Gary's January Transfer Window

[TeignmouthGrecian]

It's the 3rd, guys. Wycombe have signed someone from the 9th tier that they had lined up in the summer but weren't sure enough about to offer a minimal contract. Carlisle have massively overspent on a league 2 player so the new owners can make a statement. No one else has signed anyone, and it's the third.

The window has every chance of being an absolute debacle again, but let's have some patience until we can actually see that?

Its not so much the fact we haven’t signed anyone yet, it’s the fact the board and the manager put such a huge emphasis on how the January Transfer window is going to change our season in the lead up to it… Then as soon as window opens the tune has changed to how difficult the January transfer window is to operate in…

 

[edwin_price]

Its not so much the fact we haven’t signed anyone yet, it’s the fact the board and the manager put such a huge emphasis on how the January Transfer window is going to change our season in the lead up to it… Then as soon as window opens the tune has changed to how difficult the January transfer window is to operate in…

It's all just jibber jabber though, isn't it. Say it's the answer when we need some light at the end of the tunnel, say it's hard when we're in it and it's not that straightforward. Standard stuff.

We'll have our chance to assess how it pans out. I'm not optimistic, I've got to say. All I'm saying is, right now is a bit early doors. Only 2 transfers so far in the division. I'm angry at how weve messed it up in the summer, but at the same time, having a load of quality in by now is not a reasonable expectation for January. The club are failing, IMO, by reasonable metrics, so no real sense in holding them to unreasonable ones.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

Its not so much the fact we haven’t signed anyone yet, it’s the fact the board and the manager put such a huge emphasis on how the January Transfer window is going to change our season in the lead up to it… Then as soon as window opens the tune has changed to how difficult the January transfer window is to operate in…

Indeed, and given that they have had four whole months to prepare for it, one wonders WTF they have been actually doing in that time ?

 

[Boyo]

Indeed, and given that they have had four whole months to prepare for it, one wonders WTF they have been actually doing in that time ?

“I’ve been a bit frustrated, because we have agreed terms with a club, and a player, to come in on a permanent deal, and then [on Sunday] afternoon I got a call to say he’s been approached by another club and he wants to speak to them."

That's the Carlisle manager speaking BTW.

Do people honestly believe that the club have been sat around for months doing nothing and suddenly start scratching around on 1st Jan?

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Its not so much the fact we haven’t signed anyone yet, it’s the fact the board and the manager put such a huge emphasis on how the January Transfer window is going to change our season in the lead up to it… Then as soon as window opens the tune has changed to how difficult the January transfer window is to operate in…

I 100% agree , Hawker comes out and says there is unprecedented money available and that they’re fully behind the manager to recruit.

Caldwell has talked about the window in pretty much every interview for 2 months.

The club also gambled by not replacing Nombe earlier in the season on getting to January still in the mix prior to having to spend the money.

Get this window wrong and we’re league 2 bound, get it right and we’re half way up league 1 come May and things will all be forgiven & forget.

One thing i’d also like given were a fans owned club is to hear more news coming out from the club during the window about transfer targets , news , scouting , budgets etc.

 

[sign of the chimes]

It's quotes like this that terrify me..

"Marcus Flitcroft [Exeter's head of recruitment] is working extremely hard to identify those targets and get us a list, but everyone else is looking at the same players."

Surely we know by now who we want? Jesus wept.

Presumably the list of available players/targets is dynamic for all clubs: players that are available today might not be in a couple of weeks if their current club suffers a couple of unexpected injuries - likewise youngsters on the fringes further up the food chain may get pushed down the pecking order if their club signs a new player during the same period.

We picked up a centre-half on loan at the end of the window last January where the player and their club had been looking for a suitable loan to the Championship, but one hadn't been forthcoming,

 

[Super Ronnie Jepson]

Presumably the list of available players/targets is dynamic for all clubs: players that are available today might not be in a couple of weeks if their current club suffers a couple of unexpected injuries - likewise youngsters on the fringes further up the food chain may get pushed down the pecking order if their club signs a new player during the same period.

We picked up a centre-half on loan at the end of the window last January where the player and their club had been looking for a suitable loan to the Championship, but one hadn't been forthcoming,

Which is a good point...but we cannot afford to repeat the debacle of the end of the window in August. The deals need to be done in good time so we need to have identplayers that are definitely available to us now.

 

[Egg]

Which is a good point...but we cannot afford to repeat the debacle of the end of the window in August. The deals need to be done in good time so we need to have identplayers that are definitely available to us now.

The issue is that the only players definitely available to us now are almost certainly those nobody else wants!

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

If there is a list generated to all clubs of players available for “permanent” or “loan” transfers from January 1st surely that list would be provided prior for the window opening….

I don’t know for sure of course but my guess would be that list would have been circulating for a few weeks now amongst agents - clubs & players.

on that basis you would hope we had made contact with whoever they want from said list prior to the window (within the relevant rules)

 

[Boyo]

Which is a good point...but we cannot afford to repeat the debacle of the end of the window in August. The deals need to be done in good time so we need to have identplayers that are definitely available to us now.

All clubs want to sign players early. However, its often in the interests of players and the agents to delay, and play clubs off against each other to maximise the value of the contract or see who else is interested (see quote from the Carlisle manager above). Even clubs who are loaning players out, want to maximise the prospects for that player. We may be talking to Fulham again about Harris, but they could be waiting to see who expresses an interest so they can establish the best opportunity for the lad.