MadAmster

Adams (hopefully) and Tommo? It will be interesting to see what formation PW goes for in the SBC. 352? that would likely see NML in the "2" alongside Collo or Collo's replacement. Did NML's downturn in form coincide with playing up top rather than out wide? If so, will he improve up top in the SBC? It would likely see Wilson/Ward as RWBs and Sibs/Elder at LWB. Would we need NML/CBT playing a winger role? So many questions to be answered.

Back to the title of the thread, it seems the retained list will be published either later this week or early next. Once the lads get back from Vegas, those being let go will be told exactly that. Those PW wishes to keep will be offered new contracts. Once it's all sorted, the list will be published. Quite likely the let go list with the addendum that players x, y and z have been offered new contracts....

He was carrying an injury when we signed him. Played well against Pompey giving us a glimpse of what he can do. Given rest now to get fully over the injury and then a full pre season should see him back to his best. If he's as good for us as he was for Charlton, no way should we let go.

Me 2. Next season would be totally amazing if we were to be up there but it's a tad early for that IMO

NML off to Guatemala games shortly. Will Adams have any summer international games or Nyambe if he's fit?

CBT was out of contract this summer at Charlton. We had no money in the "buy" pot but did have some in the "loan fee" pot. We paid a £300K loan fee and he's a DCFC player from July 1st when his CAFC contract has expired.

I actually think, from what I observe in games, albeit 80% via RamsTV, and from snippets they show of training that Barker does more of the "hands on" stuff and PW is more the management type, an enabler. Deciding on the direction, making everything necessary to the coaching staff, doing the HR stuff etc. He does do some of the coaching but I get the impression that Barker is the main hands on guy. I'm not applauding or decrying PW, more looking at it as a team effort. A gaffer who decides who, what, where and how and a staff who implement it.

Total wage bill of £17M of which the players cost around £7M. That £17M is well above the total turnover of almost all L1 clubs and I'd estimate the £7M would beat the total budget of half a dozen L1 clubs.

CBT was injured when he arrrived, not been properly fit since then. Some rest to properly fix whatever it was and then BOOM, pre season and flying for the weekend of August 10th.

Promotion should always be the aim. However, not making it isn't necessarily a hanging offence. I want promotion next season. Would love it to happen. Midtable or better would suffice though. Ipswich? They built over 4 seasons into a team capable of back to back promotions. 2 years ago we had 5 players and no money. We brought in a shedload of players on freebies. 1 year ago we had a bit of a clearout and brought even more in. Today we have 14 players out of contract. Some will retire, some will go back to their parent clubs, some will be let go. We are likely to have an influx of 10 to 12 players again. A million miles away form the Tractors steady build. Would I like back to back promotions? Hell, yes. Do I expect it? Hell, no.

Correct. I've just been going through the new deal and they have, indeed, said there will be a longer advanced notice of which games will be moved. Home games on a Friday/Saturday and again the following Tuesday sound an interesting prospect for a visit home. Having said that, even if we're in midtable obscurity, I fully expect we'll have more games moved than most. Each weekend, 5 of the 12 SBC games will be televised live. On average, we can expect each team to have 5/12 of their 46 games televised which is 15, so 7 or 8 of our home games. That, however, is an average. I fully expect at least half of our 23 home games to be televised. Idem ditto away. 20+ games, live on Sky and only available on Sky in the UK and VPNland. All other non UK places will still have access to their club TV service and Sky/football clubs also have a similar thing to iFollow for expats.

Might we have won 3-0 if VAR had been in use? The Adams disallowed goal. Was that wrongly disallowed? He was definitely in an offside position when Sibs (?) shot. A defender then put in a block on the shot, the ball went into the air and Adams acrobatically volleyed it into the net. The defender had purposely blocked the shot. That played Adams on, didn't it? I remember earlier this season a Mo Salah goal that caused a lot of discussion. IIRC it was a free kick from the left, Salah was in an offside position, as the ball came in, a defender jumped and attempted to head the ball away, however, it merely glanced off the top of his bonce and dropped to Salah, who was still stood in an offside position, who put it away. Not sure whether the flag went up or not but VAR looked at and said, in perfect accordance with the offside Law, that the defender had purposely played the ball and, therefore, Salah was not offside. Same circumstances as Ebou's disallowed goal...

Next season is, indeed, the time to pass judgment on CBT. Arrived injured, looked it, improved and that showed as well, then his injury flared up (or was it a different one?) and he didn't shine. Get better, get fit, get a full pre season in him and, hopefully, we'll get the player we thought and hoped we were.

Not had a season ticket since the 83/84 season when I moved to the Netherlands. I usually manage between 6 and 8 games a season. Flights, trains, hotels, match tickets and food and drink make each trip an expensive one. I'd do more games but 8 games is about as far as I an stretch my pension. This new TV deal will likely see me having to book flights closer to game day which will see me having to pay higher fares. I usually travel in Friday morning and back Sunday tea time. I may have to reduce my weekends away to Saturday morning to Sunday tea time. Thanks Sky! NOT

Agreed. However, we should, IMO, temper our expectations. Clowes has been clear from day 1 that the club will be run sustainably and be self sufficient. i.e. he's not going to throw millions at it. We'll spend what we can afford and no more than that. If it takes 2 or 3 seasons to start challenging for the top 6, so be it. Obviously, top 6 is where I'd love to be this time next year. I'm just not going to run that particular flag up the pole as it's a perfectly normal wish but not a likely probability. Midtable would do me fine under the circumstances. If we do better, you won't find me complaining about it.

@DavesaRam The lift was right 🙂 On the PW front, I'm expecting to see more of his post 3rd promotion with RUFC football than that of the first 2 he had with them. In the weeks leading up to us nicking him, their fans were waxing lyrical about the results and the style of play being served up. An expansive style. I hope my expectations become a reality.

No, but it did derail him...

Having been decimated 2 years ago, take a look at how the 18s and 21s have improved over the season. 21s started with something like 7 straight defeats. Picked up in recent months. We're starting to see what they can put together. They will now be in possession of a list of names and positions from PW. Let's see what transpires.

I know we can't afford his wages (unless he's pocketed enough during 7 PL seasons) but Will Hughes contract runs out this summer. Would you welcome him back?

... then you probably also read from my posts that RUFC fans were waxing lyrical early season about both the results and the style of play. More expansive than "Warneball". Not just down the outside cross it and hope...

I did once suggest QPR name one of their stands the R's end... they never replied 😉

If PW plays the game he did at Rotherham in his 3rd season in the SBC with them, he'll get much better service and better back up from oncoming midfielders. We shall see.

Warne's already said, a couple of weeks back. exactly what I wrote. If he shows well in pre season, he's there but, if the staff think he's not quite up to it yet, it'll be a loan, hopefully, with recall clauses in the contract

I was at the game and loved every minute from hitting the Neptune at 0930 and leaving the Brunny about 2030 en route to my hotel where I had another couple before hitting the hay, having been up since 0300. I've just watched the full 90 plus all the shenanigans on the pitch afterwards. Congratulations, Owen. You didn't melt. You stayed very professional and did a sterling job. Your voice was so chock full of emotion, you could have been forgiven for having a meltdown but you soldiered on. Like a true Ram, fighting till the end. Thank you for your coverage, not just from last Saturday but also from the other 38 games where this expat watched and listened to #RamsTV just outside of Amsterdam. Already looking forward to next season's offerings and hoping I can, again, get over for around 8 of the games. Ewe Rams!

Leave as is. Why? Well, he is the L1 Guardiola but based on his first 2 stints in the SBC with Rotherham, he's more like the SBC Zola or Rooney. Fair play in his 3rd stint with them he had them 8th and, if they won their game in hand, potentially 5th after 10 games. he lfet to come to us and they dropped to 19th and got relegated this season. I'm still of the opinion the 2 relegations say more about RUFC than they do about PW. Their fans were praising his football there in those opening games. Proper football, not Warneball they said. He may well have learned what does and doesn't work in the SBC. We shall see. We need to see decent results and proper football. I hope he delivers both. By decent results, anything better than midtable would be a bonus, and a very welcome one, at that.