Hob Nob Anyone?

changed my mind on the window.

would probs like to get another striker
and sell one

Maneki Neko wrote:changed my mind on the window.

would probs like to get another striker
and sell one

if you were nailing your colours to mast.. who would you sell brendy?

Loader and send Boye back for me.

After having a little think, we’ve got to be trying to unsettle Lewis Baker really.

He joined Fortuna on a view to perm, but he’s not currently enjoying warming the bench in Germany and was unused again today.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thes ... ldorf/amp/

Chelsea recalled him from Leeds last year before he joined us. Could they recall him again this season?

And if they do, could Howe work his magic again to structure a deal similar to what we have set up for Ejaria?

He was very well thought of here and we are pulling in the right direction. If we were only allowed to bring one player in, Baker would be my pick tbh.

If we got Baker back, I would genuinely let you enter me.

Ok, we get in Baker....

Who warms the bench?

Swift?
Ejaria?
Rinomhota?

Baker was great, but that's three young players who are developing well.

Rinomhota is more defensively minded and with Swift and Ejaria it's already very attacking as a midfield. Bringing in Baker would make it even more so, and lighterweight even though he's decently solid defensively.

Ejaria isn't producing as much as Swift, so he's the most obvious one to drop IMO, but he's also a huge talent and on loan with a view to prem... don't really want to bring someone in who forces him out and makes him not want to stay.

Swift is the set piece taker and source of most our creativity. We don't seriously drop him for Baker?

Or does Baker warm the bench for us? He's not going to be happy with that. And then what about Olise, and Barrett, and East, and Holsgrove etc?

I think he's great. I just don't see where he fits anymore. If we had him, I'd probably drop Ejaria... but man that's a hard call.

Snowflake Royal wrote:Ok, we get in Baker....

Who warms the bench?

Swift?
Ejaria?
Rinomhota?

Baker was great, but that's three young players who are developing well.

Rinomhota is more defensively minded and with Swift and Ejaria it's already very attacking as a midfield. Bringing in Baker would make it even more so, and lighterweight even though he's decently solid defensively.

Ejaria isn't producing as much as Swift, so he's the most obvious one to drop IMO, but he's also a huge talent and on loan with a view to prem... don't really want to bring someone in who forces him out and makes him not want to stay.

Swift is the set piece taker and source of most our creativity. We don't seriously drop him for Baker?

Or does Baker warm the bench for us? He's not going to be happy with that. And then what about Olise, and Barrett, and East, and Holsgrove etc?

I think he's great. I just don't see where he fits anymore. If we had him, I'd probably drop Ejaria... but man that's a hard call.

Agreed with all of this. If we didn’t have Swift or Ovie, it would be a no brainier.

The only way it would work is if you then played a diamond midfield but that would mean taking one of the CBs out, which I don’t think is what Bowen wants to do.

Hendo wrote:

Snowflake Royal wrote:Ok, we get in Baker....

Who warms the bench?

Swift?
Ejaria?
Rinomhota?

Baker was great, but that's three young players who are developing well.

Rinomhota is more defensively minded and with Swift and Ejaria it's already very attacking as a midfield. Bringing in Baker would make it even more so, and lighterweight even though he's decently solid defensively.

Ejaria isn't producing as much as Swift, so he's the most obvious one to drop IMO, but he's also a huge talent and on loan with a view to prem... don't really want to bring someone in who forces him out and makes him not want to stay.

Swift is the set piece taker and source of most our creativity. We don't seriously drop him for Baker?

Or does Baker warm the bench for us? He's not going to be happy with that. And then what about Olise, and Barrett, and East, and Holsgrove etc?

I think he's great. I just don't see where he fits anymore. If we had him, I'd probably drop Ejaria... but man that's a hard call.

Agreed with all of this. If we didn’t have Swift or Ovie, it would be a no brainier.

The only way it would work is if you then played a diamond midfield but that would mean taking one of the CBs out, which I don’t think is what Bowen wants to do.

Yeah, did think of the diamond, but agree it's not great with 1 up or 2 if our 3 CBs.

Presumably

.......Rino
Baker, Ejaria
.......Swift
?

Snowflake Royal wrote:

Hendo wrote:

Snowflake Royal wrote:Ok, we get in Baker....

Who warms the bench?

Swift?
Ejaria?
Rinomhota?

Baker was great, but that's three young players who are developing well.

Rinomhota is more defensively minded and with Swift and Ejaria it's already very attacking as a midfield. Bringing in Baker would make it even more so, and lighterweight even though he's decently solid defensively.

Ejaria isn't producing as much as Swift, so he's the most obvious one to drop IMO, but he's also a huge talent and on loan with a view to prem... don't really want to bring someone in who forces him out and makes him not want to stay.

Swift is the set piece taker and source of most our creativity. We don't seriously drop him for Baker?

Or does Baker warm the bench for us? He's not going to be happy with that. And then what about Olise, and Barrett, and East, and Holsgrove etc?

I think he's great. I just don't see where he fits anymore. If we had him, I'd probably drop Ejaria... but man that's a hard call.

Agreed with all of this. If we didn’t have Swift or Ovie, it would be a no brainier.

The only way it would work is if you then played a diamond midfield but that would mean taking one of the CBs out, which I don’t think is what Bowen wants to do.

Yeah, did think of the diamond, but agree it's not great with 1 up or 2 if our 3 CBs.

Presumably

.......Rino
Baker, Ejaria
.......Swift
?

Yeah that’s how I would set out the diamond. Although swift and Ovie could swap.

I’d have Baker deepest, taking the ball off the centre backs. Rino and Ejaria in the middle using their energy. Then Swift is the best goal scorer so push him up behind Puscas.

Saying that, don’t think you need to play all four. Lots of advantages to having four options for three spots.

I think people are being excessively harsh on Pele to be honest, he's a good option to have now we've stopped faffing around with the ball

Infact right now I'd have Pele ahead of Rino as the holding midfielder (if we were to play 5 at the back still) More control of the midfield that way and it showed yesterday. Brentford and to a lesser extent Leeds were passing through our midfield a bit too easily I think

Wouldn’t say we need Baker but certainly wouldn’t turn down the option if it was there

Swift does get injured a fair bit. Someone likely to nail Ejaria one day. Be great cover

Think Rinos been pretty crap this year. Although I do like the idea of a diamond.

Snowflake Royal wrote:Ok, we get in Baker....

Who warms the bench?

Swift?
Ejaria?
Rinomhota?

Baker was great, but that's three young players who are developing well.

Rinomhota is more defensively minded and with Swift and Ejaria it's already very attacking as a midfield. Bringing in Baker would make it even more so, and lighterweight even though he's decently solid defensively.

Ejaria isn't producing as much as Swift, so he's the most obvious one to drop IMO, but he's also a huge talent and on loan with a view to prem... don't really want to bring someone in who forces him out and makes him not want to stay.

Swift is the set piece taker and source of most our creativity. We don't seriously drop him for Baker?

Or does Baker warm the bench for us? He's not going to be happy with that. And then what about Olise, and Barrett, and East, and Holsgrove etc?

I think he's great. I just don't see where he fits anymore. If we had him, I'd probably drop Ejaria... but man that's a hard call.

None of them would warm the bench tbh Ian. With 28 games remaining Rino, Ejaria and Swift (already injured) will not be able to play every single game.

Rino form has been tailing off. Pelé is showing some real improvement now he’s got going. So a straight replacement there.

But with Ejaria and Swift - Adam or McCleary are not ideal replacements and i question whether the former would last 45 minutes.

Olise, East & Co will no doubt get a run out in the FA Cup. As much as I would like it to happen, none of them are realistically breaking through this season. We had a good look at them in pre season and the first couple of league games. They all need loans, and from what I saw they look too lightweight in the first team.

At the end of the day (as with every transfer) we need to bring in better than what we have got already. Barring Ejaria or Swift, Baker appears a better all round player than all the others mentioned. He’s got great footballing pedigree and we’d be mad not to approach Chelsea tbh. Prolly already happened

URZZZZ wrote:I think people are being excessively harsh on Pele to be honest, he's a good option to have now we've stopped faffing around with the ball

Infact right now I'd have Pele ahead of Rino as the holding midfielder (if we were to play 5 at the back still) More control of the midfield that way and it showed yesterday. Brentford and to a lesser extent Leeds were passing through our midfield a bit too easily I think

Just think Pele’s bang average tbh. By no means a liability but also not sure how much he really offers. Not sure I’ve seen him play under Bowen though.

SCIAG wrote:

URZZZZ wrote:I think people are being excessively harsh on Pele to be honest, he's a good option to have now we've stopped faffing around with the ball

Infact right now I'd have Pele ahead of Rino as the holding midfielder (if we were to play 5 at the back still) More control of the midfield that way and it showed yesterday. Brentford and to a lesser extent Leeds were passing through our midfield a bit too easily I think

Just think Pele’s bang average tbh. By no means a liability but also not sure how much he really offers. Not sure I’ve seen him play under Bowen though.

I haven't seen him play under Bowen yet either, but by all accounts he did well on Saturday.

Hendo wrote:

SCIAG wrote:

URZZZZ wrote:I think people are being excessively harsh on Pele to be honest, he's a good option to have now we've stopped faffing around with the ball

Infact right now I'd have Pele ahead of Rino as the holding midfielder (if we were to play 5 at the back still) More control of the midfield that way and it showed yesterday. Brentford and to a lesser extent Leeds were passing through our midfield a bit too easily I think

Just think Pele’s bang average tbh. By no means a liability but also not sure how much he really offers. Not sure I’ve seen him play under Bowen though.

I haven't seen him play under Bowen yet either, but by all accounts he did well on Saturday.

I reckon on his two starts under Bowen, he’s been pretty decent. Before that, he did look pretty average but he’s a better shield for the defence than Rino is I think

It’s a difficult one. Rino, Ejaria and Swift are all still better midfielders than Pele but not sure that’s the best trio of players to start

Jagermesiter1871 wrote:Think Rinos been pretty crap this year. Although I do like the idea of a diamond.

You have clearly been watching different matches to me.

Largely Rino has been undertaking the defensive midfield role on his own - sometimes against 2 - or even 3 opposition players - to allow Swift and Ejaria to get forward more. I think he has done an incredible job under the circumstances.

Maneki Neko wrote:changed my mind on the window.

would probs like to get another striker
and sell one

changed my mind again. its all fine

WoodleyRoyal wrote:

Maneki Neko wrote:changed my mind on the window.

would probs like to get another striker
and sell one

if you were nailing your colours to mast.. who would you sell brendy?

if i could get a decent price and a good sell on, i would have let loader go (probs still would)