Official Summer Transfer Rumours Thread 2020-2021

[Watto]

23 minutes ago, mcmigo said:

We have been in this situation before and it went horribly wrong.

 

sturrock was down to the wire for a new striker and signed David Graham.

laws the same and signed franny Jeffers.

 

this feels like a horrible repeat show of those years.

 

 

 

Those 2 on par with Rhodes for effectiveness 

[Plonk]

Here’s a hypothetical question. If we had sacked GM and replaced him ( doesn’t matter who with) do you think we would have only signed three players? There just doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency with anything GM does.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Plonk

[Inspector Lestrade]

The Athletic UK are running a story on Manuel Hidalgo but I don't have a subscription with them.  What are peoples opinions on him?  Is he ready to break in the team? I was a little surprised that he didn't play Saturday.

 

Is he worth a run in the side?

[Guest wilyfox]

1 minute ago, Inspector Lestrade said:

The Athletic UK are running a story on Manuel Hidalgo but I don't have a subscription with them.  What are peoples opinions on him?  Is he ready to break in the team? I was a little surprised that he didn't play Saturday.

 

Is he worth a run in the side?

 

We seem to be keeping him under wraps. Either he's a secret weapon, or will get lumps kicked out of him. He looks smaller than Bannan. 

[WalthamOwl]

5 minutes ago, Inspector Lestrade said:

The Athletic UK are running a story on Manuel Hidalgo but I don't have a subscription with them.  What are peoples opinions on him?  Is he ready to break in the team? I was a little surprised that he didn't play Saturday.

 

Is he worth a run in the side?

who knows. Personally though I think he has only been promoted to the current first team squad because of how short we are up front. Ideally perhaps we would loan him out to toughen him up a bit, but obviously can’t do that yet. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by WalthamOwl

[Shezza]

Hidalgo didn’t get a run out against Leicester, did he? Can’t be that close. 

[Inspector Lestrade]

7 minutes ago, Shezza said:

Hidalgo didn’t get a run out against Leicester, did he? Can’t be that close. 

 

No he didn't, but from The Athletics Twitter post about him they sound quite positive about him, so I was just wondering where he is in his development and will we be seeing him in the side soon? 

 

Anyone read the report? 

[Bucks_Owl]

From The Athletic:

 

Sheffield Wednesday’s breakthrough star – Manuel Hidalgo

By Nancy Frostick  5h ago 1  

Manuel Hidalgo is not an easy player to miss. Flicks, tricks and a new bleach-blonde hairdo make the 21-year-old stand out from the crowd… and that is before you start drawing any comparisons between him and his Sheffield Wednesday predecessor Fernando Forestieri, another flamboyant forward.

One of a handful of new faces to have joined up with Garry Monk’s senior team as they took part in a five-day training camp at Loughborough University last week, Hidalgo is a player for Wednesday fans to keep on their radars in the new season. An exciting attacker with the potential to replicate Forestieri’s divisive reputation at Hillsborough, 2020-21 could be the perfect time for Hidalgo to make a breakthrough.

Since arriving in January, the Argentinian-Italian primarily spent time with the under-23s as he found his feet in English football.

Signed from Italian third-tier side Triestina following a trial, Hidalgo’s route to South Yorkshire has not been straightforward but is indicative of a player with raw talent that just needs refining. Originally plying his trade at Buenos Aires club Ferro Carril Oeste in Argentina’s second tier, Hidalgo joined Portuguese giants Benfica in 2017 after a trial and short stint training with Tottenham Hotspur.

Two years in Lisbon and slightly longer in north-east Italy have primed Hidalgo for senior football at Wednesday. He made 30 appearances for the Triestina first team. Now at Wednesday until 2021 after signing for an undisclosed fee, the multilingual playmaker is on the fringes of a depleted squad that currently counts only Jordan Rhodes among the ranks of natural forwards and strikers after a summer exodus saw Forestieri, Steven Fletcher, Atdhe Nuhiu and Sam Winnall leave on free transfers.

“Like any young player, if he can progress how we want him to and make that step up, then that is what we will look to do,” Monk said of Hidalgo this year. “He has come in to be with the under-23s but if he develops and does well enough, then there’s the opportunity to come into the first team.

“He is very good technically and his work rate stands out. He’s one with quality and ability and we’ll try to progress him.”

Hidalgo is said to have impressed in his short time with Steve Haslam’s under-23 side before the youth season was brought to a halt by the pandemic. His inclusion in the pre-season training camp is part of a new youthful look to the first team.

Of the 28 players who made the short trip to Loughborough last week, half have played for Wednesday at under-18 or under-23 level, including recent academy graduates Josh Render, Liam Waldock and Ciaran Brennan. With Alex Hunt, Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw all handed their EFL debuts by Monk last season, Hidalgo’s performance during the pre-season will be food for thought for the Wednesday manager, especially given that the team is light in wide areas.

A quick and technical player, Hidalgo offers creative and direct play with aggressiveness off the ball, which is where the likeness with countryman Forestieri becomes apparent. The youngster can play on either wing or through the middle and is comfortable with the ball at his feet, often brushing off players and sliding incisive through-balls to strikers between the lines.

Introducing himself as an attacking midfielder to his team-mates before his first-team initiation last week, Hidalgo is versatile and confident judging by clips of his previous senior games. That confidence extends to his performances off the pitch, too. During that initiation, each new signing had to pick a song to sing in front of the squad. Hidalgo decided to sing in Spanish, pumping out his chest and closing his eyes as he belted out the words. He even threw in a wiggle of the hips that Lee Sharpe would be proud of.

If he is positioned on the wing, the youngster will often drift inside — drawing comparisons to Forestieri again, who seemed at times to have no fixed position while on the pitch — as he looks to play incisive passes to team-mates playing more advanced roles. On occasion, his reading of the game or final ball in such situations is not quite up to standard but valuable match minutes and experience in the Championship will help him develop those qualities.

While he will not provide the answer to Monk’s need for an out-and-out striker, Hidalgo does offer something different in being an untamed maverick on the wing, which is something Wednesday have lost with Forestieri’s departure and Alessio Da Cruz’s return to Parma after his loan spell for the second half of last season. With loanee Jacob Murphy also heading back to parent club Newcastle United, Wednesday only have Adam Reach and Kadeem Harris as natural wingers among their senior squad, with Liam Palmer and Moses Odubajo offering support in wing-back roles.

Time will tell whether Hidalgo becomes Forestieri’s heir but the opening in the squad with which he’s being presented is the perfect opportunity to force his way into the team.

Monk has shown he is willing to give Wednesday’s untested players a chance if he feels they are ready but with the season opener against Cardiff City looming in little over a week, it could force his hand.

Should that happen, there are fewer youngsters on the books more confident or capable of a moment of magic than Hidalgo.

[oldishowl]

23 minutes ago, Plonk said:

Here’s a hypothetical question. If we had sacked GM and replaced him ( doesn’t matter who with) do you think we would have only signed three players? There just doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency with anything GM does.

I don’t think Monk has anything to do with doing the deals, and if he is stopping us signing some old injury has beens by being picky then good on him.

[SallyCinnamon]

Asking a lot of the young players to step up and deliver when on -12.

 

We’ve been down the experience route before and it’s failed us, but I do think we need a couple seasoned and experienced pros to help us out. 
 

We’ve had success with it in the past. I remember Michael Johnson and Graham Kavanagh coming in under Laws and turning results around. Steve Watson in the middle helped us hugely at the time. In more recent seasons Glenn Loovens was a fantastic signing. 
 

People are quick to dismiss experience due to the likes of Abdi, Jones, Boyd absolutely stinking the place out - but the right type of pro could make all the difference this season. 

[vulture_squadron]

9 minutes ago, Inspector Lestrade said:

 

No he didn't, but from The Athletics Twitter post about him they sound quite positive about him, so I was just wondering where he is in his development and will we be seeing him in the side soon? 

 

Anyone read the report? 

Basically she compares his skill set to Forestieri. Quick and skilfull. Good work rate too apparently.

 

Another winger/AM though (although does say he can play through the middle) so where he fits in the 352 is anyone's guess.

 

[Inspector Lestrade]

@Bucks_Owl  Thanks for that. A bit of a mixed bag, sounds like he has all the skill but no end product but would like to see him in action. At aged twenty one if he doesn't break it to this threadbare team then he must be worried about his future in football at a high level.

 

Make or break next few months. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Inspector Lestrade

[room0035]

41 minutes ago, jonesy87shef said:

Since last season started we have lost

 

Fox

Bates

Thorniley

 

Lee

Hutchinson 

Murphy 

 

Fletcher

Nuhui

Forestieri

Winnall

Wickham

Da Cruz

Joao

Windass

 

We have replaced them with 

 

Brown

Dunkley

Fizz

 

Also Van Aken and Penny returning who seemed surplus to requirements.

 

There is some tripe on that list, but it is concerning how few we’ve replaced. As been mentioned, even if we bring in a couple of strikers now they will be behind with fitness, tactics, gelling with the squad and probably have to a new city. I’m pleased with the 3 brought in, however whatever way you look at it recruitment this pre season has been a shambles.

I thought we would all have got to used to this by now, DC year on year shows there is no forward planning for anything. 

 

We should have the majority of our squad in by now and getting match fit and match ready for the 1st game of the season, instead we have DC and his team doing the recruiting.

 

To have a competitive team to play Cardiff we need a championship quality keeper, a left back, a central midfield ball winner, 2 strikers and an out and out right winger (not a left winger playing there or right backs who cannot cross a ball), we are 4 or 5 players short for the first 11, let alone the extra we need should heaver forbid we get any players injured.

 

I am at that point where I am past caring. It is the same every single year, players not in for preseason, when they do arrive which is normally last few days of the transfer window and we end up paying double for them, they are not match fit or worse carrying injuries, the team are not used to playing with each other, we have players playing out of position because we don't have the players, but we have other players still at the club who will never actually play or add anything to the team Westwood, JVA, Pelupessy to name a few. 

 

I keep being told things are getting better the club knows what he is doing and we kept getting show that they don't.

[Guest]

.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Guest

[SallyCinnamon]

6 minutes ago, room0035 said:

I thought we would all have got to used to this by now, DC year on year shows there is no forward planning for anything. 

 

We should have the majority of our squad in by now and getting match fit and match ready for the 1st game of the season, instead we have DC and his team doing the recruiting.

 

To have a competitive team to play Cardiff we need a championship quality keeper, a left back, a central midfield ball winner, 2 strikers and an out and out right winger (not a left winger playing there or right backs who cannot cross a ball), we are 4 or 5 players short for the first 11, let alone the extra we need should heaver forbid we get any players injured.

 

I am at that point where I am past caring. It is the same every single year, players not in for preseason, when they do arrive which is normally last few days of the transfer window and we end up paying double for them, they are not match fit or worse carrying injuries, the team are not used to playing with each other, we have players playing out of position because we don't have the players, but we have other players still at the club who will never actually play or add anything to the team Westwood, JVA, Pelupessy to name a few. 

 

I keep being told things are getting better the club knows what he is doing and we kept getting show that they don't.

Spot on and should be pinned.

[Guest gizowl]

52 minutes ago, jonesy87shef said:

Since last season started we have lost

 

Fox

Bates

Thorniley

 

Lee

Hutchinson 

Murphy 

 

Fletcher

Nuhui

Forestieri

Winnall

Wickham

Da Cruz

Joao

Windass

 

We have replaced them with 

 

Brown

Dunkley

Fizz

 

Also Van Aken and Penny returning who seemed surplus to requirements.

 

There is some tripe on that list, but it is concerning how few we’ve replaced. As been mentioned, even if we bring in a couple of strikers now they will be behind with fitness, tactics, gelling with the squad and probably have to a new city. I’m pleased with the 3 brought in, however whatever way you look at it recruitment this pre season has been a shambles.

Not for the first time and while Chansiri is in charge won't be the last, how many pay on the day fans are going to pay a minimum 30quid to watch what is fast becoming a f......g horror show. 

[bubbleowl]

49 minutes ago, Beauchief Owl said:

TBF DC did have bids acceptable to both Wigan and Birmingham for players, at a time when most clubs are signing frees. He's also added three to the coaching staff. He may be being more prudent but he's certainly not decided to keep his money in his pocket.

 

The keep his money in his pocket is in response to another poster who implied that could be happening 

The only point I'm making is every if you lose 4 strikers plus 2 loan strikers you would think some sort of plan to replace these players would be in place or at least lined up, instead we face playing our first competitive game on Saturday with 1 misfiring striker

If chansiri is more prudent then fine but this doesn't  stop the club from planning ahead especially starting on -12 that's what the recruitment team should be there for to have a plan A B and C I've  got a feeling we haven't even got a plan A if the club felt windass who still not signed and Leko could replace the goals we've lost, no matter how good your coaching staff is

[Philb125]

45 minutes ago, Plonk said:

Here’s a hypothetical question. If we had sacked GM and replaced him ( doesn’t matter who with) do you think we would have only signed three players? There just doesn’t seem to be any sense of urgency with anything GM does.

 

Do you think GM has anything to do with recruitment other than saying 'please sir, I'd like some more players...' I mean honestly do you? If Monk was more urgent, do you think this would help? 

 

 

[vulture_squadron]

It would appear that players higher up our shopping list don't want to come to us (yet). So do we wait for them to realise they're not wanted elsewhere or go for players lower down the list?

[JLB99]

Sometimes I'm amazed at how many people on here know the workings of the club and how many presume they would be able to do so much better! Seriously, do people honestly think everyone is sitting on their hands waiting for things to happen?