| Plan A transfer targets not going well 12:23 - Aug 2 with 9088 views | IP1Blue |
After January success of getting all our ‘Plan A’ transfer targets, it’s clear to see that it has definitely been a struggle since our promotion!
The 3 signings we have brought in so far have very limited championship experience so are all unknown quantities. Must be frustration for Ashton and Co with the season opener being less than a week away.
Whilst I’m glad we are refusing to pay over the offs for a player just because it’s perceived we have money, it is a little concerning that we haven’t brought in any real championship proven quality as a lot of us would have expected.
I do wonder however if the management team are using this season to see who will can stand up to the challenge and next summer will be when we see the most change where it will be more evident to see where the gaps are in the squad in terms of quality. |  | | |  |
| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 08:03 - Aug 3 with 834 views | jayessess |
| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 07:20 - Aug 3 by Kieran_Knows |
My point stands again then, if McKenna felt Donacien could play that role, and play it well, why did he spend £1m+ on Clarke? Or felt the need to improve that position, given KVY was still here as well?
In my eyes, and maybe I watch different games, but the difference to what Clarke and Donacien give us, from January onwards was fairly obvious to me, and as I say, that was League 1. |
If he didn't think Donacien could play that role, why did we extend his contract?
It's very simple, the budget we have isn't infinite. If a team split its limited budget evenly across 25 players, with the same consistent level of quality throughout, with no "drop off" between the main options and the squad players, then the compromise would be cheaper (worse) starting players. Every pound you spend on replacing Donacien comes from elsewhere in the budget. I don't know why people pretend not to understand this. |  |
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| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 08:23 - Aug 3 with 815 views | JohnTy |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 13:55 - Aug 2 by Bloots |
....have brought in more players than we have.
Plymouth have brought in 7.
Of course there will be arguments about "quality", "replacing" and "improving" but the gap between the 3 promoted clubs last season was minimal and we certainly haven't improved our starting 11 to any real degree.
Opinions, opinions...... |
Plymouth lost about 10 I seem to recall.
So it will be a bit of a challenge to get them to gel, although they certainly have an excellent manager, and I certainly expect them to do better than many are predicting.
We have a settled squad with a lot of confidence, and as demonstrated last season, some resilience when things don't go our way.
I suspect that Hutchinson will have a far bigger impact than most people realise. |  | | |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 08:41 - Aug 3 with 785 views | jayessess |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 08:23 - Aug 3 by JohnTy |
Plymouth lost about 10 I seem to recall.
So it will be a bit of a challenge to get them to gel, although they certainly have an excellent manager, and I certainly expect them to do better than many are predicting.
We have a settled squad with a lot of confidence, and as demonstrated last season, some resilience when things don't go our way.
I suspect that Hutchinson will have a far bigger impact than most people realise. |
Don't think it's particularly controversial to say that we were significantly stronger than Plymouth by the end of the season. The structure of the fixture list somewhat masked it, but by the time it got to the Spring we were going places like Barnsley and Peterborough and smashing them, whilst Plymouth were losing those games heavily. | |
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| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 09:12 - Aug 3 with 753 views | Churchman |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 08:41 - Aug 3 by jayessess |
Don't think it's particularly controversial to say that we were significantly stronger than Plymouth by the end of the season. The structure of the fixture list somewhat masked it, but by the time it got to the Spring we were going places like Barnsley and Peterborough and smashing them, whilst Plymouth were losing those games heavily. |
No, it’s not controversial at all. We were far and away the strongest team in that division for the last third. We weren’t beating teams, we were smashing them.
Only L1 I hear the cry. Well, it would have been interesting to see Championship teams play at Barnsley, P’Boro, Bolton and Derby. I wonder how many would have come out with W4, Goals for 10, Against 0. I’m not sure too many would put teams away at home in quite the manner we did either.
How you finish a season tends to influence how you begin the next one (momentum etc). We will be fine. How fine, no idea.
I get the excitement of new signings, new managers, tear up and start again. Bomb squad = excitement! But if you have the basis of a good team, enhance and add when you can is they way to go in my view. If and it’s a big if we’ve struggled to bring in this or that player, it’ll be sorted next window or whenever.
It’s all positive and exciting. Just think 2.5 years ago if you are depressed. |  | | |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 09:24 - Aug 3 with 741 views | pointofblue |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 09:12 - Aug 3 by Churchman |
No, it’s not controversial at all. We were far and away the strongest team in that division for the last third. We weren’t beating teams, we were smashing them.
Only L1 I hear the cry. Well, it would have been interesting to see Championship teams play at Barnsley, P’Boro, Bolton and Derby. I wonder how many would have come out with W4, Goals for 10, Against 0. I’m not sure too many would put teams away at home in quite the manner we did either.
How you finish a season tends to influence how you begin the next one (momentum etc). We will be fine. How fine, no idea.
I get the excitement of new signings, new managers, tear up and start again. Bomb squad = excitement! But if you have the basis of a good team, enhance and add when you can is they way to go in my view. If and it’s a big if we’ve struggled to bring in this or that player, it’ll be sorted next window or whenever.
It’s all positive and exciting. Just think 2.5 years ago if you are depressed. |
I don't think anyone expected a Bomb Squad summer, or indeed wanted it, but were hoping for greater improvement in the first XI and the squad than we have managed up to now. | |
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| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 10:13 - Aug 3 with 720 views | PrideOfTheEast |
| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 07:20 - Aug 3 by Kieran_Knows |
My point stands again then, if McKenna felt Donacien could play that role, and play it well, why did he spend £1m+ on Clarke? Or felt the need to improve that position, given KVY was still here as well?
In my eyes, and maybe I watch different games, but the difference to what Clarke and Donacien give us, from January onwards was fairly obvious to me, and as I say, that was League 1. |
Spot on. It’s the same when some on here were saying that we didn’t necessarily need to sign Hirst as we have Ladapo. One is a clear upgrade on the other and changed our season last time out. | | | |
| You're morphing slowly but surely into Nerders on 10:23 - Aug 3 with 712 views | Dyland |
| The sudden acceptance of mediocrity.... on 14:01 - Aug 2 by Bloots |
....from large elements of our fanbase baffles me.
These are the same fans that spent years mocking a previous manager for finishing mid table in The Championship.
The owners do not want mid table consolidation, as you say they've been clear on this, so why are we suddenly happy to accept it?
If we finish 15th in the Championship, who's head will they call for? |
That's kind of a compliment more than an insult yst, arf ;) |  |
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| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 10:47 - Aug 3 with 689 views | Stewart27 |
| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 13:55 - Aug 2 by hype313 |
Donacien gets a nose bleed if he goes past the halfway line, and this in turn affects our play in the final third, meaning Burns is somewhat isolated.
JD is brilliant as you say defensively, and I don't have an issue with him playing on the odd occasion, but Clarke is so integral to our style of play offensively. |
You mean other than the season before last when JD and Burns were literally telepathic and was our strongest combination on the pitch. | | | |
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| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 11:16 - Aug 3 with 665 views | NthQldITFC |
| So we weren't "streets ahead" of everyone..... on 10:47 - Aug 3 by Stewart27 |
You mean other than the season before last when JD and Burns were literally telepathic and was our strongest combination on the pitch. |
...and the start of last season, I'd say |  |
| # WE ARE STEALING THE FUTURE FROM OUR CHILDREN --- WE MUST CHANGE COURSE # | | Poll: | It's driving me nuts |
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| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 11:42 - Aug 3 with 642 views | Churchman |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 09:24 - Aug 3 by pointofblue |
I don't think anyone expected a Bomb Squad summer, or indeed wanted it, but were hoping for greater improvement in the first XI and the squad than we have managed up to now. |
Greater improvement? How much greater? We’ve signed Hirst and Luongo who were with us, Taylor, a back up keeper and a lad on loan from Chelsea so far. What more ‘greater improvement’ did you expect? An additional 2 forwards, 2 centre halves and maybe a midfielder more or two all better than what we have? Maybe a Donacien replacement?
Well given the squad has size limits any percentage of that wild stab in the dark would have meant shipping out players. Wholesale change or upgrade. I just don’t think we need that.
My hope in January was that we’d bring in a no 9 and possibly another midfielder. We already had a good team for the level. We brought in three plus Hirst. It exceeded my expectations. This summer, I hoped we’d sign Hirst permanently (done - tick!), Luongo plus another younger midfielder (done - tick!). I also thought a really good CH would add to us (not done - yet).
I just think people need to just enjoy the ride. Not every player out there is better than what we have and squad fillers, despite the thrill of hearing how they love the facilities, the history and the shirt, are not what we need just now. We will be fine. [Post edited 3 Aug 2023 12:02]
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| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 14:29 - Aug 4 with 518 views | pointofblue |
| Even SW, with their disastrous owner.... on 11:42 - Aug 3 by Churchman |
Greater improvement? How much greater? We’ve signed Hirst and Luongo who were with us, Taylor, a back up keeper and a lad on loan from Chelsea so far. What more ‘greater improvement’ did you expect? An additional 2 forwards, 2 centre halves and maybe a midfielder more or two all better than what we have? Maybe a Donacien replacement?
Well given the squad has size limits any percentage of that wild stab in the dark would have meant shipping out players. Wholesale change or upgrade. I just don’t think we need that.
My hope in January was that we’d bring in a no 9 and possibly another midfielder. We already had a good team for the level. We brought in three plus Hirst. It exceeded my expectations. This summer, I hoped we’d sign Hirst permanently (done - tick!), Luongo plus another younger midfielder (done - tick!). I also thought a really good CH would add to us (not done - yet).
I just think people need to just enjoy the ride. Not every player out there is better than what we have and squad fillers, despite the thrill of hearing how they love the facilities, the history and the shirt, are not what we need just now. We will be fine. [Post edited 3 Aug 2023 12:02]
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Centre back and another striker, and I'll be happy. I have the feeling Simms was targeted alongside Hirst rather than the latter being Plan B, and clearly us approaching McNally means we have eye out for a defender. Get them in, and we'll send Baggott out on loan. Admittedly, not sure what we'll do with Ladapo if we do bring someone else in.
As said, I do have a concern that we will panic - especially with the centre back position - like we did at the end of the last summer window, and bring in players who do not fit our system. | |
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