One Thing The Mills Deal Points Towards...

...is that we are not sticking as rigidly to the Plan(tm) as we were under Mr Cryne's stewardship, which is probably a good thing, in my humble opinion of course.

Always said that the plan was a sound one in theory, but the younger, high potential players needed to be supplemented with a few older, or more experienced heads to mentor them and help them reach their potential.

 

He only has a contract until the summer though. So I think that the plan will keep focusing on younger developing players for the long term, but loans and short term contracts have a bit more leeway. Sounds like a healthy balance to me!

 

As Mills played a game this season?

Edit. He’s been involved in 15 games this season.

 

I think the plan will only work with a mix of youth and experience especially at this level...

We have seen a half season where our young squad have struggled to find any form and confidence dipped very badly when the goals dried up and things weren't going well which was very worrying.

Hopefully getting some older heads in to bring the younger lads on will see us benefit in the second half of the season and going forward.

We aren't out of the woods by any means but looking at the squad now I think we have more than enough to at least finish above 3 teams come may.

 

The plan is sound until it unravels like it has a bit this season. Any plan is perfect until it comes up against the enemy, nothing wrong at all in adjusting it to suit the circumstances. The principle is sound though.

 

Seems obvious that Mills is seen as a short-term replacement for MacDonald and that was the condition of Angus being allowed to move to Hull. I would love to know the truth about Angus' situation. something must have gone fundamentally pear-shape, as he started the season as captain and ended hardly on the bench. I suppose that we will never know, but there must be a reason that we cashed in now. I wish him all the best, but not so much that he manages to keep the Tigers from the drop!!

 

Agent Angus?

 

The type of player we need in this window to get out of this mess. I was shot down by RAC, well he tried.. and told these cost too much etc etc. The likes of Manzala who we tried for last week are the type of player we need to look at in the summer, where we can afford a settling in period. With Gardner improving game by game, Mills and Pinillos already having experience at this level and the two new options up front, l'm confident we have enough to stop up. I'm more confident that there's three shitter teams below us too.

 

I wouldn't read too much into the Mills signing. With Angus gone there was an urgent necessity to bring a centre half in and Mills was clearly available. Diversions from the usual model from recruitment will always be needed occasionally. I think this is more a transfer of convenience for both parties.

 

Hecky said before the window opened he would be looking to sign more experience and age wasn't a factor.

 

I don’t think the plans change, it just makes sense. We want 4 centre backs & we had 3 with Angus leaving & Pinnock out for a couple of months. Short term solution

 

Flexible Plan
When we are in the Championship the plan needs to be more flexible.
The market for strikers and midfielders both in terms of transfer fees and salaries is completely different to defenders where we have done extremely well.
As a result we have been left trying to identify League Two and Scottish players in the summer hoping to pull a white rabbit out,and then topping up with loans who leave in January,this is not viable long term and can only take us one way.

 

It’s no different to when we added Hammill and White a few years ago really - just needed that extra experience at the time.

 

If you have time, search Nice on soccerway or one of the other footy stats sites. Their squad is very young with a few old heads thrown in.

 

We still have to be careful with FFP and cut our cloth accordingly, that’s why we’ve gone for Mills

 

Shankley cloughie always preached...get the spine of the team right with old heads then fill the team with young uns who will run all day

It's not rocket science

 

Disappointed myself with the sale of Gus to Hull , I would never have sold to a rival in the relegation scrap , plus I happen to like the lad as a player , always gives 100%

 

Mills is 31 and very experienced meaning he will be able to direct colleagues into the spaces
to try and cut out the number of goals we've been conceding.
To my mind the benefit of a contract to the end of the season should be the motivation to try
and get an extension for a couple of seasons thereafter, before his legs start to go.