I'm sorry but it does make me laugh when we talk about the grounds in the championship and league 1. Can I ask if we got promoted how many of us would be going to Middlesbrough Huddersfield Barnsley Hull Blackburn Stoke after the last time up there. Preston And then moan about Luton.
I haven't felt we were good enough all season. Don't feel any affinity with the players whatsoever.
Hope we have a right royal clear out and rebuild a proper squad....could take two years, but when you watch the replays of games at this level from the 70's/80's/90's the standard now is technically so much better. Im not a league one hater, we are here because that's the level we are at due to the players available.
Its out of our hands now and let's be frank, we don't deserve to sneak in.
I'm sorry but it does make me laugh when we talk about the grounds in the championship and league 1. Can I ask if we got promoted how many of us would be going to Middlesbrough Huddersfield Barnsley Hull Blackburn Stoke after the last time up there. Preston And then moan about Luton.
Most of them probably, especially if they were Saturdays.
I can't feel hard done by if we don't go up as much as I want us to. We nearly didn't have a club to honk about not that long ago and inkeep reminding myself of that. Also remember it's the hope that kills you, these shitehawks gave us some hope that we had no right to have so it feels like more of a disappointment. I'm just glad we didn't have a season like Wigan
I'm happy to back Adkins to build in the summer, get business done early and clear out the players who he needs to.
Next season we need a back 5 capable of playing 2 games a week for an entire season, players with hunger and something to prove. There are tons of good midfielders and forwards in this division and the one below and that is where we must fish, not players on the way down after a final contract. I'd rather we didn't have any loans as well but i might be pissing in the wind with that one.
Bothered is maybe too strong a word for it, but certainly disappointed. It's football. There are 24 teams in that division, by design 21 of them aren't going to have their dreams fulfilled (unless their dreams are of mid-table mediocrity). I don't get those that go on about what a shit league it is and how they can't stand it. If that's your attitude then it looks to me like you might be following the wrong club, because that's the level we're at and we're there on merit.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's gone wrong this season. Many are saying that the players aren't good enough and it's hard not to disagree, especially in the light of yesterday's performance. For much of the season, the performances haven't been good enough. But the simplistic 'the players aren't good enough' argument is belied by two periods, one last autumn and one this spring, where we put in some fine performances. There are fine margins in any professional sport. We need to look at why we made ourselves chase so many games, why weren't quite creative enough in the final third and why on too many occasions we allowed teams to successfully attack us in the dying minutes.
I don't believe our problem is that there's a lack of talent in the team, I think it's that too much of the talent we have resides in players who are either too old or too injury prone to turn it on for the full season. That needs to be the difference next year. Having players with the skill levels of Chuks, Watson, Gunter and Inniss should be fine next season but whoever we have needs to be able to play at their best for the bulk of the season, not just 50% of it.
I'm sorry but it does make me laugh when we talk about the grounds in the championship and league 1. Can I ask if we got promoted how many of us would be going to Middlesbrough Huddersfield Barnsley Hull Blackburn Stoke after the last time up there. Preston And then moan about Luton.
I would probably go to all of them, and almost certainly not Luton. I won't even be able to go to Bradford, Oldham or Rochdale. On the plus side at least 2 of Derby, Rotherham and Wednesday will be coming down.
I was optimistic when we started well but as the season went on it became clearer this is a squad who you’d probably expect to finish around 5th and 8th - those late goals given away and missed penalties have cost us. You could also say Bowyer wanting out and his mistakes have done the same, or Adkins tactics and subs in the last few games. Either way we’re on the edge on the play-offs and could have been in them by now had a few more games gone our way.
Even if we do make the play-offs I’m not convinced this squad would put in three good performances to win promotion.
I’m looking forward to the big summer rebuild and hoping it’s the last for a while. If you put together a genuine promotion quality squad (i.e. comfortably top two) then you won’t need a new team to compete in the Championship. Instead with good additions to the weaker areas of the squad you should be fine. Momentum, team spirit etc plays a big part, it’s why Powell’s team finished 9th despite minimal investment. With more investment either Powell or Bowyer’s teams could have achieved more than they did.
I’m not worried about the number of big clubs in this division next season, things rarely go smoothly for them all. Someone usually underachieves - this season it’s us and Ipswich. Sheff Utd did it for years and we know we’ve done it ourselves in previous years. There will always be clubs who don’t get their recruitment right and end up with a squad not up for the battle or lacking enough quality.
My main concern is with such a big rebuild required it could take more than a season to get the right squad together. This is where TS could do with some of those sell on clauses coming in, assuming that the idea that they could be due to RD isn't true. Pope going for £30m+ could make a big difference.
I'd be a lot more bothered had I been confident from the start of the season we'd be in with a shout in May. But I wasn't and that lack of confidence in us being able to string performances and results together at the right time has proven to be right.
Make no bones about it, our situation is our fault. It was in our hands and almost certainly we've blown it. With the league as tight as it was you shouldn't expect to get through to the play offs off the back of 1 win in 5. And that's not really an outlier sequence either.
It's a massive missed opportunity, as I expect the division to be stronger next year, but in reality we are there or thereabouts where I thought we might be.
Far too many people just assuming we are going up next season
this season has been a disaster, irrespective of the off field problems, that squad should at least be in the play offs
massive summer rebuild ahead. Now we’ll see just how serious TS is
Personally I think the squad isn’t good enough, and hasn’t ever been good enough. I think we’ve been kept alive by other teams’ inability to just finish us off.
A good example is Gunter. When he came in, I thought, great signing. Experienced, tidy and I thought he could do a job at this level. He’s been very poor. The likes of Pearce and Pratley were used more sparingly by Bowyer 2 years ago, and they’ve become mainstays this season. Pearce you can argue is as a result of the injuries to Famewo and Inniss, but there’s no way Pratley should’ve got the amount of game time he did this season, and we expect to be in the promotion shake up. No way.
Outside of that, I will keep saying this, JFC has looked good because he’s playing in a very poor team. He’s an okay footballer at this level, but you have to worry about the rest of the talent around him when he’s being lauded to the length he has been this season. I know he was injured 2 years ago, but there’s no way I’m picking him ahead of Aribo, Cullen or Bielik.
I thought Watson was another decent signing for the level we’re at, but it quickly became apparent we weren’t going to see a renaissance of the man who scored a winning goal in an FA Cup final, and we’ve now got him on the books again for next season. Shinnie looked okay to start with, but he’s another player that just looks at home in the sea of tepidity that washes over our midfield.
I think Gilbey has been useless. I know Bowyer said he had a personal issue earlier in the season, and we don’t know how bad it was, but I just can’t get behind him, despite the flurry of appearances since Adkins has been appointed. Again, if he’s a regular in midfield next season, don’t expect a promotion at the end of it.
Millar started well, but I’m surprised he’s still on Liverpool’s books at the age he is. I’m debating as to whether he can make it in a League One promotion winning team. I just don’t know. Perhaps, with better players around him, he may well do, however, he may feel he’s got a chance of a Championship club and he’s not our player anyway.
Jayisemi I haven’t seen enough to pass comment on.
Up top, I like Stockley and Washington, I wouldn’t be annoyed if they were both on the club’s books next season, unless something better came up. Not too sure about Aneke. I don’t see him as a regular starter as I don’t think he’s fit enough. Do we offer him a new contract knowing he can’t start most games?
At the back, Maatsen hasn’t shown the sort of quality that makes me think other clubs will be pulling up trees to loan him next year. He’s young, has applied himself, but just doesn’t look that talented. Pearce has to go. You can’t fault his commitment and what he’s given us, but if he’s still manhandling opposing League One attackers next season, expect another year of frustration and mediocrity. Purrington is okay, but again, needs better players around him. Is he really in the Wiggins mould like we had under Powell?
I just think we need to be a lot more honest with ourselves as fans about the abilities of our teams. I’m not having a dig at you or any other fans, football is all about opinions. I’m just highlighting that some of us have seen a few promotions now if we’re of a certain age. We know what a promotion winning team looks and feels like. The way the current squad performed over large parts of this season, even when we won, was a million miles from a proper promotion winning team looks like.
The good news is that we have a good owner, a stable football club (relatively speaking), a fan base clucking to get back to the Valley and make that place a proper home ground again, and that Covid has impacted a lot of clubs from a playing perspective (Liverpool are a great example). It’s been extraordinarily bizarre times outside of football, and it’s definitely taken its toll on the game and on us, and perhaps how we interact with the game.
The key is the summer clear out. If it doesn’t happen, and you see Gilbey, Pratley, Pearce & JFC on the books and starting next season. It’s League One consolidation all over again. If you see 12/13 new players, then all to play for and that’s when we can renew our optimism.
Whether or not TS has the appetite for that is yet to be seen. If he thinks we should be getting more out of what he’s put in, that’s fair enough. However, unfortunately for him, if we wants this dream of Prem football in 5 years, he’s going to have put his hand further into his pocket to get it. Personally, I have no expectations he will or should, we’re lucky enough to have received what he has put in. Just highlighting the huge disparity between what we currently have versus what we need
I guess the answer to this is what were everyone's thoughts at different stages this season. At the start given the mess we were in I felt we had no chance of being top 6. After that good run in November felt there was a chance but January I had completely written us off. Since Adkins arrived it gave us hope and that's why I think there are some strong opinions post these last couple of games.
I guess my answer is of course I'm bothered, I want us out of this league. Yesterday rammed that home for me, the football was atrocious and when you think it's just two tiers below PL level it might have just been a different sport. As bothered as I am though it's hardly a surprise given what has gone on this season. As soon as this season is decided the work needs to start on preparing for next year as it will not be any easier, we saw with the league 1 winning side the work started the season before so already we're behind where we need to be.
Far too many people just assuming we are going up next season
this season has been a disaster, irrespective of the off field problems, that squad should at least be in the play offs
massive summer rebuild ahead. Now we’ll see just how serious TS is
Personally I think the squad isn’t good enough, and hasn’t ever been good enough. I think we’ve been kept alive by other teams’ inability to just finish us off.
A good example is Gunter. When he came in, I thought, great signing. Experienced, tidy and I thought he could do a job at this level. He’s been very poor. The likes of Pearce and Pratley were used more sparingly by Bowyer 2 years ago, and they’ve become mainstays this season. Pearce you can argue is as a result of the injuries to Famewo and Inniss, but there’s no way Pratley should’ve got the amount of game time he did this season, and we expect to be in the promotion shake up. No way.
Outside of that, I will keep saying this, JFC has looked good because he’s playing in a very poor team. He’s an okay footballer at this level, but you have to worry about the rest of the talent around him when he’s being lauded to the length he has been this season. I know he was injured 2 years ago, but there’s no way I’m picking him ahead of Aribo, Cullen or Bielik.
I thought Watson was another decent signing for the level we’re at, but it quickly became apparent we weren’t going to see a renaissance of the man who scored a winning goal in an FA Cup final, and we’ve now got him on the books again for next season. Shinnie looked okay to start with, but he’s another player that just looks at home in the sea of tepidity that washes over our midfield.
I think Gilbey has been useless. I know Bowyer said he had a personal issue earlier in the season, and we don’t know how bad it was, but I just can’t get behind him, despite the flurry of appearances since Adkins has been appointed. Again, if he’s a regular in midfield next season, don’t expect a promotion at the end of it.
Millar started well, but I’m surprised he’s still on Liverpool’s books at the age he is. I’m debating as to whether he can make it in a League One promotion winning team. I just don’t know. Perhaps, with better players around him, he may well do, however, he may feel he’s got a chance of a Championship club and he’s not our player anyway.
Jayisemi I haven’t seen enough to pass comment on.
Up top, I like Stockley and Washington, I wouldn’t be annoyed if they were both on the club’s books next season, unless something better came up. Not too sure about Aneke. I don’t see him as a regular starter as I don’t think he’s fit enough. Do we offer him a new contract knowing he can’t start most games?
At the back, Maatsen hasn’t shown the sort of quality that makes me think other clubs will be pulling up trees to loan him next year. He’s young, has applied himself, but just doesn’t look that talented. Pearce has to go. You can’t fault his commitment and what he’s given us, but if he’s still manhandling opposing League One attackers next season, expect another year of frustration and mediocrity. Purrington is okay, but again, needs better players around him. Is he really in the Wiggins mould like we had under Powell?
I just think we need to be a lot more honest with ourselves as fans about the abilities of our teams. I’m not having a dig at you or any other fans, football is all about opinions. I’m just highlighting that some of us have seen a few promotions now if we’re of a certain age. We know what a promotion winning team looks and feels like. The way the current squad performed over large parts of this season, even when we won, was a million miles from a proper promotion winning team looks like.
The good news is that we have a good owner, a stable football club (relatively speaking), a fan base clucking to get back to the Valley and make that place a proper home ground again, and that Covid has impacted a lot of clubs from a playing perspective (Liverpool are a great example). It’s been extraordinarily bizarre times outside of football, and it’s definitely taken its toll on the game and on us, and perhaps how we interact with the game.
The key is the summer clear out. If it doesn’t happen, and you see Gilbey, Pratley, Pearce & JFC on the books and starting next season. It’s League One consolidation all over again. If you see 12/13 new players, then all to play for and that’s when we can renew our optimism.
Whether or not TS has the appetite for that is yet to be seen. If he thinks we should be getting more out of what he’s put in, that’s fair enough. However, unfortunately for him, if we wants this dream of Prem football in 5 years, he’s going to have put his hand further into his pocket to get it. Personally, I have no expectations he will or should, we’re lucky enough to have received what he has put in. Just highlighting the huge disparity between what we currently have versus what we need
I agree with a lot of what you say, but you (and other posters) have to remember that some players are contracted to be here for a couple more years (Gilbey, Pratley & JFC for example) so getting rid, as you say, is going to be highly unlikely.
Obviously it’s not over yet but it’s looking like we’ve blown it for this season and that’s disappointing but I have to admit that when I looked at that fixture list at the beginning of the season I thought there were a lot more away days I would have got to. Not going up isn’t too much of a disaster if life returns to (almost) normality by August. It’ll be a shame if Pompey go up as well as Peterborough - two good days out will be missing from the fixture list if that happens. Besides, I want to be there when we go for promotion and achieve it.
Far too many people just assuming we are going up next season
this season has been a disaster, irrespective of the off field problems, that squad should at least be in the play offs
massive summer rebuild ahead. Now we’ll see just how serious TS is
Personally I think the squad isn’t good enough, and hasn’t ever been good enough. I think we’ve been kept alive by other teams’ inability to just finish us off.
A good example is Gunter. When he came in, I thought, great signing. Experienced, tidy and I thought he could do a job at this level. He’s been very poor. The likes of Pearce and Pratley were used more sparingly by Bowyer 2 years ago, and they’ve become mainstays this season. Pearce you can argue is as a result of the injuries to Famewo and Inniss, but there’s no way Pratley should’ve got the amount of game time he did this season, and we expect to be in the promotion shake up. No way.
Outside of that, I will keep saying this, JFC has looked good because he’s playing in a very poor team. He’s an okay footballer at this level, but you have to worry about the rest of the talent around him when he’s being lauded to the length he has been this season. I know he was injured 2 years ago, but there’s no way I’m picking him ahead of Aribo, Cullen or Bielik.
I thought Watson was another decent signing for the level we’re at, but it quickly became apparent we weren’t going to see a renaissance of the man who scored a winning goal in an FA Cup final, and we’ve now got him on the books again for next season. Shinnie looked okay to start with, but he’s another player that just looks at home in the sea of tepidity that washes over our midfield.
I think Gilbey has been useless. I know Bowyer said he had a personal issue earlier in the season, and we don’t know how bad it was, but I just can’t get behind him, despite the flurry of appearances since Adkins has been appointed. Again, if he’s a regular in midfield next season, don’t expect a promotion at the end of it.
Millar started well, but I’m surprised he’s still on Liverpool’s books at the age he is. I’m debating as to whether he can make it in a League One promotion winning team. I just don’t know. Perhaps, with better players around him, he may well do, however, he may feel he’s got a chance of a Championship club and he’s not our player anyway.
Jayisemi I haven’t seen enough to pass comment on.
Up top, I like Stockley and Washington, I wouldn’t be annoyed if they were both on the club’s books next season, unless something better came up. Not too sure about Aneke. I don’t see him as a regular starter as I don’t think he’s fit enough. Do we offer him a new contract knowing he can’t start most games?
At the back, Maatsen hasn’t shown the sort of quality that makes me think other clubs will be pulling up trees to loan him next year. He’s young, has applied himself, but just doesn’t look that talented. Pearce has to go. You can’t fault his commitment and what he’s given us, but if he’s still manhandling opposing League One attackers next season, expect another year of frustration and mediocrity. Purrington is okay, but again, needs better players around him. Is he really in the Wiggins mould like we had under Powell?
I just think we need to be a lot more honest with ourselves as fans about the abilities of our teams. I’m not having a dig at you or any other fans, football is all about opinions. I’m just highlighting that some of us have seen a few promotions now if we’re of a certain age. We know what a promotion winning team looks and feels like. The way the current squad performed over large parts of this season, even when we won, was a million miles from a proper promotion winning team looks like.
The good news is that we have a good owner, a stable football club (relatively speaking), a fan base clucking to get back to the Valley and make that place a proper home ground again, and that Covid has impacted a lot of clubs from a playing perspective (Liverpool are a great example). It’s been extraordinarily bizarre times outside of football, and it’s definitely taken its toll on the game and on us, and perhaps how we interact with the game.
The key is the summer clear out. If it doesn’t happen, and you see Gilbey, Pratley, Pearce & JFC on the books and starting next season. It’s League One consolidation all over again. If you see 12/13 new players, then all to play for and that’s when we can renew our optimism.
Whether or not TS has the appetite for that is yet to be seen. If he thinks we should be getting more out of what he’s put in, that’s fair enough. However, unfortunately for him, if we wants this dream of Prem football in 5 years, he’s going to have put his hand further into his pocket to get it. Personally, I have no expectations he will or should, we’re lucky enough to have received what he has put in. Just highlighting the huge disparity between what we currently have versus what we need
Good post, while I have some slightly different opinions of individual players overall I agree.
Players like Gunter, Pratley, Pearce and Watson are good on paper and that to some justifies why this is a promotion winning squad, but rather than poor management I’ve felt for a while this squad probably just isn’t quite good enough. They’ve put in very few convincing performances.
There’s nothing wrong with some of them being part of the squad next season, get our recruitment right and they’ll be fine as cover (assuming we don’t keep too many of them).
Got used to the idea weeks ago that this bunch of useless pricks wouldn’t take us up. Complete rebuild over the summer please TS and let’s make a proper fist of it then.
What does everyone else think?
Weird. Of course I'm bothered, every Charlton fan should be.
Far too many people just assuming we are going up next season
this season has been a disaster, irrespective of the off field problems, that squad should at least be in the play offs
massive summer rebuild ahead. Now we’ll see just how serious TS is
Personally I think the squad isn’t good enough, and hasn’t ever been good enough. I think we’ve been kept alive by other teams’ inability to just finish us off.
A good example is Gunter. When he came in, I thought, great signing. Experienced, tidy and I thought he could do a job at this level. He’s been very poor. The likes of Pearce and Pratley were used more sparingly by Bowyer 2 years ago, and they’ve become mainstays this season. Pearce you can argue is as a result of the injuries to Famewo and Inniss, but there’s no way Pratley should’ve got the amount of game time he did this season, and we expect to be in the promotion shake up. No way.
Outside of that, I will keep saying this, JFC has looked good because he’s playing in a very poor team. He’s an okay footballer at this level, but you have to worry about the rest of the talent around him when he’s being lauded to the length he has been this season. I know he was injured 2 years ago, but there’s no way I’m picking him ahead of Aribo, Cullen or Bielik.
I thought Watson was another decent signing for the level we’re at, but it quickly became apparent we weren’t going to see a renaissance of the man who scored a winning goal in an FA Cup final, and we’ve now got him on the books again for next season. Shinnie looked okay to start with, but he’s another player that just looks at home in the sea of tepidity that washes over our midfield.
I think Gilbey has been useless. I know Bowyer said he had a personal issue earlier in the season, and we don’t know how bad it was, but I just can’t get behind him, despite the flurry of appearances since Adkins has been appointed. Again, if he’s a regular in midfield next season, don’t expect a promotion at the end of it.
Millar started well, but I’m surprised he’s still on Liverpool’s books at the age he is. I’m debating as to whether he can make it in a League One promotion winning team. I just don’t know. Perhaps, with better players around him, he may well do, however, he may feel he’s got a chance of a Championship club and he’s not our player anyway.
Jayisemi I haven’t seen enough to pass comment on.
Up top, I like Stockley and Washington, I wouldn’t be annoyed if they were both on the club’s books next season, unless something better came up. Not too sure about Aneke. I don’t see him as a regular starter as I don’t think he’s fit enough. Do we offer him a new contract knowing he can’t start most games?
At the back, Maatsen hasn’t shown the sort of quality that makes me think other clubs will be pulling up trees to loan him next year. He’s young, has applied himself, but just doesn’t look that talented. Pearce has to go. You can’t fault his commitment and what he’s given us, but if he’s still manhandling opposing League One attackers next season, expect another year of frustration and mediocrity. Purrington is okay, but again, needs better players around him. Is he really in the Wiggins mould like we had under Powell?
I just think we need to be a lot more honest with ourselves as fans about the abilities of our teams. I’m not having a dig at you or any other fans, football is all about opinions. I’m just highlighting that some of us have seen a few promotions now if we’re of a certain age. We know what a promotion winning team looks and feels like. The way the current squad performed over large parts of this season, even when we won, was a million miles from a proper promotion winning team looks like.
The good news is that we have a good owner, a stable football club (relatively speaking), a fan base clucking to get back to the Valley and make that place a proper home ground again, and that Covid has impacted a lot of clubs from a playing perspective (Liverpool are a great example). It’s been extraordinarily bizarre times outside of football, and it’s definitely taken its toll on the game and on us, and perhaps how we interact with the game.
The key is the summer clear out. If it doesn’t happen, and you see Gilbey, Pratley, Pearce & JFC on the books and starting next season. It’s League One consolidation all over again. If you see 12/13 new players, then all to play for and that’s when we can renew our optimism.
Whether or not TS has the appetite for that is yet to be seen. If he thinks we should be getting more out of what he’s put in, that’s fair enough. However, unfortunately for him, if we wants this dream of Prem football in 5 years, he’s going to have put his hand further into his pocket to get it. Personally, I have no expectations he will or should, we’re lucky enough to have received what he has put in. Just highlighting the huge disparity between what we currently have versus what we need
I agree with a lot of what you say, but you (and other posters) have to remember that some players are contracted to be here for a couple more years (Gilbey, Pratley & JFC for example) so getting rid, as you say, is going to be highly unlikely.
Yes, it won’t be as simple as I would hope it would be. I might be wrong, but I think JFC and Pratley are both out of contract. You’re right about Gilbey, I’m pretty certain he’s here next season
For this season I find it hard to get too bothered about missing the playoffs. Partly because I haven't been at any of the games so haven't been there for any of the capitulations, but mainly because I'm still getting used to the idea that I don't need to check the news each morning to see if we've gone bust. Next season I'll agree with pretty much everyone else - we need to improve and we need to be at least in the mix for the top two.
Honest answer is no, I do think had we gone up we would have needed a complete restructure up against some real quality teams, doing the rebuild in this league and going up with real synergy and momentum is key.
We had a bad hand from the get go and luckily the teams we were against a fair few times didn't know how to exploit that.
I will be annoyed however if we sign a strong squad for next season and don't manage it, I appreciate next season will be difficult with around 4-6 teams not including us will be looking at autos, but with an ambitious owner and a good manager it shouldn't be too difficult, time will tell
Honest answer is no, I do think had we gone up we would have needed a complete restructure up against some real quality teams, doing the rebuild in this league and going up with real synergy and momentum is key.
We had a bad hand from the get go and luckily the teams we were against a fair few times didn't know how to exploit that.
I will be annoyed however if we sign a strong squad for next season and don't manage it, I appreciate next season will be difficult with around 4-6 teams not including us will be looking at autos, but with an ambitious owner and a good manager it shouldn't be too difficult, time will tell
The first post I’ve seen on this thread that I 100% agree with.
League One is a disaster for Charlton. That is all.
A disaster is an occurrence disrupting the normal conditions of existence and causing a level of suffering that exceeds the capacity of adjustment of the affected community.
Under previous regimes, I’d agree with you. Under Thomas, I don’t think so.
Honest answer is no, I do think had we gone up we would have needed a complete restructure up against some real quality teams, doing the rebuild in this league and going up with real synergy and momentum is key.
We had a bad hand from the get go and luckily the teams we were against a fair few times didn't know how to exploit that.
I will be annoyed however if we sign a strong squad for next season and don't manage it, I appreciate next season will be difficult with around 4-6 teams not including us will be looking at autos, but with an ambitious owner and a good manager it shouldn't be too difficult, time will tell
We need a rebuild whatever division we are in. I dont agree that the rebuild has to be league 1 to progress. Look at Barnsley, fortunate to stay up and now might be in the Premier League next season. Getting promoted, having a summer clear out and finishing 21st next season is a much better position than missing out on the play offs.
For me, it's a definite no. If this team went up, it would need a complete rebuild to have any chance of staying up. Not saying it wouldn't happen, but if money is tight it's hard to see that a near-whole team of Championship standard players could be recruited. And without them, watching the team lose near every week would not be fun.
Let's undertake the re-build in this League, get in some young talented players who have got the potential to play at a higher level, smash the League next year and then go up with momentum.
Not going up is a disappointment. Straight and simple.
This. I find it quite sad how many fans are just accepting of league one football for our club.
There’s a difference between accepting League One football because we feels it’s our natural level and accepting it because we know we just haven’t been good enough over the season to regain a Championship place. This season, has for a few reasons, been an utterly dire one for the club. One that needs to be forgotten as soon as. Ask the same question next season if we fail again after Mr Sandgaard has (hopefully) brought stability and invested wisely and Adkins has had a chance to mould a team in his style then I can assure you there won’t be such a blasé attitude to missing out on promotion. We all want the club to be as successful as possible.
For me, it's a definite no. If this team went up, it would need a complete rebuild to have any chance of staying up. Not saying it wouldn't happen, but if money is tight it's hard to see that a near-whole team of Championship standard players could be recruited. And without them, watching the team lose near every week would not be fun.
Let's undertake the re-build in this League, get in some young talented players who have got the potential to play at a higher level, smash the League next year and then go up with momentum.
So if money is tight how on earth will we rebuild enough to 'smash' league one? These young talented players you speak of don't come cheaply.
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Can I ask if we got promoted how many of us would be going to
Middlesbrough
Huddersfield
Barnsley
Hull
Blackburn
Stoke after the last time up there.
Preston
And then moan about Luton.
Anyone else get the feeling that Mrs Ooh Ahh wasn't up for a spot of oohing and aahing last night?
Hope we have a right royal clear out and rebuild a proper squad....could take two years, but when you watch the replays of games at this level from the 70's/80's/90's the standard now is technically so much better. Im not a league one hater, we are here because that's the level we are at due to the players available.
Its out of our hands now and let's be frank, we don't deserve to sneak in.
Looking forward to saying adios to most of them.
I'm happy to back Adkins to build in the summer, get business done early and clear out the players who he needs to.
Next season we need a back 5 capable of playing 2 games a week for an entire season, players with hunger and something to prove. There are tons of good midfielders and forwards in this division and the one below and that is where we must fish, not players on the way down after a final contract. I'd rather we didn't have any loans as well but i might be pissing in the wind with that one.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's gone wrong this season. Many are saying that the players aren't good enough and it's hard not to disagree, especially in the light of yesterday's performance. For much of the season, the performances haven't been good enough. But the simplistic 'the players aren't good enough' argument is belied by two periods, one last autumn and one this spring, where we put in some fine performances. There are fine margins in any professional sport. We need to look at why we made ourselves chase so many games, why weren't quite creative enough in the final third and why on too many occasions we allowed teams to successfully attack us in the dying minutes.
I don't believe our problem is that there's a lack of talent in the team, I think it's that too much of the talent we have resides in players who are either too old or too injury prone to turn it on for the full season. That needs to be the difference next year. Having players with the skill levels of Chuks, Watson, Gunter and Inniss should be fine next season but whoever we have needs to be able to play at their best for the bulk of the season, not just 50% of it.
Even if we do make the play-offs I’m not convinced this squad would put in three good performances to win promotion.
I’m looking forward to the big summer rebuild and hoping it’s the last for a while. If you put together a genuine promotion quality squad (i.e. comfortably top two) then you won’t need a new team to compete in the Championship. Instead with good additions to the weaker areas of the squad you should be fine. Momentum, team spirit etc plays a big part, it’s why Powell’s team finished 9th despite minimal investment. With more investment either Powell or Bowyer’s teams could have achieved more than they did.
I’m not worried about the number of big clubs in this division next season, things rarely go smoothly for them all. Someone usually underachieves - this season it’s us and Ipswich. Sheff Utd did it for years and we know we’ve done it ourselves in previous years. There will always be clubs who don’t get their recruitment right and end up with a squad not up for the battle or lacking enough quality.
My main concern is with such a big rebuild required it could take more than a season to get the right squad together. This is where TS could do with some of those sell on clauses coming in, assuming that the idea that they could be due to RD isn't true. Pope going for £30m+ could make a big difference.
Make no bones about it, our situation is our fault. It was in our hands and almost certainly we've blown it. With the league as tight as it was you shouldn't expect to get through to the play offs off the back of 1 win in 5. And that's not really an outlier sequence either.
It's a massive missed opportunity, as I expect the division to be stronger next year, but in reality we are there or thereabouts where I thought we might be.
Personally I think the squad isn’t good enough, and hasn’t ever been good enough. I think we’ve been kept alive by other teams’ inability to just finish us off.
Outside of that, I will keep saying this, JFC has looked good because he’s playing in a very poor team. He’s an okay footballer at this level, but you have to worry about the rest of the talent around him when he’s being lauded to the length he has been this season. I know he was injured 2 years ago, but there’s no way I’m picking him ahead of Aribo, Cullen or Bielik.
Millar started well, but I’m surprised he’s still on Liverpool’s books at the age he is. I’m debating as to whether he can make it in a League One promotion winning team. I just don’t know. Perhaps, with better players around him, he may well do, however, he may feel he’s got a chance of a Championship club and he’s not our player anyway.
Jayisemi I haven’t seen enough to pass comment on.
Whether or not TS has the appetite for that is yet to be seen. If he thinks we should be getting more out of what he’s put in, that’s fair enough. However, unfortunately for him, if we wants this dream of Prem football in 5 years, he’s going to have put his hand further into his pocket to get it. Personally, I have no expectations he will or should, we’re lucky enough to have received what he has put in. Just highlighting the huge disparity between what we currently have versus what we need
I guess my answer is of course I'm bothered, I want us out of this league. Yesterday rammed that home for me, the football was atrocious and when you think it's just two tiers below PL level it might have just been a different sport. As bothered as I am though it's hardly a surprise given what has gone on this season. As soon as this season is decided the work needs to start on preparing for next year as it will not be any easier, we saw with the league 1 winning side the work started the season before so already we're behind where we need to be.
There’s nothing wrong with some of them being part of the squad next season, get our recruitment right and they’ll be fine as cover (assuming we don’t keep too many of them).
We had a bad hand from the get go and luckily the teams we were against a fair few times didn't know how to exploit that.
I will be annoyed however if we sign a strong squad for next season and don't manage it, I appreciate next season will be difficult with around 4-6 teams not including us will be looking at autos, but with an ambitious owner and a good manager it shouldn't be too difficult, time will tell
All this talk about the squad not good enough - that's what transfer markets are for. We have an owner who will invest now.
I think anyone who claims not to be bothered is just operating a form of psychological defence mechanism.
For me, it's a definite no. If this team went up, it would need a complete rebuild to have any chance of staying up. Not saying it wouldn't happen, but if money is tight it's hard to see that a near-whole team of Championship standard players could be recruited. And without them, watching the team lose near every week would not be fun.
Let's undertake the re-build in this League, get in some young talented players who have got the potential to play at a higher level, smash the League next year and then go up with momentum.