We don’t need too many changes

A bit surprised by some of the comments

I think this side is every bit as good as the last side that went up from league one and look what happened there. Football is so much about the team, confidence and momentum. We have all three which means these lads are likely to thrive. They are all good enough for the championship.

We certainly need a bit more strength in depth but wholesale changes are not required and to suggest only a couple of them are of championship quality is a bit harsh in my opinion.

Objectively and historically speaking the suggestion is wrong as a number of them have all played at this level before ie Davies, Pinillos, Mowatt, Woodrow etc . Of those that haven’t it seems fairly clear to me that they have the technical aptitude to play at this level ie Brown, Bahre

We had the same comments about the last team that went up and those comments were proven to be very wrong!

 

I think that's a very well-argued post. The only caveat is that the season we went down, the Championship appeared to contain an unusually large number of very weak teams, bearing in mind 43 points would have actually kept us up, a total which would finish bottom some seasons. I realise that this year even 41 would have kept you up, but I'm not sure there will be three basket cases next season.

If Donny come up, then I can't envisage them getting past 40 points, and there's always an ex-Prem side which goes tits up. Next year I think it's going to be Hull. Other than that - Millwall and Reading maybe?

 

There's no need to bite your tongue and say nothing is there? Tell people why you disagree without all the OTT indignation. As it happens I do disagree with what you have said, but if I started saying who I thought isn't good enough then we'd never hear the end of it. I will say that in my opinion this squad is weaker than the one which was relegated, but the players are now more confident and we have an excellent manager. I'm not convinced that will be enough.

 

I think Davies proved in his first season in the Championship he can cut it there.
Pinnock and Lindsay did enough up there in a struggling team to suggest the same plus they're both more experienced.
Mowatt has proved himself, albeit only for a while at Leeds at that level. McGeehan was never over his leg break when we were up there and is now back fully fit.
Moore and Woodrow if used properly have enough goals in them. I especially think Woodrow is an instinctive and natural finisher.
Promotion maybe has come a year too early for Brown. A season further in L1 as a regular starter and he'd have come on leaps and bounds. He still may prosper.
We need strengthening on the flanks as I'm not convinced by any of our full backs or wide men.
I'm not saying all the players I've mentioned are going to come good but I think enough of them will to allow us to compete.
That said I don't think Davies will be here and we have a huge task keeping hold of Pinnock.

Forgot to include Dougall. Fully fit I rate him too. Bahre I just don't know.

 

Are you including McBurnie in the relegation squad? If you, he's definitely level above any of our current strikers, though I'd say Woodrow has immense potential to be as lethal. His all round game is currently nowhere near, though. But if we're comparing Woodrow with Bradshaw, I think Woodrow is better.

 

Alex Mowatt played stacks of games in the Championship and been exceptional at times and on the whole regarded a good Championship footballer.

He didn’t get the chance to look off pace with us. He also never played in his preferred central midfield slot as a 2. You’re miles off.

 

Your presuming nobody will be sold. Id say at least five could have left by next season through transfers.

 

Time will tell. We need someone who can take a free kick / corner.

We need 2 more strikers.

As I'm sure Davies is going, we will need a keeper.

That is just for starters.

That said a lot of players, I've got faith in stepping up.

 

I think if Hecky had worked with Mowett (he's already got well over 100+ championship games) instead of shipping out to Oxford I'm confident we'd have got at least one more point to keep us up.

 

The last lot did ok on their return to the Championship and l think this team are better than them.

A couple of decent signings and I'm going with 60pts. I got within a point with last summers prediction.

 

Some players will leave.

Some new players will come.

I'm of the opinion that if you've just blitzed League One then the squad should at least have enough quality to be competitive at the bottom half of The Championship. It would be naive however, to think that we don't need too add some players.

I'm more intrigued to see how we set up next year. Playing on the front foot, defending high up the field, pressing, playing out from the back etc. works well when you have better players than the opposition and will probably be fine against the weaker teams in the division. However, there's some really good quality in The Championship these days and some of the better teams will be able to pass through the press, be better at what we do than we are and be clinical in their finishing. Although our defense have been incredible this year, there have been games where the opposition have had a few clear cut chances and Davies has saved us or Pinnock come from no where to win the ball. Against championship strikers, that MIGHT not happen.

1000% faith in Stendel to know this already and develop a plan, but for me this is just as important as which playing staff are here in August (as long as there's no great fire sale) and i'm really excited to see how he approaches the step up in quality. Players will come and go but if you can get the right system together with a good team spirit and hungry players, our team can be greater than the sum of it's parts. This is what we need in The Championship as (for now) we are going to be relative minnows in the division. There's a really good vibe at the club at the minute and long may it continue. Here's to shocking a few people and proving the bookies wrong, who will no doubt have us as one of the faves for relegation.

 

I'd be worried about Davis after his performances last year. Mowatt might cut it as may Pinnock. I think even this season plenty of games have passed McGeehan by - particularly earlier in the season. Moore didn't convince last season but he was in an underperforming team so we shall see. I agree with you on Brown. Dougall hasn't looked the same player since he came back from his first injury so again I'm unconvinced. I don't know about Bahre either.

 

Mcburnie and Yiadom would walk into this team. I wasn't really thinking of Bradshaw and I would take our current two over him.

 

I wonder if she fruits fans thought they could cut it at the level above?Look what happened think this team will thrive at the level above.

 

Double post

 

Yiadom would definitely be an excellent addition to our current team.

 

Unfortunately and sadly, my take on this season and next is a bit negative.
In my opinion there are two types of clean sheet, one where, like Arsenals invincibles the opposition might get one or two chances. Most of our clean sheets this season comprised the opposition getting quite a few chances and due to the lack of talent, missing. They won’t miss next season.
Scoring lots of goals in league one is brill, but having twenty shots and scoring once or twice won’t cut it next season,, we’ll be lucky to get half a dozen shots away. I’m sure the lads have learned a lot from this season but really, can they be expected to raise their game so much and so often? No, we need a couple of experienced pros to carry them through when it’s going wrong. Who knows, a couple of old heads might bring our young team on in leaps and bounds and make them more valuable more quickly than leaving them to their own devices.

 

There's a lot of ifs and buts. I'm a firm believer that confidence is a huge factor in footballers. Winning teams begin to believe they can win and that's what they tend to do. Same goes for individual players. If the squad are fully fit and fully confident I think we'll be ok but we do need strengthening.
I'd be very surprised if any recruits are Championship proven though.

 

We need quicker full backs if we're going to stick with the press. Dougall will be key next season can see us playing Mowatt further forward and Styles being the back-up.

I'd go:

? (New keeper)

?( New right back) Lindsay Pinnock?(new left back)

Dougall

Mowatt Mcgeehan

Bahre

Woodrow Moore

I think we'll need to pack the midfield more to help the defence out.

 

Jordan Williams is no slouch, but he's only 19 and I guess he'll be dipped in and out of the side. Cavare - I still have doubts about as a Championship full back as well, and I don't think Pinillos has enough pace. So for me, two quick full backs and a pacey striker would be top of the shopping list. Plus cover at centre half if Jackson leaves. Think we SHOULD be OK in midfield, though if he's available I'd personally drive Josh Scowen back to Oakwell.