| Really impressed with our recruitment 19:18 - Aug 2 with 3641 views | jasondozzell |
Feels a lot less of a gamble than in 24.
Also feels the club is beginning to be seen as a realistic competitor in the top flight again.
I think there's a sort of ineffable shift that occurs as agents and players begin to see clubs in a different light. Partly a knock on effect of the general aura around McKenna and the club over the last few years plus obviously financial muscle.
It's good to see the ambition.
Recruitment is like the club - ambitious but controlled.
We are finding value too I think in many of these signings.
Way too early to get carried away but I think GON is beginning to get the players to play with the flexibility he will need. |  | | |  |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 12:47 - Aug 3 with 309 views | burnbudgiesburn |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 12:41 - Aug 3 by southnorfolkblue |
I think you’re right about this being riskier. 2 years ago we were firmly in the camp of improving the squad but with players who could do a wet Tuesday night in Stoke (perhaps not the best example after last year) if the worst happened. Doesnt feel like this second time around. We’ll probably only know in 12 months time whether it was the right strategy or not |
Yes, there is certainly a risk that we will end up with a lot more movement this time next season should we get relegated and less prepared to bounce back as a result.
At some point, you have to take the risk though. You only get so many opportunities at establishing yourself. |  | | |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 12:55 - Aug 3 with 288 views | Wallingford_Boy |
Agreed.
I think the jury is slightly out on Emersonn, but confident the others will all be starting and will certainly improve that starting XI. |  |
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| Really impressed with our recruitment on 13:33 - Aug 3 with 223 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 20:55 - Aug 2 by TRUE_BLUE123 |
You underestimate how much football some of us watch lol. |
That’s a fair point. I’d hate to think how much football you’d need to watch to be automatically familiar with players in Scotland, Belgium, France and the Dutch second tier. That’s a lot of football assuming you wouldn’t know which players we were going to bid for. People would need to be watching all teams in all European leagues down to at least the second tier. It’s possible I suppose as a collective effort, or for professional scouts. |  |
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| Really impressed with our recruitment on 13:56 - Aug 3 with 161 views | DJR |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 21:44 - Aug 2 by FrimleyBlue |
It's ok, but honestly watching that Oxford game yesturday really made me realise how short we are on prem standard squad players.
I honestly felt at times in that game that I was watching an u21 game when you walk away thinking there was one or two who could make it..
We've got so much more to do this window
That ideal first team I think is close with cm additions But we seriously need some backups |
Your last sentence accords with something I posted on another thread, so thought it worth posting here.
"The lesson of the the last Premier League campaign for me is that it is not enough to have 11 players of Premier League standard.
For many games last time, we managed to compete with our starting 11 but the other teams could change things by having the option of bringing on top class players from the bench.
This time it could be said that were are acquiring players of a higher level than we did last time but we aren't doing it a great rate and perhaps the proof of the pudding will be in how many we manage to acquire in the end.
Certainly, we are a long way off the number of players that Sunderland acquired which turned out to be a successful strategy, but it is not clear to me that we are aiming to match what they did." |  | | |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 13:57 - Aug 3 with 159 views | ReusersTown |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 19:49 - Aug 2 by _CliveBaker_ |
Have we got more PL experience?
Last time O’Shea had a full season under his belt, Johnson had a bit, Muric a bit, Ogbene a bit, Phillips plenty.
This time we’ve signed 2 keepers who haven’t played in England, a young Brazilian who hasn’t either, nor has Maeda. IIRC only Fatawu & Diop of the signings have got PL experience.
I think our recruitment has been pretty good so far, but I think we’ve still got a lot to do this month. |
Of those with PL experience, the players last time didn't get the same sort of response from their previous fans that these ones have. Fulham would have definitely rather have kept Diop, and Fatawu obviously showed his potential last time in the Prem at 20. | | | |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 14:02 - Aug 3 with 135 views | ReusersTown |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 20:30 - Aug 2 by jasondozzell |
Furlong can do it at this level and Greaves is a much better player than he's given credit for. I'm not too sure we'll be looking to replace Greaves.
We're clearly looking at a RWB but Furlong deserves his chance. |
I was with you until Furlong! Lol. There's isn't really anything to indicate he's up to what we need there. | | | |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 14:05 - Aug 3 with 124 views | ReusersTown |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 12:55 - Aug 3 by Wallingford_Boy |
Agreed.
I think the jury is slightly out on Emersonn, but confident the others will all be starting and will certainly improve that starting XI. |
How would the jury not be out on Emersonn he's not played an actual game FFS. | | | |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 14:59 - Aug 3 with 57 views | Blooos |
| Really impressed with our recruitment on 20:22 - Aug 2 by TRUE_BLUE123 |
Im definitely not happy defensively we need a left sided centre half and a right back pretty badly.
I still think we are 4/5 signing away from being a squad that has a chance of staying up. [Post edited 2 Aug 20:24]
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Agree with this. If we include Enciso as signed we still need a Striker, 2 CM's, RB, LCB & LB. Even with those signings we would still see a significant drop off if someone like Fatawu or Enciso got injured. | | | |
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