January Transfer Window

Great post.

Makes sense!

Like others have typed, major surgery won’t happen and perhaps shouldn’t happen. Doesn’t look like we’re going anywhere this season, so use it to blood and build.

  • Get McDonald signed up for another 18 months
  • Another winger, perhaps one with a contract finishing in June
  • Try and move Norman on, seen enough and we have plenty of cover there
  • Upgrade Gaffney, if indeed his loan can be terminated without penalty

Anything on top of that is being greedy and potential wasteful with our budget.

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I think some people think reality is like FM at times. If we ‘want rid’ of certain players we’ve either got to pay then up or find a club willing to take them on, and that’s easier said than done with some of those on our books.

As others have already said, we need another winger, striker (if Gaffney returns to Salford) and a few young loans from clubs higher up the pyramid.

Gonna have a job of moving weak minded players on because nobody will want them which is why DC should have played the honesty card a bit less honest…to be honest

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Well done for managing to amalgamate numerous posters opinions (many of which I haven’t expressed or agreed with) into MY jaundiced view :joy::joy:

I agree that we will unearth more gems / develop new talent in the future as we have in the past, but that is irrelevant to the outcome of this season (the point of the thread). More likely that DC needs to make the most of what he has with one or two additions.

With respect to players coming in, the evidence suggests that Oztumer apart, we haven’t signed a stand out out player since Smith left and the quality of young loanees from higher up the pyramid has also dried up. The vast majority of loanees in the past couple of years have been utter cack.

I’m still positive about our prospects for the season without us having to make wholesale changes in January. A couple of key signings should do us. It’s a ■■■■■ league and we are as good as most.

Let’s see what transpires in January , eh?

Sorry, was just conveniently taking your one comment (echoing what several others have said) as the lead into a general statement around the attractiveness of the club signing new player - wasn’t meaning to single you out as being jaundiced or the only one having that view point.

Paul McCallum would be an obvious choice.

Was scoring 4 in 9 games for AFC Wimbledon on loan in l2 way back in 12-13. Since then he’s scored 15 in 40 odd games at Orient and last season was national league top scorer for Eastleigh, scored 34 goals in under 70 games there over two seasons.

Now plays for Solihull who did very well to get him, 5 in 11 so far.

18 months ago that would’ve been an obvious target. Now the trouble is the Moors are looking really good for promotion into the league so you’re talking about 5-6 place differences between the teams and he could just be in league two next season.

It’s a bit different to when Cook and Ferrier were signed and there were two divisions between teams they were leaving and signing for.

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That’s a good post Andy, and I would add from last night (and refer to Wes McDonald’s recent E and S interview) there is a huge amount of togetherness with our fans and this current team, many of whom seem to genuinely appreciate the fact they are being given a chance and the support they get from the fans. Walsall fans have had a horrible “press” as a result of whinging shirt throwing brain-doners like Andy Cooke and facebook/ twitter pretty boys like Luke Leahy, that’s not what we’re about as a club and never have been. Play for Walsall and give 100% and you WILL get 100% support, be crap, and you might get told you’re crap, big deal. You will get a chance to play though unlike at other clubs, so take it, work hard, improve and move on. that’s what we do. Take Alfie Bates, he isn’t just a good player he seems like a lad who realises he’s got a fantastic chance to make something of himself at Walsall and plays with a smile on his face. Great to see.

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Nothing like an old romantic :rofl::rofl:

Wonder if Will Grigg for one, and others would recognise that account.

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We’re not an unattractive proposition because of the bar queues. We’re not an unattractive proposition because of the fans being a bit miserable in the last few years (like it or not, it’s been the case since Smith left and for good reason). We’re not an unattractive proposition because we pay peanuts, apparently we may or may not have a competitive budget and, as some have said, money isn’t everything.

We are an unattractive proposition because we are 89th out of 92 football league clubs. I can’t see many players banging down the door to be playing with Gary Liddle. Just my jaundiced view.

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Oh the budget is competitive.
What isn’t specified is what it’s measured against.

I take your point about Gary Liddle.
He is cack by any measure.

Hatfield had energy but no quality

Yeah. Looked like your typical puts himself about midfielder to me. Great for that level, it’s not knock just not a league footballer.

That’s not true though, is it? I can’t think of a player who gave more to the cause last season in terms of commitment and determination than Devlin and yet he got dog’s abuse.

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Really??

Here’s the text from the E and S when he left, including a social media quote from the man himself.

Devlin became a fans’ favourite during his time with the Saddlers – both due to his commitment on the field and the personable way he interacted with supporters off it.

And he took to Twitter to say his farewells. “The time has come to move on from Walsall after two years,” he said.

“I’ve loved my time here and it was a pleasure to play for the club! I’ve met some amazing people that I’ll never forget. Thanks for your support even through the difficult times! All the best. UTS (up the Saddlers).”

Devlin was a committed but extremely limited footballer at L1 level, he would have got stick on some of his horrendously bad days, and there were quite a few - (Doncaster away last season you’d think the bloke had never seen a football before in his life), but dogs abuse? I don’t think that’s fair.

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Fans favourite is a massive over exaggeration from the E & S there. Fair play to him for acknowledging the fans that supported him on the way out, but he definitely copped abuse at times. On here, Twitter and at games.

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Absolutely. I think geordie has some rose tinted spectacles on. If I had the time, I could probably find 100+ post match thread posts with abuse towards him. And just for clarity, abuse isn’t saying “he’s limited and quite often at fault but I can’t knock him because he always gives 110%”!

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Yeah, you can’t say “here at Walsall we don’t abuse players that give one hundred percent” and then also say “he was always committed but he only every copped abuse when he played poorly”.

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Always seem too be a lot of our own fans digging others out all the time…

Past present and future

Its the football world and this club certainly isnt the only one it happens at.

Thicker skins needed by some i think but everyone has view on it i guess