So... at least we are making offers and bids? (8 Viewers)

If we have genuinely put in a bid for a defender i'm giving up all hope for this season, seem to remember coleman also thought we needed at least 8 centre backs at any 1 time!

I too think we are concentrating too closely on new defenders / defence minded players. OK we need a good defence, but IMO we have one (although with Keough being played at CB we may require a RB).

We should be concentrating on getting a decent striker on. But then again, its not as if this is a new thing is it!

Shit bids?

Bignot is a right-back, which supports Thorn preferring Keogh in the middle.

I hope we're using letter-headed paper and signing the bids

I think if there is a bid anywhere near close to the reported price offered for Le Fondre then hat would surely spell someone will be leaving who has a value similar. that could mean rumours of Juke or turner going have some credibility.

Having said that if you look beyond the smoke and mirrors of recent reports and accept the fact Thorn was told he had a budget agreed and to stick to which reportedly had room for a couple of players to come in then just maybe we would not have to lose anyone.
If there is anything like 500k available then i sincerely hope Thorn does not gamble with it. Le Fondre scored 24 in league 1 and we have seen the likes of Eastwood, Morrell and co all pretty much fail from similar reputations. My remit would to go for the all elusive prem striker on loan but then I'm not the football coach...

The way I see it we need 2 players per position, plus utility guys that can play a few different roles. In defence with the recent shuffle we have 1 right back in Clarke. At RCB it's Keogh and McPake, LCB Turner and Cameron and that would leave Wood with Hussey at LB. Cranie is the utility to play anywhere along the back 4.

That leaves us looking at one extra RB, and a week or so ago maybe we didn't see Cyrus Christie filling that gap. In case you didn't know, and as ajsccfc mentioned, Bignot is a right-back.

I wouldn't be too concerned to be honest. Simple tactic is have 2 players per position. Can't think of many sides that don't deploy that tactic.

The gamble on lower league prolific scorers was flawed because successsive managers had a fixation on playing these players out of position for most of their time at CCFC.

In particular was Robbie Simpson, Andy Morrell, Freddie Eastwood and to a lesser degree Mifsud and Gary McSheffrey were all hived out on respective wings to include defensive duties as well !!!

If we do land Le Fronde can we please play him in an attacking goal scoring role and not as some convoluted wing back.

PUSB

To add to the mix we have we need a goal scoring midfielder and a striker.

Paxman II said:

To add to the mix we have we need a goal scoring midfielder and a striker.

Click to expand...

Exactly. If we do have any money to "invest" (or lose) in the transfer market, which I very strongly doubt, I certainly don't see it being on a RB. There was never anything in that one. The article fails to mention the links between Bignotts' brother Marcus and Ian Holloway, a very close personal mate who he has played with and for in the past at QPR and Bristol Rovers (nor does it even mention Marcus being Solihull manager, instead banging on about Birmingham ladies!). The only element of the story with a ring of truth is it's a BSP player, so therefore maybe within our wage structure!

Do we need a RB? Keogh has already been shunted out of his favoured position so that AT can shoehorn Clarke into the side (something Keogh is far from happy about). AT is on the record about how much he admires Clarke. Christie has also shown lots of promise. Cranie is much better at RB than he is LB. And we have no proper LB cover for Hussey other than right-footed CB's and a left-footed one who turns slower than The Titanic.

The sources linking us with these players do not seem that convincing......

However, a club in our position can only sign players who are affordable and available. Generally, that means cheaper players from the lower divisions. We may not need another defender in terms of squad size but if Thorn spotted a talented (affordable) defender, we would be fools not to sign them. As an extreme example, if Thorn spotted the "new Lionel Messi", I would hope Thorn would not refuse to sign him on the grounds we didn't need a new striker.

Le Fondre is out of contract and refusing to sign a new contract Rotherham. Therefore, we may be able to drive the price down. Getting a loan striker from the Premiership is no more guarantee of getting a goalscorer, than signing a player from League 2.