Most needed purchase in the Winter Transfer window?

[Dr Quinzel]

With another manager I feel we *should* have enough. If the team is to the best it can, then along with Hector I would sign fullbacks for right and left side. Sad to say it, but Joe Bryan has been a huge disappointment this year.

[The Rational Fan]

In the summer we would need to look for a left back in a similar vein but retain Bryan who could become a useful left winger as well a being defensive cover.   

Genius comment, Bryan could be the Left Back and Left Wing reserve.

[S.F.Sorrow]

With another manager I feel we *should* have enough. If the team is to the best it can, then along with Hector I would sign fullbacks for right and left side. Sad to say it, but Joe Bryan has been a huge disappointment this year.

Joe Bryan looks great going forward but not so great defensively. Wasn't he considered more of a midfielder at Bristol City but had to cover at LB at some point and just ended up staying there?  I really like him but I have a feeling he's not the best match for our tactics.

I still don't think Bryan is the weakest link in out defence though. My priorities would be RB + 2CBs. If Hector lives up to the hype I'll narrow it down to RB+CB. And if I have to choose one... probably another CB with Odoi at RB.

But our defence should have been sorted out last summer, not mid season. Players may need some time to adapt to our style of football (like Chambers at the start of last season). Or perhaps we should give up on our ambitious style of playing out from the back and suddenly have LOTS of more suitable CBs to choose from. There aren't many ball playing CBs available at this level (and within our budget). We're trying to play tiki-taka with Championship players. How Joka made it work is beyond me...

[Spirit of 2000]

With another manager I feel we *should* have enough. If the team is to the best it can, then along with Hector I would sign fullbacks for right and left side. Sad to say it, but Joe Bryan has been a huge disappointment this year.

Joe Bryan looks great going forward but not so great defensively. Wasn't he considered more of a midfielder at Bristol City but had to cover at LB at some point and just ended up staying there?  I really like him but I have a feeling he's not the best match for our tactics.

I still don't think Bryan is the weakest link in out defence though. My priorities would be RB + 2CBs. If Hector lives up to the hype I'll narrow it down to RB+CB. And if I have to choose one... probably another CB with Odoi at RB.

But our defence should have been sorted out last summer, not mid season. Players may need some time to adapt to our style of football (like Chambers at the start of last season). Or perhaps we should give up on our ambitious style of playing out from the back and suddenly have LOTS of more suitable CBs to choose from. There aren't many ball playing CBs available at this level (and within our budget). We're trying to play tiki-taka with Championship players. How Joka made it work is beyond me...

Bryan is a wing back, not a flat 4 fullback. He's also a good wing back and offers our biggest threat as far as delivery is concerned going forward. This is where we come into the unbalanced issue which is the fault of TK. He thinks by bringing in a lot of very good players at this level it means success. Don't get me wrong I still sustain and will always say Parker should be making more of what he has, but Tony Khan must take some blame. We either play with two out and out wingers and a flat back 4, or we play 3 CB's or a sitting DM as KMac was for us 2 years ago with wingbacks. If we do that – you have to include Christie as he's the closest we have to a RWB. You then stick Cav & Knockaert on the bench to change things if needed, as neither could start in that setup. The alternative is you have 2 setups – one with the wingbacks, one with wingers so switching from Bryan/Christie to Sessegnon/Odoi – taking in & out a sitting DM or 3rd centre back. Not ideal as it's hard enough to get most sides playing well to one accustomed formation & style plus the disruption to starting personnel is a negative.

[toshes mate]

How Joka made it work is beyond me...

Me too, but Parker was there during Jokanovic's time and should have been paying attention to the famous Jokanovic calls of 'be brave', and 'I'll take responsibility when and if it goes wrong', while drilling into the players whatever that special something was.  As MJG mentions elsewhere it was the speed of thought and ability of players to find angles for passes that made it work.  Even on Saturday I lost count of the number of times a player was caught out, not just out of position, but out of touch and completely oblivious to what was going to happen next, and it wasn't rocket science, but it may have something to do with concentration.

[bill taylors apprentice]

If we had 2 commanding CB's who talked their team mates though the game then I'm convinced the like's of Bryan would respond with better defensive performances.

[Dr Quinzel]

But does Joe Bryan actually look THAT good going forward? Enough that you ignore his complete failures defensively? I don't think so.

Spirit - I agree with what you say about disjointed thinking. It's a mix of good players thrown in and it doesnt seem to work and results are not as good as they could be.

We're 14 points off of automatic places which tells us something isn't quite right. The league this year is very poor.

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[ByTheRiver]

Manager, I'm afraid. And before the window too, so they can take a look at the squad over a game or two and decide what they need.

I wanted Parker to succeed. He seems like a good guy. But there is absolutely no excuse for being so far off of the autos with the players at his disposal. A few excuses could be offered, and that would explain maybe not being top, or being 3-5 points off at worst. This? Nope. Sorry.

I suspect we'll probably get a result on Saturday (and then lose the next two 'easy' games) but if not, and if we get a tonking (entirely possible), then I'm afraid it's time.

[Artful Dodger]

More worried about LB then RB.  Hector comes in and I would assume Mawson goes to the bench.  Think Odoi, Steven Sess and Christie are more than capable at this level. 

Remember, Bryan get hurt or red card and we only have MLM who is injured.  We need someone to help cover for LB. 

Totally agree and I would go further and say I wouldn't even have JB as left back anyway. Get a proper defender in and put JB left midfield and go to a 4-4-2 to tighten things up!

[The Rational Fan]

But does Joe Bryan actually look THAT good going forward? Enough that you ignore his complete failures defensively? I don't think so.

Spirit - I agree with what you say about disjointed thinking. It's a mix of good players thrown in and it doesnt seem to work and results are not as good as they could be.

We're 14 points off of automatic places which tells us something isn't quite right. The league this year is very poor.

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Joe Bryan sounds like the left-footed left winger we needed to replace Ryan Sessegnon. He has one goal, three assists, and 25 key passes (4th in the league for backs); plus he can get up and down the touchline. We have been conceeding more goals on the left hand side Ream and Bryan cannot go unblamed. Let him fight for a place up front at least give him an FA Cup game.

[filham]

A goal poacher, who scores other that Mitro.

[Dr Quinzel]

Yeah, for me 3 assists isn't nearly enough for the negative play at the back. Harsh, I know, but got to stop conceding

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[The Rational Fan]

Although you don't need to be a statistician to know the obvious, Statistics indicate something very important:

• if Cairney plays well (>6.7 who scored) then we get 2.15 points per game (28 points in 13 games)
• if Cairney doesn't play well (<6.7 who scored or doesn't play) then we get 0.8 points per game (7 points in 9 games)

that is the easiest way to improve this clubs points per game is when Cairney is not playing or needs a rest.

The games Tom Cairney played poorly in statistically include Barnsley, Charlton, Stoke, Hull, Birmingham, Swansea, Bristol City, Preston, and Brentford (five in the bottom half of the table). Many of those poor game were due to sickness and tactics not suiting him, another player would make the difference.

Tom Cairney didn't play well in two games cause he wasn't playing Birmingham and Preston. A week before those games missed through an illness which includes Hull, Swansea and Bristol City. Brentford was a few days after illness. Against Charlton, his statistics went flat after the 31st mins (when tactics changed) and the first half of the Stoke game his statistics were poor again with the same tactics.

The lesson is Tom Cairney needs a backup on the bench, because unless we need to better than 0.8 points per game without Cairney. Seri is a great bench warmer for Cairney and a decent warmer for several others (Onamah, Arter and Stefjo). We need to welcome Seri back that isn't an overpaid player in terms of wages, even if our DOF did overcompensate his former club Nice to acquire him he'd didn't get the money.

We shouldn't be thinking about how do we make our XI better, when our First XI are doing the required job. We need to improve when we are under-strength because that is when we drop points. FFC fans talk about the 23 games unbeaten run as if its a miracle, but we have been getting 2.2+ points per game in the championship for the last 2.5 years when no one is injured/suspended/sick, coming back from international duty/injury, and its not the 3rd game in a triple game week.

I think Hector, Seri and another wide player would add that depth.

[Skatzoffc]

I don't think there is a guarantee that Hector will walk into the team.
We need to wait and see.

I think a right back is reqd. If we get one, I would let Knockeart go and bring in another loan in his place.

[Dr Quinzel]

Although you don't need to be a statistician to know the obvious, Statistics indicate something very important:

• if Cairney plays well (>6.7 who scored) then we get 2.15 points per game (28 points in 13 games)
• if Cairney doesn't play well (<6.7 who scored or doesn't play) then we get 0.8 points per game (7 points in 9 games)

that is the easiest way to improve this clubs points per game is when Cairney is not playing or needs a rest.

The games Tom Cairney played poorly in statistically include Barnsley, Charlton, Stoke, Hull, Birmingham, Swansea, Bristol City, Preston, and Brentford (five in the bottom half of the table). Many of those poor game were due to sickness and tactics not suiting him, another player would make the difference.

Tom Cairney didn't play well in two games cause he wasn't playing Birmingham and Preston. A week before those games missed through an illness which includes Hull, Swansea and Bristol City. Brentford was a few days after illness. Against Charlton, his statistics went flat after the 31st mins (when tactics changed) and the first half of the Stoke game his statistics were poor again with the same tactics.

The lesson is Tom Cairney needs a backup on the bench, because unless we need to better than 0.8 points per game without Cairney. Seri is a great bench warmer for Cairney and a decent warmer for several others (Onamah, Arter and Stefjo). We need to welcome Seri back that isn't an overpaid player in terms of wages, even if our DOF did overcompensate his former club Nice to acquire him he'd didn't get the money.

We shouldn't be thinking about how do we make our XI better, when our First XI are doing the required job. We need to improve when we are under-strength because that is when we drop points. FFC fans talk about the 23 games unbeaten run as if its a miracle, but we have been getting 2.2+ points per game in the championship for the last 2.5 years when no one is injured/suspended/sick, coming back from international duty/injury, and its not the 3rd game in a triple game week.

I think Hector, Seri and another wide player would add that depth.

How do those games where he didn't play well compare when looking at teams in the top half of the table vs bottom half of the table?

[charlieFFC]

A good right back is definitely affordable in my eyes and is a position we could buy someone that would do a job in the prem most likely.

Other positions (in my opinion) have a much steeper quality requirement were we to get promoted.

Whoever we buy needes to be seen as a viable option in the top division and not gaffer tape to get us through this season.

[Steven Ageroad]

A RB is definitely required if someone comes in for Christie and he decides he wants to try his luck elsewhere.

[Asotosyios]

I don't think we need a RB in January. Odoi and Christie are good enough for the Championship and we should certainly give more chances to Sessegnon as well.

[love4ffc]

Wow, really surprised that so many voted RB.  :022:  Just would have thought LB would be more important. 

[Andyb]

Terminate knockert loan, go all out for jarred bowen. Plays wide and upfront...