Let down on the pitch

[Guest wayne foster]

Feel free to slate me all you want but this is just my opinion and I am entitled to it.

Whilst I fully support Mr Strafford in all he has done for the club off the field ie; stabilising the finances, improving relationship between fans and club, Childrens Hospital sponsorship and his hard work in trying to bring in investment, I feel he has let us down on the field. It has been evident all season that we have not got the forwards capable of scoring on a regular basis and being the 4th lowest goalscorers proves this. I can't help feeling that the week before the loan window shut, 7 weeks of the season remaining, we should have used £70,000 of next years budget and tried to bring in a forward. Surely for £10,000 a week we could have got someone in better than what we have. I realise this would have been a gamble and if we had still gone down then people would have said thats £70,000 wasted, but don't you think it would have been worth it? I also think Laws should have been sacked 4 or 5 week earlier than he was. Whilst a nice bloke it was clear he didn't have the technical ability to get the best out of what he had assembled.

This is no way an attempt to knock Mr Strafford and dismiss all his hard work. I'm sure for all the slagging he gets off some of the fans many of us would have walked away long ago.

[Plonk]

Im not going to slate you. think you are bang on. Its just whether there was £70k actually available to use in such a way. i think if there was he would have done it. sure hes hating this as much as us.

[Wednesday-Wonderland]

+ LS improved the budget for the manager by £2m. BL wasted it.

+ Taking out of next year's budget leads to an endless cycle of us playing catch up with our own budget.

[oh_weds_we_love_you]

You can't spend what you don't have I'm afraid. That is the reason we are where we are.

By the way, a similar strikeforce to what we have now ended up being mid-table in the goals for column last season. Wonder what has changed with those said strikers.

[i used to be sc_owl]

You can't spend what you don't have I'm afraid. That is the reason we are where we are.

By the way, a similar strikeforce to what we have now ended up being mid-table in the goals for column last season. Wonder what has changed with those said strikers.

Prozone?

[Tea Baggins]

To be honest mate that is probably one of the best threads for a while,

really put a good point across,

Would love to read LS response to this as it is a legitimate question. :ls:

Thank you for not starting another "we are fooked" thread or similar!!

[Guest WhereallWednesday...]

Feel free to slate me all you want but this is just my opinion and I am entitled to it.

Whilst I fully support Mr Strafford in all he has done for the club off the field ie; stabilising the finances, improving relationship between fans and club, Childrens Hospital sponsorship and his hard work in trying to bring in investment, I feel he has let us down on the field. It has been evident all season that we have not got the forwards capable of scoring on a regular basis and being the 4th lowest goalscorers proves this. I can't help feeling that the week before the loan window shut, 7 weeks of the season remaining, we should have used £70,000 of next years budget and tried to bring in a forward. Surely for £10,000 a week we could have got someone in better than what we have. I realise this would have been a gamble and if we had still gone down then people would have said thats £70,000 wasted, but don't you think it would have been worth it? I also think Laws should have been sacked 4 or 5 week earlier than he was. Whilst a nice bloke it was clear he didn't have the technical ability to get the best out of what he had assembled.

This is no way an attempt to knock Mr Strafford and dismiss all his hard work. I'm sure for all the slagging he gets off some of the fans many of us would have walked away long ago.

This.

[SiJ]

Good OP.

(you get +1 for this)

We have never really attempted to rectify the clubs major failings, which as we all know are on the pitch.

Fooks know if the club had the resources to do anything, but surely a *new* loanee might have added a little spark.

[airborne_rat_of_s6]

+ LS improved the budget for the manager by £2m. BL wasted it.

+ Taking out of next year's budget leads to an endless cycle of us playing catch up with our own budget.

Bang on - combination of inept management and an inability of us to build on what little resources we have. Do think AI will regret not going to the board to request the additional funding for a forward on loan. We really need someone to fill JJ's boots now as the forwards we have do not have the ability to turn a game in our favour.

[Gerinako]

Can't we go to Uncle Moyes and beg for a few players?

[gurujuan]

Of course we could have brought in a loan player, we are after all paying all of Nolans wages, and there have been several young players move on subsidised loans, who could deffo have done a job for us.

[alfonso123]

How much did Warren Feeney cost us ?

*Thanks Bri*

[pgmetcalf]

Can't see much point in spending money on one player TBH. If we spent 10 big ones a week on say Wayne Rooney he probably wouldn't be effective in our team; it would just be a waste of money. Over the last few years we have taken on well known players and they just haven't cut it with us. Anyone who thinks investment is the key to success on the pitch is sadly mistaken.

[gabbywokingowl]

Totally agree with the OP though we probably needed a decent midfield loanee as well. The lack of funds for 2 loanees will probably tip the balance enough for us to be relegated, though the real damage was done by BL earlier in the season (and ultimately this will be his legacy to the club rather than the derby double or thrashing Burnley twice).

In previous relegation battles, funds were made available for defence (05/06) and midfield/forwards (07/08) to bring in quality loanees but we haven't had that luxury this season (not blaming the manager or chairman, we know the constraints).

I think the players tried hard in the 2nd half against Bristol City as they did against QPR but the quality simply isn't there (barring the cameo from JJ which rescued a point on Saturday). It's been patently obvious all season that we are lacking in central midfield (surely got to be the worst in the Championship) and up front.

I think most would agree that Nolan has helped improved the defence. It's a paradox but perhaps if we had had more injuries in midfield and among the forwards, AI would have had to get some more (hopefully quality) loanees in which could well have improved our chances of avoiding relegation.

[scram]

Can't we go to Uncle Moyes and beg for a few players?

I'd prefer we went to Everton to poach some decent academy staff and scouts

[gurujuan]

How much do you think Donny are paying for Jay Emanuel Thomas? They will be paying flip all for him, the same as Watford will be paying for Cleverley and Lansbury. Its easy to use the clubs financial position as an excuse as to why we don't sign these players but it doesn't add up. Why did we see fit to pay a quarter of a million for Potter? How can we afford to pay all of Nolans salary during his loan spell. Unfortunately its down to lack of vision in the management department.

[emiloublue]

What sort of goal scoring forward are clubs going to make available at this time of the season? You get a Warren Feeney or some kid like Sahar who gets knocked off the ball too easily at this level. Bristol City found £2m to buy Nicky Maynard and that's the level of player we need to make progress. Given we don't have £2m we live in hope of unearthing a lower league gem, a foreign gamble that pays off or bringing a star through the Academy. Our last striker to come from the lower league (McLean/Peacock/Sodje?), our last cheap striker to come from foreign shores (Di Piedi/Sinetti/Bonvin?), our last striker to come through academy (Ogogo/Shaw/?????). Not a great record.

[gurujuan]

Sunu to Derby, Vaughan to Leicester and Emanuel Thomas to Donny, thats 3 exciting talents who have just joined our rivals for next to nothing.

[tilIdie]

I havent read all the posts so sorry if its been meansioned your heading is "Let down on the pitch" I would say the pitch itself is a bloody let down its more like a beach in some places no wonder we cant play at home.

[WBridgfordowl]

Feel free to slate me all you want but this is just my opinion and I am entitled to it.

Whilst I fully support Mr Strafford in all he has done for the club off the field ie; stabilising the finances, improving relationship between fans and club, Childrens Hospital sponsorship and his hard work in trying to bring in investment, I feel he has let us down on the field. It has been evident all season that we have not got the forwards capable of scoring on a regular basis and being the 4th lowest goalscorers proves this. I can't help feeling that the week before the loan window shut, 7 weeks of the season remaining, we should have used £70,000 of next years budget and tried to bring in a forward. Surely for £10,000 a week we could have got someone in better than what we have. I realise this would have been a gamble and if we had still gone down then people would have said thats £70,000 wasted, but don't you think it would have been worth it? I also think Laws should have been sacked 4 or 5 week earlier than he was. Whilst a nice bloke it was clear he didn't have the technical ability to get the best out of what he had assembled.

This is no way an attempt to knock Mr Strafford and dismiss all his hard work. I'm sure for all the slagging he gets off some of the fans many of us would have walked away long ago.

Three points

1) Seriously, could we have located and signed a stiker for that kind of money who would have kept us up? Is it really that simple?!

2) We don't have any money, the cheque would have bounced

3) Had the funds been available and if there was a season saving player who another club would have let go, do you really think LS wouldn't have signed him - why?

Not having a go but I just don't think it's that easy.............................