'We will have the best defence next season for starters'
giver over. What is that based on? Agree with Shooters. Think there is a pretty big step up myself, plenty of times this season better forwards would have cost us points.
Not at all in my case I don't think. Defence was superb and Yann, BWP along with Haynes would cope with the championship. Central midfield is very weak with the exception of Hollands and we need more quality wide right and good cover at right back and left midfield. Sullivan is not good enough. Think these comments are realistic not pessimistic.
We'll see. Palace had one of the tightest defences last season and I'll give you 2 words - Paddy and McCarthy!!!!! I love the way nobody factors improvement into a young hungry squad as well. I'd be suprised if Morrison, Solly and Wiggins aren't playing in the top league sooner rather than later.
I have no idea what kind of budget SCP might be given this time, or whether he feels he needs to strengthen the squad in certain positions.
But what I do know is that Michael Slater & Tony Jimenez will back him as far as they are able towards achieving the joint aim for next season.....whatever that may be.
And that Our Team - players, management, physio, scouts et al - will do their utmost to reach that goal as they did last season with the additional help from us, the " 12th man ."
A new motto from me for 2012-13...All for one and one for all .
I have to agree with SHG. Getting 101 points doesn't mean every player is good enough to step up.
I'll be surprised if we don't make at least 3/4 signings. Powell will be ruthless as he has been before. Clarke didn't last long, he didn't give players like Dailly, Reid and Anyinsah new deals, he didn't keep Elliot when he knew he could replace him etc.
Not sure our CBs will look quite as solid against quicker, stronger and more skilful strikers.
Just as we needed players that could compete in the Champ last season, if we are looking at another promotion challenge we need some players that can compete in the Prem. I don't see anyone with that sort of quality in our midfield at the moment and BWP/Haynes aren't at that level either.
Funny how people are saying we need another CM to compete with Hollands & stephens and yet everyone seems to have forgotten all about Pritchard, even though the thread about him was full of praise about how good he is and was best player on the pitch against Fulham etc. So why is everyone now dismissing him?
Funny how people are saying we need another CM to compete with Hollands & stephens and yet everyone seems to have forgotten all about Pritchard, even though the thread about him was full of praise about how good he is and was best player on the pitch against Fulham etc. So why is everyone now dismissing him?
Agreed, I think Pritchard and Jacko will make the step up, not so sure about Green/Waggy/Hollands/Stephens. Potential there but I think Powell will be looking for options with a more proven record at Championship level to supplement the squad.
I'm not sure any of last years key performers will be just thronw on the scrap heap but nor will they be blindly trusted to carry on where they left off and few players who played 30+ games last season may well start from the bench or even out of the squad completely come August.
I can potentially see Green and Taylor being allowed to leave - Taylor seems to me to be in a very similar position to Doc when he left Norwich to join us having played a key role in their promotion but also pretty clearly being a 'League 1' type of player. I agree with Scoham that we need some pace to go alongside Morrisson in a Rufus/Youds type partnership.
New right midfielder. Waggy and Green not seen as good enough for this division. Been told up to 8 new players but won't shout about it. Would love Baldock, maybe Wordsworth. Let's see ....
There is no way there will be 8 new first team players - unless most are squad players. Powell has said he want's to give his squad a chance and see where it goes. I think money will be spent if a player is available that clearly improves us, so expect 2 -3 at most. And that is teh sensible approach.
101 points doesn't mean all the players can step up, but it suggests most of them have a decent chance.
I think we must not overlook the fact that we were lucky with injuries and suspensions last season. Although a few players came in and did a reasonable job, we may be a bit stretched if we had 3 or 4 players out at the same time. I expect us to have a little more depth next season.
Who knows what is spent and it costs , people go on about 'free' signings are kidding themselves , these players come with big salaries and signing on fees I think to look for top 6 we would need to strengthen all the way through which isn't really gonna happen
deffo think we need better than sullivan as back up i'm nervous , as others have mentioned above, about our central defence against the quicker better centre forwards of the championship full back wise we're ok without injuries but would like to see solly contribute more going forward i'm not as keen on hollands as others , he's a bit slo-mo for me which was good enough with his ability in league one and stephens will have to up his game to play a role for us in the championship , pritchard is a work in progress and it's unclear whether he will be able to perform regularly at this higher level but his enthusiasm and love for the game will give him a go jj has so much ability i think he'll pass the test despite his lack of pace green has natural ability but hasn't utilised it in the right way so unsure on him and waggy , great athlete and all that will have to up it another level if he is gonna play more than a bit a part too bwp is a confidence player and i believe he has the ability for the championship if he can just find the belief yann is our best player and will not look out of place in a team looking for promotion
as we stand now and all players stayed fit(which they wont) i could see a mid table finish with the inevitable injuries and suspensions we would finish bottom 8 so a few signings required to strengthen us up and get us top half (where i'd be more than happy, for now , unless we fork out a bit!)
People are looking at the team naturally ....... but I believe Powell will be thinking about the squad as a whole, rather than just a 1st starting eleven.
He is Son of Curbs remember - so IMO like Curbs did, he'll be looking to ensure he has 2 players for each and every position.
First of all, how many squad players are there right now?
Don't count the young raw professionals, just the players who are capable of starting a game right now and hold their place.
We know Doc, Euell, Alonso and Clarke are gone = that equals 4 new signings just to replace those.
Other players may see they are not going to get games, especially once they see new signings coming in, perhaps Hayes, Taylor and a couple more could leave...... add in another 3 or 4 signings that will need to be made.
So IMO we can expect 6 to 8 new signings just to replace those who have gone or going.
Remember 18 players is the matchday squad - there will need to be around 24 or 25 players who are capable and experienced, to ensure the squad can cope with injury and suspension.
I think we must not overlook the fact that we were lucky with injuries and suspensions last season. Although a few players came in and did a reasonable job, we may be a bit stretched if we had 3 or 4 players out at the same time. I expect us to have a little more depth next season.
So if the squad stayed the same ( which it won't ) 101 points in League 1 = how many points in the Championship roughly?
Well, I'd be very surprised if Leon Clarke is still at Charlton, when the players return for pre-season.
He clearly doesn't figure in our manager's plans.
I was trying to point out that the squad is currently short on numbers - so there has to be a number of new signings just to ensure the squad is capable of coping with every eventuality.
We know Doc, Euell, Alonso and Clarke are gone = that equals 4 new signings just to replace those.
I would have said that as these four players were hardly used and/or loaned out they have been replaced already. Cort for Doc, Yann for for Euell, Alonso was effectively replaced by the emergence of Pritchard and Clarke was a replacement for Benson, who didn't play, and was replaced (in terms of numbers) by Haynes.
I do think we have other players that we are going to be willing to let go, and this will mean spaces in the squad, but I don't think the club are going to be looking for direct replacements to the players that have gone, as I think they became surplus to requirements long ago.
Last season the 1st team fortunately didn't suffer too many injuries (maybe thanks to the backroom staff), so several squad players didn't get a lot of starts or game time.
Surely Cort was signed to ensure we had 4 experienced CB, rather than replace Doc in the squad? Doc was under contract so couldn't be released; if he had moved, then it would have been essential to replace him.
But IMO the squad is presently short on numbers - 24 or 25 capable players are required just to start the season, especial with 18 players now required for the matchday squad.
So it is inevitable that we have 6 to 8 new signings.
I think we must not overlook the fact that we were lucky with injuries and suspensions last season. Although a few players came in and did a reasonable job, we may be a bit stretched if we had 3 or 4 players out at the same time. I expect us to have a little more depth next season.
So if the squad stayed the same ( which it won't ) 101 points in League 1 = how many points in the Championship roughly?
I think the 101 points should be looked at in the context that both Sheffield clubs were within touch until the last couple of games. Does that make the three of us brilliant, or the rest of the division weak? Huddersfield would have been closer to us as well if they had converted more of their draws to wins. They certainly didn't lose many! :-)
I believe it is impossible to judge the upcoming season based on our performances last year. We rarely(ish) thumped teams. Were we too good for them as a team or as a defence?
Most match reports from opposition sites (allowing for obvious local bias) seemed to think that their team played better than us but were undone by their inability to score.
I fear that the teams we will be coming up against may have more penetration than those in League One. But I do live in hope!
Thanks for the tip. I've downloaded the book and will take a look. I hope you are on a commission!!
I still think that the target wage bill is the key indicator of the Club's ambition mind you with transfer business a more nuanced activity except where there is a very wealthy owner who is in big hurry - my assumption is that we are not in this position.
I think we must not overlook the fact that we were lucky with injuries and suspensions last season. Although a few players came in and did a reasonable job, we may be a bit stretched if we had 3 or 4 players out at the same time. I expect us to have a little more depth next season.
So if the squad stayed the same ( which it won't ) 101 points in League 1 = how many points in the Championship roughly?
Even if it's only half of the points, we would have finished 18th last season, so with some strengthening I think we will be top 10 outsiders for Playoff positions.
I agree, the squad will be bostered and leavers will be replaced, but in terms of straight out of the box first teamers - one or two at most. And these Championship strikers we need to fear - these are exactly? One of the best strikers next season will be Jordan Rhodes and in previous seasons we have had Ricky Lambert and Grant Holt standing out - all League One strikers. Then you have Kevin Phillips who is 38 and managed only one goal against Gordon Ramsey and Will Ferrell on Sunday.
BWP had a very poor patch in the last half of the season, even when he started scoring again he was missing too many. I love it how this means certain fans have written him off when he was electric at the beginning of the season and would have been electric at Championship level. If it came to him, it went in the net. So why should we assume he will resume his poor form when the season starts.
But, for me, the biggest reason for optimism is the quality of our defence. They are players that clearly will be strong in the Championship. Solly and wiggins are quality full backs and Morrison has been a real find. I think they will be up to anything the Championship has to throw at them and Cort and Taylor - whilst below them ability wise- can slot in and add something to the qulaity that is already there. Hamer is much undertated too. I would steer well clear of making changes there. And if you are tight at the back you are certainly going to be alright and with one or two additions of the right quality elsewhere - and that is all that is needed - we are going to be a handful. The other additions need to ensure we cover the squad.
If I was manager (but I am not so what I am about to say is completely irrelevant but here goes anyway), I'd get:
GK to challenge Hamer. Sullivan is not good enough. RB to challenge Solly. Wiggins and Hughes aren't good enough at RB. CB to pair with Morrison (challenge what we got). Taylor and Cort may struggle with pace. LM to challenge JJ - preferably fast/nippy. JJ could possibly struggle with pace. CF to challenge BWP/Haynes. There's no real competition. CF to challenge Yann as I think Hayes and Clarke will be off which leaves no cover/competition.
I'd also get a few development players and enter a reserves team + one Pritchard typed player (wild card).
We don't have to spend £6m as we can also strengthen in January. There should be (hopefully) a bit of money coming our way from outs such as Clarke, Sullivan, Hayes (even though I like him. Just don't think SCP fancies him in the Championship).
Not going to name possible targets as the majority of us do not have a clue what is going through the magical mind of our leader and at this stage, rumours are what they are.
Yes we need some extra bodies, but I hope we go for quality rather than quantity. If we have an injury crisis, we do need to give our youth players a chance. The likes of Minto, Pitcher, Barness, Newton, Rufus, Bowyer, Konch, Parker, Fortune, Shelvey all had to start somewhere
Comments
giver over. What is that based on? Agree with Shooters. Think there is a pretty big step up myself, plenty of times this season better forwards would have cost us points.
I have no idea what kind of budget SCP might be given this time, or whether he feels he needs to strengthen the squad in certain positions.
But what I do know is that Michael Slater & Tony Jimenez will back him as far as they are able towards achieving the joint aim for next season.....whatever that may be.
And that Our Team - players, management, physio, scouts et al - will do their utmost to reach that goal as they did last season with the additional help from us, the " 12th man ."
A new motto from me for 2012-13...All for one and one for all .
I'll be surprised if we don't make at least 3/4 signings. Powell will be ruthless as he has been before. Clarke didn't last long, he didn't give players like Dailly, Reid and Anyinsah new deals, he didn't keep Elliot when he knew he could replace him etc.
Not sure our CBs will look quite as solid against quicker, stronger and more skilful strikers.
Just as we needed players that could compete in the Champ last season, if we are looking at another promotion challenge we need some players that can compete in the Prem. I don't see anyone with that sort of quality in our midfield at the moment and BWP/Haynes aren't at that level either.
I'm not sure any of last years key performers will be just thronw on the scrap heap but nor will they be blindly trusted to carry on where they left off and few players who played 30+ games last season may well start from the bench or even out of the squad completely come August.
I can potentially see Green and Taylor being allowed to leave - Taylor seems to me to be in a very similar position to Doc when he left Norwich to join us having played a key role in their promotion but also pretty clearly being a 'League 1' type of player. I agree with Scoham that we need some pace to go alongside Morrisson in a Rufus/Youds type partnership.
This. :-)
101 points doesn't mean all the players can step up, but it suggests most of them have a decent chance.
I think to look for top 6 we would need to strengthen all the way through which isn't really gonna happen
deffo think we need better than sullivan as back up
i'm nervous , as others have mentioned above, about our central defence against the quicker better centre forwards of the championship
full back wise we're ok without injuries but would like to see solly contribute more going forward
i'm not as keen on hollands as others , he's a bit slo-mo for me which was good enough with his ability in league one and stephens will have to up his game to play a role for us in the championship , pritchard is a work in progress and it's unclear whether he will be able to perform regularly at this higher level but his enthusiasm and love for the game will give him a go
jj has so much ability i think he'll pass the test despite his lack of pace
green has natural ability but hasn't utilised it in the right way so unsure on him and waggy , great athlete and all that will have to up it another level if he is gonna play more than a bit a part too
bwp is a confidence player and i believe he has the ability for the championship if he can just find the belief
yann is our best player and will not look out of place in a team looking for promotion
as we stand now and all players stayed fit(which they wont) i could see a mid table finish with the inevitable injuries and suspensions we would finish bottom 8 so a few signings required to strengthen us up and get us top half (where i'd be more than happy, for now , unless we fork out a bit!)
He is Son of Curbs remember - so IMO like Curbs did, he'll be looking to ensure he has 2 players for each and every position.
First of all, how many squad players are there right now?
Don't count the young raw professionals, just the players who are capable of starting a game right now and hold their place.
We know Doc, Euell, Alonso and Clarke are gone = that equals 4 new signings just to replace those.
Other players may see they are not going to get games, especially once they see new signings coming in, perhaps Hayes, Taylor and a couple more could leave...... add in another 3 or 4 signings that will need to be made.
So IMO we can expect 6 to 8 new signings just to replace those who have gone or going.
Remember 18 players is the matchday squad - there will need to be around 24 or 25 players who are capable and experienced, to ensure the squad can cope with injury and suspension.
He clearly doesn't figure in our manager's plans.
I was trying to point out that the squad is currently short on numbers - so there has to be a number of new signings just to ensure the squad is capable of coping with every eventuality.
I do think we have other players that we are going to be willing to let go, and this will mean spaces in the squad, but I don't think the club are going to be looking for direct replacements to the players that have gone, as I think they became surplus to requirements long ago.
Last season the 1st team fortunately didn't suffer too many injuries (maybe thanks to the backroom staff), so several squad players didn't get a lot of starts or game time.
Surely Cort was signed to ensure we had 4 experienced CB, rather than replace Doc in the squad? Doc was under contract so couldn't be released; if he had moved, then it would have been essential to replace him.
But IMO the squad is presently short on numbers - 24 or 25 capable players are required just to start the season, especial with 18 players now required for the matchday squad.
So it is inevitable that we have 6 to 8 new signings.
I believe it is impossible to judge the upcoming season based on our performances last year. We rarely(ish) thumped teams. Were we too good for them as a team or as a defence?
Most match reports from opposition sites (allowing for obvious local bias) seemed to think that their team played better than us but were undone by their inability to score.
I fear that the teams we will be coming up against may have more penetration than those in League One. But I do live in hope!
I still think that the target wage bill is the key indicator of the Club's ambition mind you with transfer business a more nuanced activity except where there is a very wealthy owner who is in big hurry - my assumption is that we are not in this position.
BWP had a very poor patch in the last half of the season, even when he started scoring again he was missing too many. I love it how this means certain fans have written him off when he was electric at the beginning of the season and would have been electric at Championship level. If it came to him, it went in the net. So why should we assume he will resume his poor form when the season starts.
But, for me, the biggest reason for optimism is the quality of our defence. They are players that clearly will be strong in the Championship. Solly and wiggins are quality full backs and Morrison has been a real find. I think they will be up to anything the Championship has to throw at them and Cort and Taylor - whilst below them ability wise- can slot in and add something to the qulaity that is already there. Hamer is much undertated too. I would steer well clear of making changes there. And if you are tight at the back you are certainly going to be alright and with one or two additions of the right quality elsewhere - and that is all that is needed - we are going to be a handful. The other additions need to ensure we cover the squad.
GK to challenge Hamer. Sullivan is not good enough.
RB to challenge Solly. Wiggins and Hughes aren't good enough at RB.
CB to pair with Morrison (challenge what we got). Taylor and Cort may struggle with pace.
LM to challenge JJ - preferably fast/nippy. JJ could possibly struggle with pace.
CF to challenge BWP/Haynes. There's no real competition.
CF to challenge Yann as I think Hayes and Clarke will be off which leaves no cover/competition.
I'd also get a few development players and enter a reserves team + one Pritchard typed player (wild card).
We don't have to spend £6m as we can also strengthen in January. There should be (hopefully) a bit of money coming our way from outs such as Clarke, Sullivan, Hayes (even though I like him. Just don't think SCP fancies him in the Championship).
Not going to name possible targets as the majority of us do not have a clue what is going through the magical mind of our leader and at this stage, rumours are what they are.