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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 13:37:52 GMT
Will injury records influence recruitmenet?
Neil suggests there will also be 'educated gambles'. "I don't think we're at the stage to go hard line and only sign players who have played 90 per cent of games, for instance. Hopefully we're at that soon once we've got a squad together
Injury news for Watford
Neil: "We won't have a clean bill of health. I can't even promise no new injuries... we'll see how we are."
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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 13:46:43 GMT
Will younger players step up next season?
Neil: "We would always like some of our younger lads supplementing the squad. If they get an opportunity through suspension or injury, sooner or later they overtake players and climb the pecking order. I think if Emre had stayed fit, he would have seen a lot of minutes. Then Nathan Lowe would have been the next one.
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Post by gingerninja on May 4, 2023 13:46:51 GMT
That's Tuanzebe nailed on to sign then and possibly Ross Stewart 👍
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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 13:47:13 GMT
What sort of player are you looking for? Are they available?
Neil: "The art of scouting isn't finding someone who has scored 20 goals this season, everyone knows who they are, but using what we've got wisely. The key is getting someone who is undervalued, underrated and can go on to become a really good player. It's going to be tough. There's so much to be done."
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Post by theonlooker on May 4, 2023 13:47:16 GMT
Rough translation: "We're going balls deep for Tuanzebe. He'll be our main guy!"
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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 13:48:02 GMT
Alex Neil press conference
Neil: "It's the last game of the season, we want to go and make sure we compete. Both teams' form has been sporadic... it would be nice to go there and finish on a high. We've got a lot of planning to do for next season, once this is done our attention turns to that."
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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 13:48:46 GMT
Time for young players?
Neil suggests that the ones who are closest, Tezgel and Lowe, are injured.
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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 13:49:45 GMT
Will you look solely in Britain?
Neil suggests all markets are open... but points to the difficulties of life post-Brexit
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Post by PotterLog on May 4, 2023 15:03:02 GMT
What sort of player are you looking for? Are they available? Neil: "The art of scouting isn't finding someone who has scored 20 goals this season, everyone knows who they are, but using what we've got wisely. The key is getting someone who is undervalued, underrated and can go on to become a really good player. It's going to be tough. There's so much to be done." Get a load of Billy Beane here |
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Post by prestwichpotter on May 4, 2023 15:20:09 GMT
He sounded like a man who is massively inconvenienced by this Monday’s fixture 😂
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Post by Veritas on May 4, 2023 15:25:13 GMT
He sounded like a man who is massively inconvenienced by this Monday’s fixture 😂 Aren't we all! |
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Post by crouchpotato1 on May 4, 2023 15:33:23 GMT
Do you understand fans' frustration about this season?
Neil: "Of course. The fact is we didn't purchase any players this season; we didn't purchase any players last summer, we didn't purchase any players in January. We had FFP to resolve, we've got seven players in the building. That isn't normal. We need to understand that where we found ourselves at parts of this season is not a normal scenario. What you normally want is a bulk of your own players and a couple of loans which you wouldn't be eable to afford.
"I understand the frustration. The club spent 10 years in the Premier League but has spent the last five in the last eight or 10 in the Championship. The expectation comes down each year and people get fed up and frustrated and that's where fans have been.
"All we can say now is that come the summer we've got an opportunity to put building blocks in place rather than continuing the slump we've been on for a number of seasons.
What advice would you give yourself when you arrived in August?
Neil: "I'm not sure. You go into a club with an understanding about environment but you never really know until you're in the building and then dynamics change through a season, form changes, players available change, the transfer window changes things, FFP changes things.
"But I didn't expect an easy job. It's not a coincidence that the club has been where it's been for five seasons and bearing in mind this has been our lowest budget this year compared to the previous four. We've had to downscale coming down from the Premier League and those first two seasons are the best chance to get back up. If you don't, it becomes more difficut.
"What we need to do now is rebuild and we've got the first opportunity to do that this summer. I knew coming here I wasn't expecting us to go boom, boom, boom - I was hoping that would be the case and I could get enough to make sure we do better than we have done, unfortunately that's not been the case.
"In the summer we've got an opportunity to set wheels in motion and hope that next season will be a lot better."
Has this been a transitional season?
Neil: "I would say so. I would probably argue we've been transitional for two or three seasons because of restrictions. If Michael was sat here he'd probably say the same thing. I met Michael at a game recently and we had a really good chat. Things don't change! It felt like I'd written him a script and he'd read it back to me, with his views on certain things. Problems don't go away overnight, you have to see them through and rebuild from it. That's where we currerntly are.
"I didn't expect to come here and for things to fly through the roof. There were always going to be issues why it hasn't been the case for a number of years - but we can't keep harping on about that, it's done.
"Come the end of this season, that chapter is closed and it's what we do next. I'll be judged on that and I'm fine with that."
It sounds like you're planning to rebuild the side almost from scratch?
Neil: "I don't think that's fair becausee there will be players who are currently here who will be a big part of it. What I'm saying is though is that for the first time in a few seasons we will have some transfer money we can dip into and there will be natural slots opening up. Sometimes when you come to the end of a season there might be only two players who move on, this time... for talking's sake let's say none of the seven loans come back, that's seven to replace just to stand still. Take out the lads who are out of contract and that's a massive job for any team in itself
"If any of the lads who are out of contract happen to leave, that seven goes to nine or 10. That's nearly half your squad and it's a massive overhaul at any level."
Are you looking forward to it?
Neil: "That's what I'm here for. I'm looking forward to it. I've got enough experience, I know how to do it, I've done it before, I need to do it again."
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Post by prestwichpotter on May 4, 2023 15:41:15 GMT
He sounded like a man who is massively inconvenienced by this Monday’s fixture 😂 Aren't we all! I can't wait. Gets me away from all this Coronation bollocks........ |
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Post by PotterLog on May 4, 2023 15:43:37 GMT
He sounded like a man who is massively inconvenienced by this Monday’s fixture 😂 He comes across as a bloke massively inconvenienced by the job full stop tbh |
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Post by lordb on May 4, 2023 16:07:05 GMT
Do you understand fans' frustration about this season? Neil: "Of course. The fact is we didn't purchase any players this season; we didn't purchase any players last summer, we didn't purchase any players in January. We had FFP to resolve, we've got seven players in the building. That isn't normal. We need to understand that where we found ourselves at parts of this season is not a normal scenario. What you normally want is a bulk of your own players and a couple of loans which you wouldn't be eable to afford. "I understand the frustration. The club spent 10 years in the Premier League but has spent the last five in the last eight or 10 in the Championship. The expectation comes down each year and people get fed up and frustrated and that's where fans have been. "All we can say now is that come the summer we've got an opportunity to put building blocks in place rather than continuing the slump we've been on for a number of seasons. What advice would you give yourself when you arrived in August? Neil: "I'm not sure. You go into a club with an understanding about environment but you never really know until you're in the building and then dynamics change through a season, form changes, players available change, the transfer window changes things, FFP changes things. "But I didn't expect an easy job. It's not a coincidence that the club has been where it's been for five seasons and bearing in mind this has been our lowest budget this year compared to the previous four. We've had to downscale coming down from the Premier League and those first two seasons are the best chance to get back up. If you don't, it becomes more difficut. "What we need to do now is rebuild and we've got the first opportunity to do that this summer. I knew coming here I wasn't expecting us to go boom, boom, boom - I was hoping that would be the case and I could get enough to make sure we do better than we have done, unfortunately that's not been the case. "In the summer we've got an opportunity to set wheels in motion and hope that next season will be a lot better." Has this been a transitional season? Neil: "I would say so. I would probably argue we've been transitional for two or three seasons because of restrictions. If Michael was sat here he'd probably say the same thing. I met Michael at a game recently and we had a really good chat. Things don't change! It felt like I'd written him a script and he'd read it back to me, with his views on certain things. Problems don't go away overnight, you have to see them through and rebuild from it. That's where we currerntly are. "I didn't expect to come here and for things to fly through the roof. There were always going to be issues why it hasn't been the case for a number of years - but we can't keep harping on about that, it's done. "Come the end of this season, that chapter is closed and it's what we do next. I'll be judged on that and I'm fine with that." It sounds like you're planning to rebuild the side almost from scratch? Neil: "I don't think that's fair becausee there will be players who are currently here who will be a big part of it. What I'm saying is though is that for the first time in a few seasons we will have some transfer money we can dip into and there will be natural slots opening up. Sometimes when you come to the end of a season there might be only two players who move on, this time... for talking's sake let's say none of the seven loans come back, that's seven to replace just to stand still. Take out the lads who are out of contract and that's a massive job for any team in itself "If any of the lads who are out of contract happen to leave, that seven goes to nine or 10. That's nearly half your squad and it's a massive overhaul at any level." Are you looking forward to it? Neil: "That's what I'm here for. I'm looking forward to it. I've got enough experience, I know how to do it, I've done it before, I need to do it again." I think all that is fair enough it's sure been super crap for swathes of the season though Going to need a decent start, especially at home! |
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Post by apb1 on May 4, 2023 16:11:30 GMT
I can't wait. Gets me away from all this Coronation bollocks........ Be careful you might get arrested  . I only just realised the Coronation bollocks is actually Saturday, although no doubt the fawning sycophantic coverage will continue ad nauseam. |
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Post by benjaminbiscuit on May 4, 2023 16:29:06 GMT
Do you understand fans' frustration about this season? Neil: "Of course. The fact is we didn't purchase any players this season; we didn't purchase any players last summer, we didn't purchase any players in January. We had FFP to resolve, we've got seven players in the building. That isn't normal. We need to understand that where we found ourselves at parts of this season is not a normal scenario. What you normally want is a bulk of your own players and a couple of loans which you wouldn't be eable to afford. "I understand the frustration. The club spent 10 years in the Premier League but has spent the last five in the last eight or 10 in the Championship. The expectation comes down each year and people get fed up and frustrated and that's where fans have been. "All we can say now is that come the summer we've got an opportunity to put building blocks in place rather than continuing the slump we've been on for a number of seasons. What advice would you give yourself when you arrived in August? Neil: "I'm not sure. You go into a club with an understanding about environment but you never really know until you're in the building and then dynamics change through a season, form changes, players available change, the transfer window changes things, FFP changes things. "But I didn't expect an easy job. It's not a coincidence that the club has been where it's been for five seasons and bearing in mind this has been our lowest budget this year compared to the previous four. We've had to downscale coming down from the Premier League and those first two seasons are the best chance to get back up. If you don't, it becomes more difficut. "What we need to do now is rebuild and we've got the first opportunity to do that this summer. I knew coming here I wasn't expecting us to go boom, boom, boom - I was hoping that would be the case and I could get enough to make sure we do better than we have done, unfortunately that's not been the case. "In the summer we've got an opportunity to set wheels in motion and hope that next season will be a lot better." Has this been a transitional season? Neil: "I would say so. I would probably argue we've been transitional for two or three seasons because of restrictions. If Michael was sat here he'd probably say the same thing. I met Michael at a game recently and we had a really good chat. Things don't change! It felt like I'd written him a script and he'd read it back to me, with his views on certain things. Problems don't go away overnight, you have to see them through and rebuild from it. That's where we currerntly are. "I didn't expect to come here and for things to fly through the roof. There were always going to be issues why it hasn't been the case for a number of years - but we can't keep harping on about that, it's done. "Come the end of this season, that chapter is closed and it's what we do next. I'll be judged on that and I'm fine with that." It sounds like you're planning to rebuild the side almost from scratch? Neil: "I don't think that's fair becausee there will be players who are currently here who will be a big part of it. What I'm saying is though is that for the first time in a few seasons we will have some transfer money we can dip into and there will be natural slots opening up. Sometimes when you come to the end of a season there might be only two players who move on, this time... for talking's sake let's say none of the seven loans come back, that's seven to replace just to stand still. Take out the lads who are out of contract and that's a massive job for any team in itself "If any of the lads who are out of contract happen to leave, that seven goes to nine or 10. That's nearly half your squad and it's a massive overhaul at any level." Are you looking forward to it? Neil: "That's what I'm here for. I'm looking forward to it. I've got enough experience, I know how to do it, I've done it before, I need to do it again." I think all that is fair enough it's sure been super crap for swathes of the season though Going to need a decent start, especially at home! Does beg the question why pay Michaels severance and his exit clause if they just say the same things pretty poor logic for me, its fucked , it was fucked when we got here and Michael agrees with me it was fucked and there was niothig I could do about , oh expcept make it worse |
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Post by gingerninja on May 4, 2023 17:12:11 GMT
A pretty fair assessment I would say, he like all managers will live and die by their recruitment. Of the 7 loans, I can see 3 maximum possibly signing permanently, though not sure which.. I still think it's about 7 starting positions we need + 4 wildcards/punts. Is that a reasonable ask in one window?.
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Post by FullerMagic on May 4, 2023 17:13:59 GMT
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Post by spiderpuss on May 4, 2023 17:16:09 GMT
I can't wait. Gets me away from all this Coronation bollocks........ Right now I'd prefer watching a coach going around around in circles to watching SCFC. At least the coach eventually gets somewhere. |
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Post by FullerMagic on May 4, 2023 17:50:34 GMT
Interesting that he shakes his head pretty aggressively during a question about "many millions" potentially being spent
(But suppose he would do)
And then points out that our wage budget this season was the lowest since relegation as we've had to reset - "and would be the same again next season", and we'll have nowhere near the budget of the parachuters in the market
It's really hard to get a handle on how much we'll be spending.
£5m?
£10m?
£15m?
More?
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Post by GeneralFaye on May 4, 2023 17:56:55 GMT
It was only a few weeks ago he and Ricky Martin said our budget would be "massively competitive" next season...
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2023 17:58:05 GMT
Interesting that he shakes his head pretty aggressively during a question about "many millions" potentially being spent (But suppose he would do) And then points out that our wage budget this season was the lowest since relegation as we've had to reset - "and would be the same again next season", and we'll have nowhere near the budget of the parachuters in the market It's really hard to get a handle on how much we'll be spending. £5m? £10m? £15m? More? Certainly can't see it being more. £10m at most would be my guess, we can't sell our training ground to ourselves again, and we've got to replace a whole squad near enough |
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Post by northernstokie on May 4, 2023 18:10:14 GMT
Interesting that he shakes his head pretty aggressively during a question about "many millions" potentially being spent (But suppose he would do) And then points out that our wage budget this season was the lowest since relegation as we've had to reset - "and would be the same again next season", and we'll have nowhere near the budget of the parachuters in the market It's really hard to get a handle on how much we'll be spending. £5m? £10m? £15m? More? It's hard to judge though as he's not going to say he's got 10 million to spend for example as other teams will just over price their players |
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Post by thehartshillbadger on May 4, 2023 18:12:34 GMT
I’d like to think he’s got 4 or 5 in mind who’d command a figure of 1-2 million then pad out the rest with astute young loan signings
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Post by FullerMagic on May 4, 2023 18:12:39 GMT
It was only a few weeks ago he and Ricky Martin said our budget would be "massively competitive" next season... About 7 mins in... He does say "our budget, in its entirety, will be competitive - but that's for wages and fees, and the budget doesn't stretch that far when we've got so many spaces to fill" |
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Post by thehartshillbadger on May 4, 2023 18:15:18 GMT
It was only a few weeks ago he and Ricky Martin said our budget would be "massively competitive" next season... About 7 mins in... He does say "our budget, in its entirety, will be competitive - but that's for wages and fees, and the budget doesn't stretch that far when we've got so many spaces to fill" Surely there’s a few coming off the wage bill though. Jagielka, Powell, Gayle, Clucas jump out straight away |
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Post by thevoid on May 4, 2023 18:16:42 GMT
I can't wait. Gets me away from all this Coronation bollocks........ Prefer coronation chicken myself. Less grissle |
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Post by thehartshillbadger on May 4, 2023 18:17:34 GMT
I can't wait. Gets me away from all this Coronation bollocks........ Prefer coronation chicken myself. Less grissle Absolutely vile food |
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2023 18:23:17 GMT
Surely there’s a few coming off the wage bill though. Jagielka, Powell, Gayle, Clucas jump out straight away We're stuck with Gayle for another season aren't we? Can't see anyone daft enough to take him off us. |
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. I only just realised the Coronation bollocks is actually Saturday, although no doubt the fawning sycophantic coverage will continue ad nauseam.
