KrolMong

I think this is going to see Gassama move inside. Poveda is a different type of player to the other two in that he wants the ball into feet, he’s not someone who wants to get behind someone. He’s all about creating a yard of space and having quick feet.

Yep. I’ve delved into social media and actually the feedback has been positive. But there are some mouth breathers who don’t understand football, don’t understand the transfer window and have an attachment to players who are not up to this level. I look at it another way. This window has been the quietest winter window in history. For us to do any business, is a positive because many haven’t.

As has been repeatedly mentioned. This window we have been really active, Röhl, DC and the recruitment team have slapped offers in all over the place, but for a myriad of reasons (one of which definitely of our own doing), we’ve not always go what we wanted. But, we can’t suggest the owner isn’t backing a push for survival, our newly built recruitment team have stuck to a model of youth with athleticism and I think Pedersen is a great really good signing. We have finished stronger that we started. There’s no doubt about that. I would like to have seen us get a number 9 in, but, they just don’t exist. I also think that having a 6 would have helped. But, i do see how the signings of Poveda and Pedersen can help those gaps. And I like the look of Ugbo. Good window and a good insight into what Röhl will want to do long term.

Was great in the two seasons in league one when fit. Top player at that level. Just not got the mobility at this level and legs at this level. Plus, gets injured a lot.

Just read that McGuire back to Blackburn is back on. Bolton have agreed a fee for Aaron Collins, so that will go through today. Not shocked by Byers, but it just further heightens the need for quality in there alongside Vaulks and Bannan.

I don’t think Smith and Gregory are remotely good enough at this level. They don’t have the mobility, nor the physicality to worry teams. If neither go, then they will have to have a role to play, but if we end up having to rely on them - we are relegated.

That’s the defensive midfield piece. He’s got Palmer in there for his mobility. He’s playing Bannan there because of his mobility and ability with the ball. Vaulks, no issues with him, he’s been good because he is good defensively and again has mobility and athleticism. Diaby and Byers don’t have that ability to get around the pitch. We need an upgrade on Palmer who has that mobility but is better with the ball. That will then free Bannan up, and tighten us defensively. We want Bannan doing the stuff he did tonight without having to make 50 yard defensive runs and last ditch tackles.

It’s crying out for a striker and a defensive midfield player, a striker is the difference between staying up and going down. We were the better side, created great opportunities and just don’t have a nine that offers that kind of movement to score a goal or open space for someone else. Case in point, Michael Smith. What did he offer when he came on? The defensive midfield player is critical to Bannan. Bannan’s range tonight was brilliant and made better by the fact that we have runners from wide and from full back who want to get behind people. This next 24 hours is literally going to determine the division we are in next season. We need someone to come in and 10 goals from 17 games, because we have the other pieces from an attacking sense.

What a bizarre half. Really good with the ball until it gets to the last second when it’s the cross or a shot. But, Windass, Gassama and Ugbo have been very good. As has Valentin. But, Bannan well and truly bailed Beadle out after the worst footwork I’ve ever seen from a goalkeeper. And the open goal miss was a sitter. We’ve missed some good chances. But look very dangerous especially with Bannan, Gassama and Bannan constantly swapping. If we score, we’ll get two or three.

But to counter that. If we stay up, and we continue to be cautious with spend and build over two years, we will be very rosy off the pitch. Our wage bill as it stands now is peanuts compared to the rest of the division, and DC has clearly been diligent in keeping that down.

Just over 10 million will be wiped out just through TV and solidarity payments, and that’s before we look at the attendance hit. Relegation will be catastrophic this season, the wage bill will need to come down, I don’t see Rohl and his staff staying and we’d need a monstrous rebuild in the summer based on the number of out of contract players we have. The cumulative effect of 2 years out of the last three in the Championship will have a massive effect on our budget because of those lower revenues.

Let’s see if Rohl and DC have got plans B, C and D to fall back on. I expect that we’ll try have to exploit the loan market at this late stage of the window. I know we have a list of targets but don’t know how far those other discussions have got.

It’s always a bad market to buy in, in Jan. It’s what I would call a desperation window. Either to stop up or challenge to go up. Those clubs who generally won’t go up or down won’t touch the window apart from maybe getting people out. Sadly we are in that desperate state where we need signings to have any chance of staying up - which inflates the player value in terms of loans and perms. There’s always an influx of late deals today and tomorrow because generally the buying club accepts the inflated deal and goes ahead.

Not as good as last season. Got a load of assists though, so could be the 10 that Rohl has hinted at.

We need 30 points from our next 18 games, and I’d say we need to win our next two from a psychological aspect. This is very much a winnable game. And then it would be good to go into the Huddersfield game with extra bodies to freshen things up.

I think in the grand scheme of things that the pricing is reasonable. I did a bit of scouting and we are in line with the rest of the division. Yep, the phase 1 window could be longer. Although they generally extend anyway depending on uptake. What might be harder to take is those prices for league one. That would be a bridge too far for those who wait, it’s imperative for DC to give Rohl the tools he needs to give us the best chance of stopping up.

You know. I was thinking about this. I think DC doesn’t have any choice other than spending in the next 3 days. In the grand scheme of things, I think the price of the ST is actually decent. But in isolation, and with the spectre of League One looming, it’s a tough pill to swallow. DC has got the coaching staff in. We have a smattering of genuine talent in the squad, but we are still way short of what we need and only DC can address that by backing Rohl. We’ve got 3 days to sort that out. Otherwise we are reliant on coaching genius and opposition ineptitude to keep us up. I don’t see any scenario where DC isn’t spending this next three days UNLESS the money isn’t there.

Been told we are ALSO after Aaron Collins at Bristol Rovers. Bolton and Charlton have bid for him. Its two forwards we are trying to bring in.

Warnock linked immediately. John Eustace and Heckingbotham linked too. All three are miles better than Moore.

On the West Brom v Wolves situation. Was it pockets of Wolves fans in the West Brom end of who celebrated the second Wolves goal and then took a bit of a pasting? I’m not being funny, but what did they expect? I’ve been in many home ends when Wednesday have scored and the first rule is head down and mouth shut. Because I expect that might get clipped otherwise.

Turned us down. The Bereś offer was not enticing enough.

I’ve heard off a reliable source that there is a flurry of business in the next 48 hours. Out and In.

I’ve got it on good authority that Gregory, Smith and Hendricks will not go anywhere.

We’ve been turned down by a few. Rohl alluded to this last week and at the weekend. He’s been trying to get a central midfield player and another forward, and he’s been linked with a couple of left backs. Based on that, I’d assume he wants another three in. I’d expect there may need to be some players going out. So if Smith and Gregory are two of those players, then so be it. I only see Johnson going if it’s a cash deal and if we can bring a similar player in at the same time, but I think the player owns that situation.

We either need a mobile ball winner next to Vaulks, or we need a proper 10 and we play Bannan next to Vaulks. What is clear is that he expects mobility in that two, and that beyond Bannan and Vaulks - he doesn’t have it unless he puts a full back in there. He clearly thinks it’s beyond Diaby and Byers (and I agree). Our issue in the first half was that we could get the ball but couldn’t find a blue and white shirt with it. In the second half I thought that we needed to keep Vaulks on and hook Palmer and put Bannan next to Palmer. The attacking changes were fine, but we weakened ourselves in the centre of midfield by leaving Palmer in there. We’ve got to stop persisting with Fletcher. He’s not mobile enough. We had some good chances in the second half, but, Coventry were comfortable. They are a good side, very well drilled, a very lively in the last third with 3 or 4 very good players.