Doug O'Kane transfer update

I'd sell all 4 if a a moderately decent bid came in. Walton replaces Collins and Jinadu becomes deputy. That seems the most obvious cash generator without having to incur cost for replacement.

Helik and Woodrow have 18 months on their contracts. We're then in danger of a lower bid in Jan or they do what Mowatt did and get a big signing on fee when their contract lapses. And Styles is probably our most valuable asset despite that he's had a poor season to date. In a better side with more confidence, I do think he could do well. He's got energy, a very clean strike of the ball and I think he has a lot of scope to improve under good coaching.

Whether we get anyone in, I'm a bit meh about it to be honest. Ensuring the clubs survival from an expected relegation has to be the starting point this window.

 

I didn't say it would happen, I just said it was possible to get the balance, if they were willing to try. The frustrating thing is, Helik and Andersen are decent defenders. Woodrow and Morris are decent forwards. Styles and Brittain decent wing backs. All undermined by having zero midfield.

I'm not too fussed or surprised by the nature of Poya's responses either. Stendel, Struber and Ismael were all in a position of strength, having had some success when they made their demands for players. Struber was able to sign his players in Jan, and the club signed for the positions Ismael wanted last Jan. But Poya doesn't have anything. He's not won a game, we're cut adrift, and really, its no good him complaining or saying we need this or that to the press as it wouldn't achieve anything.

 

Fighting to stay up should be our no 1 priority. Look at all Derby have had to contend with this season, they ve not given up.

 

They aren't breaking any pots.

 

That's the spirit.

 

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if nothing is done to salvage this season; the head coach leaves in the summer; Disco and Bobby take over with a squad of youth players; the struggle goes on …..

 

Just on the last point. It might show the fans he cares a bit. It would be the smallest of gains and not offer much in terms of results improvement, but it would be the slightest flicker against a very dark backdrop.

 

Not sure where you have your 33 from but the official site lists 28 players as our first team squad. 4 of those are out on loan and one of those (Vita) has not featured for the team yet neither has the third choice keeper with another (Hondermarck) only having made a small number of apps. That therefore to my knowledge leaves us with a squad of 21 players that have regularly featured and are proper first team regulars which I would not say is a big squad.


We could spend on a few and still go down, but is it not better to at least try rather than give up and go down with a pure whimper......... What an awful attitude to have. If we all had that defeatist attitude the world would be an even more bleak place.

 

Maybe, but then it would just be for show, rather than anything meaningful. Which I think is what Struber was doing at the start of last season, complaining publically more to protect his reputation than anything else.

Personally, I would rather he concentrated on playing the (rubbish) hand that he's been dealt, because unless the CEO is onside, then the way the club operates isn't going to change, especially given the dwindling finances.

 

The only way we'll survive this season is if they tear it up and start again by spending money. We need five players.

 

Woodrow, Andersen, Styles, Collins, Helik, Brittain, Williams, Walton, Palmer, Sibbick, Halme, Oduor, Adeboyejo, Cole, Kitching, Morris, Moon, Benson, Leya Iseka, Gomes, Hondermarck, Oulare, Thompson and Marsh have all played first team football.

Thomas, Kane, Schmidt, Miller, Wolfe and Helliwell are out on loan and have played first team football.

We then have Christie Davies, Aitchison (out on loan) and Vita who haven't made a first team appearance.

That's 33.

 

Its not defeatist, its survivalist.

We've no money. The owners aren't going to put it in. They might take a loan that could risk our future even more. We're a long way from safety with a coach playing dreadful football and we don't look like keeping clean sheets or scoring.

We're making an operating loss and you want us to bring in even more players in blind hope that another unlikely miracle may happen. I'm sorry, but you can't run a club as a gamble. The chances of us turning this around are extremely slim and the chances of us getting relegated are very high.

Upon relegation the worst scenario would be that we have an even higher wage bill from trying to stay up, have shorter contracts for our main assets and face a shortfall of somewhere between £7 and £8m from TV revenues and season tickets.

What do you do in the summer if the blindly optimist hit and hope strategy fails?

 

They may have played some minutes but the club literally lists ICD, Aitchison Wolfe, Helliwell, Marsh and Thompson as U23s players. They are on our books but as youth team players, not seen as first team ready so we do not have a 33 man squad at all. If we are counting players like Marsh etc. as first team squad members, we might as well list Devaney as well and Hassel. They have played minutes too and are on payroll too.

 

I'd say it's a stretch to call Marsh, Thompson, Wolfe and Hellewell members of the first team squad. Even Hondermarck was only signed for the u23s, but injuries meant he got into the first team for a few games early on. Still a high number of players though, so your original point of squad size still stands.

Christie-Davies, Aitchison and Vita are just odd signings. Christie-Davies and Vita, along with Kane and Benson show that whatever data you have from academy games doesn't really count for much. The Aitchison signing looks like we're trying to be a pound shop Chelsea, just bringing in players to play elsewhere then sell on.

 

I'm not sure I'd want us to stay up relying on loan players as they'll have to be replaced in the close season. I want those players who are 100% Barnsley players to discover that fighting spirit and end the season at least looking like they care so, if we are relegated, at least we would view a season in L1 with a tad more optimism.

 

They've played minutes for the first team and been on the bench and around the first team squad over the last few years. So there are 33. They may not be good enough, but if we discounted all of those players too, we you might find we can't even fill a matchday squad.

 

I am not saying throw money about and put us in crippling debt. But are you telling me with total confidence that if we spent say 2 million on a few players from our own pocket and still went down we would be going bust next season? That is total lunacy surely? You are talking as if we are in a situation where if we spend anything we will do a Bury.

We had a large uptake of season tickets this season due to last years success and have always sold a few players each season to balance things. Without being a financial expert, I would say we are in a strong position compared to most in this league.

We can afford a few loans too surely? A free agent? There is no way on this earth that we cannot afford to sign anything to try and help sort this mess.

 

Our squad size has been ridiculous for a few seasons and I'd certainly look to cull it to nearer 25 that includes some of the kids who can then step up. Thats an easy way to either free up a little budget to offer slightly higher wages or just bank the difference for contingencies, while also actually offering an easier route into our matchday squad for our more homegrown kids.

 

That's what frustrates me the most is our midfield might have been half decent with Wolfe, ICD, Hondermarck or Kane in it and we'll never know. Miller or Aitchison might have been half decent up front but we'll never know. Schmidt might have come into his own alongside Morris. We'll never know.