The January Transfer Window

[magic8ball 27,901]

18 hours ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Goldson out the door ASAP. 

Reckon he already knows where he’s going .So it’s a case of that club willing to pay 1/2m or so to get him 6month early .

[King Jela 20,371]

59 minutes ago, BridgeIsBlue said:

Aribo has been our best player so far yet Hagi has pulled in the same numbers. 

We wouldn't have progressed through the EL without his goal in Denmark either. 

Roofe's our top goal scorer and he's hardly had a great season. 

Without Kent assisting him the opportunity to score wouldn't have happened, doesn't mean Kent's not been pish this season.

[King Jela 20,371]

26 minutes ago, DeanMK said:

I was referring to the Novo bit.

I wouldn't take the Novo bit too seriously. I don't genuinely believe there's a reasonable comparison to be made between the 2. 

[magic8ball 27,901]

34 minutes ago, The Dude said:

I'm expecting a big boom in the internal UK market for bog average guys. Particularly English ones given their homegrown status. I also expect to see every single young Scot aged between 14-17/18 to be offered the moon on a stick by English clubs to help pad out Academies now that it'll be harder for even the top clubs to bring in hordes of talented kids from abroad.

It’s time for FIFA to get involved now to limit cross border transfer of youths .

I would suggest limiting the number each academy can have from out with their own international organisations.

For smaller countries there will soon be no point whatsoever developing youth .If they are good they are getting snapped up .Clubs then don’t get to exploit what is a huge resource and further down the line International football could be affected .With some of the best young players opting to play for their new association rather than home .

[The Dude 20,026]

4 minutes ago, magic8ball said:

It’s time for FIFA to get involved now to limit cross border transfer of youths .

I would suggest limiting the number each academy can have from out with their own international organisations.

For smaller countries there will soon be no point whatsoever developing youth .If they are good they are getting snapped up .Clubs then don’t get to exploit what is a huge resource and further down the line International football could be affected .With some of the best young players opting to play for their new association rather than home .

They generally already do (on paper at least). Players under 18 aren't supposed to move cross border outside the EU unless its for non-football reasons. Within the EU it's 16 to comply with employment laws but clubs still fudge it and give scouting gigs to dads etc or sort them with jobs in companies associated to clubs to get around it.

[McEwan's Lager 30,545]

42 minutes ago, STEPPS BOY said:

You’ll find that the EPL clubs will start forming alliances with certain Boys Clubs.

Man U/Celtic have/had it with Hutchie Vale and i hear City/Liverpool looking at trying to form an alliance with another major team in Edinburgh.

Rangers have Liverpool and Leeds scouts at virtually every game played at RTC now.

Who are the other big youth clubs through there these days, still Tynecastle? Is Salvesen still on the go?

[McEwan's Lager 30,545]

22 minutes ago, magic8ball said:

It’s time for FIFA to get involved now to limit cross border transfer of youths .

I would suggest limiting the number each academy can have from out with their own international organisations.

For smaller countries there will soon be no point whatsoever developing youth .If they are good they are getting snapped up .Clubs then don’t get to exploit what is a huge resource and further down the line International football could be affected .With some of the best young players opting to play for their new association rather than home .

Some of the smaller countries, especially in lower tier nations, don't have the facilities and coaching though to develop players to the level they would get elsewhere.

Quite often its better for them to allow players to go through to bigger nations at a younger age so their development is not stunted. The clubs that develop them then get the solidarity payments through cuts of transfer fees up to the age of 23 plus the national teams at age group level get a boost of having players playing at a higher level.

[The Dude 20,026]

1 hour ago, STEPPS BOY said:

You’ll find that the EPL clubs will start forming alliances with certain Boys Clubs.

Man U/Celtic have/had it with Hutchie Vale and i hear City/Liverpool looking at trying to form an alliance with another major team in Edinburgh.

Rangers have Liverpool and Leeds scouts at virtually every game played at RTC now.

That would sound about right. I'll give City their due. They are fucking EVERYWHERE.

[STEPPS BOY 74,001]

25 minutes ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Who are the other big youth clubs through there these days, still Tynecastle? Is Salvesen still on the go?

Portobello are probably biggest now tbf.

Tynie and Salvy still on go but both don’t have the same pull, particularly Salvy.

[ForeverAndEver 71,547]

53 minutes ago, King Jela said:

Roofe's our top goal scorer and he's hardly had a great season. 

Without Kent assisting him the opportunity to score wouldn't have happened, doesn't mean Kent's not been pish this season.

Morelos is the reason we’re still in Europe and he’s been gash too.

[bluenoz 30,907]

We may or may not have a younger version of Arfield in Bacuna. Fuck knows what is happening with that player.

[gmcf 34,275]

2 hours ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Obviously there are risks but I don't think we should be too worried about freshening up the squad in January if its the right players coming in and if its no more than a couple of the guys going out don't want to be here even if they are first teamers.

Winter 2005 we bought nearly half a new starting XI which galvanised the squad and led us to a title. Waterreus, Kyrgiakos, Buffel, Ferguson, Djordjic (although he got injured pretty early on) and shipped out arguably our best player in Boumsong, Stephen Hughes who had actually started quite a few games, someone who no longer wanted to be here in Moore, and a couple of other fringe players like Vanoli and Mladenovic.

If we could sell a couple of guys that don't want to be here and offload some of the fringe players like Barker etc and maybe get one or two first teamers in then I don't think the disruption would be that bad. Gio's apparent strength is his man management skills so I'd trust him to be able to blend the squad quickly and get them gelling.

You're winter 2005 transfer slot was a good example , it worked well for us.  

I've just seen too many players , that have gone on to have fine careers for us , take a bit of time to settle and I worry it could affect us , in the short term . 

No problem moving on fringe players , or those that dont want to be here , but to get any decent sort of money , it would have to be one of our key players , if we want to fund any additions . 

I suspect we may well go down that route , and if we do , I hope its your 2005 example that unfolds and not mine . 

[The Specky Forum Organiser 64,953]

Hagi seems to be getting slower somehow

[6superbarry6 14,159]

4 hours ago, McEwan's Lager said:

Tbh there’s a few guys that we should be looking at from Western European nations that have gone out to Russia.

It’s a good market because a lot of guys go for the money and hate it, end up not playing well and then are available for cut price deals.

Look at the season Guus Til is having for Feyenoord now. Wish we had got him on loan this year, could also have shoehorned him into the Waka Waka song.

Gyrano Kerk 

[McEwan's Lager 30,545]

1 minute ago, 6superbarry6 said:

Gyrano Kerk 

Don't know too much about him but yeah those types of players definitely.

[falkirkNS 6,298]

20 minutes ago, The Specky Liar said:

Hagi seems to be getting slower somehow

Looks like he runs and turns with weights tied to his feet imo

[onlythestrongsurvive 1,007]

here are a few suggestions which we could pick up fairly cheaply / free

- John Souter on a pre-contract.  If Goldson goes in January, bring him in at no extra cost

- Riechedly Bazoer (age 25) - Vitesse Arnhem (Dutch CH) - on a pre-contract or fee

- Jean-Paul Boëtius (age 27) - Mainz (Dutch attacking mindfielder)- on a pre-contract or fee (Gio knows him from Feyenoord)

- Tahith Chong (age 21) - Man Utd (Dutch right-winger) on a pre-contract (at Birmingham on loan just now)

- Viktor Claesson (age 29) - Krasnodor (Swede left-winger) - on a pre-contract or fee if Kent is leaving

- Danilo  (age 22) - Ajax (Brazilian forward) - on a pre-contract or fee

 

and just because

- Elvis Manu (age 28)- Ludogorets (Dutch left-winger) on a pre-contract or nominal fee (they can have rod stewart, we'll have Elvis)

 

 

[Thermopylae 15,286]

Bit of a sellers market with better value for money in the summer ... although with the Champions League spoils waiting for the winner at the end of the season it's perhaps for once worth pushing the boat out

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

22 hours ago, plymouthranger said:

If we can come out of December 7+ points clear, then yes I agree it’s time to twist. 
 

Kamara and Hagi are the 2 from that list of 4 that I could see us selling the easiest, plus neither seems to be as vital to us as Kent or Aribo. 
 

If we have a cushion at the top, sell Goldson for any offers that will give us some funds to put towards a replacement. Helander and Balogun will suffice if we bring Katic back. 
 

Box to box midfielder who can shoot is a must as is a right sided winger

Unless we can get a couple of Million at least for Goldson, so we can get a replacement then se will need to just let Goldson run his contract out cause we need him, a FIT Helander to win the league which is obviously number 1 priority this year. 

Tell Goldson, sound, you signed a contract with Rangers, played your part in "55"!! 

Now just go and get the team straight into the champions league by being the rock we seen you be last season.  

 

I personally think we need to get last seasons defender's playing like they did last year to have our best chance of winning the league again. The defence we had in the league was what our team was built on. 

You can't win a league against a team that doesn't lose. 

We achieved it last year with these players. Logic would expect to see the same results, give or take. 

Tell Goldson he's cool to just play out the last 6 months on the basis that if he goes with 100%, as he signed up to do and he's 100% happy to play.  We need last season defence playing like last seasons defence to be in with the best chance to win the league in my opinion. Let Goldson know there's a contract on the table and it is there whether he wants to sign it or not.  

If we can win the league it's worth it. 56 and straight into the Champions league. That has to be the number 1 goal. Simple as. With Katic and Helander back it looks like good prospects especially when you add in Ryan Jack.  He can play box to box if he's fully fit. Which you hope would be the case after that wee injury that lead to the finding of what it was that kept getting him injured then the operation to fix it. Don't know why he wasn't even on the bench on Wednesday? 

The squad just needs form to win the league. The cash that would come with that will sort us out and enable Gio to REALLY put his stamp on our team. I don't think any Rangers manager in my lifetime has been handed such a solid foundation to start on. 

Gerrard leaving is maybe what we needed. He was out of ideas and teams had us sussed out. It needs fresh ideas and o think I've started to see it already despite it only being 3 games in.

Having last seasons defence healthy, happy and confident can only be a good thing and seems the most important thing to get right. 

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

20 hours ago, Sunglasses Ron said:

It would be financial incompetence if we let players contracts wind down and end up getting nothing for them. Unfortunately that’s our reality and it’s a tricky position for the club and GVB to manage but we must. Whoever does go, hopefully Gio has some shrewd replacements lined up. 

I would normally agree with this, but this season is huge for us and finally back where we belong. 

Keeping the core of the team who won the league without losing and are in the prime years of their lives, Age, strength, fitness, and the experience. They all have played blinder last year and you would think it just needs to be the same again and with the money from the Champions league making up for the contracts needed, and then some. 

[Redwhiteandblue 3,330]

23 hours ago, plymouthranger said:

If we can come out of December 7+ points clear, then yes I agree it’s time to twist. 
 

Kamara and Hagi are the 2 from that list of 4 that I could see us selling the easiest, plus neither seems to be as vital to us as Kent or Aribo. 
 

If we have a cushion at the top, sell Goldson for any offers that will give us some funds to put towards a replacement. Helander and Balogun will suffice if we bring Katic back. 
 

Box to box midfielder who can shoot is a must as is a right sided winger

Goldson is leaving. We should thank him and tell him if he gives his all he can take his most important contract step with our blessings whatever he decides.  

He's going but if he's happy and gives 100% then thank you. 

[BuffaloUSAGers 1,247]

3 hours ago, falkirkNS said:

Looks like he runs and turns with weights tied to his feet imo

You can play with Riquelme’s pace if you are Riquelme. Hagi though a good player is not Riquelme.

[NorthernLights 2,526]

Not guaranteed that Goldson gets a premier league team the way he’s playing 

[Smell the hotdog 4,016]

Just saw orange county centre half got called up to US squad. Surely an option in Jan

[Tiger Shaw 30,528]

2 hours ago, Smell the hotdog said:

Just saw orange county centre half got called up to US squad. Surely an option in Jan

You ever saw him play or we signing players just because they’re internationals?