The Fletcher transfer....

Ugbo is not our player and never will be. Watkins is a player we could have developed and moved on. We could have gone for both one on lan and one permanent

Adam Jackson will be a very distant 4th choice I suspect but not worth loaning a centre half as we have bought 2 . As for Marc given that him and Angus are similar players I think he was a player we could afford to sell and potentially either Lindsay or Pinnock will be more complementary as a partnership.

Scowen is an ok standard championship player but not irreplaceable. The other Watkins is a big loss as a winger.

I can't see Fryers getting a regular start defensively very suspect imo. McCarthy and Yiadom will be first choice I would imagine unless Andy goes.

Kent? There are far better options out there. 3 assists and a couple of goals isn't good enough.

Mowatt I hope recaptures his previous form improved fitness should help but I can see him being behind both Moncur and McGheehan in the reckoning.

We need at least 4 attacking players if we are to compete successfully plus another full back if Yiadom leaves.

 

QPR are under FFP investigation aren't they? Theoretically, we could have gone and blown £7 million on Fletcher, but much as I think he's a great player, if we'd signed him permanently for anything more than £2 million, I'd have been questioning the sanity of the move and so would plenty of others. Even with parachute payments, £7 million is a sizeable wad of cash.. £7 million for a player who has never scored above 3rd tier level? It means that Boro are taking an immense risk, as if they don't go back up within the next two seasons, they're going to be up **** creak. Just like Aston Villa could easily be in about ten months time.

 

The thing is that's not the choice as I see it. I've little or no interest in any other football beyond BFC

 

The problem I have is that the plan is flawed. It cannot generate success on the pitch except in fleeting glimpses.

People have argued that the plan got us promoted and up to seventh in the Championship. I don't believe that it did but for argument's sake let's I accept it. So, this was the first phase of the plan - buying these rough diamonds and finding these youth players and polishing them up. We did that and found ourselves where we were.

The second phase is when the plan came to fruition- the selling part. It began with Mawson and accelerated in January, and has continued to this day. We did not have sufficient time to replace the players sold and we still haven't. If you argue that the plan took us to 7th in the table you must also accept it caused us to drop to 14th.

We are now searching for players we hope will quickly develop to the same levels of Hourihane, Winnall, Roberts et al. One or two of the current crop hopefully will. Probability suggests that some won't. If we have unearthed a gem or two you can bet your mortgage that we are open to offers come January. We have to be as it's the raison d'etre of this strategy. Unfortunately significant reinvestment is not intrinsic to the plan.

It's up to the individual whether they want to support a club which exists to develop and sell players - mainly for the benefit of others.

 

Not even kicked a ball yet, and your saying we can't compete? We obviously can't compete financially and probably never will be able to, but wait until the lads get playing before writing them off.

Christ what wa your mood like less then 2 years ago when we lost to Altrincham and evidently were *****!

 

I never mentioned on the pitch specifically , I referred to finances and they sadly mean the best we can hope for is causing a few bloody noses.

Still, alus someone to be outraged.

FYI, I was ******* fuming. I'd probably shrug now.

 

Complete and utter ballacks.

 

I'm not going to call you anything, but I will question your use of the word futile. If you really feel that way about it there is no point in going on with it, is there? You're clearly not a "thick and thin" supporter so why not take your own advice and leave it all behind. Find something else to do.

Any sensible, right-thinking supporter will have already realised a long time ago how hard it is to compete at this level. I don't like seeing us take severe beatings, but it doesn't stop me going the week after (if I can). At the risk of repeating myself (for the hundredth time maybe!) I've missed out on too many matches over the last fifty odd years due to my career choices. I'm back in Yorkshire now, maybe for good - who knows. Because I am living within 50 miles there is only my current working pattern that can keep me away from Oakwell every other week, and on some Tuesday nights. I try my best to get to every game, but I can't always manage it.

Futility doesn't come into it. I will watch Barnsley play in the Northern Counties League if it comes to it. That's just the way it is......

 

well I for one will not call you that Sir. You and I have had a few fall outs along the way , but we both love our team and our roots, along with the majority on here . There is nothing wrong with that RS. Football is totally fecked up and will only get worse as time goes by. Various things to point the finger of blame at too, SKY comes to the top of my list..but the corruption in all the governing bodies of football is sickening and that's from FIFA all the way down. Then we come to agents who are leeching the life out of the game too. But at the end of the day I will always love BFC, they have given me some totally wonderful and breath taking moments they have taken me to utter frustration and to depths of despair.... but ya know I would not want it any other way. I do feel sorry in a bizarre way for the fans of the likes of the both Mancs, Chelsea, Arsenal, the two scouse teams, Spurs are coming into that frame too... I will not begin to list the Italian,Spanish or German sides. I feel sorry for them because they have never really ridden the roller coaster of emotion you and I and all the tarn fans have, they expect success on a plate. Me I will take a sip at the cup of nectar on a more occasional thing as it tastes oh so sweeter when it does come.If the Reds were in the conference I would still love them with all my heart... I would still be a moaning bastad mind....but still would love em to bits.

 

There's loads of different reasons why football supporters follow their choice of team ,probably too many to mention.

I have my own reasons and fortunately for the club it doesn't include not attending for the misfortune of relegations or not being able to compete for crazy wages or transfer fees to players,managers etc and that's my choice.

Others may have a different outtake on situations and and that's their choice.

Some fans are diehard and go choose whatever the situation and others have a cut off point.
The onus is on the club to attract the latter but it is in my humble opinion that a club with less resources or potential than some clubs below them shouldn't be attracting criticism for not allowing themselves to be dragged into wages or fee wars ,with resources put in place to prevent another dance with oblivion.

 

Fantastic thread this. Be brilliant if all the moaning could be confined in here till the season opener and not pollute the rest of the board with 6 threads a day saying the same thing.

Keep going lads, the rest of us can now enjoy the rest of the board.

 

Ike's a way to build. Ward wasn't a Huddersfeld player and maybe never will but he's a massive reason they are where they are. Watkins a 1.5 million pound risk.
I wasn't saying sign a 4 choice cb to replace Jackson. Sign a first choice cb and load from the top. Manchester United and city have some really nice Cb's with a number of the London clubs.
Can't agree with kent. One of the most key passes in the league top player and looks very good again in pre season for liverpool.
I look at our squad an then look at Sheff U, Bolton, Burton Forest and I smile.

 

Meaning?

 

We did, we finished above them last season. And many other sides who spent a lot more than us.

 

PS.
I personally don't think competing in the Championship at any level is unambitious tbh.

 

I wasn't criticising the club for not playing the same game. I knew they can't.

 

Why do you say we are buying worse players? To my mind the plan is already working as it is supposed to. Almost all the players we have brought in this time are at a higher level than those we brought in 2 years ago.

Loans aside:

McGeehan has a much higher reputation coming in than Connor did
Lindsay is at a better level than Roberts when we brought him in
Mallan has a better record than Watkins did.
McCarthy at a much higher level than Andy Yaidom was

The plan wasn't to buy young hungry players, develop them, sell them for profit, then buy someone who is already better than what you just sold. the plan was always to to incrementally improve the level at which we buy.
Seems to me that is exactly what we are doing (without bankrupting ourselves). Whether or not these lads go on to be as good as what we just sold, time will tell. Personally, I believe that, given time, they will.
The only thing we have got wrong is the turn over rate.

 

I didn't say you were

 

Can't be far off, over £3m spent so far. When have we spent more than that? Prem was maybe £5m but other than that?

 

Build using other teams players. Great