It's slamming shut. Slamming. Slamming will be a thing of the past.

Bazshuayi

Matip is good but prone to injury. I think Egan is a decent back up too. Would rather have them than Aguerd or Zouma.

steve

Either would be fine for the right price

buffybegood

4th CB is a difficult spot to fill. Unlike midfield or attacking positions, CBs are unlikely to be brought on except through injury or possibly right at the end of a game to try an see out a result. So conceivably very little game time for a 4th choice CB, but one long term injury to one of the first 3 and you're on the bench every week, with suspensions and niggles potentially meaning game time.

I think Casey is apparently progressing nicely, and is captain of the u21s this season but CB is a pivotal position and one where players often reach their peak rather later than other outfield positions; he's still only 19.

I've always been wary of starting a season with only 3 senior CBs; we did it a couple of times under Allardyce and ended up having to scrape the barrel in January; no-one wants reminding of Relegation Roger 😱😱😱, do they?

So a big call to leave ourselves in such a position, especially as Todibo has yet to prove himself in England, but little point in keeping Aguerd if it was clear the manager didn't want him/he didn't want to be here; better to get his wages off the books and to showcase his talents which will probably be better appreciated somewhere less physical than the PL. Let's hope Todibo gets up to speed quickly, and that he, Kilman and Mavropanos stay fit and healthy all season 🤞🤞🤞.

buffybegood

Interesting article on out of contract players:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clynp5j0pnyo

It mentions ex-loanee Carl Jenkinson, and Ravel Morrison is there too (shown in one of the photos), what a waste of talent.

ASLEFshrugged

Reading around Soler seems to be quite similar to Paqueta but with even less to offer on the fefensive

Bazshuayi said:

Matip is good but prone to injury. I think Egan is a decent back up too. Would rather have them than Aguerd or Zouma.

Not sure he’s injury prone, he had a lot of problems 2020/21 season but between then and December last year when he suffered an ACL he’s only been out for less than four weeks in total

As a 3rd or 4th choice CB he looks like a good bet

buffybegood

ACL is tough for any player to come back from, but for a player past 30 (Matip was 32 when it happened) it raises an even bigger question mark for me, especially as he's not really played since.

buffybegood

From the Summer Transfer window thread:

alderz said:

Last season Zouma missed 5 games through injury and one of those was due to illness (according to Transfermarkt). I don’t know that he’s the future, but I do think the “Zouma’s finished” narrative is overegging the pudding a bit.

How's that pudding looking now 😂🤣😂?

claretandbluesky

I think there were rumours of Aguerd wanting away last season also which makes me think the sale of him was possibly not just a footballing decision as the player was unhappy.

I think it's been a tricky window in as much as the balancing of quality and quantity. It was clear we needed more strength in depth as the first eleven of last season was pretty high quality but any injuries couldn't be adequately filled. I think we did a reasonable job in that balancing act and hopefully have some quality and also now have a bench you could have confidence in. I am less concerned about Centre backs as we have three and I imagine Alveraz could fit in if desperate.

My concern is the forward line and of all the transfers I can't understand the Fullkrug signing or the money paid, there is nothing that says he has increased his value significantly in his time with Dortmund.

His transfer record has been sold for 2m 6m and 13m Euro and I can't see at 29 what he did in one year at Dortmund to now be £27m. It's also a concern that Antonio has been favoured despite Fullkrig being fit from the Euro's.

I hope I am wrong but he is my concern and it's in a position we have long needed a good fit.

buffybegood

I agree that the signing of Füllkrug is a concern; we went from a young, pacy prospect with lots of potential and a high ceiling as our first choice to a 31 year old German Danny Ings (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration). It's very much a Tim signing imo, as we were linked last summer as well when at least he was a year younger and more reasonably priced; I just have a nagging feeling that Tim has been stubborn in this instance and has pushed through the signing even though he's not really the best fit for us.

Ravel49

He’s the one player signed that just does not feel like fits with the plan/project.

alderz

buffybegood said:

From the Summer Transfer window thread:

alderz said:

Last season Zouma missed 5 games through injury and one of those was due to illness (according to Transfermarkt). I don’t know that he’s the future, but I do think the “Zouma’s finished” narrative is overegging the pudding a bit.

How's that pudding looking now 😂🤣😂?

I stand by it. If he’d stayed, he would have been fourth choice, and given his recent injury record I think he’d have been there to call upon when needed on most occasions. We’ll never know though, obviously.

buffybegood

alderz said:

buffybegood said:

From the Summer Transfer window thread:

alderz said:

Last season Zouma missed 5 games through injury and one of those was due to illness (according to Transfermarkt). I don’t know that he’s the future, but I do think the “Zouma’s finished” narrative is overegging the pudding a bit.

How's that pudding looking now 😂🤣😂?

I stand by it. If he’d stayed, he would have been fourth choice, and given his recent injury record I think he’d have been there to call upon when needed on most occasions. We’ll never know though, obviously.

I think the fact that the club were desperate (ie sending him off to Dubai, and then leaving him there when the first deal didn't happen) to move him on says to me that they thought he was "finished" at PL level, but, as you say, I guess we'll never know for certain.

MIAHammer

I think freeing up his salary for a 4th choice player was part of the motivation.

buffybegood

MIAHammer said:

I think freeing up his salary for a 4th choice player was part of the motivation.

For sure, but largely because he wasn't even worth a place as a 4th choice.

Bazshuayi

I forgot Martial was a free agent. I'm surprised we've not had a word with him.

Ravel49

Hummels looks to be off to Roma ❌

Bazshuayi

I’d rather Egan or Matip over him. Not knocking him, just think it’s late in the day for him

Ravel49

Word on the Tweet is that John Egan played today for the Irons in a behind closed doors friendly against Dagenham & Redbridge.

Ravel49

5-0 Win apparently
Ings treble
Andy Irving double
Egan played one half

Ravel49

Missed this yesterday:

Burnley sign Egan
Burnley have signed former Sheffield Utd defender John Egan.
The 31-year-old, who had been on trial with Scott Parker's Sky Bet Championship side, was a free agent after ending his six-season stay with the Blades during the summer.

thornburyiron

He obviously didn’t impress in his trial with us.

claretandbluesky

I think we have enough DM cover to be able use Alveraz, Rodriguez or even Soucek if really desperate. I think even though out of position they have more quality than a fourth choice standard pick, and as we have such midfield cover now we could spare them.

Ravel49

Alvarez regularly plays CB for Mexico 🇲🇽 👍🏻

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

Seems like the club have opted to promote Casey if the need arises, which imo can only be a good thing

Ravel49

Ravel49

J-Lo

Doesn’t sound like a freebie incoming.

On transfers: "The market is closed, we did the best we can, we tried to improve the squad in the different positions. Now, we don't talk about the market and focus on the everyday work and the players that are, in the moment, in our squad."

Fortuneseeker

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cr5ngjm272lo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckgwg1wjdvno

Doesn't appear that Rehanne Skinners talks with the board have made much difference does it? This is why the Womens team have lost eleven players this summer & have signed only 6 ready to play this season which is troubling. One of the above reports mentions the Finnish player (Soren) being our eighth new player but we have signed two who can't play yet so have been loaned out straight away to enable them to get the relevant GBE for a visa.

Fortuneseeker

AVWFC have just paid £250k for a Brazilian striker our Womens team just don't get that type of financial support which makes you wonder whether Baroness Brady and her board are really bothered about that team.

MrsGrey

Fortuneseeker said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cr5ngjm272lo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ckgwg1wjdvno

Doesn't appear that Rehanne Skinners talks with the board have made much difference does ?

Well, 4 of the players actually signed for 3 years, so if you think getting players on longer contracts is a good thing, that will be positive news for you.

The one who signed for 1 year is an older player, which some might say is prudent.

Fortuneseeker

@MrsG, What I found interesting is on the day our manager is reported to have raised the concern what having players on short term contracts on can result in, we signed a young player on a two year term.