It does seem bonkers that we've spent all day desperately trying to sign a winger...any winger... but have let three leave, plus had Smyth recalled last week. I get the arguments about why each one might have been deemed surplus to requirements, but it does seem short sighted to have let all three leave before securing at least one replacement.
Let's be honest TS aim of Europe in 8 years is not going to start by signing a L1 journeyman. Would have hoped to have a bit more ambition this window. Its a shit league, we've signed Ronnie who I can't help but feel was signed due to the Danish connection and some more loanees. So no matter what another rebuild is needed in the summer.
Keep hearing the cap is killing us, but the cynic in me says maybe we don't have as much money as we thought.
One thing that has happened, TS has backed this club to the hills and sorted alot of the background issues and sorted the foundations going forward.
The cap is the cap, we could have funds like man City but are still governed by the cap unfortunately.
If you look at some of the players we have it is no wonder we are at the top end of the cap. For League 1 we have some big names who are no doubt on big money. We are also in London so the cost of living is higher - ergo we need to pay a bit of a premium for that to attract players.
The bottom line is we have too many high profile high earners for a League 1 club so we need to clear the decks a bit - and that's what we are doing. Trimming away some of the fat.
If we get someone else in today then that would be a bonus but I really don't see why there is so much apparent wrist-slashing going on at the moment. THe signings we have made have been good and improvements on those they have replaced )with the exception of Williams and Maddison so far). Still time to go but maybe it's time to acknowledege this season isn't going to end with promotion and we are preparing for a rebuild in the summer.
We had a lot of players on high ish wages, that counted as 1.7k for cap purposes, then we added Watson and Gunter.
I can think of dozens of reasons why signing Watson, for example, is a good idea but to coach Shinnie, JFC and Gilbey through a game isn't one.
Why do we need to, relatively, highly paid right backs?
The wages of Chuks, Williams, Amos, Pearce and Pratley aren't what is/was crippling us. At least not in the terms of the cap.
and Matthews.
I think the comfortably above £2k players we have are: Gunter Watson Schwartz Matthews
The marginally above I'd expect to be: Inniss Famewo, Stockley (Less sure of) Shinnie (Less sure of)
Calculated at the Average League 1 Salary of £1,700: Gilbey Washington Purrington Pratley Pearce Amos Aneke F.Caskey Oshilaja
I have been taking a look on #cafc Twitter and there's a mini meltdown. The squad has a couple of less bodies / but really don't understand the gnashing and wailing of teeth.
Got a feeling this is just the beginning for a large part of the squad
Maddison especially going to Bolton will be a big message to the players that remain
Perform and represent the club to the standards we expect or we'll shed no tears about getting rid of you in the summer
Or to look at an alternative
Outgoings /possible outgoings in the window:
Bogle Nowhere near good enough but has suffered from Bowyers put downs in the media when Bowyer must have known what he was getting when he signed him.
Smyth Recalled by QPR
Doughty Refused a new contract
Maddison Criticised by Bowyer in the media the worst being "I don't care if he's seriously injured"
Williams Criticised by Bowyer in the media (praised as well at times) Rarely picked even when we're crying out for creativity & even as a sub when he's played well straight back on the bench next game. Wants to go to Cardiff
Last year M.Bonne Brought from Non league, leading scorer for us in Championship but still criticised by Bowyer in the media.
Maybe some players aren't playing for him & can't wait to get out, possibly his man management skills leave a lot to be desired. Criticise players when needed but do it behind closed doors not on sky sports /newspapers.
Bonne has gone on to do approximately fuck all in the championship so let's not pretend one swallow makes a summer there. He had a good season, he's not necessarily a good player - certainly not at Champ level yet.
Bogle was treated poorly but even so was pretty poor. Chicken/Egg at best with that.
Doughty refused to sign a contract. Was played nonetheless until injury, ended up making more on him than we would have if he'd waited to sod off to Scotland season's end.
Williams looks good but does not have any actual creativity. His goals/assists per game is poor. Nice guy but not actually bringing much to the table.
Maddison... We've heard a lot about. But at the very worst it sounds as if he has been just as much the sinner as the sinned against.
Bowyer definitely has made mistakes but not everything that goes wrong is just because "bAd MaNaGeMeNt."
The list also completely ignored the fact players have come IN as well.
Well I wasn't talking about how well or not Bonne has done playing for QPR but the fact he was brought from a non league club, thrown in at the deep end when he was supposed to be a "project". As you point out he's not at Championship level but was still our leading goalscorer & still Bowyer publicly slated him because he missed chances. Criticise if he must but is it helping a young player to do so to the media ?
Ignored the fact players have come in ? Hmm strange that, maybe it's because the post was about players who have left. Doughty was the only one that Bowyer didn't publicly slate. Slating your own players in public is bad management or "bAd MaNaGeMeNt." Do you have a problem with your caps lock ?
I have been taking a look on #cafc Twitter and there's a mini meltdown. The squad has a couple of less bodies / but really don't understand the gnashing and wailing of teeth.
Most hardcore football fans are unhinged much of the time.
I have been taking a look on #cafc Twitter and there's a mini meltdown. The squad has a couple of less bodies / but really don't understand the gnashing and wailing of teeth.
Most hardcore football fans are unhinged much of the time.
Fleetwood didn’t want to sell as they had no replacement, nothing to do with the player turning us down. Could the anti Bowyer brigade read what’s been reported before blaming it on Bowyer,
It is rather silly to let players go before you have replacements sorted.
A replacement for a player that spends a hell of a lot of time on the bench? I share the respect for Williams on and off the pitch but I can’t see that him leaving is a devastating blow. Is Smith a potential replacement?
It's not Williams' fault that he's been on the bench. Indeed he's not been injured at all this season
I get that but the player has to take some responsibility if he isn’t starting a game. He’s made 200 appearances in ten years for seven clubs. It isn’t just here that it hasn’t quite worked out. I hope he has a great time at Cardiff and does well.
Bowyer knew what he was getting with Williams and signed him twice. Maybe give him a pass with Maddison etc
After hearing Bowyer bleat on about the salary cap every single week to which i've agreed with him up to now, but when the window closes I for one won't want to hear him whinge about the cap any more unless it's maxed out to the point it would be impossible to bring anybody else in.
Surprising to see a couple of LOL's on this.
So if when the window has closed the salary cap is not fully utilized or at least spent enough there's no wriggle room left then that's fine for a manager who moans about it every week? If you're going to moan about the cap at least fully use it.
I hope to see it fully utilized and there's still time left but it looks doubtful.
Comments
A 29 year old!
The shock! The horror! The downright absurdity of it.
29...my goodness. All washed up & over the hill.
How very dare they?
😉
I think the comfortably above £2k players we have are:
Gunter
Watson
Schwartz
Matthews
The marginally above I'd expect to be:
Inniss
Famewo,
Stockley (Less sure of)
Shinnie (Less sure of)
Calculated at the Average League 1 Salary of £1,700:
Gilbey
Washington
Purrington
Pratley
Pearce
Amos
Aneke
F.Caskey
Oshilaja
That's Twitter for you.
Ignored the fact players have come in ? Hmm strange that, maybe it's because the post was about players who have left. Doughty was the only one that Bowyer didn't publicly slate. Slating your own players in public is bad management or "bAd MaNaGeMeNt." Do you have a problem with your caps lock ?
It will lead to balance issues and we had moved away from playing people out of position.
'You're the manager. It's your job to get the best out of the player '
So if when the window has closed the salary cap is not fully utilized or at least spent enough there's no wriggle room left then that's fine for a manager who moans about it every week? If you're going to moan about the cap at least fully use it.
I hope to see it fully utilized and there's still time left but it looks doubtful.
And if you're not injured, you soon will be. Sign here!
Yes my expectations are that low. I just want some excitement
Edit: on loan.