It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on at Stockport. Perhaps City will want to reflect on why he couldn’t break into a struggling L1 team rather than blame ‘severe lack of opportunities.’
You do begin to wonder whether Matt might have made slightly rash over-promises about playing time to get some of the loanees over the line in the summer.
There definitely does seem to be an undercurrent of expectation that if the top clubs are loaning out their precious little cherubs to us lower-league oiks they want them to be kicked around a bit (but only very gently) and get some proper game-time under their belts. If they aren't getting that (basically because they are made of papier mâché) said top clubs seem to then throw a huff and threaten to take their ball away.
I'd love to say we've learned our lesson, but Campbell starting last Saturday does make me wonder....
Especially because we spent about six weeks of the window dawdling. He was under a lot of pressure by the time we started making signings. That feels a convincing story.
No-one watching thought Breckin was cutting it...management didn't think he was cutting it, even to spice up a struggling side. Be interesting to see how he gets on at Stockport. I would have thought League Two midfielders and defenders will be even more unforgiving than in League One. We would be moaning more if MB was playing loanees who were not up to it because of his 'rash promises' to big clubs. Not sure Phillips did enough to be demanding more time...but he did score I suppose.
Yes, Bloomfield was so slow compared to the years and years of us all celebrating the signings we usually made in the the opening few days of the transfer window.
That post-Torquay pre-season still seems miraculous to me. Somehow from a situation where we seemed destined for non-league (or extinction) by the time I’d sobered up after the Torquay result we seemed to have signed half a team of superb recruits. Baffling
We only had about twelve core players signed on - approximately half of which were injured or carrying knocks. We were already back in training with barely enough players to run effective training sessions. Our woes were well-documented throughout summer by Bloomfield, who complained about the disjointed pre-season at every opportunity. We barely had any friendlies (that we are aware of), likely because of the aforementioned.
No new player came through the door for approximately six weeks whilst this was the case.
We then gave the number 8 shirt to some random lad who was so poor on the opening day he never made another start for us. They’ve been recalled and replaced in a division below.
Also in our first two signings was a 36 year old, who had one knee and hadn’t played proper football in two years. They were so bad they had their contract terminated by mutual consent.
In the next week or so, we’d signed another five or so players, filling the gaps and ending the window with a pretty talented squad, but we were extremely poorly prepared for the beginning of the season because of the dawdling.
We got walloped on the opening day, starting SEVEN new signings, five of which had barely trained together for two weeks.
Let’s not forget that - at one stage of the summer - we were the only club (or one of two/three clubs?) in the league to have not signed a single player. This is despite us being in a particularly challenging position already because we didn’t have enough players fit to be able to train properly over summer.
That is textbook dawdling, faffing around, being the nice guy and waiting to finish last.
Gaz never left it late and had the Gasroom boiling like that Bloomfield did.
We never had posts on here complaining about silence from the club over the summer. Never had to wait until the last knockings when players were back from holiday and out of contract and open for negotiation. We never had to complain about a poor pre-season or pulling out of the B&B Cup, never complained about recruitment or wasting money on development squad when the senior team looked weak. Never had disappointing loan players. Never worried about old gits being signed.
Bloomfield nice guy (legend!) grrrrrr. He's killing our club (or just having an appalling season depending on your point of view)
Then again...Dobbo made all the decisions I heard.
Rarely go away @Glenactio so I only saw him (fleetingly) at AP. I was surprised he did not get more minutes considering his parent club...but I'm not the gaffer.
I get the general sentiment, but Breckin wasn't some random lad and he started the league game at Barnsley and played pretty well, not being substituted until the 84th minute, shortly prior to Max's moment.
Your last sentence doesn’t make sense. Are you seriously suggesting that the club sat around in the summer giving no thought to the upcoming season? That the coaching staff said ‘no rush, let’s hang around and be nice to other clubs so they can sign the best players available’ ? You have no idea what efforts were made and when the planning began. What do you mean by ‘waiting to finish last’ ?
Comments
had the other side of it last year being near and around a successful squad
Breckin didn't get picked as he was not good enough.
Team should be chosen on merit, not cos you come from Man City
It’ll be interesting to see how he gets on at Stockport. Perhaps City will want to reflect on why he couldn’t break into a struggling L1 team rather than blame ‘severe lack of opportunities.’
West Ham are currently 6th, finished 7th in 21/22 and 6th in 20/21 so slightly better than you suggest.
I notice you didn't include the paragraph where cityxtra claim that he was "viewed as ready for senior football"* @Kim_il_Swan?
*he was clearly too light weight for league 1.
You do begin to wonder whether Matt might have made slightly rash over-promises about playing time to get some of the loanees over the line in the summer.
There definitely does seem to be an undercurrent of expectation that if the top clubs are loaning out their precious little cherubs to us lower-league oiks they want them to be kicked around a bit (but only very gently) and get some proper game-time under their belts. If they aren't getting that (basically because they are made of papier mâché) said top clubs seem to then throw a huff and threaten to take their ball away.
I'd love to say we've learned our lesson, but Campbell starting last Saturday does make me wonder....
Especially because we spent about six weeks of the window dawdling. He was under a lot of pressure by the time we started making signings. That feels a convincing story.
No-one watching thought Breckin was cutting it...management didn't think he was cutting it, even to spice up a struggling side. Be interesting to see how he gets on at Stockport. I would have thought League Two midfielders and defenders will be even more unforgiving than in League One. We would be moaning more if MB was playing loanees who were not up to it because of his 'rash promises' to big clubs. Not sure Phillips did enough to be demanding more time...but he did score I suppose.
How do you know that we spent six weeks of the window ‘dawdling’? Have you any idea of the complexities involved in transfers, loans or permanent?
Yes, Bloomfield was so slow compared to the years and years of us all celebrating the signings we usually made in the the opening few days of the transfer window.
Especially if Stockport are as physical as ever.
I expect that will be lost on many @Wendoverman .
I thought he played quite well at Barnsley!
That post-Torquay pre-season still seems miraculous to me. Somehow from a situation where we seemed destined for non-league (or extinction) by the time I’d sobered up after the Torquay result we seemed to have signed half a team of superb recruits. Baffling
We only had about twelve core players signed on - approximately half of which were injured or carrying knocks. We were already back in training with barely enough players to run effective training sessions. Our woes were well-documented throughout summer by Bloomfield, who complained about the disjointed pre-season at every opportunity. We barely had any friendlies (that we are aware of), likely because of the aforementioned.
No new player came through the door for approximately six weeks whilst this was the case.
We then gave the number 8 shirt to some random lad who was so poor on the opening day he never made another start for us. They’ve been recalled and replaced in a division below.
Also in our first two signings was a 36 year old, who had one knee and hadn’t played proper football in two years. They were so bad they had their contract terminated by mutual consent.
In the next week or so, we’d signed another five or so players, filling the gaps and ending the window with a pretty talented squad, but we were extremely poorly prepared for the beginning of the season because of the dawdling.
We got walloped on the opening day, starting SEVEN new signings, five of which had barely trained together for two weeks.
Let’s not forget that - at one stage of the summer - we were the only club (or one of two/three clubs?) in the league to have not signed a single player. This is despite us being in a particularly challenging position already because we didn’t have enough players fit to be able to train properly over summer.
That is textbook dawdling, faffing around, being the nice guy and waiting to finish last.
They say the past is another country.
Gaz never left it late and had the Gasroom boiling like that Bloomfield did.
We never had posts on here complaining about silence from the club over the summer. Never had to wait until the last knockings when players were back from holiday and out of contract and open for negotiation. We never had to complain about a poor pre-season or pulling out of the B&B Cup, never complained about recruitment or wasting money on development squad when the senior team looked weak. Never had disappointing loan players. Never worried about old gits being signed.
Bloomfield nice guy (legend!) grrrrrr. He's killing our club (or just having an appalling season depending on your point of view)
Then again...Dobbo made all the decisions I heard.
Sounds like a rubbish textbook.
Rarely go away @Glenactio so I only saw him (fleetingly) at AP. I was surprised he did not get more minutes considering his parent club...but I'm not the gaffer.
BFP say Potts is staying with us.
I get the general sentiment, but Breckin wasn't some random lad and he started the league game at Barnsley and played pretty well, not being substituted until the 84th minute, shortly prior to Max's moment.
Your last sentence doesn’t make sense. Are you seriously suggesting that the club sat around in the summer giving no thought to the upcoming season? That the coaching staff said ‘no rush, let’s hang around and be nice to other clubs so they can sign the best players available’ ? You have no idea what efforts were made and when the planning began. What do you mean by ‘waiting to finish last’ ?