Robins (9 Viewers)

[Cov4life]

don’t you remember the Oxford match?

we’ve played well in patches, excellent at some points, but really badly in big chunks, during which time the opposition have scored.

It’s not all black or white you know, it’s not that we’re either garbage or amazing.

for all the whining and posturing about midfielders, one issue has been that when we’re not playing well we concede, when we’re playing well we don’t score. If Sims had scored v Norwich the whole game changes.

it’s not just about the midfield, and we haven’t been crap all season, we just haven’t been able to maintain any kind of momentum in matches, and have failed to take chances.

Christ, it’s getting desperate when the only time you can recall us playing well is against Oxford in patches.

Just to let you know, Oxfords team value is worth 6-7 million. It really does put things into perspective.

 

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[Perennial Lurker]

Problem is that this feels like a bit of a watershed - next year for instance if we sell Van Ewijk, Wright and Sheaf and spend the money.

when we inevitably start slow again - are we going back to use the excuse “the team needs time to gel”

We appreciate where we were - it doesn’t mean we have to sit here and act like we’re still on a. Northampton hill. Expectations rightfully go up with fan backing and investment in the team

I totally get that but expectations can be over the top at times , I'm incredibly guilty of that but won't throw a strop and post Armageddon like posts like some on here .
We are still in an incredibly healthy place as a club

 

[shmmeee]

He’s an important player though and the 45m has been spent trying to rebuild a whole squad. The best players will still always be missed. We were very lucky Gyokeres was hardly out during our run to the play offs in the second half of 22/23 season, same with Hamer. Either probably would’ve derailed it

I’m with you though, Sheafs return alone probably wouldn’t solve all the issues. Getting the/a system to click is the main thing. We’ve got some good players and better depth across the squad as whole. Now for management/coaches to make it work

The point is for £45m you should be able to put out a winning Championship side. Not whatever it is we’ve seen so far.

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

The point is for £45m you should be able to put out a winning Championship side. Not whatever it is we’ve seen so far.

That £45m figure you quote though is completely misleading, as it comes on the back of a team bereft of its 3 main players in Hamer, Gyokores and O'Hare. If we had spent £45m on top of having those 3 players still here, then yes that money would have enabled us to produce a Championship winning side. Without them however there are unsurprisingly huge gaps to fill, as is proving the case.

The other factor you fail to recognise is that while we might have spent a significant amount in transfer fees, we still lag behind most of our promotion chasing rivals in terms of what salaries we will pay, which by definition means we can only really bring in unproven young players with promise rather than established players that have been there and done it.

 

[Grendel]

That £45m figure you quote though is completely misleading, as it comes on the back of a team bereft of its 3 main players in Hamer, Gyokores and O'Hare. If we had spent £45m on top of having those 3 players still here, then yes that money would have enabled us to produce a Championship winning side. Without them however there are unsurprisingly huge gaps to fill, as is proving the case.

The other factor you fail to recognise is that while we might have spent a significant amount in transfer fees, we still lag behind most of our promotion chasing rivals in terms of what salaries we will pay, which by definition means we can only really bring in unproven young players with promise rather than established players that have been there and done it.

if you exclude the relegated teams what salaries to other teams pay? Please tell

 

[shmmeee]

That £45m figure you quote though is completely misleading, as it comes on the back of a team bereft of its 3 main players in Hamer, Gyokores and O'Hare. If we had spent £45m on top of having those 3 players still here, then yes that money would have enabled us to produce a Championship winning side. Without them however there are unsurprisingly huge gaps to fill, as is proving the case.

The other factor you fail to recognise is that while we might have spent a significant amount in transfer fees, we still lag behind most of our promotion chasing rivals in terms of what salaries we will pay, which by definition means we can only really bring in unproven young players with promise rather than established players that have been there and done it.

It doesn’t matter. We could have started with zero players, an in effect aside from Sheaf and Eccles and Bidwell have. £45m over two seasons is enough to build a side that should look like it knows what it’s doing.

The spending has been nothing short of spectacular under King, there has to be something to show for it.

 

[Cally Fedora]

Christ, it’s getting desperate when the only time you can recall us playing well is against Oxford in patches.

Just to let you know, Oxfords team value is worth 6-7 million. It really does put things into perspective.

And yet they’ve beaten Preston and Norwich?

 

[Cally Fedora]

It doesn’t matter. We could have started with zero players, an in effect aside from Sheaf and Eccles and Bidwell have. £45m over two seasons is enough to build a side that should look like it knows what it’s doing.

The spending has been nothing short of spectacular under King, there has to be something to show for it.

Take the point. I think there is something to show for it in terms of last season and in terms of the players we now have with enhanced sell on values. Summer 24 was heavy on attacking signings which I think are needed in the Champ. They just couldn’t get that crucial midfielder over the line.

 

[Cov4life]

And yet they’ve beaten Preston and Norwich?

Whats your point?

 

[Cally Fedora]

Whats your point?

My point is that you assign no credit to us playing well against Oxford yet they are clearly no back number, borne out by the wins referenced.

 

[Cov4life]

My point is that you assign no credit to us playing well against Oxford yet they are clearly no back number, borne out by the wins referenced.

Preston and Norwich are just average teams, but we made Norwich look like a top-two side on Saturday. It was an easy game for them, and it was actually their first win of the season. As for Oxford, they’re a poor team and will likely be near the bottom of the table by Christmas. If we’re clinging to decent performances against a newly promoted side that won’t do well in the league, then I don’t know what to say. We struggled against Oxford and only won due to a last-minute back pass. With a £40 million squad aiming for the playoffs, we should be doing much better.

 

[Evo1883]

Preston and Norwich are just average teams, but we made Norwich look like a top-two side on Saturday. It was an easy game for them, and it was actually their first win of the season. As for Oxford, they’re a poor team and will likely be near the bottom of the table by Christmas. If we’re clinging to decent performances against a newly promoted side that won’t do well in the league, then I don’t know what to say. We struggled against Oxford and only won due to a last-minute back pass. With a £40 million squad aiming for the playoffs, we should be doing much better.

We really didn't struggle against Oxford , we should have won by about 6 , we battered them all game

 

[Cov4life]

We really didn't struggle against Oxford , we should have won by about 6 , we battered them all game

You must have been watching a different game to me, we were dominated in midfield.

 

[Evo1883]

You must have been watching a different game to me, we were dominated in midfield.

I clearly was

 

[Cov4life]

I clearly was

Are you saying we weren’t getting dominated by them for large parts of the game?

 

[Evo1883]

Are you saying we weren’t getting dominated by them for large parts of the game?

I'm saying we definitely didn't get dominated by Oxford for large parts of the game yes

 

[Evo1883]

Who is this @Cov4life

He a wum ?

 

[Evo1883]

How can a team be dominated for large parts of a game , whilst having 64% possession and having 27 shots to their 8 ?

Are we on the same planet ??

In the second half we had 15 shots to their 1

 

[Matt smith]

How cam a team be dominated for large parts of a game , whilst having 64% possession and having 27 shots to their 8 ?

Are we on the same planet ??

In the second half we had 15 shots to their 1

I thought we played very well vs Oxford

 

[Evo1883]

I thought we played very well vs Oxford

We were really good , should have been about 6-2 .

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Look at this starting 11 against Wolves. What’s happened since? No Sheaf is the issue?

No.

The concept that even the tea lady has slowed down since Sheaf got injured is a complete myth.

Up until this season he has had three long term injuries in two running campaigns. On all three occasions they were our stand out periods of form, with us dropping off a cliff a couple of times on his return (including at the time you referenced for the Wolves game). At this point we are just having a famously slow start to the season (see the results column below for more detail), and the same people that were convinced he was getting sold to the PL for 25 million think that the reason we suck is because he's on the medical table. Historically the opposite is true.

Last Season:



Season before:

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

Who is this @Cov4life

He a wum ?

Already mastered the reactions like an old pro

 

[Evo1883]

No.

The concept that even the tea lady has slowed down since Sheaf got injured is a complete myth.

Up until this season he has had three long term injuries in two running campaigns. On all three occasions they were our stand out periods of form, with us dropping off a cliff a couple of times on his return (including at the time you referenced for the Wolves game). At this point we are just having a famously slow start to the season (see the results column below for more detail), and the same people that were convinced he was getting sold to the PL for 25 million think that the reason we suck is because he's on the medical table. Historically the opposite is true.

Last Season:

View attachment 38266View attachment 38267

Season before:

View attachment 38268View attachment 38269

To be fair last season the form was mixed with or without sheaf .



It's hard to say it's solely because of 1 player if we are honest .

We had a good win percentage with liam kelly doesn't mean it was because of him mate

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

To be fair last season the form was mixed with or without sheaf .



It's hard to say it's solely because of 1 player if we are honest .

We had a good win percentage with liam kelly doesn't mean it was because of him mate

The form was mixed at times, but there were big drop offs both times he came back into the team. PPG last season also had us better without him. I would probably ignore it if it wasn't for the exaggerated narratives going on.

Liam Kelly, for all the shit he gets, did make a positive impact despite his ability slipping away. All the talk of being sloppy and lacking application wasn't an issue when he was captain, and we looked in better shape as a team.

IMO that is our biggest issue. We look lacklustre and seem to be missing effort and conviction. Without setting off too many alarms because it is still early, it almost seems lazy and nonchalant at times.

 

[quinn1971]

if you exclude the relegated teams what salaries to other teams pay? Please tell

I think if you compared what we pay to other teams we’re prob mid table or just below, so actually we’re maybe in the position we should be ?

 

[Grendel]

I think if you compared what we pay to other teams we’re prob mid table or just below, so actually we’re maybe in the position we should be ?

Dunno what’s the wage bills?

 

[quinn1971]

Dunno what’s the wage bills?

here‘s last seasons, guessing as we’ve capped our wages can’t see it being much more than that, puts us about where we should be

 

[quinn1971]

here‘s last seasons, guessing as we’ve capped our wages can’t see it being much more than that, puts us about where we should be

But then Ipswich managed to do it on only slightly more than us

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

if you exclude the relegated teams what salaries to other teams pay? Please tell

Well you've given 3 teams for starters. Its fair to assume Leeds and Middlesbrough pay higher salaries too and possibly Stoke given their owner's bottomless pockets. Norwich and West Brom will also have players on higher wages given they've only just lost out on parachute payments. That's at least 7 teams with a recruitment advantage over us.

 

[JAM See]

Apologies, haven't read the whole thread.

Before I get my generic cut and paste opinion in.
Is this a 'statue for Robins' or a 'taxi for Robins' one ?

 

[quinn1971]

Dunno what’s the wage bills?

but Then wage bills go out the window when we did this in the season we got to the final

 

[Grendel]

here‘s last seasons, guessing as we’ve capped our wages can’t see it being much more than that, puts us about where we should be

Ours was £18.5 million before this years signings your link is bollocks I’m afraid

 

[quinn1971]

but Then wage bills go out the window when we did this in the season we got to the final

Norwich wage bill was 35 million ouch

 

[quinn1971]

Ours was £18.5 million before this years signings your link is bollocks I’m afraid

You might want to check that,no way we paid that much

 

[SlowerThanPlatt]

You might want to check that,no way we paid that much

It was £18m in the 22/23 accounts, looks like the articles been removed from the club site after the refresh