January - what needs to happen?

Dear Santa,

Hope its not too late and that you have not retired for the year yet, but I have been a good boy all year and here is my list.

New goalkeeper that can boss his area. Two good midfielders, one creative.one a strong combative leader. Two forwards, one target man who holds the ball up well, one who is a good finisher to feed off him. If we manage that and have spare budget, a commanding central defender not prone to errors and red cards.

Hell of a wish list, but I will leave out more whisky, a mince pie and a carrot in the usual place if you can make it happen.

PS Thank you for the first gift, we thought he would never leave.

Probably looking for at least 6 coming in, centre half, left back, 2 midfield and 2 up front.  

I would send back Taylor, Morton, Gomis, Bennett, look at paying up Tilley, Green, Williams, Sisay. To this latter group, depending on the state of their injuries I would consider paying off Hanson and Scannell, however, if either or both of these could get fit they would be well worth keeping and if we bring in 2 strikers getting Hanson fit as a back up could be a real plus. We also need to sort out Max Wright as he can’t continue to miss so many games each season. The lad has ability, passion and commitment and is an asset to the squad IF fit.

Good news is historically Hurst always had decent central defenders and left backs so that’s a good starting point. But we must get some forward players who can hold the ball up and stick it in the net together with a strong midfield player a la Groves, Pouton,Cunnington and Disley. Not too much to ask Paul?

Big unit up front who can hold the ball up to get the team up the pitch, and can also get on the end of the good crosses Morais can supply. A box player who can sniff out a goal. Experienced left back. Creative midfielder who can chip in with assists and goals. Mobile centre back.

Please.

Thank you.

Yeah agree with people saying that a keeper isn't the priority - for me sensible tactics in front of Macca (I.e. not pointlessly and endlessly fannying about with it in defence every time) will be the medicine Macca needs. The improvement in him when we stopped doing this against scunny was very noticeable. This will improve him and definitely improve the goals against column.

I would keep preston and Edwards, but preston will hopefully become back up and Edwards will be an impact sub for when we need to try and conjure something up. His final ball is so dreadful we can't possibly be relying on him. The other loans Taylor, Morton, gomis, Bennett can all go back as absolute dross.

We are in such a dreadful situation with the quality of our strikers that any that can be loaned out or paid up should be. Green brings nothing despite trying, barely touches the ball and every second touch is a tackle. Pay up. Hanson will simply never be fit, so anything else is irrelevant, pay up. Scannell is ok but often unfit, pay up. Gibson not good enough, loan out. Sisay not good enough, loan out. Jackson jnr probably not good enough loan out. In actual fact we won't be able to get takers or afford all this but if we could I would clear the lot out they are so poor. We need a minimum of 2 strikers coming in and whoever is left of the ones we have will provide the cover I suppose.

Rose was meant to be the creative one but hasn't show  enough and made lots of errors too. Wouldn't bother me if he left. We need a creative midfielder to come in. Clifton might just be good enough as the ball winner type and can provide full back cover. Hewitt is and can also provide good cover at CB. Spokes maybe loan out maybe stay depending on how many incoming.

Wingers Tilley is ok but has never really got going and is too lightweight, a slower version of max Wright. We will need better next season but Tilley might be good enough for this season as a squad player. Max Wright is ok but definitely needs to build up his strength if he is going to play more games per season. Morais has looked good. With Edward able to play wide too I think one more quality wide player to come in.

So a left back, minimum 1 CM, 1 wide player, 2 strikers. If we could have a sixth signing I would probably want a 3rd striker rather than a CB, our current lot are that bad! Maybe a 2nd CM instead too. I think waterfall pollock and Hewitt are all good enough at CB (depending on the opposition, some teams might be too big for Hewitt to handle).

All Holloway signings out the door except Morais, add to that Clifton

No ex players, other than possibly Amond if available.

Take a very large bag and put 18 of our players in it at random (do it while Pollock, Waterfall and Hendrie are getting a shower) Hire a helicopter and drop the bag in the North Sea
Replace the 18 with 11 footballers with great attitude and some skill. Job done

However we may look at it, the manager will see it differently but after listening to Hurst last night he's already sussed out how bad this squad, that Ian Runaway built btw, is.
In my opinion players to go will be:
Bennett, Gomis, Taylor, Morton and I suspect Edwards back to their own clubs.
Sissay, Green loaned out until the summer when their contracts expire and Gibson loaned out potentially until summer and next season too.
Hanson, there's a dilemma, I do wonder if he just didn't like Holloway, not saying he's not injury prone but not sure it's as bad as we understand, Holloway kind of insinuated as much at times.
Tilley came here because of Holloway think he'll look to get a loan closer to his Brighton home, doesn't look up to the fight for me.
Spokes looks a good prospect, tidy feet, neat with the ball and sees the easy pass rather than trying to complicate things.
So what do we need?
1 x LB - Preston to stay as cover
1 x CM - Spokes to learn off and come on as sub
1 x LW
2 X Experienced, reliable forwards.
To be honest, I'll think we'll have an idea of how Hurst sees it on Saturday when he picks his first squad.

Big job needed. We need top quality in the following areas for me ASAP.

Central midfield - Someone that is going to boss things and settle us down, like an Anthony Grant at Swindon a couple of seasons back.

Winger - a threat to take the ball down the line and put the ball in to the box. I think Tilley and Wright can already be this player for us but they need to prove it and step up.

Centre forward - 1 if not 2 actual threats in the box. Everyone wants one of these and they are hard to come by so we are probably going to need a bit of luck unearthing a rough diamond on loan, like Northampton did with Morton last season or Surridge at Oldham the year before. Alternatively, someone from the NL, think Podge and Omar.

It’s going to be tough but we need to fill as many of those positions as possible as a priority. Obviously I’d be over the moon if someone already on the books would spark in to life and make the position their own.

Hurst likes to have a squad of around 22 players, so I've trimmed the existing squad down to 17 not including Russell and placing some versatile players in two positions. Cutting away the chaff, it instantly looks a bit more solid.

I'd add a first choice left back, a quicker centre back, a central midfielder and two forwards. I'd look at Hurst to have the capability of improving Idehen and Spokes as young prospects, getting more out of his own team so that we can capitalise on the skills of Morais and the raw pace of Edwards, Wright and Tilley out wide and also look for him to get more out of Williams and Scannell as playmaker number tens rather than being shoved out wide as an afterthought and finally hone Gibson into the off the bench goal predator I think he can be in an improved team managed by a different manager. I'd also like to see Edwards play off the shoulders of the oppositions' centre halves rather than always receiving the ball with is back to goal and tight to the touchline. See what he can do, think he could be more of a threat..


Keepers

James McKeown
Sam Russell      
                                         

Defenders

Luke Hendrie      
Elliott Hewitt      
Duncan Idehen      
Mattie Pollock      
Danny Preston      
Luke Waterfall
Left Back
Centre Back     
                                    

Central Midfield

Harry Clifton  
Danny Rose
Luke Spokes
Elliott Hewitt       
Central Midfielder


Wide Players

James Tilley      
Max Wright
Filipe Morais
Owura Edwards                                        


Number 10s

Sean Scannell
George Williams


Forwards

Owura Edwards
Montel Gibson
Centre Forward
Centre Forward      


What needs to happen and what Hurst can realistically achieve in a single transfer window may be two very different things though..

Lots to do and I doubt it will all get done in Jan.

For me,

- Send back all the loans apart from Preston and Edwards
- Loan out Sisay and Ira
- Review the Hanson situation with a possible pay off, I've resisted this but it now makes sense.  
- Add a decent back up keeper but for now Macca should be first choice.
- 1 x CB
- 1 x Utility Defender
- 1 x Ball winner in mid field
- 1 x Bal passer in mid field
- 1 x Big tall lump up front,
- 1 x Goal hanger    

One other decision, do we benefit from a keeper captain or not? Then give him the back room team he needs.