Why wasn't the squad cut last year?

thai malaysia addick

On the assumption that I have interpreted events correctly (which maybe not be true), I am getting increasingly worried about the state of things in SE7. I am not one to criticise the Board as they have done a fantastic job over the last 15 years.

However, putting successful or failed transfers to one side, we had a very large squad last year. I am not really sure why. Even if there was much optimism that we would bounce straight back, most of the players in last year's squad would not be good enough as regulars in the Premiership. I don't know the facts but the chances of immediate return are probably about in 1 in 3. Surely, more should have been done last year to cut costs in preparation for this year. Bent going has helped, but it seems more cuts are needed.

We seem to be inching towards a situation where even with modest injuries and suspensions that we will depending on a lot of untried youngsters. They seem to be a talented bunch of youngsters but that can soon become tough if results start to go against us.

If we start hovering above the bottom few, it will be a long hard season where we will be relying on the guys up front to keep us up. I think we need to be worried. If Bougherra and any of the better 4/5 leave/get injured, it is going to be tough going.

My hope is that the squad will be a better unit than last season. That is hard to judge unless you are really in the know.

TEL

The word was that the playing staff would be cut to around 27. It seems increasingly likely that we wont be starting with Bougy, so hopefully we will be signing the two defenders that were bandied around a couple of weeks ago. I think we have to blood Racon/Shelvey/Wright in midfield....and why not? Cant be any worse than last year and perhaps a whole lot better. I dont expect us to set the league alight, but rather come up on the rails towards the end of the season

razil

there's another thread about our finances that covers some of this, sorry couldn't find it to link.

WSS

Quite a lot of cutting last year:

Dennis Rommedahl

Luke Young

Simon Walton

Nathan Ashton

Kevin Lisbie

Souleymane Diawara

Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink

Alistair John

Andy Reid

Hermann Hreidarsson

Jonathan Kurrant

Radostin Kishishev

Bryan Hughes

Darren Bent

Donovan Simmonds

Myles Weston

oohaahmortimer

[cite]Posted By: TelinOz[/cite]I dont expect us to set the league alight, but rather come up on the rails towards the end of the season

i like your thinking tel , we're certainly due a decent late run in a season and pards teams tend to do well in the latter part of the season ;-)

Oggy Red

I guess the Board banked everything on getting promotion last season - bit of a do or die.
So they ran with the budget.


Then, no doubt Pards went to the Board last January and said I need to replace Toddy, I need to replace Mills.
And the Board said, "Nope, not until you sell".

So in the end they said yes to a persistant Sunderland, Reid was gone - and in comes Gray, Halford & Cook
And later Sinclair & Lita.

And that was the Reid money spent.



So in the summer, after signing Hudson and selling Paddy, Pards says to the Board, "I need a new centre-back & a new midfielder...." And the Board say, "Okay, but we need £5m too ......."

Round and round we go again.


Know any half decent non-League centre-backs and midfielders?
Pards could always ask Fleetwood, I suppose .......

Salad

Relax - there'll be a couple of decent loan players in by the end of August

SantaClaus

Because so much of our bloated squad were half decent or has been jobbers on ridiculous wages who nobody wanted. The board just took a punt on bringing in a new team without dismantling the old one, that failed and thats why we are where we are today.