As predicted - nothing much has left, so are we 'strong'? (5 Viewers)

[stupot07]

There's the optimistic approach then there is the pessimistic approach.

We have both a plenty but Coventry seem to have more pessimist than optimist.

I said we 'may even' win the league - didn't say we would. Preston had a whole belly of problems and is why they have not done well.

Take a real hard look pessimist at every other squad in this league. If truly you think the Mcsheffrey's, Bells, Deagan's, Murphies and Keogh and Woods are a lot worse then I give up. We were relegated last year in the end by running out of steam at the finish. If the pressure of all that happened was not there we would not have gone down. They deserved to go down and as I said plenty of times I saw it as an 'opportunity' and so here we are. There has been no mass exodus of players because the money is not around. All clubs are feeling the pinch. We are somewhat lucky to have most of our players still with us.

One thing for sure this time and there can be no ambiguity to it....Thorn needs to produce and there are no excuses!

I'm sorry Paxman but you say there was not exodus but five of the the main starting 11 in the better second half of the season have done, plus a couple of squad players. We have lost

Clingan
Cranie
Bigi
Platt
Norwood
Nimely
McPake
Eastwood

And we have only replaced 4 of them, and we were already 4-5 players short last season.

Are we really that lucky to still have most of our players? Other than Keogh and the young one's hasve many clubs expressed an interest in bell, deegan et al?

It's funny you should mention Preston, they are the team I feel we have mirrored in the last year, in their relegation season they had to slash their wage bill from £11.8m to £6.5m and were left with a substandard squad hence relegation (paragraph 3 in the Iink below), similarly we slashed our from just over £8m to around £5m with our mass exodus so summer 2011, and we're left without the required quality to stay up. We may have signed a few players but things are far from rosy in the sky blue garden.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...p-clubs-to-adopt-wage-restraints-2294780.html

 

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[Grendel]

I'm sorry Paxman but you say there was not exodus but five of the the main starting 11 in the better second half of the season have done, plus a couple of squad players. We have lost

Clingan
Cranie
Bigi
Platt
Norwood
Nimely
McPake
Eastwood

And we have only replaced 4 of them, and we were already 4-5 players short last season.

Are we really that lucky to still have most of our players? Other than Keogh and the young one's hasve many clubs expressed an interest in bell, deegan et al?

It's funny you should mention Preston, they are the team I feel we have mirrored in the last year, in their relegation season they had to slash their wage bill from £11.8m to £6.5m and were left with a substandard squad hence relegation (paragraph 3 in the Iink below), similarly we slashed our from just over £8m to around £5m with our mass exodus so summer 2011, and we're left without the required quality to stay up. We may have signed a few players but things are far from rosy in the sky blue garden.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...p-clubs-to-adopt-wage-restraints-2294780.html

You are full of cheer aren't you?

 

[Sick Boy]

We still need a goalscorer desperately. Then I might think we can challenge for top 6.

Thorny has already told us that Cody will get 30 goals next season.

 

[Grendel]

Thorny has already told us that Cody will get 30 goals next season.

Are you sure he said that? Probably press speculation.

 

[ccfcdan]

Thorny has already told us that Cody will get 30 goals next season.

And that's just in the Johnstones paint trophy

 

[Sick Boy]

Are you sure he said that? Probably press speculation.

But Thorn is backing his only outfield summer signing from last term to bounce back with a vengeance, insisting: “I’m looking at people like Cody, who will have a pre-season and he will be top goal scorer in League One – I have no doubt about that, I think he’ll score the most goals.

Fair enough, he doesn't say 30 but Rhodes got 38 last season, so he is going to have to get around 25-30.

Read More http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/co...says-andy-thorn-92746-30922153/#ixzz20XrysRoY

 

[Grendel]

But Thorn is backing his only outfield summer signing from last term to bounce back with a vengeance, insisting: “I’m looking at people like Cody, who will have a pre-season and he will be top goal scorer in League One – I have no doubt about that, I think he’ll score the most goals.

Fair enough, he doesn't say 30 but Rhodes got 38 last season, so he is going to have to get around 25-30.

Read More http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/co...says-andy-thorn-92746-30922153/#ixzz20XrysRoY

Then I am sure Cody will deliver....

 

[covcity4life]

I'm sorry Paxman but you say there was not exodus but five of the the main starting 11 in the better second half of the season have done, plus a couple of squad players. We have lost

Clingan
Cranie
Bigi
Platt
Norwood
Nimely
McPake
Eastwood

And we have only replaced 4 of them, and we were already 4-5 players short last season.

Are we really that lucky to still have most of our players? Other than Keogh and the young one's hasve many clubs expressed an interest in bell, deegan et al?

It's funny you should mention Preston, they are the team I feel we have mirrored in the last year, in their relegation season they had to slash their wage bill from £11.8m to £6.5m and were left with a substandard squad hence relegation (paragraph 3 in the Iink below), similarly we slashed our from just over £8m to around £5m with our mass exodus so summer 2011, and we're left without the required quality to stay up. We may have signed a few players but things are far from rosy in the sky blue garden.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...p-clubs-to-adopt-wage-restraints-2294780.html

Clingan-was shit in run in
Cranie - big loss
Bigi - didnt make an impact
Platt -did well but no more hoofball plz so im not bothered
Norwood - a loss
Nimely - a loss
McPake - didnt play
Eastwood - didnt play

couple that with fact were in a inferior leaguie and our kids have experience now i stills ee it as us looking like a better outfit

 

[@richh87]

I'm sorry Paxman but you say there was not exodus but five of the the main starting 11 in the better second half of the season have done, plus a couple of squad players. We have lost

Clingan
Cranie
Bigi
Platt
Norwood
Nimely
McPake
Eastwood

And we have only replaced 4 of them, and we were already 4-5 players short last season.

Are we really that lucky to still have most of our players? Other than Keogh and the young one's hasve many clubs expressed an interest in bell, deegan et al?

It's funny you should mention Preston, they are the team I feel we have mirrored in the last year, in their relegation season they had to slash their wage bill from £11.8m to £6.5m and were left with a substandard squad hence relegation (paragraph 3 in the Iink below), similarly we slashed our from just over £8m to around £5m with our mass exodus so summer 2011, and we're left without the required quality to stay up. We may have signed a few players but things are far from rosy in the sky blue garden.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...p-clubs-to-adopt-wage-restraints-2294780.html

You take the time to make an intelligent post like this which highlights the weakness of our squad and Duffy/Grendel can't even make a sensible comment in reply. He likes to ignore facts about the weaknes of the squad as it makes his anti-Thorn stance look unreasonable.

We had a shit squad last season and it has only got worse and fewer in numbers so far over the summer. 9 out 4 in isn't something to be excited about. Sign another 5 or 6 and maybe i'll start thinking SISU are going to take a season seriously - they chose relegation last term, it was footballing suicide.

 

[wingy]

I'm convinced














I'm convinced Cody can deliver many goals for us this season ,but his alone won't be enough to get us challenging .To do that you need three 20+ strikers ,iwill be backing Cody at the bookies regularly this season ,and something on an overall total of 25+

 

[Grendel]

You take the time to make an intelligent post like this which highlights the weakness of our squad and Duffy/Grendel can't even make a sensible comment in reply. He likes to ignore facts about the weaknes of the squad as it makes his anti-Thorn stance look unreasonable.

We had a shit squad last season and it has only got worse and fewer in numbers so far over the summer. 9 out 4 in isn't something to be excited about. Sign another 5 or 6 and maybe i'll start thinking SISU are going to take a season seriously - they chose relegation last term, it was footballing suicide.

Another 5 or 6? What a laugh.

We've "lost" Eastwood and McPake who were frozen out on day one anyway.
Bigi was a makeweight in the squad.
Cranie is a loss but Wood is fit again.
Platt was poor and is no loss.
Clingan has been replaced (or will be) by Jennings.
Nimeley scored one goal
Norwood is a loss but we have signed Fleck and Kilbane

So we don't need 5 or 6 more. Or are you desparate we continue to fail so your special friend stays in a job?

 

[SkyBlueBlood]

Dont forget we also lost Norwood, Nimely and Herman

 

[Grendel]

Dont forget we also lost Norwood, Nimely and Herman

2 of them were mentioned in the original post and one of those scored one goal.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

I'm convinced














I'm convinced Cody can deliver many goals for us this season ,but his alone won't be enough to get us challenging .To do that you need three 20+ strikers ,iwill be backing Cody at the bookies regularly this season ,and something on an overall total of 25+

I seriously believe that Cody will get 25+ while, McSheffery will get between 10 and 20 depending on where he plays, Fleck and Baker will both get 10+ and Elliott will get a few. Someone get me my pills.

 

[Paxman II]

Clingan
Cranie
Bigi
Platt
Norwood
Nimely
McPake
Eastwood

You sight these as being the unfortunate losses? Come on now...

Eastwood was frozen out. McPake was elswhere and injured and not used or wanted. Nimely was a loan and vastly inexperienced and and that began showing by his exclusion in games. Norwood is the only one I would call a loss but he was a half seasson loanee not one of ours. Platt was lucky to be in the side on occasion, Bigi was dropped halfway and hardly played again. Cranie some say a loss but I say hot and cold and no great loss. Wood is now fit. Cameron is now fit. Clingan was largely a waste of space last season and very poor. So we are stronger for them leaving on the whole and other guys now fit coupled with some new signings. Yep we are stronger than what we finished last season with!

The pessimist just don't want to believe it.

 

[skybluelee]

Don't forget we've lost Norwood, nimely and platt, and also McPake and Eastwood who weren't as involved last season.

I still don't see enough grit, strength, pace or goals.

Yeah because that lot contributed literally stacks of goals last year didn't they?

 

[@richh87]

Another 5 or 6? What a laugh.

We've "lost" Eastwood and McPake who were frozen out on day one anyway.
Bigi was a makeweight in the squad.
Cranie is a loss but Wood is fit again.
Platt was poor and is no loss.
Clingan has been replaced (or will be) by Jennings.
Nimeley scored one goal
Norwood is a loss but we have signed Fleck and Kilbane

So we don't need 5 or 6 more. Or are you desparate we continue to fail so your special friend stays in a job?

We were woefully short on numbers last season - having to field 4 or 5 18 year olds as starters. This is about depth - not putting together 11 players and crossing your fingers they play all the games.

There were games at the end of the season where we struggled to put a side out - this is not what promotion challenges are based upon.

If anything, this season will see us play more games than last as we have the JPT and start in an earlier round of the FA Cup against teams we should get past.

 

[covcity4life]

we have 2 players for every position now and the youngsters have more experience,were in an inferior league but alot of our signings seem championship level

all points to an successfull season,no other way to look at it

we do not need 5-6 signings at all

1-3 should do it.

 

[stupot07]

We were woefully short on numbers last season - having to field 4 or 5 18 year olds as starters. This is about depth - not putting together 11 players and crossing your fingers they play all the games.

There were games at the end of the season where we struggled to put a side out - this is not what promotion challenges are based upon.

If anything, this season will see us play more games than last as we have the JPT and start in an earlier round of the FA Cup against teams we should get past.

Completely agree, it's about depth and variety, and lack off.

 

[stupot07]

Yeah because that lot contributed literally stacks of goals last year didn't they?

Re-read my original post. The key word is "still" I.e in that we also lacked last season.

 

[stupot07]

Another 5 or 6? What a laugh.

We've "lost" Eastwood and McPake who were frozen out on day one anyway.
Bigi was a makeweight in the squad.
Cranie is a loss but Wood is fit again.
Platt was poor and is no loss.
Clingan has been replaced (or will be) by Jennings.
Nimeley scored one goal
Norwood is a loss but we have signed Fleck and Kilbane

So we don't need 5 or 6 more. Or are you desparate we continue to fail so your special friend stays in a job?

Of course I don't want us to fail, I'm just trying to keep my feet on the ground and my expectations in check. I'm waiting to see who else we sign because I just can't pin my hopes on the likes of baker, bell, ROD, Deegan, Thomas, etc to mount a promotion charge.

Cranie was rated better than Wood.
McPake when fit was often played ahead of wood.
We have replaced them with a complete unknown.
Bigi played half a season and was favoured over Deegan - what does that say about Deegan?
Platt may have been poor but was still first choice striker once juke left - above Jeffers and ROD who are still here.
Clingan was disappointing but is still a good player and is good enough to play a higher level. Again Jennings hasn't signed yet, and we don't know alot about him.
Nimely scored 1 goal, I personally didn't really rare him but was still above ROD and Jeffers in the pecking order.
Norwood was quality - again we know little about Fleck other than Sky Sports called him the next Rooney 3-4 years ago. Kilbane is a decent signing but isn't going to replace Norwood, he's not an expansive playmaker.

 

[Moff]

I will reserve judgement on this one, and certainly dont believe the odds the bookies are offering.

This is an awful league we are entering and I hope it isnt the case, but believe some who think it will be a stroll in the park and a certain top 6 finish are in for a rude awakening.

We need to wise up as a team, play tough and hard, and grind out the results. I hope we are shaping a team to do that, and will wait to make a judegemnt on the team until the transfer window closes and we have played some games.

I really hope for once we get something going, get some results, and give us the fans something to cheer about.

I am not a fan of Thorn, particularly due to some of the awful benine crap he spouts, but want him to succeed and do the job. I think he has learnt and hope he can do well, but if we are struggling by christmas then surely even his greatest apologists would agree he would have to go.....BUT this may never happen and AT could give us the success we are so deperatley lacking.