| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning 08:23 - Jul 9 with 2703 views | Big_Jase |
Nice to see the Championship “Super Team” narrative being challenged by Ali Maxwell.
Was in agreement our wide players and number 10’s qualify. Likes Hirst but said he doesn’t quite reach that criteria yet.
Not too hot of our right back options nor our centre midfield, I’m in agreement with his opinion on Taylor in that he’s not convinced that he’s the level for top 2 and has never been convinced he is capable of that level.
Still very hot on McKenna and our chances but interesting to see someone without the blue tinted specs opinion on it.
Lots of work to do! |  |
| |  |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:28 - Jul 9 with 2442 views | Axeldalai_lama |
On the other hand.
Decent keeping options
Best centre back pairing in the league, plus Woolf.
Best left back in the league
Decent, potentially better right back in johnson
Best wide and attacking mid options in the league.
But lacking a striker and a couple of centre mids. |  | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:32 - Jul 9 with 2393 views | SomethingBlue |
Completely agree with them – others are strengthening well and, believe me, the gap between us and them wasn't vast in the first place. If we get the right people in we should be ok but that is currently an open question. |  |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:36 - Jul 9 with 2342 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
Cant disagree.
We all rate Hirst but he has missed a lot of games. If he plays 35+ games next year he can be the best in the league.
Midfield clearly needs work.
Right back, Ben Johnson could be very good at the level but need to see him with a serious run of games. |  |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:36 - Jul 9 with 2343 views | portmanking |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:32 - Jul 9 by SomethingBlue |
Completely agree with them – others are strengthening well and, believe me, the gap between us and them wasn't vast in the first place. If we get the right people in we should be ok but that is currently an open question. |
You sound like you're beginning to panic a touch, SB? How so?
We know the club are keen on at least two, probably three new centre mids, so that solves one of Maxwell's biggest bug bears. I wouldn't mind betting we're actively looking for another RB too.
As Maxwell rightly said, lots of teams recruit big at this time of the window because they *need* to, just to fill gaps and replace outgoing stars a la Norwich.
Last season's recruitment means we can surely be more selective/specific about our targets/options, no? | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:44 - Jul 9 with 2254 views | Wright1 |
Eh, Championship super team might be a bit of a stretch but I think it would be making our excuses early if we pretended we were far off it - and there will be additions to the weaker areas.
We have Palmer and Muric - Golden glove and TOTS between them in the last couple of years.
Davis is surely the best left back in the league - record breaking assist numbers last time out.
Greaves TOTS last time at this level and with O'Shea surely a candidate for the best pairing in the league.
Work to be done in midfield but people are writing off Sam Morsy too early IMO - he's still Sam effing Morsy.
Our wingers and 10s are ludicrous as it stands to the point that Chaplin and Broadhead will be scrapping for minutes. My main concern is how ready to contribute are Ogbene are Burns. If Omari stays it is outrageous.
George Hirst isn't an all star at this level but that's partially because a) Our system doesn't facilitate that - he does a lot of the hard work and the 10s score the goals b) He had a pretty nasty injury last Championship season. He still got 7 goals and 6 assists which if he had been fit could have easily been a few more of each.
Important we aren't cocky - but we have to be confident. I'm certain there's a lot of cash to be spent if we want to and find the right targets. | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:49 - Jul 9 with 2198 views | Big_Jase |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:44 - Jul 9 by Wright1 |
Eh, Championship super team might be a bit of a stretch but I think it would be making our excuses early if we pretended we were far off it - and there will be additions to the weaker areas.
We have Palmer and Muric - Golden glove and TOTS between them in the last couple of years.
Davis is surely the best left back in the league - record breaking assist numbers last time out.
Greaves TOTS last time at this level and with O'Shea surely a candidate for the best pairing in the league.
Work to be done in midfield but people are writing off Sam Morsy too early IMO - he's still Sam effing Morsy.
Our wingers and 10s are ludicrous as it stands to the point that Chaplin and Broadhead will be scrapping for minutes. My main concern is how ready to contribute are Ogbene are Burns. If Omari stays it is outrageous.
George Hirst isn't an all star at this level but that's partially because a) Our system doesn't facilitate that - he does a lot of the hard work and the 10s score the goals b) He had a pretty nasty injury last Championship season. He still got 7 goals and 6 assists which if he had been fit could have easily been a few more of each.
Important we aren't cocky - but we have to be confident. I'm certain there's a lot of cash to be spent if we want to and find the right targets. |
It’s a moniker that has been used consistently by the KOA podcast, not one I agree with. O Shea is decent, yet to be convinced by Greaves. We don’t have a right back capable of playing in the McKenna system. Johnson the right profile and whilst I’d love H Clarke to be the man he’s clearly not quite good enough.
They did mention early days in the transfer market, which again I agree with but some movement in the next week to ten days is very key if not we will be playing catchup. | |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:56 - Jul 9 with 2141 views | Garv |
I think the calibre of players in those wide/10 positions warrants it being called a Championship super team, but they're all valid points about the squad in general.
If Ben Johnson doesn't prove to be one of the best RBs in the league over the course of the season then he should be very disappointed. Having Clarke backing him up, and even O'Shea if needed, should be enough.
At this stage I'm almost more concerned (not worried) about the striker options than midfield. I love Hirst, but you can't hang your hat on his fitness. |  |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 09:04 - Jul 9 with 2088 views | StokieBlue |
The Second Tier have quite a different opinion, they do think it's a super team but needs some CMs which I am sure we will get.
It's too early to say but we currently have a very good squad for the level and it could be superb come the start of the season.
SB [Post edited 9 Jul 9:05]
|  | | |
Login to get fewer ads
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 09:05 - Jul 9 with 2063 views | SomethingBlue |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:36 - Jul 9 by portmanking |
You sound like you're beginning to panic a touch, SB? How so?
We know the club are keen on at least two, probably three new centre mids, so that solves one of Maxwell's biggest bug bears. I wouldn't mind betting we're actively looking for another RB too.
As Maxwell rightly said, lots of teams recruit big at this time of the window because they *need* to, just to fill gaps and replace outgoing stars a la Norwich.
Last season's recruitment means we can surely be more selective/specific about our targets/options, no? |
I'm not panicking, I'm sure we will get good people in. But sense we need a good start and to pick up some of the momentum that we lost over the second half of last season. A choppy August on or off the pitch might cost us so I'd really like to see a few things getting over the line soon. A couple of the areas we need players in are pretty fundamental ones and might take time to integrate newcomers. | |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 09:31 - Jul 9 with 1886 views | tractorboy1978 |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 09:05 - Jul 9 by SomethingBlue |
I'm not panicking, I'm sure we will get good people in. But sense we need a good start and to pick up some of the momentum that we lost over the second half of last season. A choppy August on or off the pitch might cost us so I'd really like to see a few things getting over the line soon. A couple of the areas we need players in are pretty fundamental ones and might take time to integrate newcomers. |
Especially when you look at our first two games. Not teams we can "phone it in" against, both are probably automatic promotion rivals and we will need to be at it quickly.
I think I will feel a lot more comfortable once we have a high end central midfielder in. | | | |
| Ogbene will be interesting on 09:42 - Jul 9 with 1786 views | unstableblue |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:44 - Jul 9 by Wright1 |
Eh, Championship super team might be a bit of a stretch but I think it would be making our excuses early if we pretended we were far off it - and there will be additions to the weaker areas.
We have Palmer and Muric - Golden glove and TOTS between them in the last couple of years.
Davis is surely the best left back in the league - record breaking assist numbers last time out.
Greaves TOTS last time at this level and with O'Shea surely a candidate for the best pairing in the league.
Work to be done in midfield but people are writing off Sam Morsy too early IMO - he's still Sam effing Morsy.
Our wingers and 10s are ludicrous as it stands to the point that Chaplin and Broadhead will be scrapping for minutes. My main concern is how ready to contribute are Ogbene are Burns. If Omari stays it is outrageous.
George Hirst isn't an all star at this level but that's partially because a) Our system doesn't facilitate that - he does a lot of the hard work and the 10s score the goals b) He had a pretty nasty injury last Championship season. He still got 7 goals and 6 assists which if he had been fit could have easily been a few more of each.
Important we aren't cocky - but we have to be confident. I'm certain there's a lot of cash to be spent if we want to and find the right targets. |
If Hutchinson does leave.
Then it’s Burns and Ogbene on the right - albeit Philogene can play there, but way less physical, and McKenna likes a battering ram who can head across in that position.
Burns has not started pre-season.
Ogbene showed moments of promise in the Prem last season.
Speaking to a Luton fan, his view was a good player but consistency was the issue and could go missing in the championship.
If he can stay fit, I’m sure he’s coming back wanting to have a big season and he’d probably get in many top Champ teams.
But may still be an area to strengthen. |  |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 10:01 - Jul 9 with 1704 views | seblue78 |
A point KOA made is that it's quality over quantity given last year's recruitment strategy. To me as important as the right type of recruitment, is going to be keeping hold of players like Omari and Leif, which will be tricky. In particular, retaining Omari in my view is far more important to our success than getting Cajuste back, much as I rate him. [Post edited 9 Jul 10:03]
| | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 10:11 - Jul 9 with 1614 views | DanTheMan |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 09:05 - Jul 9 by SomethingBlue |
I'm not panicking, I'm sure we will get good people in. But sense we need a good start and to pick up some of the momentum that we lost over the second half of last season. A choppy August on or off the pitch might cost us so I'd really like to see a few things getting over the line soon. A couple of the areas we need players in are pretty fundamental ones and might take time to integrate newcomers. |
I think we really do want to have new central midfielders(s) in before too long. We're arguably weaker there now than the season we got promoted from League One. |  |
| |
| Ogbene will be interesting on 10:28 - Jul 9 with 1511 views | Wright1 |
| Ogbene will be interesting on 09:42 - Jul 9 by unstableblue |
If Hutchinson does leave.
Then it’s Burns and Ogbene on the right - albeit Philogene can play there, but way less physical, and McKenna likes a battering ram who can head across in that position.
Burns has not started pre-season.
Ogbene showed moments of promise in the Prem last season.
Speaking to a Luton fan, his view was a good player but consistency was the issue and could go missing in the championship.
If he can stay fit, I’m sure he’s coming back wanting to have a big season and he’d probably get in many top Champ teams.
But may still be an area to strengthen. |
Whether the club sees it this way, who knows? But it is an area i'd look to recruit in even if Omari stays personally - even if it means one of Burns and Ogbene are surplus to requirements at the end of the season due to minutes. I just think their skillsets are vital to how we play and it is very unlikely they will both be back and firing as quickly as we need. Philogene will be far better on the left - even if that very sadly means Broadhead may leave. | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 10:45 - Jul 9 with 1428 views | fallyblue |
Of all the names being mentioned of, I find it really interesting that nobody is mentioning Sammy Szmodics! If he produces anything near the form he did last time in this league we will be very hard to beat | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 11:59 - Jul 9 with 1266 views | burnbudgiesburn |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:32 - Jul 9 by SomethingBlue |
Completely agree with them – others are strengthening well and, believe me, the gap between us and them wasn't vast in the first place. If we get the right people in we should be ok but that is currently an open question. |
The 'superteam' narrative is both right and wrong at the same time.
I struggle to see anyone matching our defensive or attacking options at this level, but we are short in midfield which is where I presume our recruitment will be.
I challenge the statement - 'the gap between us and them wasn't vast in the first place'. It was/is... we were 20-25 points better off than the majority of this divisions teams last time we were in it and the majority of parachute teams over the last 3 years have had that sort of distance to the play-off teams as well.
These teams are 'strengthening' from a much lower base - I'd also query how many players who have transfered so far into the Champ would have been certain starters for us? | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 12:32 - Jul 9 with 1159 views | J2BLUE |
Blue tinted specs? Is that not the general opinion of most fans?
I haven't seen a single Town fan claim this is a Championship super team? |  |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 12:48 - Jul 9 with 1075 views | glasso |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 08:49 - Jul 9 by Big_Jase |
It’s a moniker that has been used consistently by the KOA podcast, not one I agree with. O Shea is decent, yet to be convinced by Greaves. We don’t have a right back capable of playing in the McKenna system. Johnson the right profile and whilst I’d love H Clarke to be the man he’s clearly not quite good enough.
They did mention early days in the transfer market, which again I agree with but some movement in the next week to ten days is very key if not we will be playing catchup. |
This idea of us playing catchup if other clubs are making signings... why? If other clubs are signing the players WE want, then sure that makes sense. But otherwise, there's no rush, is there?
What's the difference if we bought everyone we wanted on day one and all the other clubs bought their players at the rate they are now, compared to if they buy now and we buy at the end of the transfer window? Ultimately we either get the players we want or we don't. | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:35 - Jul 9 with 949 views | Big_Jase |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 12:48 - Jul 9 by glasso |
This idea of us playing catchup if other clubs are making signings... why? If other clubs are signing the players WE want, then sure that makes sense. But otherwise, there's no rush, is there?
What's the difference if we bought everyone we wanted on day one and all the other clubs bought their players at the rate they are now, compared to if they buy now and we buy at the end of the transfer window? Ultimately we either get the players we want or we don't. |
You can’t just buy a player and stick them in. They need to get up to speed with team mates and patterns of play, which for our manager and system are completely key.
We will be playing catch up as others will have their squads in place, therefore playing to their systems. If we don’t get our targets to later how is that not playing catchup.
Also in case you haven’t realised we have four important games in August and we don’t currently have a centre midfield and Al Hamadi is our backup striker, we can’t afford to wait until the end of the window and McKenna/Ashton has repeatedly said they want their business done early. | |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:37 - Jul 9 with 942 views | Big_Jase |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 12:32 - Jul 9 by J2BLUE |
Blue tinted specs? Is that not the general opinion of most fans?
I haven't seen a single Town fan claim this is a Championship super team? |
KOA have regularly used the term on their podcasts. Alex in particular uses it a lot.
I have consistently seen threads on here stating we will have the best team in the division, at present we are nowhere near that. | |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:39 - Jul 9 with 933 views | TRUE_BLUE123 |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:37 - Jul 9 by Big_Jase |
KOA have regularly used the term on their podcasts. Alex in particular uses it a lot.
I have consistently seen threads on here stating we will have the best team in the division, at present we are nowhere near that. |
Are we nowhere near that ?
I would say we are fairly near that. | |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 14:08 - Jul 9 with 841 views | J2BLUE |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:37 - Jul 9 by Big_Jase |
KOA have regularly used the term on their podcasts. Alex in particular uses it a lot.
I have consistently seen threads on here stating we will have the best team in the division, at present we are nowhere near that. |
Well that's a bit silly. I don't tend to bother with the podcasts/v logs etc. | |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 14:30 - Jul 9 with 773 views | Axeldalai_lama |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:37 - Jul 9 by Big_Jase |
KOA have regularly used the term on their podcasts. Alex in particular uses it a lot.
I have consistently seen threads on here stating we will have the best team in the division, at present we are nowhere near that. |
Did you want to expand on how we are 'nowhere near' the best *team* in the league. I'd say we were absolutely maximum of 4 players away from it. And that's being harsh, massively. And that's also not including the depth beyond the 11 of at least 4 or 5 subs that would walk into most championship teams, probably more than that. | | | |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 14:37 - Jul 9 with 751 views | jayessess |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 13:35 - Jul 9 by Big_Jase |
You can’t just buy a player and stick them in. They need to get up to speed with team mates and patterns of play, which for our manager and system are completely key.
We will be playing catch up as others will have their squads in place, therefore playing to their systems. If we don’t get our targets to later how is that not playing catchup.
Also in case you haven’t realised we have four important games in August and we don’t currently have a centre midfield and Al Hamadi is our backup striker, we can’t afford to wait until the end of the window and McKenna/Ashton has repeatedly said they want their business done early. |
Having a settled team in 2023 was our super power and it's not ideal that we're still waiting on possibly our entire centre midfield.
However, it's not like we're trying to recruit an entire first eleven here. As it stands you imagine our matchday squad looks like this:
Palmer; Johnson, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Taylor; Ogbene, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Hirst. Subs: Walton, Townsend, Woolfenden, Clarke, Humphreys, Philogene, Clarke, Chaplin, Al-Hamadi.
There are weaknesses you'd worry about there (you need a new starting 8, there's a couple of bench options you'd ideally upgrade) but it's not like you'd need to recruit and integrate half a dozen players straightaway. Dropping one recruit into your first team and two onto your bench isn't the same as needing to integrate a 11 new probable starters. [Post edited 9 Jul 14:56]
|  |
| |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 15:23 - Jul 9 with 607 views | Big_Jase |
| Listening to the NTT20 & KOA Podcast this morning on 14:30 - Jul 9 by Axeldalai_lama |
Did you want to expand on how we are 'nowhere near' the best *team* in the league. I'd say we were absolutely maximum of 4 players away from it. And that's being harsh, massively. And that's also not including the depth beyond the 11 of at least 4 or 5 subs that would walk into most championship teams, probably more than that. |
Not sold on any of our Keepers
Right back area looks weak
Morsy is mr dependable and I’m sure will still be a key part but started to look leggy last year.
Taylor not up to it for me and doesn’t fit our system.
Right wing options - Ogbene coming back from major injury and Burns not back till likely Xmas.
Striker - One injury away from Al Hamadi starting up front.
To me that’s a lot of work that needs done | |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
