This transfer window has shown that we have zero intention of seeking promotion. All about financial survival. 10 more days to sell Sarr and we are golden. On target for possible relegation, but golden. This has to be weakest squad for a long while. Do you get TV money in League One?
Unfortunately so. Such is the extent of Pozzo mismanagement over the last few years then we have had no option but to go for the lifeboats and scrabble for mere survival.
I still think our squad is good enough for promotion and I seem to recall people wanted us to rip the squad apart when we got relegated It's the injuries as much as anything which are crippling us
The guy who covers us for the Watford Observer has claimed he’s been told he can ‘probably go to bed’ now. Think it’s safe to say Part 1 of the Fire Sale is over. TBC.
Do you actually believe this or are you just trying to be positive? Do you think Andre Gray is going to be the difference maker that is going to carry us from being a ******* average mid table side to being capable of promotion?
You can tell those who thought we were going to keep all the players then add more to help us "piss the league" were. Others were probably a bit more realistic and know it was never going to be easy. Relegation ?! Even with a limited squad we have got 7 points. Unless the whole defence gets injured I thin we will ok on that front. Alright maybe not idea up front but Gray has to earn his 70k a week wages at some point.
I am sure in a previous text some weeks ago l made a reference to an iceberg and a sinking ship. It's all coming into fruition. I will definitely buy some lottery tickets this week
It won't be easy but that's because we know the championship is a difficult league but yeah I'm being genuine and trying to remain positive. We know the championship requires a squad with good character, I wouldnt have trust some of our big name premiership failures on a cold night in preston. I'd rather we kept those that want to be here
I truly, honestly, cross-my-heart-hope-to-die believe this squad comes top 6, and top 2 if we're lucky with injuries. GK: Foster, Bachmann FB/WB: Sema, Kiko, Ngakia, Janmaat, Masina CB: Wilmot, Troost-Ekong, Kabasele, Cathcart, Dawson, Sierralta CM: Hughes, Cleverley, Capoue, Quina, Garner, Chalobah ATT: Pedro, Sarr, Gray, Perica, Deeney, Welbeck, Murray, Success If organised right in a formation that suits the players, it's as good or better than most teams in the league, imo. Not everyone will agree but most squads at this level are pretty poor, and there hasn't been much major signings with the current situation. Would expect/hope for another wing back with Masina and Janmaat out for a while. Also a CM with TBD's injury. Expect Dawson, Success and Welbeck to leave. Deeney and Capoue possibly. Situation obviously changes if Sarr leaves, but personally can't see it right now.
Going into today, we still had 28 players who weren't 21 or under and owned by us, now we're on 24, so even if there are to be no outgoings, we still have room for one more
We're 7th so far having hardly had any strikers on the pitch, and this ain't the Prem anymore. Swansea and Bournemouth have got off to a very good start and will probably be well up there come the end of the season, we cannot underestimate Brentford and Norwich (I'm sure they'll improve, although it's nice to have a 3 pt gap over them at the minute), but what other teams in this division really scare us?
Today was always going to be a false dawn as it is not really Transfer Deadline Day, because we still have until the 16th to get more business done. Hopefully we will not lose to many if any of our better players before the 16th, however there is still a fair bit of Deadwood that I would not mind seeing leave the club by that date. I think we will try to bring in two or three more players by the 16th, but I think they will most likely be on loan from PL clubs and not permanent transfers. As to out goings I am hoping they will only be our deadwood, rather than anyone else that we would prefer to keep. So we will have to stew for a little while longer to see what we are left with, but at the end of the day I hope we will have a good mixture of our better experienced players along with some decent younger players and a few decent loan players to top it all off. If we can end up with a mix like that, I still think we would have a decent chance of returning to the PL at the end of this season.
There is a lot of talent in that squad, but there is a total and utter lack of goals and very few genuine creative players. There are 8 strikers there, and I don't have faith in any of them to score on a regular basis. That means a lot more games like last weekend's. I think we are currently a playoff quality side, but two or three smart additions (e.g. Ejaria, Toney and Manning) would have had us favourites for automatics. We have left everything late and a lot of these deals that would have made sense have already been done by more organised clubs.
Nail on the head We are top heavy with over the hill centre forwards and expecting all our creativity to come from inconsistent and inexperienced youngsters Its exactly why we're dominating games but not scoring goals
The elite members and their accusation that those who don't agree with them are bed wetters. Interesting. We have a weak squad, so let's see how it all pans out. Promotion? No way. Top six? No chance. Mid to lower table finish at best. Relegation possible. Ivic to walk out or asked to leave by January 2021. Go into administration? You never know. I hope to be incorrect.
Foster (#1) Janmaat (**** knows when he's back, I don't think we shift him) Ngakia (U21, our PotS so far probably) Dawson (possibly off to West Ham, but we're well stocked for defenders) Troost-Ekong (imagine he'll slot in for Kabasele) Wilmot (U21, OK start, looks to be our LCB by default, although might miss out if we go to a back 4) Cleverley (has done pretty well so far and stayed relatively fit, niggle which kept him out of the starting XI at Reading notwithstanding) Deeney (doubt we shift him, but it could happen) Joao Pedro (U21, key player for us, although I definitely don't want to see him played as a striker too much!) Masina (back to fitness in November apparently, but I think he's aiming for a move away in Jan) Sema (protect at all costs!) Chalobah (wildly inconsistent, I won't say he's 'finished' as he still has his uses and played very well in the derby, but I wouldn't want him to be a regular starter) Cathcart (a definite starter in a back 3, and quite possibly in a back 4 too) Garner (done OK, but like Chalobah, I wouldn't want him starting every game) Murray (a gamble which hasn't payed off, even when our 3 other current strikers aren't available, he's still not trusted) Gray (I don't think he's gonna smash 30 goals, probably not even 20, but he's a useful option at this level, hope to **** he's fit for Derby) Hughes (think he stays, if the surgery hasn't taken anything out of him, he'll be one of the best players in the whole division) Quina (U21, disappointing so far, but I think in the right combination behind him he'll do well) Femenia (useful backup, nothing more, nothing less) Success (ditto Janmaat) Sarr (hope to **** we can keep him) Dele-Bashiru (U21, but injured until probably the last month of the season. Hope to **** he doesn't return diminished, if we could have an Abdi-like cameo role at the end of the season, great, if not, hope he is fit and raring to go next season) Perica (looks dangerous, I'm sure he'll be decent at this level) Bachmann (#2) Kabasele (I suspect he'll be the one to miss out for Troost-Ekong, very shaky with the ball at his feet, but in fairness at the actual defensive side of things he's been great so far) Capoue (hope he can stay, and importantly stay motivated, him and Hughes is potentially the best midfield in the division) Sierralta (use only in emergencies) Navarro (ditto Sierralta) Parkes (U21, #3) Welbeck (surely he's off, he's #38 ffs) So yeah, quite a lot of dead wood in there, but there are a lot of U21s getting regular gametime. We've had a lot of injuries and suspensions so far this season (is this a bad indictment of our medical staff or are we just very unlucky?), but I think all told, if we have a 'normal' amount of injuries for the rest of the season, the squad is fine. Don't see why we shouldn't be aiming for play-offs at least
We’ve got 7 points and let one goal in. That’s 63 points pro-rata. We may not get promoted or even make the play offs, but we’ve got about as much chance of getting relegated as your sheets have of ever properly drying out.
You watch the derby the other day, yeah? The scum are a pretty run of the mill Champo team, definitely worse teams than them about, yet they barely layed a glove on us. Do get a new pair of pants, please, you probably need a new pair of trousers too
AL say:- GD, IP, JS, AP loaned. Capoue stays for now, no Sarr deal to #MUFC yet. Kiko stays. Deeney, Welbeck, Dawson focus until domestic DDay on 16th + LB in & others TBC. Balotelli (free agent) rumour to nothing & terrible news for TDB
I agree...so far. I haven't given up hope of Quina being that creative force based on a couple of poor games. I also think Hughes has the potential to provide a few goals and assists at this level if played in a more attacking role. As much as I've criticised him in the past, it's very possible Andre Gray is still capable of scoring 15+ goals in the Championship. I agree we could do with a marquee-type signing like Manning or Grimes before the window closes.
Agree with this. If we look back at the last promotion squad, it was littered with players that weren't good enough to be Premier League players but were good enough to smash the Championship, as shown by their careers after that season. Anya, Paredes, Angella, Ekstrand, Connolly, Toszer, Hoban, Munari, Forestieri, Vydra, Layun, Guedioura, Pudil. Our current squad is far more talented than that, particularly if we keep Sarr, Capoue and Hughes. But... and here is the big challenge. That team had serious fire power at a Championship level with Deeney, Ighalo, Vydra scoring 57 goals between them. And it had a creative fulcrum in Abdi. I'm not confident we have either of those this time around - a lot relies on whether Deeney and Gray can turn back the clock to their last seasons in the Championship, and if someone like Hughes can step up. Or alternatively, it's possible we might get promoted the West Brom route of being boringly effective but not scoring that much. I think the 12/13 and 14/15 teams have probably set our expectations quite high in terms of swashbuckling football but maybe we'll have to do it another way this time...
Our defence now is better than it was in 12-13 and 14-15 in fairness. It ain't gonna be as fun as it was back then, but we've got a chance, for sure
Foster - No1 GK without a doubt Janmaat - Decent player, but never fit so needs to go, possibly pay up his contract and let go. Ngakia - 1st choice RB IMO, how did we get so lucky getting this guy Dawson - Reasonable squad member, but will not be unhappy if he goes. Troost-Ekong - Probably a 1st choice starter, though not seen him in action yet, even so probably match day squad at very least. Wilmot - Almost certainly regular in match day squad, but not sure if he will be a regular starter. Cleverley - As Wilmot above. Deeney - BIG conundrum here? If he stays probably a regular bench warmer and late impact sub, only a starter in injury crisis. Joao Pedro - Probably as Wilmot and Cleverly, but only because I don't want to burn him out. Also like Sarr he should be a wide man not a central striker. Masina - Again as Wilmot and Cleverly, though probably 1st choice LB in a back four, if we don't bring in someone better. Sema - Our new Mr Utiliy, a definite regular in the match day squad, but might not always start depending on our formation. Chalobah - Such a shame about this guy, as not the player he was before his bad injury, but still a very useful squad man. Cathcart - A 1st choice CB, in all formations. Garner - Once again like Wilmot and co., almost certainly regular in match day squad, but not sure if will be a regular starter. Murray - So far looks like a big mistake, but if he can get back to any where near the player he was could still be useful as impact sub. Gray - Will he finally find his shooting boots? If he can then will be more than useful in a front two, but I wont hold my breath. Hughes - If comes back all guns blazing after injury, a 1st choice in MF, lets hope he fully recovers. Quina - At the moment probably in and out of the match day squad, but lets hope he can make the break through and fulfil his potential. Femenia - Another Mr Utility, and probably a regular in the match day squad, but not a starter except to cover for an injury. Sarr - 1st choice as a wide player, but don't think he should be used as an out and out striker, except in an emergency. Dele-Bashiru - Such a shame this kid got injured, as he was really beginning to look the part, I just hope he comes back fully fit physically and mentally, as I would hate for him to come back like Chalobah has so far. Perica - I have a feeling he could become our main man up front and net a decent amount of goals, I thought he was looking better and better before he got banned. Bachmann - A bit hit and miss, and might not ever get to be our No1 even when Ben goes, but a reasonable No2 for now. Kabasele - A 1st choice CB for me in a back three but maybe not in a back four. Capoue - I so hope he stays, if he does he is a 1st choice in CMF for me. Sierralta - Why did we sign this guy, maybe his has hidden talents but they are certainly not shining through yet. Parkes - Don't know anything about him, but I expect he will be OK as a No3 Welbeck - I hope he stays as providing he remains fit he would be my 1st choice leader of the line, though as I said earlier Perica might just edge him out. Though I'm not sure they could play together as a 1st choice front two, but maybe? Success - Needs to go, lets just pay up his contract. Will anyone else go, and will we bring anyone else in I hope the answer yes in both cases.
That is your opinion. We don't look like scoring in open play despite having a greater share of possession. Other teams will know this anď not worry about our attacking options. I just think we have a greater chance of imploding than promotion. The transfer windows has shown that we are selling/loaning players for financial survival. We will see how it all pans out.
So far the transfer window has been ‘ok’ . A few players have gone that we expected to . Sarr is still here and we may keep Capoue . So far from the matches we have a solid defence , decent midfield ( with Hughes to come back in ) , but need an improvement in our attacking play . Given that Sarr might stay and will only get better and we’ve got Gray/Deeney/Perica to come in we are likely to see that improvement so I think there is reason for optimism . The transfer window is still open so we will be making more signings as well . Ok, I don’t think our squad is as good as 2014/15 and I was hoping it might be , but this is the situation we find ourselves in . It will still be one of the best in the league though . The worst bit of news yesterday was the injury to TDB as he looked like a great prospect and we won’t have him this season at all now .
