The thing is... Our squad isn't good enough to get in to the top 6. The only reason we're there is because of our great away performances. What about when we don't win as many away games in 2016? And still drawing games at PR? If that happens then we will finish mid table. We NEED to strenghen our squad especially in the defensive area if we want to solidify top 6..

Good job all the other top eight are thinking the same, or did I read Derby have spent £4m on two additions in January, who must think despite beating us at home need to strengthen despite not being able to "get anything better than they have got"
Top six is fantastic but we need to kick on and win the playoffs likely to be against a prior season relegated Prem side. Please just speculate a bit the prize is within our grasp.

Really do wonder if it's Evans or Mick's decision to continue down this route of seemingly not spending money and going down the fre/loans route. Think Mick must be one of the only managers, who is seemingly happy with this policy. Might be that if we don't spend a lot of money Mick will be rightly lauded again, but if we spend some money that then puts Mick's head on the chopping block a bit more, he's there to be judged.

We have been very lucky with the fixture list so far this season, we've played against the bottom sides in the league when they are at their weakest and we've met some of the top half clubs recently just as they are faltering from good runs (QPR, Brighton) all whilst we are in our patch of form, but that will no doubt falter soon as "runs" always seem to do and what then? Can you prevent the run stopping through new quality January additions? Hmmmm, a question that will likely remain unanswered in our case as we don't have the funds made available to the manager to add real quality to the side.............it will be interesting to see where the seasons ends, but I suspect it will be scrapping for the final play-off place....again...when we will regret not having strengthened in January.....again.

Why!!! This just shows the lack of ambition at he club, we will be fortunate to hold onto our top 6 position . This squad is not good enough. You made the same mistake last season, oh well another year in the championship feeding of other clubs scraps! Wake up ITFC! Poor decision

This squad is not good enough to go up without investment . All around us will strengthen in January as they did last year when we were top and scraped the playoffs on goal difference .
MM is in a no lose situation by signing freebies as if they don't work out "its nothing lost , didn't cost anything "and if they are a success "its what a find "
We need quality and creativity in the middle of the park as we are unable to break down the top sides

MM you have a squad of about 15 that you trust. You clearly don't trust the likes of Oar, the Pole, Coke etc, so ship them out and bring in better quality so we have options and proper cover for the 2nd half of the season. Derby are bringing in new guys without breaking the bank and Brighton have just signed Knockaert. We can surely afford a few million to strengthen? I don't believe that there's no one else better out there that we could sign.

You lot are embarrassing, remember how much Derby spent last January, and where did they end up?

JackSted, your post is full of 'What Ifs' to represent a negative point. How about 'what if' we improve our home form and accumulate more points there.

To say we don't have a squad good enough to reach the top 6 after were there half way through is moronic, even more so after the points we've recently got over the Christmas period.

Some 'fans' just love to moan it's laughable.

Mick will not say if he is looking, Saturday morning he said nobody will be signing but we then hear digby is with the squad!
I don't believe we need major strengthening apart from maybe a bishop type player for our midfield and we already have him

I would like us to loan Pritchard or Powell for the season tho.

While I think the policy is to be applauded It does make me wonder how long we will hang onto MM/TC because at some stage he may get poached or fed up?

Fraser back from injury is as good as bringing in a big signing! Hyam has just returned also along with Varney. Bishop and McGoldrick to return too. That makes a pretty strong bench as far as I am concerned.
I don't think we need to go crazy in this window.

Our club has never got anywhere by splashing out money - like Keane did.

Considering the limited financial backing Mick has received, it's remarkable that we are sixth. He's been able to sign the likes of Coke and Toure. Cheap options. Thus mick has done an excellent job. Appreciate its all about opinions and agree with Mick that he is unlikely to improve if relying on loans and frees, but I still believe the club and ME is very short sighted with this approach. Mick deserves the extra backing to bring in a couple of quality additions, which will assist in not only consolidating sixth, but press for a higher finish. We made the same mistake in January last year and when injuries hit combined with a loss of form from some key players possibly due to burn out, we in the end scraped a play off place despite being top. My fear is the same will happen this year and with key quality players still unavailable I personally feel we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Our competitors will strengthen. For me, we need too as well. Reading between the lines, Mick isn't saying he can't improve, just not with the current strategy of cheap frees. I blame Evans and although not popular with some, don't believe the spin machine at Portman Road. Hiding behind FFP is not an option, nor stating the Mings and Cresswell money has gone towards the running of the club. It should have been reinvested in the playing squad, and not just wages as claimed, unless the club take into account the wages saved on thirteen players leaving in the summer. Something the club normally forget to mention or take into account.

Jas0999 I don't believe it's all down to Evans. How do we not know that Evans hasn't said to Mick I'm willing to provide some funds and it's Mick who is choosing not to spend it?? As I said in my post, Mick is seemingly happy with the situation, which is strange. Never used to like hearing Billy Davies whinge about the need for extra investment at forest, but it's not something you hear from Mick.

Theipswichman understand your point, but it's a matter of ambition. All around us our strengthening, we seemingly are not. Whilst we currently hold the last play off position, with a 2 point gap, Mick's comments about we will see where we end up in May doesn't scream confidence or belief. Mick is a good manager and I'm well aware of what happened at Derby last season, but we need to strengthen in the right areas, if the right players are available

Get down to Bolton, they are desperate for money, and try and snap up a bargain in Zak Clough.
Failing that get Pritchard on loan from Spurs, he was the best midfielder in the Championship last season when he was at Brentford.
Both playmakers, exactly what we need.

George Moncur worth a look and agree about Clough - they gotta sell to survive ! There is a sorry tale in that club - no cost management there !

Limited financial backing??? That has to be the most repeated and ridiculous phrases I keep hearing on TWTD.

Marcus Evans has been putting at least £5m into the club every year JUST TO KEEP AFLOAT. Does anyone understand that?? Were talking about millions of pounds here, not a few quid. If the club does not get this considerable financial backing every year, it goes bust. Simple as.

Fans turning round shouting that Marcus Evans isn't doing enough, or that Mick must be getting tired and frustrated at the "limited financial backing" are quite frankly idiots. Mick will have taken the job knowing full well what the status quo was when he joined.

Yes it would be lovely to be able to go and splash out £15m on Charlie Austin, but the rest of us in the real world realise that the club cannot afford to do that, so we trust Mick to get the players in using his wealth of transfer knowledge and he's done a bloody good job so far.

So quit being stupid, support your team, be happy that the club is being run properly and enjoy the fact that we have steadily improved every year. I'm sure there's many Bolton supporters out there who would give their right arm to be supporting a club being run the way ours is.

We are in 6th place with our "poor old cheap" to build squad. Whilst "all around us are strengthening, ( likely beyond their financial means). Only THREE Clubs will go up at the end of the season. We have as good a chance via the play off lottery as any other club. If we dont go up , we wont be the ones in deep water regarding the FFP and the embargoes which will almost certainly follow. These high spending Clubs that who fail to get promoted in May will pay tye consequences of trying to buy their way to the Promised land.

Its got absolutely nothing to do with "ambition", but more to do with "responsible building from a sound , SUSTAINABLE foundation". I know which camp Id rather be in!

Mrdiddle the club is being run sensibly and has just posted a 5 million pound profit!!! That's why some fans are calling for sensible investment to consolidate our position in the play off places. Fans don't want the club to go and splurge millions like Derby have. They did last season and flunked, they have this season and ultimately will now go up. Evans, who you have lauded will only get his investment back if we reach the premier league. Now yes, we are being run in a more sustainable way, but likely to stay in the championship, without real investment

Ipswichman ...Derby are in automatic promotion place 7 points above us and we were not good enough to break them down at home that is where they have ended up .

Arnie M exactly what clubs have so far ended up in deep water regarding FFP in the championship ?

All I want to know is who is lying ... Milne said money would be available for signing on fees not wages and MM says we wont spend any money , is it available and MM just doesn't want to send or is the club lying ?

We had all of this last January when we were top two how the squad was good enough for promotion it wasn't as we dropped dramatically , hope I am proved wrong but don't think we will make playoffs without strengthening as Brighton , Sheff Weds , Hull , Derby , Brentford , Boro , Derby all will

Totally agree MrDiddle - although to be fair this years profit does slightly de-rail the point on first sight !
HOWEVER this is the first year for many years that Evans hasn't had to put in £4/£5M due entirely to the Ming's £8m fee AND the fee for Cresswell (being in this years finances) - take that those 2 amounts off & Evans would again would have had to dip into his pocket for the annual £4/£5m he is allowed to invest (FFP) to balance the books.
I think most sensible fans will excuse the "caution" with which this years "profit" is treated as this money is probably in all reality going to cover this financial years "losses" unless we increase income massively through increased gates (unlikely at this stage), another larger transfer ( but where is that coming from ?) or a cup run I suppose.
In reality we lose around £4/5m a year currently - due mainly to our large debt etc which is ENTIRELY covered by Evans. If we had no debt then YES he could be putting in that money to actively fund player purchase's .......... but is anyone truly blaming the guy for not bankrupting himself !!!??
Remember too he is only allowed to put in a certain amount (or supposed to !) under FFP rules.
So before you blithely moan about Evans commitment or that the "£8m" for Mings isn't splashed out on players immediately remember this club was bankrupt in the last 10 years & Evans has stabilised that with a financial model that has got us challenging for promotion 2 years running .......... do we really want to risk all that ?

by the way Mick said exactly the same last week re signings/squad strength ...so expect a signing today if last weeks Press Conference whilst signing Digby is anything to go by !!!! :):)

I see the minus muppets are about. who are we in debt to answer ME. PNE chairman recently wiped their £32 million debt out. All the other clubs are in debt for example Queens Park Rangers (£179.6m), Ipswich Town (£82.4m), Cardiff City (£81.1m) and Hull City (£64.8m). Chelsea are £958 million in debt! Don't tell money isn't available as a club we have accrued more money from transfer fees in than out so all those who say it's because of keane and jewel that's nonsense. check out our financial spreadsheets for transfers since ME took over. Yeah look at Derby now probably going to get promoted along Middlesbrough who have both looked at their shortfall of last year and strengthened their squads and will probably continue to do so. Derby spend the same on wages as and Middlesbrough have £70 million in "loans" ! Check the facts first hey!!!

"The thing is... Our squad isn't good enough to get in to the top 6. The only reason we're there is because of our great away performances. "

Ummm....what?