SHA Small Heath Alliance

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

Snoop

HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

HughBlue2

Snoop

HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

Snoop

HughBlue2

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HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

I think the take on 23-24 is poor, though I realise it is popular. We brought in 3 players to allow Mowbray to play his style of football and it was working as well. It would have, clearly, been stupid to sign a different set of players on the basis that Mowbray would get seriously ill in the future and have to be replaced. I feel confident that if not for the illness, we would have stayed up comfortably and most people wouldn't be complaining about the signings.

The 2024-25 signings played their role in us getting promoted with a world record points score - not sure it can sensibly be argued it it failed to meet the intent there, IMO.

HughBlue2

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HughBlue2

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HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

I think the take on 23-24 is poor, though I realise it is popular. We brought in 3 players to allow Mowbray to play his style of football and it was working as well. It would have, clearly, been stupid to sign a different set of players on the basis that Mowbray would get seriously ill in the future and have to be replaced. I feel confident that if not for the illness, we would have stayed up comfortably and most people wouldn't be complaining about the signings.

The 2024-25 signings played their role in us getting promoted with a world record points score - not sure it can sensibly be argued it it failed to meet the intent there, IMO.

Point taken with Mowbray and I accept that is fair. Pritchard was obviously a Mowbray player. Dozzell always felt like a panic loan due to other failed targets and came to us with a terrible injury record.

However, that season with centre backs we had Sanderson and Long (who was out of contract) who ended up going to America. That left us with Aiwu and calling in Marc Roberts from the cold.

Hogan was poor and Juke was an off the bench option. We essentially had Stanno as our only striker option. We were clearly light in both of those areas going into the window and neither were addressed.

I agree the 24/25 signings did their job. But only Dowell was signed to become a first team regular.

I’m not sure it’s feasible to expect them to manage to find 5 first team regular ready players in a January window.

I’ll obviously see what happens in the window and am genuinely interested who we manage to sign. 3-4 players would be a great window in my opinion.

We’re 40% of the way through the window and have signed 1 player.

Snoop

HughBlue2

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HughBlue2

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HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

I think the take on 23-24 is poor, though I realise it is popular. We brought in 3 players to allow Mowbray to play his style of football and it was working as well. It would have, clearly, been stupid to sign a different set of players on the basis that Mowbray would get seriously ill in the future and have to be replaced. I feel confident that if not for the illness, we would have stayed up comfortably and most people wouldn't be complaining about the signings.

The 2024-25 signings played their role in us getting promoted with a world record points score - not sure it can sensibly be argued it it failed to meet the intent there, IMO.

Point taken with Mowbray and I accept that is fair. Pritchard was obviously a Mowbray player. Dozzell always felt like a panic loan due to other failed targets and came to us with a terrible injury record.

However, that season with centre backs we had Sanderson and Long (who was out of contract) who ended up going to America. That left us with Aiwu and calling in Marc Roberts from the cold.

Hogan was poor and Juke was an off the bench option. We essentially had Stanno as our only striker option. We were clearly light in both of those areas going into the window and neither were addressed.

I agree the 24/25 signings did their job. But only Dowell was signed to become a first team regular.

I’m not sure it’s feasible to expect them to manage to find 5 first team regular ready players in a January window.

I’ll obviously see what happens in the window and am genuinely interested who we manage to sign. 3-4 players would be a great window in my opinion.

We’re 40% of the way through the window and have signed 1 player.

At the time it was said repeatedly that Dowell was a Mowbray signing - a player he'd tried to sign a couple of times before and was seen by him as a key part of having a midfield that could actually pass a ball.
You missed Bielik of your CB list - and obviously signing Dowell made it easier to use Bielik at CB.
We were short up front but it isn't generally easy to pick up certain strikers on the cheap in the January window, and, as said, we did seem to have enough with Mowbray there.

Carlos Costly

I'm guessing you mean Dozzell?

HughBlue2

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Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

I think the take on 23-24 is poor, though I realise it is popular. We brought in 3 players to allow Mowbray to play his style of football and it was working as well. It would have, clearly, been stupid to sign a different set of players on the basis that Mowbray would get seriously ill in the future and have to be replaced. I feel confident that if not for the illness, we would have stayed up comfortably and most people wouldn't be complaining about the signings.

The 2024-25 signings played their role in us getting promoted with a world record points score - not sure it can sensibly be argued it it failed to meet the intent there, IMO.

Point taken with Mowbray and I accept that is fair. Pritchard was obviously a Mowbray player. Dozzell always felt like a panic loan due to other failed targets and came to us with a terrible injury record.

However, that season with centre backs we had Sanderson and Long (who was out of contract) who ended up going to America. That left us with Aiwu and calling in Marc Roberts from the cold.

Hogan was poor and Juke was an off the bench option. We essentially had Stanno as our only striker option. We were clearly light in both of those areas going into the window and neither were addressed.

I agree the 24/25 signings did their job. But only Dowell was signed to become a first team regular.

I’m not sure it’s feasible to expect them to manage to find 5 first team regular ready players in a January window.

I’ll obviously see what happens in the window and am genuinely interested who we manage to sign. 3-4 players would be a great window in my opinion.

We’re 40% of the way through the window and have signed 1 player.

At the time it was said repeatedly that Dowell was a Mowbray signing - a player he'd tried to sign a couple of times before and was seen by him as a key part of having a midfield that could actually pass a ball.
You missed Bielik of your CB list - and obviously signing Dowell made it easier to use Bielik at CB.
We were short up front but it isn't generally easy to pick up certain strikers on the cheap in the January window, and, as said, we did seem to have enough with Mowbray there.

Bielik who played in holding midfield next to Sunjic most of the season? He didn’t even play in Centre Back until mid January at Stoke away due to injuries.

Of his 35 appearances, 26 of them were in holding midfield and going in to the January window he hadn’t played at centre back all season.

Also Dowell a Mowbray signing the season after? I’m confused.

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HughBlue2

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HughBlue2

Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

I think the take on 23-24 is poor, though I realise it is popular. We brought in 3 players to allow Mowbray to play his style of football and it was working as well. It would have, clearly, been stupid to sign a different set of players on the basis that Mowbray would get seriously ill in the future and have to be replaced. I feel confident that if not for the illness, we would have stayed up comfortably and most people wouldn't be complaining about the signings.

The 2024-25 signings played their role in us getting promoted with a world record points score - not sure it can sensibly be argued it it failed to meet the intent there, IMO.

Point taken with Mowbray and I accept that is fair. Pritchard was obviously a Mowbray player. Dozzell always felt like a panic loan due to other failed targets and came to us with a terrible injury record.

However, that season with centre backs we had Sanderson and Long (who was out of contract) who ended up going to America. That left us with Aiwu and calling in Marc Roberts from the cold.

Hogan was poor and Juke was an off the bench option. We essentially had Stanno as our only striker option. We were clearly light in both of those areas going into the window and neither were addressed.

I agree the 24/25 signings did their job. But only Dowell was signed to become a first team regular.

I’m not sure it’s feasible to expect them to manage to find 5 first team regular ready players in a January window.

I’ll obviously see what happens in the window and am genuinely interested who we manage to sign. 3-4 players would be a great window in my opinion.

We’re 40% of the way through the window and have signed 1 player.

At the time it was said repeatedly that Dowell was a Mowbray signing - a player he'd tried to sign a couple of times before and was seen by him as a key part of having a midfield that could actually pass a ball.
You missed Bielik of your CB list - and obviously signing Dowell made it easier to use Bielik at CB.
We were short up front but it isn't generally easy to pick up certain strikers on the cheap in the January window, and, as said, we did seem to have enough with Mowbray there.

Bielik who played in holding midfield next to Sunjic most of the season? He didn’t even play in Centre Back until mid January at Stoke away due to injuries.

Of his 35 appearances, 26 of them were in holding midfield and going in to the January window he hadn’t played at centre back all season.

Also Dowell a Mowbray signing the season after? I’m confused.

Mowbray came in, Bielik moved to CB.

Perhaps one might see cause and effect that we appointed a competent manager who wanted to build from the back and then started playing our best passing option for CB as a CB, and signed 3 ball playing midfielders?

HughBlue2

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Nikola Zigic

I'm sceptical mate, we don't seem to be very good at it, but let's see- plenty of time remaining.

I think we need to just accept it's going to be a real long shot to make the playoffs now this season and we should get the building blocks in place for the summer.

I’m also sceptical. If you look at our time under KH we have done very little January business. Not even sceptical of KH themselves, more it’s going to be a lot harder to address some issues in this window.

It will be interesting to see what business we are able to get done. I think 3/4 solid acquisitions would be a very good January window.

It’s a whole different ball game to summer windows.

3 the first one, 4 last time. We should be aiming for 5 this window.
Or past windows are a poor indicator of future behaviour.

We’re looking ideally for possibly 5 first team ready improvements this window.

In 23/24 we signed Paik and Alex Pritchard permanently and Andre Dozzell on loan. Paik has been a success ofcourse, Pritchard and Dozzell pretty disappointing.

In that window we were crying out for strikers and centre backs and addressed neither.

In 24/25 we signed Grant Hanley and Lee Myung Jae until the end of the season as cover who both left in the summer. Kurtis Haverhand on a perm for the academy.

Loaned in Kieran Dowell. Only Dowell became a regular in the team.

That’s why i’m saying 3-4 good signings would be a solid window. We’ve not managed it in a January under Knighthead and very few teams manage to do it at all.

And being fully sceptical, the last 2 January windows don’t show much promise for first team improving starting players being sourced in this window.

Like I say, January window is notoriously difficult and it’s best to accept some of the gaps identified won’t be filled until summer.

I think the take on 23-24 is poor, though I realise it is popular. We brought in 3 players to allow Mowbray to play his style of football and it was working as well. It would have, clearly, been stupid to sign a different set of players on the basis that Mowbray would get seriously ill in the future and have to be replaced. I feel confident that if not for the illness, we would have stayed up comfortably and most people wouldn't be complaining about the signings.

The 2024-25 signings played their role in us getting promoted with a world record points score - not sure it can sensibly be argued it it failed to meet the intent there, IMO.

Point taken with Mowbray and I accept that is fair. Pritchard was obviously a Mowbray player. Dozzell always felt like a panic loan due to other failed targets and came to us with a terrible injury record.

However, that season with centre backs we had Sanderson and Long (who was out of contract) who ended up going to America. That left us with Aiwu and calling in Marc Roberts from the cold.

Hogan was poor and Juke was an off the bench option. We essentially had Stanno as our only striker option. We were clearly light in both of those areas going into the window and neither were addressed.

I agree the 24/25 signings did their job. But only Dowell was signed to become a first team regular.

I’m not sure it’s feasible to expect them to manage to find 5 first team regular ready players in a January window.

I’ll obviously see what happens in the window and am genuinely interested who we manage to sign. 3-4 players would be a great window in my opinion.

We’re 40% of the way through the window and have signed 1 player.

At the time it was said repeatedly that Dowell was a Mowbray signing - a player he'd tried to sign a couple of times before and was seen by him as a key part of having a midfield that could actually pass a ball.
You missed Bielik of your CB list - and obviously signing Dowell made it easier to use Bielik at CB.
We were short up front but it isn't generally easy to pick up certain strikers on the cheap in the January window, and, as said, we did seem to have enough with Mowbray there.

Bielik who played in holding midfield next to Sunjic most of the season? He didn’t even play in Centre Back until mid January at Stoke away due to injuries.

Of his 35 appearances, 26 of them were in holding midfield and going in to the January window he hadn’t played at centre back all season.

Also Dowell a Mowbray signing the season after? I’m confused.

Mowbray came in, Bielik moved to CB.

Perhaps one might see cause and effect that we appointed a competent manager who wanted to build from the back and then started playing our best passing option for CB as a CB, and signed 3 ball playing midfielders?

Can see that point of view. Haven’t meant to come across as argumentative or dismissive of your views.

Just think January windows are difficult and these will prove to be the same.

Super Hans

I'd be amazed if a lower PL or someone like Ipswich wouldn't be interested for that cheap.