Aaron Henry has said on twitter that he missed the team photo shoot due to having or having had Covid19
That’s a blow especially as I didn’t think he stood out as much in the earlier pre season friendlies as I have seen him play previously, maybe that was the reason 🤷♂️.
Been reported elsewhere that someone at the club has confirmed we've had two of our top targets agree to sign but we're still yet to agree on fees with their respective clubs.
Isn't that referred to as "tapping up"
Only if the club hadn't given permission to speak to the player. I presume that permission could be granted even if the clubs had not agreed on the fee?
Been reported elsewhere that someone at the club has confirmed we've had two of our top targets agree to sign but we're still yet to agree on fees with their respective clubs.
Are we allowed to talk to players if a fee hasn’t been agreed?
Hard to really judge until the window closes but the fact remains that Cawley has confirmed we have been in for many players during this window. A quick look at the incomings would also confirm we haven't been very successful. And that worries me.
These players are just not buying into the Sandgaard model. He may not be bidding the highest but in league one I doubt he's that far away with his financial offerings. A slight pay drop with the chance to play in London for a club with the prestige (for league one) of Charlton. A club with plenty of ambition. Premier League in five years? Europe in 10?? (Tommy's words) I don't think anyone has bought into the latter. But still. The ambition is there. But so far the better players for this standard of football just ain't buying it. And that is a concern
Hard to really judge until the window closes but the fact remains that Cawley has confirmed we have been in for many players during this window. A quick look at the incomings would also confirm we haven't been very successful. And that worries me.
These players are just not buying into the Sandgaard model. He may not be bidding the highest but in league one I doubt he's that far away with his financial offerings. A slight pay drop with the chance to play in London for a club with the prestige (for league one) of Charlton. A club with plenty of ambition. Premier League in five years? Europe in 10?? (Tommy's words) I don't think anyone has bought into the latter. But still. The ambition is there. But so far the better players for this standard of football just ain't buying it. And that is a concern
That’s one of looking at it, from what I’ve been told, the types of players we’ve been going for have been players who’ve ended up in The Championship, so we’ve gone for very good players and not been successful, no matter the model, teams in higher divisions will always have a better chance of signing a player, unless you match the wages, and that’s a route for doom
OK - enough of the doom and gloom, Star Trek puns and the like.
Dobson and Clare improve the squad - Stockley now OUR player - Famewo back and possibly a permanent future player for us - Clayden and Barker look like they can step up - Morgan will finally get the chance to prove what a very good player he is - Elerewe looks a talent - Henry and probably a few others from the academy could add something as well. There is nothing wrong with youth coming through at this level, and NA/SG see them on the training ground everyday - maybe they are looking elsewhere and not seeing anything that would add more than some of the academy boys. 'You can't win anything with kids' - yes, thank you Alan - that aged well.
I also expect at least two perms (maybe this week) and 3 or 4 loans before the window closes.
This is a f*cking pub league - we have the players to help us escape.
I know it's the hope that kills but I genuinely feel that we will be key challengers for the automatics and nailed on for the play-offs. Adkins is the right man, I'm convinced of that - and a full season of him in charge will give him the chance to prove that.
Because other clubs have incomplete squads that's ok is it?
I want us to WIN this league so I want us to have the best squad.
Currently we don't.
I genuinely don't care about other clubs. Our owner made strong comments at the end of last season and I trust him and are glad we have him.
But we don't have a fit left back and NO left midfielder.
Totally unbalanced. I'm not saying our squad should be finished by now but come on now. We've needed both these positions in cover and first choice since our last two loanees in those positions left!
If you don't care about other clubs how can you rate our squad?
What are you comparing it to? Powell's, Bowyer's, Curbishley's, Man City, Peps Barca, Brazil 1970?
Its not a pub league, but we don't have a pub team.
Because I don't care about them, I can still rate them!
You completely avoid my point about the lack of any fit or signed left sided players.
Or do you only care to answer the parts that are easy to have an opinion on?
Does anybody really think we should be starting the season with no left back and no left midfielder?
Washington is very likely to play down the wing in a 433 this season so not sure the lack of a left midfielder is a major issue. I would have liked another defender and winger in time for Saturday though admittedly. I think the CB, CM, another winger and striker can wait a week or two, but disappointed we have (so far) failed to add another two.
Again answer the question.
Do you think we should be starting the season with Gunther at left back and Washington, out of position, as our only real option to play left hand side?
Totally agree with the left back situation, not on Washington as he's likely to play a lot more at LW than as a striker this season. At the moment, I'm not 100% convinced he can be effective there, but that's where he's going to be playing so I'll judge later. So in terms of the way Adkins is viewing us this season, he's not out of position.
If Washington is left winger then I’m Donald Duck. Yes I’m sure he can do a job there on occasion but he hasn’t got the skill set or physique to naturally do consistently well in that role. If we’re serious about promotion then we need two players competing for each spot not shoving someone into a role because there’s no one else. As for left back. I was hoping that Purrington was going to be cover there this season. Now we’re all praying his injury isn’t serious because he’s all we have. No amount of whitewash is going to convince me that up until the first game of the season on Saturday our recruitment has been much lacking.
Kirk is a signing of the level we should be going for. We need 3 or 4 of this level to go straight into the first team so we can start to compete. Plus another 2-3 squad is players.
Kirk is the type of signing we made when Powell won the title, what I expected this summer and what Ipswich and some of our other rivals have been doing.
Kirk is a signing of the level we should be going for. We need 3 or 4 of this level to go straight into the first team so we can start to compete. Plus another 2-3 squad is players.
Kirk is the type of signing we made when Powell won the title, what I expected this summer and what Ipswich and some of our other rivals have been doing.
The only problem is, we haven’t even signed him (yet?). Completely agree with what you’re saying though.
Premier League loans are always a gamble we’ve usually been underwhelmed rather than excited by them. Cullen and Bielik are the exceptions that prove the rule. We’ve got Famewo so can get in another four I think. Much prefer some experienced older loans than kids out for experience.
'Every footballing failure we've suffered has been down to lack of depth'? Not sure I agree with that. Player selection and positioning has played a part. As have useless managers and crackpot management.
We got relegated due to lack of depth, and having to rely on the kids. We missed out on promotion due to lack of depth, and not having a back up CB to play. I'd say the random positioning was a direct result of not having enough cover in certain areas.
Premier League loans are always a gamble we’ve usually been underwhelmed rather than excited by them. Cullen and Bielik are the exceptions that prove the rule. We’ve got Famewo so can get in another four I think. Much prefer some experienced older loans than kids out for experience.
If even half of the loans are anywhere as near as good as them (plus Gallagher, imo), then that is a pretty decent return on a loan investment. Some of them will flop, like Levitt or Smith, but I feel our reputation should be pretty solid with the larger clubs and they've generally got some very good academy players coming through. I also think that having NA in charge lends us to potentially having a more supportive and nurturing environment that I don't believe we had under LB. The system is primarily used for kids to get experience, but my only qualm is really making sure we are never reliant on those players.
Excited for any "big club" loans we get this season. I'd love to, for example, like another raw, pacey forward come through on loan like Leko. Someone like that would be lovely.
'Every footballing failure we've suffered has been down to lack of depth'? Not sure I agree with that. Player selection and positioning has played a part. As have useless managers and crackpot management.
We got relegated due to lack of depth, and having to rely on the kids. We missed out on promotion due to lack of depth, and not having a back up CB to play. I'd say the random positioning was a direct result of not having enough cover in certain areas.
It's both. We lacked cover at CB for sure, but Bowyer decided in January that there was absolutely no options even on loan better than playing Pratley or Gunter out of position (and went on record to say so.)
If we are to see a "marquee signing" before the end of the window I think it'll be in the final few days where we maybe chuck a bit of money at one. I'm expecting Gomes to sign as he's been with us pretty much all pre season and 2/3 loan signings.
Trying to put our business into perspective my conclusion is that TS is happy to invest but in a careful business like manor. Why splash out on a new left winger if he's being told by our coaches a youth player who costs nothing is ready? The world has changed over the last 18 months and the "smaller" clubs are going to squeeze every penny they can out of clubs for their prized possessions. This in turn makes negotiations difficult. I'm my industry our margins are next to nothing at the moment with materials/goods prices rocketing and companies going in low with tenders just to get work. Football is a different ball game but it still is a business, not to us but whether we like it or not it is to TS and it would be any other owner. I'd love to see us have a Powell style re-build and win the league but that doesn't look like it's going to happen.
But we don't have youth players ready to play first team football at left back and left midfield.
That's my point!
That's your opinion. Adkins and Steve Avory may think differently who knows? Dougherty came through the ranks pretty quickly a few seasons ago and with our youth set up I wouldn't be surprised to see something similar this season with a youngster. I am obviously speculating but my original point was back end of last season there was a lot of talk about bringing youth through and TS may be putting his hopes in these players.
Gomes is decent cover but doesn't improve the first 11. And it still needs improving.
You might be right, but I’ll delay judgement until he’s made a few appearances for the first team, if he signs. He looked decent in the PSFs, but who knows how fit he was coming into them. The only thing I didn’t like was that he didn’t work that hard defensively, but perhaps that was a fitness issue. He might even improve, and Gallen and Adkins will have seen something in him they like or they wouldn’t have signed him.
That’s my glass half full view at least. Subject to change :-)
Because other clubs have incomplete squads that's ok is it?
I want us to WIN this league so I want us to have the best squad.
Currently we don't.
I genuinely don't care about other clubs. Our owner made strong comments at the end of last season and I trust him and are glad we have him.
But we don't have a fit left back and NO left midfielder.
Totally unbalanced. I'm not saying our squad should be finished by now but come on now. We've needed both these positions in cover and first choice since our last two loanees in those positions left!
If you don't care about other clubs how can you rate our squad?
What are you comparing it to? Powell's, Bowyer's, Curbishley's, Man City, Peps Barca, Brazil 1970?
Its not a pub league, but we don't have a pub team.
Because I don't care about them, I can still rate them!
You completely avoid my point about the lack of any fit or signed left sided players.
Or do you only care to answer the parts that are easy to have an opinion on?
Does anybody really think we should be starting the season with no left back and no left midfielder?
Washington is very likely to play down the wing in a 433 this season so not sure the lack of a left midfielder is a major issue. I would have liked another defender and winger in time for Saturday though admittedly. I think the CB, CM, another winger and striker can wait a week or two, but disappointed we have (so far) failed to add another two.
Again answer the question.
Do you think we should be starting the season with Gunther at left back and Washington, out of position, as our only real option to play left hand side?
Totally agree with the left back situation, not on Washington as he's likely to play a lot more at LW than as a striker this season. At the moment, I'm not 100% convinced he can be effective there, but that's where he's going to be playing so I'll judge later. So in terms of the way Adkins is viewing us this season, he's not out of position.
If Washington is left winger then I’m Donald Duck. Yes I’m sure he can do a job there on occasion but he hasn’t got the skill set or physique to naturally do consistently well in that role. If we’re serious about promotion then we need two players competing for each spot not shoving someone into a role because there’s no one else. As for left back. I was hoping that Purrington was going to be cover there this season. Now we’re all praying his injury isn’t serious because he’s all we have. No amount of whitewash is going to convince me that up until the first game of the season on Saturday our recruitment has been much lacking.
I mean what utter garbage regarding Washington's physique. He is electrically quick and if you remember when he played wide in the winning streak in the first half of the season was still sprinting back to defend at 89 minutes when everyone else was dead on their feet.
Don't get me wrong i would prefer him in a support strikers role and maybe can't point to a crossing ability, but you are quackers with that statement!
Because other clubs have incomplete squads that's ok is it?
I want us to WIN this league so I want us to have the best squad.
Currently we don't.
I genuinely don't care about other clubs. Our owner made strong comments at the end of last season and I trust him and are glad we have him.
But we don't have a fit left back and NO left midfielder.
Totally unbalanced. I'm not saying our squad should be finished by now but come on now. We've needed both these positions in cover and first choice since our last two loanees in those positions left!
If you don't care about other clubs how can you rate our squad?
What are you comparing it to? Powell's, Bowyer's, Curbishley's, Man City, Peps Barca, Brazil 1970?
Its not a pub league, but we don't have a pub team.
Because I don't care about them, I can still rate them!
You completely avoid my point about the lack of any fit or signed left sided players.
Or do you only care to answer the parts that are easy to have an opinion on?
Does anybody really think we should be starting the season with no left back and no left midfielder?
Washington is very likely to play down the wing in a 433 this season so not sure the lack of a left midfielder is a major issue. I would have liked another defender and winger in time for Saturday though admittedly. I think the CB, CM, another winger and striker can wait a week or two, but disappointed we have (so far) failed to add another two.
Again answer the question.
Do you think we should be starting the season with Gunther at left back and Washington, out of position, as our only real option to play left hand side?
Totally agree with the left back situation, not on Washington as he's likely to play a lot more at LW than as a striker this season. At the moment, I'm not 100% convinced he can be effective there, but that's where he's going to be playing so I'll judge later. So in terms of the way Adkins is viewing us this season, he's not out of position.
If Washington is left winger then I’m Donald Duck. Yes I’m sure he can do a job there on occasion but he hasn’t got the skill set or physique to naturally do consistently well in that role. If we’re serious about promotion then we need two players competing for each spot not shoving someone into a role because there’s no one else. As for left back. I was hoping that Purrington was going to be cover there this season. Now we’re all praying his injury isn’t serious because he’s all we have. No amount of whitewash is going to convince me that up until the first game of the season on Saturday our recruitment has been much lacking.
Then where is he going to play this season? I'm not saying I disagree (although I think you were slightly harsh) but Washington will play there this season. I still think we'll sign two wingers though so will have options.
MG is a Spanish youth international, left footed, can play full back or wide left as well as midfield. Made 40 league appearances for Donny last two seasons what’s not to like.
Didn’t TS say signings would be made on the last day of the window?
Just like that
Perhaps he said announced? Honestly can’t remember.
It is slightly vexing that others are announcing loans from Premier League clubs, while we’re still biting our nails.
But perhaps there’s another Conor Gallagher or Christian Bielik waiting in the wings? Remember the difference they made.
Haven’t paid any attention at all to who clubs have been signing, but with regard to Prem Loans, I’d suspect that those players who are nowhere near their club’s top 25 will get loaned out first and that’s what’s happening at the moment. The better players held until the 25 man squads are named, when it becomes a dash to get the best of those who have just missed out.
MG is a Spanish youth international, left footed, can play full back or wide left as well as midfield. Made 40 league appearances for Donny last season what’s not to like.
Because other clubs have incomplete squads that's ok is it?
I want us to WIN this league so I want us to have the best squad.
Currently we don't.
I genuinely don't care about other clubs. Our owner made strong comments at the end of last season and I trust him and are glad we have him.
But we don't have a fit left back and NO left midfielder.
Totally unbalanced. I'm not saying our squad should be finished by now but come on now. We've needed both these positions in cover and first choice since our last two loanees in those positions left!
If you don't care about other clubs how can you rate our squad?
What are you comparing it to? Powell's, Bowyer's, Curbishley's, Man City, Peps Barca, Brazil 1970?
Its not a pub league, but we don't have a pub team.
Because I don't care about them, I can still rate them!
You completely avoid my point about the lack of any fit or signed left sided players.
Or do you only care to answer the parts that are easy to have an opinion on?
Does anybody really think we should be starting the season with no left back and no left midfielder?
Washington is very likely to play down the wing in a 433 this season so not sure the lack of a left midfielder is a major issue. I would have liked another defender and winger in time for Saturday though admittedly. I think the CB, CM, another winger and striker can wait a week or two, but disappointed we have (so far) failed to add another two.
Again answer the question.
Do you think we should be starting the season with Gunther at left back and Washington, out of position, as our only real option to play left hand side?
Totally agree with the left back situation, not on Washington as he's likely to play a lot more at LW than as a striker this season. At the moment, I'm not 100% convinced he can be effective there, but that's where he's going to be playing so I'll judge later. So in terms of the way Adkins is viewing us this season, he's not out of position.
If Washington is left winger then I’m Donald Duck. Yes I’m sure he can do a job there on occasion but he hasn’t got the skill set or physique to naturally do consistently well in that role. If we’re serious about promotion then we need two players competing for each spot not shoving someone into a role because there’s no one else. As for left back. I was hoping that Purrington was going to be cover there this season. Now we’re all praying his injury isn’t serious because he’s all we have. No amount of whitewash is going to convince me that up until the first game of the season on Saturday our recruitment has been much lacking.
I mean what utter garbage regarding Washington's physique. He is electrically quick and if you remember when he played wide in the winning streak in the first half of the season was still sprinting back to defend at 89 minutes when everyone else was dead on their feet.
Don't get me wrong i would prefer him in a support strikers role and maybe can't point to a crossing ability, but you are quackers with that statement!
Doughty was electrically quick for us, Washington is not. He’s mobile but can’t regularly beat players with pace in the way a player like Doughty can.
Comments
A quick look at the incomings would also confirm we haven't been very successful. And that worries me.
These players are just not buying into the Sandgaard model. He may not be bidding the highest but in league one I doubt he's that far away with his financial offerings. A slight pay drop with the chance to play in London for a club with the prestige (for league one) of Charlton. A club with plenty of ambition. Premier League in five years? Europe in 10?? (Tommy's words) I don't think anyone has bought into the latter. But still. The ambition is there. But so far the better players for this standard of football just ain't buying it. And that is a concern
Charlie Kirk: Baby shark
NA/TS: Sweet Caroline
Hard to see Kirk coming if one of the 3 offers is for the championship.
Kirk is the type of signing we made when Powell won the title, what I expected this summer and what Ipswich and some of our other rivals have been doing.
Also he might want to stay with Corrie
Excited for any "big club" loans we get this season. I'd love to, for example, like another raw, pacey forward come through on loan like Leko. Someone like that would be lovely.
Don't get me wrong i would prefer him in a support strikers role and maybe can't point to a crossing ability, but you are quackers with that statement!