Why we are not very good anymore.

[Chips1889]

A bit of flair, a bit of expertise , a bit of innovation coupled with ability and experience will make the most mundane scrag end into a dish fit for kings(PL) if the recipe,the ingredients and the chef (CW) enhance the dish with a bit of quality.

If anyone thinks that CW will have £20m to spend if the owners release the purse strings then they are deluded. I expect
a few millions above the £5m that comes with membership in this league but not more. I'm not sure I want to risk our future by high debts again.....just my view.

UTCB

[GrayBlade]

TT - with respect, if our squad are "basically L1 players" please take a look at attached breakdown of Middlesborough Squad......a lot of money spent...on what?

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-m...ite/verein/641

There's nobody I particularly fancy in there, particularly after last night's showing in a v important match.
Our players were League 1 players, who are now improving into Championship players.....its possible under the right management.

If you read my post that TT replied to Aya, what I was saying is that some of our players could make the transition into Championship players or higher for the rest of their careers, but the team as a whole needed an injection of better quality players to play alongside them and help them and also make our team better. We have a fair percentage of the squad either because of age or skill will never get any better than they are now and need replacing.

We don’t want any overpaid journeyman on big money and I’m sure Wilder wouldn’t sign any but I think that it’s plain to see that certain positions and players need looking at for next season (GK if Blackman goes back, LB and STR for a start) if we are going to be stronger. Some of our ‘improving Championship players’ have either by age or skill level already reached their pinnacle of their game.

The only player who doesn’t seem to fit into either bracket for me is Duffy who if he was 10 years younger would surely be worth at least £10m. I’d keep him around as long as he’s got the legs to run with and I can’t comprehend why at 32 he’s never graced this division before.

[GrayBlade]

Having to go 100% full tilt every game Gray with the players we've got explains our lack of consistency and failure to kill teams off. Said it on Deadbats thread when teams go up a gear we struggle. Lundstram and Evans are good examples. If everyone was fit they wouldn't be first choices. League 1 players who are expected to compete with top end championship and premiership quality players. Over a season it begins to take its toll. Both players were good against Cardiff shocking against Barnsley, very good first half last night and faded badly second half. Consistency and experience of championship football doesn't come overnight. I fear if we start with both on Saturday we will be off the pace and thats where CW has to try and juggle resources to get us over the line.

The budget constraints and Boardroom squabbles have not helped but we are still in with a shout if you look at the other teams remaining fixtures. We need a full house on Saturday four cup finals coming up.

Yeah I agree with that LST, but of course better players wouldn’t have to work as hard as some of our current squad do because they’d have better control, timing or maybe positional play. Think about Coutts as an example, never rushed, always seemed in control and as the song goes never (well hardly ever anyway) gave the ball away, meaning the players around him like Fleck for instance were that much more composed in their game. It’ll be a massive boost for us if he can get his career back on track but it’s players of his level we need to bring in in all positions to make our style less demanding.

[GrayBlade]

Would just like to hear who these "championship" level players are that would improve our team

That’s Chris problem to source and the owner’s problem to finance Aya. When we were were in League One he sifted out some of the best players in the division to suit our style, and he needs to try and do the same at the next level. Of course this doesn’t mean us ignoring younger quality players from the lower leagues, but I think I we need to realign or sights now if we’re going to make a decent team even better.

[tomytony]

If anyone thinks that CW will have £20m to spend if the owners release the purse strings then they are deluded. I expect
a few millions above the £5m that comes with membership in this league but not more. I'm not sure I want to risk our future by high debts again.....just my view.

UTCB

That's not what I am asking for Chips,( and I have absolutely no expectation of it!) indeed my post outlines the need to enhance with a jewel or two to raise the mix to a different, higher level.

CW has proved to be more adept at finding jewels than anyone else for years and that is both the problem and the solution. The board generally expect that he can carrying on doing it.

I think he can but, as Gray has posted, and I agree,he's got to be allowed to shop at Champ level now, that's our established new norm.

[Ayamonteblade]

That’s Chris problem to source and the owner’s problem to finance Aya. When we were were in League One he sifted out some of the best players in the division to suit our style, and he needs to try and do the same at the next level. Of course this doesn’t mean us ignoring younger quality players from the lower leagues, but I think I we need to realign or sights now if we’re going to make a decent team even better.

Hmmm I'm still not convinced Mr Gray..........just think those calling for money to be spent should name the sort of player they are looking for.......cos the only players that have really impressed me this season are out of our league - literally.

[Blade for Life]

Remember when we had Deane and Agana, the rest of the team were very average but crucially we scored goals and always looked dangerous. That is what we need and the money we get from Brooks will be enough to dramatically improve our strikers. As for the main point ourselves and Millwall have out performed teams with much better players on paper. Any critism of Wilder is disgraceful, possible a gallon of magnet was drunk before the original post ?.

[GrayBlade]

Hmmm I'm still not convinced Mr Gray..........just think those calling for money to be spent should name the sort of player they are looking for.......cos the only players that have really impressed me this season are out of our league - literally.

Just because a player hasn’t impressed you personally doesn’t mean he’d not be considerably better than what we’ve got Aya. The players that stand out every game would be out of our range and probably end up in the Premiership, but there are others to be had.

Do you think that Chris would chose to shop almost entirely in the lower leagues if he’d got the nod to buy established players at this level? If he was ok about it, surely he wouldn’t have brought up the fact that our budget is bottom end we’re over achieving so often, and also inferring last week that the battle between McCabe and HRH had also clipped his financial wings.

I don’t think he’ll be APPEH with the situation if nothing really changes and if Sir Chris isn’t APPEH, we should all be concerned.

[FatherKnowsBest]

The fact that so much money has been paid by Championship clubs for flops and poor performers (many have spent £5m plus on individual players, some £10m plus and wages of £35k plus) says to me that trying to run recruitment on the 'chuck munneh at it' basis, just isn't smart enough. CW has his evaluation system and it works pretty well, maybe we just don't need to spend many millions on individual players. Its a busted flush.

Its probably just as well as until the ownership question is settled, (and I don't see that being settled until we know which league we will be in...), there isn't going to be the £10m-20m that some imagine. My guess (and I could be wrong..but if we are still Championship) is that CW will want to hold on to Brooks, and that he'll have £5m to spend. I get that neither partner will want to chuck munneh in that they wont see if they sell up, but on the other hand, they both want to own the club, so I can't see them crippling us either. I do feel a bit un-certain of CW's British only policy, as I just don't see enough good British players in the price bracket we want to spend in.

[tomytony]

As you say FKB,, the ownership issue blurs the picture so much at the moment that it's like thick fog.I don't think many, if any, are expecting 20milion or owt like but CW does need, and deserve, more than pocket money.

He's not one to waste it so the owner's can trust him. Like yourself I think he needs to broaden his range of shopping options to look across the waters. Maybe he's not doing so because, as is rumoured, that fits in with the Priince's wishes and he doesn't have the desire to be seen to, or to do, that?

Resolution to the ownership battle will at least clear the decks. Whether it will give CW the wherewithal to do enough shopping, at the right level, is another matter entirely.