Do We Have One Decent Player?

[baggiematt]

Even if you are right I am not too sure what the Manager could do about it.

We will never know for sure, but I don’t think Dike would sign for us in January, and if he did would we have been prepared to pay more for 8m, because he would have cost more in the summer window.

The six players as you imply will have to be loan or free transfers. Hardly shopping in the quality markets! Yes he got 3 loanees in, Clarke, no complaints from me but definitely a Championship centre half no more. Molumby, record shows all starts at Millwall and Preston, not good enough for Brighton and so no surprise at his level. Hugill, we’ll just a joke. Panic buy at the last minute because we couldn’t get Dike.

As for the fees, Carroll, Again panic buy to cover Dike, Reach, not good enough for the Owls but always plays well against us and Mowatt, Vals enforcer! Couldn’t get any young up and coming players to come. No doubt the top clubs didn’t fancy them plying in Vals style, but could be other reasons.

Bryan, nearly forgot him but as with Dike we were very unlucky that he got injured immediately but to be honest not good enough for Sheff U so wasn’t expecting much from him either.

If you shop in the basement you ain’t going to be going forward as a club for very long and let’s be fair at the start of the season we were doing remarkably well to be in the top 2 until obviously lack of a plan B, along with a poor squad,saw us being found out.

I don't disagree with what you have written, but I think our recruitment strategy has been off with Val. I believe he made a call to sign Dike in January, maybe due to price or availability, but signing someone else in the summer may have saved this season. How many games did we lose by not having a decent striker? That risky decision has effectively cost him his job IMO.

Loans and free transfers cost money. Reach is reportedly on £20k a week and must have had a fair signing on fee. Given the championship is ran by loans, getting the right players on loan was really important. 2 seasons ago Bilic wanted creativity so he loaned Perreira, Krov and Diangana who got us promoted. Season before that it was Barnes and Gayle. This season Val oversaw the recruitment to build a squad of 6 defenders, 3 centre mids and 1 out and out striker in Hugill pending a January striker signing! We have no pace, no creativity but a strong defence, it's too unbalanced. It's just off the mark IMO...

[Yarmbaggie]

I don't disagree with what you have written, but I think our recruitment strategy has been off with Val. I believe he made a call to sign Dike in January, maybe due to price or availability, but signing someone else in the summer may have saved this season. How many games did we lose by not having a decent striker? That risky decision has effectively cost him his job IMO.

Loans and free transfers cost money. Reach is reportedly on £20k a week and must have had a fair signing on fee. Given the championship is ran by loans, getting the right players on loan was really important. 2 seasons ago Bilic wanted creativity so he loaned Perreira, Krov and Diangana who got us promoted. Season before that it was Barnes and Gayle. This season Val oversaw the recruitment to build a squad of 6 defenders, 3 centre mids and 1 out and out striker in Hugill pending a January striker signing! We have no pace, no creativity but a strong defence, it's too unbalanced. It's just off the mark IMO...

Spot on Matt.

Recruitment has been rubbish for such a long time now. I just am not sure how much of it is down to the Manager. Is it down to who we can get, which clubs are happy to loan us players, which players are happy to sign the contract they are given. I do think our standing has fallen that far post Lai, especially since Ashworth departed.

[Dubbag]

I agree with baggieal on this point....absolutely no creativity.....Last night's game brought that home abundantly.....on more then three occasions we had a quick break on but as soon as we broke out of defense we stalled and kept possession by going sideways for about one full minute....no urgency...no creativity full stop.
Very frustrating watching that type of football.....I could feel the groans from the crowd each time it happened.....