Next Seasons Confirmed Squad/Transfer Rumours (2 Viewers)

Sky_Blue_Dreamer said:

If it let us sign a different striker and there was confirmed interest in them I can. Just as I can see Bayliss being allowed to leave if it meant Bright coming in.

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Badlan has already said they’re not actively looking to recruit a striker as well as indicating that we’re sticking with Chaplin and Baka, probably due to the amount we’ve invested in the pair. Perhaps if we received a decent bid for one of the two of both we’d accept and look to replace but realistically that’s highly unlikely.

Mucca Mad Boys said:

I agree with Badlan too. Thomas had enough chances to have ended with well over double figures in goals in the league. Hiwula finished with 12 league goals after a relatively slow start too.

As for Chaplin and Bakayoko specifically, they are being completely wrote off far too soon. They scored 8 and 7 goals in 31 appearances respectively. This isn’t a bad return by any stretch of the imagination, it isn’t particularly good either, mind. It is, however, something to build on and with a full preseason with us, you’d like to think they can do better!

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Agreed. If the club think our strikers are the finished article then not getting anyone else in is crazy, however, at ages 22-24 I’m guessing Robins can see plenty of opportunity for improvement.

Fingers crossed he’s right. I believe at least one or two will kick on this coming season and with Biamou coming back as well, hopefully we’ll be more of a goal threat all round

As much as I'd like a shiny new striker I'm not too dismayed by the thought of giving Chaplin and Baka another run at it.

Ever the optimist..

I feel like there is a player in Chaplin, youngish lad who has only ever known Portsmouth. I'm not sure we played to his strengths last year. Maybe last season was a bedding in period.

Baka is an enigma, can't really pin down his talents but still had a few mini purple patches. Absolutely not compatible but I remember seeing a young Harry Kane for Norwich and being baffled at what his talents were. Wasn't quick or particularly strong and at that point wasn't showing composure

I reckon we'll see Hiwula tried centrally up front in pre season

Alkhen said:

As much as I'd like a shiny new striker I'm not too dismayed by the thought of giving Chaplin and Baka another run at it.

Ever the optimist..

I feel like there is a player in Chaplin, youngish lad who has only ever known Portsmouth. I'm not sure we played to his strengths last year. Maybe last season was a bedding in period.

Baka is an enigma, can't really pin down his talents but still had a few mini purple patches. Absolutely not compatible but I remember seeing a young Harry Kane for Norwich and bring baffled at what his talents were. East quick or particularly strong and at that point wasn't showing composure

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Don’t think we really played to the strengths of either. Chaplin is always looking to play quick one two and link things up but we were playing quite a slow patient build up game that didn’t suit it. The only players who might think quick enough to be on his level were Bayliss and Bright. When Bright was on the pitch Chaplin generally wasn’t and Bayliss was playing deeper.

When watching Bakas highlights reel it seems to be him running at people but we seemed to try and mould him into a conventional target man, which he wasn’t great at, although I think he did improve a bit.


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Robins constantly referenced that we needed to be more ruthless and that creating chances wasn’t our problem.

I have no doubt he’ll bring a loan striker in.

Deity said:

Robins constantly referenced that we needed to be more ruthless and that creating chances wasn’t our problem.

I have no doubt he’ll bring a loan striker in.

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Think that would be for the best. No outlay and gives who we’ve got a chance to develop further.


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djr8369 said:

Think that would be for the best. No outlay and gives who we’ve got a chance to develop further.


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If we do not get another forward in we are done for. This team has nowhere near enough goals to really challenge

Grendel said:

If we do not get another forward in we are done for. This team has nowhere near enough goals to really challenge

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Looking at the stats from last season I’d be inclined to agree with you but I don’t think that’s the whole picture. A bit more service of better quality will make a big difference but I’d like to see a loan striker in as well. Either a prem kid or someone from championship in need of games.


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Grendel said:

If we do not get another forward in we are done for. This team has nowhere near enough goals to really challenge

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Gambling on Baka and Chaplin to come good, could be a disaster.

Must admit I agree with the last few posts. The likes of Kastaneer and Jobello no one really knows anything about. Currently I don't see anywhere near enough goals in the side. Hopefully Badlan is just trying to provide confidence to the current strikers as I honestly can't believe they aren't looking to get another one in. Would also like us to get a central midfielder who gets beyond the strikers.

no_loyalty said:

Gambling on Baka and Chaplin to come good, could be a disaster.

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“We’re really going for it”
Can’t see I without a proper striker tbh

cc84cov said:

“We’re really going for it”
Can’t see I without a proper striker tbh

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We finished 8th last season with a top scorer with 13 goals and the next nearest being on something like 8? To me we wont need an extraordinary increase to get into the top 6. With the system we play the 3 behind the striker are equally as important as the striker to provide goals. We've added depth and strength to the wide positions, a CAM and it's not out of the realms of possibility that our current strikers could do better than last season.

If Hiwula, Chaplin and Baka played every minute of a 46 game season and kept the same ratios:

Hiwula: 16
Chaplin: 16
Baka: 18
Bright (just because, not that you’d play this front 4): 17

cooperskyblue said:

We finished 8th last season with a top scorer with 13 goals and the next nearest being on something like 8? To me we wont need an extraordinary increase to get into the top 6. With the system we play the 3 behind the striker are equally as important as the striker to provide goals. We've added depth and strength to the wide positions, a CAM and it's not out of the realms of possibility that our current strikers could do better than last season.

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I think your post is pretty misinformed to be honest. Last season Doncaster (6th) scored 22 more goals than us and essentially limped into the playoffs - their form during the second half of the season was ropey if I recall correctly. Baring in mind we scored 56 that’s a pretty huge difference. I’m not saying that’ll be our exact ‘goals for’ next season by the way but it puts it into perspective.

I’ll obviously reserve judgement until they play but it’s difficult not to think that relying on Chaplin/Baka and two unknown wingers to make up such a shortfall is a huge gamble and a big ask.

SkyBlueCRJ said:

I think your post is pretty misinformed to be honest. Last season Doncaster (6th) scored 22 more goals than us and essentially limped into the playoffs - their form during the second half of the season was ropey if I recall correctly. Baring in mind we scored 56 that’s a pretty huge difference. I’m not saying that’ll be our exact ‘goals for’ next season by the way but it puts it into perspective.

I’ll obviously reserve judgement until they play but it’s difficult not to think that relying on Chaplin/Baka and two unknown wingers to make up such a shortfall is a huge gamble and a big ask.

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I'm not disputing the fact that we missed a shed load of chances last year and our failure to take a higher percentage of them ultimately cost us, especially when we played teams lower in the league who were happy to sit behind the ball.

All I'm saying is we still finished 8th, and had we scored a few more goals in games we drew, especially at home (Shrewsbury, Wimbledon, Sunderland, Gillingham) then we may well have snuck in ourselves. Our defence was a strong point which meant that despite our total lack of goals we still gave ourselves a chance that had we beat portsmouth it would have been doable.

Our front 4 all missed chances and we have addressed the 2 wide men and we obviously still need a CAM. We need to score more goals clearly, and we need one of our strikers to step up.

Unknown wingers Yes, but we have to have faith that they are upgrades to what we had and believe that Hiwula, Chaplin and Bakayoko can all be more clinical. I don't think it is an enormous ask to think that Hiwula could score 7 more goals himself that year and get to 20.
I think Chaplin deserves another run but as a striker and sure he has to deliver.

Anyone heard anything for this week? :smuggrin:

SkyBlueDom26 said:

Anyone heard anything for this week? :smuggrin:

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Thank you Dom.... any whispers Panda ?

Deity said:

Thank you Dom.... any whispers Panda ?

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I tried to get hints about that Tyler Walker but he didn't respond :shifty:

Bright + mcnulty = promotion

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Would anybody take Conor Washington, free agent didn't he go for a big fee a few years ago?
Rumoured to be going Hearts

CCFC chief on transfer target success and what else to come
Not missed out on anybody yet (Supposedly) and could be 2 more

SkyBlueDom26 said:

CCFC chief on transfer target success and what else to come
Not missed out on anybody yet (Supposedly) and could be 2 more

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Hoping for a centre mid do we think Robins is going for Bayliss Centre mid again ? A striker I feel is 100% needed

Pretty sure these guys just scour fans forums for gossip then when one comes in, tick it off. 1 outa 15 ain't bad.


OR it's happening!

They also say we are after Maris which was on this thread about 3 pages ago...

I can imagine they're guessing or they've picked something up on a forum

If we sign walker and bright then we'll be around the top 2

It would be a dream, surely that sort of thing doesn't happen to us.

:emoji_heart:

Liquid Gold said:

It would be a dream, surely that sort of thing doesn't happen to us.

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Joy's backing MR as always. The future is sky blue.

She's a fan don't you know.

I think it's Wolves that need to make the decision, not Brighty boy.

Mr Panda said:

I think it's Wolves that need to make the decision, not Brighty boy.

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We any closer to signing anyone?

Mr Panda said:

I think it's Wolves that need to make the decision, not Brighty boy.

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Does that mean if Wolves say yes he's coming to us? Would you think fee or loan?

Hi Captain Negative here...

It looks like two things have changed in the way the Club tackles the transfer window since Robins first purchases in 2017. Both bear considerably greater risk, particularly for a club that is supposed to be on its uppers financially.

In Summer 2017 Robins purchases were McNulty, Biamou, Doyle, Vincenti, McDonald, Kelly and Grimmer plus Hyam theoretically for development. (for which I would give him 5 out of 7* - pretty good I would say). It was all designed to get us out of League 2.

Four of those were experienced professionals and all (I think with the exception of Hyam) were on two year contracts. If they failed - which given the number of new players is the big risk at L2 level - two year contracts are good. Easier to drop or move on if they don't come up to scratch.
1. Now we are buying from Europe, presumably because of the new man in charge of acquisition = much greater risk. Does the French league 2 or Breda equate to L1 in England. Who knows?
2. We are increasingly giving three year contracts. I understand it for Kelly, we want to keep him and he is a known quantity. But the turnover in players at this level is so rapid that the commercial risk is appreciably greater with longer contracts. Beavon sat on the books going nowhere...

I would feel a lot happier if some kind deal could be found to attract Bright for one more year - he is a known quantity

* Kelly, Doyle, McNulty and Hyam were all successes. MacDonald we had a good half season and Biamou was patchy so half a point. The only real dud was Vincenti

A bloke at work told me today MR is very close to signing 3 more players that he wants and should get us close to promotion he got told from a very high source but he wouldn't bullshit as he is skyblue through and through.I hope it comes off and it proves to be right.