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The Squad - What can be done between Now and the End of the Season?


Jim

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The Squad as everyone knows is unbalanced, one paced and short on Quality particularly in Attacking areas but what can TP do to give us a fighting chance of staying up?

 

Goalkeepers - Managing Westwood’s fitness is crucial for me. We have no chance of avoiding the drop if Wildsmith and Dawson play the vast majority of our remaining games.

 

Full-Backs - 2 new full-backs are imperative in January. Preferably 2 who are effective going forward. I’d like to see Penney get a chance down the left but this for whatever reason seems unlikely?

 

Centre-Backs - Iorfa’s season ending injury is a massive set-back. TP needs to find a pairing that works and stick with it. I think it’ll be Dunkley and Borner eventually?

 

Midfield - Some big calls to be made here not least letting Bannan and Reach go in January if we can’t tie them down to new deals. I think we may see more activity in January in this area than anywhere else.

 

That said like Westwood, managing Luongo’s fitness is crucial plus I see Liam Shaw emerging from the wreckage as a big player for us.

 

Strikers - The only striker TP seems to trust is Windass. I think if he could offload Rhodes, Paterson and Kachunga in January I think he would. I thimk

we’ll see him to try to sign two strikers in the mould of the ones he’s used constantly over the years, physically strong, tall and has pace.

 

I could see Charles Hagan emerging as a real option in the second half of the season.

 

Long term there needs to be a good sort out of the Squad but I do think we’ll see some shrewd loans and modest buys in January and hopefully we’ll stay up.

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As I see it we have several potential options, none of them pretty and not all may be available to us....... 

 

1. Sign the dregs, its January, we are every inch a club in crisis, only the parasites will entertain us.

2. Sign players for League One that's where we are headed.

3. Sign nobody we are broke.

4. Sign nobody we aren't allowed to spend.

5. Sign some players on loan......no Prem club is sending anyone to us IMO.

6. Sign nobody this squad is good enough to challenge for promotion, that's DC's target this season.

 

I just don't see an option for sign quality players. I don't see us paying any type of fee especially if the "wages in installments" story is true, it won't wash. 

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So pretty much what a lot of us were saying during the last window.? We need Westwood back as the other two weren’t good enough. Ignored

we needed two new full backs one to replace Fox and an upgrade on Palmer. Ignored.

Centre backs were ok, and now Dunkley leg has grown back he may be a good addition.

we didn’t replace Murphy, and going into the new season with The inconsistent Reach and Harris was a gamble. Ignored.

We replaced Hutch with Luongo, literally.

we didn’t replace Fletcher despite it being obvious he was key. Going into the new season with a left back, two wide players and a non scoring Rhodes was a recipe for disaster. Ignored. 

so yep, I agree Jim, we still need what we needed in the last window.

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Prior to ‘Udders we’d every reason to be optimistic, but what has happened since leads me to believe that it’s now largely irrelevant whom we sign. Something happened after the Norwich fixture, the result being that this lot aren’t trying. By the time January arrives we’ll be dead and buried.

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1 hour ago, Plonk said:

So pretty much what a lot of us were saying during the last window.? We need Westwood back as the other two weren’t good enough. Ignored

we needed two new full backs one to replace Fox and an upgrade on Palmer. Ignored.

Centre backs were ok, and now Dunkley leg has grown back he may be a good addition.

we didn’t replace Murphy, and going into the new season with The inconsistent Reach and Harris was a gamble. Ignored.

We replaced Hutch with Luongo, literally.

we didn’t replace Fletcher despite it being obvious he was key. Going into the new season with a left back, two wide players and a non scoring Rhodes was a recipe for disaster. Ignored. 

so yep, I agree Jim, we still need what we needed in the last window.

 

I was saying the same things back in the summer Plonk.

 

It was obvious Wildsmith and Dawson weren’t up to it.

 

We’ve needed new full-backs since Hunt and Pudil left. Monk’s bizarre decision to go with wing-backs and shoe horning players into these positions has cost us big time.

 

As you say we haven’t replaced like for like for Fox, Hutchinson, Murphy and Fletcher.

 

Monk’s cheerleaders will be along in a bit but his time in charge regardless of your stance on the Chairman has really put us well and truly in the cart.

 

I think Pulis will at least address these issues asap.

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3 minutes ago, Jim said:

 

I was saying the same things back in the summer Plonk.

 

It was obvious Wildsmith and Dawson weren’t up to it.

 

We’ve needed new full-backs since Hunt and Pudil left. Monk’s bizarre decision to go with wing-backs and shoe horning players into these positions has cost us big time.

 

As you say we haven’t replaced like for like for Fox, Hutchinson, Murphy and Fletcher.

 

Monk’s cheerleaders will be along in a bit but his time in charge regardless of your stance on the Chairman has really put us well and truly in the cart.

 

I think Pulis will at least address these issues asap.

Surely the recruitment team would have said to Monk. Do you want any full backs and Monk would have said no I don't play full backs so what's the point. Then Monk would have said you can get me some quality wingback though.

 

Blame Monk for a lot of things but not getting in new full backs when he didn't play them is a big of a stretch.

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Nothing
 

Westwood doesn't want to come back - he's done with this crap and who can blame him ?
Bannan, wants out and doesn't care.
Reach  the same

And who can blame em..

only saving grace is the televised Derby County  game, where the don't care misfits may try and play to make themselves sellable for January

 

Nothing can be done whilst Paxo and Chansiri are in control, or should I say,
 

Whilst paxo and doyen are in control
 

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9 minutes ago, pazowl55 said:

Surely the recruitment team would have said to Monk. Do you want any full backs and Monk would have said no I don't play full backs so what's the point. Then Monk would have said you can get me some quality wingback though.

 

Blame Monk for a lot of things but not getting in new full backs when he didn't play them is a big of a stretch.

 

So why didn’t he push strongly for more natural effective wing-backs then?

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4 minutes ago, Jim said:

 

So why didn’t he push strongly for more natural effective wing-backs then?

No idea. But they are more difficult to come by then full backs that's for sure. Perhaps he was offered some but decided they were no good. Or just wasn't presented with any at all.

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Makes no difference while Pulis is here, just a monumental waste of money. 

 

Best to honour the contracts already agreed and pay the players what they are owed before spending money on new ones, capable of hoofing it just a little bit further up the pitch. 

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4 hours ago, Jim said:

The Squad as everyone knows is unbalanced, one paced and short on Quality particularly in Attacking areas but what can TP do to give us a fighting chance of staying up?

 

Goalkeepers - Managing Westwood’s fitness is crucial for me. We have no chance of avoiding the drop if Wildsmith and Dawson play the vast majority of our remaining games.

 

Full-Backs - 2 new full-backs are imperative in January. Preferably 2 who are effective going forward. I’d like to see Penney get a chance down the left but this for whatever reason seems unlikely?

 

Centre-Backs - Iorfa’s season ending injury is a massive set-back. TP needs to find a pairing that works and stick with it. I think it’ll be Dunkley and Borner eventually?

 

Midfield - Some big calls to be made here not least letting Bannan and Reach go in January if we can’t tie them down to new deals. I think we may see more activity in January in this area than anywhere else.

 

That said like Westwood, managing Luongo’s fitness is crucial plus I see Liam Shaw emerging from the wreckage as a big player for us.

 

Strikers - The only striker TP seems to trust is Windass. I think if he could offload Rhodes, Paterson and Kachunga in January I think he would. I thimk

we’ll see him to try to sign two strikers in the mould of the ones he’s used constantly over the years, physically strong, tall and has pace.

 

I could see Charles Hagan emerging as a real option in the second half of the season.

 

Long term there needs to be a good sort out of the Squad but I do think we’ll see some shrewd loans and modest buys in January and hopefully we’ll stay up.

With you on most of that, especially the nurturing of young players like Shaw,Hagan and Penney.

My concern though is replacing the players like Bannan and Reach if they are moved out. Let’s face it their agents will advise against signing new contracts now. We are very unlikely to recruit anyone of similar quality for what will likely be a losing battle against relegation, especially whilst pay problems are becoming known.

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4 hours ago, Jim said:

The Squad as everyone knows is unbalanced, one paced and short on Quality particularly in Attacking areas but what can TP do to give us a fighting chance of staying up?

 

Goalkeepers - Managing Westwood’s fitness is crucial for me. We have no chance of avoiding the drop if Wildsmith and Dawson play the vast majority of our remaining games.

 

Full-Backs - 2 new full-backs are imperative in January. Preferably 2 who are effective going forward. I’d like to see Penney get a chance down the left but this for whatever reason seems unlikely?

 

Centre-Backs - Iorfa’s season ending injury is a massive set-back. TP needs to find a pairing that works and stick with it. I think it’ll be Dunkley and Borner eventually?

 

Midfield - Some big calls to be made here not least letting Bannan and Reach go in January if we can’t tie them down to new deals. I think we may see more activity in January in this area than anywhere else.

 

That said like Westwood, managing Luongo’s fitness is crucial plus I see Liam Shaw emerging from the wreckage as a big player for us.

 

Strikers - The only striker TP seems to trust is Windass. I think if he could offload Rhodes, Paterson and Kachunga in January I think he would. I thimk

we’ll see him to try to sign two strikers in the mould of the ones he’s used constantly over the years, physically strong, tall and has pace.

 

I could see Charles Hagan emerging as a real option in the second half of the season.

 

Long term there needs to be a good sort out of the Squad but I do think we’ll see some shrewd loans and modest buys in January and hopefully we’ll stay up.

Look Westwood is a spent force and a drain on the club the best thing we can do is try and get as much of his £25k a week salary of the wage bill.

 

We need a left back if Penney is going to not get any chances to play but Palmer is a more than adequate right back for a team in the lower part of the championship and money would be better spent elsewhere.

 

The midfield of Bannan, Reach, Harris has been the main problem none can defend and their attacking is woeful which has been seen Bannan cannot even beat the first man at corners most of the time. How he continues to be picked every game only Pulis can answer that. For me we need to push the boat out and try and get Conor Hourihane in on loan get next to no game time at Villa and would bring goals and creativity to the team.

 

We need 2 strikers at the very least 3 if we can find someone stupid enough to take Rhodes - that offer from Norwich 2 season ago to take him on a free but we save his £40k wages is looking like another missed opportunity by DC. For me its an odd one but I would try to get Andy Caroll I, big tall and imposing and if we can keep him fit would be just the target man needed, Newcastle may help us on the funding if we give him a lot of game time. James Collins at Luton he is a free agent in the summer and Luton are well safe from trouble but as yet have not offered him a new deal if we could put in a cheeky bid for him we may get him and his link up with Brown last season could create a goal scoring avenue for us. Of course this all depends if we have any money to spend on our thread bare squad in January and with DC in charge that is unlikely.

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