Concerned now (3 Viewers)

[MalcSB]

Nothing inherently wrong with selling Simms (or Sheaf, or anyone) and reinvesting, but at some point you need to pick your moment go for it. Very hard to rebuild the side every season without the occasional transitional year like this one.

This was supposed to be the transitional year which implies that the intent was to keep what we have and to top up to give depth of squad this summer.

 

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[shmmeee]

No one is suggesting selling all 25 players.

We had maybe two players remain in the starting lineup from last season. Next year it’ll be more like 7/8 even if we sell Sheaf and Simms.

 

[shmmeee]

Collins
MvE Thomas Kitching Bidwell
Eccles Torp
Saka AM EMC
Wright

S: Wilson, Lati, Dasilva, Allen, Palmer

That’s what you’re starting with without them. Probably 8/9 players off a squad but only 2/3 off a decent starting XI.

 

[BlueSkiesForever]

What’s a fair whack in your view? We’d probably get 5-800k max for Bidwell.

Don’t see us spending 15-20m unless Sheaf leaves and Vik moves.

Yeah probably about a million would be decent for Bidwell but doubt we’ll have many potential buyers, although anything we can get means less strain on cash if the replacement LB costs £3-4 mil.

And I agree, if Sheaf or Vik don’t move then I doubt we’ll be spending more than £8 mil, although I definitely think we need to spending more than that if we want to secure promotion.

 

[stevefloyd]

I’m feeling exactly the same as you Saddle, I’m beginning to think the “reinvest the money into cheaper options” model isn’t working. We took a duo that scored basically half our goals last season and replaced them with a load of okay-ish players but ones that are too afraid to have a shot at goal or actually run at players, take defences on (bar maybe Saka, MVE, Wright, Simms). The majority of weeks I see a midfield that moves the ball around well but can’t do anything with it and a defence that spontaneously crumbles for no reason.

We need a hell of a lot of players to not only replace our current options but to add depth to the squad. New keeper, new pacey LB, new midfielder for Sheaf, an upgrade on Eccles, winger cover for injuries/suspensions, O’Hare replacement, new CB for rotation etc etc, the list goes on. If we ever want to get serious about getting into the prem then we need a shit load of money spending on the team because in it’s current state it’s really not promotion worthy.

Remember Dougie boy said he wants it in 5 years so we have another 4 to play with

 

[stevefloyd]

Collins
MvE Thomas Kitching Bidwell
Eccles Torp
Saka AM EMC
Wright

S: Wilson, Lati, Dasilva, Allen, Palmer

That’s what you’re starting with without them. Probably 8/9 players off a squad but only 2/3 off a decent starting XI.

No Simms?

 

[hinckley cov]

People saying they would happily sell Sheaf/Simms etc so we can spend money are the same people that will moan after an inevitable poor start.

Keep who we can. Add to it sensibly. Start well. Can’t just keep signing 8/9 players every summer then wonder why it takes us ages to get going.

Too true you can’t keep changing to many players else we will spend the next decade in this league

 

[baldy]

No Simms?

Scroll up - you'll see why that team's Simms-less

 

[BlueSkiesForever]

Collins
MvE Thomas Kitching Bidwell
Eccles Torp
Saka AM EMC
Wright

S: Wilson, Lati, Dasilva, Allen, Palmer

That’s what you’re starting with without them. Probably 8/9 players off a squad but only 2/3 off a decent starting XI.

Completely agree with the team sheet but this just does not fill me with confidence.

• We need to get a proper quality keeper for once, one that people in the championship will actually recognise for making great saves and being a presence.
• We need another LB that can defend well and also scare defenders at times.
• We need an upgrade on Eccles (keep him but shouldn’t be starting this often in my view), someone that can shoot with accuracy and take opposition players out of the game with quality passes.
• We need an O’Hare replacement, someone who can dribble, pass, move and shoot etc.
• And after all that we could do with a bit of quality on the bench.

I know there’s a lot of positive things about the position we’re in as a club, we’ve come a long way and it’s brilliant that we’re moving in the right direction but I don’t half think we need to spend a chunky wad this window to get ourselves comfortably in the top 4 next season.

 

[shmmeee]

Completely agree with the team sheet but this just does not fill me with confidence.

• We need to get a proper quality keeper for once, one that people in the championship will actually recognise for making great saves and being a presence.
• We need another LB that can defend well and also scare defenders at times.
• We need an upgrade on Eccles (keep him but shouldn’t be starting this often in my view), someone that can shoot with accuracy and take opposition players out of the game with quality passes.
• We need an O’Hare replacement, someone who can dribble, pass, move and shoot etc.
• And after all that we could do with a bit of quality on the bench.

I know there’s a lot of positive things about the position we’re in as a club, we’ve come a long way and it’s brilliant that we’re moving in the right direction but I don’t half think we need to spend a chunky wad this window to get ourselves comfortably in the top 4 next season.

I think a GK is low down the list. Collins is average or above average for the division. He needs better in front of him. Especially Cbs and CMs who don’t give the ball away.

LB and CM are the two I’d buy. But we’re talking having £30m+ available. And blooding at most three players into the side plus some backups.

 

[shmmeee]

No Simms?

This is in an alternate reality where we’ve sold Simms and Sheaf and are “starting again”.

 

[shmmeee]

£30m to spend you could sign six £4m players and easily integrate them along with 5 £1m prospects for succession:

GK (£4m)
MvE Thomas CB (£4m) LB (£4m)
CM (£4m) Torp
Saka AM (£4m) Wright
ST (£4m)

S: Collins, CB (£1m), Kitching, RB (£1m), CM (£1m), RW (£1m), EMC, AM (£1m), ST (£1m)

Then to round out the squad: Eccles, Lats, Allen, Tavares, Dasilva and some kids.

That’s an autos contender squad with a similar track record in the market as we’ve had. And brings every first team player up to the standard of our best. You would only need to replace what leaves going forwards.

Rebuilding an entire squad was never going to be a one window job.

 

[Somerset Sky Blue]

£30m to spend you could sign six £4m players and easily integrate them along with 5 £1m prospects for succession:

GK (£4m)
MvE Thomas CB (£4m) LB (£4m)
CM (£4m) Torp
Saka AM (£4m) Wright
ST (£4m)

S: Collins, CB (£1m), Kitching, RB (£1m), CM (£1m), RW (£1m), EMC, AM (£1m), ST (£1m)

Then to round out the squad: Eccles, Lats, Allen, Tavares, Dasilva and some kids.

That’s an autos contender squad with a similar track record in the market as we’ve had. And brings every first team player up to the standard of our best. You would only need to replace what leaves going forwards.

Rebuilding an entire squad was never going to be a one window job.

Given kitching and emc were bought for more than £4m, I'd like to think they start....
Likewise, may need to spend more on the Simms replacement.
Overall, I like your thinking if we get that sort of money to spend again.

 

[Hincha]

Not sure why people keep moaning about squad turnover. We’re not going to sign 8 players every summer but we need to right now.

Last season we did about 2/3rds of a rebuild due to the sheer amount we had to do. We then had little to no squad depth and we’ve fallen short.

This summer we need to finish that rebuild with 6-8 players and clear out the remaining deadwood from our L1 days.

Next summer will be when we start to just tinker - but we need a solid 25 man squad first.

 

[David O'Day]

How exactly do you know this? Have you spoken to the player and senior officials at Bournemouth and Brentford?

Unless you have I will treat your comment with the same degree of suspicion as the press speculation.

I haven't got the foggiest idea whether there is anything in this. I could however see Brentford being a possible move for him. Ivan Toney is likely to leave Brentford in the summer for decent money, so they will have a hole to fill and the necessary resources. They are also about the right level for Simms' next move.

Because if you look at the original sources for these "rumours" they are clickbait sources that will link hundreds for players with hundreds of clubs.

I'll tell you has hasn't spoken to the player or any officials at any clubs, the person who wrote the original source.

Like your post, the OP in this thread and the "source" for the Simms rumours you can file it under bullshit.

 

[Sick Boy]

Remember Dougie boy said he wants it in 5 years so we have another 4 to play with

And need to make the playoffs 3 out of the next 4 seasons to keep to his target.

 

[shmmeee]

And need to make the playoffs 3 out of the next 4 seasons to keep to his target.

2/3 we made them last year.

 

[Sick Boy]

2/3 we made them last year.

Pretty sure the target was set post-playoffs.

 

[shmmeee]

Pretty sure the target was set post-playoffs.

We don’t have a specific date, this is what Doug said last Jan when he took over, nonspecific timescales but same vibe:



Robins first mentioned it after the playoffs but in a context of having already achieved the first.