Surprised. Embarrassed. Frustrated.

[sage]

This is a not a knee jerk response as I was discussing this with mates pre Brentford.

Surprised - This was supposed to be a transitional season to some extent. Finish top 10 maybe sneak the play offs and get us solid and hard to beat to tweak things next season and go for it. We didn't expect to be 2nd in Feb.

Embarrassed - We have been robbing Peter to pay Paul the last 2 windows as we are in the final season of a 3 year FFP cycle that includes the Clement season where we spent £20 million. This coming summer, that season is disgarded and we should be able to invest again. So this January we didn't act like a side in second place who will go balls out to get promoted. We loaned out Shackell, Martin and Bent to afford to buy Jerome and we allegedly used the Russell fee to enable Anya to make more appearances. 

Frustrated. This is a weak Championship this year IMO and the good luck we received in November and December put us in a position where we were higher than our no more that decent performances/squad suggested we might be. Inevitably our luck has turned a little in recent games, but we weren't really able to strengthen the team and push on. Morris must be fuming that the profligacy of previous seasons has left unable to properly take advantage of our Feb 1st position.

About a year ago I started a thread entitled 'the cost of Pearson' where I argued that his awful spell in charge would cost us millions in the future, maybe 'the cost of Rush' would have been even more apt. If we don't go up this year, I think we could need 4 new players to finish top 2 next season.

I hope our recruitment has improved and a season of profligacy isn't followed by 2 years of austerity but by the bountiful riches of the Premier League.     

[RamNut]

I think recruitment is still the weakest link.

our best scouts went to brighton. Look how norwich and huddersfield have rebuilt impressively. (Norwich still a work in progress).

our signings seem so unimaginative.

 

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

Embrrassing thread.

[sage]

1 minute ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

Embrrassing thread.

Embarrassing spelling. 

[Curtains]

3 minutes ago, sage said:

Embarrassing spelling. 

Mate look at the thread title it has a spelling error. 

[Curtains]

13 minutes ago, sage said:

This is a not a knee jerk response as I was discussing this with mates pre Brentford.

Surprised - This was supposed to be a transitional season to some extent. Finish top 10 maybe sneak the play offs and get us solid and hard to beat to tweak things next season and go for it. We didn't expect to be 2nd in Feb.

Embarrassed - We have been robbing Peter to pay Paul the last 2 windows as we are in the final season of a 3 year FFP cycle that includes the Clement season where we spent £20 million. This coming summer, that season is disgarded and we should be able to invest again. So this January we didn't act like a side in second place who will go balls out to get promoted. We loaned out Shackell, Martin and Bent to afford to buy Jerome and we allegedly used the Russell fee to enable Anya to make more appearances. 

Frustrated. This is a weak Championship this year IMO and the good luck we received in November and December put us in a position where we were higher than our no more that decent performances/squad suggested we might be. Inevitably our luck has turned a little in recent games, but we weren't really able to strengthen the team and push on. Morris must be fuming that the profligacy of previous seasons has left unable to properly take advantage of our Feb 1st position.

About a year ago I started a thread entitled 'the cost of Pearson' where I argued that his awful spell in charge would cost us millions in the future, maybe 'the cost of Rush' would have been even more apt. If we don't go up this year, I think we could need 4 new players to finish top 2 next season.

I hope our recruitment has improved and a season of profligacy isn't followed by 2 years of austerity but by the bountiful riches of the Premier League.     

There are some valid points. 

It could be argued that Vydra was a Pearson success though and Anya is still at Derby .

I don’t think Pearson signed anyone else although he let Martin go on loan to Fulham. 

[Ambitious]

Just now, RamNut said:

I think recruitment is still the weakest link.

our best scouts went to brighton. Look how norwich and huddersfield have rebuilt impressively. (Norwich still a work in progress).

our signings seem so unimaginative.

I have to agree. 

I've said it time and time again, but I really don't understand how scouting players can be difficult - especially at our level. 

We see it year in, year out where batches of players that were previously unheard of put themselves in the paper every week. It's because those teams that signed them in the first place did their homework. 

The investment we've made in players has been bad for a number of reasons, none more so than the resale value of players that we've signed. I understand the need for experience, but the majority of our team is between 28-32. No one younger than 24 has managed more than 90 minutes of football for us. Wolves have 5, Forest have 10 & even Villa have 6.

[sage]

8 minutes ago, curtains said:

Mate look at the thread title it has a spelling error. 

That's what we are both referring to

[Curtains]

3 minutes ago, sage said:

That's what we are both referring to

Was it a fraudulent slip.  

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

Would 4 new signings be enough to push again if we don't make it? I'm not so sure.

[Seaside Ram]

So why are Villa paying F all attention to FFP just as QPR , possibly Leicester and certainly Bournemouth did before them ? I don't know why folks keep worrying about FFP ? Get promoted , pocket 200 mill , get fined about 5mill , big deal !  Who says crime doesn't pay ???

[sage]

3 minutes ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

Was 4 new signings be enough to push again if we don't make it? I'm not so sure.

Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Mo Camara.

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

5 minutes ago, sage said:

Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Mo Camara.

Camara? Now you're talking.

That mistake at the start of my post is what you call #karma.

[mozza]

7 hours ago, sage said:

Embarrassing spelling. 

 

We all make mistakes, as the Dalek said when he was climbing off the dustbin. (Jasper Carrott, circa 1980's)

[GboroRam]

7 hours ago, sage said:

That's what we are both referring to

I thought it was going to be a thread about erectile dysfunction. 

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

9 hours ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

Embrrassing thread.

Knew this would backfire when the title got changed.

[Ellafella]

9 hours ago, RamNut said:

I think recruitment is still the weakest link.

our best scouts went to brighton. Look how norwich and huddersfield have rebuilt impressively. (Norwich still a work in progress).

our signings seem so unimaginative.

 

Absolutely. I really like the look of Kasey Palmer: young, hungry, vibrant, skillful, quick.

To think we used to have Hughes, Bryson, Ince, Martin, Hendrick who were all technically very good. 

Now, we go for turgidity, reliability. 

We used to buy Mercedes SLKs and the odd Porsche Turbo, now it's used Ford Fiestas and Volvos. We did buy what looked like a new Porshe but turns out it's a Corsa with a fibreglass body kit and go fasta stripes. 

I'm getting a bit bored of turgid reliability. 

[Mafiabob]

12 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

Absolutely. I really like the look of Kasey Palmer: young, hungry, vibrant, skillful, quick.

To think we used to have Hughes, Bryson, Ince, Martin, Hendrick who were all technically very good. 

Now, we go for turgidity, reliability. 

We used to buy Mercedes SLKs and the odd Porsche Turbo, now it's used Ford Fiestas and Volvos. We did buy what looked like a new Porshe but turns out it's a Corsa with a fibreglass body kit and go fasta stripes. 

I'm getting a bit bored of turgid reliability. 

Must of loved the Nigel Clough years then..... because that was turgid compared to Rowett

[archied]

31 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

Absolutely. I really like the look of Kasey Palmer: young, hungry, vibrant, skillful, quick.

To think we used to have Hughes, Bryson, Ince, Martin, Hendrick who were all technically very good. 

Now, we go for turgidity, reliability. 

We used to buy Mercedes SLKs and the odd Porsche Turbo, now it's used Ford Fiestas and Volvos. We did buy what looked like a new Porshe but turns out it's a Corsa with a fibreglass body kit and go fasta stripes. 

I'm getting a bit bored of turgid reliability. 

So I’m guessing you don’t think hudds is technically gifted and seeing some of his pinpoint passing doesn’t lift your footballing soul ?

you don’t think vydra has fantastic technique along with his pace ? He’s not a poacher he creates a lot of his own chances and chances for others and by god some of his finishing is awesome,

thorne we have given new contract?

ledley no technique?

now I’m fully with you that we lack some exciting flair , for me we need two exciting get bums off seats gifted wingers/ wide midfielders , we are well served through the middle/10 s.  With vyds and back up of Lawrence and Palmer ,

for me the addition of two such players transforms this current team in terms of results and more inspiring performances,

yes I agree rowett sold some gifted players but the money has made club healthier financially and enabled rowett to build a spine/base ,

im hoping that next window we see the flair / spark players in those positions coming in or at the very least be chasing that type player whether it be established players at the right age or young prospects , if I don’t then I may start to worry a bit rowett ONLY wants workmanlike teams and players rather than the balance of work and flair that I really enjoy seeing in good teams but at this stage it’s very early to judge fairly 

[Sparkle]

22 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

Absolutely. I really like the look of Kasey Palmer: young, hungry, vibrant, skillful, quick.

To think we used to have Hughes, Bryson, Ince, Martin, Hendrick who were all technically very good. 

Now, we go for turgidity, reliability. 

We used to buy Mercedes SLKs and the odd Porsche Turbo, now it's used Ford Fiestas and Volvos. We did buy what looked like a new Porshe but turns out it's a Corsa with a fibreglass body kit and go fasta stripes. 

I'm getting a bit bored of turgid reliability. 

It’s a bit concerning when we were linked with Mc Clean from WBA not only were we quoted £15 million (?) and dispite his personal views he has no actual footballing ability yes he runs up and down but everything else is lacking from everything else I have seen of him. I would love to see the likes of the Hughes type of players performing for Derby again but I have to put my hopes on the Elsnick’s and Thomas of this world coming through to show that bit extra. Most worrying was the players we were linked with in the transfer windows as there is usually a basis to it because to me they were average at best ( I have no problem with signings of Huddlestone Davies and ledley for thier cost vs experience)