Obita and Wing need replacing, Mehmeti still does, CB an issue too, and We need something else up front, so maybe 5 first team regular standard but I'd guess realistically the rest will be kids and punts on unheard-ofs, some of them need to come off. Bobby C isn't going to suddenly spray money around and we probably wont be allowed to even when Tom Cruise takes over :) If we buy every player we think we need to get promoted every window the only place we are going is administration.
The challenges wont be any different, hopefully we'll be fecked about a bit less but beggars cant be chosers, Any idea that Ainsworth or Blooms are too busy off on holiday or cant be arsed was and still is wide of the mark
Their injuries really killed us in more ways than one, as we lost them for the matches but also lost the security of re-signing either one again with confidence.
Its a starting 11, of sorts, to build on and we need some decent talent on the bench, but it's clear to me we won't be bringing in 7/8 first team players to be replacing those I've mentioned. In fact I'd not be at all surprised to start with 9 of those 11 against Exeter.
I'm already writing off the playoffs and suspecting we will have a poor start, a tactically naive manager and an average League One side that should never have let Al Hamadi go. That'll keep me going until Christmas.
@ReturnToSenda Your original proposition wasn’t unreasonable, or too far from our reality. Both Blooms and Rob have already put the figure of ‘half a dozen’ out there as ‘rough estimates’ as to what we’re looking for - half of them experienced L1 and half PL loanees. This was based on what we retained, before Jack was sent away on loan and before Jordan packed his bags for Scotland. So that’s 8.
Given that most people were crying out for a LB/LWB as heir apparent to JJ even whilst Obita was here, now he’s gone why would we still only be looking for one? (Even if that’s made up of a ‘ready made’ and a ‘one for the future’)
This whole requirement could be spread over 2 windows, though, depending on who we get in now, and how we go (having said that, I’m not the biggest fan of the January window) for various reasons.
Surely the "no2 Gk" will be a young kid on low wage not qualifying as a "professional GK" such that if Max got long term injured a loanee could be brought in.
As for others signings will happen at some stage between now and the window closing. I imagine few of us will know much about the players signed but they will nonetheless either be greeted as a great signing or a waste of time. In reality some of the new signings will excel, some be OK and some struggle. Its the nature of the game.
Completely agree with your goalkeeper situation sentiments. I’ll be amazed if we sign someone with sufficient quality when we can just use the emergency loan system. It would be a misuse of resource.
And it might have been Tyla Dickinson again if he hadn’t played those games at the start of last season, as he does now count for the emergency loan rule.
We've effectively lost circa £3M for definitely two seasons if not three in a row. The first two losses were covered by the Championship TV money. Some of last season was covered by player sales and getting people off the wage bill but I believe we lost in the region of £1.5M.
To balance the books, the wage bill needs to drop by £3M or we need to increase revenue by £1M and drop by £2M.
I suspect we will be relying on loanees and a smaller squad, unless the Couhigs dip into their own pockets or find further outside investment.
To all intents and purposes we are a low LG1 / high LG2 club. I'd be happy to go back to the yo yo team if it meant we continue to survive. What I wouldn't be happy about is trying to chase the dream over the next two/three seasons and then the club goes into administration and in all likelihood a step back to tier 8 or 9.
From a squad point of view, I think we need to get five or six players in, including a creative midfielder, two strikers and a left sided player. Left sided player would ideally be a winger who could play left back or left wing back if JJ was unfit.
I'd be happy leaving two or three squad places open for January.
Pattenden, De Barr and Young need to step up this season and play more. Unless we believe Mellor is going to get up to speed, I think we need to send him out on loan or release him.
I know I'm banging the same drum but I would give Niels Hartman a trial. Loughborough has provided a few decent players in the past and he looked alright in defence against France and in midfield against Ireland last week.
The first two weeks of pre-season are all about fitness and any player we are likely to sign (assuming we haven’t already done so) will be training with his present club.
Don’t play into @glasshalffull s hands. No they don’t / didn’t. It started the day we failed to get into the playoffs last season. All we know is we have lost players of known ability since then and , with some conjecture based on no facts, that we might have / be about to sign new ones of unknown quality.
Comments
almost forgot Wheels
I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to replace what we've lost at a minimum.
Obita and Wing need replacing, Mehmeti still does, CB an issue too, and We need something else up front, so maybe 5 first team regular standard but I'd guess realistically the rest will be kids and punts on unheard-ofs, some of them need to come off. Bobby C isn't going to suddenly spray money around and we probably wont be allowed to even when Tom Cruise takes over :) If we buy every player we think we need to get promoted every window the only place we are going is administration.
For sure, but we need to learn from our lack of preparedness last summer and add sufficient depth. I'm sure that can be done within budget.
The challenges wont be any different, hopefully we'll be fecked about a bit less but beggars cant be chosers, Any idea that Ainsworth or Blooms are too busy off on holiday or cant be arsed was and still is wide of the mark
That said, expectations are lower this time around. Or at least they should be...
Gape and Thompson barely kicked a ball last season. One player without injury issues could easily cover their minutes.
Their injuries really killed us in more ways than one, as we lost them for the matches but also lost the security of re-signing either one again with confidence.
Max
Grimmer, Forino, Taff, JJ, JMac
GMac, Wheels, Scowen
Vokes, Hanlan
Its a starting 11, of sorts, to build on and we need some decent talent on the bench, but it's clear to me we won't be bringing in 7/8 first team players to be replacing those I've mentioned. In fact I'd not be at all surprised to start with 9 of those 11 against Exeter.
Maybe eight of these to start v Exeter with three new players including probably one but maybe two loanees
I'm already writing off the playoffs and suspecting we will have a poor start, a tactically naive manager and an average League One side that should never have let Al Hamadi go. That'll keep me going until Christmas.
Yes. Interchange De Barr into a different formation without Grimmer or McCarthy and that's another option.
We could start the season as we are if really needed. Unlike that season we truly only had about 5 players.
Obviously we really need 3 actual starters. Two around Scowen and a left back. That'd be the absolute minimum for me.
If we have any ideas of playoffs, we need a couple of strong attacking options on top too.
Otherwise we're hoping the key players we already have have much better seasons injury wise than last year.
@ReturnToSenda Your original proposition wasn’t unreasonable, or too far from our reality. Both Blooms and Rob have already put the figure of ‘half a dozen’ out there as ‘rough estimates’ as to what we’re looking for - half of them experienced L1 and half PL loanees. This was based on what we retained, before Jack was sent away on loan and before Jordan packed his bags for Scotland. So that’s 8.
Given that most people were crying out for a LB/LWB as heir apparent to JJ even whilst Obita was here, now he’s gone why would we still only be looking for one? (Even if that’s made up of a ‘ready made’ and a ‘one for the future’)
This whole requirement could be spread over 2 windows, though, depending on who we get in now, and how we go (having said that, I’m not the biggest fan of the January window) for various reasons.
Pre season starts today. Fully expect 5 new signings to be unveiled this week
No 2 GK
CB
CM
left sided FB/WB
CF
All L1 quality
Rob’s “half a dozen”, so experience suggests that’s two tops.
Thank goodness someone understands how it works.
First game is August 5th, almost six weeks away.
Preparation for August 5th starts today
Surely the "no2 Gk" will be a young kid on low wage not qualifying as a "professional GK" such that if Max got long term injured a loanee could be brought in.
As for others signings will happen at some stage between now and the window closing. I imagine few of us will know much about the players signed but they will nonetheless either be greeted as a great signing or a waste of time. In reality some of the new signings will excel, some be OK and some struggle. Its the nature of the game.
Completely agree with your goalkeeper situation sentiments. I’ll be amazed if we sign someone with sufficient quality when we can just use the emergency loan system. It would be a misuse of resource.
And it might have been Tyla Dickinson again if he hadn’t played those games at the start of last season, as he does now count for the emergency loan rule.
We've effectively lost circa £3M for definitely two seasons if not three in a row. The first two losses were covered by the Championship TV money. Some of last season was covered by player sales and getting people off the wage bill but I believe we lost in the region of £1.5M.
To balance the books, the wage bill needs to drop by £3M or we need to increase revenue by £1M and drop by £2M.
I suspect we will be relying on loanees and a smaller squad, unless the Couhigs dip into their own pockets or find further outside investment.
To all intents and purposes we are a low LG1 / high LG2 club. I'd be happy to go back to the yo yo team if it meant we continue to survive. What I wouldn't be happy about is trying to chase the dream over the next two/three seasons and then the club goes into administration and in all likelihood a step back to tier 8 or 9.
From a squad point of view, I think we need to get five or six players in, including a creative midfielder, two strikers and a left sided player. Left sided player would ideally be a winger who could play left back or left wing back if JJ was unfit.
I'd be happy leaving two or three squad places open for January.
Pattenden, De Barr and Young need to step up this season and play more. Unless we believe Mellor is going to get up to speed, I think we need to send him out on loan or release him.
Our position at the end of next season will be X minus 9.
X being where the supercomputer says we should be.
I don't think Bobby C has made any grand statements of intent yet, has he? Perhaps he's learned his lesson from this time last year.
I know I'm banging the same drum but I would give Niels Hartman a trial. Loughborough has provided a few decent players in the past and he looked alright in defence against France and in midfield against Ireland last week.
Yep, best stay quiet.
There's absolutely nothing he can say that doesn't have the potential for moans.
Going for autos or playoffs...looks silly if we don't recruit accordingly.
Consolidate...no ambition
Bravely battle relegation...would get everyone up in arms.
His book was quite good
The first two weeks of pre-season are all about fitness and any player we are likely to sign (assuming we haven’t already done so) will be training with his present club.
I feel you’re a bit out of touch here
Don’t play into @glasshalffull s hands. No they don’t / didn’t. It started the day we failed to get into the playoffs last season. All we know is we have lost players of known ability since then and , with some conjecture based on no facts, that we might have / be about to sign new ones of unknown quality.