2024/25

[wanderlust]

So here we are again shaping up for another season in League 1.
Still carrying over some injuries from last season so as Evatt puts it "we're a bit thin on the ground at the moment" but despite some moneybags team coming down from the Championship, I reckon we'll be able to compete for promotion again.
An encouraging win over the Baggies in our first preseason game and some interesting signings in the pipeline if the rumours are to be believed. Also a rumour that we might be changing our system finally!

Cameron Jerome was one of the players that have left - last season he took the role of the senior mentor/motivator and played a few games and did well - best wishes to him playing in Turkey. The "senior pro" role has been filled by ex Burnley and Rangers dude Scotty Arfield so I'm hoping he can get the lads fired up and maybe even play in a few games.

Let's see what the preseason brings...

[wanderlust]

Big test away at Boro on Friday. With 7 injured it's likely that some B team players will again get a run out at some stage but the core of last seasons team will be involved and maybe Arfield will get 45 minutes to help out in the middle The important thing though is the system and hopefully new signing Forino will get his first run out of the season as I suspect he may be a key player if we're going 4 at the back.
With injuries in specific positions we are desperately short of wide men and we are hoping that Armstrong can be signed before long. Dembele would be a decent punt but I'd be very surprised if we got him given the Championship interest in the lad.
Hopefully we'll have a good work out, put in a decent performance and there are no more injuries.

[wanderlust]

I think we have a team made of glass. Kyle Dempsey was added to the list before kick off today - needs a knee scan FFS - so it was a cobbled together starting X1 who did pretty well against a good Boro team for 60 minutes and managed some decent spells of control.
But then he put 7 kids on and they're just not ready yet - conceded 3 at the death.

Looking at the injury list, I can't see many getting back anytime soon - and it's Fiorentina up next

[wanderlust]

Meanwhile Birmingham have allegedly spent 14 million pounds so far and are in talks with Fulham re a 5 million pounds deal for Stansfield.

Shouldn't somebody tell them this is League One?

[wanderlust]

Following a comfortable 4 nil victory at Chorley earlier in the week I was concerned that our injury list would prevent us from being competitive against the Serie A beasts of Fiorentina but I couldn't have been more wrong.
An excellent hard-working performance saw us come back from a goal down to draw 1-1 and TBH we might have won it had we been a bit more ruthless.
Got a bit tetchy towards the end when we were controlling the game with the clock ticking down and understandably some of their stars were feeling frustrated - not helped by George Johnston coming on and immediately levelling Italian International Kean with a thunderous challenge - for which he got a booking. A couple of cynical tackles on our lads followed and Fiorentina picked up a couple of cards - if that means anything in a friendly.
Another passable performance from B team Max Conway, but he's going out on loan when the injured lads get back and we hopefully make a signing or two.
Encouraging night's work and some fine post match compliments from their players who take on Preston next.

[wanderlust]

Yet another injury to a first teamer in training meant that 7 were unavailable for the warm up game against Stoke which we lost 0-1. At least Charles was able to make a cameo appearance in the second half but they continue to get hurt as fast as they are coming back - not ideal preparation for the new season. Very lacklustre first half from those who did start and we conceded a well taken goal from a nippy wideman who broke from the half way line and finished nicely. Second half we were more competitive.
The bigger picture is that a lot of players haven't managed to get any game time during the preseason and although they will be back eventually, it suggests we might get off to a poor start when the action begins. Still no new signings but the manager says the club are still working on it. Meanwhile other clubs are strengthening and I'm beginning to suspect we're in for a tough year.

[wanderlust]

The preseason is done and dusted, rounded off with a comfortable 3 nil win away at Port Vale. The new Hungarian winger looked OK - better than I was anticipating - and we managed to give plenty of players game time although the injury room is still packed. At least we know we can put out a team in our first "proper" game next weekend - an away trip to Leyton Orient - which for goodness knows what reason is a 17.30 start. Not great for Wanderers fans who will have to travel back north afterwards.
We remain two or three signings short of being a team that compete for automatic promotion IMO.
We have been given assurances that negotiations are still underway and hopefully they will come to fruition soon but I can't help worrying that we need a bright start to the campaign and the transfer window has not been the smoothest, so even if we do sign the players we need it's going to take time for the team to gel.
Hopefully we can blag a few wins to get some momentum whilst the finishing touches are put in place, but having seem Birmingham put WBA to the sword today, I know we're still a way off the finished article.

[wanderlust]

Looks like Otei-Tutu will be signed from Bochum. Right winger, never done anything notable in his career, but I'm assuming we'll get him cheap.
Our main targets still aren't happening yet. Seems as if when we're finally able to fork out a million, closing deals and competition from big spenders just gets tougher.

[bluedogblack]

test

[wanderlust]

Otei-Tutu signed and Matete on season loan, with a strong chance of the McAtee deal being done tomorrow so it's been a busy day.

I think the squad would be more or less complete then although Armstrong is still a possibility but...

Most of the injured players are nearly recovered but are not fit to play yet as they missed the preseason and have to be eased back in, and the new lads we'll just have to see where they're at - but they are strangers.

Throw in a new system and all in all we're nowhere ready for the start of the season so tomorrow's away trip to Orient will be interesting.

Give us a month and we'll probably be up to full strength and then we'll know whether or not we're on the right track.