Also - who knows what tactical systems he's been played in before? He's actually listed in more than one place as a left back and a left wing back, which tells me a decent amount of his previous appearances have been in a defensive role anyway, so his weak looking attacking stats don't bother me at all.
He has made 14 starts this season, 8 for Swansea and 6 for Norwich. He has only played as a full-back on 2 occasions and that was for Norwich. I am not sure if it was in the League Cup or the Championship. But it doesn't matter whether he's a full-back or a winger. Jodi Jones is a full-back and he has 24 assists in 3400 minutes this season. Placheta has managed 1 assist in 3200 minutes. Ok, Jones plays in the League One and Notts County have better strikers than we have but still...
If you ask me, I would raid Notts County and sign Jodi Jones (26 years old), Langstaff (27 years old) and Crowley (26 years old). I wouldn't gamble on Placheta, I wouldn't sign Lowe and I would get rid of Yates.
Langstaff, Cullen and Big Myk as strikers, Ginnelly can play as a striker as well
Crowley, Paterson and Oli Cooper as attacking midfielders
Jones, Ginnelly, Ronald and Sam Parker as wingers
Grimes, Fulton, Abdulai + two more box to box midfielders to add pace and physicality
Tymon and Jodi Jones as left full-backs
Key and Naughton? or one more right back
Darling, Cabango + 2 new centre-backs
New goalkeeper if we don't sign Rushworth on loan
He's got more than pace, he's got trickery, he can beat a man, he can cross and he shoots the ball cleaner than Ronald.
Yes, he can beat his man with his pace, but I'm not sure he hits the ball cleaner than Ronald. Ronald has 3 goals from 10 shots on target, Placheta 0 goals from 5 shots on target. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Ronald is good enough (yet) either, but he's 22 years old and still developing.
I think the reason for his sub-par stats is that he's often been injured in the past...
His stats are per minute/game/90 minutes, so injuries don't matter in that regard. My point is I wouldn't gamble on Placheta, Allen and Walsh. There are better options out there.