Don't be hasty

Fact is, they each were for the first 12-18 months.

We seem to be expecting our inexperienced (at this level at least) new signings to hit the ground running, crucially with minimal support around them from older, cannier pros. The French lad may be a world beater but he must be given time as someone with only a year's professional football in a foreign league. Giving one or two this time is fine, but half a starting line up and you're talking the difference between promotion and another season in L1.

Also, let's please dispel the myth that we can't afford experience. We can afford to pay solid L1 players a decent wage on one or two year contracts. We just choose to sign saleable assets instead.

 

O'Keeffe, Roberts and Watters are all experienced players we've bought this season. Lapata will be the only inexperienced player in our starting line-up tomorrow and he'll have Kitching and Williams either side of him. The bench on the other hand isn't full of experience, however we've got a lot of injured/suspended players atm, its not like those players have been sold, we'll soon have Phillips, Benson, Cundy on the bench or starting, plus new signings.

This French lad, whos got 99 app and has captained a team, has more experience than most 23 year olds. Hes never played in England though, nor lived here, so hes going to need time to settle in. We've had players from abroad take time to settle and we've had them hit the ground running, but I don't think its the same environment as Kitching and Andersons first seasons, the french lads joining a team aiming for promotion, in a squad of mostly experienced L1 promotion chasing players, rather than Kitching and Anderson who joined a relegation fight surrounded by mostly inexperienced Championship players.

I do get your point, the buying potential model comes with its risks, and having a squad full of potential can be disastrous, it was for us under Conway, but this squad, for the time being anyway, has plenty of experience for me and can afford to carry some potential, some being the key word. The French kid will be good enough I think (never seen him mind! but a season in the French 2nd tier can't be too far away from league one), its how long it takes him to adapt to a new country that'll be key. Hopefully we've done some homework and he can speak English!

 

The only way we survive is to buy saleable assets. That's how we finish up with money for the likes of Anderson that keeps us ticking over. Buying solid league one proven players (and let's be clear we're talking about mid to lower table players as no club in our league targeting promotion is selling to their rivals) means they're unlikely to appreciate as much in value.
That being said I do agree you need to blend in some experience too. When we went up then sold three quarters of the defence abd replaced them entirely with youth was lunacy.

 

I did my homework and I still can't speak French.

 

Andersen and Kitching were written off as absolute rubbish when their performances were absolute rubbish.

I dont expect to sign someone as good as Mads. But I don’t want to replace him with “one for the future”. Instead, I’d rather replace a very good player with at least a good player and make up for that drop elsewhere (eg better squad depth or better forwards)

Hopefully the new defenders impress this season