Dean Austin (3 Viewers)

[CCFC54321]

Do our journalists ever ask tough questions? If we're spending 20 million in a summer window I don't see why questions about the matter cant be asked. There are at least 20 000 stakeholders of the club who I think deserve to know a bit about how significant investments decisions are made?

We obviously don’t know who we have been chasing etc since late may but I do know we were chasing Wright prior to the play off final.

I just feel although early days from what I’ve seen the recruitment could have been better. An outlay on these two forwards should have shown a better return by now. I actually feel for Robins as I think he’s being let down by wright and simms. It’s time they grew up and started to knuckle down, roll their sleeves up, puff the chests out and show something.

19,000 season ticket holders and a club that’s invested in them and made them both financially very secure deserves a lot better than whats been shown so far.

 

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[steve101]

I can understand the Simms transfer. A young player with some Premier League experience and goals scored in the championship. What has really disappointing me, as much as not seeing technical quality, is his lack of running. When he came on as a sub a few games ago he was running less than Godden, who had been on from the start. I was more encouraged by his cameo v Cardiff. Coming deeper to collect the ball rather than being last man may be the way to go.
As for Wright, it seems a weird gamble. For the amount of money spent, there must have been so many better options, with experience in the English leagues.
Hopefully, the scouting team have seen something and they will show their worth.

 

[Sick Boy]

Considering his age and the fee, I’m starting to get concerned about the Wright transfer. Also because I’m not convinced we’re playing to/able to play to his strengths.

 

[Deity]

I still cannot comprehend why there appears to have been no planned well in advance Hamer replacement. Simple logic dictates that there should have been a shortlist with a number of targets. We appear to be following the Pulis model of signing as many central defenders as possible. Our midfield is pretty non existent currently. Robins needs to recognise that tactics must change to play to the strengths of the players he has fit and available. Square pegs in round holes rarely work

If you decide to sell your house and someone makes you a better offer than you thought you would get you might accept and assume you will buy one of the other 3 houses you have had your eye on and can afford.

However you get outbid for 1, the other fails the mortgage survey and the owner changes his mind on the third house.

You had a plan but that is not a guarantee you could execute it successfully.

 

[fatso]

Considering his age and the fee, I’m starting to get concerned about the Wright transfer. Also because I’m not convinced we’re playing to/able to play to his strengths.

What are his strengths?

 

[shmmeee]

What are his strengths?

Does a nice point

 

[shmmeee]

I keep saying it, but we scrimped at GK, completely ignored midfield and spent eight figures up front and in defence.

The spend really would have been better spread around the team.

We could have have another option up front and spread the pressure, saved on Kitching at the back from the looks of Binks and Thomas, and had at least one more CM plus a serious replacement for Wilson. And probably have been better off financially.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I keep saying it, but we scrimped at GK, completely ignored midfield and spent eight figures up front and in defence.

The spend really would have been better spread around the team.

We could have have another option up front and spread the pressure, saved on Kitching at the back from the looks of Binks and Thomas, and had at least one more CM plus a serious replacement for Wilson. And probably have been better off financially.

You say we scrimped, that’s as much as we’ve paid for a keeper since Westwood and Collins isn’t exactly a journeyman or lower league random.

 

[robbiekeane]

I genuinely think all of our signings will come good and we will be bumping this thread in 6 months time having a laugh at people

 

[shmmeee]

You say we scrimped, that’s as much as we’ve paid for a keeper since Westwood and Collins isn’t exactly a journeyman or lower league random.

He’s Barnsley’s second choice keeper. And he’s not been able to displace Ben Wilson or look particularly useful when he has played. I’m sticking with scrimped.

 

[fatso]

I genuinely think all of our signings will come good and we will be bumping this thread in 6 months time having a laugh at people

 

[clint van damme]

To be fair people were getting slated this time last year for saying we'd be fine but they were right!
I'm more concerned about hot short we currently are of midfielders than the early season form of the new signings.

But replacing influential players isn't easy, bigger clubs with us with more resources have struggled at times.

 

[Deleted member 9744]

I think I am very much in the minority on this but I think our approach this summer of mainly ignoring the loan market has been a mistake. I know most feel we need to own our own players as it is a more long term approach but I think you ignore the quality of the team short term at your peril.

I feel we have a larger number of average Championship quality players than last year, when we had a squad padded out with players like Kane, Waghorn and Dacosta. However, we don't have any really top quality players at the Hamer and Gyokeres level. The only way we could have got to that level in the short term in my view was through loans. Virtually all of our best signings for years, the ones who can make a real impact on matches, apart from Hamer, came to the club as loans (Walsh, O'Hare, Gyokeres, Sheaf, Doyle and McNally etc).

Yes we were right to invest some of the Gyokeres and Hamer money on players with potential long term value but this should have been supplemented with some more immediate injection of quality that the Premier League loans bring. We did bring in Ayari, and I hope he can bring something in the coming weeks to the team, but a couple more would have made sense to me. Maybe this is where we will strengthen in January.

 

[fernandopartridge]

I genuinely think all of our signings will come good and we will be bumping this thread in 6 months time having a laugh at people

I hope so, I think a lot are being written off very early on. I think we were so conditioned to playing to or utilising the strengths of Hamer and Gyokeres it just will take a long time to wean ourselves away from it. I remember feeling a bit like that when we sold Dion Dublin.

 

[SBT]

We have the same number of senior keepers as we do strikers, zero recognised RWBs and our only #8 is a 19 year old loanee who doesn’t seem to like playing there. Other than that the squad seems cool.

 

[CCFC54321]

The amount of money on these two is frightening and I’m pretty sure that who was responsible for scouting will be a touch nervous as football is a ruthless game. Believe me when I say most likely conversations are being had within Ryton on what’s going wrong with such an outlay on these two players in question.

Looks like Doug has spoken to robins about the results.

Not for a second suggesting that Robins is under any pressure at all.

 

[Hobo]

I hear what your saying,
more has been training with us as he's under contract until the end of this season, but it looks like he's not in MR's plans going forward. He won't get another contract here.

and tbf, Simms offered more as a sub when he came on than Wright had done, but neither has impressed. Yes its early days, but the fact that neither has shown any kind of form is a major issue. It's not the lack of goals that's the problem it's the total lack of impact.

Rebuilding the entire squad was always going to be a challenge, but in reality it's only 2 players that we've missed, and having spent millions we should be seeing real progress by now.

It is not just two players we have missed. We missed players we didn't have last season, it was make do and mend.

Getting to the play offs masked the size of the rebuild required. Some fans are under the illusion anything less than play offs this season will be failure. It won't, this season is about blending a new squad which still needs two or three additions (probably next summer).

 

[fernandopartridge]

Looks like Doug has spoken to robins about the results.

Not for a second suggesting that Robins is under any pressure at all.

Here we go

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

Looks like Doug has spoken to robins about the results.

Not for a second suggesting that Robins is under any pressure at all.

Vote of confidence by Doug…

 

[CCFC54321]

It is not just two players we have missed. We missed players we didn't have last season, it was make do and mend.

Getting to the play offs masked the size of the rebuild required. Some fans are under the illusion anything less than play offs this season will be failure. It won't, this season is about blending a new squad which still needs two or three additions (probably next summer).

I agree to a point but we have 19,000 season tickets sold this season. I think a lot we’re expecting better fair that what’s been down so far. Just hope we don’t lose many of the season is a damp squib.

 

[Sick Boy]

Here we go

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

[CCFC54321]

Robins has plenty of credits in the bank even if we were in relegation scrap

 

[Sick Boy]

Robins has plenty of credits in the bank even if we were in relegation scrap

I’m not sure he would do with King, then again, he’s going to be aware of fan opinion. Said before though, a 5 year plan with play offs in 3 out of those 5 does put pressure on.

 

[thekidfromstrettoncamp]

Robins has plenty of credits in the bank even if we were in relegation scrap

You would think and hope so but when chairman see things going even slightly wrong some tend to panic.I hope not but par for the course when it's their call.

 

[CCFC54321]

You would think and hope so but when chairman see things going even slightly wrong some tend to panic.I hope not but par for the course when it's their call.

That’s my concern. They get someone in their ear saying jonny foreigner and so and so’s available before Man Utd do and they fall for it…

 

[Hobo]

I agree to a point but we have 19,000 season tickets sold this season. I think a lot we’re expecting better fair that what’s been down so far. Just hope we don’t lose many of the season is a damp squib.

But that is the fans fault for misinterpreting a five year plan and "be part of the journey."

For me and my wife to reinvest this season we faced a bigger hike than most. The "fair" hasn't been that bad until Cardiff away. Sometimes it takes a really bad performance across the board to kick you on.

I personally don't expect any dramatic turn arounds. I am anticipating slow progress across the season resetting ourselves for next year

 

[Hobo]

I hope so, I think a lot are being written off very early on. I think we were so conditioned to playing to or utilising the strengths of Hamer and Gyokeres it just will take a long time to wean ourselves away from it. I remember feeling a bit like that when we sold Dion Dublin.

I agree far too early to write players off. Certain fans are expecting the replacements to be clones of Gyokeres and Hamer. That just isn't going to happen. There is also an obvious misconception about how easily it is, not only to identify quality replacements but to actually sign them.

 

[Hincha]

People are judging far too quickly, despite so many average starts to the season under Robins.

Wright & Simms have both shown flashes of what they can do. With the coaching in place they will improve and show more consistency.

Even if it they take until next season to start showing their full potential - does that make them bad signings?

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Looks like Doug has spoken to robins about the results.

Not for a second suggesting that Robins is under any pressure at all.

Where did you see that?

 

[shmmeee]

Where did you see that?

Robins interview

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Robins interview

Ah yes. Don’t need to look at free agents according to him too. Disagree

 

[shmmeee]

Ah yes. Don’t need to look at free agents according to him too. Disagree

He clearly feels there’s a lot more to come from this group of players TBF. And as others have said a free now probably needs weeks to get up to speed, by which point we’ve got others back and it’s nearly Jan anyway. TBH free agents rarely turn out worth it.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

He clearly feels there’s a lot more to come from this group of players TBF. And as others have said a free now probably needs weeks to get up to speed, by which point we’ve got others back and it’s nearly Jan anyway. TBH free agents rarely turn out worth it.

Ordinarily yes but in the case of Cannon, he’s free because he cancelled his own contract for not getting paid and otherwise fits the bill. Looking at the fixtures we have in the next 3 months trying to make it up as we go along with Eccles or Lati playing there seems needless if there’s a recognised alternative.

 

[shmmeee]

Ordinarily yes but in the case of Cannon, he’s free because he cancelled his own contract for not getting paid and otherwise fits the bill. Looking at the fixtures we have in the next 3 months trying to make it up as we go along with Eccles or Lati playing there seems needless if there’s a recognised alternative.

We are of course not committed to 3412 by law.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

We are of course not committed to 3412 by law.

No, but you will need a right back in most formations which is what he is. And when MVE returns you’d then have 2 recognised options there.