Weaker than we were in December, YET I

We also have a thinner squad. Yes, fillers like Palma or Welsh aren't important now, but we have Murray to cover at RCB in case of injury.

Losing Kyogo means we have to rely on Idah's current form continuing. Maeda will be starting at LW for some time yet, I expect, until Jota gets fully fit.

 

While Maeda has excelled for Japan as a striker, it was in a system that was defensive in nature. Rodgers forced Kyogo into holding the ball up for wingers - something neither he, nor Maeda are good at due to their build. Of the rumored names, Strelec fits that role best. Yet, we do not have him.

I'd be over the moon if Rodgers let Maeda be what he is for Japan, with build-up sacrificed. But we have nothing like the JNT midfield of 2022: 3 hard-working units who excel at spoiling play. Tanaka went to Leeds, and I know he'd been suggested on the appropriate thread. Endo was, alas, nothing but a faint rumor. Morita should be our new Mooy.

We could have strengthened this window. Instead, we are going to face Bayern like lambs to a slaughterhouse.

 

Losing Kyogo obviously weakens us. Idah isn't a consistent player and we've no one behind him other than some kid. That's reality of it.

It's how lopsided the team is that gets to me. I can't remember a time we weren't stacked with midfielders and desperately lacking players at the back. Even just purely in terms of numbers, our squad is always overpopulated in midfield and threadbare in front of goal. How it is allowed to continue year after year I'll never know.

 

A couple of injuries at left back and up front could leave us very exposed for the business end of the season, credit for getting 2 players in but I still feel the board are lacking the killer touch.

 

For me the lack of a striker coming in will be down to a few things. But all of the concurrent things come after the main point. Rodgers only wants players he’s seen live or players he’s chosen/had before.

that immediately shortens the odds of getting them as most will have A. Played in England. B. Be on a bigger wage than is paid here.

you look at all the reports from the last 2 days and it was a case of the strikers not wanting to join us.

I’m okay with Rodgers wanting who he wants, but he needs to allow our scouting team to bring him valid options.

we as a club have scouted some brilliant players the last 10 years. I genuinely believe if Rodgers was brought a ‘Hatate’ at £1.5 mil to his table from a league equivalent to Japans he’d say no as he’s trying to convince Dewsbury-hall to come here on loan or another player of similar value down south.

My only criticism under Rodgers has been his transfers and I don’t lay the blame fully with him. As the board aren’t innocent either. But a lot of our issues will be this new market Rodgers demands we shop in.

 

Pimple on (spot)

 

Exactly. They might not make a difference vs Bayern or to us romping the league, but they could make a difference in the qualifiers which won't be easy and are important.

 

Mate, he went 14 games without a goal, then scored like 4 in 3 games. That's the definition of inconsistent. As for 'one of the top scorers in the Conference League', give me a break We're playing * Bayern in the next two weeks.

It was a general comment about always lacking depth at the back. Besides, Scales is not a LB, he's being drafted in from centre-half where he frequently starts. You're making some contortions here to defend what has for years been our weakest position with the least depth and I can't imagine why.

 

That's fine. We'll have a qaulity left back, left winger. A fully settled no1 striker and if not, were signing one anyway. If the big loane turns out good we'll sign him.

So people's problem with this window is we never signed a striker? And that makes it the worst window ever.. turns out the striker we was buying was willing to come and there team suddenly had a share issue so had money and upd what they wanted. I say good. Glad we never caved in. Paying £14m is stupid. He's not that good.

Besides... kyogo will be back in the summer going by his first performance

 

It's not about making Bayern * themselves, it's about not pretending a Conference quality player can step into Kyogo's shoes. Or that Maeda is suddenly going to become a force starting through the middle. We are obviously weaker for having lost our first-choice striker and not replacing him. The argument against it is ridiculous.

Resolved in what way? GT hasn't re-signed, we didn't bring in KT, and we've traded one cast-off loanee for another. I don't know what I'm meant to be forgetting, certainly not the years it's been the weakest position in the squad in both its first and second string.

I understand not wanting to be too negative about the window but this is just a patent refusal to acknowledge how our squad has weakened in some areas and remains weak in others. You can state that as a fact without catastrophising.

 

It's not that we never signed a striker, it's that we let our first choice one go and never replaced him despite apparently knowing for months he would be away. I dunno who said it was the worst window ever, I certainly didn't, I've just highlighted what in my opinion is a lack of forward planning and unwillingness to push on from a postion of strength from the board. If you and others are happy just dominating domestically and keeping the huns at arms length then fair enough.