We finished 21-22 season poorly and then went on to have our best season in decades
We finished 21-22 season poorly and then went on to have our best season in decades
Whichever out of Leeds and Southampton that stays down will now have to start watching their spending as revenue will be dropping
Oh ok then you're right.
We’re going to be awful next year because we went on a bad run for a month which included a penalty kick away from the FA cup final.
That obviously wipes out the other 7 months of the season
As soon as we lost hopes of the playoffs, the remaining 3 games were pre-season friendlies in my mind. They were never going to be particularly exciting as well
Think we probably want Southampton to go up. Leeds will have more challenges financially, lots of players out on loan they need to deal with, and you'd think Summerville and Gnonto will push to leave.
We need to nail this transfer window, and we need everyone to step on again. The potential is huge though. Right now I'd back us to get around 80 points, which would mean we fall short, but who knows.
We need to nail this transfer window, and we need everyone to step on again. The potential is huge though. Right now I'd back us to get around 80 points, which would mean we fall short, but who knows.
We still need ...
At least 1 goalkeeper
At least 1 striker
A central attacking midfielder / playmaker
A left back/ LWB
A right back /RWB
A centre half (possibly Binks)
A right winger
That's at LEAST 7 new signings potentially more, presuming we don't lose anyone that MR wants to keep. So it's another major overhaul of the squad.
We also need a far better organised pre-season than in recent years, the pre season tour was an embarrassing fiasco, and there's no way that Exeter away was ever going to prepare us for Leicester away as an opening fixture, we looked dead on our feet for the last 20 minutes of the first game and conceded 2 late goals to lose the game.
We need to learn from that mistake and do better.
We can comfortably offload (Imho)
Moore. (Who?)
Wilson
Dasilva
Binks (I'd keep if possible)
Kelly (gone already)
O'hare (gone already)
Godden
Tavares (maybe being kept for his last year?)
If Gyok moves on and (God forbid) Sheaf goes, we'd have potentially another 20million to spend, we could do some real damage with that!
Finished 32 points off the automatics this season. Think play offs are probably the most realistic achievement we can aim for next year.
Got a strong first 11, but so little depth which I think has been the main difference between us and those finishing in the top 6
Simms
Wright new 10 Sakamoto
Sheaf Torp/Eccles
Bidwell Kitching Thomas MVE
Collins
Upgrade one or two players there and I don’t think we’re far off.
And Sheaf is going to West Ham (although manager-less) and Simms is going back to Everton, Dasilva to Freiburg, and Godden to Charlton.
We finished this season 9 points from the play offs. In the end we were a mile away. We were barely a couple of points ahead of finishing bang mid table.
Yes we have the making of a good team for next season but that's assuming none of our best players leave. It's the same for all the teams with aspirations of finishing in the top six. They'll all be saying the same as us. They all will be trying to improve the squad and keeping their best players.
Only one of those play off teams will go up.of course and it may be that two of them still on big parachute payments next season will remain in this division .
To even think we'll walk into the automatic promotion places is deluded.
Top six will be a realistic ambition..
Yes we have the making of a good team for next season but that's assuming none of our best players leave. It's the same for all the teams with aspirations of finishing in the top six. They'll all be saying the same as us. They all will be trying to improve the squad and keeping their best players.
Only one of those play off teams will go up.of course and it may be that two of them still on big parachute payments next season will remain in this division .
To even think we'll walk into the automatic promotion places is deluded.
Top six will be a realistic ambition..
We finished 9 points off because we gave up once the play offs were out of reach. The league table doesn’t lie, but equally so it’s not always reflective of ability.
How many points have we thrown away this season because of stupid defensive errors? Or how many sitters did our forwards miss at the start of the season (Leicester away springs to mind)?
I expect those issues to be sorted next season. With just a decent, experienced CB, and a half decent GK, our first 11 easily makes the playoffs.
That’s before we see any improvement to the rest of the squad
good points but we fell away after semi final as we all know. We won’t make semi finals next year. No one can say the semi final and the run to it didn’t impact us on finishing in the top 6.
Our problem this year was a very poor start and spent a lot of time clawing back points to almost get top 6! If MR can get a good first 10 games and be in the top 6 then it will be easier to stay there or improve upon it.
My worry is that it sounds like it could potentially be another rebuild of a summer. Really reliant on any new signings to have more of an immediate impact, but think a lot of current squad will benefit from a proper pre-season
Agree with all of that BUT..... I can't see us keeping hold of Sheaf, Wright and Simms. Expecting to lose Sheaf and at least one of the others.
You’re not going to have a season where we sign no one at all, you always needs new players.
Last season was a rebuild because we couldn’t field a starting XI of senior players after all loanees and released players left us. We signed 14 players with 17 leaving.
This summer, we need to sign 6-8 players and these players are adding to a solid foundation of players.
We’ve got COH as the only starter definitely leaving. Most outgoings are squad players and any starters who are wanted will not leave unless it’s for a bumper fee (Simms/Sheaf).
Higher turnover players than planned and they can at least be integrated more slowly than this season.
Need to win more games at home if we’re going to challenge at the top of the division.
And draw less games vs shite teams.
And draw less games vs shite teams.
Completely agree with this. Last summer we practically needed to build a fresh 11, this season we're supplementing the squad with quality and depth, with just a few bodies who may go straight in.
Feels like Gyokeres leaving Sporting early in the window would be crucial to fund the new signings via our sell-on clause, as well as help strengthen our bargaining position if Sheaf pressures the club to sell him, so we're not in a position where we need the money too urgently to fund incomings, and we maximise the amount we get for him.
Agree with the OP's enthusiasm, if you are going to get excited about Coventry City, I think it's now.
I think ITK's have said we're looking at setting up either 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 next season, so probably not looking at 10's and more at players to supplement Sheaf/Eccles/Torp.
I think we will sign 1 number 10 to give us the flexibility of playing them or EMC in a 10 if we wanted.
Thats not including Palmer if he doesn't leave.
I believe both Rudoni and Dolan, two mooted targets can play there. Rudoni is a CM/AM and Dolan is a versatile RW/LW/AM.
Plan A will be 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 a Plan B, perhaps?
Yeah I was more just saying that however we’re setting up the midfield that should be one of the priorities transfer wise, someone to take O’Hare’s “slot”.
How many first team starters do people think we need?
I'd go with 3.
Keeper. Would be my priority.
Centre half as not convinced with Kitch
CM/AM to replace COH.
I think we are reasonably strong as a starting line up other than that. Squad wise we probably need another 5 on top of that depending who else leaves.
I'd go with 3.
Keeper. Would be my priority.
Centre half as not convinced with Kitch
CM/AM to replace COH.
I think we are reasonably strong as a starting line up other than that. Squad wise we probably need another 5 on top of that depending who else leaves.
Godden, Bidwell, Collins, Wilson, Palmer, Lats and JDS i can see going if any sort of decent money is offered. Not all will go with probably Palmer and Lats being the ones we see again.
Any others under contract will be at the club, unless those record bids come in from prem or abroad.
Burroughs, Howley, Dausch, Andrews and Obikwu will get chance to stake a place. If Howley or Burroughs don't bridge the gap they will fall into the any offer they will let go.
So in my opinion we need 6 in and hope 1 or 2 of the younger players can step up.
I like the names already mentioned and think if Browne and McCallum are close or done they are 2 very good signings and are a good start yo the window.
We could do with GK, CB, RM and another FW.
I like Stansfield, Patino, Rudoni, Kipre, Cresswell but im sure the club already know who they want.
Any others under contract will be at the club, unless those record bids come in from prem or abroad.
Burroughs, Howley, Dausch, Andrews and Obikwu will get chance to stake a place. If Howley or Burroughs don't bridge the gap they will fall into the any offer they will let go.
So in my opinion we need 6 in and hope 1 or 2 of the younger players can step up.
I like the names already mentioned and think if Browne and McCallum are close or done they are 2 very good signings and are a good start yo the window.
We could do with GK, CB, RM and another FW.
I like Stansfield, Patino, Rudoni, Kipre, Cresswell but im sure the club already know who they want.
You’ll be surprised. Robins has said we’ve lacked quality and quantity since Jan/Feb.
3 starters after mentioning this is tinkering around the edges. If we’re after ‘exciting’ talent, I could see there being up to 5-6 new starters.
To try and put names and positions on it:
- GK
- CB - one of 2
- LB - McCallum
- CM - Browne
- CM - Rudoni
- RW - Dolan
These players might not all be Day 1 starters and MR has made it clear we need to make more changes than was originally planned.
Playoffs is the aim, as DK has stated. Can’t see us challenging for autos so let’s not get over excited then call anything short of autos failure.
There is clearly interest in a few of our big players, Robins has said as much and virtually begged them to stay with some of his comments, and this could cause us to require a lot more transfer activity than we’d like.
MR and his team will identify good targets, maybe this time the fan base can avoid writing them off before we’re half way through the season?
There is clearly interest in a few of our big players, Robins has said as much and virtually begged them to stay with some of his comments, and this could cause us to require a lot more transfer activity than we’d like.
MR and his team will identify good targets, maybe this time the fan base can avoid writing them off before we’re half way through the season?
How many points have other teams squandered . A lot of clubs will be saying exactly the same as you. " We just need a decent ........and .........
We are not unique.
Was having a chat with my mate in the pub Saturday after the game. This question came up. If teams came in for both Wright and Simms, if you had to let one go who would it be and why. I said Wright as Simms younger, plays the centre forward role well, we're bringing in Mason Clarke on the left wing and can bring in other forwards. What are others thoughts
I agree. Plus he might well be involved with the USA team so will be travelling halfway across the world and back regularly and so will likely need to be rested more often.
With his age it's unlikely his value will rise much further either, whereas I feel Simms has the potential to go up a fair amount still.
I just feel he's more replaceable.
