Josh Sims - Confimred?

[Hound]

Aluko is a weird player and a very weird signing

Cannot see how he fits into PCs team at all. Be a proper case of a fudge if we get him into the first 11

Imagine it will be 4-4-2 with Barrow and Sims on the wings, with Bod and Baldock up front, backed up with McNulty and Meite

Popa, McCleary, Harriott, Aluko etc on the bench as subs for the wingers

Personally then would play Swift + Meyler or Bacuna in CM and the back 4 should pick itself

[Old Man Andrews]

Aluko is a weird player and a very weird signing

Cannot see how he fits into PCs team at all. Be a proper case of a fudge if we get him into the first 11

Imagine it will be 4-4-2 with Barrow and Sims on the wings, with Bod and Baldock up front, backed up with McNulty and Meite

Popa, McCleary, Harriott, Aluko etc on the bench as subs for the wingers

Personally then would play Swift + Meyler or Bacuna in CM and the back 4 should pick itself

Don't see Harriott or McCleary ever getting a look in, hope thats the case anyway. McCleary is only still here because he got injured, Clement would have launched him out the door otherwise surely? Big earner and brings very little to the table these days.

[windermereROYAL]

It really says something about my club when people are getting enthusiastic at the prospect of a Southampton reserve joining us on loan.

Just fold now

Negotiations with Messi broke down so we went for our second choice. how the hell are we going to get someone in who is a 1st team regular at their own club?

[Stranded]

Aluko is a weird player and a very weird signing

Cannot see how he fits into PCs team at all. Be a proper case of a fudge if we get him into the first 11

Imagine it will be 4-4-2 with Barrow and Sims on the wings, with Bod and Baldock up front, backed up with McNulty and Meite

Popa, McCleary, Harriott, Aluko etc on the bench as subs for the wingers

Personally then would play Swift + Meyler or Bacuna in CM and the back 4 should pick itself

I could understand why we signed Aluko at the time - he had come off the back of a decent season at Fulham and should have been an upgrade on McCleary. The issue as I see it is that he is a great player to have in a confident team but a luxury in a struggling one. If we had pushed on last season as hoped, he would be a fans favourite now.

With Sims in and available tomorrow, I would like to see the following team:

Mannone

Yiadom
Ilori
Moore (c)
Blackett

Sims
Meyler
Bacuna
Barrow (if fit)

Baldock
McNulty

If Barrow is not fit then Meite. Slightly defensive CM partnership but will give us a solid base and Bacuna can be a box to box player.

[Stranded]

It really says something about my club when people are getting enthusiastic at the prospect of a Southampton reserve joining us on loan.

Just fold now

Given Soton fans seem genuinely pissed off that he has come on loan instead of being in their first team, I can understand and embrace the enthusiasm.

[Vision]

* Aluko is not a winger. Aside from spunking too much money on him our biggest oxf*rd has been constantly playing him as one and expecting a positive outcome.

What is he then. He isn't a central midfielder or striker either. Wing appears to be the place where he's best.

He is most definitely a winger. He might not be a very good one but that is his natural position.

He's a supplementary forward usually playing a little deeper than the main striker (not that we've ever used him as such to my memory)or he's an inside forward in a front three. He's not a winger any more than Darren Caskey was a winger despite playing as the Widest right of the midfielders or Mo Salah isjust beacause he plays as a wide forward in a front 3

"Wingers" are a different thing. Jimmy Kebe was a winger. Glen Little was a winger. Both Barrow and and MCleary could be described as wingers although they can also operate more centrally at times.. Aluko doesn't function in the same way. Wingers take players on the outside as well as the inside and put crosses in. This has rarely been and seemingly never will be Aluko's game.

Thankfully from the little I've seen of him Josh Sims would fit the position much better if that's how we want him to operate.

[NewCorkSeth]

* Aluko is not a winger. Aside from spunking too much money on him our biggest oxf*rd has been constantly playing him as one and expecting a positive outcome.

What is he then. He isn't a central midfielder or striker either. Wing appears to be the place where he's best.

He plays like a bad number 10 shunted out on to the wing.. Maybe he's a bad number 10?

[Maguire]

I saw Josh Sims on a Sky Sports programme called "Phenoms" over the summer where they followed him through recovery form injury and back into first team training.

Couldn't get a feel for what he was like as a player but he came across pretty well IIRC

[Vision]

* Aluko is not a winger. Aside from spunking too much money on him our biggest oxf*rd has been constantly playing him as one and expecting a positive outcome.

What is he then. He isn't a central midfielder or striker either. Wing appears to be the place where he's best.

He plays like a bad number 10 shunted out on to the wing.. Maybe he's a bad number 10?

Well quite. Imagine putting John Swift out there. How effective do we think he would be?

[Woodcote Royal]

We signed a player who had a great record as a goal scorer in this division on loan last season, and he was genuinely as bad a player as Inhave seen at the club in the last 5 year’s

You complain we have no pace, movement or quality up front (which I disagree with) and we sign someone who apparently has pace, movement and quality and you complain on that

We have an abundance of wingers, but 2 have been injured for nearly 2 years, 1 is also injury prone, questions about his attitude and ability, 1 is just rubbish and 1 is Barrow.

Signing anyone of those players you mentioned on huge money would be in no way a sensible transfer policy

After watching the game on Sat, it was painfully obvious we needed another winger. Good signing imo

Agreed

[Woodcote Royal]

There is no such finer rain as fine rain.

Jeez mate, turn it in.....

+1

[John Smith]

It really says something about my club when people are getting enthusiastic at the prospect of a Southampton reserve joining us on loan.

Just fold now

Negotiations with Messi broke down so we went for our second choice. how the hell are we going to get someone in who is a 1st team regular at their own club?

We can do that quite easily. We are better and a lot more attractive than most teams you know? They don't necessarily need to be expensive signings either. There is no excuse for signing dross.

[Theroyalbox]

It really says something about my club when people are getting enthusiastic at the prospect of a Southampton reserve joining us on loan.

Just fold now

Negotiations with Messi broke down so we went for our second choice. how the hell are we going to get someone in who is a 1st team regular at their own club?

We can do that quite easily. We are better and a lot more attractive than most teams you know? They don't necessarily need to be expensive signings either. There is no excuse for signing Josh.

[Since 1964]

We go all summer whinging and complaining about the lack of a quality striker during the last 18 month, we start the season with a punt from a lower league, Bod whose career goal average is almost 1 in 6 and Baldock who has scored 18 goals in 79 appearances in the championship. Not complete shit by any means, but definitely not high pedigree and he missed almost an entire season last year at Brighton. We start the season utter shit, again, like most people thought we would. What is our next signing to address 1 goal in 3 games? Another oxf*rd winger of which we have an abundance.

The problem wasn't Stam, It's not Clement or whichever manager will be next, its the oxf*rd idiotic, ridiculous recruitment by individuals with no awareness or quite simply ulterior motives ( possible financially). This guy is probably a decent player, I have no issues with whether or not he may add something, but the problem is so painfully obvious we have no pace, movement, quality in front of goal or anything that will put fear into the opposition and we keep adding to other areas instead. What the hell are they doing?

Jordan Rhodes, Scott Hogan, Bamford and even Oliveira is still knocking around. We could have even stuck a bid in for Gestede. These are all people who have scored goals and been quality in this division at some point and are all under 30 still. Would they all work out? Probably not, but there is a lot more there to suggest with the right coaching, regular playing time and team dynamic they could reach that form again. There's others that fit this category as well so I don't want to hear strikers with pedigree don't grow on trees, there is enough to chose from if you have a sensible transfer policy. We don't. Goals win games. Wake up.

[Sutekh]

What is he then. He isn't a central midfielder or striker either. Wing appears to be the place where he's best.

He is most definitely a winger. He might not be a very good one but that is his natural position.

He's a supplementary forward usually playing a little deeper than the main striker (not that we've ever used him as such to my memory)or he's an inside forward in a front three. He's not a winger any more than Darren Caskey was a winger despite playing as the Widest right of the midfielders or Mo Salah isjust beacause he plays as a wide forward in a front 3

"Wingers" are a different thing. Jimmy Kebe was a winger. Glen Little was a winger. Both Barrow and and MCleary could be described as wingers although they can also operate more centrally at times.. Aluko doesn't function in the same way. Wingers take players on the outside as well as the inside and put crosses in. This has rarely been and seemingly never will be Aluko's game.

Thankfully from the little I've seen of him Josh Sims would fit the position much better if that's how we want him to operate.

I can see that argument and would also say that Meite would be intended for a similar role (and looks to be better at it). Of whats left I would say that Sims, Popa and Barrow are actual wingers while Harriott and McCleary seem to primarily be there to provide an injury situation.

[Starry Blue Hooped Wonder]

I think Sims could be a good signing. As was mentioned several times on the Bolton back from the game thread, we were crying out for proper width as an alternative way to break down the defence once they had scored and locked up the middle of the pitch. Given that Barrow seems the only other effective wide player we have then Sims helps give a better balance to the side and also means we have an alternative to Aluko (who in my opinion is not a wide player).

As for the front line, I think that the McNulty / Baldock partnership has promise and also gives options for attacking through the middle as well as using width. It needs time to see whether that promise turns into a genuine partnership, and also needs some quality supply from both out wide and through the middle to have a chance. Having Bod and Miete as attacking alternatives allows us to mix up the front line as well.

So, I'm happy with Sims as a loan signing. Lets see how it works.

[RoyalBlue]

So we had too many wingers then not enough and who will get on the end of crosses?...Bod or the tall McNulty...Who's running the club FFS

Two things:

1) The crosses don't need to all be in the air, in fact it pays to vary them!
2) You don't necessarily need to be a tall barsteward to be very effective in the air.

[MoorgateRoyal]

I saw Josh Sims on a Sky Sports programme called "Phenoms" over the summer where they followed him through recovery form injury and back into first team training.

Couldn't get a feel for what he was like as a player but he came across pretty well IIRC

I saw that too. Seems like a nice lad.

Seeing Jack Butland cry was a bit sad though.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

So we had too many wingers then not enough and who will get on the end of crosses?...Bod or the tall McNulty...Who's running the club FFS

Two things:

1) The crosses don't need to all be in the air, in fact it pays to vary them!
2) You don't necessarily need to be a tall barsteward to be very effective in the air.

+1

[NewCorkSeth]

Some great reactions here.. anyone got a saints supporting mate? I only knows Sims from football manager but if that was anything to go by (it isnt) he should be a damn sight better than Aluko.

Not that that would be especially difficult....

If he's a halfway decent winger we have literally doubled our attacking threat down the wings. A fit Barrow on one side and Sims on the other should be good enough. It might even force Aluko to put in some good performances to try win his spot back.