I'm drawn to Todds_Right_Hook's arguments. Lot of facts and clear logic in all that. I think there's fair reason to be optimistic.
That said, in our current position of relegation-cusp it won't be difficult to work out. Stay up at the end of the season and we're better off; go down and it's worse. Only time will tell.
I think that overall we're actually better off. We have potentially solved the striker problem, improved midfield, and whilst defence is still a problem we're no worse off. Kermorgant is the only player I was really sad to see go, but given we got a hot-looking Polish U21 player and the Iranian national striker in return I can't help but feel it was a net positive (still one of my favourite players to wear the red shirt)
Weaker, lost Stewart, Yann,Dale and Alnwick. Replaced them with complete unknowns. I get4 the argument we are in the bottom three, but to get out of it you don't sell your best players.
This Reza signing has been on the cards all month. Polish Pete has potential, and the right back has played 20 games in 5 years. If Millwall or Palace had signed these players we'd be pissing ourselves with laughter. Normally I'm optimistic and positive but right now I'm completely disillusioned with my club. For me the only positive is CP is still here, but fear a heavy defeat today and he'll be gone.
I wouldn't laugh if palace or millwall signed our two strikers. The French guy was needed because of injury to solly, he won't get a look in when solly is fit
I would be jealous if they had made these signings - Iranian football is actually quite good - Jlloyd Samuel is over there and he's not even the best defender. The national team regularly qualifies for the World Cup as the best team in Asia, and we have the guy who scored 8 in 10 games and pushed them into the WC. We also have a player Europe seems to think will be a Polish national striker in the near future, and some loan signings that don't look half-bad.
The real question is whether we'll be able to blend them quickly, which I think is unlikely. Expect a couple games of bad results before it gets better.
Worse off. The midfield is weak, the right side is looking decidely league one. I admire the optimism but can't share it. Won't be happy to be proved correct if that's what happens.
Solly will be sold in the summer if proved fit, I am sorry to say. Loic Nego is the replacement.
Another club signs a young overseas player and there are shouts of "great signing"
We sign a young overseas player and he's inexperienced and untested at this level.
Pre window it's strikers strikers we need a striker we only have hoofball as an option
Post window it's midfielders and wingers weve got no midfield or width.
Dale marmite Stephens has left, I rated him but we struggled to find an effective midfield with him in the side. If we had signed Cameron Stewart many would have been "underwhelmed" we tried to bring in Gradel and offered good money but "he was never gonna sign for us" where were the wingers pre window that left and made us such a stronger side this time last week.
My favourite player was Yann, I wish him well but he has gone and I remember losing favourite players in the past, this is the stand out disappointment in the window but that aside I am happy with who we have brought in.
There have been numerous threads about Hamer not being good enough and Alnwick had fitted in nicely but Thuram has a lot of quality about him and Hamer is still here so not sure we're weakened between the sticks.
Things are never as good or bad as they seem so I am fence sitting and watching to see what happens in the coming weeks.
Probably worse off but only time will tell. The job now is to make sure we finish above the bottom 3 and hopefully get a bit further in the cup. Anything else is a bonus in my view.
It's hard to say, I've ony seen Thuram and a little bit of AA but as has been pointed out, it wasn't working the way it was before and change was needed, will it work? Time will tell but it sure as he'll wasn't working before.
I have seen Thuram at boro away, mistake for first goal, crucial aswell but some of the saves he pulled out the bag left me speechless. So I wouldn't write him off.
For me, today is a bit of a write off as lost former key players so late and new players wouldn't have settled in you'd imagine.
But i'll judge the next 5 games and decide where I think we're at but put it this way, I'm not feeling too bad about the business we done during the window.
PP seems chuffed to bits I be here and I like seeing an attitude like that.
Time to get behind the new team and get a new fans favourite.
PROVIDING Chris Powell can find inner peace regarding recent events we are better off.
I know Yann...I know Dale...but we were crying out for the TJ regime to support Chris with playing resources, and that is what has happened.
In as much as ANY new player, known or unknown, is a risk. I would take a bet on the law of averages, that of the new influx at least one is going to turn out brilliantly. There may also be a duffer too. Lets consider the signing of the known player Mark Gower, hasn't worked out, but you accept that is part of it. Chris has said that Yann was arguably his best signing, so Chris recognises that there can be a hierarchy of success with new signings.
We can make this work guys, anyway what's the alternative?
Lets wait and see (1) What team Powell puts out today (2) What the result is today (3) What those who went to Wigan think of the performance
Way we're talking Chrissy might as well just walk up to the Officials this morning and say "Sorry but we wanna forfeit this game, the fans dont think we've brought in anyone decent so we're gonna have to keep forfeiting the games until we've brought in a few more loanees when the window re-opens"
Wigan haven't lost at home yet under Uwe Rosler yet they struggled past Milton Keynes Dons (Quite funnily a League One side, so the same level as us as some would have you believe) in the FA Cup (Only on replay) so we've every chance as the next team... Yes we've got a load of new players but Powell may not throw them all in at once and if Powell has one major attribute as a Manager its his Man Management skills to get the best of some players!!
I think that overall we're actually better off. We have potentially solved the striker problem, improved midfield, and whilst defence is still a problem we're no worse off. Kermorgant is the only player I was really sad to see go, but given we got a hot-looking Polish U21 player and the Iranian national striker in return I can't help but feel it was a net positive (still one of my favourite players to wear the red shirt)
I am not trying to knock your optimism but how is the midfield improved ? This is the part that I find most incomprehensible, selling the best midfielder and not replacing him. As Greenie Jnr says the Polish striker has a good attitude and Reza looks good but then why not ensure that they are going to get good service ?
Hard to say, could go either way. A lot depends on CP right now, too much perhaps. If he can get the new signings firing and fit them into the team, we could be safe pretty soon. But if he's struggling with the transition, we are all in for a long scrap against relegation, perhaps unsuccessfully. I have hope... but also fear.
The truth is, none of us know just yet. But based on what we have heard and seen:
GK - a little stronger. Thuram should be the best of the bunch and it made sense to let either Hamer or Alnwick go to free up wages.
Defence - same, but the new long term contract for Wiggins was our best deal of the window. If Nego can step up to cover/replace Solly, allowing us to play Wilson in his best position of Right Midfield, he will be a godsend.
Midfield - weaker. Stevo is a big loss, but I think AA might step up well. We definitely need another creative midfielder and a winger though and I expect to see arrivals in the loan window.
Attack - same. The new guys look very exciting and if we had only retained Yann, to add some experience, our attacking options would have taken a big step forward. As it is the fast, powerful youngsters just about make up for the loss of Yann.
I tend to be an optimist, and I like change. The fact is we have been pretty boring both to follow and watch in recent times. Whatever happens, this has certainly shaken things up a bit and I am quite excited by the possibilities.
The truth is, none of us know just yet. But based on what we have heard and seen:
GK - a little stronger. Thuram should be the best of the bunch and it made sense to let either Hamer or Alnwick go to free up wages.
Defence - same, but the new long term contract for Wiggins was our best deal of the window. If Nego can step up to cover/replace Solly, allowing us to play Wilson in his best position of Right Midfield, he will be a godsend.
Midfield - weaker. Stevo is a big loss, but I think AA might step up well. We definitely need another creative midfielder and a winger though and I expect to see arrivals in the loan window.
Attack - same. The new guys look very exciting and if we had only retained Yann, to add some experience, our attacking options would have taken a big step forward. As it is the fast, powerful youngsters just about make up for the loss of Yann.
I tend to be an optimist, and I like change. The fact is we have been pretty boring both to follow and watch in recent times. Whatever happens, this has certainly shaken things up a bit and I am quite excited by the possibilities.
I agree with pretty much all of this. I would add though that in addition to being boring to play/watch, we've been rather predictable too - it seems to me the tactics rarely change, right down to Dorian Dervite coming on for about 15 minutes per game, regardless of the score! We really did rely on Yann, perhaps too much. If a team was planning on neutralising our attacks simply by keeping the Beast at bay, suddenly they now have Polish Pete and Reza the Razor to deal with - entirely different styles, though of course we don't know how successful they will be.
Improved the attack but then the midfield is noticeably worse. Hopefully this is cleared up once the loan window is reopened and I can start to feel more positive.
The truth is, none of us know just yet. But based on what we have heard and seen:
GK - a little stronger. Thuram should be the best of the bunch and it made sense to let either Hamer or Alnwick go to free up wages.
Defence - same, but the new long term contract for Wiggins was our best deal of the window. If Nego can step up to cover/replace Solly, allowing us to play Wilson in his best position of Right Midfield, he will be a godsend.
Midfield - weaker. Stevo is a big loss, but I think AA might step up well. We definitely need another creative midfielder and a winger though and I expect to see arrivals in the loan window.
Attack - same. The new guys look very exciting and if we had only retained Yann, to add some experience, our attacking options would have taken a big step forward. As it is the fast, powerful youngsters just about make up for the loss of Yann.
I tend to be an optimist, and I like change. The fact is we have been pretty boring both to follow and watch in recent times. Whatever happens, this has certainly shaken things up a bit and I am quite excited by the possibilities.
I agree with pretty much all of this. I would add though that in addition to being boring to play/watch, we've been rather predictable too - it seems to me the tactics rarely change, right down to Dorian Dervite coming on for about 15 minutes per game, regardless of the score! We really did rely on Yann, perhaps too much. If a team was planning on neutralising our attacks simply by keeping the Beast at bay, suddenly they now have Polish Pete and Reza the Razor to deal with - entirely different styles, though of course we don't know how successful they will be.
Comments
That said, in our current position of relegation-cusp it won't be difficult to work out. Stay up at the end of the season and we're better off; go down and it's worse. Only time will tell.
The real question is whether we'll be able to blend them quickly, which I think is unlikely. Expect a couple games of bad results before it gets better.
Solly will be sold in the summer if proved fit, I am sorry to say. Loic Nego is the replacement.
We sign a young overseas player and he's inexperienced and untested at this level.
Pre window it's strikers strikers we need a striker we only have hoofball as an option
Post window it's midfielders and wingers weve got no midfield or width.
Dale marmite Stephens has left, I rated him but we struggled to find an effective midfield with him in the side. If we had signed Cameron Stewart many would have been "underwhelmed" we tried to bring in Gradel and offered good money but "he was never gonna sign for us" where were the wingers pre window that left and made us such a stronger side this time last week.
My favourite player was Yann, I wish him well but he has gone and I remember losing favourite players in the past, this is the stand out disappointment in the window but that aside I am happy with who we have brought in.
There have been numerous threads about Hamer not being good enough and Alnwick had fitted in nicely but Thuram has a lot of quality about him and Hamer is still here so not sure we're weakened between the sticks.
Things are never as good or bad as they seem so I am fence sitting and watching to see what happens in the coming weeks.
I have seen Thuram at boro away, mistake for first goal, crucial aswell but some of the saves he pulled out the bag left me speechless. So I wouldn't write him off.
For me, today is a bit of a write off as lost former key players so late and new players wouldn't have settled in you'd imagine.
But i'll judge the next 5 games and decide where I think we're at but put it this way, I'm not feeling too bad about the business we done during the window.
PP seems chuffed to bits I be here and I like seeing an attitude like that.
Time to get behind the new team and get a new fans favourite.
COYR
I know Yann...I know Dale...but we were crying out for the TJ regime to support Chris with playing resources, and that is what has happened.
In as much as ANY new player, known or unknown, is a risk. I would take a bet on the law of averages, that of the new influx at least one is going to turn out brilliantly. There may also be a duffer too.
Lets consider the signing of the known player Mark Gower, hasn't worked out, but you accept that is part of it.
Chris has said that Yann was arguably his best signing, so Chris recognises that there can be a hierarchy of success with new signings.
We can make this work guys, anyway what's the alternative?
Way we're talking Chrissy might as well just walk up to the Officials this morning and say "Sorry but we wanna forfeit this game, the fans dont think we've brought in anyone decent so we're gonna have to keep forfeiting the games until we've brought in a few more loanees when the window re-opens"
Wigan haven't lost at home yet under Uwe Rosler yet they struggled past Milton Keynes Dons (Quite funnily a League One side, so the same level as us as some would have you believe) in the FA Cup (Only on replay) so we've every chance as the next team... Yes we've got a load of new players but Powell may not throw them all in at once and if Powell has one major attribute as a Manager its his Man Management skills to get the best of some players!!
He's strikes the ball so sweet
And can score with his feet
GK - a little stronger. Thuram should be the best of the bunch and it made sense to let either Hamer or Alnwick go to free up wages.
Defence - same, but the new long term contract for Wiggins was our best deal of the window. If Nego can step up to cover/replace Solly, allowing us to play Wilson in his best position of Right Midfield, he will be a godsend.
Midfield - weaker. Stevo is a big loss, but I think AA might step up well. We definitely need another creative midfielder and a winger though and I expect to see arrivals in the loan window.
Attack - same. The new guys look very exciting and if we had only retained Yann, to add some experience, our attacking options would have taken a big step forward. As it is the fast, powerful youngsters just about make up for the loss of Yann.
I tend to be an optimist, and I like change. The fact is we have been pretty boring both to follow and watch in recent times. Whatever happens, this has certainly shaken things up a bit and I am quite excited by the possibilities.
I don't understand why so many in here are half glass empty.
We were third from bottom with Yann and Stephend in the team. Now they're gone and the squads been freshened up, let's just wait and see.
Improved the attack but then the midfield is noticeably worse. Hopefully this is cleared up once the loan window is reopened and I can start to feel more positive.