January Transfer Window 2026

Eggs · 2025-12-15T15:32:50+0000

Marius57 said:
I think Rohl may be the new Dele. Will still be talking about ending his loan in 3 years time

….i very much doubt it.

hetion · 2025-12-15T15:39:06+0000

Eggs said:
….i very much doubt it.

A player whose only elite quality appears to be his athleticism and he cannot stay fit...doesn't seem too outlandish.

Eggs · 2025-12-15T15:42:18+0000

hetion said:
A player whose only elite quality appears to be his athleticism and he cannot stay fit...doesn't seem too outlandish.

….time will tell but I wouldn’t compare him to Dele.

Simon Buttle · 2025-12-15T15:51:55+0000

hetion said:
To a degree, you're absolutely right that better strikers usually get more xG, but he has 0.3 non-penalty xG per 90 which is a touch above average for forwards in the league (same as Woltemade, Watkins, Thiago). Let's say a hugely expensive upgrade is to a player who's the quality of Ekitike or Gyokeres who have...0.4 per 90.

Barry for me would do well to have some one on one coaching with a decent ex PL striker who can give him some info/ideas/tips on playing in this league.

Bluewolf · 2025-12-15T15:57:38+0000

Lanolin said:
It's difficult to say really, partly because i'm not sat at games with a little notebook to rate players so that I can refer back to it months later and partly because what I'm talking about is a general concept rather than a a comment on specific performances. Ollie Watkins, as an example, didn't stand out against us, but undoubtedly is a player who has some of the qualities i'm talking about. Him not finding that half yard of space to get a shot away in an individual game against us doesn't in any way detract from the fact that it's an ability he has. As of yet, I'm not sure what Barry offers that makes him a difficult opponent for defenders; I think quite a lot of centre halves have probably found him pretty easy to handle this year and so I don't think it's a huge stretch to say that somebody you couldn't say that about may actually make a little bit more of a difference to our attacking play than some people seem to want to admit. Again, that's not to say he's a dud or we need to go and replace him, just a comment related to the conversation being had.

Only everton could have a striker that wins nearly half of his aerial duels and have fans sit there and think the cbs that are defending against him are having a easy time of it ffs.

The problem with barry is simple.

Hes 6ft 5 and fantastic in the air and we play balls for him like hes aguero.

In the last 3 games we've managed 10 completed crosses, thats pathetic.

Nymzee · 2025-12-15T15:58:32+0000

Bluewolf said:
Only everton could have a striker that wins nearly half of his aerial duels and have fans sit there and think the cbs that are defending against him are having a easy time of it ffs.

The problem with barry is simple.

Hes 6ft 5 and fantastic in the air and we play balls to him like hes aguero.

In the last 3 games we've managed 10 completed crosses, thats pathetic.

Erm, is he? Jumping higher than defenders and bonking the ball off your head isn't being fantastic in the air. Has he even forced a keeper into a save from a header yet?

Bluewolf · 2025-12-15T16:01:40+0000

Nymzee said:
Erm, is he? Jumping higher than defenders and bonking the ball off your head isn't being fantastic in the air. Has he even forced a keeper into a save from a header yet?

Yes, against Bournemouth.

You know that game where we decided to whip the ball into him off the corners and he nearly scored twice and its the only time we've looked dangerous off corners all season

Nymzee · 2025-12-15T16:03:01+0000

Bluewolf said:
Yes, against Bournemouth.

You know that game where we decided to whip the ball into him off the corners and he nearly scored twice and its the only time we've looked dangerous off corners all season

What about all those other games we've crossed it in and he's headed it out of the stadium?

Bluewolf · 2025-12-15T16:08:22+0000

Nymzee said:
What about all those other games we've crossed it in and he's headed it out of the stadium?

What games where those?

Nymzee · 2025-12-15T16:14:35+0000

Bluewolf said:
What games where those?

I mean this one immediately sprang to mind:

MACCA75 · 2025-12-15T16:18:25+0000

Bluewolf said:
Only everton could have a striker that wins nearly half of his aerial duels and have fans sit there and think the cbs that are defending against him are having a easy time of it ffs.

The problem with barry is simple.

Hes 6ft 5 and fantastic in the air and we play balls for him like hes aguero.

In the last 3 games we've managed 10 completed crosses, thats pathetic.

Honestly wouldn’t say getting your head on the end of a Pickford punt is ‘giving a defender a hard time’. If he was running at them with the ball or laying it off spinning into space, or winning balls that matter from crosses..maybe, but been precious little of that.

hetion · 2025-12-15T16:30:40+0000

Nymzee said:
I mean this one immediately sprang to mind:

The most sophisticated xG model around has that as getting scored 15% of the time. That's a really poor stick to beat him with.

Nymzee · 2025-12-15T16:32:41+0000

hetion said:
The most sophisticated xG model around has that as getting scored 15% of the time. That's a really poor stick to beat him with.

Well thankfully football is played in real life, with a ball, and a head, and we can use our eyes to see that a player who is "fantastic in the air" doesn't close his eyes to head a football.

Keep your pointless stats to yourself.

hetion · 2025-12-15T16:37:22+0000

Nymzee said:
Well thankfully football is played in real life, with a ball, and a head, and we can use our eyes to see that a player who is "fantastic in the air" doesn't close his eyes to head a football.

Keep your pointless stats to yourself.

I don't know why you get so antagonistic so easily. I'm just saying that across the whole modern history of top flight football, a header from that position with the defenders and keeper where they are gets scored 15% of the time. I'm not having a go at you personally about it, just that often chances can look easier or harder than they actually are.

Nymzee · 2025-12-15T16:38:52+0000

hetion said:
I don't know why you get so antagonistic so easily. I'm just saying that across the whole modern history of top flight football, a header from that position with the defenders and keeper where they are gets scored 15% of the time. I'm not having a go at you personally about it, just that often chances can look easier or harder than they actually are.

Where on Jesus are you taking this stat from?

I never said it was an easy chance but if you are 'fantastic in the air' you don't shut your eyes to head it and you do keep it in the stadium.