"Swedish players"

Don't think eskilstuna have scored many goals at all this season have they? might be worth looking at who mj had during his season there and where they are this season

Quoted from forza ivano

Don't think eskilstuna have scored many goals at all this season have they? might be worth looking at who mj had during his season there and where they are this season

Yes and maybe players that he has come across aswell from the opposing teams. He’d have had a list of transfer targets during his tenure in Sweden 🇸🇪

At least January gives us something to hope for but let’s not get too hopeful for a miracle signing or 3

I am afraid we are going round  and round in ever decreasing circles, during the close season we bring in anywhere between 10 and 15 new players, the majority on 1 year deals, then 12 months later go through it all again. The hope is that one season they will gel and we have a decent season, only to go through it all again in the close season.

Quoted from Gaffer58

I am afraid we are going round  and round in ever decreasing circles, during the close season we bring in anywhere between 10 and 15 new players, the majority on 1 year deals, then 12 months later go through it all again. The hope is that one season they will gel and we have a decent season, only to go through it all again in the close season.

Thought many are on 2 year deals now?

Jolley definitely said, or at least strongly alluded to the fact, that he was looking to bring in a few from Sweden in the January window.  

Which is fine, we lack quality in key areas.  I think we lack a beast of a centre-half, a natural left-back who can stay fit, some proper width, a creative/goalscoring midfielder and most importantly a pure, selfish as hell, kicks his granny out the way goalscorer.

At centre-back we've got 4 guys in covering two positions.  Whitmore has actually impressed me the last month or so and he and Collins have formed a good pairing, albeit one that lacks a bit of pace.  I know Davis is long-term injured but we're still paying a wage.  Can't really see us bringing in a fifth centre-back.  

We're paying Fox and Dixon a wage despite getting no return at the minute, be it through injury or out of favour.  We've got Hendrie contracted on loan for the rest of the season so I can't really see much flexibility to bring a 3rd natural left-back in.

Width wise I suppose this is the least urgent, definitely on paper anyway.  Jolley sees Embleton and Hooper as wide players, he isn't averse to playing Vernam out there and he's got Pringle waiting for a run in the side.  Add to that Max Wright can be brought back in at any time if needed.  He's also played Woolford out wide before.  That's six options available to him, five if you discount Vernam which still doesn't leave a lot of room for bringing someone in.

Creative/goalscoring midfield.  Again an area where we've got a host of options (Rose, Clifton, Hessenthaler, Welsh and Woolford) all vying for two places.  Rose and Clifton are a decent pairing, the best I've seen of those names listed, but they lack both creativity and the ability to get forward and either support the striker or go beyond him.    Whitehouse may well be that type of player and I think Jolley had placed a lot of his eggs in that basket in the summer.  His return will be a big boost but can we wait out until then?  If not can we get someone in who can do that job without overloading an already decent sized squad?

Up top we've got Thomas, Cook and Vernam who will all feel they should have a starting role.  Akheem Rose is chomping at the bit to start plus the forgotten Louis Robles is still around (I think!).  Harry Cardwell may also get fit at some point too.  The first three are probably decent earners whereas the second three less of a strain on the budget.  It's still six professionals vying for two, sometimes one, starting berth.  

Maybe Jolley has held back a little of his budget for new signings in the window but unless we manage to offload a few bodies we're going to have a massive squad, again.

You forgot about Famewo (who certainly has a lot of potential - but will he get a start?) so I don't think we've got a 'vacancy' at centre back.

I think we could do with some real pace either out wide or up front because that's one thing our attack is lacking. Rose obviously has this but he's clearly very raw - don't forget that he was dropped at Boston the other month when on loan, despite nicking a couple of goals. If he's not ready to play regularly at that level, chances are he's not ready to start game at this level either. Certainly worth having him on the bench as a potential impact sub, however.

Vernam is quite quick and tricky but seems to be lacking an end product at the moment. Not enough shots or crosses wherever he plays for all his running. Question is what sort of a player is he? I don't think he can play through the middle with our current set up and he's a little lightweight so tends to be playing from wide areas as often as not. One of many players we've had in recent seasons (including Embleton) who theoretically should be playing the attacking midfield/deep forward role, receiving the ball with space to run into (I'm also thinking Osbourne and Jones from the other year), but we don't have the forwards capable of holding up the ball to make this space or the midfielders who are capable of holding up their end of things in the middle.

I included Famewo in the four centre backs.  I don't think there's a vacancy in terms of numbers, far from it.  I just think we lack one with certain attributes.

Embleton sort of played in that attacking midfield role on Saturday and he just got dragged back into a deeper role, further isolating Thomas.  I don't think he's a winger but he would have had more chance of influencing the game out there.  When he got on the ball he was dangerous but the ball never really found him often enough.  As you've said, Thomas doesn't hold the ball up, isn't his game, so it's difficult for someone in that No 10 type role to get involved without someone to play off.  We've a lot of similar type players, especially in attacking areas which must make us quite easy to defend against.

Vernam isn't a winger at all.  I don't know what Jolley is thinking when he plays him there.  Other than his relative pace, I see nothing in him that suggest he can do a job out there.  In fact he's the last of all the strikers that I would pick to play there.  

Have we ever had a Swedish player? I can't see many players busting a gut to come to BP if they are living over there. On the other hand, if they don't get paid in the close season, they might just come until their season starts again?

Quoted from GrimRob

Have we ever had a Swedish player?

Martin Pringle?

In a way I feel sorry for any striker who joins the club in January whether he's Swedish, Mongolian or Yorkie.

The expectations are getting so enormous because the lack of goals has become critical. There is a danger that the pressure on any new striker could be so much that if he does not score in his first couple of games he will be seen in the same light as Hooper and Vernam and start to fudge chances like them.

So I'm hoping the manager uses a bit of common sense and does a lot of work on set pieces and on getting more players into the box in open play so we at least get on the scoresheet. We cannot afford to wait for a late Christmas present from Sweden or anywhere else.