Remember the window?

Not that it lessens your point much, but it was Paul Conway who said that, not Dane Murphy.

 

I got panned a few days ago for highlighting what our coach had asked for and suggesting we hadn't got it.

I've just quickly totted up the new signings ages. Of the 12 new signings (if we include Bahre), we have 1 26yo, 1 24yo, 2 22yo, 4 21 yo and 4 20 yo. The average age of our new signings is just 21.5 (give or take a few months for rounding). And obviously Radlinger is an outlier in that data.

Our average squad age is just over 22 (give or take for rounding).

16 of the 26 first team squad (as listed on the website, which doesn't include Bird, Adeboyejo or Mottley Henry) are under 23.

We most certainly may have talent, and given time, they may well prove to be better than players that went before them. But we all have to realise that the likelihood of so many young players, most of which haven't played football at championship level or equivalent are faced with a huge learning curve. And as we've seen, they can be erratic. What we saw last season was that a few clubs exploited our weaknesses. Charlton and Shrewsbury in particular. There is more data and analysis in the championship and in 3 games, we've been outdone twice, once by a team 2 divisions lower.

We're going to face tactics very swiftly that play against our strengths and onto our weaknesses. Let us have the ball, then when we give it away, target the space behind our fullbacks and attack our centre halves directly. Its what Charlton did last year when they first exploited Cavares positioning. I fear we will see this a lot. And sadly, we don't have a target man to hit to mix it and outdo the opponents press.

What we might be able to do is hit over the top with pace, just as teams are doing to us.

But I think we might have to take a fair few defeats on the chin while this group age, amass experience and learn to adapt to championship life.

 

I for one mate. Do not think it's a meaningless game. I want us to win every game we play. I may not like it. But I do understand the manager wanting to see all the squad players in a competitive game and in reality have expected to a degree the outcome of the game. Never happy when we lose. I don't know how many times this scenario has played out in the league cup. Probably since Bassett made umpteen changes from the previous game. But more often than I care to imagine.

 

We are a club what’s used as a training camp these days till players find a better wage or a bigger club. We haven’t got ambition that’s what’s doing it. Although we are debt free and in a strong financial position

 

If players don't have ambition. Then they'll be going nowhere else. I do believe the club do have ambition. The way that's achieved is another thing. They believe at this moment in time young and hungry talent is the right way. Don't forget that the owners would like sound investment and the best returns, that eventually is the premier league. Whether the plan comes to fruition is another thing.

 

Not many teams that go up replace its goalkeeper & 2 CB’s never mind it’s leading goalscorer etc and then expect to do well. We have signed players with very little experience of English football if we do well it will be a miracle. Who’s our longest serving players now Thiam & McGeehan?

 

It wasnt inexperience that cost us last night.

 

The plan and spreadsheet has and will always work in league 1 but will struggle and predominantly fail in the championship due mostly to the standards of the leagues

 

Don't care about the cup result... As far as the league, we have beaten one of the favourites and lost to a team we never beat away. I would've taken 1-2 points from those 1st 2 games so we are already ahead of that in my book

 

Also I can remember the last season when we came up in the Champ when we lost to Blackpool in the cup and played awful... let's see what happens on saturday before we become hysterical

 

To be fair we have struggled in the Championship since we got back there after admin, spreadsheet or not. Our best season finish in all that time was under Hecky, the first season we went up & that was kind of under the spreadsheet, sadly we didn't have players under long enough contracts & lost too many in the January. We admittedly were using loans then, who did steady the ship.

We have the players under contract now, it remains to be seen if they can do enough to keep us up. 3 points from 2 very hard league games is still a very good start.