The Official Silly Season January Transfer Thread 2020/21

[fulhamben]

On sky just now, Scott Parker said is unlikely we will bring in a striker this transfer window

Yes, just heard this.... either a smokescreen or target we wanted we have missed out on and so now looking doubtful..
All sounds a bit desperate....

The quote on Sky is 'time is not on our side' ...maybe the same difference?

Well we were never going to sign someone like Toney, King or Gayle because TK just doesn't operate like that. He's not just going to pay big money for a well-known domestic player. He has to prove his scouting prowess, business acumen and the value of his stats. So no doubt we're in discussions with some Championship Manager player at Benfica, Fiorentina, Lyon or somewhere like that, trying to persuade the club to accept £15m instead of £25m and/or trying to get the player to join us instead of Milan, Everton or Real Madrid. And Parker is just saying what the rest of us would if we had visibility of the situation - it probably won't even come off, and even if it does, it won't be until the last moment.

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well. His stats signings as we like to call them have been spot on this season, so why not go for someone who might kick us on as opposed to someone who we probably know won't.

[Asotosyios]

Not a lot of rumours flying around, so I am creating one to kill some time. Not exactly a rumour - more like a far-fetched idea.

I saw that Crystal Palace is getting a centre forward (Mateta) from Mainz, which means that Batshuayi is now 4th choice behind Zaha, Benteke and the new signing (perhaps 5th choice if you consider Ayew a striker). Assuming that Batshuayi goes back to Chelsea, would you consider him on loan till the end of the season (with an option to buy, if you prefer) as the mobile striker we need?

Obviously, we are not allowed to loan another Premier League player, so to take it a bit further - would you send RLC back to Chelsea and get Batshuayi on his place? That way we could have a front 3 of Lookman - Batshuayi - BDR/Cavaleiro.

[Statto]

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well.

You sure? They got us promoted. So I'd say they worked out well. Or do you attribute that to Parker's sheer brilliance as a manager, rather than having a good squad at his disposal?
086.gif :005:

[LC]

If the club fail to bring in a striker this window it's a tragedy.

What would be worse if the board decide to remove Parker in hope someone new can get results- this would be a disaster and something I think could happen.

yes we might stop winning games and slip down the league into the relegation spots. Oh wait. If we don't bring in a striker then surely Parker has already proved that he wouldn't be good enough to keep us up. More importantly, if we don't bring in a striker, then we need to change tactics and formation to actually try and win some games. We've seen how bad draws are for us, we need some wins.

If you can't see the huge improvements we've made over the last 8 games then I cannot help you. Changing the manager now would guarantee our regulation.
If we don't sign a striker, which we desperately need, it's not a failure of the manager- I don't want to criticise the DoF as I think he's committed to the club and passionate, but it would be a grave mistake not to bring one or two forwards in this window. I don't want to speak for others but I think this is a generally accepted view

why will it be a grave mistake to not bring in two forwards in this window? Surely Parker is doing a good enough job as you have said , to keep us up without them.

Fairly clear we aren't going to agree, so I guess time will tell.

[fulhamben]

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well.

You sure? They got us promoted. So I'd say they worked out well. Or do you attribute that to Parker's sheer brilliance as a manager, rather than having a good squad at his disposal?
086.gif :005:

Regressed under Parker's watch would be my take on it. Needed a top two squad last season to finish in the play offs and it's looking like we need a top ten team just to finish 17 th this season. 😉

[fulhamben]

If the club fail to bring in a striker this window it's a tragedy.

What would be worse if the board decide to remove Parker in hope someone new can get results- this would be a disaster and something I think could happen.

yes we might stop winning games and slip down the league into the relegation spots. Oh wait. If we don't bring in a striker then surely Parker has already proved that he wouldn't be good enough to keep us up. More importantly, if we don't bring in a striker, then we need to change tactics and formation to actually try and win some games. We've seen how bad draws are for us, we need some wins.

If you can't see the huge improvements we've made over the last 8 games then I cannot help you. Changing the manager now would guarantee our regulation.
If we don't sign a striker, which we desperately need, it's not a failure of the manager- I don't want to criticise the DoF as I think he's committed to the club and passionate, but it would be a grave mistake not to bring one or two forwards in this window. I don't want to speak for others but I think this is a generally accepted view

why will it be a grave mistake to not bring in two forwards in this window? Surely Parker is doing a good enough job as you have said , to keep us up without them.

Fairly clear we aren't going to agree, so I guess time will tell.

i think we do agree but you won't admit it. I believe that like me you think we will get relegated without new strikers. Am I right?

[LC]

If the club fail to bring in a striker this window it's a tragedy.

What would be worse if the board decide to remove Parker in hope someone new can get results- this would be a disaster and something I think could happen.

yes we might stop winning games and slip down the league into the relegation spots. Oh wait. If we don't bring in a striker then surely Parker has already proved that he wouldn't be good enough to keep us up. More importantly, if we don't bring in a striker, then we need to change tactics and formation to actually try and win some games. We've seen how bad draws are for us, we need some wins.

If you can't see the huge improvements we've made over the last 8 games then I cannot help you. Changing the manager now would guarantee our regulation.
If we don't sign a striker, which we desperately need, it's not a failure of the manager- I don't want to criticise the DoF as I think he's committed to the club and passionate, but it would be a grave mistake not to bring one or two forwards in this window. I don't want to speak for others but I think this is a generally accepted view

why will it be a grave mistake to not bring in two forwards in this window? Surely Parker is doing a good enough job as you have said , to keep us up without them.

Fairly clear we aren't going to agree, so I guess time will tell.

i think we do agree but you won't admit it. I believe that like me you think we will get relegated without new strikers. Am I right?

Yes I do believe that. Where we don't agree is the performance of our manager. I think SP is doing a good job with what he has. If we get a striker and we don't improve I'll be the first to highlight any failings, but I don't believe that will be the case

[fulhamben]

If the club fail to bring in a striker this window it's a tragedy.

What would be worse if the board decide to remove Parker in hope someone new can get results- this would be a disaster and something I think could happen.

yes we might stop winning games and slip down the league into the relegation spots. Oh wait. If we don't bring in a striker then surely Parker has already proved that he wouldn't be good enough to keep us up. More importantly, if we don't bring in a striker, then we need to change tactics and formation to actually try and win some games. We've seen how bad draws are for us, we need some wins.

If you can't see the huge improvements we've made over the last 8 games then I cannot help you. Changing the manager now would guarantee our regulation.
If we don't sign a striker, which we desperately need, it's not a failure of the manager- I don't want to criticise the DoF as I think he's committed to the club and passionate, but it would be a grave mistake not to bring one or two forwards in this window. I don't want to speak for others but I think this is a generally accepted view

why will it be a grave mistake to not bring in two forwards in this window? Surely Parker is doing a good enough job as you have said , to keep us up without them.

Fairly clear we aren't going to agree, so I guess time will tell.

i think we do agree but you won't admit it. I believe that like me you think we will get relegated without new strikers. Am I right?

Yes I do believe that. Where we don't agree is the performance of our manager. I think SP is doing a good job with what he has. If we get a striker and we don't improve I'll be the first to highlight any failings, but I don't believe that will be the case

i also agree that if we get a good striker in then we will have a good chance to stay up. My point is that if we don't, you yourself think we will go down, as do I, difference is I would want someone else to come in with fresh ideas to try and prevent that. Anyway it's a moot point as we will win the next 3, get a striker in and survive comfortably.

[The Rational Fan]

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well.

You sure? They got us promoted. So I'd say they worked out well. Or do you attribute that to Parker's sheer brilliance as a manager, rather than having a good squad at his disposal?
086.gif :005:

Historical Analysis
The only sensible analysis of the "Bobby, Cav and Knockaert" signings is that they weren't the greatest or worst signings ever (prove that TK is improving); but there were good enough to keep us a YO-YO team allowing us to get more signings. If we keep signing players of their quality and value, then we will likely stay a YO-YO team, which is OK

Future
I am convinced, the longer Tony Khan keeps us a YO-YO team and the more he is involved, the more Khan money will be spent and the better it will be spent, so one day (maybe in a few years) we will end 17th in the Premier League.

We could finish the season in a number of positions this season: i) 17th position, which is our dream; ii) 18th with a good balance sheet, which places us favorites for promotion; or iii) 18th with a terrible balance sheet, with FFP laws requiring us to do a massive cut in the wages bill. Tony Khan's #1 focus should to be avoid the last possibility.

[RaySmith]

We need to get a player/s in who can score, pay what is  required - and how many top strikers wiil want to come to Fulham? even if this is a short term fix - someone who can stay fit long enough bang in a few goals this season, so that we can stay up.

It would be a  big shame  if  the team we now have, with the quality and team cohesion  we now have, goes down from want of a  goal scorer.
We look like a decent team, one that could become an established  Prem team, unlike last time we were in the Prem- just need to be able to score more,

[S.F.Sorrow]

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well.

You sure? They got us promoted. So I'd say they worked out well. Or do you attribute that to Parker's sheer brilliance as a manager, rather than having a good squad at his disposal?
086.gif :005:

Historical Analysis
The only sensible analysis of the "Bobby, Cav and Knockaert" signings is that they weren't the greatest or worst signings ever (prove that TK is improving); but there were good enough to keep us a YO-YO team allowing us to get more signings. If we keep signing players of their quality and value, then we will likely stay a YO-YO team, which is OK

Future
I am convinced, the longer Tony Khan keeps us a YO-YO team and the more he is involved, the more Khan money will be spent and the better it will be spent, so one day (maybe in a few years) we will end 17th in the Premier League.

We could finish the season in a number of positions this season: i) 17th position, which is our dream; ii) 18th with a good balance sheet, which places us favorites for promotion; or iii) 18th with a terrible balance sheet, with FFP laws requiring us to do a massive cut in the wages bill. Tony Khan's #1 focus should to be avoid the last possibility.

I don't think most fans will agree with you that being a yo-yo team is "ok".

With the way we do business (relying far too much on short term contracts IMO) we will have to completely rebuild the squad not only when we're promoted but when we're relegated too. We're only a couple of poor signings away from League One every time we're relegated.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with your points about the financial side of things and FFP but I still think there must be a better way. This complete overhaul of the squad every year makes it difficult to retain a core of players to build on. Our old core of Championship players are getting too old and we know a lot of our current players will NEVER play for us in the Championship. The last time we were relegated it was easy to predict most of our Championship starting 11. They were all still there (or out on loan). If we're relegated this time I think we will be in serious trouble.

We will also start EVERY season with a disadvantage because we won't have  competetive squad until 2-3 months into the season. Even being a yo-yo team requires long term planning or the string will break eventually.

[Twig]

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well.

You sure? They got us promoted. So I'd say they worked out well. Or do you attribute that to Parker's sheer brilliance as a manager, rather than having a good squad at his disposal?
086.gif :005:

Historical Analysis
The only sensible analysis of the "Bobby, Cav and Knockaert" signings is that they weren't the greatest or worst signings ever (prove that TK is improving); but there were good enough to keep us a YO-YO team allowing us to get more signings. If we keep signing players of their quality and value, then we will likely stay a YO-YO team, which is OK

Future
I am convinced, the longer Tony Khan keeps us a YO-YO team and the more he is involved, the more Khan money will be spent and the better it will be spent, so one day (maybe in a few years) we will end 17th in the Premier League.

We could finish the season in a number of positions this season: i) 17th position, which is our dream; ii) 18th with a good balance sheet, which places us favorites for promotion; or iii) 18th with a terrible balance sheet, with FFP laws requiring us to do a massive cut in the wages bill. Tony Khan's #1 focus should to be avoid the last possibility.

Being a yo-yo team is not ok. Ok?

[FulhamStu]

Buying a new striker, even a proven one that we can afford does not guarantee we stay up.  It certainly increases the chances of staying up, but he could take ages to gel, bit like Frank, he could get injured or the virus etc etc.   We need to buy players that will be with us for the long term if at all possible and not kill our FFP position should we get relegated.   We have plenty of permanent players on the books that would be fantastic if relegated and expensive ones who will come off the wage bill if we go down. It's a fine balancing act and not at all easy.  Armstrong, Dembele from Peterborough, or a find from overseas.

[The Cravenette]

Is there any chance this thread could just stick to the title- transfer rumours? Other discussions, slagging/supporting TK, slagging/supporting Parker etc can have their own threads surely.

[Woolly Mammoth]

to be fair, he spent big money on the well known domestic players of bobby cav and knockaert last season and that didn't turn out to well.

You sure? They got us promoted. So I'd say they worked out well. Or do you attribute that to Parker's sheer brilliance as a manager, rather than having a good squad at his disposal?
086.gif :005:

Historical Analysis
The only sensible analysis of the "Bobby, Cav and Knockaert" signings is that they weren't the greatest or worst signings ever (prove that TK is improving); but there were good enough to keep us a YO-YO team allowing us to get more signings. If we keep signing players of their quality and value, then we will likely stay a YO-YO team, which is OK

Future
I am convinced, the longer Tony Khan keeps us a YO-YO team and the more he is involved, the more Khan money will be spent and the better it will be spent, so one day (maybe in a few years) we will end 17th in the Premier League.

We could finish the season in a number of positions this season: i) 17th position, which is our dream; ii) 18th with a good balance sheet, which places us favorites for promotion; or iii) 18th with a terrible balance sheet, with FFP laws requiring us to do a massive cut in the wages bill. Tony Khan's #1 focus should to be avoid the last possibility.

I have to disagree with you regarding being a yo yo team. Nothing is gained short or long term as there is no stability and no direction. We will be treading water if that keeps occurring. Loans coming in and going out, no foundation with a profusion of players passing each other in opposite directions like ships in the night. That in itself rules out any real empathy for players who come and go. Far more difficult to build a real team spirit.
You cannot build or plan anything with that philosophy and further more it denies and reduces Academy players getting an opportunity of playing in any matches. Overall the cost of going up and down like an empty lift is that it will cost the club in more ways than one, and not just financially. Our identity will be tarnished unnecessarily. A recipe for problems on and off the pitch whichever Division a club may find itself in. The idea of getting promoted is to stay promoted, and make plans to stay promoted which requires foresight and vision rather than accept what you are suggesting, and spend the whole year putting out fires, no sense in that. Managers have to be supported by their employees in enabling them to give the team the best chance of staying in the top flight. Otherwise you will be replacing staff non stop on and off the pitch every year without gaining anything but the wrong reputation.
As I have tried to explain if you get promoted you pull out all the stops to stay promoted.

[Friendsoffulham]

Is there any chance this thread could just stick to the title- transfer rumours? Other discussions, slagging/supporting TK, slagging/supporting Parker etc can have their own threads surely.

We locked this thread last time, purely because of that reason, and just updated it with transfer rumours as they come around, and think we'll be going back to model next time.

[Tempest]

Diego Costa. No links but do think him and Mitro starting together would be highly entertaining. 

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk

[jayffc]

Is there any chance this thread could just stick to the title- transfer rumours? Other discussions, slagging/supporting TK, slagging/supporting Parker etc can have their own threads surely.

We locked this thread last time, purely because of that reason, and just updated it with transfer rumours as they come around, and think we'll be going back to model next time.

Yes please

[sunburywhite]

Is there any chance this thread could just stick to the title- transfer rumours? Other discussions, slagging/supporting TK, slagging/supporting Parker etc can have their own threads surely.

We locked this thread last time, purely because of that reason, and just updated it with transfer rumours as they come around, and think we'll be going back to model next time.

Yes please

+1

[Tabby]

Parker saying that Dia has not been one of the names discussed in a new interview.

https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-not-looking-to-sign-striker-dia-says-parker