By the Chelsea lad do you mean Maatsen? And do you think we will get a CB on top of Craine?
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Martin Cranie (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Sky Blue Pete
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By the Chelsea lad do you mean Maatsen? And do you think we will get a CB on top of Craine?
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Frostie
Well-Known Member
I think Rocky is additional, still young, want to take a closer look.
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
I expect what we’ve done every season until this one: us to have scouted and lines up players ahead of time that will improve the squad.
We seem to be taking anyone including players who have barely played for years, players at the end of their careers, players without a club (in one case a player who hasn’t had a club for a year, and in another a player who keeps getting his contract terminated(
Do you seriously think this preseason has the same feel as others squad building wise?
Now apparently we won’t have anyone in before the season starts in a position we have needed strengthening since last year.
The only person mentioning £5m players is you.
cc84cov
Well-Known Member
Said earlier it’s like we have just grabbed what we can & fingers crossed it clicks
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
Craine is going to be the next Robbins isn’t it
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
Right on cueMoore
Dabo Rose Fadz Craine Maatsen
Sheaf Hamer
O’Hare
Waghorn Gyo
Not sure how I feel about that team tbh
cc84cov
Well-Known Member
Relegation Fodder Clive
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Moore
Dabo Rose Fadz Craine Maatsen
Sheaf Hamer
O’Hare
Waghorn Gyo
Not sure how I feel about that team tbh but it doesn’t fill me with much confidence
It wouldn’t be so bad if we were ever capable of playing on the front foot. But that’s not how we set up under Robins. It’s going to be a long season.
COV
Well-Known Member
It feels no different really. In fact better than some looking back at it. But I don’t really go in for this massive overanalysis of it all & turning into quivering wrecks about it predicting certain relegation. It will be ok. Have other clubs left us standing in terms of who they’ve brought in? As for players coming in after the season starts, that’s nothing unusual, players are always moving right up until deadline day.
We are not going to be going for promotion- 16th again would be fine & we’ll have enough for that.
cc84cov
Well-Known Member
COV
Well-Known Member
Ambition to do what?
People have been hyping up Luton. Luton wanted to keep Cranie. Cranie comes to us- lack of ambition. Doesn’t make sense.
Terry_dactyl
Well-Known Member
Like mcfadzean then!
skyblueelephant76
Well-Known Member
Alternatively we're potentially signing an experienced championship defender as a squad player to provide cover for a couple of positions - depends how you choose to look at it.
Frostie
Well-Known Member
Some very valid points but I was always expecting this season to be very different from a recruitment perspective.
I expect Maatsen & a CB (even if it's Cranie) before the season starts, is one of those the position you mean?
Once we reached the Championship, & especially now with the change in work permit rules, it's made every transfer much, much harder to complete.
We're no longer one of the most attractive clubs in our division & with large swathes of Europe effectively closed off you have 24 teams (mostly more attractive & with bigger budgets than us) all competing in the same markets for a lot of the same players.
All this is before we even think of Covid & the lack of income across the board that means the arse has fell out of the market for clubs like us that need to free up budget by offloading players that are surplus to requirements.
A couple of years ago you would easily expect a player like Jamie Allen to command a reasonable fee to a decent League One club, now it's likely if we do shift him it'll be on a free transfer.
I'm fully expecting a really tough season tbh & if you offered it me now, I'd accept 21st & staying in the league. I'm sure that will be met with "Where's the ambition?" etc. but I think, with the current state of play, staying up would be an achievement. I've seen it all too many times with the "Difficult 2nd season" syndrome where a club overachieves one season & comes crashing back down to earth the next. Take Sheffield United last season for example.
We need to stabilise in this league & slowly churn the squad. It might mean being a bit pragmatic with some of our signings in the short term but I trust in MR & the recruitment team to get it right.
SleepyGinger
Well-Known Member
Bang on. I can see the frustration with recruitment this year but a look around the division will show we are doing OK. Forest have signed 1 player, a back up goalkeeper and lost some key players from last season (main one being Garner) and their fans think they need a new pair of fullbacks. We will be better prepared than them for the 1st game of the season.
Even if we didn’t sign another player we would be able to field a decent 11 at the moment which is more than can be said for some teams.
Last 3 seasons loans have played a massive part for us and I’m sure they will again, just have to be patient. We’ll be OK, there’s at least 3 teams worse than us in this division IMO.
COV
Well-Known Member
And you’re bang on too. I just don’t get how it’s not obvious that we aren’t doing badly compared to most other teams, there’s no need to be panicking. If the clubs we’re expecting to be in & around us had signed multiple quality players then fair enough, but they haven’t- hardly anyone has.
baldy
Well-Known Member
A CB on top of Crainie? What? To make him taller you mean?
Earlsdon_Skyblue1
Well-Known Member
It might be the case that the quality in the championship is a bit weaker again this year, in which case what we have got may well do better.
I agree with what you are saying though, and just because some people are concerned doesn't mean that they are throwing their dummies out the pram because we aren't signing Messi.
This transfer window feels very odd. You would be almost hoping we are saving the best until last as the team at the moment is definitely not stronger than last year. As you say though, the players we are looking at all seem to have patchy appearance numbers, and that is being polite about it.
The goalkeeping situation is something I can't really get my head around, and the defence is extremely weak, looking to be filled out by pretty much anyone who has their afternoon's free.
It's too early to write it off, of course, but I am apprehensive at the moment.
Jamesimus
Well-Known Member
Perhaps he's coming in as head groundsman instead?
Blind-Faith
Well-Known Member
Cranie was class last time , never looked like he gets out of second gear , absolute rolls Royce of a defender. He never had pace anyway, so let’s hope his experience has added more to his game 
Now can we get Westwood , Dann and Fox back please???
Now can we get Westwood , Dann and Fox back please???
Greggs
Well-Known Member
Would struggle in league 1 mateMoore
Dabo Rose Fadz Craine Maatsen
Sheaf Hamer
O’Hare
Waghorn Gyo
Not sure how I feel about that team tbh
Greggs
Well-Known Member
More players with lesser abilities. I like your thinking.....
better days
Well-Known Member
Hand grenade man
SkyblueDad
Well-Known Member
Cranie as at least back four cover would be an inspired signing imo can play in front of defence too.
I’m not sure if getting Ostigard back is dead and buried yet either, think it all depends on Brighton & what they do re. replacing Ben White I think they are angling for us to buy him not another loan.
I’m not sure if getting Ostigard back is dead and buried yet either, think it all depends on Brighton & what they do re. replacing Ben White I think they are angling for us to buy him not another loan.
kg82
Well-Known Member
Except he’s been playing in the championship for the last 12 or so years.
larry_david
Well-Known Member
Love people writing Rocky off. He's a young cb who I'd imagine is available on a permanent deal if he does well. It's the same situation as ostigard, who did really well for us, so we'll in fact he's probably being kept on by them. In 9 months time we may all be crying because this kid has nailed it and we can't afford him
shmmeee
Well-Known Member
Last season we signed:
- A young midfielder with some of the best stats in europe
- A young striker from this division with great stats in the league below
- A young midfielder from the Prem with great stats in the league below
- A couple of cheap gambles from abroad
- Loaned in a young CB from the Prem who had had a good season in Germany
- A couple of promising young players who had done well in the league below
This season we’ve ;
- A 31yo GK who couldn’t get in a squad last season and last played seriously 4 years ago
- An AM last playing in India who has had his contract ripped up before that with known attitude issues turned down by clubs at this level and below
- A 31 yo striker who was released by a club that was nearly relegated and not rated by their fans
- A young striker who struggled to get in our side last year (I actually rate him, but at £1m you’ve got to question the wisdom considering out budget and squad needs)
We’re now looking at:
- A Norwich U23
- A 35 yo CB
- A player who had no club last year
- A kid who didn’t exactly set the world alight in L1 last year
It feels like we had targets (Walsh, James, Patterson, Twine, Sarkic/Walton, Panzo maybe) who we couldn’t afford and are now scrabbling round the frees and loans like a Football Manager player. Why that is I don’t know, you’d have thought Robins and the scouts would’ve been told the budget requirements.
cooperskyblue
Well-Known Member
Last season we finished 16th, we had some disappointing moments, we made mistakes, but we learnt and adapted and found an effective way if winning to pull us away from danger. All that with basically the same 11, our strikers were rarely all fit at the same time, Robins rarely used his subs as the bench had no one to make an impact.
We have undoubtedly improved our depth and attacking options so we could suddenly have for example; Jones, Bright and Walker all on the bench to come on.
We are going to plug these defensive gaps. Hyam and Rose coming in will improve us again and an extra signing there would also help.
I think most of us want a CM and I'm sure Robins does too with Kelly injured and not replacing James.
Look at other teams who have either signed absolutely no one or a GK (in the case of Forest). I think we will be ready come 8th August.
We have undoubtedly improved our depth and attacking options so we could suddenly have for example; Jones, Bright and Walker all on the bench to come on.
We are going to plug these defensive gaps. Hyam and Rose coming in will improve us again and an extra signing there would also help.
I think most of us want a CM and I'm sure Robins does too with Kelly injured and not replacing James.
Look at other teams who have either signed absolutely no one or a GK (in the case of Forest). I think we will be ready come 8th August.
AFCCOVENTRY
Well-Known Member
Correct. Clubs are just not able to sign players like they could. Covid financial issues are hitting through.
For me Jones is looking good this pre-season. Still building up fitness but you can see the attacking intent he brings.
Also, last night Bright’s cameo showed glimpses of his undoubted magic. Once he gets his fitness back he will be a real asset. Robins will get the best out of him.
In a few games we’ve seen Viktor and Wagz building up a good partnership. There will be goal.
A forward line with the likes of Bright, Jones, O’Hare supporting will be fun this year.
Robins as we know of working on bringing reinforcements at the back.
Positive vibes for the season!