Already hearing names mentioned, Rhodes, Gestede, Otzumer from Walsall(free), Ogogo from Shrewsbury(free)..
What Positions do you believe need strengthening, and what targets would you go for?
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Already hearing names mentioned, Rhodes, Gestede, Otzumer from Walsall(free), Ogogo from Shrewsbury(free)..
What Positions do you believe need strengthening, and what targets would you go for?
Up front and on the wings is a priority
We will have just Danny Graham up front with any sort of quality
Samuel is not good enough and nuttall is one for the future
The wings are even worse as most are going back to their respective clubs and we are left with a over the hill Conway and a Jack of all trades Bennett
Would love Armstrong to return and the names marriot and gestede would really kick us in the right direction.
I'd be happy to get Chapman back, but there will have to be risk-assessment in terms of his hamstring.
If he's a no-go, an alternative in the wing-area will be an essential - as Robin says.
It's clear that TM saw that sort of player as a ***** extra cog. I suppose it's possible that Gladwin will come good, but the evidence was mixed.
I'd be keen to retain Armstrong too. Payne? 50/50. To be fair to him, Mowbray's system gave him limited chances in his best position. We have so many potential central midfielders in the U-23s, but are they ready? I hope at least one will make the breakthrough.
I think the defence is fine, as long as no-one leaves.
Then there's the centre-forward issue. Is Gestede a serious rumour? He would certainly provide an interesting alternative. Jury still out on Nuttall. If Mowbray persists with the two No. 10s (Dack and Armstrong, say), we can realistically only go for a centre-forward who subs in and out with Graham. (This was the problem for Nuttall, once DG started to play so well).
Obviously, what we'd all really like is a "Tugay", but is a player of sufficient quality going to be available (or willing to come)?
I know Saxo won't like this, but I'd be happy with mid-table next year. I reckon it's going to be a particularly strong Championship, and some of our youngsters will probably need another year of development.
There obviously IS a layer of ability between the PL and what we've had/seen this season. Mowbray is probably considering very carefully how many of our current players can make the step up - especially among what he calls "the soldiers".
For example, Downing, Smallwood, Evans, Conway - even Bennett and Williams.
I imagine Feeney, Caddis and Ward will all go. How many others? Samuel is not popular, but I suspect TM still thinks he might come through. After all, Graham looked poor for about the first two months of this season. Antonsson will presumably not stay, as it's almost impossible for him to be played in his preferred role as a support-striker, given our current set-up.
My guess is that TM will be looking for about three players who have the extra touch of class needed for the next level up. Based on recent experience, though, I hope we are very careful about recruiting former "star" PL players on their way down!
Finally, any guesses about Whittingham? Mowbray has built the L.1 team around TWO holding midfielders. (Hence the problem for Payne and Whittingham). Will he stick to that at the next level up? If not, is Whittingham up to the job? I honestly don't know, because his season has been so fragmented.
ROBIN - why won't it let me use the word "v*tal"?
Not sure aucks
I have tried to use it several times and had the same
Maybe a glitch thinking you have said a female body part but then again that shouldn't be deemed a swear word
Back to the thread
The midfield is again an area which needs looking at as whittingham is probably not up for it and Evans has been largely inconsistent
All this before the bare bones on the wings
A busy summer awaits hopefully and with tony at the helm I hope he can twist venkys arm again
Oh yes the gestede rumour was just that but I would imagine this would only happen if they got promotion.
Thanks, Robin.Quote:
Originally Posted by robinrover
A thought just struck me about that word: it's not because of the rival site, called "V*tal Football", is it?
Tony Mowbray is flying to India in the next few weeks to get his war chest finalised
Question is what is the aim?
If it's back to back promotions the war chest will have to be a decent one
Lower the amount lower the expectation
We had a shell of a team when we went down but due to significant backing for a league one team we went back up
If we are ambitious then there is no reason we can't do back to back but it will come at a cost
Over to you venkys.
The hard part for me is the prospect of competing with several teams, packed with PL players and PL money. However generous Venky's are, I doubt our funds will match those at the disposal of some of our competitors.Quote:
Originally Posted by robinrover
I'll be honest (and open to criticism!) here: I'd almost prefer a year of consolidation, with most of the current players given a chance to show what they can do. Apart from keeping some of the present loanees (and our own best talent), I would only be looking at signing two "class" players.
That year might also see some of the U-23s making a breakthrough.
I suppose what I mean is, I hope we are not going to start from scratch again - as we did last August - with a whole new raft of players to integrate.
One thing I am very confident about, now, is that Mowbray will be looking for signings with the right character, as well as the right ability.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AucklandRover
I think a club in our position can look to what Sheffield United and Millwall have done this season. Millwall got promoted with 24 less points than us last season, spent hardly anything and will finish around the play offs. Same with Sheff Utd.
Millwall have gone for players like Marshall (who we had at Rovers) and Tim Cahill who had been playing in the MLS for 5 seasons. They haven't spent any money.
The lad who will finish top scorer for Sheff Utd, Leon Clarke was from Bury, and was a nothing, lower league failed striker who nobody (outside of Bury) had heard of. Who scored hardly any goals.
We have a basis of a very strong side. Frankly everyone has spend the season worrying about what sides like Walsall will do to us, even when be blew them away, they still have doubts. So I will side step everyone 'worries and concerns' as I can see we are already just as good as half the Champ with what we have now. We just need to strengthen in a few area's. While I don't think we can just go up and compete with the mega rich sides like WBA who will be coming down with a bank full of money, I can see that we will be competing with Leeds, Bristol City, BOTH Sheff Clubs, Reading, QPR etc etc etc .....no way can we sit here and start ****ting ourselves. None of those sides are any better than us.
Why should we? We come up full of confidence. Organised, hungry motivated, class in certain area's. We score goals.
I just think it will always boil down to peoples outlook. If you spent the season predicting us to not beat sides like Walsall, then in no way are you going to get behind the team. By the sounds of it, through message boards, next season will be a very depressing time.
Anyone attending games on a regular basis is brimming with confidence and cant wait to get up, and show people what our great young side can do.
TM has already identified 4/5 players. and 2/3 loan players. This was mentioned a few weeks ago.
We had a category of players we wanted to get (had we stopped down) and a category of players we wanted if we went up. Obviously now we are up, we can start to go for them. Nobody is giving credit ton the fact this exact same situation happened 12 months ago. TM knew exactly who he wanted, he was given the go ahead, and went to get them. The same will happen now. Mainly because he has promotion to strengthen his case.
We are a lot more organised than anyone gives us credit for.
But the question is, Champs, do you WANT to start the season with 6 to 7 new players in the team?
If we do get 4/5 new players and 2/3 loan players, as you suggest, they presumably won't be signed as bench-warmers.
If we add Nyambe to the squad from our last game, with Antonsson and Conway perhaps gone, but factor in all the new players you mention, plus our better U-23s, what on earth will the starting XI be?
Ward, Feeney and Caddis will no doubt leave, but who would you definitely reject from our basic 20 of this season?
Antonsson, Samuel, Conway, Whittingham and Evans seem to be the most popular candidates, but that still leaves a really big group - especially if we get hold of Armstrong and Chapman.
I'd still favour a bit more caution, in order to retain a sense of unity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AucklandRover
I think the ones coming in will replace the likes of Caddis, Whitingham, Gladwin, Antonsson, Conway etc. who are all squad players. We do need to replace Samuel, and of all the starters, I think we will go for an upgrade on Smallwood (maybe Evans).
The first 11 wont really change, maybe 2 or 3 players at the very very most. We may move Mulgrew in midfield and strengthen at the back? I think 85/90% of his starting 11 will remain. I think the squad as a whole we get a slight upgrade. TM will be looking now to bring in 4/5 players who have Champ experience. And the 2-3 loan players will be young prem players looking to get a game. As this season proved, its about a squad. Which has to be strong. Plenty of sides have a decent first 11 but a poor squad. TM will already know who he wants and is wont be a fortune he is asking for.
We would need to make changes to this squad, an upgrade. We are talking about the squad players who didn't play as much. If we get a better quality in, then the starting 11 would need to move up to the next level performance wise. We have set ourselves high standards now. If we don't keep pushing these players, they wont push us on. Nyambe will know that Caddis isn't going to take his place, if his performance dips. Right now. Also, as much as Smallwood has earnt his place this season, if hes not good enough next season, as it is now, who would come in and push us on? We need to push on, upgrade. Maybe move guys like him back on, promote a young lad from our academy, to play second fiddle to the new 'upgrade'. That's the kind I'm talking about coming in.
This current squad would do ok, but over a season it would eventually struggle as there isn't enough class in it.