(22-01-2021, 03:33 PM)wassy04 Wrote:

(22-01-2021, 03:09 PM)zicorice Wrote:

(22-01-2021, 10:18 AM)wassy04 Wrote:

(21-01-2021, 07:38 PM)zicorice Wrote:

(21-01-2021, 04:01 PM)Strawberry Avenger Wrote: The Post have an article up.  11 out of contract.  This year.

A Summer window with the chance to bring that quality in?

SA.

Shedding 11 contracted players (does this include loanees?) Would only reduce our squad to roughly sensible size, especially  considering  the return of Gabriel, Johnson, Preston and the other young RB whose name escapes me. One RB probably goes out on loan again at least. Good squad players who can jump in and do a decent job straight away are important but shouldnt be on big wage in my view. 

Maybe (and I'm trying to be optimistic here) some of our summer signings will come good. Fred and Colback both got injured (Jack was just starting to show signs of getting back on track to the player we all know he is or was), Taylor has shown something up top, but needs to show more.  

Next season should not be as condensed so big (giant) squad should not be as useful...just more deadwood on the sidelines. 

None in Jan and one or two real quality additions in bound would do me. Possibly an experienced keeper on a short contract to challenge Brice, especially if he doesn't recover his form soon. (Samba will come good again, all young keepers have this  blip, mostly after first couple of seasons as a 1st choice).

We definitely have far too many players though.

I disagree, I don't think we have that many players. I think you'd expect to have 3-5 young players out on loan. We're a bit overstocked at CB and CM but otherwise I'd say the squad size is about right. It's a narrative I find frustrating too, almost giving excuse to the team somehow. The idea we'd suddenly be competitive if you just took Hefele, Clough etc out of the squad makes no sense. From a financial perspective obviously these players sat on high wages is bad but from a footballing perspective I would say it has a marginal impact at best.

The thing that will have the biggest impact would be improving the starting 11.

Looking at the potential team tomorrow when you consider injuries at the present time, I'm not so sure. But I suppose the question us how many is too many? 

We have gazzillions of Centre Mids, yet Sow (ironic or what?) the only one definitely fit without rejigging after Yates' injury. So it looks like we are adding another.

I do think though -and suspect you might agree- our 2nd string (esp if add bomb squad) is way over a reasonable budget for players who are just back up and unlikely to be 1st choice. Jenkinson, Bong, Hef, Fred, Arter, Clough, Freeman maybe. 

I haven't included those who could be starters (eg.Lolley, Colback, Taylor) or those who are on wages appropriate to a squad player. (Eg. Smith, Figs, Guerrero) or youngsters like Soh.

Also, rare to sign good players at this level in January. Plus bedding in new players-especislly without a preseason- can take time.

I honestly dont think we will go down (famous last words..) and sure we wont go up, so what's the point in bringing in new players now? Permanent signings have a "January tax" too. 

This season is all about The FA Cup for us now.....

Yeah completely agree, the point I've tried to make is the majority of those errors were from previous windows. Plus I'd also say a lack of depth in previous windows left us forced to improve the depth just to fill the gaps.

(Fred I suspect is not on big wages given where he came from)

Yeah I wouldn't want to be making any signings in this window that were longer than 6 months, in part due to the fact that the market is still going to go down and there will be big savings as clubs choose not to renew decent players as they can't afford to

(24-01-2021, 10:28 AM)Strawberry Avenger Wrote: "Craig Harrison
@CraigHarrison20
·
16h
Swansea are a perfect example of how to run a club. The manager may change but their footballing ethos doesn’t and they recruit managers and players to play the system they have been playing since they beat us in the play offs all those years back."

SA.

(24-01-2021, 10:41 AM)Sniffer Dog Wrote:

(24-01-2021, 10:28 AM)Strawberry Avenger Wrote: "Craig Harrison
@CraigHarrison20
·
16h
Swansea are a perfect example of how to run a club. The manager may change but their footballing ethos doesn’t and they recruit managers and players to play the system they have been playing since they beat us in the play offs all those years back."

SA.

True but they are still in the same league as us.

(24-01-2021, 10:47 AM)Salvatore Matrecano Wrote: Swansea have been in the PL for 7 of the last 10 years, they look like getting back there again this year. For a smallish club , certainly their fan base is smaller than ours, they have done very well.

(24-01-2021, 10:51 AM)Sniffer Dog Wrote: True SA but like I said they are in the same league as us.

(24-01-2021, 10:54 AM)Strawberry Avenger Wrote:

(24-01-2021, 10:51 AM)Sniffer Dog Wrote: True SA but like I said they are in the same league as us.

But not in the same league or universe football wise.  They smashed us yesterday.

They're reaching for the Premiership because of their philosophy.

We are in the bottom 6 because of ours.

SA.