Current state of the squad

[Robertson]

Maybe I should rephrase that to it was claimed later on that there was no fee.

No argument that 2 1/2 years at 75k is big dent in PSR, especially if we’re swallowing two years in one this year.

 

[Statto]

If you look somewhere like wikipedia all the fees are officially quoted as undisclosed anyway pretty much. I guess looking at the actual accounts might say or whatever it is the clubs "sign" when agreeing to transfer a player's registration but otherwise you're relying on guesswork and journalists.

Who'd pay for Shelvey, mind you?

 

[Notcher]

Summer business has to include getting in a couple of experienced players in. This squad is very young and lacks a lot of PL experience. It's showing with our nativity in both getting shithoused and doing it ourselves and in respect of set pieces.

 

[eesti_red]

Perhaps Gabriel Jesus would help with the nativity situation? Maybe a bit out of our league though…..

 

[LiarsBar]

Summer business has to include getting in a couple of experienced players in. This squad is very young and lacks a lot of PL experience. It's showing with our nativity in both getting shithoused and doing it ourselves and in respect of set pieces.

For every Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend (very astute signings), there’s JonJo Shelvey and Divock Origi.
All 4 have PL experience.
Only 1 earning 100K a week though.

 

[valspoodle]

We need a root and branch clear out and careful planning to get the right players in the right positions.

Not necessarily top players, just solid, no-nonsense CBs for instance. Or forwards who get in the box and can hit a barn door.

 

[Robertson]

No. Ripping it up and starting again is absolutely the last thing we need to be doing this summer. An experienced defender that doesn’t break every five minutes to replace Boly/Felipe. A back up to Wood/Taiwo to replace Origi that isn’t crap and on £120k a week. Maybe even Rodrigo Ribiero. Take it from there.

 

[valspoodle]

We have players who never play, players who are on ridiculous wages and players who break too often.

They are no use, draining the money from those we need. I ask for CBs and strkers who strike. I think that's fair progress.

 

[JonnoSnr]

No. Ripping it up and starting again is absolutely the last thing we need to be doing this summer. An experienced defender that doesn’t break every five minutes to replace Boly/Felipe. A back up to Wood/Taiwo to replace Origi that isn’t crap and on £120k a week. Maybe even Rodrigo Ribiero. Take it from there.

I agree. No way should we be looking at huge player turnover once again. If we go down it might be inevitable but if we stay up then it only needs a slight tinkering to be much more competitive in my opinion.

My fear is that the ownership just can't help themselves. There seems to be an insatiable appetite for signings regardless of cost or quality, often simply for vanity it seems.

 

[Robertson]

Yeah we should look to sell some or all of the loan players if they aren’t playing a part in the first team. Aguilera has potential so keep him.

Otherwise I reckon we have just 18 players under contract next season. How small do people want the squad to be?

 

[Robertson]

Pick one:

Forest bins off and replaces half it’s squad every season.

Forest stays out of FFP trouble.

 

[JonnoSnr]

Players that are out of contract or have loans ending: (according to Transfer Markt)

Tavares
Montiel
Reyna
Ribiero
Hennessey
Arter
Kouyate
Felipe
Boly
Origi

Plus Aina whose contract has been extended.

Would anyone actually miss any of those players? Boly perhaps but he's never fit. If he would accept some sort of pay as you play deal then yes but otherwise it's just dead money. Even as a rough, conservative estimate you're talking 500k a week saved there.

Then we need to look at adding experience to the spine. If they went down I'd seriously look at Ross Barkley.

 

[youreds1986]

We can't keep Wood, Awoniyi and sign another starting level striker who only plays through the middle. Three players who will rightly expect to start and are paid to start, fighting for one place is madness.

If we keep Taiwo and Wood then any new forward needs to be able to compete for a starting wide slot too. Alternatively we look at young prospects who have some talent but will be happy being in a rotation.

CB is the primary concern. A.big bastard back there solves a lot of issues. Then CM if we don't think Sangare is the answer.

 

[Robertson]

We can't keep Wood

Oo er missus .

He is under contract for us though next season. Or at least this is what John Percy was tweeting a few weeks ago.

Personally I think expecting to hire another 10-15 goal a season premier league striker for much less than £95k a week is unrealistic, unless we get incredibly lucky.

 

[Notcher]

We can't keep Wood, Awoniyi and sign another starting level striker who only plays through the middle. Three players who will rightly expect to start and are paid to start, fighting for one place is madness.

If we keep Taiwo and Wood then any new forward needs to be able to compete for a starting wide slot too. Alternatively we look at young prospects who have some talent but will be happy being in a rotation.

CB is the primary concern. A.big bastard back there solves a lot of issues. Then CM if we don't think Sangare is the answer.

Unpopular opinion but I would look to sell Taiwo. It might not be possible if unless we can get him back out on the pitch for a few games at the end of the season though. I love Taiwo and he's completely unplayable but his injuries are unsustainable for a club like us. We've been fortunate that Wood hit a purple patch for us.

 

[YouReds43]

Whatever League we are in we need to recruit Leaders, we have a lack of them right now.

 

[Ashley]

Whatever League we are in we need to recruit Leaders, we have a lack of them right now.

Definitely agree. We look so fragile mentally and need a few bastards who can pick the game up by the scuff of its neck and lead by example.

 

[Captain Sinister]

When Cloughie was fading away the thinking was that Clough failed to adapt his squad to include more athletic players - fast, strong, big.
He seemed to reject the trend of other clubs to recruit these taller, more muscular, fast athletes who also had excellent technical skills.
Oue squad today appears, when compared to other Permier League sides to be less physically blessed.
Opposing teams all seem to be overall bigger, stronger, faster with greater stamina yet still possessing players who are technically gifted.
There will always be a place for the smaller, skilfull player, but we appear to me to me to lack the physical size of most opponents.
I haven't undertaken a factual comparative study to support my hypothesis, but the evidence of my own eyes leads me to believe that any proper research will confirm we are in comparison to most teams in the Prem smaller, less muscular, and possessing less stamina.

 

[JonnoSnr]

Whatever League we are in we need to recruit Leaders, we have a lack of them right now.

As I mentioned previously I think Barkley would be a great signing if Luton go down. I'm not sure if he's the actual captain but he really leads by example. He's completely changed my opinion of him as I'd had him down as a fancy dan show pony before.