Next two weeks will show us what ambition this club has.

[howdydoo]

To answer your question - its been ok. Good enough to do well in division one but not good enough to build a foundation for Championship survival. I keep hearing its difficult to do that but its not impossible. We need a longer term strategy for that. Signing younger potential and developing it - we have had some success - Rathbone, Vicktor, Humphries but we have also failed particularly up front and in the full back departments. We could and should have done better.

I don't wholly disagree.

Yet look down the road. They are 10's of millions in debt and have been less successful than us over the last 10 years.

Every decent young player in youth football has 20 scouts watching them every game. Of course you can have a bit of success but to have the notion we're missing out isn't true. We don't have the facilities or the cash to upgrade to a CAT 2 setup. If we did we'd still miss out to both Sheffield clubs, Leeds, Man City, Derby etc. Man City and Leeds compete hard for local lads and even the Sheffield Clubs suffer to compete with them for lads aged 10 and up.

[Pocket rocket]

I don't wholly disagree.

Yet look down the road. They are 10's of millions in debt and have been less successful than us over the last 10 years.

Every decent young player in youth football has 20 scouts watching them every game. Of course you can have a bit of success but to have the notion we're missing out isn't true. We don't have the facilities or the cash to upgrade to a CAT 2 setup. If we did we'd still miss out to both Sheffield clubs, Leeds, Man City, Derby etc. Man City and Leeds compete hard for local lads and even the Sheffield Clubs suffer to compete with them for lads aged 10 and up.

Howdy I’ve always been called a happy clapper and I am. However this season we’ve got our transfer policy totally wrong.
Yes we’ve had bad luck with injuries.
We can’t just chuck money at it I agree.
In the past we signed Barleser Cheo Victor Crooks.
We got decent loan signings in.
We have a transfer committee in place so what’s changed?
If it’s solely down to MT then what’s the transfer committee doing?
We can’t just say oh well we can’t compete with other clubs so be it.
It’s not just youth academy which cost millions it’s scouting younger players in non League and league 2 etc who would jump at the chance of joining us.
I don’t believe them players aren’t out there.
Our strategy seems to be well I don’t know what it is.
Personally I’m tired of the we’ve learned lessons etc. what does that mean?
We’ve gone backwards and for the record I don't want TS out that’s just silly talk who’s going to invest in us? I just think that we could be smarter and let’s say disciplined with the type of players we bring in.
Young players who we can develop and sell on it can be done.

[howdydoo]

Howdy I’ve always been called a happy clapper and I am. However this season we’ve got our transfer policy totally wrong.
Yes we’ve had bad luck with injuries.
We can’t just chuck money at it I agree.
In the past we signed Barleser Cheo Victor Crooks.
We got decent loan signings in.
We have a transfer committee in place so what’s changed?
If it’s solely down to MT then what’s the transfer committee doing?
We can’t just say oh well we can’t compete with other clubs so be it.
It’s not just youth academy which cost millions it’s scouting younger players in non League and league 2 etc who would jump at the chance of joining us.
I don’t believe them players aren’t out there.
Our strategy seems to be well I don’t know what it is.
Personally I’m tired of the we’ve learned lessons etc. what does that mean?
We’ve gone backwards and for the record I don't want TS out that’s just silly talk who’s going to invest in us? I just think that we could be smarter and let’s say disciplined with the type of players we bring in.
Young players who we can develop and sell on it can be done.

Agreed. Not saying they're not out there. They just don't grow on trees. I've seen 50 youth players you would have put your mortgage on making it at Championship players over the last 10 years. Only a handful have. Bellingham, Geldhart, Delap, Scott, Cresswell. Of local youth players I still follow, Cadamarteri at Wednesday will, I think. Cold ice finisher.

There are late bloomers and you're right you can pick them up. You might think we're a draw but we're not. I'll not even mention agents.

One example is Jerome Greaves who came to us. He was at Man City as a youngster. Got everything you need to make at as a pro. Apart from the discipline. Last I heard he was at Whitby Town and had played for number clubs before them in the last 2 years.

We've gone backwards because Warne gave us an identity. It's gone.

[ragingpup]

Howdy I’ve always been called a happy clapper and I am. However this season we’ve got our transfer policy totally wrong.
Yes we’ve had bad luck with injuries.
We can’t just chuck money at it I agree.
In the past we signed Barleser Cheo Victor Crooks.
We got decent loan signings in.
We have a transfer committee in place so what’s changed?
If it’s solely down to MT then what’s the transfer committee doing?
We can’t just say oh well we can’t compete with other clubs so be it.
It’s not just youth academy which cost millions it’s scouting younger players in non League and league 2 etc who would jump at the chance of joining us.
I don’t believe them players aren’t out there.
Our strategy seems to be well I don’t know what it is.
Personally I’m tired of the we’ve learned lessons etc. what does that mean?
We’ve gone backwards and for the record I don't want TS out that’s just silly talk who’s going to invest in us? I just think that we could be smarter and let’s say disciplined with the type of players we bring in.
Young players who we can develop and sell on it can be done.

I can only think that Taylor, who talked the talk, was very persuasive with Stewart (as he sounded when talking about injuries, training facilities, overall ambition) in getting Stewart to buy these players in, and with a considerable risk on the aging back line. Didn't pay off, but who would have thought both first choice centre halves would end up injured for most of the season.

Some good players to build on though - Blackett, Christ, Nombe and if proven fit for next season and affordable Clucas and Morrisson. Add these (for League 1) to Bramhall, Cam, get Basil and Haks to sign and then sprinkle in Kelly, Eaves and a few other players from Vic sale and should have enough to have a good go at League 1 next year, and more smiles on faces.

Of the 'giving up going' and 'I've had enough' brigade struggling to emotionally deal with a **** season, we've heard it all before. I too have supported through the 1.5k home games, George Kerr, Dave Cussack, and at a distance the Don Valley years. It's the same old refrain when seasons go to ****. Some will quit, but most will be back if we get an optimistic rebuild and new signings under Richardson, who lets remember has done it before at that level.

[Pocket rocket]

Agreed. Not saying they're not out there. They just don't grow on trees. I've seen 50 youth players you would have put your mortgage on making it at Championship players over the last 10 years. Only a handful have. Bellingham, Geldhart, Delap, Scott, Cresswell. Of local youth players I still follow, Cadamarteri at Wednesday will, I think. Cold ice finisher.

There are late bloomers and you're right you can pick them up. You might think we're a draw but we're not. I'll not even mention agents.

One example is Jerome Greaves who came to us. He was at Man City as a youngster. Got everything you need to make at as a pro. Apart from the discipline. Last I heard he was at Whitby Town and had played for number clubs before them in the last 2 years.

We've gone backwards because Warne gave us an identity. It's gone.

Agree about Warne I mentioned it earlier in the thread.
BOTN who didn’t rate Warne admitted it after Saturday.

[ragingpup]

Agree about Warne I mentioned it earlier in the thread.
BOTN who didn’t rate Warne admitted it after Saturday.

Lost count of the times I argued along the lines of 'Careful what you wish for' at the posters who wanted Warne gone. But he left of his own volition with subtext clearly that he didn't think he could do any more with the Millers. Good luck to him with added resources but he's just good memories now. Quite positive about Richardson in the way he's stabilised a very leaky defense but adding goals to that is a much bigger challenge and front to back, the players are just not good enough to pirece championship defences.

Richardson and Stewart should see what's available in this window, but realistically we are down, so should only spend with half an eye on building for a good next season.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Lost count of the times I argued along the lines of 'Careful what you wish for' at the posters who wanted Warne gone. But he left of his own volition with subtext clearly that he didn't think he could do any more with the Millers. Good luck to him with added resources but he's just good memories now. Quite positive about Richardson in the way he's stabilised a very leaky defense but adding goals to that is a much bigger challenge and front to back, the players are just not good enough to pirece championship defences.

Richardson and Stewart should see what's available in this window, but realistically we are down, so should only spend with half an eye on building for a good next season.

He chased the money and left us high and dry without any staff, simple as that, no other subtext required

[rolymiller]

Agree its all about steadying the ship now and begin to prepare for next season in league 1. We can still bloody a few noses before we go down so that will be worth seeing. Daft spending a lot of money now on long contracted players to try to keep us up this season.

i suspect LR may very well go for a development player or maybe 2 in this transfer window with an eye to them getting better next season. He may also go for s a more seasoned pro on a short term contract hoping that they might help keep us up still but it is difficult to see such a player seeing us an attraction.

I suspect 1 maybe 2 players coming in this transfer window. Not gonna please the twitter moaners but it is what it is.

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Agree its all about sreadying the ship now and begin to prepare for next season in league 1. We can still bloody a few noses before we go down so that will be worth seeing. Daft spending a lot of money now on long contracted players to try to keep us up this season.

i suspect LR may very well go for a development player or maybe 2 in this transfer window with an eye to them getting better next season. He may also go for s a more seasoned pro on a short term contract hoping that they might help keep us up still but it is difficult to see such a player seeing us an attraction.

Yes, that’s my view too

Many of our fans seem to assume that our current squad would do well in league 1.

I don’t think they are, to me they look like a mid table set up

[mellowmiller]

He chased the money and left us high and dry without any staff, simple as that, no other subtext required

You wanted him gone. You got your wish.
Be careful what you wish for because it's largely been downhill since.