It’s not doable, which is why I imagine we’ll extend the contracts of players who we’d ideally be graduating past by now (Dabo, Rose)
By my count we signed 14 first team players, including loans that season. But as you say, I think it’s a lot more doable to rebuild the squad in L1 than it is in this league. And it only happened that year because we saw a lot more transfer money come in than go out.How many of our L1 winning side played for us the previous season?
Edit: and I know the Championship is a different beast financially, just musing.
By my count we signed 14 first team players, including loans that season. But as you say, I think it’s a lot more doable to rebuild the squad in L1 than it is in this league. And it only happened that year because we saw a lot more transfer money come in than go out.
Chaplin and then later in the season, McCallumWho did we sell? I recall Bayliss, was there any other major sales?
We made a modest profit on selling Chaplin as well I think. Not sure when we started to spend the sell on for Maddison as he signed for Leicester the summer before.Who did we sell? I recall Bayliss, was there any other major sales?
I thought King's quote a few months back was interesting...
Said something like 'we should be aiming to finish in the playoffs 3/5 seasons' (or similar). To me thats a big contrast to the previous 'incremental progression' plan, and suggests we may settle for a development year next year, which in turn suggests pretty wholsale changes to the squad may be planned in the summer.
Given where we are right now play-offs in 3-5 seasons is very much incremental progression.I thought King's quote a few months back was interesting...
Said something like 'we should be aiming to finish in the playoffs 3/5 seasons' (or similar). To me thats a big contrast to the previous 'incremental progression' plan, and suggests we may settle for a development year next year, which in turn suggests pretty wholsale changes to the squad may be planned in the summer.
In an ideal world we have 22 Championship standard players with a few youth prospects to be on the edges of the squad. Assuming Gyo and Hamer are to be sold, I’d retain:
Wilson
Bidwell
McF
Sheaf
Allen
Palmer
O’Hare
Burroughs
Release or sell the rest. I would then look to add 11 permanent players:
1 x GK
3 x CB
1 x RWB
2 x DM
3 x ST
Then 4 loans:
1 x LWB
1 x CB
1 x ST
1 x AM
Then the pick of 3 prospects from the academy, I’d include Howley as one for starters. This sort of squad allows us to rotate and be flexible in response to heavy game loads and different opposition.
In an ideal world we have 22 Championship standard players with a few youth prospects to be on the edges of the squad. Assuming Gyo and Hamer are to be sold, I’d retain:
Wilson
Bidwell
McF
Sheaf
Allen
Palmer
O’Hare
Burroughs
Release or sell the rest. I would then look to add 11 permanent players:
1 x GK
3 x CB
1 x RWB
2 x DM
3 x ST
Then 4 loans:
1 x LWB
1 x CB
1 x ST
1 x AM
Then the pick of 3 prospects from the academy, I’d include Howley as one for starters. This sort of squad allows us to rotate and be flexible in response to heavy game loads and different opposition.
He'll need to get the fans on side with that. We've hovered close to the play offs for 2 out of 3 seasons at this level. People will become bored.
Unfortunately I see a lot of disappointment by September when we sell Gyok for a measly 10m, a lot less than people expect. Hamer is gone and we see little investment.
The worry will be when we start the season with Godden up alone top alone with Allen in behind and fans pushing Robins to throw O'Hare in to add some spark too soon (like Jodi Jones) through desperation. Even worse will be the clammer for Taveres to become the saviour again.
Or we could spend lots of money, but I doubt it.
I thought Robins said around September? Even then it’ll take him a month or so to get match fitI think people are being overly optimistic if they think Callum will be back playing in August. He did his Cruciate on Boxing day. It's normally a minimum of 9 months but most cases a year until they are playing again after that injury. I can't think of a single player who has come back as good straight away after a cruciate either. Normally takes them 3-6 months after coming back to get up to speed. Realistically it's probably going to be about this time next season until we see the best of him again.
Bare minimum, even if we renew Dabo Rose and even Kelly:
Wilson/Moore
Dabo/Burroughs
LWB/Bidwell
CB/CB/CB/Fadz/Rose
CM/Sheaf/Eccles/Kelly
O’Hare/Palmer/Allen
ST/ST/Godden
That’s still 7 signings and I’d have serious questions about GK, CM and RWB, and possibly AM with two coming back from injury. You could maybe get away with Tavares and Howley added to that
I think people are being overly optimistic if they think Callum will be back playing in August. He did his Cruciate on Boxing day. It's normally a minimum of 9 months but most cases a year until they are playing again after that injury. I can't think of a single player who has come back as good straight away after a cruciate either. Normally takes them 3-6 months after coming back to get up to speed. Realistically it's probably going to be about this time next season until we see the best of him again.
I still haven't seen enough from Eccles, maybe if we had still been in league 1 but not in the championship, we have quality in Hamer and Sheaf and then err..it stops. Eccles is ok but just as a squad player at best atm, Howley definitely not but I do like Burroughs..The problem for me is midfield which is any teams engine room and I like and rate Eccles, Hamer and Sheaf individually but I’m not convinced as a trio it’s good enough. It looked all over the place yesterday. A fully fit Palmer could change it but keeping him fully fit seems difficult.
Bare minimum, even if we renew Dabo Rose and even Kelly:
Wilson/Moore
Dabo/Burroughs
LWB/Bidwell
CB/CB/CB/Fadz/Rose
CM/Sheaf/Eccles/Kelly
O’Hare/Palmer/Allen
ST/ST/Godden
That’s still 7 signings and I’d have serious questions about GK, CM and RWB, and possibly AM with two coming back from injury. You could maybe get away with Tavares and Howley added to that
Plus any replacements for whomever gets sold, it's going to be an interesting summerThink we need GK, LWB, RWB, 3xCB, CM, AM, 2xST. 7 signings and 3 loans probably. Allen can cover CM as well.
Vik will obviously go, but I really can't see Hamer going anywhere. I'm old enough to remember Summer 1983 when Bobby Gould had to sign a whole new team, on the whole that worked out ok. Different nowadays, of course. Even If we get a shitload of money for Vik and keep everyone else, it will still be difficult to have the financial clout to strengthen in all the areas we realistically need to.
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