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Post by svengaliinplatforms on Jul 24, 2023 10:10:15 GMT
If you consider the state of some of the squads that were in, or sniffing around the POs last year, if that squad failed to compete, it's back to the manager.
Of that side on paper, the only one I've got a question mark over, is Laurent.
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Post by mcw on Jul 24, 2023 10:13:11 GMT
Hmmm even though the goalkeeper and back 4 have only Willmot as a starter and he is questioned? We can’t spend all the money on that as we need several other players as well…….I honestly don’t believe it’s as easy as you suggest at Stoke is no longer an easy destination to get good players to come to. You may be correct and I’m over thinking it but we will see. I think you may be right about attracting certain players to Stoke , we are not an attractive prospect at the moment for some of our targets given our past few years but if you have people in the club who know the game and decent scouting you can sort a half decent team that then other player might want to join . Luton were not attractive but are in the Premier League. Millwall always seem to have a decent defence and always top 10 so we do underachieve Yep, looking at our signings- 2 that have potentially signed as they enjoy working with AN at Preston, 2 from Wolves and basically to do them a favour in relation to game time/development and 1 from Cov who they were trying to move on anyway. Nothing suggests we are a club that is attractive to low end prem/top end champ players. We are probably seen as a basket case given the last 5/6 years and players who have a choice are steering clear unless it is ridiculous money/they aren’t drawing attention from other champ clubs.
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Post by Caerwrangonpotter on Jul 24, 2023 10:15:30 GMT
Flirt with play offs maybe?
I would expect top 10 nothing more at moment
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Post by Eggybread on Jul 24, 2023 12:47:40 GMT
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Post by cvillestokie on Jul 24, 2023 13:12:05 GMT
........................ Travers........................ Hoever...........Wilmot........ Davies......... the Colchester kid............Pearson...............Laurent.............. ........................Johnson......................... Chicinho................. Moore...............Campbell We’d have to be very tight at the back. Who is getting the goals in that team? Campbell has never reached 10. Moore has had one good scoring season in this league. Chiquinho is an unknown. Laurent and Pearson aren’t going to get more than a couple each.
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Post by stokecitytalke on Jul 24, 2023 13:21:41 GMT
I think you may be right about attracting certain players to Stoke , we are not an attractive prospect at the moment for some of our targets given our past few years but if you have people in the club who know the game and decent scouting you can sort a half decent team that then other player might want to join . Luton were not attractive but are in the Premier League. Millwall always seem to have a decent defence and always top 10 so we do underachieve Yep, looking at our signings- 2 that have potentially signed as they enjoy working with AN at Preston, 2 from Wolves and basically to do them a favour in relation to game time/development and 1 from Cov who they were trying to move on anyway. Nothing suggests we are a club that is attractive to low end prem/top end champ players. We are probably seen as a basket case given the last 5/6 years and players who have a choice are steering clear unless it is ridiculous money/they aren’t drawing attention from other champ clubs. It was always going to be the case that we would get the frees/cheapies first. That's were we are at now. The low end prem/top end champ players that we will have to pay a fee for will be later as they have more options at the moment. Apart from Pearson, we haven't spent any money on fees yet, only signing on fees etc.
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Post by peterthornesboots on Jul 24, 2023 17:30:22 GMT
Yes, none of which we have signed yet. 😅 I know mate it is a big hypothetical but that was the point of the thread. My concern is not the 2 or 3 we need to add to the first team to make it competitive (although as you say they are in crucial positions) but the lack of any quality in depth. Bonham Edwards Taylor Thompson Brown All an injury away from lengthy first team action. That is a fair point. By the end of the window we might have a decent starting eleven, but it is a long season wherr strength and depth will be important.
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Post by jebbstuart on Jul 24, 2023 17:55:06 GMT
Lets see with results, most of these signings are unknown gambles, will they fit in as a team or great individuals. Only time will tell, got to better than we had.
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Post by matelot1996 on Jul 24, 2023 20:02:45 GMT
Assuming that team gives 10/10 consistently for 46 games we may finish mid table. I think this league is going to be too much for our squad this year unfortunately.
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Post by andystokey on Jul 24, 2023 20:10:30 GMT
There is only one thing that changes the fortunes of this team into a top 10 team and that is an absolute giant of a man at centre back. An, Overson, Smith, Faye, Cranson, Doyle, Huth.
Sign me one of those and I'll believe.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Jul 24, 2023 20:13:40 GMT
Realistic - ish
Play off? Nah
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Post by cvillestokie on Jul 24, 2023 20:17:10 GMT
The worry is, by & large, the players we are signing, haven't had a proper pre season, so won't be ready until possibly the end of August 😳. if signing players from other clubs then they should have had a proper pre season , why wouldn't they? signing free agents then yes that's more of a concern Good examples of this include players like Davis, (not included in the team travel), or the lad at Colchester (not featured in some games). We’ve seen it ourselves, where players who want out/are not part of plans become part of a bomb squad. Free agents are likely also not getting much of a preseason at all if they are not doing what Onomah is doing with us.
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Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Jul 24, 2023 20:18:27 GMT
Who is this Moore you speak of ?
Bobby or Ronnie ? 😁
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Post by Pugsley on Jul 24, 2023 20:29:26 GMT
Looks like AN is finally bringing in new footballers which is great news. He simply has to turn out a team that will challenge for promotion. He's being backed, he's tripled his money, he's brought in his mates. He has to deliver.
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Post by robwahlmann on Jul 24, 2023 20:42:56 GMT
Who is this Moore you speak of ? Bobby or Ronnie ? 😁 007
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Post by PotterLog on Jul 25, 2023 4:06:56 GMT
With good coaching and organisation almost every first XI in this division should be realistically aiming to make the playoffs. I honestly think it barely matters who the players are.
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Post by TinkerT on Jul 25, 2023 4:16:51 GMT
I've said it time and time again, where are our goals coming from to reach the play offs? With signing Johnson our midfield will be lucky get over 5 goals a season, we won't sign a 20 goal striker either, then we've your asking wingers do something they've never done in career. All this talk of play offs is absolutely ridiculous. That's why I was banging the drum for Baker to play instead of Johnson, the Johnson signing was not needed and his wage could have been spend towards getting a better striker.
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Post by CBUFAWKIPWH on Jul 25, 2023 6:45:47 GMT
I've said it time and time again, where are our goals coming from to reach the play offs? With signing Johnson our midfield will be lucky get over 5 goals a season, we won't sign a 20 goal striker either, then we've your asking wingers do something they've never done in career. All this talk of play offs is absolutely ridiculous. That's why I was banging the drum for Baker to play instead of Johnson, the Johnson signing was not needed and his wage could have been spend towards getting a better striker. How is Johnson not needed? Even if Baker is a better player (we don't know), adapts his game to the way Neil wants to play (he didn't last season), gets fit ( he's currently injured) and isn't moved on (less likely now given he's injured but still possible) we would still need a backup AM. Johnson cost us nothing and his wages (which would need to go on another AM anyway) isn't going to make any difference to our ability to being in a striker (or 2). I can't see the problem with this.
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Post by peterpan1 on Jul 25, 2023 7:06:02 GMT
It looks impressive on paper, but so have some of our squads in the past 5 yrs. What a squad looks like on paper and how it performs on the pitch can be poles apart. I hope they gel as a team and we scrape into the play offs. Fingers crossed.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Jul 25, 2023 7:25:47 GMT
I've said it time and time again, where are our goals coming from to reach the play offs? With signing Johnson our midfield will be lucky get over 5 goals a season, we won't sign a 20 goal striker either, then we've your asking wingers do something they've never done in career. All this talk of play offs is absolutely ridiculous. That's why I was banging the drum for Baker to play instead of Johnson, the Johnson signing was not needed and his wage could have been spend towards getting a better striker. We still have funds for striker though and there's a good chance Johnson fits how we play better than Baker does? I don't think we'll necessarily make the play-offs but I'm encouraged that our business this window seems markedly less scattershot than previous recent ones.
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Post by chuffedstokie on Jul 25, 2023 7:31:53 GMT
........................ Travers........................ Hoever...........Wilmot........ Davies......... the Colchester kid............Pearson...............Laurent.............. ........................Johnson......................... Chicinho................. Moore...............Campbell Depends if they gel as a competitive team and how long that takes, don't need any prima donna's.
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Post by Gods on Jul 25, 2023 7:36:26 GMT
I've said it time and time again, where are our goals coming from to reach the play offs? With signing Johnson our midfield will be lucky get over 5 goals a season, we won't sign a 20 goal striker either, then we've your asking wingers do something they've never done in career. All this talk of play offs is absolutely ridiculous. That's why I was banging the drum for Baker to play instead of Johnson, the Johnson signing was not needed and his wage could have been spend towards getting a better striker. We still have funds for striker though and there's a good chance Johnson fits how we play better than Baker does? I don't think we'll necessarily make the play-offs but I'm encouraged that our business this window seems markedly less scattershot than previous recent ones. Hopefully not famous last words!
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Post by scfcno1fan on Jul 25, 2023 8:27:50 GMT
There’s some garbage in the championship this year.
We have to be aiming for top half.
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Post by dutchstokie on Jul 25, 2023 8:48:03 GMT
Why are we shopping constantly in Prestons 'dented tins' basket....?
Surely other clubs have these said baskets.....?
Cant we upgrade to Aldi or Netto or something...?
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Post by richardparker on Jul 25, 2023 8:49:09 GMT
In this league any team that can string a decent run together, and limit home defeats to about 3 or 4 have a decent chance of making the play-offs.
Not making too much of a habit of losing and being able to defend and see out a lead to full-time, are key!
This might be roughly the team we start with, ... but if we can strengthen over the course of the season (i.e. in the transfer window) and find some 'not-so-hidden gems' from within the wider squad, who knows what the group can achieve!?
They're unlikely to be league-toppers at any point, but if they can hang on in there, a promotion push may just happen.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Jul 25, 2023 9:19:21 GMT
Why are we shopping constantly in Prestons 'dented tins' basket....? Surely other clubs have these said baskets.....? Cant we upgrade to Aldi or Netto or something...? By 'dented tins' do you mean 'two of their better players in recent years'?
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Post by smiler_andy on Jul 25, 2023 11:08:18 GMT
Why are we shopping constantly in Prestons 'dented tins' basket....? Surely other clubs have these said baskets.....? Cant we upgrade to Aldi or Netto or something...? By 'dented tins' do you mean 'two of their better players in recent years'? Also in each season since relegation Preston have finished above us. When we recognise we are a below mid table Championship team and not Premier League mid table. We can then try and make some progress ideally above mid table. There is probably 10-11 clubs in the Championship who probably think they should be around the playoffs based on recent or past history. Then there is probably another 5 or so who think if all things go well they could be around the playoffs. Nine clubs also have bigger stadiums than us. In this league anything can happen. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–24_EFL_Championship
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Post by TinkerT on Jul 25, 2023 11:18:44 GMT
I've said it time and time again, where are our goals coming from to reach the play offs? With signing Johnson our midfield will be lucky get over 5 goals a season, we won't sign a 20 goal striker either, then we've your asking wingers do something they've never done in career. All this talk of play offs is absolutely ridiculous. That's why I was banging the drum for Baker to play instead of Johnson, the Johnson signing was not needed and his wage could have been spend towards getting a better striker. How is Johnson not needed? Even if Baker is a better player (we don't know), adapts his game to the way Neil wants to play (he didn't last season), gets fit ( he's currently injured) and isn't moved on (less likely now given he's injured but still possible) we would still need a backup AM. Johnson cost us nothing and his wages (which would need to go on another AM anyway) isn't going to make any difference to our ability to being in a striker (or 2). I can't see the problem with this. Because we have enough midfielders in the squad who don't score goals, that's why. He does the usual things you'd expect a midfielder to do, he's a plodder.
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Post by Pugsley on Jul 25, 2023 11:19:18 GMT
There’s some garbage in the championship this year. We have to be aiming for top half. What? We have to be aiming higher than that.
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Post by The Toxic Avenger on Jul 25, 2023 11:25:39 GMT
How is Johnson not needed? Even if Baker is a better player (we don't know), adapts his game to the way Neil wants to play (he didn't last season), gets fit ( he's currently injured) and isn't moved on (less likely now given he's injured but still possible) we would still need a backup AM. Johnson cost us nothing and his wages (which would need to go on another AM anyway) isn't going to make any difference to our ability to being in a striker (or 2). I can't see the problem with this. Because we have enough midfielders in the squad who don't score goals, that's why. He does the usual things you'd expect a midfielder to do, he's a plodder. He's far more dynamic a player than Baker looked last season.
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