Early thoughts on the January transfer window - #onthewhistle LIVE - video Dailymotion

Sunderland Echo

Phil Smith and BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes take questions from Sunderland fan at The Bridge Hotel Vaults

Transcript

00:00I'll throw this to this one, to you, Barnsley.

00:02Liam says, if any, what transfers do you envisage in January?

00:09Yes, I think they will be, and I think they'll go again for, look at me, from Bologna.

00:15I think that's still one that they really want to try and get over the line.

00:21So, and I think they'll also be very, very conscious that, you know,

00:27with a run-in to the end of the season and whatever their league position

00:30that they'll want to strengthen, and they'll know where the weaknesses are

00:33in the squad coming into December, the new year.

00:37So, I think, yeah, definitely there'll be, there will be signings.

00:42I'd be surprised if they're not.

00:43And I think there'll be outs as well.

00:45Obviously, they will try and shift what they call the bomb squad.

00:50I'd be amazed if they didn't go back in for Lusumi,

00:53given how much they pursued him in the summer.

00:55And the fact that Gatroyda came in on an initial loan deal

00:58on deadline day as well, I think, suggested that he was someone

01:01they turned to when they couldn't get Lusumi now.

01:03Between now and then, Gatroyda might play brilliantly

01:06and we might go ahead and do that deal.

01:07But I'd be amazed if they didn't go for him.

01:09I think beyond that, it's going to depend on,

01:12especially what the forward players do between now and January.

01:15Because I think at the moment, there's a chance that we might need

01:17a bit of reinforcements in that area,

01:19because obviously the output hasn't been amazing so far this season.

01:22But I think a lot of it's going to be dependent on what form

01:25those players can produce between now and then.

01:32So Harry says, this follows on from that,

01:34which position do you think is a priority to strengthen?

01:37I mean, I would say probably out wide,

01:39but I think a lot does depend on how, for example,

01:41Mundell does when he comes back,

01:42because I really do think he's got something.

01:44But if the window was opening tomorrow,

01:46I think the wide areas would be where I'm looking.

01:48What do you think?

01:48I'd agree wholeheartedly.

01:50I said it earlier.

01:51I'm not convinced that the wings at the moment,

01:53they've got the right cover.

01:55I don't think Talby or Odinger have necessarily pulled up trees.

01:58I think Talby looks better on the left, funnily enough.

02:01And they work hard enough, but they're not quite there.

02:05Just looking for that extra little bit from them.

02:09So I think they would look at the wings.

02:11They'll always look at forwards,

02:12because that's the one area you're always looking to try and improve.

02:15Defence-wise, they're pretty much all there.

02:19But again, I agree with you.

02:20I think going back to Bologna to try and get Lukame, Luchimi,

02:24or however he's pronounced,

02:26I think that's probably on the cards.

02:28We don't play in a way that massively suits wingers at the moment, Duga.

02:31I think that's the one caveat that you have to give for our forward players.

02:34It's not as if we're dominating possession,

02:36and they've got loads and loads of opportunities to thrive, is there?

02:40So I think we do, especially with a young lad like Talby,

02:42I think we do have to give him a bit of credit.

02:43And as you say, I think he's looked a lot better off the left.

02:45I'd like to see him play there.

02:47But in terms of the team at the moment,

02:48that is currently the area you can most improve.

02:50Well, I think they're trying to get Lefeu in the middle,

02:52and they're trying to get the ball through the middle.

02:56I mean, I thought Traore,

02:57I probably expect a little bit more of him as a winger,

03:01but I mean, and he arguably should have had a penalty on Saturday.

03:06Adingra, you know, from what we knew of him before,

03:10blows hot and cold on this day.

03:11He can be absolutely fantastic, other days he can disappear.

03:14I think we're seeing a sort of trait of that at the minute.

03:17I mean, I don't think he did anything wrong,

03:19particularly at the weekend, to get substituted,

03:20because that was more of the, you know,

03:23you just had to change the system.

03:24You just had to try and get the extra man in there

03:26to stop Man United, which they did.

03:28So I think what the other benefit of this squad,

03:32the way it's set up at the minute,

03:33is it is versatile, and players can switch, mix and match.

03:38Trouder comes on, plays in midfield.

03:41Taubi plays out on the left.

03:42So they are very versatile.

03:44They can move players around the pitch.

03:45Lefeu can play left, he can play middle.

03:48Meyenda can play in the middle, he can play on the right.

03:49So they've all got that.

03:52That is actually a bonus in this squad, I think.

03:54I think, just one point before that,

03:57I can't even remember what the question was,

03:58but we're just rambling on.

03:59But I think Eddinger has been a little bit unlucky so far.

04:02He should have had an assist on the opening day.

04:04He played that lovely pass at Talby, missed at Burnley.

04:06If Traore scores on Saturday, that's another assist.

04:09I know it was flagged offside,

04:11but when I saw the replay, I don't think he was.

04:12So I think it's been quite fine lines with Eddinger.

04:15So I think he potentially could still be a big player for us.

04:18Bill, sorry, on that,

04:20do you not think we really missed Talby on Saturday?

04:22Did we miss Talby on Saturday?

04:25Yeah, I thought that we were a little over-ambitious on Saturday.

04:30And I thought that I quite like, as I've just said,

04:33I think Eddinger has been a little bit unfortunate so far this season,

04:37but I don't think him and Masuaku at the moment,

04:40for where we are as a team, is the right combination.

04:42And it was in the first 10, 15 minutes watching that game,

04:46we were pressing much higher than I've seen us do

04:49at any point this season,

04:50and leaving more space than we've done

04:52at any other point this season.

04:53And I was like, this is quite exciting,

04:55but like, bloody hell, that's a little bit terrifying as well.

04:58So to be fair, it's fine lines.

05:00If we score that goal early,

05:02the whole mood around Old Trafford changes.

05:03Barnsley mentioned that coming into the game.

05:05So I think we probably did miss Talby's work rate on Saturday.

05:08I think there's a reason why he played every game so far this season before then,

05:12because he runs his socks off and he tracks back.

05:15So I think, I'm hopeful that Saturday is one that we learn a few lessons from,

05:19because I think we were just a little bit, maybe, naive over-ambitious.

05:23I think it's got to be a little bit back to basics after the international.

Early thoughts on the January transfer window - #onthewhistle LIVE

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