Transfer Rumours Summer Transfer Thread 21/22

If he's done his job, why would we then get rid of him when we need him to do the same job again? He's captain of the team, he's just led us to the League One title and you want us to get rid of him because...

Holding midfielders aren't known for pace, they tend to be a hybrid of central midfielders and centre halves. My concern for Smallwood is his injury and whether it crops up again in which case, we'll need a replacement ready to go (assuming Flores isn't that guy).

 

I think signing Rathbone is a no brainer, he ticks all the boxes for us and gives us really good cover. His passing is really under-rated and only 1 man-made with more tackles last season in L1 and that was Honeyman.

Jaaskelainen is an interesting one. I've seen Crewe fans complaining about parts of his game, but he's a good shot-stopper and there aren't many 22 year old keepers who play regularly in L1 that are realistic permanent signings for us.

Re Smallwood, if he goes I can understand why. But I don't want him to go as we'd need to bring somebody in to replace him

I know Coventry spent a few million quid last summer & I really feel that if we spent £2/3m this summer (can't see it happening) that we'd be able to push for a top 6 place. There's so much value out there and there won't be many clubs spending

 

Absolutely and I think we could make the right additions very easily for not much money. We don't need players that are ready for the Premier League, we need players that can scrap it out in the Championship and keep us in that division and that doesn't cost tens of millions of pounds.

Rathbone will be on the list I'd have thought, even in that Rochdale team he looked pretty good and if we don't snap him up somebody else will pretty quickly.

 

Weren't we supposed to be close to bringing in 2 or possibly 3 a couple of weeks ago ? Have they all gone for lunch or does the 24hrs now relate to signing players not just selling the club ?

 

FWIW, I agree with you.
Maybe (and it is a maybe) we underestimate his impact off the field? But on the field, I feel we need better if we've got any ambition, and yes, it's unlikely he's going to improve that much considering he's played so many games at CCC and L1 level with different teams and coaches already. Possibly no coincidence we went on our best run and played our consistently best football when he was out.

 

The previous season magennis was in and out of the team with tom eaves. But he seemed to improve as he played more and was a strong motivational player for us. I think he'll do just fine next season

 

I find this totally disrespectable. Richie Smallwood is the captain of the club. Remind me how he captained the team, a relegated team at that who had just been kicked from pillar to post at the back end of the previous season, into a team that made a fabulous start, and set the pace for the new season?.
From memory was it six wins out of 7, plus wins in a couple of early season cup competitions ?
And how many clean sheets was that on top ?
Now you want him farmed off to a league one club on a free transfer because he is not good enough.
Remind yourselves that he only lost his place in the team last season because of an injury sustained when playing for us, not because he wasn't good or fast enough.
If Ipswich want him so bad to do the same for them as he did for us then show us the colour of your money.
As for doubting Magennis in the Championship ? The man is an international footballer who leads the line for his country. Do me a favour, give him a bit of credit. If he left the hole he would leave in the dressing room would be as big as the one Jarrod Bowen left. Josh Magennis is the daddy of this team.

 

Smallwood has been influential in 3 teams, Blackburn, Rotherham and now ourselves all getting promoted out of League 1, that's why Ipswich want him! I suspect Richie will only be going to Ipswich, or anywhere else for that matter is he pushes for it to happen. Terry has said he's very influential around the dressing room whether playing or not, for that reason along with the fact that he's one of the very few 'older heads' around the place I can't see him going anywhere, and rightly so for the season ahead.

 

Disrespectable - He's a professional footballer FFS. I'm not suggesting he's shot....

He isn't going to play much, so it's more respectable to let him wave his magic promotion wand in Suffolk....

Move on....

 

This whole Smallwood debate reminds me of Ian Ashbee, every promotion, “Ashbee won’t step up, needs replacing.”
Smallwood has played a lot of games at Championship level, so we already know he can cope.
Early season games last year, he was a real leader, did the things he was brought in to do, break up play, keep the ball, short pass to the players moving it forward.
For me, he is the most Ashbee type player since, well, Ashbee.
As for Magennis, he showed in the run in, when he wasn’t swapped out/in every game, what a leader he can be. Whether he plays a lot, I think he’ll have a big part to play in keeping the team focused & together.

 

Ashbee was mid 20's... I didn't hear from anyone worth an opinion, suggesting he wouldn't cope when promoted, so that's utter bollo©ks.....

"We already know he [Smallwood] can cope".... Based upon what?

 

Literally EVERY promotion, people were saying Ashbee isn’t good enough, he’ll never step up to this level!
Smallwood has played a lot of games at Championship level & has done the job.
Even now, he’s only 30!

 

Absolutely agree with this and was also reminded about the Ashbee debate, and that Smallwood did what a true CDM should do better than anyone we've had for an age. But it's also true that Slater did the same things when he came in so would love to have him there to challenge Smallwood.

 

Presumably anyone worth an opinion is someone who agrees with you as there were plenty on here, and on other forums, including the usual numbnuts commenting in the Fail and on RH who were of the opinion Ashbee wouldn't cope with the step up and needed replacing.

 

Are 'we' really comparing Smallwood to Ashbee?
Wow.

 

I’d like to distance myself from those who are, but I certainly hope that this comment will come back to bite me

Smallwood has done nothing wrong though, and if he’s been acting as captain off the pitch it certainly worked.

not sure he’s first choice now, but even so we will need leaders next season and if GM sees him as one he’ll surely keep him unless bringing in someone better

 

I like Smallwood and I definitely think we should keep him because I think he has a part to play. His experience and leadership is exactly what we need. But as a player, I think we need a better footballer in that position in the Championship.

 

38 pages in and not so much as a sniff of incoming....@@@!!!

 

Playing Smallwood next season would show zero ambition for me.

Progress is made by looking forwards, not backwards.

Slater is more mobile, more dynamic.

Just my opinion, and yes opinions are something everyone has...... But some people think Eaves is a striker, some think Burke could pass and some believe we should only sign players from the same division or higher.