Return to the Championship Transfer Rumour MEGATHREAD (In memory of Gurujuan)

[meggoisgod]

I wouldnt be surprised if we return to the 4 2 3 1 formation next season

[Dizzys Dad]

Most important transfer window for years, Lower division freebies, won’t make an immediate impact in the championship. We are going to have to pay decent fees for any player that will improve us. Money needs spending and considering our record when buying players, I’m not confident that we’ll get the right players in. Fingers crossed our scouting department are on top of their game.

[IstillhateSteveBould]

3 minutes ago, Dizzys Dad said:

Most important transfer window for years, Lower division freebies, won’t make an immediate impact in the championship. We are going to have to pay decent fees for any player that will improve us. Money needs spending and considering our record when buying players, I’m not confident that we’ll get the right players in. Fingers crossed our scouting department are on top of their game.

Agree. Really hoping there’s some ambition from the club here. Within reason of course. 

[frastheowl]

19 minutes ago, meggoisgod said:

I wouldnt be surprised if we return to the 4 2 3 1 formation next season

 

Me neither.

 

It's a formation that Moore has wanted to use ever since he came here, and has recruited for that system both summers.

 

I think the nature League One, and the expectancy of the club, has never allowed him to allow that system to settle.

 

But, with Wilks hopefully fit and firing, and Windass, we've two wide forwards that can cut it at Championship level. There's no doubt about it, if we can find a nice balance to the 2-1 in the midfield, it could be a very profitable switch. Should allow us to play a bit more of the football Moore has said he'd like us to play (and Windass did allude to this in the Talksport interview on Tuesday). 

 

Which is why the links with Ogbene at Rotherham isn't surprising. He fits perfectly into a 4-2-3-1, whereas in our current set-up, he's going to be playing in an unnatural position, much like he has done this season at Rotherham.

[HirstWhoScoredIt]

13 minutes ago, frastheowl said:

 

Me neither.

 

It's a formation that Moore has wanted to use ever since he came here, and has recruited for that system both summers.

 

I think the nature League One, and the expectancy of the club, has never allowed him to allow that system to settle.

 

But, with Wilks hopefully fit and firing, and Windass, we've two wide forwards that can cut it at Championship level. There's no doubt about it, if we can find a nice balance to the 2-1 in the midfield, it could be a very profitable switch. Should allow us to play a bit more of the football Moore has said he'd like us to play (and Windass did allude to this in the Talksport interview on Tuesday). 

 

Which is why the links with Ogbene at Rotherham isn't surprising. He fits perfectly into a 4-2-3-1, whereas in our current set-up, he's going to be playing in an unnatural position, much like he has done this season at Rotherham.

Wilks didn’t look good in League One for us and certainly didn’t cut it at Hull in The Championship.

[oneeyedmilkman]

Harry isted released by Luton. Don't know anything about him bar the play off final

[camffiti]

48 minutes ago, meggoisgod said:

I wouldnt be surprised if we return to the 4 2 3 1 formation next season

 

4-2-3--------------------1 

 

was the cause of our prombles 2 years ago, under DM 

[frastheowl]

Just now, HirstWhoScoredIt said:

Wilks didn’t look good in League One for us and certainly didn’t cut it at Hull in The Championship.

 

He didn't look good in League One for us, because we never played him in his position, and by all accounts had a number of pretty tough off the field issues to deal with.

 

And in terms of not cutting it at Hull? He played 20 games for Hull before Christmas last season, and then picked up a foot injury which he struggled to recover from. He'd cut it enough to start in 17 of those 20 games. 

 

I think sometimes fans are very quick to jump onto Wikipedia look at goals/game ratios, games played etc. and just write players off. 

 

The fact is, we probably aren't going to be signing too many players who can "cut it" in the Championship based on previous black-and-white statistics. We're going to have to get some players with promise, the odd rough diamond, and maybe a couple of gambles.

 

But for me, in a 4-2-3-1, Mallik Wilks becomes a totally different prospect than he does in a 3-4-1-2. Is that to say I'd build a team around him or pin my hopes on him? No...but he'd certainly be very much part of my long term thinking if I was Moore. 

 

(The disclaimer to this, is if we continue to play a 3-5-2 or variant of, then, I'm not sure we'll ever get the best out of Wilks.)

[IstillhateSteveBould]

Don’t think a change of formation is likely or warranted tbh. Just upgrade the positions within 352, that need upgrading. 

[owls7]

I suppose the good thing about us having a couple of seasons in league 1 is Moore will have a good idea of the players that look capable of playing at a higher level.  I know other clubs will have scouts watching but he might have a slight advantage. Although the same can be said of the other promoted teams as they will know who were the standout players against them.

[deano]

I think we will spend more than many think. 

[Bluesteel.]

3 5 2 has been successful but I’ve never been a huge fan of it as when you’re up against better wingers your wing backs get penned back. Would much prefer 4231 as long as we can ensure the cf isn’t too isolated. 

A big season for Wilks really as he is a player with so much ability L1 is not his level but needs to focus and prove he can be a top championship player or at least make an impact off the bench. A trio of Vaulks Byers and Bannan in the 2 and 3 (with Wilks and Windass) is already suited to that but we need greater strength in depth. DM didn’t trust his bench that much going forward in those final games 

[IstillhateSteveBould]

Just now, deano said:

I think we will spend more than many think. 

I think you could be right. Chansiri is a guy who was willing to spend £10m on Jordan Rhodes. At a time when he really shouldn’t have.
 

I think he’s ambitious and won’t want to hang around. He’ll have eyes set on the premier league. 
 

Whether that’s the correct approach or not is up for debate. But I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what we see. 

[gazzatheowl]

3 hours ago, 0114 said:

Two free agents I would like us to look at.

 

Josh Key - Exeter:

24 year old RWB who has scored at Hillsborough playing as a make shift striker. Has internet from Swansea & Blackburn. 
 

Regan Poole - Lincoln:

24 year old who has primarily played at RCB & RWB. Been part of that awkward Lincoln defence and captained the side since September 2022. Has interest from Bristol City. 
 

Both the sort of established younger signings that we see other clubs make and turn them into top end Championship players over 3/4 years. 

thats amazing. I can’t even get internet from downstair.

[CircleSeven]

9 minutes ago, Bluesteel. said:

3 5 2 has been successful but I’ve never been a huge fan of it as when you’re up against better wingers your wing backs get penned back. Would much prefer 4231 as long as we can ensure the cf isn’t too isolated. 

I agree on 352 and worry about how well it will work for us in the Championship where a lot of the teams do have significantly better players. To make it work at that level we would need massive upgrades to our Wingbacks and multiples of them at that. It might actually be easier to recruit for a new system than get the quality of upgrades we’d need to make 352 work for us well enough at Championship level. 

[IstillhateSteveBould]

24 minutes ago, Bluesteel. said:

3 5 2 has been successful but I’ve never been a huge fan of it as when you’re up against better wingers your wing backs get penned back. Would much prefer 4231 as long as we can ensure the cf isn’t too isolated. 

A big season for Wilks really as he is a player with so much ability L1 is not his level but needs to focus and prove he can be a top championship player or at least make an impact off the bench. A trio of Vaulks Byers and Bannan in the 2 and 3 (with Wilks and Windass) is already suited to that but we need greater strength in depth. DM didn’t trust his bench that much going forward in those final games 

If we went 4231 who would you play up top? 
 

It probably rules out all 4 of our current strikers in my opinion 

[Costello 77]

4231 is garbage to watch ... it's a formation you play if you're desperate for a draw or if you've got a very high quality forward or loads of goals in midfield.

No.

[Dutch McLovin]

51 minutes ago, camffiti said:

 

4-2-3--------------------1 

 

was the cause of our prombles 2 years ago, under DM 

Agree any formation that ends with a 1 won’t be any good for us makes us too defensive. 3412 or 442 are the ways we should be going.

 

My take on recruitment looks to be a bit different to those on here. Whether we went up or not I think the squad needed ripping up and starting again, and I think that was the plan in how we recruited for this year, a squad to get top 2, and plan for this season and not beyond and it’s worked, but I would rip it up and start again.

 

Windass and Byers have options but I’d be looking to get them on new deals for the longer term, but as for the rest of them that’s out of contract I’d let them leave to be honest.

 

It’s a total rebuild job and if we have got some money and it’s done right wr could potentially have a go at the top 6 if they gel quick enough ala 2015. That said I don’t see a committee this time to make the signing so if we get them right is another matter.

[Brad_owl]

Whatever happens transfer wise we cannot have a situation where we have so many first teamers out of contract at the same time again. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by Brad_owl

[Nero]

1 hour ago, meggoisgod said:

I wouldnt be surprised if we return to the 4 2 3 1 formation next season

I reckon that Moore couldn't see Bannan in the defensive 2 or the centre of the attacking 3 of 4231 in the big games and that's why he moved to 352. It suited Marv too.

 

But it didnt really suit Dom, FDB, Dennis, Wilks or even Windass

If we move to 4231 it will mean a totally different transfer strategy,