vonwright

I am off to bed as I’m starting work at 4am tomorrow, but I won’t miss any more midweek matches because of work as I retire on Friday.
I’m thinking of using my pension lump sum to by a pair of boots as I’ll have plenty pf time to turn up at training. I know I’m 66 but surely I can do better than this lot.

With McGoldrick gone and no replacement signed we do need players all over the pitch to contribute goals.
Ideally at the other end though

With McGoldrick gone and no replacement signed we do need players all over the pitch to contribute goals.
Ideally at the other end though

We will get back into this as they are great humans 

It's a strange thing though. All this talk of DC running a 'sustainable club' and yet our signings all seem very short term. Most of them are older and have a lot of experience; many have been very successful in League One but found wanting at Championship level. It's hard to see any of them having much retail value. You'd imagine the plan is 'get promoted at all costs this year so we can attract better players, increase our income etc'. And yet we've stopped spending before we've addressed some of the squads most glaring gaps.
I suppose this is fairly low-risk but I'm not sure it's a textbook example of 'sustainability' - or at least not a very ambitious kind of sustainability. Shouldn't we be looking at at least some younger players with a view to developing them, selling them at a profit, and reinvesting the money into the squad? Isn't that part of sustainability too?

It's a strange thing though. All this talk of DC running a 'sustainable club' and yet our signings all seem very short term. Most of them are older and have a lot of experience; many have been very successful in League One but found wanting at Championship level. It's hard to see any of them having much retail value. You'd imagine the plan is 'get promoted at all costs this year so we can attract better players, increase our income etc'. And yet we've stopped spending before we've addressed some of the squads most glaring gaps.
I suppose this is fairly low-risk but I'm not sure it's a textbook example of 'sustainability' - or at least not a very ambitious kind of sustainability. Shouldn't we be looking at at least some younger players with a view to developing them, selling them at a profit, and reinvesting the money into the squad? Isn't that part of sustainability too?

Brayford, Robinson, Bryson, Davies, Freeman, Coutts and Ward for under 1.5 million.  That's pretty good.  Bueno was outstanding till Burnley away where he got absolutely battered.

Not long -  not exactly a promising sign if he is our No.10 this season 
Long way to go in this window but safe to say I’m a little bit worried

Bird isn't the problem - Bird + Hourihane + Smith is the problem. Our midfield looked a bit slow, unathletic and physically weak last season and since then we've sold Knight. Bird or Hourihane would both look better with a different kind of midfielder playing alongside them.
I'm frankly puzzled that we didn't prioritise such a midfielder when we went on a signing spree at the start of summer. 
The solution now might seem to be sell Bird and use the proceeds to buy a different kind of midfielder but honestly I don't have any confidence we'd bring one in. 
Midfield is such an important part of the team and the balance has been wrong for a long time. I'm baffled that the management don't seem to see that. 

Bird isn't the problem - Bird + Hourihane + Smith is the problem. Our midfield looked a bit slow, unathletic and physically weak last season and since then we've sold Knight. Bird or Hourihane would both look better with a different kind of midfielder playing alongside them.
I'm frankly puzzled that we didn't prioritise such a midfielder when we went on a signing spree at the start of summer. 
The solution now might seem to be sell Bird and use the proceeds to buy a different kind of midfielder but honestly I don't have any confidence we'd bring one in. 
Midfield is such an important part of the team and the balance has been wrong for a long time. I'm baffled that the management don't seem to see that. 

I think this season will be crucial. I was happy to accept Warne's ethos that the team needed more athleticism and fitness etc. I was happy to accept we might benefit from being more direct at times. I also thought Warne might have a decent understanding of the lower league market and an eye for an unexpected gem. But I've been a bit puzzled by our transfers this summer - the fact we've massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions (at the expense of a glaringly deficient midfield and attack), and the fact we haven't added that much youth, pace or athleticism. I don't quite see how the squad we have is going to 'Warne' it's way to promotion. Hope I'm wrong. 

Bird isn't the problem - Bird + Hourihane + Smith is the problem. Our midfield looked a bit slow, unathletic and physically weak last season and since then we've sold Knight. Bird or Hourihane would both look better with a different kind of midfielder playing alongside them.
I'm frankly puzzled that we didn't prioritise such a midfielder when we went on a signing spree at the start of summer. 
The solution now might seem to be sell Bird and use the proceeds to buy a different kind of midfielder but honestly I don't have any confidence we'd bring one in. 
Midfield is such an important part of the team and the balance has been wrong for a long time. I'm baffled that the management don't seem to see that. 

I think this season will be crucial. I was happy to accept Warne's ethos that the team needed more athleticism and fitness etc. I was happy to accept we might benefit from being more direct at times. I also thought Warne might have a decent understanding of the lower league market and an eye for an unexpected gem. But I've been a bit puzzled by our transfers this summer - the fact we've massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions (at the expense of a glaringly deficient midfield and attack), and the fact we haven't added that much youth, pace or athleticism. I don't quite see how the squad we have is going to 'Warne' it's way to promotion. Hope I'm wrong. 

I think this season will be crucial. I was happy to accept Warne's ethos that the team needed more athleticism and fitness etc. I was happy to accept we might benefit from being more direct at times. I also thought Warne might have a decent understanding of the lower league market and an eye for an unexpected gem. But I've been a bit puzzled by our transfers this summer - the fact we've massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions (at the expense of a glaringly deficient midfield and attack), and the fact we haven't added that much youth, pace or athleticism. I don't quite see how the squad we have is going to 'Warne' it's way to promotion. Hope I'm wrong. 

Bird isn't the problem - Bird + Hourihane + Smith is the problem. Our midfield looked a bit slow, unathletic and physically weak last season and since then we've sold Knight. Bird or Hourihane would both look better with a different kind of midfielder playing alongside them.
I'm frankly puzzled that we didn't prioritise such a midfielder when we went on a signing spree at the start of summer. 
The solution now might seem to be sell Bird and use the proceeds to buy a different kind of midfielder but honestly I don't have any confidence we'd bring one in. 
Midfield is such an important part of the team and the balance has been wrong for a long time. I'm baffled that the management don't seem to see that. 

At the very least, it was a mistake hiring him in the way we did - letting Rosenior pick a squad then doing a complete 180 on it after 10 games.  Warne from day one with a near clean slate, would *maybe* have been a different prospect.
A nice fun little game - of all the players we signed in that first post-admin window, which ones do we think Warne would have signed if he were manager at the time? Is it any of them at all?

Bird isn't the problem - Bird + Hourihane + Smith is the problem. Our midfield looked a bit slow, unathletic and physically weak last season and since then we've sold Knight. Bird or Hourihane would both look better with a different kind of midfielder playing alongside them.
I'm frankly puzzled that we didn't prioritise such a midfielder when we went on a signing spree at the start of summer. 
The solution now might seem to be sell Bird and use the proceeds to buy a different kind of midfielder but honestly I don't have any confidence we'd bring one in. 
Midfield is such an important part of the team and the balance has been wrong for a long time. I'm baffled that the management don't seem to see that. 

This Is the issue I've been talking about since last season. Cue the long post: 
 
Last season a few things struck me which have not been addressed.
Collins last season papered over his flaws by nicking the odd goal here and there, and was often covered by McGoldrick being the main man. Collins inability to take players on, hold the ball up, pick out clinical passes, individual brilliance etc is everything we now lack in the final third since Mcgoldrick left.
 
Somehow, all of the above in regards to Collins abilities have been completely forgotten and we have now made him our main man.. we have signed more back up work horse standard strikers rather than doing the obvious and signing a legitimate goal scorer. Alfie May would of been a perfect addition. Someone who can get goals out of nothing, someone who can play between the lines, and something different to what we have or appear to be signing.
This doesn't mean Collins isn't useful because in the right position, he's a decent finisher, the problem is he's trying to do the job of a player we need but don't have, and unfortunately all those qualities needed to do that role, he doesn't have. 
We desperately need an Alfie May, Nombe, or something similar. More old work horses aren't the answer, we need a bit of class and if we have a good budget for this league.. I'd like to see us use it while we have the chance instead of relying on old freebies and then realising it's not working when it's too late.
Collins isn't the scape goat, but he's definitely not the answer.
 
 
 

Don't shoot me down....but am concerned how things could pan out over the short to medium term - together with the EFLs "help" Clowes is intending to run the club as a sustainable business (not a bad thing after the previous owner may I add).
However....in my humble opinion with this business model the longer we remain in League 1 the harder it then becomes year on year to escape from this league.
Attendances drop, which then affect the club's revenue which potentially cover the cost of players wages. Our better or best players get sold to cover running costs of the club and next to nothing of the fees recouped then are able to be reinvested even moderately for adequate replacements and this cycle continues with us effectively competing with the other x amount of League clubs on an even platform for bargain basement players. 
I'm not advocating going back to the boom and bust era of MM but reflecting on the game yesterday we are still desperately short of adequate - and I use the word adequate rather than stellar or world class - additions in a number of key positions.
If our budget is constraining these additions being made or its DC financial prudency then I fear for this season.
Having a competitive budget means exactly that nothing more nothing less. If we are constrained by not being able to pay even modest transfer fees as that limits the amount of players we can then being in then any advantage we may lever over other clubs has virtually been eroded. 
Again I'm not saying the above is a necessarily bad thing but there are definite consequences to it if Warne isn't able to transpose his magic from Rotherham to our club in putting together a team of players with virtually no cost AND galvanising them into promotion candidates. 

I completely understand people who point out it's not easy to sign players, sometimes targets go elsewhere, blah blah. But the clear fact is we massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions in our recruitment this summer and we've neglected the midfield and attack. If we've now run out of money and targets then that is on the management and ownership. Our midfield and attack have needed attention for a long time

I completely understand people who point out it's not easy to sign players, sometimes targets go elsewhere, blah blah. But the clear fact is we massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions in our recruitment this summer and we've neglected the midfield and attack. If we've now run out of money and targets then that is on the management and ownership. Our midfield and attack have needed attention for a long time

Yep get off your arse and make the effort to get back know matter how pointless it may seem  

I completely understand people who point out it's not easy to sign players, sometimes targets go elsewhere, blah blah. But the clear fact is we massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions in our recruitment this summer and we've neglected the midfield and attack. If we've now run out of money and targets then that is on the management and ownership. Our midfield and attack have needed attention for a long time

I completely understand people who point out it's not easy to sign players, sometimes targets go elsewhere, blah blah. But the clear fact is we massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions in our recruitment this summer and we've neglected the midfield and attack. If we've now run out of money and targets then that is on the management and ownership. Our midfield and attack have needed attention for a long time

I completely understand people who point out it's not easy to sign players, sometimes targets go elsewhere, blah blah. But the clear fact is we massively prioritised the defence and wing back positions in our recruitment this summer and we've neglected the midfield and attack. If we've now run out of money and targets then that is on the management and ownership. Our midfield and attack have needed attention for a long time