Natives are getting restless

Plenty of people on X really ramping up their ire towards Mlanden Sormaz today.

As it stands we're going into a new season with no natural RB, and no right-footed centre back in the first team squad.

Seeing as we've been aware of the upcoming change of formation for several months, and allowing several wingbacks who could've played there at a push to leave..... Either there is someone coming in in the next 24 hours, or serious questions need to be asked of Mladen in my opinion.

I shall reserve judgement until then.

Other sundry matters such as squad numbers, third kit and fanzone pail into insignificance, but their lack of forthcoming should also be a worry.

We can't even do the simplest of things in seemingly good time, if we can't do these things, what kind of shambles must our transfer policy and approaches be?

Still want to be positive, but it's getting a bit close to time for Mladen now, surely?

 

I agree what you're saying, a right back signing is a must in the next 48 hours for us to have any chance of getting something at Plymouth.

Not sure your reference to a right footed centre back when we have Roberts, MDG & Lopata ?

 

Plymouth 21/20 with Ladbrokes/Corals, Evens elsewhere. May be a good start for accas.

 

Pretty sure Marc Roberts and MDG are right footed centre backs, are they not?

The defence is definitely a concern just like it was last season, the only good thing is we have sorted the keeper situation out and Shepherd coming back is a positive. I'll judge our squad at the end of August, very few clubs have completed their business it's the nature of football nowadays unfortunately.

 

On a separate note, X is a cesspit I must have muted hundreds of fans on there. That platform just breeds negativity.

 

Agreed. I left twitter about 18-24 months ago, absolute hell site.

That said, I’m not exactly thrilled about going into our first league game with no full backs and a bench full of children. Obviously do it in the right manner but questions definitely need to be asked.

 

Think we need to get off to a decent start otherwise the negativity will ramp up ten fold

 

I meant wing back, apologies

 

That's gormless Sormaz...for ya

 

No worries but remember, not playing with " wing backs " this season, hence O'Keefe, Cotter & Lofthouse all going haha

 

You say your reserving judgement then go on to describe our transfer policy as a shambles.
The transfer window is far from closing and I would expect at least one more signing this week and probably another 2 before the window closes.We all want dealings done before the seasons start but its not always that simple.I would wager every club in all the leagues have'nt completed their work yet.
As shown with the Koroma deal somethings aren't always in our hands.

 

Be careful the club apologists will firm a lynching party

 

My expectations for this window were that we'd be starting to rebalance the squad. A squad that would be difficult to rebalance given the need to offload players that would likely have to take a pay cut. I'm a little surprised we got rid of Cotter, O'Keefe and Lofthouse all at the same time, moreso that with less than a week to go we have no right back to select. I thought we might have sold one of the midfielders by now, but I suspect it will be late in the window when that happens.

The recruitment this window makes more sense than the last two (low bars, granted), but you can see there is an effort to trim the squad while getting it closer to a change of formation and style.

Sadly, nowadays, it's generally September when you've an idea what your squad is. A lot to do still, but at least we seem to moving in a reasonably sensible direction and we've over a month to do it.

 

Yes. I'm reserving judgement on the overall window until after it closes. But up to press, I'd describe it as shambolic. What's wrong with that?

 

Shambolic is an overreaction imo when we haven't sold any key players, we've strengthened in multiple positions and are only 2/3 good signings off being sorted and there's still a month of the transfer window left.

For the record, I'm not saying it's good either. We desperately need a right back but I would say it's still a 6/10 window so far with the potential to go up depending what happens between now and September.

 

Huddersfield appointed Mark Cartwright as SD in the summer of 2023, got relegated from the championship, sacked him in April and have had a far more successful window without a Sporting Director this time around.
Of course there's another 4 weeks until the window closes and that gives us another 4 weeks to keep saying that and to wheel out the "all the better players will be available on the last day"

 

Sormaz will outlast Hourihane. He'll only leave when someone with an ounce of competence take over the running of the club.

 

I think the possibility of us not selling players is highly unlikely, whilst we haven't yet I wouldn't be factoring it in, will more than likely happen late in the window.

 

Did we really expect any different!?

The problem is the lack of transparency from the club. The majority of the fanbase know how tight things are financially. It’s obvious for all to see we had an over inflated squad full of average players, with a lot of deadwood to shift. So why on earth are the club not coming out & tempering expectations? They only need to say the word consolidation. Because that’s what this next season is, & laying down the foundations of a rebuild. You’re living in cloud cuckoo land if you think we can compete at the top end of the table this season.

 

We are also desperate for another number 9 bringing in because if McGoldrick or DKD get injured we’d be knackered . I’ve always said we need to give a manager the tools for the job and with 5 days to go before the season starts I’d say the tool box is half full.