The OVF January Transfer Window thread

[philmpv]

i'm glad you said his grandmother cos if you had said Heskey himself would of scored now that would of been stretching it

 

Indeed. This isn't a fantasy forum after all :-)

[PV1973]

I forgot about Jones - Good call.

 

I think Alnwick's hunger went when he joined that Scottish crap behind a young established keeper whom he has little chance of dislodging barring serious injury ;-)

To be fair all the loan signings should be pulling up trees, because they're either playing to impress their parent club, us or prospective suitors. So I can see the benefit in the loans. Anderson is another too whos done well I think.

 

Whilst you're on about keepers Boot is another local lad whos taken his chance.

 

Its all about balance and getting the right type of character in, hungry young players and a bit of experience too who are still hungry to prove something (I think Kay, Tonge and Pugh fall into that bracket). I trust Aspin and Rudge in that regard.

[Macc Lad]

One factor which should be in our favour is Aspo's in-depth knowledge of the nonleague scene, with years of experience there. And of course Rudgey was no stranger to those circles when he was on the lookout for his unpolished gems.

 

This time of year it's always interesting to speculate on why some nonleague players who have shone in the FA Cup aren't snapped up by league clubs. One example was the Brackley midfielder James Armson, who scored a hat trick when they beat Gillingham a couple of years ago and looked the best player on the pitch, but as far as I know is still there and perhaps too old now to make the switch.

 

For some outside the league, they are probably better off staying in a well paid day job and earning a few hundred more a month playing part time, than giving that up and gambling on breaking through at league level.

[Howjy04]

I’d like to see a centre midfielder come in.A player who can link up play,Bogie type.At the moment we don’t need a midfield due to the way we play.Considering we didn’t pay a fee for Ben,there could be the money still there to BUY such a player.A left back would be nice.

[Santa]

I'd like to see us sign someone who can give us some different options in our build up play. At the moment it mainly involves hitting the front early, which works but only to an extent. I'd like to see us move the ball quickly and incisively through the centre of midfield instead of just hoping to mop up second balls around the final third.

[Martino Knockavelli]

At least we don't need another keeper. Boot is doing a decent job.

 

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[TheSage]

Possibly not until the summer but if I was the manager I'd be looking to make significant changes to the squad.

Four lads that Brown brought here would all have strengthened the team - namely Eagles, Bikey, Walker and Guy. We lack a bit of energy in the middle, goals throughout the team, and a big ugly brute at the back.

Now that GG and Denton have gone we also need a left sided defender.

 

But to get all our ducks in a row might take longer than just this month, when, for me, our absolute priority is to get more goals into the team. Pope can't do it on his own. Nor can he score if he hasn't got the ball.

 

An odd one or two better players this month might be sufficient to see us through until May but I really don't expect half this team to be here in 12 months time as the older lads will be 12 months on and the loanees gone back.

 

Aspin has performed a minor miracle. If someone had suggested last September that we would be well clear of the bottom by January I would have thought you were mad! Him and his staff deserve a medal.

[Samwelo]

I think the fact that Angus was brought on as well ahead of Forrester speaks volumes regarding Aspin's opinion of him now. He's either not showing the right attitude, or Aspo hasn't forgiven him for all of those misses in the last home league game he played, when he should have scored at least 2. Even Emile Heskey's grandmother would have put 1 of those chances away.

 

I do wonder if it is attitude with AF. From social media seems to be happy to lead the rich footballer party lifestyle with (now) his mate who plays for Chelsea, but never seems keen to advertise the extra work he is putting in to get fit for exmaple.

[CambridgeDon]

Possibly not until the summer but if I was the manager I'd be looking to make significant changes to the squad.

Four lads that Brown brought here would all have strengthened the team - namely Eagles, Bikey, Walker and Guy. We lack a bit of energy in the middle, goals throughout the team, and a big ugly brute at the back.

Now that GG and Denton have gone we also need a left sided defender.

 

But to get all our ducks in a row might take longer than just this month, when, for me, our absolute priority is to get more goals into the team. Pope can't do it on his own. Nor can he score if he hasn't got the ball.

 

An odd one or two better players this month might be sufficient to see us through until May but I really don't expect half this team to be here in 12 months time as the older lads will be 12 months on and the loanees gone back.

 

Aspin has performed a minor miracle. If someone had suggested last September that we would be well clear of the bottom by January I would have thought you were mad! Him and his staff deserve a medal.

 

Cracking post, Sage. On the goals front, where we are sadly lacking any cutting edge apart from Pope, I wonder if we will see any sign of Shaun Tuton who recently turned out for the reserves. Aspo, of course, will know him well so I guess it's a question of availability and money.

 

I would have thought Aspo would want to bring on Regis and Angus gradually rather than throw them into the team but, if we continue to fire blanks, it may force his hand. You never know, it worked before with Ian Taylor!

[CambridgeDon]

League experience, as you put it, doesn't guarantee success. I don't get this oft stated fascination with 'league' players. Arguably, by far our best players over the last 2 seasons have had no, or minimal, 'league experience', being Smith, Gibbons, Whitfield, Alnwick and Streete, the exceptions in my eyes being Kay (since being moved to a new position) and, of course, Pope, and the worst those with lots of 'league experience', being the likes of Purkiss (in his second season), Wilson and Paterson, all of whom had vast experience but have been, quite simply, awful.

 

You could also argue that the experienced 'league players' only join a club, primarily, for the money on offer, whereas a non-league player (particularly so a young one or one with no previous chance in the league) could be said to join a league club, first and foremost, for the opportunity, and is far more likely, in my eyes, to do their best to take that chance offered, leading to more committed and consistent performances.

 

Finally, is there really that much difference now between our lowest football league and the Conference levels? Most of the Clubs there are prefessional outfits.

 

I'm not saying that if the right player with league experience comes along we shouldn't sign him at all, just that I don't see the point in not looking at the non-league level now in preference for 'league experience'.

 

There's a lot of truth in this. The Guardian has a great article about Graham Potter, the manager of Ostersund in Sweden who's managed to get this tiny club into the Swedish top tier and the group stages of the Europa Cup by building a team of revitalised players that others had long since resigned to the scrap heap. Along the way, this team of former league and non-league players have beaten Galatasaray, PAOK and Hertha Berlin as well as drawing with Atletico Bilbao. An exceptional manager, no doubt, but it shows what can be done with players whose potential, for one reason or another, has failed to be realised.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/08/graham-potter-ostersund--europa-league-premier-league-clubs

 

The good news for us is that we have possibly the best recruiter in the football league, one John Rudge, on the look out. If we can just survive this season, we should be fine in the long run.

[CambridgeDon]

Jason Oswell. I work with a Stockport fan and he worships the bloke, he was ths top scorer in the country for quiet a while i don't know if he still is

 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Oswell

 

Sounds promising - and we could always employ as a physio as well, judging by his CV.

[Erniemossrules]

Danny Rowe was brilliant in both games for Fylde and would probably relish a chance to play league football.

I am sure Aspin knows him well.

[Erniemossrules]

Alex Jones only played 7 times for Bradford and nil goals.Any chance they would loan him back to us.Him and Pope up front a dream team.

[valeparklife]

Alex Jones only played 7 times for Bradford and nil goals.Any chance they would loan him back to us.Him and Pope up front a dream team.

 

If we could get him back on a permanent deal I'd be over the moon. Doesn't seem to feature much at Bradford now but would be lethal in this league.

 

I'd sign him back in a heartbeat using some of the £620,000 funds we accumulated last season. Maybe £50,000 would do it? Bargain.

[Regal Beagle]

I'm sure he's been injured rather than not selected to be fair.