Starting to look like the days when we sold Rob Lee and Bowyer. Both were sold for the benefit of the club. Lee’ money went towards getting us back to the Valley, and Bowyer money to strengthen the team. Just 2 years after he left we were in the Premier. is the Dijksteel money gonna have the same effect? 🤞🏻
So since the strongest point of our squad last season in L1 the meaningful players we have lost:
Bauer Bielik Dijksteel Aribo Reeves Fosu Grant Vetekele
That is 8 pretty handy players in my book. I think we have had a great transfer window with players in and Bowyer & Gallen have done a remarkable job on a small budget but be interested to know if people think we are stronger than when the above were all with us... I would say definitely in respect to depth of quality but interested to see if the new lads can compare to the likes of Aribo, Bielik and Grant.
Bielik, Aribo and Grant would walk into most Championship sides so obviously they're a big loss.
Bauer and Dijksteel are solid players too but probably more replaceable than the 3 above.
Fosu never played and Reeves and Igor were always injured.
I think overall we now have much stronger strength in depth. When everyone is fit now we potentially can't get Lapslie or Morgan on the bench. Last year Lapslie played 27 league games.
The last year has been a brilliant case study on how you can do what Roland originally intended, if you get the right people to do it.
Imagine how much better it could have been. If "the club" learn from their mistakes of the last year, we could be onto a sustainable model. Without the need of a loaded owner.
Use all 5 loans, if you are taking U23s from the biggest clubs, try and get them back for a second season. They would grow with the club and possibly want to sign for us if they don't make it at the biggest clubs.
Take the better players from smaller clubs of bosmans. Some will work, some won't, but you could probably get some money back on the ones that don't.
Don't let under 25s play in the final year of their contract. No signy, selly. But actually offer them proper contracts. There will always be 1 or 2 you can't keep for that long but get proper money for them when they go.
Identify players likley to be released in the summer early, you might get some in January for nominal fees, allowing you to let one go early on the same basis. Think Billy Clarke and Johnny Williams.
The only time you would actually need to pay proper transfer fees would be in the "replacing Taylor on deadline day" scenario, but if all your other ducks are in a row that shouldn't be a problem.
It hasn't been a smooth year, but the squad is much better than it was 370 days ago (Sunderland away). How we have got here is in no way thanks to RD, but even he must see this is sustainable. It may even been an model that someone else is prepared to pay for.
This is a really good post
Everyone is saying how good the Brentford model is. Video scouting is now part of the game and the Bees have maximised its use Over the last few years they have leapfrogged us to such an extent that they robbed us over Konsa and potentially unsettled Taylor . In terms of potential I maintain we are still a bigger club.
Our problem has been that Driesden was not very good at it and Duchalet never understood the value of a squad rather than a team . Most of the players we got from Standard Liege ( with the exception if Nego and Thuram ) were reasonable. Arjavic , Ben Haim, Bulot, Buyens and on his day Watt were excellent
A Bowyer / Gallen / Jackson type management who would have access to Liege's fringe players would have been superb.
Hopefully in a couple of seasons we can be competitive in this league again.
Have to become a free agent before the window closes.
I think that is what has been inferred and the reason why it has not been announced yet. We know the paperwork was done the Brighton end so maybe that was releasing him from his contract before 5pm yesterday and we can sign him as a free agent today.
To cafcnick Brentford put us all through the wringer over taylor even up to the last minute,I am being a bit catty really but that was agony.I know they spent but did they not miss their striker target.
Where’s the old updated squad list thing @Henry Irving ?
I’ve lost track of who plays for us now!
@Scoham finished it last night. Just waiting on the Hemed news and a written promise of a promote from @AFKABartram (for Scoham, not me) and it will be published.
The last year has been a brilliant case study on how you can do what Roland originally intended, if you get the right people to do it.
Imagine how much better it could have been. If "the club" learn from their mistakes of the last year, we could be onto a sustainable model. Without the need of a loaded owner.
Use all 5 loans, if you are taking U23s from the biggest clubs, try and get them back for a second season. They would grow with the club and possibly want to sign for us if they don't make it at the biggest clubs.
Take the better players from smaller clubs of bosmans. Some will work, some won't, but you could probably get some money back on the ones that don't.
Don't let under 25s play in the final year of their contract. No signy, selly. But actually offer them proper contracts. There will always be 1 or 2 you can't keep for that long but get proper money for them when they go.
Identify players likley to be released in the summer early, you might get some in January for nominal fees, allowing you to let one go early on the same basis. Think Billy Clarke and Johnny Williams.
The only time you would actually need to pay proper transfer fees would be in the "replacing Taylor on deadline day" scenario, but if all your other ducks are in a row that shouldn't be a problem.
It hasn't been a smooth year, but the squad is much better than it was 370 days ago (Sunderland away). How we have got here is in no way thanks to RD, but even he must see this is sustainable. It may even been an model that someone else is prepared to pay for.
Just imagine if he hadn't employed incompetent staff who hadn't signed the wrong players, pissed off the fans, tried to fiddle the FFP system with his network, and made a total mess of the club finances and got us relegated.. so much of this is the huge fortune of employing Bowyer - he wasn't even entertaining a British coach to begin with, nor did he value the role of the Head Coach, that has in fact become Manager again over the last season or so.
I agree that what Bowyer has done is a great way to run a club, stepping away from the bloated squads/wages of other clubs above us - sadly very little of that is due to Duche or his strategy other than being tight and disinterested which is only a recent phenomenon.
All in all a very exciting day that finished well for us,only time will tell if our signings are a success,but I have every faith in our management team.While I do not expect a promotion challenge,I am sure we will be ok,I would be over the moon if some of these big spenders dropped a massive bollock and did not go up.I would love to see,like last year,unfancied clubs take the two top spots,and let teams like Derby stay in the Championship paying Rooney 80k a week.The money some of these clubs have spent stinks of desperation to get to the promised land,I am certain that in the near future we are going to get more clubs in financial trouble.Once the season gets going and the big spenders start getting beaten,the fur will start flying,managers will go,and hopefully,some unfancied clubs that have quietly and efficiently gone about their business will take advantage.Rant over for the day,off to a relaxing game of golf to recover after yesterday.
All in all a very exciting day that finished well for us,only time will tell if our signings are a success,but I have every faith in our management team.While I do not expect a promotion challenge,I am sure we will be ok,I would be over the moon if some of these big spenders dropped a massive bollock and did not go up.I would love to see,like last year,unfancied clubs take the two top spots,and let teams like Derby stay in the Championship paying Rooney 80k a week.The money some of these clubs have spent stinks of desperation to get to the promised land,I am certain that in the near future we are going to get more clubs in financial trouble.Once the season gets going and the big spenders start getting beaten,the fur will start flying,managers will go,and hopefully,some unfancied clubs that have quietly and efficiently gone about their business will take advantage.Rant over for the day,off to a relaxing game of golf to recover after yesterday.
We have the rare advantage in this league, in that we are one of few not expected to perform.
Pressure will get to some clubs very quickly I'd imagine. If Stoke lose their second game to us on Saturday I'm sure pressure would start piling even that early on...
Wow, what a final transfer window day, never saw that coming. I boarded a flight 20 mins before Jim White slammed it shut and just arrived at a stopover with wifi, keeping Taylor is a massive boost. He probably needs a few days to settle down but I think he is the sort of character that will nuckle down and have a cracking season, especially given the new additions to the squad around him.
Well done Lee Bowyer and his team, cant wait to get home for the Reading game now!
Now I know some people might think why would we loan out Bonne? Well, he’s clearly a long term project that Bowyer feels isn’t good enough for the Championship as things stand. As much as training and learning under Bowyer is going to develop him, the young lad needs games, he needs matches at a higher standard than National League and U23s to really put that development to good use. If he were to theoretically go to a League One side, score a handful of goals, we would have a player come back to us in January with more confidence, more experience, and with the belief he could step up and help us if needed.
Interestingly Bonne, as a teenager has already scored a number of League goals for Colchester, when they were in League One.
Bonne has also scored against Charlton in a competitive match:
"Bonne scored his first Colchester goal since his Lincoln loan on 8 November with the equalising goal in the U's 1–1 draw with Charlton Athletic in the EFL Trophy. He also converted a penalty during the penalty shoot-out, which Colchester won 4–3."
He might currently be judged as not ready for the Championship, but he's already made plenty of League One appearances for Colchester.
Wow what a day yesterday. Keeping Lyle was key for me and I guess many others. I really thought he was going, so I am pleased that we managed to keep him, he must have been given an improved offer. I have to confess I don’t know much about some of the players brought in, but many on here and BowGalJacko say they are cracking players, so that’s good enough for me, to top it all Ive even got a freebie ticket for Saturday, so can’t wait. What I dont understand is that we put in a bid of 4m for Toney, now I assume this was a contingency in case Lyle left, however The Rat usually trousers all the money for sold players so are supposed to believe that Ratty has done a 180 with is way of running de cloob (which I don’t believe) OR, and this is my theory, do we have a new owner waiting in the wings who has made transfer budget money available as part of a takeover? Something is going on because The Rat does not work this way, don’t get me wrong it’s pleasing but it’s not Ratties MO! COYRssssssssss
Looks like LB used the AD money to fund the loans from Brighton and West Brom. - as someone once said a right back wont win you the league. - but the funds can be used to strengthen weaker areas, Now I feel we have a SQUAD to be competitive this season and by that I mean mid table - lets not get carried away just yet. Lyle staying is just as crucial as the loans coming in. - Lets just enjoy the ride !! and most importantly get behind the team and not be sad keyboard warriors who have attacked Lyle in the past 48 hours.
What I dont understand is that we put in a bid of 4m for Toney, now I assume this was a contingency in case Lyle left, however The Rat usually trousers all the money for sold players so are supposed to believe that Ratty has done a 180 with is way of running de cloob (which I don’t believe) OR, and this is my theory, do we have a new owner waiting in the wings who has made transfer budget money available as part of a takeover? Something is going on because The Rat does not work this way, don’t get me wrong it’s pleasing but it’s not Ratties MO!I
I think the Lookman money may have been crucial in all this.
As mentioned. I think Roland has basically said to Bowyer and Gallen. ‘This is your budget I need you to stick to for me to break even. How you use your players and money around that is up to you.’
So that means if Bowyer can do everything he needs within the budget, he has Roland’s authority.
It makes sense to me as well because that means Roland just simply doesn’t need to get involved.
If we do get Hemed then this will be a surprisingly excellent looking transfer window. Thompson or similar in addition would make it near-perfect.
Of course, now the real test is whether or not these players can perform. Jury is necessarily still out on Gallagher, Field, Leko, Kayal, Oshilaja, Anke, Bonne and Lockyer so let's hope they can all deliver for us this season. The good news is that despite the fact we've made 12 signings this window Amos, Williams, Cullen and Purrington are mostly known quantities so we're a bit more stable in that respect. If all these signings are to the usual Bowyer standard then we might actually do something this season
Supporting this club has always been a rollercoaster ride, but the last few years have left the stomach churning with fear, elation (last season) and wretched nerves.
We will have to wait and see how this new squad, systems, playing style used etc play out, but I feel so much more optimistic today than I did a week ago and am pleased that Lee and Steve appear to have been allowed to get in with building a squad which on paper looks competitive enough to survive/sit in midtable.
I've been a Pratley advocate of late and I'm a huge fan or Morgan and Lapslie but it looks like none of those will even make the bench tomorrow. Have to have a striker option on the bench.
I don't reckon Aneke will start. Can aford to ease him back in now.
Wow what a day yesterday. Keeping Lyle was key for me and I guess many others. I really thought he was going, so I am pleased that we managed to keep him, he must have been given an improved offer. I have to confess I don’t know much about some of the players brought in, but many on here and BowGalJacko say they are cracking players, so that’s good enough for me, to top it all Ive even got a freebie ticket for Saturday, so can’t wait. What I dont understand is that we put in a bid of 4m for Toney, now I assume this was a contingency in case Lyle left, however The Rat usually trousers all the money for sold players so are supposed to believe that Ratty has done a 180 with is way of running de cloob (which I don’t believe) OR, and this is my theory, do we have a new owner waiting in the wings who has made transfer budget money available as part of a takeover? Something is going on because The Rat does not work this way, don’t get me wrong it’s pleasing but it’s not Ratties MO! COYRssssssssss
I was thinking similarly but surely someone ITK would have heard if a new owner was imminent...wouldnt they?
Comments
Lee’ money went towards getting us back to the Valley, and Bowyer money to strengthen the team.
Just 2 years after he left we were in the Premier.
is the Dijksteel money gonna have the same effect?
🤞🏻
Bauer and Dijksteel are solid players too but probably more replaceable than the 3 above.
Fosu never played and Reeves and Igor were always injured.
I think overall we now have much stronger strength in depth. When everyone is fit now we potentially can't get Lapslie or Morgan on the bench. Last year Lapslie played 27 league games.
Everyone is saying how good the Brentford model is. Video scouting is now part of the game and the Bees have maximised its use
Over the last few years they have leapfrogged us to such an extent that they robbed us over Konsa and potentially unsettled Taylor . In terms of potential I maintain we are still a bigger club.
Our problem has been that Driesden was not very good at it and Duchalet never understood the value of a squad rather than a team . Most of the players we got from Standard Liege ( with the exception if Nego and Thuram ) were reasonable. Arjavic , Ben Haim, Bulot, Buyens and on his day Watt were excellent
A Bowyer / Gallen / Jackson type management who would have access to Liege's fringe players would have been superb.
Hopefully in a couple of seasons we can be competitive in this league again.
I’ve lost track of who plays for us now!
I agree that what Bowyer has done is a great way to run a club, stepping away from the bloated squads/wages of other clubs above us - sadly very little of that is due to Duche or his strategy other than being tight and disinterested which is only a recent phenomenon.
Pressure will get to some clubs very quickly I'd imagine. If Stoke lose their second game to us on Saturday I'm sure pressure would start piling even that early on...
He probably needs a few days to settle down but I think he is the sort of character that will nuckle down and have a cracking season, especially given the new additions to the squad around him.
Well done Lee Bowyer and his team, cant wait to get home for the Reading game now!
Announce someone
Keeping Lyle was key for me and I guess many others. I really thought he was going, so I am pleased that we managed to keep him, he must have been given an improved offer.
I have to confess I don’t know much about some of the players brought in, but many on here and BowGalJacko say they are cracking players, so that’s good enough for me, to top it all Ive even got a freebie ticket for Saturday, so can’t wait.
What I dont understand is that we put in a bid of 4m for Toney, now I assume this was a contingency in case Lyle left, however The Rat usually trousers all the money for sold players so are supposed to believe that Ratty has done a 180 with is way of running de cloob (which I don’t believe) OR, and this is my theory, do we have a new owner waiting in the wings who has made transfer budget money available as part of a takeover?
Something is going on because The Rat does not work this way, don’t get me wrong it’s pleasing but it’s not Ratties MO!
COYRssssssssss
Of course, now the real test is whether or not these players can perform. Jury is necessarily still out on Gallagher, Field, Leko, Kayal, Oshilaja, Anke, Bonne and Lockyer so let's hope they can all deliver for us this season. The good news is that despite the fact we've made 12 signings this window Amos, Williams, Cullen and Purrington are mostly known quantities so we're a bit more stable in that respect. If all these signings are to the usual Bowyer standard then we might actually do something this season
We will have to wait and see how this new squad, systems, playing style used etc play out, but I feel so much more optimistic today than I did a week ago and am pleased that Lee and Steve appear to have been allowed to get in with building a squad which on paper looks competitive enough to survive/sit in midtable.
cannot wait for tomorrow
Baring injuries we should be able to get to the FA Cup third round at the very least!!
Wonder if it'll be something like the below against Forest Green:
Amos
Wiredu | Oshilaja | Sarr | Purrington
Gallagher | Field | Kayal
Aneke
Bonne | Hemed
I don't reckon Aneke will start. Can aford to ease him back in now.