January

[BristolCity1992]

Anyone else expecting a clear out in January with a few players going out and a few coming in?

I think that some players have had their time in Garys eyes and he feels that we need to freshen things up if we are going to push on I to a extent agree anyone else go the feeling that we could be heading for a transition stage as we try to turn ourselves into play off certs?

Just think Gary is going to get the squad as close to the one as he could possibly want something I think he did not manage to do in August.

[Rednready]

Anyone else expecting a clear out in January with a few players going out and a few coming in?

I think that some players have had their time in Garys eyes and he feels that we need to freshen things up if we are going to push on I to a extent agree anyone else go the feeling that we could be heading for a transition stage as we try to turn ourselves into play off certs?

Just think Gary is going to get the squad as close to the one as he could possibly want something I think he did not manage to do in August.

Just 6 weeks to January so GJ's plans will be advanced.

Adebola, John, Trundle, Brooker, Maynard and Akinde, somebody has to go, we are not getting enough goals from these strikers and the age and speed of the first 3 will not help them improve.

Then we have forum threads quoting Carey, Trundle and Brooker, senior players who are not happy and/or optomistic about their futures here.

Add to these points, we have some average to good league 1 players who are barely making the grade in the Championship. IMO that includes McAllister, Orr, LJ, Skuse and Sproule.

Its difficult to move the players with extended contracts, they still have to be paid, its not that easy to get rid of them, especially if they have not been regular starters. GJ is on record for saying he does not like the January window. GJ and SL are aiming at improving on last season, IMO player overhaul will be needed in January. Last season GJ said he would keep faith with the players we had. We came close, but lost points in the fourth set of 10.

We are behind last seasons average for this stage, it was 1.7 points per game, now after 17 matches we are at 1.47 points per game

[Midge]

I'd agree with this in the main,maybe we have hit a bit of a wall and freshening things up may well do us good,I do feel that certain players have gotten used to Gary's methods and ways of management that sometimes a change is needed for all concerned.

I very much feel that our season is in the balance and could go either way,on some occasions this year we've been excellent but in contrast we have also had quite a few poor ones,especially at home where at the moment we never take the initiative and attack teams from the first whistle,but we seem to sit back and invite pressure onto us.

Could be an interesting time in january

[westonred]

Lets be fair we need to have a good clear out and bring in 4 or 5 quality players.

Players like Brooker, Trundle, Sproule, Skuse, B Wilson, Myrie Williams, Murray (if he's not going to be played), Webster (back to Rangers), could all leave without weakening the squad.

Then to replace them we would need to bring in a quality attacking midfielder, left winger, right winger and two good full backs..

[CHIPLEY RED]

I don't see us doing much in January. We had all summer and only managed to get 2 players and January is always slower in terms of transfers.

I guess having spent £2m+ on Maynard Gary will have to sell before he buys and haow is he going to raise the sort of money talked about on this forum.

IF we sold Trundle, Sproule, Skuse etc how much would we raise, i doubt we would raise enough to get 1 good midfielder and we would weaken our squad. Skuse for one performed well as a stand in for Marvin (not as good but a replacement never is).

We need to be realistic. We may add 1 or 2 cheap players and sell 1 or 2 fringe players but we will have to see the season out with what we have.

Another thing to consider is would we attract the type of top class player we all want. We are at present a mid table championship team.

The squad we have is good enough to make the play offs again this year

[kingswood red]

I don't see us doing much in January. We had all summer and only managed to get 2 players and January is always slower in terms of transfers.

I guess having spent £2m+ on Maynard Gary will have to sell before he buys and haow is he going to raise the sort of money talked about on this forum.

IF we sold Trundle, Sproule, Skuse etc how much would we raise, i doubt we would raise enough to get 1 good midfielder and we would weaken our squad. Skuse for one performed well as a stand in for Marvin (not as good but a replacement never is).

We need to be realistic. We may add 1 or 2 cheap players and sell 1 or 2 fringe players but we will have to see the season out with what we have.

Another thing to consider is would we attract the type of top class player we all want. We are at present a mid table championship team.

The squad we have is good enough to make the play offs again this year

We don't need to wait til Jan to bring in players, Hull and Stoke worked the loan system very well, indeed they were both promoted on the backs of loan players.

Putting players up for sale doesn't mean they will get sold.

Last Jan. GJ said he doesn't like bringing players in half way through the season because they need time to adapt.

Gj looks to have lost his way a bit, we are a long way into his tenure to have square pegs in round holes, also not having an established system of playing right through the club, from youth team to first team. I wasn't there, but it looks as though the reserves, last night, played 4-4-2, no wonder players don't know whether they are coming or going. Last season GJ got lucky, this season is going to be a telling one.

By the way £2.25m should have got us a top class player shouldn't it?.

[Guest ashtonyate]

I don't see us doing much in January. We had all summer and only managed to get 2 players and January is always slower in terms of transfers.

I guess having spent £2m+ on Maynard Gary will have to sell before he buys and haow is he going to raise the sort of money talked about on this forum.

IF we sold Trundle, Sproule, Skuse etc how much would we raise, i doubt we would raise enough to get 1 good midfielder and we would weaken our squad. Skuse for one performed well as a stand in for Marvin (not as good but a replacement never is).

We need to be realistic. We may add 1 or 2 cheap players and sell 1 or 2 fringe players but we will have to see the season out with what we have.

Another thing to consider is would we attract the type of top class player we all want. We are at present a mid table championship team.

The squad we have is good enough to make the play offs again this year

You would be lucky to sell any of the above they are on to much money and other teams in our league would not want them, so they would have to move down a league and teams in the lower league cannot pay the price or their wages.

[Rednready]

We don't need to wait til Jan to bring in players, Hull and Stoke worked the loan system very well, indeed they were both promoted on the backs of loan players.

Putting players up for sale doesn't mean they will get sold.

Last Jan. GJ said he doesn't like bringing players in half way through the season because they need time to adapt.

Gj looks to have lost his way a bit, we are a long way into his tenure to have square pegs in round holes, also not having an established system of playing right through the club, from youth team to first team. I wasn't there, but it looks as though the reserves, last night, played 4-4-2, no wonder players don't know whether they are coming or going. Last season GJ got lucky, this season is going to be a telling one.

By the way £2.25m should have got us a top class player shouldn't it?.

Hull and Stoke had a more aggressive and adventurous management, whereas GJ had a system that revolved around him rather than the club.

GJ is in a transition stage for himself as a person and a manager. Not a criticism, merely a fact of growing. He's gone from a less than average player to a Conference manaager, then jumped two leagues to the Championship.

He has shown a weakness in dealing with star players with attitude or personality. Should they be selected on ability or their standing with the manager ? Championship is but a prelude to the Premier League. Players like Drogba and other high ptofile players will talk to the press whoever the manager is, Gary cant handle that situation.........until he matures and gets used to the higher level of management and diplomacy. He's doing well, its just a matter of him growing with our situation and learning a ball game beyond his previous experience. I hope he improves as he expects our players and fans to improve

['Orns]

I said in another thread earlier this week that we need to freshen up in January. Now is not the time for standing around and stagnating. Squad players need to be moved out and quality players brought in, which I guess is a lot easier said than done though!

Not sure how much cash GJ will have to play with though, would imagine the NM transfer put paid to most of the kitty. Not saying SL should bankrupt himself, he's always run a tight ship, but we're in the Championship now and need to play with the bigger boys, or get left behind.

This isn't a moaning post, but we're 8th (ish) in the Championship without hitting top form yet - for which I'm most grateful for! But we're so close we can smell it, and we've all seen what Hull have done, we've seen Stoke beat Arsenal - that could have been us!

[Nibor]

If previous Januarys are anything to go by we'll see a couple of players leave (maybe those out of contract in the summer), maybe a couple of loans go out, and one possibly two come in. It will be fairly quiet and we won't see anything happen until later on in the month.

I'd guess maybe Brooker will go permanently (pity if he's finally fit IMO). Murray and JMW and possibly Wilson to leave on loan. Webster will go back and Stern John will probably move on if someone else makes an offer.

I'd really like to see us bring in a quality central midfielder who can tackle and score goals, and a left sided player to compete with Jamie McAllister and maybe give McIndoe some competition. I'm not holding my breath though.

[William Stand]

He has shown a weakness in dealing with star players with attitude or personality. Should they be selected on ability or their standing with the manager ?

When did this happen ?? He has probably got more out of Mcindoe than any other manager (& Macca's had a few!) & surely McIndoe is a star player with attitude & personality ??

Some people want to re-write history, Trundle for the most part failed to deliver last season, thats why he was dropped - nothing to do with his standing with the manager ??

You could argue our star player is Dele - I'm guessing he is the one who has played most of his career at the higest level.... Johnson seems to manage him fine ??

[gaz897]

Star player is Marvin Elliot. Could easily play in the Prem. Can't say that about many others apart from Basso and maybe Fontaine.

[William Stand]

Star player is Marvin Elliot. Could easily play in the Prem. Can't say that about many others apart from Basso and maybe Fontaine.

& Johnson seems to manage him fine. I suspect all football clubs are similar, players in the team are happy & like the manager, players not in the team are less happy. The further from the team the player is, the less they like the manager.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Players like Brooker, Trundle, Sproule, Skuse, B Wilson, Myrie Williams, Murray (if he's not going to be played), Webster (back to Rangers), could all leave without weakening the squad.

Disagree on Trundle, but he's being adequately discussed elsewhere.

Brian Wilson is not a left back but has willingly played in an alien position for the sake of the team and done reasonably well. His stated preferred position is right back, but I've been most impressed when he's been filling filling in on the wide right of midfield.

Either way his versatility is a real asset to the squad which shouldn't be undervalued and he has every chance of cementing a first team place in the future.

[William Stand]

Disagree on Trundle, but he's being adequately discussed elsewhere.

Brian Wilson is not a left back but has willingly played in an alien position for the sake of the team and done reasonably well. His stated preferred position is right back, but I've been most impressed when he's been filling filling in on the wide right of midfield.

Either way his versatility is a real asset to the squad which shouldn't be undervalued and he has every chance of cementing a first team place in the future.

If we play 4-4-2 my current preference for right midfield is Brian Wilson - he can do a bit of both attacking & defending. I certainly wouldn't want him to be leaving us anytime soon.

[GrahamC]

As Nibor rightly points out every January so far under GJ has seen two arrive (Betsy and Brian Wilson in the promotion year, Dele and Nick Carle last time around) and two more leave, I can't see any reason why that isn't going to be repeated in 2009 with Steve Brooker looking odds on to be one of the departures and Stern John a very likely permanent arrival.

[bully]

Anyone else expecting a clear out in January with a few players going out and a few coming in?

I think that some players have had their time in Garys eyes and he feels that we need to freshen things up if we are going to push on I to a extent agree anyone else go the feeling that we could be heading for a transition stage as we try to turn ourselves into play off certs?

Just think Gary is going to get the squad as close to the one as he could possibly want something I think he did not manage to do in August.

I sincerely hope that Steve Lansdown tells GJ that he has to offload before he can bring in, unless he starts taking the loan market seriously.

SL cannot be expected to bankroll forever, and GJ has to know that he hasn't spent that well (in my opinion)

[kingswood red]

I sincerely hope that Steve Lansdown tells GJ that he has to offload before he can bring in, unless he starts taking the loan market seriously.

SL cannot be expected to bankroll forever, and GJ has to know that he hasn't spent that well (in my opinion)

I think it's fair to say that (at present) the more money Johnson spends the worse his buys are. I wonder if Lansdowns getting a bit twitchy?

[Redhyde]

I think it'll be done gradually. Peoples contracts not renewed etc. Although this year is a good time ith us close to the playoffs we must be an attractive proposition.

[Rednready]

When did this happen ?? He has probably got more out of Mcindoe than any other manager (& Macca's had a few!) & surely McIndoe is a star player with attitude & personality ??

Some people want to re-write history, Trundle for the most part failed to deliver last season, thats why he was dropped - nothing to do with his standing with the manager ??

You could argue our star player is Dele - I'm guessing he is the one who has played most of his career at the higest level.... Johnson seems to manage him fine ??

McIndoe recently made a negative press comment about our style and quality of the squad, he was dropped from the squad the following match. Did you miss that little gem, it received plenty of space in here, also the story's about him moving to Cardiff, and his loss of form this season. GJ and his use or non use of Stewart and Wilkshire when Savage was on the field. As of now we don't have a team of stars, more a team of players, fit and doing thier best. McIndoe would consider himself a star, Trundle certainly is our most skillful, and Carey our senior leader and captain. There are stories of discontent about all three. Time will tell.

[Guest DanC]

Just 6 weeks to January so GJ's plans will be advanced.

Adebola, John, Trundle, Brooker, Maynard and Akinde, somebody has to go, we are not getting enough goals from these strikers and the age and speed of the first 3 will not help them improve.

Then we have forum threads quoting Carey, Trundle and Brooker, senior players who are not happy and/or optomistic about their futures here.

Add to these points, we have some average to good league 1 players who are barely making the grade in the Championship. IMO that includes McAllister, Orr, LJ, Skuse and Sproule.

Its difficult to move the players with extended contracts, they still have to be paid, its not that easy to get rid of them, especially if they have not been regular starters. GJ is on record for saying he does not like the January window. GJ and SL are aiming at improving on last season, IMO player overhaul will be needed in January. Last season GJ said he would keep faith with the players we had. We came close, but lost points in the fourth set of 10.

We are behind last seasons average for this stage, it was 1.7 points per game, now after 17 matches we are at 1.47 points per game

If 6 strikers are not scoring does that not say something about our style of play and our midfielders rather than our strikers? Orr is also regarded by many in the game as one of the best RB's in the Championship if not the best.

[vincent_bcfc]

I'm sorry to everyone who likes him but Michael McIndoe has to go

He drifts inside far too often - at times he is in the right wing position which gives us no outlet on the left

And I know it probably wasn't all his fault but he should NEVER have taken that penalty on sat - you miss 1 you don't take another

Thats what has happened to our other penalty takers - Orr and Showunmi most recently

[22A]

Just 6 weeks to January so GJ's plans will be advanced.

Adebola, John, Trundle, Brooker, Maynard and Akinde we are not getting enough goals from these strikers

This set me thinking; many posts on this forum welcomed their signing and GJ presumably saw something in them to persuade him to sign them. As you say, not enough goals. Is the problem the players or perhaps, City's style of play?

Picking up on the post that City may well have to sell before they can buy, if other clubs know we have to sell, they'll try for a bargain price. Think back to the early 80s, clubs knew we were desparate for cash so Man C paid only £100, 000 for Gow when he was worth 8 times that. Then if we do sell one or more, any club we then try buying from may hold out until late Jan so we cough up extra cash in desparation to land a key player.

[The Humble Realist]

I'm sorry to everyone who likes him but Michael McIndoe has to go

He drifts inside far too often - at times he is in the right wing position which gives us no outlet on the left

And I know it probably wasn't all his fault but he should NEVER have taken that penalty on sat - you miss 1 you don't take another

Thats what has happened to our other penalty takers - Orr and Showunmi most recently

Matt le Tissier scored 51 penalties outa 52, which obviously means he only ever missed one? SHould he have stopped after he missed the one?

Shearer probably scored about 40 pens in his career but probably missed about 4? I don't blame mcindoe for Saturday, now hes missed 2 in a row. Its not about "liking" players, its having a better alternative, and at City we don't hae a better left winger, in fact a lot of champ clubs don't have a better left winger

[vincent_bcfc]

Matt le Tissier scored 51 penalties outa 52, which obviously means he only ever missed one? SHould he have stopped after he missed the one?

Shearer probably scored about 40 pens in his career but probably missed about 4? I don't blame mcindoe for Saturday, now hes missed 2 in a row. Its not about "liking" players, its having a better alternative, and at City we don't hae a better left winger, in fact a lot of champ clubs don't have a better left winger

Trundle cant run but god can he cross a ball

[garlicbread]

In Jan you will see maybe one max two come in, and the same going out. Brooker and Trundle out, Lita and John in.

:noexpression:

[The Humble Realist]

Trundle cant run but god can he cross a ball

Yer but being a winger is more than just crossing, uv gota be in a position to cross it, youve gota track back, help the team, control the ball and lay it off 5 yards sometimes etc.

Also...Trundle himself has said he doesnt wanna play on the wing

[22A]

Yer but being a winger is more than just crossing, uv gota be in a position to cross it, youve gota track back, help the team, control the ball and lay it off 5 yards sometimes etc.

Does Alan Skirton have a son or grand son even available?