For me, if there aren’t any more signings today, it’s an average window. Better than last year, but I don’t think we can really claim we’re coming out of Jan a better side than we went in to it.
Losing Draper has the hallmarks of losing DJ last Jan, but the forwards we’ve brought in this year (Faal and Gordon) are - on paper - better than than the two we brought in last year (Jamma and Stevens) - both at better stages in their career and fitter having played some football this year.
Nevertheless, they’ve still got to come in, gel in to the system and start producing for the team, which could take a while - some players never gel. Gordon gives us a different style option I suppose.
As for Jellis, good signing but one for next season obviously. Ironically, after years of struggling for central midfielders, we now have a decent set of players there - with Earing coming back, Stirk, Comley, Hutch and Tierney. There’s also Taylor Allen who can fill in if needed.
Other than that we’ve signed Adegboyega as cover for Priestley, Daniels and Okagbue.
So - question is - as it stands, have we improved or strengthened our chances of a push for the playoffs?
I can’t really say we’ve strengthened because we - we’ve replaced Draper as best we could, but we don’t know if they’ll replace his work rate and goals.
So whilst this Jan has been an improvement on past Jans, without a clear step-change for the better in any position, we are no better, possibly worse off.
The silver lining for me is the new contracts for Earing and Gordon, the signing of Jellis and the potential to convert Faal in to a perm it he does well, but I’m fed up of planning for 12 months time - we’ve been supposedly doing that for a decade now, people always saying “we need 2 or 3 windows”, but nothing ever improves.
good post Belp he’s one of those owners who most will look back on and really appreciate more for what he achieved as regards uniting the ground with the club and delivering us from evil.
