Loan signings

Plymouth85Green · Jul 29, 2016

So when and where do we add to the team?

I personally DA will give it 1/2 league games before he makes the decision on what he really needs. Although you can see we still lack a winger with flare and a cover keeper.

Where do you think we need strengthening?

CM still looks weak and I am worried we have replaced quality with quantity.

Thoughts?

Tugboat · Jul 29, 2016

I hope we add the loan signings as depth and not rely on them as first team important players as we did last season. The disruption of a loan player departing before the season ends was plain to see last season.

Hopefully a out and out permanent winger backed up by 2/3 loan signings (versatile wide player, GK, CM) will add the required depth to the team.

Plymouth85Green · Jul 29, 2016

I am not convinced at all our CM is anywhere near as good as last season. Fox looks like he is a good option, but take or Carey out of the equation and I don't see where our creativity is coming from.

Also look at our DM options. Threlkeld, Ijala, Smith and Donaldson don't come near last years options. I am wondering if DA is planning to convert a CB like McHugh into that role. Osbourne maybe?

PL2 3DQ · Jul 29, 2016

I did think we lacked creativity without Carey but in the pre-season games Fox and Goodwillie have shown they can be creative in different ways to Carey and in different areas of the pitch.

With the signings of Fox and Ijaha I think we are now covered in central midfield so I expect any loan signings to be a winger.
Loan players will now either stay for 6 months or the whole season so the squad will not be disrupted before the end of the season.

I reckon a young keeper will be signed permanently, no team will send a keeper to us on loan as third choice.

Stiffler · Jul 29, 2016

Plymouth85Green":1vgbdwg1 said:
I am not convinced at all our CM is anywhere near as good as last season. Fox looks like he is a good option, but take or Carey out of the equation and I don't see where our creativity is coming from.

Also look at our DM options. Threlkeld, Ijala, Smith and Donaldson don't come near last years options. I am wondering if DA is planning to convert a CB like McHugh into that role. Osbourne maybe?

Hopefully we will play 2 up top and not play this defensive midfield player. McHugh probably had half a dozen decent games in that position over the Christmas period but apart from that was very average. Fox ahead of McHugh, Osborne ahead of Nelson and Goodwillie ahead of Ried all day long. Wylde is the player we will miss most.

Balham Green · Jul 29, 2016

Cant see that we need THREE keepers. May be wrong but I think you can still get a keeper on loan in a crisis. Wonder what chances are of getting Boateng back for long term loan.

Balham Green · Jul 29, 2016

Stiffler":3vpx5wga said:
Plymouth85Green":3vpx5wga said:

I am not convinced at all our CM is anywhere near as good as last season. Fox looks like he is a good option, but take or Carey out of the equation and I don't see where our creativity is coming from.

Also look at our DM options. Threlkeld, Ijala, Smith and Donaldson don't come near last years options. I am wondering if DA is planning to convert a CB like McHugh into that role. Osbourne maybe?

Click to expand...

Hopefully we will play 2 up top and not play this defensive midfield player. McHugh probably had half a dozen decent games in that position over the Christmas period but apart from that was very average. Fox ahead of McHugh, Osborne ahead of Nelson and Goodwillie ahead of Ried all day long. Wylde is the player we will miss most.

Amazed by your comments on McHugh and EVERY team needs a defensive midfielder.

Army green · Jul 29, 2016

Balham_Green":3tocxthe said:
Cant see that we need THREE keepers. May be wrong but I think you can still get a keeper on loan in a crisis. Wonder what chances are of getting Boateng back for long term loan.

Was thinking the same surely no real need for three keepers.

Topboy · Jul 29, 2016

You really would hope that the reserve team keeper could step up to sit on the bench if required.

xmastree · Jul 29, 2016

Plymouth85Green":1pl7yngp said:
I am not convinced at all our CM is anywhere near as good as last season. Fox looks like he is a good option, but take or Carey out of the equation and I don't see where our creativity is coming from.

Also look at our DM options. Threlkeld, Ijala, Smith and Donaldson don't come near last years options. I am wondering if DA is planning to convert a CB like McHugh into that role. Osbourne maybe?

You say the CM lacks creativity without Carey, but that was the case last season - I can't see this problem is much worse. I haven't seen Fox since he signed for us, but (for other clubs) he's been a much better passer of the ball than any of last season's alternatives.

In terms of DM last season, McHugh/Boateng was an excellent alliance in the first half of the season. However Boateng came back a much inferior player, and McHugh's weaknesses were increasingly exploited as the season went on. Their post New Year performances are not that hard to replace. Donaldson, incidentally, is not a DM. Having said all that, a strong CM loanee would enhance the squad enormously.

Tugboat wants the loanees to be cover players rather than First Team regulars. Surely that only limits opportunities for our own youngsters? And why would clubs lend us players if we weren't intending to use them except in an emergency? I'd only want loanees who are (at least potentially) better than the players we have.

Martyn · Jul 29, 2016

Army green":d4dlfynp said:
Balham_Green":d4dlfynp said:

Cant see that we need THREE keepers. May be wrong but I think you can still get a keeper on loan in a crisis. Wonder what chances are of getting Boateng back for long term loan.

Click to expand...

Was thinking the same surely no real need for three keepers.

The loan rules have changed this season. It will not be easy to get a loan 'keeper', like last season.

Hence DA has mentioned before, he is looking for a third keeper.

So another keeper, CM, and a pacy winger (like Alex Bray) for me,

Army green · Jul 29, 2016

If we are unlucky enough to lose 2 keepers then maybe give youth a bit of experience. Derek is probably only going to bring in s young inexperienced keeper as 3rd choice anyway.

Rob GT4 · Jul 29, 2016

Stiffler":23k13oia said:
Plymouth85Green":23k13oia said:

I am not convinced at all our CM is anywhere near as good as last season. Fox looks like he is a good option, but take or Carey out of the equation and I don't see where our creativity is coming from.

Also look at our DM options. Threlkeld, Ijala, Smith and Donaldson don't come near last years options. I am wondering if DA is planning to convert a CB like McHugh into that role. Osbourne maybe?

Click to expand...

Hopefully we will play 2 up top and not play this defensive midfield player. McHugh probably had half a dozen decent games in that position over the Christmas period but apart from that was very average. Fox ahead of McHugh, Osborne ahead of Nelson and Goodwillie ahead of Ried all day long. Wylde is the player we will miss most.

My opinion of course, but for me Wylde had the odd game but lacked end product and I can't see that he's our biggest miss. McHugh was touted as arguably our player of the season. And Nelson won us countless points last year with last ditch tackles and blocks some of which I still can't believe he made, but you put Osborne ahead of him, has he even played for us yet?!

Plymouth85Green · Jul 29, 2016

Rob_GT4":2kxxcjhz said:
Stiffler":2kxxcjhz said:

Plymouth85Green":2kxxcjhz said:

I am not convinced at all our CM is anywhere near as good as last season. Fox looks like he is a good option, but take or Carey out of the equation and I don't see where our creativity is coming from.

Also look at our DM options. Threlkeld, Ijala, Smith and Donaldson don't come near last years options. I am wondering if DA is planning to convert a CB like McHugh into that role. Osbourne maybe?

Click to expand...

Hopefully we will play 2 up top and not play this defensive midfield player. McHugh probably had half a dozen decent games in that position over the Christmas period but apart from that was very average. Fox ahead of McHugh, Osborne ahead of Nelson and Goodwillie ahead of Ried all day long. Wylde is the player we will miss most.

Click to expand...

My opinion of course, but for me Wylde had the odd game but lacked end product and I can't see that he's our biggest miss. McHugh was touted as arguably our player of the season. And Nelson won us countless points last year with last ditch tackles and blocks some of which I still can't believe he made, but you put Osborne ahead of him, has he even played for us yet?!

I completely agree. Nelson was and is a superb CB. Strength, speed and good on the ball. I am not doubting Osbourne, but with out seeing how he plays in which formation is tough to call how good he is. On that note our 3 CBs have been very good pre season. If we play 4-3-3 who starts as the centre 2?

Quintrell Green · Jul 29, 2016

Martyn":1h58a1xz said:
Army green":1h58a1xz said:

Balham_Green":1h58a1xz said:

Cant see that we need THREE keepers. May be wrong but I think you can still get a keeper on loan in a crisis. Wonder what chances are of getting Boateng back for long term loan.

Click to expand...

Was thinking the same surely no real need for three keepers.

Click to expand...

The loan rules have changed this season. It will not be easy to get a loan 'keeper', like last season.

Hence DA has mentioned before, he is looking for a third keeper.

So another keeper, CM, and a pacy winger (like Alex Bray) for me,

Alex Bray would be on my radar too. I think we have got to recognise that DA was not around when he excelled for Swansea in a Home Park friendly and he did not see his early play for Argyle. Whether anybody at Argyle has alerted him to his potential, I have no idea. Unless he is scouted by DA's mate, I cannot see it being a possibility at the moment. Provided he has not 'lost his mojo' following his very bad injury, he would certainly be a penetrative winger.

Loan signings

Site Owner