FAO Hassell, the board, …

Do we? Or do we just not always sign someone good enough?

 

I've come to a realisation that it's not the first team recruitment that is neccessarily the issue. We all would like "more", whatever "more" is when it comes to incoming transfers.

It's the U21's/23's whatever they label them these days. They aren't getting good enough quickly enough for our formula to work as the board wants it to.

We were told that we would be signing players for the first team, along with players to "layer" underneath them. So when we sell the first teamer, ideally for a profit, the layered player will slot into that void, negating the need for a transfer fee for a replacement as they'd already be in the building.

That's great on paper, but what we do is sign players for the first team on 3/4 year deals with the view to selling them 18 month/ 2 years later - therefore maximising profit (hopefully). Now that would be sustainable IF the layered player from the U21's/23's was up to speed and ready to "plug & play".

Unfortunately, we're not developing these layered players quickly enough for this to work. So we're having to dive back into the transfer market to plug gaps, owing to the fact that we've HAD to sell said first teamer to attempt to balance the books.

More emphasis needs placing on the correct recruitment, and subsequent developing of the layered players, not neccessarily the first team for us to stand a chance of this "formula" working.

 

Said this for a while now, our ability to spot potential, I think is proven to work*, it’s the ability to develop the player that needs work.
*not all transfers will ever be 100% succesful.

 

How do you know they haven’t got a replacement lined up for Style?

 

Lets be reminded this is a football forum. Expectations beyond reality or a hiccup being a crisis are normal debates. I think the OP is correct in the sense that while we are on a positive trajectory and the window is open we need to give a final push to secure a better season end than last ssn. Maybe we dont have 9m or even 2m to spend but if we want to step up even more we need to strengthen. We seem to have made space with loanees already. Whether we like it or not this is an important period and sitting back resting on our laurels after a great win isnt all we should do.

The alternative is others do strengthen and worse still we lose some of the key players.

 

Charlton spent quite a bit in the summer for this level it clearly hasn't worked for them, as good as Alfie May is and we were linked his age at 30, 29 at the time, puts him out of the model we run with very little resell value.

 

How old was Norwood when he signed?

 

How do you expect a board to back a manager when apparently....

Is this enough or should i go beyond the last 30 days?

 

Probably one of the few exceptions, we certainly wouldn't be shelling out a fee combined with a 2/3 year contract to anyone over 27/28 our target market is usually 20-25

 

Spot the common denominator

 

it's not the fact that the op is wanting some strengthening that's getting people wound up. We all know that a couple more astute additions could push us towards the top two. It's the tone of his post, in fact most of his posts. Constantly berating, antagonistic. You'd think we were bottom of the league the way he goes on. It's also the total inability to accept the fact that the Board are having to generate cash to maintain the running of the club. There was some idiot posting on instagram the other day maintaining thst the Board were taking money OUT of the club and that they were the stooges of Conway and Lee.

 

We simply have to speculate to accumulate in my opinion. The time is right.

Not break the bank; just sensible signings with a bit of intent.

This will show the fans this board are fully invested, and not simply 'hoping for a lucky break where it all clicks and we capitalise'. It will also show the gaffer they are backing him and improving what they gave him at the outset.

I still have suspicions of frugality and tightness regarding the ownership group, despite the 10- fold improvement in other areas of their tenure. Neerav's comment at the forum along the lines of 'we don't see all the sale cash in the bank due to the installment nature of the agreements'. Well here's an idea Neerav, let's get the 2 or 3 quality additions we need and ask to pay in installments?

Then just offload some squad members for balance; Cundy & Marsh for example, and let's see where we are come May.

The fanbase is coming to appreciate Collins (with the tools at his disposal) so it's time for you to back him too.

This next week more than any, we will judge you by your actions.

 

Have to disagree, our issues aren't caused by signings such as Shaw, Dallas and Shepherd for the u23s/development team. The biggest reason is that two players we signed for the first team are duds - Cundy & McCarthy. While injuries have played a part, if only one of them had been decent we would have avoided the situation where we had to replace all of our defence at once.

 

From what I can gather we’ve got -

Roberts, Killip
Cotter, O’Keeffe
Cundy, Pines, Williams, De Gevigney, Lopata, Shepherd, McCart
Cadden
Russell, Connell, Benson, Wolfe, Kane, Phillips
Cole, McAtee, Watters, Cosgrove, Jalo

all presumably on first team wages. Young Shepherd’s might be more in line with a Marsh or Ackroyd’s deal but still you’ve got at least 22 players there on first team wages (I’m assuming Styles leaves).

We’re also probably paying the majority of Leya Iseka’s wage & a proportion of McCarthy, Dallas, Shaw & Lofthouse’s wages.

I just don’t see where a spending spree’s coming from.

I think we’ll see a LWB signed & possibly a central midfielder if we aren’t confident about the fitness of Benson & Wolfe but they’re likely to be loanees.

I’d love another forward & another centre back but realistically I don’t think it’s going to happen.

 

You see frugality and I see prudence.

 

Let's hope it comes out to play!

 

I accept there's not sacks of money and we must live within our means but we do need a few more in. Not a big fan of loans but can't complain of the one's we have a the moment and if we fetch a couple more in they do well we know we have them until the end of the season the rug been pulled in January is my biggest bug bear. I honestly didn't think this bunch of player's would get us in this position but credit to them they have, assuming Styles goes we need cover at lwb and more mobile cover for Connell as the lad can't seem to get 100% and if I'm been greedy a midfielder with a bit of pace who could go past someone.

 

To answer the OP's first post, I think the signing of Pines suggests that Collins isn't being sold down the garden path. I believe he had a big say in bringing him in with his knowledge of the USA and he will plug a gap that Collins has said needs filling.

It's not always about spending money. Pines, on a free has the potential to be one of the best signings of the last few years.

 

The voice of reason.

 

A lot older than Scott I would imagine.