Steve Sidwell

[Cowfold Seagull]

I reckon Sidwell could deputise better for Kayal / Stephens than any of Crofts, Holla or Ince.

Or Towell?

Either way I really can't see the club bringing in yet another midfield player, let alone one of 35 years of age,. It's a striker that we need, someone who will guarantee us a dozen goals or more between now and the end of the season. Another winger would help too, with March out for the season and LuaLua being so injury prone.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Or Towell?

Either way I really can't see the club bringing in yet another midfield player, let alone one of 35 years of age,. It's a striker that we need, someone who will guarantee us a dozen goals or more between now and the end of the season. Another winger would help too, with March out for the season and LuaLua being so injury prone.

Whilst I agree we need a striker as a priority I'm not sure we have proper high quality cover for either Stephens or Kayal - Sidwell would give you that.

 

[NooBHA]

You really do have a fettish for players reaching the end of their careers - but at least he is a year younger than J Llloyd-Samuels. On your recommendations we could have the Dads army team of championship football.

I like Sidwell as a player so I wouldn't be opposed to signing him but for the most part, the clubs policy going forward is to sign players who will hopefully appreciate rather than depreciate in value, so I cant see this happening. Zamorra was an exception but he was always going to be a crowd leaser and Rosenior was signed due to his versatility.

This is the 2nd transfer window and the scouting team has had a good year or so in the job so I have a feeling that new signings will be people we as fans don't know too much about

 

[BensGrandad]

He isnt old he was 33 last December so has 1 good year in him. I am not lookkng at next season as I feel most even the new signings like Murphy and possibly even Knockheart may not be up to Premier level so Sidwell like others if brought in on loan, as suggested, would be to get us promtion this season, not a permenant signing.

 

[Simster]

He isnt old he was 33 last December so has 1 good year in him. I am not lookkng at next season as I feel most even the new signings like Murphy and possibly even Knockheart may not be up to Premier level so Sidwell like others if brought in on loan, as suggested, would be to get us promtion this season, not a permenant signing.

You are ALWAYS ten years too late with your suggestions. I'm surprised you haven't suggested we try and bring Emile Heskey in from Bolton as they are desperate for the money.

Or have you done that too?

 

[BensGrandad]

You are ALWAYS ten years too late with your suggestions. I'm surprised you haven't suggested we try and bring Emile Heskey in from Bolton as they are desperate for the money.

Or have you done that too?

We couldnt afford him 10 years ago and he wouldnt have come to us while we were still at Withdean. He was playing regularly in the Premier until this season so cant be all bad. It was 2002/03 season he had 12 games on loan scoring 5 goals for us. Who was it famously said you wont win nothing with kids?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

He isnt old he was 33 last December so has 1 good year in him. I am not lookkng at next season as I feel most even the new signings like Murphy and possibly even Knockheart may not be up to Premier level so Sidwell like others if brought in on loan, as suggested, would be to get us promtion this season, not a permenant signing.

Humble apologies BG, I've been telling everyone that he is 35 which is most definately over the hill. Even at 33 though, his best days are way way behind him.

Whilst I would agree that he is most certainly a better option than Holla or Ince, l'm not sure that he is superior to Crofts nowadays, or for that matter to Towell, who we are yet to see at the Amex.

But totally get your point about getting to the Premier League first and foremost, and then thinking beyond that once we have reached that promised land of milk and money.

 

[Simster]

We couldnt afford him 10 years ago and he wouldnt have come to us while we were still at Withdean. He was playing regularly in the Premier until this season so cant be all bad. It was 2002/03 season he had 12 games on loan scoring 5 goals for us. Who was it famously said you wont win nothing with kids?

Yes I KNOW all that. But what I am saying is that Sidwell would have been a good idea ten years ago. He is not a good signing now. Similarly, Alan Curbishley would have been a good manager ten years before we appointed Hughton, but not now. And actually, the same applies to pretty much all of your suggestions.

 

[NooBHA]

We couldnt afford him 10 years ago and he wouldnt have come to us while we were still at Withdean. He was playing regularly in the Premier until this season so cant be all bad. It was 2002/03 season he had 12 games on loan scoring 5 goals for us. Who was it famously said you wont win nothing with kids?

You tellem BG ...............LOLOLOLOLOLOOOL.. All these ''Ageist'' people slagging you off for you doing your bit to keep the elderly in a job. You must be on good commission from SAGA

 

[BensGrandad]

You tellem BG ...............LOLOLOLOLOLOOOL.. All these ''Ageist'' people slagging you off for you doing your bit to keep the elderly in a job. You must be on good commission from SAGA

Rather than help the aged I would be on the side of help TB, so get proven loans in to get us promoted then help him spend his money in the summer.

 

[Rod Marsh]

I agree. Was just going by an Argus piece suggesting the wing required too much discipline for knockaert and that he would be better at tbe point of a diamond
He certainly gives us more flexibility

I can't imagine he played all those games wide and didn't work back and do his defensive duties. All Nigel Pearson sides are hard working. You are right though, he gives flexibility/options.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Whilst I agree we need a striker as a priority I'm not sure we have proper high quality cover for either Stephens or Kayal - Sidwell would give you that.

This idea of "high quality" cover for positions is a bit of a myth. We have lots of very good back up options in CM for the level we're at. A lot of them are good players who aren't able to shine because they don't play regularly. We aren't a top 4 Premier League club - we can't afford international back up in every position. What we can afford, and do have, are good Championship midfielders in abundance to back up Stephens and Kayal.

What we don't have is the same in other positions such as left back (and arguably up front) so surely they should be the positions to strengthen now that we have Knockaert to cover the wide areas?

Getting another central midfield player (and I'm not talking about a number 10 type like Tex), would be overkill unless we got rid of 2-3 of the players on our books. Particularly one in their 30s who would offer a very short term solution, without any miraculous results.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Not in a 4-4-2 but if we go to the likes of 4-2-3-1 we'll want one more. I just don't think current manager likes leaving the full backs exposed or bombing on....... prefers a solid back line

 

[Pavilionaire]

This idea of "high quality" cover for positions is a bit of a myth. We have lots of very good back up options in CM for the level we're at. A lot of them are good players who aren't able to shine because they don't play regularly. We aren't a top 4 Premier League club - we can't afford international back up in every position. What we can afford, and do have, are good Championship midfielders in abundance to back up Stephens and Kayal.

What we don't have is the same in other positions such as left back (and arguably up front) so surely they should be the positions to strengthen now that we have Knockaert to cover the wide areas?

Getting another central midfield player (and I'm not talking about a number 10 type like Tex), would be overkill unless we got rid of 2-3 of the players on our books. Particularly one in their 30s who would offer a very short term solution, without any miraculous results.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say high quality cover is a myth - this is precisely why we bought Zamora. If we had to start Crofts or Holla for a long run of games we'd have a problem. The likes of Derby and Hull have greater depth in CM than we do - the sort of quality that makes them a real threat.

Sidwell is a quality player and would help our push for promotion.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I'm not sure what you mean when you say high quality cover is a myth - this is precisely why we bought Zamora. If we had to start Crofts or Holla for a long run of games we'd have a problem. The likes of Derby and Hull have greater depth in CM than we do - the sort of quality that makes them a real threat.

Sidwell is a quality player and would help our push for promotion.

People forget the reality of the situation. Crofts may have lost his edge due to injuries but prior to injury was thought of more fondly than Stephens and he's someone who was getting regular games as an international prior to injury.

Holla's come from Holland where he played a lot of games for decent sides and he didn't exactly disgrace himself last year.

These are good players who could play for us comfortably. Are they as good as Stephens and Kayal? Well probably not, but they're very very capable Championship back up, as is Ince, plus we have Towell who's only just come into the squad who, at 24, will probably be expecting to play a fair portion of games.

We are not short of players who are very capable back up in central midfield and it's a myth that we are - if anything, we have too much back up that is proven at Championship level and much of it is stagnating due to the lack of game time it's being afforded by CH. Don't get me wrong, the players you mention could be improved upon, but so could Kayal and Stephens in an ideal world.

So my point... The idea that we lack quality back up in central midfield areas is a myth. Steven Sidwell wouldn't add enough to our squad to justify the huge wages we'd have to pay him and there are other areas where we could get players in who would cover areas we are actually short in - we aren't Derby or Hull either, and the likelihood is we have to be much more concerned with how we spend our money than either of these two clubs at present, so we need to focus on areas where we don't have adequate back up.

 

[BensGrandad]

Our midfield back up to Kayal and Stephens has shown itself to not be good enough, not sure whether Sidwell would improve it. We must give Towell time to try to be the answer..

 

[fat old seagull]

You are ALWAYS ten years too late with your suggestions. I'm surprised you haven't suggested we try and bring Emile Heskey in from Bolton as they are desperate for the money.
Or have you done that too?

Surely if we took Heskey Bolton would have to pay us?

IMO I wouldn't want us spending any dosh on Sidwell. I'd sooner we stumped up all we have to get a quality goalscorer.

 

[BensGrandad]

Surely if we took Heskey Bolton would have to pay us?

IMO I wouldn't want us spending any dosh on Sidwell. I'd sooner we stumped up all we have to get a quality goalscorer.

Dont care who scores the goals and from what position just as long as somebody does.

 

[fat old seagull]

Dont care who scores the goals and from what position just as long as somebody does.

Ok BG so we don't need a striker? Lets start a new trend in footy tactics a I-4-6-0 lineup.

 

[BensGrandad]

Ok BG so we don't need a striker? Lets start a new trend in footy tactics a I-4-6-0 lineup.

I am not saying that what I am saying is we need omeone to score us 12-15 goals from what ever position they play.