The January 2026 Transfer Window Thread

[cwmdonkinjack]

At 36, I hope Joel Ward is fitter than Santos. Obviously a wealth of experience at the top level but we could also do with more pace at the back

 

[Smurph]

But if I'm the manager of a club I'm not looking to use players who are not good enough and potentially losing my job because I don't win enough games.

Matos is not the first manager to overlook Parker.

I’m referring to youth in general.

When Matos was appointed and during the last update they mentioned his pedigree for developing youth players.

 

[Smurph]

Were you actually at those games? Or do you need a trip to specsavers?

He counted them all on his TV

 

[PenlanJack]

He counted them all on his TV

I've had a season ticket for 23 years

 

[Smurph]

I've had a season ticket for 23 years

 

[Muteswan]

At 36, I hope Joel Ward is fitter than Santos. Obviously a wealth of experience at the top level but we could also do with more pace at the back

We’ll see very soon. Just signed until the end of the season.

 

[Menston4128]

I’m referring to youth in general.

When Matos was appointed and during the last update they mentioned his pedigree for developing youth players.

Same prinicple applies, they have to be good enough.

Age shouldn't be a barrier to playing, if you good enough then your old enough.

 

[Smurph]

Same prinicple applies, they have to be good enough.

Age shouldn't be a barrier to playing, if you good enough then your old enough.

Absolutely, I do question the level of fitness in a 36 year old who has only played 180 minutes of competitive football in 18 months.

This debate could go on and on, ultimately the lad has signed and there’s little we can do apart from watch it play out over the next six months.

 

[Menston4128]

Absolutely, I do question the level of fitness in a 36 year old who has only played 180 minutes of competitive football in 18 months.

This debate could go on and on, ultimately the lad has signed and there’s little we can do apart from watch it play out over the next six months.

It will be interesting to see where he's at fitness wise, when Christie signed last year he was clearly overweight and never got fit.

Ward maybe a naturally fit person or have kept himself fit and only need to get his match fitness together, he has been a premier league player for over a decade so might well find the Championship relatively easy.

Will we see him against WBA as there is nothing to lose and he could get match minutes in him for the get go.

 

[Smurph]

It will be interesting to see where he's at fitness wise, when Christie signed last year he was clearly overweight and never got fit.

Ward maybe a naturally fit person or have kept himself fit and only need to get his match fitness together, he has been a premier league player for over a decade so might well find the Championship relatively easy.

Will we see him against WBA as there is nothing to lose and he could get match minutes in him for the get go.

At 36 with hardly any competitive football in 18 months, I'd be very surprised if he's ready to go.

We can go back and forth on this for ages, we're never going to agree. Only time will tell if this was an inspired signing or a complete waste of money.

 

[DZJJack]

Where to start with this to be honest, but just a few comments.

There is no maximum permitted expenditure. There’s a rolling three year maximum permitted loss which excludes certain of the club’s costs. Increase income, increase expenditure, or don’t, but expenditure itself is not limited under FFP rules. (And the permitted loss is higher this three year period as they’ve increased it from £39m to £41m or £41.5m - can’t remember which). The only possible worry would be this year as year three. This year as year two and year one should not be an issue if revenue increases.

Funds on players obviously impacts FFP but they’ve been signed over long term contracts which spreads the impact. We made substantial reductions on annual expenditure as we lost several of our highest paid players and overall more went out than came in in terms of numbers . Even retirees gained us a significant sum every week. And others were put onto longer term deals (Tymon for example) which reduced impact on FFP.
Our FFP position would be helped btw if we didn’t sack a manager and staff every few months… and why have Britton and Allen if it’s so tight?

No idea why our current financial position is described as ‘precarious’. It certainly shouldn’t be and if it is, that’s mismanagement.

If we make a sale, it needs to be Vipotnik. He is the worst fit long term for Matos’ system of those that we could get anything for. Given Idah’s injury and the seeming lack of readiness of Wales, that obviously would leave a gap that we’d have to fill.

I don’t think many supporters think that a ‘late dash for the play offs’ is particularly realistic. It’s not only points but the number of clubs above us. We’re not going to catch them all (are there 9 between us and the play offs?) - a couple of them will inevitably put good runs together however we do unless we suddenly transform completely. That’s why someone like Ward seems a waste.

On the player front, we all hope they develop - I’m not sure Burgess is one for the future btw as well as Santos - and I’m surprised to hear Sheehan and O’Dea were so responsible for by far the biggest transfer of them all given the past few months have been all about saying that no one has done anything re our incomings apart from Worth and Gorringe…

As a final point. Understand the club wants Galbraith as midfield instead of right back, but signing a player who ‘won’t start many matches’ won’t actually change that. If Key is viewed as this season’s right back with Ward as back up to move Galbraith to midfield then he could have been playing there for the last few weeks. If Key’s not seen as the permanent answer then bringing in someone below him will still mean Galbraith plays there. We’d have been better bringing in a right back rather than Yalcouye or Stamenic. Or let Yalcouye return to Brighton now and bring in a right back loan. That argument makes no sense.

It may surprise you, due to the adversarial tone you have taken, but I agree with every single point you have made in this very detailed post. You have a greater understanding of the technical language in relation to the financial rulings which seems to be your greatest dissent, but I believe the conclusion is the same, we have limited scope to spend money this January.

 

[Cinio Dydd Sul]

A dodgy twitter account says we've bid for Barnsley defender Jack Shepherd

 

[J_B]

A dodgy twitter account says we've bid for Barnsley defender Jack Shepherd

Another defender? Are we playing for about 20 nil - nils for the remainder of the season?
Then again, he’s a Jack who likes sheep. What’s not to like?

 

[Londonlisa2001]

It may surprise you, due to the adversarial tone you have taken, but I agree with every single point you have made in this very detailed post. You have a greater understanding of the technical language in relation to the financial rulings which seems to be your greatest dissent, but I believe the conclusion is the same, we have limited scope to spend money this January.

My tone wasn’t meant to be adversarial so apologies if it was read that way.

I actually thought your post was an interesting starting point for a good debate on several issues.

(My writing style is often far more brusque than intended. Decades of crafting legalise and financial documents sometimes make it more pointed than is meant particularly when on the subject of financial management).

Anyway. Agree re scope in January. I also think it’s a waste of money to spend this window unless it is felt that the money out will change the outcome of the season, i.e. avoid relegation, achieve promotion, achieve play offs.

I’m not sure we are in that position this year. I’ve said before that I think we will finish 10th - just a feeling to be honest. But I certainly don’t think we will be relegated - I think Matos’ injection of energy will gain enough points, particularly at home. Likewise I don’t believe the inherent quality of this year’s squad will see us reach the playoffs. I mean, there is always a chance - that season where we needed a ridiculous last game goal swing over Forest and did it showed that. But the squad isn’t of the right quality for that to happen 99 out of 100. And that’s a gamble not worth taking when money is tight.

The rest of the season should be about the future. If there’s a good buy out there that will helps for the future then we can make that happen.
But my issue with the Ward signing is that it hinders the development of Parker imo. It is what it is, it’s not my money, and now that he’s here I hope he does really well when called upon. And it may be that Parker isn’t seen as good enough. But then Davies wasn’t really seen as good enough either until Taylor broke his leg two days or so after the window closed a few years ago (seems like a lifetime ago to be honest). And we know what happened then. Ward seems from his interviews like a good guy and I hope he helps the squad in the widest possible way.

On the Galbraith issue. I am not convinced that playing him at right back is wrong anyway. He may not like it, but our team is better for it. Not only at right back where he can have huge influence (albeit he needs to be better disciplined positionally - knowing when to move in and when to stay out - he’s been caught a few times in the last couple of games), but because I like Stamenic in the team and he and Galbraith haven’t worked well together in the midfield as yet. They are occupying the same space much of the time when both are there, which cramps Stamenic in particular. I don’t think either of them is a more natural attacking midfielder so it’s hard to play one further forward and if one is injured it’s great to have both, but while they are both available Galbraith out wide solves a problem.

What we do need to address is further forward. Not necessarily this window, but in the summer. Vipotnik is not the right player, and we lack creative quality both centrally and out wide. The player I’m most disappointed with is Inoussa. He started with promise but at the moment hasn’t kicked on to show that he can deliver that promise.

Hopefully he will. And hopefully Idah when recovered can start to show the qualities that he has as well. We need more though,

 

[bakajack]

My tone wasn’t meant to be adversarial so apologies if it was read that way.

I actually thought your post was an interesting starting point for a good debate on several issues.

(My writing style is often far more brusque than intended. Decades of crafting legalise and financial documents sometimes make it more pointed than is meant particularly when on the subject of financial management).

Anyway. Agree re scope in January. I also think it’s a waste of money to spend this window unless it is felt that the money out will change the outcome of the season, i.e. avoid relegation, achieve promotion, achieve play offs.

I’m not sure we are in that position this year. I’ve said before that I think we will finish 10th - just a feeling to be honest. But I certainly don’t think we will be relegated - I think Matos’ injection of energy will gain enough points, particularly at home. Likewise I don’t believe the inherent quality of this year’s squad will see us reach the playoffs. I mean, there is always a chance - that season where we needed a ridiculous last game goal swing over Forest and did it showed that. But the squad isn’t of the right quality for that to happen 99 out of 100. And that’s a gamble not worth taking when money is tight.

The rest of the season should be about the future. If there’s a good buy out there that will helps for the future then we can make that happen.
But my issue with the Ward signing is that it hinders the development of Parker imo. It is what it is, it’s not my money, and now that he’s here I hope he does really well when called upon. And it may be that Parker isn’t seen as good enough. But then Davies wasn’t really seen as good enough either until Taylor broke his leg two days or so after the window closed a few years ago (seems like a lifetime ago to be honest). And we know what happened then. Ward seems from his interviews like a good guy and I hope he helps the squad in the widest possible way.

On the Galbraith issue. I am not convinced that playing him at right back is wrong anyway. He may not like it, but our team is better for it. Not only at right back where he can have huge influence (albeit he needs to be better disciplined positionally - knowing when to move in and when to stay out - he’s been caught a few times in the last couple of games), but because I like Stamenic in the team and he and Galbraith haven’t worked well together in the midfield as yet. They are occupying the same space much of the time when both are there, which cramps Stamenic in particular. I don’t think either of them is a more natural attacking midfielder so it’s hard to play one further forward and if one is injured it’s great to have both, but while they are both available Galbraith out wide solves a problem.

What we do need to address is further forward. Not necessarily this window, but in the summer. Vipotnik is not the right player, and we lack creative quality both centrally and out wide. The player I’m most disappointed with is Inoussa. He started with promise but at the moment hasn’t kicked on to show that he can deliver that promise.

Hopefully he will. And hopefully Idah when recovered can start to show the qualities that he has as well. We need more though,

On the topic of Inoussa:

When he first got here he was always using clever flicks or first touches to get the ball past his man, open up a little bit of space either down the line or coming inside opening up the possibility of the overlap for Tymon.

Sheehan thoroughly coached that out of him, we have seen glimpses of him offering that again but it will take time and confidence for that to come back to him. Like you I also hope that he can grow to become the player the club thought he could become when they decided to invest a five year contract into him.