There are 13 weeks between the end of last season and the start of this season.
The end of this week is week 11 out of 13.
The important team bonding trip has already gone
Tomorrow is the 4th of a potential 6/7 pre season friendlies.
Since the end of last season, our squad has been reduced by 8 senior players, 10 if you include Obika and Rouamba.
We have so far brought in 1 player. One who is 35 in a couple of months.
The average amount of arrivals per Championship club so far is 4.
We continue to have just 1 senior striker on our books.
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None of the above is a disaster, the season does not start tomorrow.
But if you look at the strategy and approach this regime targeted two seasons ago, the success it brought, and the importance that was later highlighted in our early pre-season work, it is clear that no one will be happy with how once again a frustrating summer appears to be being experienced.
Last season it had no immediate impact, the momentum of players excited at rising to a higher level was evident.
This season may well prove a different challenge.
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That may be true but 15 of the 24 teams in the league have to improve their squads more than we do, and there is no guarantee that they will be of the required quality.
Wood is looking good to come in and replace the space left by Taylor.
It may be clutching at straws but Danny Green looks like he'll be kept on and a good pre-season might give him a chance to start again and be the player we thought he might.
The very succesful development squad are a year older and more involvement with the first team, we could have as good as 1/2/3 new players from there.
Up front is a concern and i dont think anyone would disagree we need 2 more strikers to go with Yann, Smith, Piggot but the loan window can be used and i have faith that the board will do whatever they can to get CP what he needs.
We need to be careful with our signings cos if we are to only bring in 3 or 4 over the summer, we cant afford for any of them to be shite or injury prone.
I'm just very happy that we're a Championship club, with a very good core team.
Golfie, Large get over here. Panic, panic :-)
Chris Powell (and I would assume the entire backroom staff)
Chris Solly
Johnnie Jackson
Ben Hamer
Rhoys Wiggins
Michael Morrison
Bradley Pritchard
Yann Kermorgant
Dale Stephens
Danny Green
Danny Hollands
Dorian Dervite
Leon Cort
Jordan Cook
David Button
Andy Hughes
Mark Gower
Michael Smith
Cedric Evina (if he re-signs on a 1 year deal)
Some are obviously more important than others and some might well go beforehand but to have that many first team players (not least the manger) all potentially leaving us for zip when it most cases we paid good money for them is my main worry at present. It is certainly far more important than our list for this year at this stage.
Currently we have 26 out of our 28 squad out of contract in 11 months time, along with our manager (Harriot and Wilson excluded).
I'm actually more concerned about that than the current lack of arrivals.
Having so many players in the last year of their contract is an extremely dangerous situation. No one wants to get injured in the months running up to being a free agent, and players focus will be elsewhere from xmas onwards.
The club need to get CP tied to a contract asap as that will give him the extra urgency to extend the players contracts.
Didn't realise we only have two players on contracts beyond this season, that is a scary thought.
In terms of player morale/security, financial protection and mid-term planning this is a horror show. Even if we argue that the current owners have had enough and so don't care (and have run out of dollar), you would assume any prospective purchaser is looking at this and not just the running costs deficit and very very loud alarm bells are ringing. On the financials alone we are currently a club punching significantly above our weight, I'm not sure being in a position whereby nearly every player and coach can leave for free in 11 months is the best assurance to a purchaser that that can continue.
'Cutting your cloth' has been a popular phrase these past few seasons and I'm starting to think that some of the better cuts that we have may now be too expensive for our very fragile pockets.
Did you watch us last season ?? It was only because we had a great run at the end of the season that we finished 9th and in reality that was a false position.........in April we were staring at relegation and we could have very easily ended up in the bottom 6 and anyone who just looks at the final table and thinks we had a good season is very much deluded
Since then we haven't strengthened the squad, but weakened it. I don't care what the other 23 teams did last season or what they are going to do this season - I'm only concerned about us.
and I just hope the board have been open and honest with him this time around
because from what I heard before last season he was pissballed about as to what budget he was expecting to get
and it wasn't clear, till far too late on, that the cash that was previously expected didn't materialise
my only worry is that SCP could leave and then we would see a fall as dramatic if not worse than the one when Curbs departed
just my opinion and views on the bits i hear
Lets break it down -
- GK is taken care of
- Defence was a strong point last year (and has been for a number of years). Wood for Taylor is arguably an upgrade. Evina for Fox would be a downgrade. Feely and Ajayi are a year older. Overall, we should still be strong at the back
- Midfield is as you were compared to back end of last year. Personally, I dont think Gower will be a regular starter at 34 / 35. Cousins has got the pedigree - maybe he would be a great holding midfield partner for Jacko. Either way, I would say we are the same as last year (but with others improving that would leave us slipping back.
- Up front. A total car crash other than Kermorgant. We are not only behind the curve, we haven't even left the pits to join the starting grid. Kermo gets injured and it would be game over. But say we bring in Obika and Sordell. And have Kermo, Obika, Sordell and Pigott. That would maybe get us on a par with last year.
So overall, I am struggling to see us pushing on, but maybe maintaining a level of performance is adequete whilst we wait for new invetsment.
He said "we badly need a striker"
Wish I hadn't opened this thread.
(but yeah it's gloomy)