I would like Val to have signed the forward and half back HE wants, Alex Mowatt to have signed a new contract and some fringe players (Miller,Green ,Bahre and possibly Schmidt to have moved on to another club where they may get first team football and further their careers. Then I feel we would have a chance of a top 10 place. However I would be really peed off if we did as we did a few years ago when we were hovering around the top six and some sell our better players ie Hourihane and Winnall and then fall down the league barely avoiding relegation only for it to follow the next year. The month of January as the window closes if always nerve racking as a Barnsley fan. Let's hope this January will be as unexpectedly pleasant one as was yesterday's victory over Sheff Wed.
If we can keep what we have and bring in the striker and centre back the gaffer wants who knows where we could end up.
Think COVID will be our saviour again, clubs can't afford to pay out and it really does look like the teans fron the Prem will go straight back up so I don't think chairman will throw money at a chance of promotion in the same way this season.
If we can't agree terms with Mowatt on a new contract I would understand if we sold him. If our offers for our top targets are not accepted l would understand if we don't bring anyone in. I don't see any point in just filling up the squad. We've got enough players, we need quality, not numbers, and we're not rich enough to force transfers. I don't see any justification for selling any other player who is playing regularly. We've been told we won't run out of money and that transfer funds are available. We don't need to sell to survive. All we'd be doing is undermining the manager and ensuring his departure at the first opportunity.
On another issue I personally reserve judgement on shipping out Green, Miller et al. This is a new manager and he's obviously looking at his matchday players by giving them some time. After all, he's started to integrate VA when he was unuseable at the start of the season. The key thing for me is that the board listen to the manager regarding recruitment or sales and not the other way round.
For me this is also a good reason to avoid delusions of grandeur. The three that came down will more than likely be the three that go back up one way or another. Do we really want the disappointment of play-off failure. I'd rather only qualify for them if we were going to win them.
Best case scenario; In: James loan extension, Striker, Left sided centre back, RWB cover Out: Schmidt, Simoes, Bahre, and possibly one of the centre backs if we sign all of the above either perm or on loan. Keep all regular players Worst case; In: Ritzmaier recall Out: Mowatt, James, Woodrow, Styles
I don't know why people get their knickers in a knot over Matty James staying longer. It's out of the clubs hands. He isn't our player. I'd rather the club identified another centre midfielder that is ready to go and signed Whiteman than keep hold of a loan player. I honestly think signing Whiteman, a striker and a left back would off set the disappointment of losing James. That said we could keep James on loan until the end of the season, sell Mowatt and sign Whiteman. No one knows. It's just speculation.
Not sure people are getting their knickers in a knot. He's a good player, so it would be good if we could keep him for longer.
Anyone of the 4 teams can win the playoffs, any team can beat each other - it's all on the day. "If you haven't got a raffle ticket you can't win the raffle"
I agree but he isn't our player it's wasted energy for me. Why worry about something you can't do anything about?
On the subject of play-offs. Now that away goals don't count why have two legs? Just have semi-finals at a neutral ground.
Speaking for myself, not wasting energy worrying over it. But keeping him would be part of best case scenario, which this thread refers to.
Kind of surprised to see so many people convinced that James will go back in January. I suspect the reason it was only half a season to begin with is more likely to be because nobody was sure whether he'd perform or even play for us. I love Matty James dearly, but surely he's not going to be knocking on the door of a first team who are chasing the Champions League.