That's the beauty of living in a free society. I'm free to post my opinion and you're free to completely ignore it.
It's not about bringing in players sooner, it's about being able to offer contracts earlier. Sell your season tickets early and you know how much money you have to play with. You can then approach agents and players, tell them you're interested and tell them how big a contract you're going to offer. In most cases, you'll not get a decision until July as the player will weigh up his options, but your club will be under consideration from early on. We're not at the stage where we are scrabbling about for players. We've got irons in the fire and we're waiting to see what happens. That doesn't guarantee we'll sign any of our first choice targets, they may all choose to go elsewhere. We already know some have. However, we're not at the point where we're picking up the left overs, we're still after our original targets and waiting on a decision, just like most other clubs. In a normal year we'd just be putting together the budget now. We'd only just be able to start approaching players, but it may be too late, they may have already made up their minds even if they haven't signed on the dotted line and we're not such a glamorous club that we can knock someone off their feet with a last minute offer.
Swap them for Bobby Hassell, Martin Cranie and Ricardo Vaz Te then. Mate, I understand your issue regards Mansford, sort of agree actually that he talks ********, but then, we ought to have known as much considering his background. But pal, don't pre judge our signings. Give em a dozen games at least, otherwise you're seen as negative or look daft when they turn out decent.
You didn't answer the question. Do you disagree with the 2o percent success rate for Premiership 'stars' would you say that recruitment policy has failed? Last year we recruited from Arsenal, Hull, Crystal Palace, Stoke, Bayern Munich, Sheffield Wednesday, and a Norwegian international were was the lower league recruitment there? Of the lower league players we did sign last year M'Voto and Nyatanga are a good centre half partnership in my opinion. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HDy
I don't disagree with the Mansford stuff myself he's a professional ***** talker but dismissing players you know nowt about is deft. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
What we have signed over the last 3 years are poor lower league players. Decent ones are out there. I've got belief in Wilson to get us the ones that can make the step up. Our last promotion side had Hayes, Howard, Hassell, all decent quality, signed from same or lower level, youth team products like Austin, Kay and a couple of experienced pros in Burns and McPhail. A bit like what seems to be happening now.
Depends what your definition of a success is. I really can't agree that M'Voto and Nyatanga are a good centre half partnership.
The only one I've pre-judged before his Hemmings so we won't go over that again. I haven't pre-judged the other two at all but the keeper has clearly been brought in as cover so I don't think he's the answer to our problems.
Playing in a team that doesn't get relegated would be success to me... M'Voto and Nyatanga I was impressed with when they played together. The sum being better than the parts.
Adam Davies is here to act as cover, yes. We have one of - if not - the best keeper in the division. But we needed cover. He, and Dibble may provide that. I honestly feel much the opposite to you regards Hemmings. The guy has a fantastic record, no matter the division. I've no idea if he'll be able to do similarly well at this level, but I'm looking forward to watching him try. Same goes for Hourihane. But if they're poor, they're poor. But suggesting they're poor 'now', before watching em play? That's the attitude of someone who wants to be miserable.
On that basis all the premiership players who played for us between 2006/7 to 2012/13 were a success?
I thought you were referring to those we signed last season. Ok. Those players 2006/7 what would your success rate? Is that the policy to follow? Expensive and failing. Face it. A change was needed.
I thought that the point was to have the budget in place as soon as possible, to identify the players, get the contracts offered and actually have the players at the club as soon as possible. We will see much bigger change in personnel than other clubs in our division will so with a less settled squad we really need to get the players in. In my opinion alone (and I'm sure I am alone in this), if we don't bring the majority of the new players in before late July then the club has failed in its objectives thus far.
The thing that concerns me about Hemmings is the level he has come from - can he make the step up? No one, including myself, can realistically say but I will say that I had the same concerns re Bogdanovic and he turned out ok. I haven't commented on Hourihane at all.
We definitely need to step up recruitment i'd say 8 more players are needed but if be more than happy if all came from leagues below ours ifvtgey were young talented lads with summat to prove. Sone will fail some succeed it's the nature of things. Most of the players we've signed from top 4 premiership clubs in my lifetime have been failures. Doesn't mean they always will be.
I don't know about the new signings because I've never heard of any of them but that goes for 99% of our signings in the 45+ years I've been watching the Reds. However this tosh about clubs not doing buisness untill July is just that. Lee Clarke has signed 9 players at Birmingham prior to pre season training . given that we need a fair few players in the squad its time Wilson got his finger out, first game is only 6 weeks off