Michael Smith

Think Crooks is definitely someone to look at, just ignore his red card against us, he's had a decent couple of seasons for them.

Fun fact, he played with and joined Rangers at the same time as Josh Windass, both from Accrington Stanley. Perfect opportunity for a double swoop!
 
TheYorkshireTerrier said:
Think Crooks is definitely someone to look at, just ignore his red card against us, he's had a decent couple of seasons for them.

Fun fact, he played with and joined Rangers at the same time as Josh Windass, both from Accrington Stanley. Perfect opportunity for a double swoop!
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Yeah I think Crooks has got a bit about him. Windass could be competition for Watmore, similar type of player.
 
Foggysfplandiet3 said:
For God’s sake, last season only ended THREE DAYS ago and the next is three months away, give the club a bloody chance!
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Oh I am giving them a chance Foggy don’t worry. Just would be nice to be linked with a couple of names that get fans excited ( proven players) I genuinely thought and still hope now we have rid of a few high earners there might be a bit more money in the pot but obviously the pandemic won’t of helped.
 
When you compare how many players a club actually signs against how many players a club is linked with, it always amazes me how many grown blokes lose their heads over speculation.
 
I would be more excited if we went for the likes of Moller( Arsenal) Freeman ( Sheffield Utd) and Harvey Elliott on loan. Freeman admittedly has lost his way a bit however ther is a player there. Moller has a decent scoring record at Arsenal U23 and we all know Elliott.
These 3 would be decent additions.
 
I'm always suspicious of managers re-signing players that have done well for them in the past, it rarely works out the same again, but to be fair NW has done it more than most - I wouldn't be surprised to see Paddy Kenny and Michael at Boro next season.
 
I believe Warnock will sign a lot of players this summer for little or no fee (just agents leeches fees) and on short contracts. He will feel he can blend them with the little quality we have, and motivate them to mount a challenge over a season. It is what he has done wherever he has been successful.
If it doesn't lead to promotion, then he will leave, but crucially leave the club with just talented players under contract like Fry, Tavernier, Dijksteel, Bola, Watmore and the better youngsters; allowing a longer term manager to sign the players he wants without the detritus he (and Woodgate) inherited from Monk and pulis and could do nothing about.
We could soon be rid of ALL the Monk/pulis utter tripe. That has been our problem: hideously over paying and overpaying for players we can then not move, and who are just journeymen with attitude.

If Warnock is to stay this last season then I'm sure the plan will be one that looks short term like above, but actually isn't.
He will sign players this summer that will perhaps not excite on paper, but might collectively do so on grass, where it matters.
Given the club is financially crippled and loses money every season in this league, what do people expect?
 
Nosmo-King said:
I would be more excited if we went for the likes of Moller( Arsenal) Freeman ( Sheffield Utd) and Harvey Elliott on loan. Freeman admittedly has lost his way a bit however ther is a player there. Moller has a decent scoring record at Arsenal U23 and we all know Elliott.
These 3 would be decent additions.
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Freeman was excellent at QPR for years would be a great signing. Haven't seen much of Moller. Elliot will have a lot of teams wanting him next year, not sure Liverpool will let him go to a long ball team
 
indeedido said:
If it doesn't lead to promotion, then he will leave, but crucially leave the club with just talented players under contract like Fry, Tavernier, Dijksteel, Bola, Watmore and the better youngsters; allowing a longer term manager to sign the players he wants without the detritus he (and Woodgate) inherited from Monk and pulis and could do nothing about.
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My concern is that if we don't go up next year then Fry and Tav will be sold and we will be in a terrible mess
 
I think that he'd be a decent signing, given NW want three. Local lad, works hard, decent strike rate.

I think its hard to really judge, unless you know who the other two strikers are too.
 
In the case of Smith, he is exactly what we lack and gave us a torrid time at the Riverside. It’s not about the individual but about the team, and how well it can carry out the managers plan.

we need a player who can set off an attack from just a hooffed clearance. Bundle one in, towering header at the back post.
Our goal of the season is likely to be Watmores at home to Huddersfield. Look at it again, how does he get the ball? We need to see more hold up play. Get the ball to the ball players 30 yards further up the pitch


 
I had a feeling we'd go for Smith. I just hope it wasn't based on his performance against Wood. He made him look like Drogba😂. Now if he played like that every week you'd have him.

I watched plenty of Rotherham as they had Wing and on TV every other day. He misses plenty of chances (as did many) and didn't look half the player he did at the Riverside. I guess as a back up he could do a job. I wouldnt want him as first choice No9.

Matt Crooks is definitely one I'd go for. 6 goals and a proper engine on him getting around the pitch. Also tall and powerful (although one of the main culprits for missing chances in final 2-3 games). He definitely gets on the end of stuff though👍

The Rotherham keeper looked decent whenever I saw him. Viktor Johansson also only 22.

You simply can't judge NML. The guy hadn't played for 6 months and was on holiday in Dubai weeks before we signed him. He was always going to get injured being thrust in.

He was a very good player at Cardiff and I think I saw enough in 9 cameos to suggest he's a decent free. A pre season will do him a word of good. I would rather have him than Holliet.
 
Whilst some of the names linked with might not be too exciting it's got to be expected. It's clear there's not much cash and given the volume of players required it looks like we'll be compromising on quality. That said, if these are Warnock's players being brought in with a particular strategy in mind, I'm all for it.

There's still the nagging doubt about what comes next tho for me - we'll likely be set up to play a very particular (hopefully winning!) style of football and will need to appoint the next manager with that in mind - otherwise we're back to Monk>Pulis levels of imbalance and restructuring.
 
There has never been a more important time to be shrewd and canny in the market for recruiting.Bola and Djkesteel have epitomised this - a rare change for us. We have to build on this- certainly the market is awash with available players
 
I am yet to see one name linked who fans like😂. They are all free or at a nominal fee.

What do folk expect? I've looked at a few and thought 'no thanks' but several mentioned would be great additions for nothing.

We have no money and just lost 2 forwards (used loosely) for nothing. They cost 22mil and we have no money coming in to replace them. The one thing we probably do have is a few quid wages freed up to pay free agents👍

No point moving on Britt (35k a week) to sign Bolasie or Gayle on more than that. It's hardly great business.

If we are getting 8-9 players then they are going to be free agents or many the odd 1-2mil signing.

We have to be realistic as to what we are after. I think Smith could do a job. I have no doubt he does that 'job' better than Britt or Fletcher at half the price. All he has to do is win a header or hold it up for Watmore and he's done his job. A target man gets us 30 yards up the pitch.
 
I'd really like us to be looking more at the European market to be honest. There'll be some great bargains to be had, every country (and therefore club) is struggling with covid.

I'm not convinced at all with the "we can't get out and watch them" excuse for essentially ruling out a massive part of the player market. I'm sure that's preferable, but you do what you can. It's not like there aren't other methods of scouting players in this day and age.

Watching them in person doesn't guarantee anything anyway, did he have Bettinelli watched? Hopefully not by one of the two former keepers he has as his senior lieutenants.

In reality, of the players we're going to be in for in this country, how many will Warnock and his mates have actually scouted recently in the flesh anyway? We can't have watched Bolasie or NML because they hadn't been playing. Sometimes you have take a bit of a gamble, just not a multi-million pound one.

Seems crazy we're seemingly limiting ourselves to EFL players, particularly given the competition for these players there'll be.
 
Great bargains - except they will be perhaps mindful of two things - firstly how many players will they actually be able to see play for themselves - with quarantines etc and secondly they want players that they hope can immediately find their feet and kick on straight away and fit into the life here and the team.
 
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