[Albion] Matt Clarke- Portsmouth defender **SIGNED and LOANED to DERBY**

[One Teddy Maybank]

If we can offload Balogun, get Clarke in and keep D&D and Burn I think that would be good buisness.

Based on the limited game time for both Balogun and Burn last season, Burn looked more assured to me.

Think Burn is a disaster waiting to happen, looks very shaky on the ball, unfortunately same with Balogun to a certain extent. (See pass at Liverpool, Palace pen, WBA goal).


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[Guinness Boy]

We can just about squeeze 5 central defenders into the squad, but if the 3rd/4th choice is getting restless with lack of game time then there seems little point to add another.

It would seem that Clarke is one to sign and then loan out for a year to the Championship - by which time Balogun is out of contract and further decisions can be made.

Thats the skill of a manager with a 25 man squad. Throw in the desire for some on here to give u23s a try out and and its even harder.
Hughton was pretty good at dealing with that to be honest.

If the default formation becomes 3CBs and 2 wingbacks then you might well need 5 in the squad. Centre backs are rugged injury wise, particularly Dunk and Duffy, but if we're pushing up there will be even more likelyhood of them having to take a yellow for the team and therefore a bigger chance of suspensions.

 

[Palacefinder General]

No way will Dunk go to Leicester. Some people seem to be mistaking them for a top six side and it's hardly the ambition that he probably has for his career.

 

[chaileyjem]

If the default formation becomes 3CBs and 2 wingbacks then you might well need 5 in the squad. Centre backs are rugged injury wise, particularly Dunk and Duffy, but if we're pushing up there will be even more likelyhood of them having to take a yellow for the team and therefore a bigger chance of suspensions.

Didn't Potter mostly play a back four at Swansea last season ?
"He’s quite a fluid manager, adapting to his opposition but his favoured formation with Swansea this season has been 4-2-3-1. He has gone with a back three/five on other occasions but a 4-2-3-1 is what he likes to play."
https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co...sets-could-fare-under-new-boss-graham-potter/

 

[Da Man Clay]

Didn't Potter mostly play a back four at Swansea last season ?
"He’s quite a fluid manager, adapting to his opposition but his favoured formation with Swansea this season has been 4-2-3-1. He has gone with a back three/five on other occasions but a 4-2-3-1 is what he likes to play."
https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co...sets-could-fare-under-new-boss-graham-potter/

He’s a ‘play to your strengths’ type manager. Did play a bit of 3 CBs at swansea depending on opposition. He is played it a bit more when in Norway with his previous side.

 

[Icy Gull]

Annoying that the longest and most likely transfer rumour thread so far this off season is about getting a player signed in a position that is probably the best covered in the squad

 

[Don Tmatter]

I thought it was said GP only played 4 at the back at Swansea because he didn’t have a quality 3rd centre back there he could trust? Shouldn’t have the same problem here

 

[chaileyjem]

I thought it was said GP only played 4 at the back at Swansea because he didn’t have a quality 3rd centre back there he could trust? Shouldn’t have the same problem here

Maybe - Clearly the idea that he favours a back three , even if he doesn't normally play one and is said to prefer a back four, is hard to shake off. !!

 

[Seagull122]

No way will Dunk go to Leicester. Some people seem to be mistaking them for a top six side and it's hardly the ambition that he probably has for his career.

Why wouldn’t he go? They’re a level above us, they can push for the top 7, he will get a nice pay rise, possibility of playing in Europe with a better squad, and will also have a better chance of getting into the England squad. I would be annoyed if he went to Leicester, but I could understand why he would if they came in.

 

[BensGrandad]

I thought it was said GP only played 4 at the back at Swansea because he didn’t have a quality 3rd centre back there he could trust? Shouldn’t have the same problem here

He would with what we have at the moment as neither Balogun nor Burn have shown that they are the answer on a long term every game basis.

 

[B.W.]

No way will Dunk go to Leicester. Some people seem to be mistaking them for a top six side and it's hardly the ambition that he probably has for his career.

I agree...

 

[Guinness Boy]

Didn't Potter mostly play a back four at Swansea last season ?
"He’s quite a fluid manager, adapting to his opposition but his favoured formation with Swansea this season has been 4-2-3-1. He has gone with a back three/five on other occasions but a 4-2-3-1 is what he likes to play."
https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co...sets-could-fare-under-new-boss-graham-potter/

4-2-3-1 you say?

Why, we could play
Ryan
Montoya Duffy Dunk Bernardo
Stephens Propper
Jahanbakhah Gross March
Murray

Can't see a single issue with that

 

[Hugo Rune]

Maybe - Clearly the idea that he favours a back three , even if he doesn't normally play one and is said to prefer a back four, is hard to shake off. !!

It seemed that over the years at Östersunds Fotbollsklubb, a back 3 was the default.

A Swans fan posted on NSC that he didn’t really have the players for a back 3 at Swansea; he will do here!

 

[Ninja Elephant]

4-2-3-1 you say?

Why, we could play
Ryan
Montoya Duffy Dunk Bernardo
Stephens Propper
Jahanbakhsh Gross March
Murray

Can't see a single issue with that

 

[B.W.]

Dunk is worth a lot more than £30M IMHO... if Maguire is worth £80M (he isn't), then Dunk is at least £50M...

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Maybe - Clearly the idea that he favours a back three , even if he doesn't normally play one and is said to prefer a back four, is hard to shake off. !!

Looking over the formations he used at Swansea, it's clear that he is open to variation. He tried 10 different formations, but only played a back 3 on 6 occasions, out of 46 matches.

But that doesn't mean he discarded the back 3 after it failed, he used it for his final match against Blackburn.

One thing is certain, he is more open to playing a back 3 than Chris, who never deviated from a back 4 last season.

 

[dazzer6666]

Looking over the formations he used at Swansea, it's clear that he is open to variation. He tried 10 different formations, but only played a back 3 on 6 occasions, out of 46 matches.

But that doesn't mean he discarded the back 3 after it failed, he used it for his final match against Blackburn.

One thing is certain, he is more open to playing a back 3 than Chris, who never deviated from a back 4 last season.

Incorrect. I went to lots of away games and definitely saw a back 7, 8, 9 and 10 on several occasions.

 

[TSB]

Sake. Confirmed transfers in in the PL so far this window :
Villa - 2 in (one from Birmingham, one from Lille). Nine players have left so they have a squad of about 15
Muff - 1 in (from Bristol City)
Burnley - 1 in (from Curzon Ashton)
Everton - 1 in (Lossl from Hudds)
Norwich - 1 in (loanee)
Spurs 1 in (from Notts County)
West Ham - 2 in (both free transfers)
Wolves - 2 in (one from Yeovil, one from Benfica)

No other team have signed anyone. Don't think it's quite time to panic just yet.

Bar Norwich, all teams with a better squad than us already and (potentially) strengthening further.
More resigned than panicking.

 

[macbeth]

Bar Norwich, all teams with a better squad than us already and (potentially) strengthening further.
More resigned than panicking.

And keeping Hughton would have changed that how?

 

[Giraffe]

I'd love to see a back 3 of Dunk Duffy and Clarke. I think we have the players to play this.