Riddler's playing left back.
Left back outside.
Confirmed Harrison Armstrong recalled by Everton.
Left back outside.
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So we can sign Connor Whickham of course!
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Yes. It was definitely because of Armstrong coming on after 62mins.
And nothing to do with them having a man sent off a few minutes later.
I'd love to know what our points per game with and without Armstrong is for this season; reckon it'd be pretty striking.
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I know he's not played much, but did you miss us signing Moran?
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I don't think Moran is a direct replacement, he came in because of a late offer for Mads.
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Selling Mads allowed us to purchase Moran. We were in contact with him for a while so it probably would've been a loan if it wasn't for that.
It wasn't possible for us to get a direct, like for like replacement for a player who doesn't look out of place in the Premier League.
I'd have been happy for a like for like replacement who looks competent in the Championship. To sell Thor, not get Armstrong back, and not sign someone who can carry the ball out from deep was criminal - particularly in a window in which we apparently spent £3.5m.
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Who would you have liked?
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I’d have signed good ole Barry Bunghole and found a formation to get him in the middle of the park dictating the play.
We’ve had years with McCann/Whiteman in the 2 CM roles and we know it doesn’t work.
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I really like Bannan, but it would've needed a change of shape really to go with it. Unless we signed him plus another midfielder to play in the no8 spot.
But people who like to say sideways and backwards wouldn't have liked him as a signing.
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Don't be a pillock. I'm just an ordinary fan who loves PNE. My days of being obsessive about player profiles at other clubs who might fit the bill for us are long gone.
The point I was making was that, with apparently £3.5m available to spend, we haven't signed someone with the profile that we desperately needed.
Did we need to sign a 10 with with a poor injury record in the last 12 months?
Did we need to sign another AM who hadn't played for 3 months?
Did we need a striker who, despite Hecky claiming to have followed him since he was playing for Heerenveen last season, isn't at the level needed yet to play in the Championship?
None of them were priorities for this window for me - not if the club were serious about trying to get in the play-offs. Maybe all three were signed with a view to preparing for next season, but, if so, that's a waste.
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Yep, I’d have switched to a back 4
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Someone who could rotate better with Dobbin was a priority.
People wanted another striker, and that's what they got. I didn't particularly think it was needed but hey ho. People love getting new strikers.
Midfield was a priority, there's not really many like for like replacements for Armstrong that are competent in the Championship that we'd actually be able to afford because he's got a good all-round skillset. So we've got a player in Moran who is decent with the ball, as that's what we'd be missing more from Armstrong's game, than his defensive side.
But Moran isn't ready to play clearly given he was unused last night. MLS season finished in November didn't it so he's had three months break coming in.
From what I remember at the plastics he is more advanced than Harrison so would be more replacement for Devine if he picks up injury.
With Armstrong going back it was really crucial to sign a tempo midfielder who could come in and start and that didn't happen.
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We weren't going to get someone as well rounded as Armstrong on our budget that's the issue. So you either sign someone who's better going forward or better defensively. And our bigger issues with Armstrong leaving would be in possession. But you don't want another deep playmaker as we'd lack that extra bit of quality in the final third still.
Signing Moran means we could play with Moran, Devine and Whiteman/McCann in the midfield three to give us more of an attacking thread in midfield again.
I said at the time it's going to be incredibly difficult to replace him because it was impossible to do so. Which is why we waited until we got full confirmation that he won't be coming back.
Surely Moran once he returned to BHA at the. end of November, would be training daily, playing in tactics games.
You would have thought he would not have been that far off match fitness, was that not considered when releasing other players and signing him.
Again you would expect PH to be involved at some stage of this process.🤔