Bruce
Well-known member
I think it depends on where we are in the table come Christmas.
If we're mid-table (say 10-15) then we're probably looking at permanents to bring in and develop for next season. Probably a centre midfielder and a right back. Maybe a centre-forward from the lower leagues or continental Europe. The aim would be to give them the second half of the season to adapt and prove themselves. Several of our players are likely to be underwhelming if we're in this position so I would expect quite a lot of loans out and maybe McNair and Dijksteel to be sold to free up the budget.
If we're around the play-offs (say 6th-9th) then it will be a mix of loans and permanents. Possibly looking for a premium goal scorer on loan and and a top class championship permanent ready to go straight into the first team. The aim being to ensure we make the playoffs and maximise our chances of promotion that way.
If we look to be seriously challenging for the top 3 then it's time to rocket boost the team with a couple of premium loans and a top class Championship player who looks like he could step up to the Premier league. If we're doing this well, at least one of our buys this summer has been a break-out star for us so it will be tricky to improve the team without ruining what is making it work.
My prediction is that we'll head into Christmas somewhere around 6th-10th so it will be a question of plugging the weakest spot in the team with a premium loan (or, ideally, loan to buy) and looking for 1-2 permanents of the Dan Barlaser level who can push for a 1st team spot and cover for absences. I wouldn't want to see us with more than 3 first team places taken up with loans unless we're really tearing up the league and serious about 2nd to 3rd.
What we don't want are any "gifts" from Gibson.
If we're mid-table (say 10-15) then we're probably looking at permanents to bring in and develop for next season. Probably a centre midfielder and a right back. Maybe a centre-forward from the lower leagues or continental Europe. The aim would be to give them the second half of the season to adapt and prove themselves. Several of our players are likely to be underwhelming if we're in this position so I would expect quite a lot of loans out and maybe McNair and Dijksteel to be sold to free up the budget.
If we're around the play-offs (say 6th-9th) then it will be a mix of loans and permanents. Possibly looking for a premium goal scorer on loan and and a top class championship permanent ready to go straight into the first team. The aim being to ensure we make the playoffs and maximise our chances of promotion that way.
If we look to be seriously challenging for the top 3 then it's time to rocket boost the team with a couple of premium loans and a top class Championship player who looks like he could step up to the Premier league. If we're doing this well, at least one of our buys this summer has been a break-out star for us so it will be tricky to improve the team without ruining what is making it work.
My prediction is that we'll head into Christmas somewhere around 6th-10th so it will be a question of plugging the weakest spot in the team with a premium loan (or, ideally, loan to buy) and looking for 1-2 permanents of the Dan Barlaser level who can push for a 1st team spot and cover for absences. I wouldn't want to see us with more than 3 first team places taken up with loans unless we're really tearing up the league and serious about 2nd to 3rd.
What we don't want are any "gifts" from Gibson.