Winter Reinforcements: A new spine needed?

A slightly unrelated question for you. In the summer you questioned why we weren’t in for Haller. After seeing him at West Ham for the past 6 months, would you swap him for DCL?

I think now under Ancelloti Calvert-Lewin’s pace and all round game could be more useful.

It will be interesting to see who finishes the season with more goals.

Haller was expensive but at the time we were looking for a focal point who would bring goals. He’s been decent in a poor team and certainly made more impact than Kean. So far.

This is a very thought provoking article, and thank you for taking the time to write it up.

Could I ask a question though, do you know the state of the EFC scouting network, Data collection and analysis departments, and if we would still be looking for 16-17 y.o.s for the Academy?

It seems that most clubs now are using metrics regards selecting player recruitment, and I was wondering where EFC stand in relation to the rest of the clubs in the PL.

Cheers again :D

Mina has impressed me this season, he has knuckled down to his defensive role and shows a touch of class. Converting a few more headed chances would be the icingson the cake [starting Sunday!] Holgate impresses me too since he has taken over and similarly shows a touch of class. Keane is backup at the moment. A solid loan deal maybe the way to go for a CB this window, see how Mason progresses these next few months.

Centre Midfield is the more urgent requirement. Siggy and Tom are struggling to an extent, Delph is a little slow and a fraction off the pace mentally, he would improve with a run of games without injury, but that is unlikely.

Is Nzonzi still available ?, I thought he would be on your list, a quality loan would suit us whilst Gomes and Gbamin recover. Zeilinski of Napoli would be an good signing for us in the summer, if we can do some wheeler dealing, get some players out and a player of his calibre in it would be great business.

This is a guy with real character and lots of ability to go with it.

Out club should put plans in place now to make this transfer happen.

I think it is highly unlikely that Villa will sell in January. No amount of money will replace him now and the chance that he will spearhead them to safety.

But come the summer, one of two things will happen.

They get relegated and the scramble for his signature begins. A lower transfer fee is commanded and wage offers therefore become extortionate.

They stay up. Villa can command a much higher fee and also have some influence over his loyalty.

For me, look at the latter. I think they’ll stay up. Meanwhile we can have a deal in place that suits this outcome. All other clubs will gamble on Villa going down and being able to poach Hrealish on a lesser fee

Plenty of players. Another defender worth considering is Demiral who has struggled for time at Juve. Leicester have apparently bid for him and if they pair him with his countryman Soyuncu they'll have a decent defense sorted for the next few years.

Staying with Villa was a big mistake and I can only think they made him an outrageous offer at the time.

Yes, most clubs would love to have him but I am thinking that Villa would now ask the earth for him.

On another note whilst there is no denying what Klopp has done for RS is everyone getting tired the way he keeps slagging off the league for his fixture problems.
The fact that RS went to Dubai for 2 meaningless games as far as the league is concerned and they obviously got paid big for it is of their own doing so he should just shut up about it.

I didn't know that Unsworth was playing a different system to Silva. Explains alot.

This assessment and the media suggesting the potential of the big Uzbek, supporting EFC, plus the time to build a solid foundation for the future of the club, suggests that the board may now have a plan.

Let’s hope so, and hopefully a good result on Sunday.

The priority for the club in the next two windows unfortunately is to continue the job that Brands began to meet FFP rules - to get wages off the books. Martina, Niasse, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Bolasie, Walcott, Tarashaj, Martina, Sandro, Besic, Garbutt...I am sure there are more that I can't even recall.

Until USM starts sponsoring every at the club to generate commercial income, we will need to be pragmatic. Maybe one or two will come in, but not more at this stage.

Crazy thinking. Mediocre teams do not mean mediocre players.

That lad Van Dijk has looked alright since leaving Southampton! There’s a long, long list of excellent players coming from lower teams but here’s a few off top of my head: Mane, Henderson, Lallana, Alderweireld, Valencia, Robertson, Maguire, Maddison, Vardy etc

For defence, the options are:

- todibo (classy but v young and right footed. Doesnt give us much balance).

- niakhate of Mainz (big left footed captain)

- salisu

- pau torres of Villareal (big, classy left footer)

- ndicka of frankfurt (big left footed)

- amir rramani of verona (uncompromising tackler, right footed, having good season)

- rugani and demirel of Juve. Rugani not really developed from a v promising youngster. Demirel, I suspect, is the young player they will build their new defence on. Excellent Turkish player.

All are young but experienced (for context only niakhate and pau torrres are older than Feeney). Pau Torres would cost about £35m and the rest cheaper. Salisu is very good and would be good value - maybe £15m. These are my two favourites.

Ake is good too but Bournemouth won't sell for fear of relegation. Wait till summer when they are relegated.

Midfield is more complex. You've listed some v good players but in a mix of positions.

Also Camavinga is destined for an Elite club next, Zakaria will be playing champs league next season and kalvin phillips is Leeds' best player in their bid for promotion. All out of reach (as are grealish, ndidi, doucoure for various reasons).

Looking at what we have, we seem to need either a box to box player or an upgrade on schneiderlin (although Gbamin is really our upgrade on schneiderlin).

Options for the holding midfielder are:

- sangare (surprised he's not playing in the prem already. Young, good value looks v promising).

- sander berge (koeman nearly signed him. Big, classy and likely to move soon)

- rabiot (would be ace. He's not just a sitting midfielder though, he's approaching box to box)

- lobotka (short playmaker type, Celta Vigo may sell in anticipation of relegation / or even if we offer Tosun, say)

For box to box:

- maksimovic of getafe (stylish and intelligent positionally, good passer)

- Emre can (possibly more gettable than Rabiot)

- bruno guimaraes (excellent midfield prospect from Brazil. May take him time to settle in)

... And at that point I've run out of steam. My point is that the options are narrow but the players are always there. Summer is a better time to buy but January offers a great deal if weve got some dosh to spend on a couple of v good quality players.

Our lads seem well intentioned but don’t have a bad bone in their bodies. They need to be sly, like gerrard. They need to manage games better, waste time, use the black arts etc To be able to do this you need to be clever. Our players always seem slightly thick to me and too honest for their own good. Brains not (only) brawn.

There’s also the kids at Benfica Gedson Fernandes and Luis Florentino. Like you say it’s not the easiest time to get players but still lots around.

In terms of midfield the sorts of players available in summer would also include :

- marc roca of espanyol (like a spanish gareth barry but more mobile) and probably to be relegated

- teun koopmeiners of az alkmaar maar (as above, scores goals too but a bit raw for the prem right now)

- max eggestein of werder bremen, quick energetic and versatile (and also about to be relegated)

- florian grillitsch of hoffenheim, big athletic and versatile

These are all v good quality and gettable I'm summer certainly.

But with a few quid to spend id love to see some real quality reinforcements. Personally Rabiot and Pau Torres would be dreamland - with James Rodriguez on loan (or maybe Calvin Stengs in summer).

I don't see the need to be out there buying at silly prices, let's keep our powder dry and do our strengthening in the summer window when the choice is at its maximum and prices lower.

I can only advice my fellow toffewebers to moderate their expectations for the remainder of the season, we're not going to make the top 4 and there's a reasonable chance the FA cup will be gone this weekend, who wants to be in the Europa? Going into next season fully strengthened and not over burdened will give us the best shot of a CL place.

I'm all for seeing the season out and starting afresh in the summer.

Hopefully via his network he’ll have some decent players that can complement and improve this squad.

Go big in the summer unless there’s a few killer opportunities to exploit.

Every hour the media links EFC, with a new player, which is the normal this time of year.

Let’s hope if we buy, we buy proven quality.

I'll agree with any killer buys, another Gueye (@ £8m) would be marvellous, anything else can wait until summer.

It was an interesting list you put together. I'm a nerd about these things but the lad at Bochum was new to me. I like Buendia. Strange how many norwich players look promising (cantwell, aarons, Godfrey and Buendia) yet they're a bit shit. I'd be happy with all of them - yet no-one at Sheff Utd grabs me even though they're doing great.

Yes, I’m a nerd too. Jude Bellingham at Birmingham is another interesting one. And would have loved Palacios from River.

We certainly need reinforcements in both of those areas, but not sure where we stand in the FFP stakes OR how much Carlo has been allotted for this Window.

At the very least we need a strong midfielder, even if it is on loan, with an option to buy or not. Central Defence certainly needs bolstering as we don't have a rock we can call reliable or consistent at present.

Hopefully between Carlo and Brands they can pull something off.

You’d seriously want Zouma?

He did a job last season, but he’ll never be top class.

He proved as much ant goodison this season when run ragged by a team in the relegation mix.

Zouma is the type of player who to some fans looks great. Last ditch sliding tackles, steaming into challenges around the box to put the ball out for throw ins, using his excellent pace to recover.

Distin was very much in this category for me and people loved him. But he couldn’t lace the boots of Joleon Lescott, whom he replaced. Lescott was a far superior player.

The better defenders hardly resort to this type of defending. They don’t have to. They position well, they sense danger and prevent it from happening. Defending is more skill than it is physicality.

Italian football places great emphasis on real defensive strategy. And I expect Ancelotti to try and bring in players capable of implementing this type of defending.

I’d have Zouma back in a heartbeat at the right price; he has those extraordinary physical capabilities and is good enough to be coached better positioning etc. He’s not world class but in this league, when well coached, he’s a very good defender. And we are desperate for pace at the back.

My youngest grandson is 1 on Tuesday, and I even despair of him ever seeing us win anything. I've already blighted him by buying him Everton gear he is just growing into.

Meret
Aarons Salisu Niakhate Grimaldo
Berge Sangare Rabiot
Chiesa Osimhen Barbosa

Idrissa Gana Gueye is the loss we have not recovered from. In 2019 Gana was irrepressible, some of his performances were tantamount to having two players on the pitch. Put it this way, Gana would have done more work yesterday than Sigg and Schnied combined. Gbamin may have filled the gap, but with his injury we have to rely on Tom to do his best to fill it. Sigg, Schnide and Delph are slow and poorly motivated journeymen, not in the same class as IGG as players or as professionals.

I'd rather scour the leagues below for the next Cahill, the talents that deserve a greater stage and have the hunger to prove themselves.

The next Vardy or Moise Kean? It'll be harder to find the former but the latter is a complete waste of space and money.

I think we should go for Jarrod Bowen, arguably best player in the Championship. Goals from the left hand side, will be a huge improvement on Bernard.

We should then go for Eberechi Eze from QPR. Goodbye Sigurdsson.

Then Kalvin Phillips from Leeds, tchau Schneiderlin.

Ollie Watkins up front too.

Sorted.

Play Gordon on the right, tchau Walcott.

Easy.

Whoscored (which is far from perfect but has its uses) has John Swift as the best player statistically in the Champiosnhip, closely followed by Eze with Bowen not far behind.

Bowen will almsot certainly get a move to the PL this January i'd think with Newcastle the frontrunners; will be interesting to see how he does but for every Maddison there is a Dwight Gayle or a Scott Hogan, players who excelled at Championship level but never cut it in the PL.

I do think the Champiosnhip is a good source that we under-use. Who was the last first team player that we bought from there? Holgate?