Brad Potts - Carlisle Utd defender

Jodan Rhodes was ready and cost what 8M?
Elliott Bennett was ready and cost only 1.5M because he wanted out.
CMS was ready and cost a fee that could rise to 2.5M if plays some more (not 3.25M)

this lad is mentioned at 350k which is Chicksen and Monakana type money. Would surely be being brought in to compete with Dunk as 3rd choice.

Are we REALLY likely to be looking to replace either Greer or Upson right now? Not realistically for about 12-18 months so why not try and take a flier on a young English lad to develop over 12-18 months rather than a 16 year old who'll take 5 years or a 2M+ cost player (yet) who'd be instantly ready and cost shed loads in wages too

Walt Jabsco said:

One player I would like to see us sign is Jacob Mellis from Barnsley, rumoured to be moving this window.

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Great call. Excellent replacement for Crofty.

Walt Jabsco said:

One player I would like to see us sign is Jacob Mellis from Barnsley, rumoured to be moving this window.

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With you on that Walt.

Is it too late to go for Rhys Murphy at Daggers? I heard Posh are interested? Didn't he have a trial with us in the summer?

Acker79 said:

No. There are (at least in theory) players in the lower division who are good enough to make it in the championship, good enou to improve championship clubs, to be that missing piece. Players that have e tools but are in the wrong system, and if they step into to the right system in a championship club could tear it up. There are also players who are good enough for the championship, but were part of a team that wasn't so went down to a division below their talents.

There are players that are ready for the championship, ready to slot right into the first team. I guess the sadly is that we are not targeting these (because of cost? Because of transfer philosophies of the types of player we want causing us to miss out?*).

(*of course we could not be targeting them because we (rightly?) don't think they will fit the team or the style we play, but that isn't a reason for 'sadly')

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Of course there are relegated players who are currently in the 'wrong' division.
That can be said about all the divisions across Europe.
But that'll only account for a handful of players from just 3 clubs, and we already have 2 of them here, both of whom (esp Ward) underline the point.

I take issue with the quantity of poorly managed players who would miraculously become better with a move to a better side.
Just how many of them, above DS squad age, would 'tear it up' in a harder division.
Those rough diamonds/late developers are virtually non-existent, sure there maybe the odd exception that proves the rule.
But for every one of those, I bet people with more knowledge than me, can point to 10 others who have been picked up at DS age and level, who have then progressed.
The Albion's past, present and future Player of the Season, rather underlines that.

The club is filling the academy with young promising 'kids', while strengthening the first team with proven experienced quality, it'll remain like that until such time as the 'kids' are in a position to challenge the old guard.

There's just no point taking a risk on Brentford's 25 year old winger because 'we're sure he's just not managed properly', when the club can pick up Conway for the same money, and prepare Monakana, March and anyone else for the step up.

I still don't see why it's 'sad' that the club don't pick older pro's from the lower divisions.

Stat Brother said:

Of course there are relegated players who are currently in the 'wrong' division.
That can be said about all the divisions across Europe.
But that'll only account for a handful of players from just 3 clubs, and we already have 2 of them here, both of whom (esp Ward) underline the point.

I take issue with the quantity of poorly managed players who would miraculously become better with a move to a better side.
Just how many of them, above DS squad age, would 'tear it up' in a harder division.
Those rough diamonds/late developers are virtually non-existent, sure there maybe the odd exception that proves the rule.
But for every one of those, I bet people with more knowledge than me, can point to 10 others who have been picked up at DS age and level, who have then progressed.
The Albion's past, present and future Player of the Season, rather underlines that.

The club is filling the academy with young promising 'kids', while strengthening the first team with proven experienced quality, it'll remain like that until such time as the 'kids' are in a position to challenge the old guard.

There's just no point taking a risk on Brentford's 25 year old winger because 'we're sure he's just not managed properly', when the club can pick up Conway for the same money, and prepare Monakana, March and anyone else for the step up.

I still don't see why it's 'sad' that the club don't pick older pro's from the lower divisions.

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I didn't say anything about bad management. Some players thrive in certain systems and not in others (not necessarily flounder, just not play to the best of their ability). That's not always about bad management, it's about preferences, team games (the system one player thrives in might not benefit the other 10 players, whereas the system that best accommodates those 10 might be one that the 11th player does "well enough" in).

We also are unlikely to be looking for 11 players in the team to tear up the division. That would be great, but realistically isn't going to happen, so you look for decent players who fit your system, who have the quality to play well at this level, possibly with potential to step up again.

Why would we go for a 25 year old from bradford, who has been scouted and shows all the signs of the sort of player that with coaching from Oscar can fit into our system and provide something that is missing over Conway? Because he is cheaper and frees up wages in the budget and transfer fees to sign Mason? Because Conway refuses to drop his wages to join us? Because Conway is shown to not be good enough for Cardiff in the Premier league, whereas getting some experience with us and coaching from Oscar could make a 25 year old winger good enough to make the step up with us?

But I didn't say it was an either/or situation. I'm not advocating them being the sole source of our future signings. Neither did gibseagull. They said it was "Sadly I don't think we buy players from the lower divisions any more, unless for the Devt. Squad."

If you ignore anyone over 21 at 48 clubs just because you only sign DS players from lower divisions, you are ignoring a pool of talent that could give your team that missing ingredient - maybe not a star, maybe just the workhorse that allows the stars to shine, maybe a late bloomer, etc. There is a degree of arrogance or snobbery about dismissing the abilities of a player simply because he is in a team in a lower division at a certain age when there are so many factors that dictate how well a player plays or what he produces at any given club. I want our club to look everywhere for talent that can improve the squad, it is sad if the club is limiting where they are willing to look because of such snobbery. (For the record, I doubt that is the case and suspect gibseagull may have been a bit overly dramatic about it).

Brad Potts?
Sounds like a 2002 Pro Evo version of Brad Pitt

Stat Brother said:

Of course there are relegated players who are currently in the 'wrong' division.
That can be said about all the divisions across Europe.
But that'll only account for a handful of players from just 3 clubs, and we already have 2 of them here, both of whom (esp Ward) underline the point.

I take issue with the quantity of poorly managed players who would miraculously become better with a move to a better side.
Just how many of them, above DS squad age, would 'tear it up' in a harder division.
Those rough diamonds/late developers are virtually non-existent, sure there maybe the odd exception that proves the rule.
But for every one of those, I bet people with more knowledge than me, can point to 10 others who have been picked up at DS age and level, who have then progressed.
The Albion's past, present and future Player of the Season, rather underlines that.

The club is filling the academy with young promising 'kids', while strengthening the first team with proven experienced quality, it'll remain like that until such time as the 'kids' are in a position to challenge the old guard.

There's just no point taking a risk on Brentford's 25 year old winger because 'we're sure he's just not managed properly', when the club can pick up Conway for the same money, and prepare Monakana, March and anyone else for the step up.

I still don't see why it's 'sad' that the club don't pick older pro's from the lower divisions.

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Keith Andrews went from MK dons to Blackburn at 28, a jump from League 1/2 (they'd just been promoted) to the premier league. I wouldn't say the players aren't necessarily poorly managed but sometimes don't do as well as they could because they are in a poor side. Strikers can't score goals without service, defenders/keepers can't keep clean sheets if they are let down by other team members. Its about trying to spot those players who could make the step up. When we moved from league 1 to championship, we still had a strong "league 1" side however they performed well enough to finish mid table in the championship so does that make them league 1 players or solid championship players?

Crawley rumoured to be the latest club to have bid for him.

350k is way above what we would offer

Walt Jabsco said:

One player I would like to see us sign is Jacob Mellis from Barnsley, rumoured to be moving this window.

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supaseagull said:

In the same Chelsea youth team as Bridcutt I think and so also probably also knows Ince & Monakana.

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Mellis would be a good signing but not sure that he would know Monkana as he was never at Chelsea having been at Arsenal as a youth player Monkana that is.