Reading between the lines .. Powell won't be given much close season cash to splash. I am pleased that he is looking to give the 2012 heroes a go in a higher division .. but a wee bit apprehensive that if they fail it could result in the panic buying of unsuitable players at Christmas time. BUT, if we finish one spot above relegation, that will do for me, though I am expecting a better season than that.
He is not going to say he has loads of cash to spend- remember last season, he played his cards close to his chest -similar budget to Rochdale wasn't it? I'm sure he'll have 2 or 3 targets which is probably all this squad needs.
I've been on, just haven't posted much for a while. The endless nit picking started to grate, we've won the league and now it's a lifers love in again.
I am sure there will be 3 or 4 signings. We have a great team and I think we can give any championship side a game. Mid table will be brilliant. I am sure we will get a Centre Mid and a striker at least. Need support for BWP and KERMO. Clarke is useless and Hayes wont make the step up.
Think we need a right back as cover, a centre back, a right and left mid, two centre mids and a striker. I'd also get a keeper but I think we looking long term with Hamer.
No need to bring in too many players. What the current crop have got is spirit, desire and a willingness to run through brick walls for each other. That alone is enough to secure consolidation in the Championship, as there is a lot of quality in there too.
I don't think the gap from the top of League One to the Championship is as big as everyone thinks.
As cafctom says we have a squad full of spirit,desire and willingness which can take you a long way.
Saying that I expect some money to be invested into the side by the owners, they brought us to make a profit which you can only do in large amounts in the PL
I think the key will be to sign players out of contract again and outbid clubs in wages rather than pay big fees. I hope we do this again, a la Hollands.
Certainly we outbid Watford for wiggins. I wonder if bolasie regrets his charlton snub in the summer, Bristol only just stayed up.
Agree about quality and spirit of the current squad but too many times this season I think our central midfield badly stuttered. I genuinely believe that if we had Andy Reid in our midfield this season we would have won the league by march.
The evidence of recent seasons suggests the gap is not that great at all. We have some players we know will go -Hayes, Doc, Alonso and some possibles like Hughes. I expect them to be replaced with one or two quality players.
Slater stated in an interview last week that Powell will be backed to do what he needs to to improve the team and keep moving us forward, and it was clear he mean't financially.
I think Powell will think a lot of our players have earnt the right to be given a chance to prove themselves in the championship, however I've no doubt if he thinks he can get in better he will do it.
a left sided player cover for JJ is a must cook looked quite good of late and did a job if he can be picked up cheap then thats an option, still think one area we miss is a real creative cm, god knows who is out there and available but someone with a killer pass of that little bit of skill to unlock a defence, all the teams that have done well have this type of player swansea norwich southampton ect. right side is fine with waggy and green again battling it out the 7 shirt. up top think were ok could do with a brut to come in if kermy gets injured apart from that kermy, bwp, haynes, will do. agree with someone at right back unless powelly things cousins could be ready to be cover solly. was in the camp of getting a new keeper but after recent weeks would like hamer to keep the gloves, although still feel we could do with a vetran gk around as number 2/3 to help the guys unless powelly feels ben roberts does this and also is the coach. hope we dont panic and have another 20 plus in take this summer, one or two little tweeks and the odd astute signings that we know powell is more than capeable of pulling of and we will be fine.
I fully understand Chris Powell saying things like we must give the players who got us promotion a chance but, in my view, we need some fresh blood and, in particular, two very important ingredients that we don't have now but will need in the Championship. One is pace--we've coped in Division One without pace except for Wiggins and to some extent Wagstaff but I've watched quite a bit of Championship football on the box and it's much quicker, especially up front and on the flanks. We also will need greater creativity in central midfield--ShootersHillGuru mentioned Andy Reid and I know exactly where he/she is coming from.
Interesting to see that it's widely acknowledged we need both pace and creativity. I have issues with our midfield. Waggy and Green are a problem for me, I cannot see either of them troubling anyone in the championship. Green's delivery is quality but we don't see enough of them in one game and he does little else, Waggy is busy, is aware of runners etc but needs more quality into the box. I have reservations about Jackson, yes I know he's our captain and had a fantastic season but he's dreadfully slow and he doesn't have fantastic positioning to counter that. Against Wycombe he was by passed so many times because he couldn't keep up. He will face that battle next year with players of much better quality then Wycombe had. We need creativity in the middle of the park, that's a given.
Deja Vu - Powell said the same as last season re no money, however when the right player came along (all 18? of them) we bought them/paid their wages. I fully expect the same modus operandi this season.
I don't know how much champ football you lot have watched, but you don't need a whole load of pace, there are few sides who are capable to play like that. Cardiff, Leicester, Hull, West Ham, Derby, Leeds, Watford, Millwall and loads of others have crap pace on the wings: often relying on a forward with pace.
If we played a 4-5-1, 4-3-3, we really would not be worried too much by pace, especially if we had a beast like N'Guessan packing in the midfield and pushing off Kermorgant. Green, Waggy, Wiggins, Solly and N'Guessan -if we get him - are all energetic enough to make a mark in the champ for us. The problem will be if we try to play 4-4-2, we'll get murdered in cm and Kermy would be nowhere near where he's most effective. If Powelly wants to play 4-4-2 then he'll need a new central midfielder - something we definitely need anyway - a robust and energetic winger, and a new striker.
We have had relatively few major injuries this season and suspensions so that the depth of squad has not been tested. Most of the players we currently have would make a championship squad team, but we need to bring in to cover the players that will go out and give us real depth in key positions.
Comments
thanks good buddy .. sticks and stones ,, show me where and I'll go get 'im
I'd also get a keeper but I think we looking long term with Hamer.
As cafctom says we have a squad full of spirit,desire and willingness which can take you a long way.
Saying that I expect some money to be invested into the side by the owners, they brought us to make a profit which you can only do in large amounts in the PL
Certainly we outbid Watford for wiggins. I wonder if bolasie regrets his charlton snub in the summer, Bristol only just stayed up.
I think Powell will think a lot of our players have earnt the right to be given a chance to prove themselves in the championship, however I've no doubt if he thinks he can get in better he will do it.
RB - Cover
CB
ML
MC
MC
F
I would maybe add DNG to the above list to make 7 as he is so versatile.
I fully expect the same modus operandi this season.
If we played a 4-5-1, 4-3-3, we really would not be worried too much by pace, especially if we had a beast like N'Guessan packing in the midfield and pushing off Kermorgant. Green, Waggy, Wiggins, Solly and N'Guessan -if we get him - are all energetic enough to make a mark in the champ for us. The problem will be if we try to play 4-4-2, we'll get murdered in cm and Kermy would be nowhere near where he's most effective. If Powelly wants to play 4-4-2 then he'll need a new central midfielder - something we definitely need anyway - a robust and energetic winger, and a new striker.