With Less Than A Month To Go

How many players do we need and in what areas?

I'd say two full backs, a CM, a winger and two strikers. Bare minimum.

 

Two first team full backs, a defensive midfielder, 2 wingers and possibly two strikers. A keeper aswell if Turnbull goes as I'm not sure Davies is upto a full season yet.


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2 x full backs

1 x holding midfielder

2 x wingers

2 x strikers




Minimum.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing that, either.
This is unnerving. You & I usually fight like cat and dog during the close season and so far we haven't.

 

Agreed. And that will still leave us in a position where a couple of injuries to key players will leave us knackered. Dread to think what will happen if Nyatanga picks up an injury.

 

We will carry on conceding soft goals?

 

8/10 players short of a decent squad (including loaners and presuming Holgate and Turnbull leave. If Bailey leaves add another.

We look a much worse squad than the one we ended the season with though we have a few very good players at league 1 level.

 

So we're all agreed that there's a lot of work to be done.

I'm just glad the club have had all of our money in the bank since April.

 

Don't remember too many of them in the second half of last season. 11 clean sheets though.

 

Fingers crossed then!

 

I'm not worried about the talent and potential we have available. We've got some good players and some great prospects. Seriously worried about the strength in depth and how much we'll have to rely on kids though. By 12th July I wouldn't normally be, but our manager is talking as though we only need a couple more signings.

 

I just don't see how his "8 to 12" has now become "2 or 3" when we've lessened our numbers since the end of the season. It's exactly 12 months ago today that I went to Halifax and saw us lose 2-0 with a team full of kids and a handful of lads we'd eventually get rid of (TK, COG, RNL and Steele).

I don't see that we're that much better set this summer.

I'll be there though whenever work allows, hoping for a positive campaign winning more often than not. Fool that I am.

 

As soon as we've got our squad sorted out I'm hoping we ship a few out, namely Digby, Abbot, Cowgil and Tempelton. They need games at pro level and they're not good enough at this level just yet, looking at the way Wycombe have brought talented lads on in Mawson & Scowen I'd give them any of them for 12 months if they're interested. I believe we have a few players that are too good to improve in the development squad and not good enough for league one, they need regular men's football at a level they can excel at and improve

 

Me too. Season ticket bought, getting another next season no matter how we perform during this one. Doesn't stop me from being worried though.

 

By all accounts, those who hadn't renewed asap got a letter from Mr Cryne which said summat like "I'm going to get straight to the point - we need your help. We need your money as early as possible" etc etc. I appreciate we're going to struggle financially without him dipping into his pockets (he's created that need though, not us) but I don't see much dipping right now. Longer we stay down here, harder it will be to get back up AND achieve owt when up there.

I think we're going down this 'young, hungry, resale value' route (which Ben said we were) because we can't afford to pay the wages required to more experienced lads. It might be a good thing. We'll see. But it makes me wonder if we've stuck a clause in Mawson's contract in order to get him to join us instead of more wealthy suitors? And that'd go down a treat...

 

A couple of weeks ago I wasn't overly concerned but time is slipping away and there is little activity in the transfer market. I am getting worried now.

 

Be Worried. Be Barnsley.

 

This is why we then end up debating the lack of commercial nous at the club.

There was a social club at Stalybridge doing a roaring trade. You know how good the set up is at Berkdale with their pub. This is sort of thing will become the norm at most grounds and we will end up being part of the small minority who don't bother. I'm rambling but until we start increasing our revenue we can either rely on Cryne or spend less.

 

Were definately not in a better position, maybe another season of squad building and a mid table finish is my guess and thats without any injuries! Few injuries and who knows. But as has been mentioned the longer were in this division the harder and smaller our budget gets

 

Decent first eleven but chronic shortage of any strength in depth, as already evidenced by Houihane's injury. No one to replace him in that position. My guess is that there will be a flurry of loan activity at the end of August.