Not sure if it's been mentioned but Maloney said recently that if Lang goes we're looking to replace him. With us already having more than 5 loans you can field i imagine we'd be looking to try and pick someone up who's current club is willing to allow them to leave on a free.
I fully expect Lang to go, it's just a case of how much we can get for him. It's a shame though as i think if used on the right he's a massive asset at this level, but he's simply not got the attributes to play as a no10 and we've pretty much refused to put him in his correct position no matter how much he's struggled in the middle. If he goes to Portsmouth he'll likely go back on the right and start banging in goals and assists again which will be frustrating.
I think the insistence on how we've used Lang this season has just been cutting off our nose to spite our face unfortunately as it's just destroyed his confidence, got the fans on his back and now he feels the need to leave.
If we wanted to try and put Lang in a different position for whatever reason we'd have been better trying to do what we did with Jones on the left and give him a try as an attacking right wing back at least when we were chasing games. He's got the workrate, energy and fitness to get up and down the pitch and it would allow him more chances to pick up the ball in space out wide and run 1 on 1 with the opposition full back. Which is his main strength that he's struggled to do in centre mid where he is often picking up the ball with his back to goal and crowded out or muscled off the ball. I'm not saying he'd definitely work as a wing back by any means, but i think he'd have had more chance there than in central attacking mid.
Considering Chambers and Goode arrived on the back of Balagizi and Rekik going back i think it's reasonable to assume that it'll be a 1 in 1 out between now and the window shutting.
Watts is clearly not wanted but it seems Newcastle wont allow us to send him back either, so i imagine his agent will be trying to find him a new club, so hopefully that will happen so we can free up a wage that will otherwise just be sitting in the stands every week.
I could see Wyke potentially attracting interest but his wages make his exit difficult for anyone. I could see Sze potentially getting a loan move which would be good for him too. There will probably also be some interest we're not expecting or wanting too but hopefully we wont lose any of our star men.
