This transfer window...

[wing commander]

   So what are we hoping for this window?? I'm in two minds about it to be honest.I was very critical of the type of business we did in the summer..As things stands regardless of how we do for the rest of the season,we will be starting from scratch again in the summer when all our loan players head back to the parent clubs.Their were far to many for my liking and far to short term thinking by the manager and board..

   So the question is what do we do this window?? January is never a great time to sign players on contracts.They tend to be more expensive and with players under contract the better players remain unavailable.Despite a great win Saturday,it's hard to convince many that this team is anywhere near good enough this time for the play offs..

   Should we keep our powder and finance dry and wait for the summer when the talent pool is much bigger,and sign a couple more loans to replace Sterling and the likely departure of Alfie just to consolidate a average season and then hopefully recruit better in the summer..Or do we push the boat out and pay the money now on contracted players who will cost more for a very unlikely tilt at the play offs ???

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Strikers at least two of and a central midfielder would do me.

[Alan Southstand]

This window is very important to us. The talk from the CEO and Board, despite the summer turmoil, was that we were aiming to be in and around the top 6. That is not anywhere near having thoughts of this being an average season.

We desperately need a striker - everyone knows that - and nothing has changed on that front. But we also need fresh legs and reinforcements. It is totally unfair to think that this current squad could see out the season. We will lose yet more players to injury, short and long term.

3 good, solid signings required, sooner rather than later and this league is there for the taking.......still.

[Canadian Rover]

Dieng on permanent basis.
Sign a target man/goal scorer on a permanent basis.
1 x cm loan
1 x cf loan

[adamtherover]

  .Or do we push the boat out and pay the money now on contracted players who will cost more for a very unlikely tilt at the play offs ???

Unlikely?   Win the games in hand and we are top 6.   This is a very poor division this year. Possibly never a better chance to get to the championship for many a year....

[mrfrostsdad]

   So what are we hoping for this window?? I'm in two minds about it to be honest.I was very critical of the type of business we did in the summer..As things stands regardless of how we do for the rest of the season,we will be starting from scratch again in the summer when all our loan players head back to the parent clubs.Their were far to many for my liking and far to short term thinking by the manager and board..

   So the question is what do we do this window?? January is never a great time to sign players on contracts.They tend to be more expensive and with players under contract the better players remain unavailable.Despite a great win Saturday,it's hard to convince many that this team is anywhere near good enough this time for the play offs..

   Should we keep our powder and finance dry and wait for the summer when the talent pool is much bigger,and sign a couple more loans to replace Sterling and the likely departure of Alfie just to consolidate a average season and then hopefully recruit better in the summer..Or do we push the boat out and pay the money now on contracted players who will cost more for a very unlikely tilt at the play offs ???

You've hit the nail on the head there Wing Commander (one of them anyway)
Say we bring in a couple more loans and don't get promoted like last season, we will be in exactly the same position as last summer, with a massive re-building job to be undertaken. Again, if we bring in loans like the ones being talked about, ie 18 year old kids who have never played the professional mans game at this level, will they hit the ground running or need a month or so to get going?
It's a difficult conundrum.
If we win a couple of games now we'll be in the mix again, but the squad is threadbare and a couple of injuries or suspensions and a bad run is just around the corner again - and we've seen recently, it's very difficult to get out of a bad run.
On reflection, I think we need to start re-building now. A striker definitely, maybe two and a good centre midfield player. Do we have that sort of money? Do we pay enough salary wise to attract good strikers? I'm not convinced we do and maybe why the two strikers with 'better scoring records than Marquis' didn't appear in the summer

[mrfrostsdad]

  .Or do we push the boat out and pay the money now on contracted players who will cost more for a very unlikely tilt at the play offs ???

Unlikely?   Win the games in hand and we are top 6.   This is a very poor division this year. Possibly never a better chance to get to the championship for many a year....

It is a poor division this year Adam.
But say we were to get promoted this year. This team would get slaughtered every week in the Championship. The majority of the loans would go back and as a Championship club we'd have to pay bigger salaries, and in general bigger transfer fees. Fulham paid £27m for Mitrovic and that's not going to happen. Yes, we'd get more tv money, but our running costs would probably be three times as much

[dickos1]

Always makes me smile when people say it’s a poor division this year.
I don’t think it is.

The sides that reached the playoffs last season are now all midtable.
Sides like oxford are as good as anything last season.
Blackpool, fleetwood, Shrewsbury, Bristol, Wycombe have all improved greatly on last season.
Nobody last season had a budget like Ipswich.

I think the league is stronger this season and think we should always be striving to get promoted, if not, then whats the point

[IDM]

I agree with Dickos..

It isn’t a poor league, it tender of the 3rd level of clubs all here on merit..

The table might be tighter and some teams having  fluctuating form, but a poor league.?  Not in my book.

As for the window I would love it if we can sign a couple of decent permanent players but that is difficult in January.

There is always a difference between what the club wants to do, and what it can.

As a minimum a loanee to replace Sterling, being a striker if we don’t buy one permanently.

Let’s see what happens. It does look like the club is being proactive however.

Dieng will be an extended loan.  Yes I agree we should sign him but I doubt that will happen..

[MachoMadness]

Striker to replace and improve on May.
Loan striker to replace Sterling.
Dieng on a permanent.
Possibly some defensive cover as I'm really not convinced by Daniels.

[IDM]

All the media reports are that Diengs loan will be extended..

[dickos1]

I really think we should be pushing the boat out and signing dieng on a contract.
If he’s out of contract soon then he will be having people trying to sign him.
Probably offering more than we can.
We should be doing all we can to tie him down for 3/4 years

[steve@dcfd]

   So what are we hoping for this window?? I'm in two minds about it to be honest.I was very critical of the type of business we did in the summer..As things stands regardless of how we do for the rest of the season,we will be starting from scratch again in the summer when all our loan players head back to the parent clubs.Their were far to many for my liking and far to short term thinking by the manager and board..

   So the question is what do we do this window?? January is never a great time to sign players on contracts.They tend to be more expensive and with players under contract the better players remain unavailable.Despite a great win Saturday,it's hard to convince many that this team is anywhere near good enough this time for the play offs..

   Should we keep our powder and finance dry and wait for the summer when the talent pool is much bigger,and sign a couple more loans to replace Sterling and the likely departure of Alfie just to consolidate a average season and then hopefully recruit better in the summer..Or do we push the boat out and pay the money now on contracted players who will cost more for a very unlikely tilt at the play offs ???

As I’ve said in another thread we are 4pts off last year on the same games. So was last season an average season. We do need to kick on, we didn’t sign strikers in the summer we need to sign some now. Wages could be more expensive but they were expensive enough last summer as we couldn’t get strikers in. I see no difference when it comes to strikers we have to compete with clubs and probably have less competition in this window.

[adamtherover]

  .Or do we push the boat out and pay the money now on contracted players who will cost more for a very unlikely tilt at the play offs ???

Unlikely?   Win the games in hand and we are top 6.   This is a very poor division this year. Possibly never a better chance to get to the championship for many a year....

It is a poor division this year Adam.
But say we were to get promoted this year. This team would get slaughtered every week in the Championship. The majority of the loans would go back and as a Championship club we'd have to pay bigger salaries, and in general bigger transfer fees. Fulham paid £27m for Mitrovic and that's not going to happen. Yes, we'd get more tv money, but our running costs would probably be three times as much

I'm not saying by any means take this team into next season, but if the chance is there to maybe go up, take it, then try and build a competitive team in the summer...
Wymcombe have just lost 4 on the spin, ipswich were dropping like a stone. Posh have lost 3 from 4. Sunderland are nowhere...  points are being spread around..    as opposed to 2 or 3 running away with it...   this is as good a chance as ever to get a promotion.  The next few weeks are crucial....

[adamtherover]

Always makes me smile when people say it’s a poor division this year.
I don’t think it is.

The sides that reached the playoffs last season are now all midtable.
Sides like oxford are as good as anything last season.
Blackpool, fleetwood, Shrewsbury, Bristol, Wycombe have all improved greatly on last season.
Nobody last season had a budget like Ipswich.

I think the league is stronger this season and think we should always be striving to get promoted, if not, then whats the point

ok then, let's substitute the word poor for evenly balanced,    no stan out teams, as we know the  bottom teams can beAt the top teams.  The principle is still the same tho, promotion is there for anyone who really wants it..

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I really think we should be pushing the boat out and signing dieng on a contract.
If he’s out of contract soon then he will be having people trying to sign him.
Probably offering more than we can.
We should be doing all we can to tie him down for 3/4 years

I'm sure that's something we'd all like to see but it's not as simple as that is it. QPR may not want to entertain any permanent move, so with his loan secured till the end of the season, it's probably one that can be revisited further down the line.

I think we have other priorities at the moment with whatever funds are available.

[IDM]

I have to agree.. we may be in a good position to sign Dieng permanently on the summer..

Let’s be honest, whilst he is second best to Dieng at the moment, Lawlor isn’t that bad..

[Canadian Rover]

IDM but Dieng is so much better. Commands his area better, equal on saves and superb with his feet.

Dieng is the best GK we've seen for a few years IMO.

[IDM]

I don’t disagree, I’m just being realistic..  looks like he will be ours for the rest of the season so we can concentrate on buying others, if we can..

[StocksArmy]

I feel at times we do miss balance throughout the squad. We lost 2 left sided attack minded players in Rowe and Wilks and only brought in Gomes who doesnt offer as much going forward. IMO DM should be looking at least a Wilks type player and then of course the much spoke about No9.

[Al4475]

I would say, have faith in DM getting who HE wants and hopefully that'll correspond with what many on here feel we need.

Personally (and I've only done 3 games this season so am not amazingly qualified to comment) a striker is a defo, defence looks good - although a Downing type signing would be great, dieng on a proper contract means again two very good goalkeepers at this level - midfield looks ok - p'haps a tad more creativity but not too much in the way of additions - striker, dieng, one more defender and a creative CM of stock calibre if poss - 4 players - no more!

[Bezza]

A centre midfielder, and a striker with pace would do me.

[Filo]

Herbie Kane and Malik Wilks would do wonders for this team

[BiargeBob]

We need a Wellens type midfielder to stop us being bullied, as we are lightweight in this area.

[NickDRFC]

I would say, have faith in DM getting who HE wants and hopefully that'll correspond with what many on here feel we need.

Personally (and I've only done 3 games this season so am not amazingly qualified to comment) a striker is a defo, defence looks good - although a Downing type signing would be great, dieng on a proper contract means again two very good goalkeepers at this level - midfield looks ok - p'haps a tad more creativity but not too much in the way of additions - striker, dieng, one more defender and a creative CM of stock calibre if poss - 4 players - no more!

Signing a defender would be a waste of resources. Assuming John’s injury isn’t long term we have 3 really good players to choose from for 2 spots - better quality than for any other position in the squad. Even if Daniels goes back we have cover in Blayney, for me we need to prioritise one or two strikers, another wide/creative forward and a central midfielder.

[IDM]

Sheaf can play cb too, this isn’t a priority really, unless Daniels goes back and we want more cover.

[steve@dcfd]

The myth of summer striker signings. Since 2015 we have signed two recognised league 1 strikers in Andy Williams and John Marquis on permanent contracts. We have also taken untried non league strikers in Alfie May and Max Watters on permanent contracts.
In 2017 we signed Alex Kiwomya but really is was a wide forward with a 1 in 9 goal scoring record.
In 2018 we signed Tayls another wide forward who scoring record diminished with age.
So signing strikers is difficult for us in any window especially on permanent deals.

[Dutch Uncle]

I would say, have faith in DM getting who HE wants and hopefully that'll correspond with what many on here feel we need.

Personally (and I've only done 3 games this season so am not amazingly qualified to comment) a striker is a defo, defence looks good - although a Downing type signing would be great, dieng on a proper contract means again two very good goalkeepers at this level - midfield looks ok - p'haps a tad more creativity but not too much in the way of additions - striker, dieng, one more defender and a creative CM of stock calibre if poss - 4 players - no more!

Signing a defender would be a waste of resources. Assuming John’s injury isn’t long term we have 3 really good players to choose from for 2 spots - better quality than for any other position in the squad. Even if Daniels goes back we have cover in Blayney, for me we need to prioritise one or two strikers, another wide/creative forward and a central midfielder.

Sheaf can play cb too, this isn’t a priority really, unless Daniels goes back and we want more cover.

And theoretically for CB cover we have the forgotten man Alex Baptiste. I wonder if extending Daniels means that Baptiste is out for the season? Shame - John and Baptiste sounds like a divine pairing for CB   

By the way have we had official confirmation that Sterling won't be coming back?

[Alan Southstand]

Latest from a Liam Hoden’s on Twitter:

From what I understand, it's unlikely Rovers will announce a new signing until early next week, ahead of the Shrewsbury game. That doesn't mean it won't be completed before then though

On this same topic/thread, someone has claimed that Kieran Sadlier is on his way to Dull. Is that why we’re rumoured to be interested in yet another loan for Semenyo at Bristol City?

[Filo]

Latest from a Liam Hoden’s on Twitter:

From what I understand, it's unlikely Rovers will announce a new signing until early next week, ahead of the Shrewsbury game. That doesn't mean it won't be completed before then though

On this same topic/thread, someone has claimed that Kieran Sadlier is on his way to Dull. Is that why we’re rumoured to be interested in yet another loan for Semenyo at Bristol City?

I would n’t believe what that person says, he’s reknowned fot talking b*llocks