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Gone Fishing in a small pond for new players!

R

Red Widdow

Youth Team
When asked about new signings, Mark Arthur says we are fishing in a very small pond for new players. They want quality players that are available at the right price.....doesn’t everyone? But they say they are looking at a higher calibre of players and have obviously not been interested in the other signings that Championship clubs have made this summer.

They wait for Peter Whittingham and Darren Pratley. Who they really want, but on their terms and are prepared to wait. Well it seems they talk the talk but need to back it up as to fish in that pond you need the right bait!!

We seem to have an air of confidence that we have the money and only want the best, they believe no one else has the finances to compete with us, but when it comes down to it they still struggle to get their targets! They cannot understand why selling clubs don’t roll over and die when Forest come a calling. Surely after all this time they should know clubs do not want to sell their best players on the cheap even in this current market! We will continue with the same tactic (tried to think of a fishing cliché but couldn’t) but some other teams may catch our targets and we end up with an empty net!!

Well as we wait for other new signings I started looking at players that may come from the small pond....and listed some players (to follow) that might be available.

What do you think, can you offer anymore. Perhaps we could work out and agree on some names that this forum can “recommend and advise” to the panel???
 
Here are some of my suggestions for defenders...

MATTHEW KILGALLON. A target for us in the past, will he be now? I know Middlesboro want him and has problems with his back. A Left footed centre half who can also play left back Struggled since moving to Sunderland, but is established at Championship level. Sunderland have already signed 3 more centre backs this summer so will be available (it’s just a case of when).

As Sunderland have signed a few centre backs I wonder if MICHAEL TURNER is available for loan? He did well at this level for Hull and was outstanding for them in the Prem which earned him plaudits and a move to Sunderland...and it doesn’t seem to have worked well there. Think this maybe a pipe dream and I am sure if he is available will stay in Premier League...with someone like Fulham, but worth keeping an eye on.

SEAN St LEDGER - centre half. Good enough at this level. Done very well at international level. Struggled at Middlesboro. May not be a good influence, but could Billy get the best out of him? centre half.

ASHLEY WILLIAMS - centre half. Lets really piss off Swansea and see if we can try and lure the 2009- Welsh Player of the Year. In May 2010 he was selected in the Championship PFA Team of the Year for the 2009-10 season. And would be a class signing

RITCHIE DE LAET from Man Utd, he can play anywhere across the back 4 and would be ideal if we can get him to end of season. Primarly a centre half, I dont think he would get in ahead of Morgan and Wilson, but he has done well at left back when he played for Man Utd (and that is not too shabby).

SCRAPPING THE BARREL
Stoke may also look to offload the likes of DANNY PUGH, CARL DICKINSON

Available World Cup defenders DANNY SH1TTU (loan) and JAY DEMERIT (Bosman free).

CRAIG DAWSON is up and coming centre half. But Rochdale want more money than many clubs think he is worth. We have scouted him.

DANNY HIGGINBOTHAM – we were interested in this player, who like Kilgallon can play centre or left back!

TOM CRUISE at Arsenal. Primarly a left back but played holding centre mid for the England u19 and looked very composed. Young and up and coming, needs to play games, Arsene Wenger likes him. Always a gamble, but Kyle Bartley who is same age did really well at centre half for Sheff Utd against us, so sure he may be able to make the switch to Championship too and give us options!
 
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Midfielders / Wingers

JAY EMMANUEL-THOMAS from Arsenal Academy, did well at Donny last season scored 5 goals in 14 apperances. He versatile forward, who can also play as a left back, winger or centre-forward. He can be lazy though, but still learning and Billy would help with that.

MATT PHILLIPS – from Wycombe Wanderers –played and scored for England in the recent European Under-19 Championship. Only 19 fast attacking Right Winger / midfielder (better long term option than Jermaine Johnson).

Also MICHAEL BROWN (Portsmouth). A midfield dynamo. May be on big wages though, but not necessarily a big transfer fee and experience which we need!

JORDI GOMEZ – Wigan. Made the the Championship PFA Team of the Year for the 2008-09 season, not worked out a Wigan, try again with us?

ROBERT SNODGRASS from Leeds.

Is ANDY REID fit?

BURKE from Cardif? GREG HALFORD from Wolves

Stoke may also look to offload the likes of DANNY PUGH, LIAM LAWRENCE, TOM SOARES, MICHAEL TONGE
 
And finally FORWARDS

TOMMY SMITH (Portsmouth) is available for a million but of course looks like we will miss out, he would be good in a front 3. He can play left wing, on the right or up front or behind front two. Very experienced at this level. Has scored lots too!

Would like us try to get MATTY FRYATT from Leicester. Still young, scoring goals now, has the attitude which comes with some successful forwards.

MICHAEL CHOPRA – may have get out clause of £3m, works well with the elusive PETER WHITTINGHAM. Nice double deal? or even throw in JAY BOOTHROYD

Could we afford RICKY LAMBERT now, perhaps we should have gone for him when he was available whilst scoring goals for fun and still does in League one?? Swap with Tyson plus cash???

JAMES MCFADDON – may be available from Birmingham.

Wolves may have a few players available like SYLVAN EBANKS BLAKE, ANDY KEOGH, perhaps cheeky loan to get MICHAEL KIGHTLY as he needs plenty of match practice after injury.

JASON SCOTLAND

Really should have signed GEORGE BOYD!!



AND Before anyone asks, yes I have had a really busy day
 
Im a fan of Sean St Ledger very solid defender in this league and I think he could make the step up.

Jay Emmanuel Thomas is a good shout and has played well for Arsenal in Pre Season, did well at Doncaster he is better than Tyson though not many are worse than him.

David Goodwillie would be a good signing for attacking purposes I think, 21 year old for Dundee United worth a punt in my eyes. But then again I can ony advise and reccommend.
 
Good posts red Widdow, nice to see some well thought out suggestions rather than the usual ancient burnt out Premiership players people seem to want us to be linked with.

Out of that list, getting the unfortunately named Thomas Cruise would be excellent on loan. Gives us cover down the left side if no Whittingham is apparent.

I also rate Andy Keogh pretty highly if he's available.

Not on the list, I've always been impressed with Danny Graham and he's started this season pretty well too.
 
First time of posting and here are my thoughts on our situation.
1. we will sign Davenport and 1 other possibly the Finn.
2. we will sign neither whitts or Pratley
3. BD will be gone within a month.
4. we will be lucky to finish top half of the table.

Very negative I know, but I think we have serious problems behind closed doors!
I hope I am proved very wrong!
 
Andy Keogh would be a brilliant signing.

I thought Danny Pugh was a midfielder? (Not to take anything away from your post though, Red Widdow).
 
Cracking post Widdow. There are some very good players on that list and may I suggest that you forward this to the AP for their urgent attention.

I would like to see us look at some young, up and coming premiership players who cant get in their first team but are looking to gain experience. It would do them no harm to drop down in to the championship and play week in week out.
 
Samwell said:
Andy Keogh would be a brilliant signing.

I thought Danny Pugh was a midfielder? (Not to take anything away from your post though, Red Widdow).
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No problems - for me Danny Pugh did well in this league and could offer us options all down the left hand side from left back to left midfield as he has played in both areas before. Would gives us options even if we got Whits.

And Danny Graham is a good shout, brilliant the other night against Norwich!!!
 
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doug66 said:
First time of posting and here are my thoughts on our situation.
1. we will sign Davenport and 1 other possibly the Finn.
2. we will sign neither whitts or Pratley
3. BD will be gone within a month.
4. we will be lucky to finish top half of the table.

Very negative I know, but I think we have serious problems behind closed doors!
I hope I am proved very wrong!
Click to expand...

Yes I hope you are wrong, I think we are all starting to worry, not just on the forums. Every fans I speak to are wondering when we will se some more players arrive! Hopefully a few new STELLAR signings when they arrive will change the mood.

By waiting this long the players I really hope it means that the AP must have got some real quality players lined up!

I have brought some extra socks ready for them to be blown off once they sign!!
 
Red Widdow said:
No problems - for me Danny Pugh did well in this league and could offer us options all down the left hand side from left back to left midfield as he has played in both areas before. Would gives us options even if we got Whits.

And Danny Graham is a good shout, brilliant the other night against Norwich!!!
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Oh, is Pugh one of them who can play all along the left? Sorry. :)

And Graham scored against us last season didn't he?
 
bono1975 said:
Cracking post Widdow. There are some very good players on that list and may I suggest that you forward this to the AP for their urgent attention.
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Geez, I think they might have already noticed... They've been through 60 odd players, just cos they're not posting progress reports on here doesn't mean they're not doing anything.

I would like to see us look at some young, up and coming premiership players who cant get in their first team but are looking to gain experience. It would do them no harm to drop down in to the championship and play week in week out.
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You might be right but can you convince them of that?

I'm pretty bored of this whole debate. The situation is really pretty simple: In order to finish in a higher position next season than this season you need to sign players who will improve your current squad. If you finished third that means players from the division above. As the division above happens to be the prem and players wages there are several multiples of those in the championship, players are understandably relectant to drop down a division. You can pay prem wages in an attempt to lure them, but without prem tv income that's unsustainable if you don't have mike ashley. There are of course players who won't get a game in the prem for various reasons, but in most cases they are going to hold out to see if they can stay in the prem, only at the last minute, when there are no other offers are the going to agree to a drop (loanees go where their club tells them). Not all better players are in the division above of course and we're chasing a couple at least, but most are beyond reach.

It's a horrible catch 22 style situation caused by the fact that the prem is so far apart from the rest of the league in terms of wages. You basically have to fluke promotion the first time but of course once you're up you're guaranteed prem income for the next 4 years which makes it easier to yo-yo (like west brom etc).

The prem desperately needs a salary cap. TV income isn't going to rise forever and soon as it starts dropping pretty much every club is going to be shafted.
 
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Was going well until you said Jason Scotland and then George Boyd!

Michael Turner is fantasy stuff, he was very good for them last season and is surely one of the first names on the team sheet. Reid was a main player for them too before injury.
 
Etthu from City would be good, maybe Vassel or Pennett but as long as Forest havent put all their eggs in one basket. Once the Prem Clubs have sorted out their squads it will be a very interesting loan market! but as long as we have some quality soon everyone should be happy?
 
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we need 3-4 years of adding 2-3 quality signings to assemble a squad that is capable of mounting back to back promotion campaigns imho, and then survival in the premiership. last season took it out of the squad and we have come into this season with a even smaller weaker squad
 
Great list Widdow. With what Sinclair and Taarabt went for, I thought we could have been in with a shout. Those in charge of the club seem to have lost the plot. As was said earlier, we need quality, but also quantity. We are paper thin at the moment.
 
RICH1977 said:
we need 3-4 years of adding 2-3 quality signings to assemble a squad that is capable of mounting back to back promotion campaigns imho, and then survival in the premiership. last season took it out of the squad and we have come into this season with a even smaller weaker squad
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Would the majority of us be happy with a couple of mediocre signings, I guess we would!
I dont think we should worry too much at this stage, maybe in another week if nothing has happened.
I cant believe we would have let Garner, Bennett and Perch go without being sure we could bring in Quality replacements.
I guess we should have faith, not sure for how much longer tho.
 
fact - anything mark arthur says is bull****
i'm surprised he doesn't work as a government spin doctor!

btw good post widdow i've always liked Michael Brown but i don't think we will be seeing any new players in a forest shirt anytime soon
another player i'd look at is Matty Fryatt
 
Gone fishing in a small pond for new players Mathur! Only football legends (Eric Cantona) are fit to talk in similies. Let's face facts. Since the nineties we have become a small city team whose main ambition in the the coming years will be to aspire to the levels of Stoke City and WBA. The fact that folk like Martha are our mouthpiece highlights out real position in football's heirarchy. The fate of our beloved Forest is in the hands of low ranking capitalists - just as it has always been. The only time since 1959 that Forest have been successful is when they appointed a manager and actually let him manage. The only time Forest have appeared to have appointed a manager in recent years to do that job is Billy Davies. He's not like he is on a liftime contract, give him some money to spend and lets see if he can live up to the BC legend. He could well fail but IMHO it would not be in the way that Prat did. I know people will say this is crap. I know people will say this is not the way that the modern game is run. But can anyone honestly say that the "modern game" is a successful business model that guaratees success. Nigel Doughty says that he expects to be challenged by the people he employs. It would be good to see if he has the balls to let them rise to the challenge
 
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