUT let's face it he's no Cardwell (*cough). Sorry, couldn't resist but we do need another Cardwell type - as YB says Kendall isn't enough of a unit.

I'm still convinced KAF goal was actually his

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

Its not rocket science, The 5th tier players of york FGR barnet and gateshead seem to be managing it....

And what do they all have in common.................................

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

If you have only one up front.
Play to the feet not the head.

Play it into the body. It’s harder to intercept and it’s a bigger target to aim for.

Paul Clark has some views on this and he’s right. If Bonne is winning balls in the air (which he is) why don’t we have forwards working as a pair, anticipating/gambling on that- service from midfield is negligible, and this is made worse by the lack of anticipation or gambling where the ball is likely to go (also applies re runs into the box, follow up for rebounds etc etc.)

If Bonne wins the ball in the air but his fellow forward is stood there watching and waiting to see where it goes then that needs addressing. I sensed Kendall makes a better partner than anyone else in that respect as he’s always on the move and looking to getting beyond the last man,

Because it’s an incredibly low percentage play.

You first need someone to play an accurate 50+ yard ball. You then need the attacker to beat the defender to it, you then need the other attacker to time a run but stay onside, you then need the first forward to get the right angle for the header to get it up over his marker but down before the keeper can come off his line and claim, the attacker also has to get horizontal angle right to pick out the attacker who has to anticipate whether the other is going to go left or right with the header and beat his marker to it.

Once in a blue moon it’ll come off - the last time a goal like that was scored was probably when Paul Clark was still playing in the 80s - but most of the time it’ll just leave the second attacker in an offside position unable to contribute when Bonne’s flick doesn’t find him.

Instead of flicking it the target man needs to bring it down.

 

[SeldomSeenShrimper]

And what do they all have in common.................................

Striped football kits?

 

[RHB]

And what do they all have in common.................................

 

[danbowen]

This is getting boring now. Can we sign someone please. Dont even care who it is now. Seeing all these other clubs signing players is so depressing!

 

[kentblues]

Good observation KB ! Would it also help that and Bonne if we played a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 as FGR use?

Depends? In a 433 the wide men in the front 3 often end up playing wider as there is no winger or wingback (so often they provide width and the forwards end up further apart at least in open play?).

442 although you have 2 not 3 up top I would suggest it’s easier as you have the wide midfielders (worry with this formation is the 2 in CM are often up against 3 in CM - you then need to cater for that with the profile/work rate of the 2 you have in there. PB used to play one wide midfielder and 3 CM (so tucking in one side) with the winger swapping wings as a compromise.

Actually with the 352 there is zero excuse, I would suggest, as it’s optimal to capitalise on a target main as not only do the wingbacks negate the need for forwards to operate so wide, and so can work as a pair, it also gives 3 CM at least one of whom should be joining in and picking up the pieces. Also the additional CM allows supporting the WBs in the wide channels.

This said there are so many variations within 433, 442 and 352 the above is probably far too simplistic…

FGR probably have the right players for that formation. Look teams successfully play 442 in the Prem. It can work but in my opinion, at our level, players have limited attributes, squad sizes are more limited, and therefore you bring in players suited to the formation you intend to play. 442 would probably mean you would need FBs not WBs, need wingers, would change the profile of who you would want at CB and CM.

My six (well probably by now ten) penneth worth and what do I know?

 

[kentblues]

Why do you think these players find themselves in the 5th tier? Not having a go. But being sharp mentally is as much a skill and technical and physical. It's frustrating, but they're 5th tier for a reason.

I think at some point we are talking the absolute basics and you don’t bring in people who can’t at least give you that. Else there is no hope…

 

[Jai]

I'll probably get stick for this but the only player we currently have that could possibly work as a target man is Bonne, When we were away to Woking and playing 4-3-3 he was winning everything in the air and we looked dangerous. Miley sent off, Pepple substituted and Walker moved to midfield and he was all on his own, totally ineffective. We got a clean sheet though! Some achievement against the mighty Woking.

Not a fashionable view but spot on. Bonne is by far and away the best in the air of all our forwards and that includes Pepple.

 

[Avl1983]

Not a fashionable view but spot on. Bonne is by far and away the best in the air of all our forwards and that includes Pepple.

If the players around him were in better positions or had the anticipation needed to take advantage of the headers he wins we may score some of these chances. We seem unable/willing to get on the end of them sadly.

 

[kentblues]

Paul Clark is also frustrated with our 3-5-2. He thinks its ok providing but we must do it better, By that he means be more confident about playing the ball FORWARD

And he is, of course, correct. There is an argument both at WB and in CM we don’t have the optimal players for the system we play. So changing from 352 is throwing the baby out with the bath water. We need to change less in the squad to make 352 successful than start playing 442.

 

[Linda Loan Shark]

So are we going to replace the 3 players we have recently lost? Patience has gone out the window lol

 

[kentblues]

Dare I also risk saying, after 6 months COSU cannot escape all responsibility on the squad front ?

View attachment 35217 I know the mantra

be patient. Trouble is the more my wife tells me that, guess my reaction? same as if I risk "Calm down dear"

I think I would put it slightly different. It can’t be that they can and Kev can’t?

If you excuse them because of all the other cr*p that they have to sort out then the same privilege should apply to Kev who has to work under the consequences of the same?

 

[Cricko]

Not a fashionable view but spot on. Bonne is by far and away the best in the air of all our forwards and that includes Pepple.

Must account for all those "headed goals " he has scored so far.

 

[kentblues]

Play it into the body. It’s harder to intercept and it’s a bigger target to aim for.


Because it’s an incredibly low percentage play.

You first need someone to play an accurate 50+ yard ball. You then need the attacker to beat the defender to it, you then need the other attacker to time a run but stay onside, you then need the first forward to get the right angle for the header to get it up over his marker but down before the keeper can come off his line and claim, the attacker also has to get horizontal angle right to pick out the attacker who has to anticipate whether the other is going to go left or right with the header and beat his marker to it.

Once in a blue moon it’ll come off - the last time a goal like that was scored was probably when Paul Clark was still playing in the 80s - but most of the time it’ll just leave the second attacker in an offside position unable to contribute when Bonne’s flick doesn’t find him.

Instead of flicking it the target man needs to bring it down.

It not necessarily just about getting on the end of flick ons it’s about putting the opposition under pressure- that can be chasing the flick on and putting the defender under pressure winning an advanced throw, or if the defender wins the initial header picking up the second ball again in a advanced position.

Would be great if the target man could bring it down as well- let’s sign that man!

Actually at our level it’s quite a large percentage play taking the above also into consideration. Should at least give as much possession deep in the opposition half as knocking it backwards and sideways as 1. At this level the quality to retain possession and be progressive is limited 2. The longer more direct approach can take the opposition midfield out of play where with a laboured build up they get everyone behind the ball?

But it not so simple -we could both argue that with the right players and approach either way will be very successful. And you can play both options at the same time (I.e. in the same game to varying degrees according to the opponent). At the moment neither way is overly successful which is why we need to bring the right players in?