roversfan99

Pickering, Hedges, Hyam, even Gallagher as back up and maybe even as a back up Pears is ok, they are Championship players, to varying levels. The first 3 in particular are definitely Championship standard and have proven that. We need more players ASWELL as those, not instead of.

I totally agree that the depth is a big issue. Thats a symptom of cost cutting, and an over reliance on the academy. Whoever is in the club at any time has tried to make out as if its not financial but part of a plan as to why our squad (which contoniously dips in form towards the end of seasons) is so thin, an example would be Broughton last summer saying we didnt sign a left back to not block Batty's pathway, a kid who had never played senior football. The result was that Batty was found not to be anywhere near and that position was then covered by an out of position Brittain before having to get a cheap loan in January. Players of the calibre mentioned to help to bulk the squad out in addition to buying some first teamers, that is fine. But if we do sell Szmodics and are primarily reliant on the freebie market, and dont make a conscious effort to make the squad deeper, then its a huge issue. The hope would be that some of our current first teamers (the likes of Dolan, an injury prone Hedges, Gallagher if he stays, Brittain, Pears etc) can become squad players and we can bring in first teamers above that. Sadly we wont have the finances or ambition to do that.

The "plan" to use the academy players is actually just to cut costs. Over reliance on academy graduates means less money spent on bringing players in. In the last 2 years, we have not signed players "to not block the pathways" of Batty, Vale and Garrett as 3 examples who unfortunately werent up to the standard. If we are reliant on frees this summer having received a club record fee for Wharton and with the Raya sell on and likely Szmodics sale, then it wouldnt be something to be excited about and we would be heading one way. The free agent pool especially domestically is a limited pool. In the main those released are because they either arent good enough, are too injury prone or too old. Any rare exceptions will be able to demand high wages. You see the names mentioned, people like Wildsmith and Murphy who have had a decent spell in League 1 but struggled in the Championship before, or players like Tyrese Campbell and Docherty who was linked, players that average Championship sides decided weren't worth keeping. They are unlikely to make a significant difference.

Last time they had Ashley Barnes who obviously provided them with experience and leadership but he certainly wasnt a top Championship striker. They are keeping Rodriguez but im guessing that Foster will be their main striker who should score a lot of goals, I think he only signed half way through their last Championship season and took time to settle. Theyve also got Koleosho, Odobert, Tresor, Ramsey and if they sign him permanently, Brunn Larsen so they have a worrying amount of goals in their squad, with Benson having been on the fringes this season and Zaourary out on loan both proven. They also signed Redmond but he seemed to vanish. @sympatheticclaret obviously the new manager will make a big difference either way but what do you think of your current squad?

Theyve still got a number of them plus a couple of very good additions with Championship experience and quite a few players in attack who could help them score more goals. They have more talent and obviously a bit less experience but still a fair bit plus most of them have now won the league.

You comment quite a lot on their potential manager for someone who couldnt care less.

Gudmundsson and Cork have definitely been released, Taylor and Rodriguez have been offered new deals and Brownhill has had a further year activated although maybe they will look to cash in. You look at the side who won the league comfortably last time, they still have Muric, Beyer, Benson, Zaoury, Cullen and Vitinho. Potentially add Brownhill, Rodriguez and Taylor to that, plus squad players like Roberts, Twine, Ekdal and Al-Dakhil. Theyve loads of players who have been there and done it and you can add Berge who has been promoted from that level himself and is a big and powerful player as well as O'Shea who again is big and strong and experienced in the Championship, they have players who can handle themselves. Throw in some additional signings theyve made in the last year especially in attack who should be real assets at this level. I think/hope that their biggest threat would be appointing a poor manager. Fingers crossed

You were very defensive of Lampard at his previous jobs. Im guessing you think that he would be a good appointment?

Most of their promotion squad is still there. Plus Berge and O'Shea who are added Champinship hardened players.

Either way, the owners are the ones that decide on the budget. If your scenario played out and worked then that would be good, but I doubt it.

The budget we go into the season with and whether it is sufficient in making hs competitive wont be down to Waggott. All depends on the owners.

Not have their legs broke or is that just our own players? Can understand a negative reception but equally they cant be expected to just stay loyal just as we wouldnt to players who arent up to it. Its a short career and players do whatever they think is best. Whether its the correct call is a different matter.

You cant offer someone you have released as a makeweight.

I think McFadzean was signed mainly for his experience so I dont necessarily think that having Phillips would have closed that signing off. That account is one of many that just generates random and fictional rumours at this time of year.

If we do have a sell on clause, it is only relevant to the owners as thats where the money will go. It wasnt a situation whereby the fee was impossible to turn down but it could help to benefit the club. None was reinvested.

You arent giving the money to Waggott. You are giving it to Venkys as they own us. Which is worse. I suppose the only way Waggott benefits is if it helps him hit bonuses.

The point wasnt about those players. It was about the fact that they become daily criticisms now you are happy to criticise those as they no longer work for the club. Barnsley are happy to see the back of Cole.

I know yeah, the point wasnt about Hirst himself. He was awful here and whenever I have seen him for Ipswich he has been certainly better amongst a very settled side but he still showed signs of what we saw, his goal record is nothing special and he still appears uncoordinated and clumsy.

Archie Gray and Alex Scott are both very talented players, its hard to make direct comparisons with them and Wharton assuming the sale is based purely on quality. Scott like Wharton has taken really comfortably to the Premier League but is more attacking so will find it much more difficult to make the England squad whereas Wharton plays in a position where England are weak. Gray has the advantage of also being versatile, but has been playing in a better team. But we were desperate to sell Wharton because the owners were desperate for money not to reinvest but to cover their own problems, so whilst its difficult to say x went for this amount and y went for that amount as a direct accurate comparison, it doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that selling out of desperation late in a window will not lend itself to getting a good deal.

Tomasson not getting a tune out of Hirst is becoming a common daily criricism just like Mowbray with Giles, criticisms started once those respective managers left the club.

You do realise that all fanbases contain a mix of regulars and those who pick and choose dependant on lots of factors including success. Still, if you want to go down the nonsensical shit fans route, each to their own.

The owners are the ones who strip the club of its assets, as much as Waggott is not fit fir purpose in any way.

This always seems to happen. We "overhaul" things on the scouting side, initially there are delays and then a reliance on old targets from the previous regime and then a couple of years in, people leave and we start from scratch.

I dont get how you have come to that conclusion from my post. I was saying that Venkys are focused only on cutting costs, in no way with any focus towards on field success which they arent arsed about.

Refusing to criticise until they leave when its fair game to repeatedly do so.