Im worried the few wins recently changed there way of thinking and the potential for a relegation scrap think there delusional A bigger squad is what we needed!
No its not. Its really, really not. A BETTER squad is what we needed. A more balanced squad. Problem is, we still do, as is always the case under Sandgaard. The only player who is an actual loss is O'Connell. Every single one of those others was not good enough this season and wouldn't miraculously become so in time for the next one.
Is the squad very thin? Yes, definitely. Do we need to strengthen, YET AGAIN in the summer? Also yes.
BUT.
That was the case well before today's events anyway. But if Sandgaard wants out (which he clearly does) then players were always going to be sold not bought. Bloating a squad full of dreck and fluff with yet more dreck and fluff wouldn't help at all.
We had THIS same argument in August. Why do you continue to think you are right?
2 1/2 years and counting of shit windows and shit ownership.
Stop defending the indefensible
I honestly think you're confusing "it not being as bad as some are making out" with progress. I don't think we've improved, except for at FB, but I just don't see it as a massive disaster. Most of the players leaving are deadwood. We haven't replaced them with the quality I would have liked but we're not going up and I don't think we'll go down. You seem to think you can only be of the opinion that we're either going to be in the Champs League or Non-League. It's neither. That was the position 4 weeks ago and is the position now.
I don't think this window has been good, I don't defend the owner. I was calling Sandgaard out long before a large chunk of others were on here.
Andy Scott must be on commission….getting all them off of the books, including fees for a couple, and not spending a penny…great work
Might not be strictly ‘commission’ but I’d love to see the KPIs in his contract as I assume what he was paid was linked to certain short term deliverables
I don't think Scott's job was to jog a few on and discover Bonne, unless he pulled the wool over someone's eyes. Gallen could have done that.
We haven't unearth any undiscovered gems nor have we negotiated any bank busting sales.
I firmly believe he was here to work out who was an asset, who was a liability, who needed replacing, who was worth investing in, how much it would cost to put together a promotion winning squad with what was left.
If we had sold Dobson, Leaburn etc I would get the "asset stripping" POV but other than EOC, and I suspect the truth will never come out on that one, everyone that left needed to go.
The incomings are all adequate league 1 players, probably more so than most of our summer signings and certainly more so than last winter. All be it they are short term fixes, but with the ownership situation up in the air that's not surprising.
The window has gone pretty much as I suspected it would apart from
EOC going Not brining in an extra forward, not necessarily a central striker Leaburn staying, I believe he was quite close to moving 10 days ago.
This was always going to be a reshuffle, not a rebuild.
I highly doubt we will get relegated, a lot of deadwood has been chopped away, which most wanted.
I'll judge this window in August if we use the headroom to bring in some genuine quality then this window would have done its job.
Pretty much how I see it. We went into the window needing Sandgaard to leave for a successful future, a half decent team, bit thin on quality, but one that won't go up or down. We end the window in exactly the same situation. We've moved some players out and can't be massively hopeful with the incomings, but I can't see it being too detrimental.
I wonder if you'll change your tune should Innis get sent off & banned for 5 matches and Hector isn't fit enough as well as Boone getting injured too.
Probably. But we had 4 CBs in early September and now we've got 4 CBs. I don't think we're worse in that area. We can't judge Hector yet but if you offered me Hector and Ness or O'Connell and Lavelle, I'd choose the former. I've already said multiple times we're an attacker short. If we finish 20th it's not been too detrimental though has it?
Im worried the few wins recently changed there way of thinking and the potential for a relegation scrap think there delusional A bigger squad is what we needed!
No its not. Its really, really not. A BETTER squad is what we needed. A more balanced squad. Problem is, we still do, as is always the case under Sandgaard. The only player who is an actual loss is O'Connell. Every single one of those others was not good enough this season and wouldn't miraculously become so in time for the next one.
Is the squad very thin? Yes, definitely. Do we need to strengthen, YET AGAIN in the summer? Also yes.
BUT.
That was the case well before today's events anyway. But if Sandgaard wants out (which he clearly does) then players were always going to be sold not bought. Bloating a squad full of dreck and fluff with yet more dreck and fluff wouldn't help at all.
A bigger squad than this is what i meant ! as we have now a small squad with players that are VERY injury prone so YES we do need bigger
what the point of now having it like this and having to throw youngsters in that arent ready yes some of the players that have gone werent the best but rather them to fill a gap here and there
Lack of replacements and shit recruitment is the issue !!!!
Im worried the few wins recently changed there way of thinking and the potential for a relegation scrap think there delusional A bigger squad is what we needed!
We have used the most players in the EFL! How big do you want.
Im worried the few wins recently changed there way of thinking and the potential for a relegation scrap think there delusional A bigger squad is what we needed!
We have used the most players in the EFL! How big do you want.
I meant than we are left with now !!!
relying on youth when a relegation scrap still isnt out of the question !
The cost cutting has not been a secret and the ownership debacle continues. I think Holden’s shifted most of the players that he clearly doesn’t want, no matter who we signed this window we wouldn’t be going up, and as long as we don’t have freak injury problems we should stay up, overall I’m a bit disappointed O’Connell has gone being an experienced centre back, but with that said I don’t think he would be in a League One promotion team next season so not one to lose sleep over.
I doubt Holden had any say over the players leaving the club and only little input into those comming in, this was a cost cutting exercise.
After calming down, my take on the saga is that the squad was poor and it is still poor. Slightly weaker in numbers but not really in quality. Don't have any belief this squad can compete for a top half finish. Don't think TS cares.
Just gotta hope that Ness (10 games under his belt) and Inniss (injury prone or red card prone) can stay fit and out of trouble otherwise it's a toss up between two crocked players to replace either. This window COULD come back to haunt us.
Plus Kane, Thomas, Henry, Campbell and Kanu. Nowhere near as bad as you're making out.
We're an attacking player light that's for sure. Getting rid of DJ and Kirk without replacing one of them is poor. Obviously was the intention with Edwards but shouldn't be getting rid of DJ if it's fallen through.
currently not fit
can you start again with players who are currently fit & ready to play 90 mins.
Exactly this. Now have no squad players that come in if (when) injuries. Two injuries added to those highlighted above leaves us looking at likes of Chin again to fill bench
There’s Henry, Harness, and Campbell as well.
Egbo was saying he’ll be back in late Feb I think.
Has there been any statement that business is done? Let’s hope things don’t get worse in the next few hours, as that would be a good time to try and minimise any backlash.
The one failing, if the aim was to get rid of the deadwood, was that so many ended up loaned out. It saves wages but we will still have those players on the books in the summer as none of the 4 we've loaned out this window are out of contract.
My take is that we've improved at full back, improved in midfield (based on comments elsewhere about Kilkenny such as from the Not the Top 20 boys), marginally improved up front (Bonne is slightly better than the 2023 Stockley), lost depth in wide attacking positions (but only unwanted squad players) and left ourselves vulnerable at CB unless Hector can get match fit soon.
What really counts is what happens next, as the squad will need a major rebuild in the summer, whoever is the owner. And if we've saved on wages, then some of it needs to go on securing our better players.
It isn't where we should be in the natural hierarchy of clubs in this country.
That is my problem.
We appear to accept being shit and we shouldn't complain because we've "not had a bad window"
We've hardly had a good one!
Then you've got the wrong end of the stick. Like everyone else, I'm not content with being 14th and want better but we can't do that with Sandgaard at the club. The window could have been better but it could have been worse. We've got AMB, Ness, Dobson, Fraser, CBT and Leaburn at the club. We've got some decent players, even if the squad is a little thin and reliant on those mentioned to stay fit.
This window will not determine the future. We exit this window in a much better position than when we entered it (results wise). We all want better but this month was never going to achieve that. Until we get a new owner, this is what we're going to experience. If Sandgaard is here in the summer, we're going to be in the shit because we're going to lose some key players and replace them with dross. That's my point today, that hasn't happened. We're brought in Bonne to replace Stockley, not Leaburn. Kilkenny is replacing McGrandles, not Dobson.
The time to be concerned will be the summer, because that is what is going to impact how we fare next season, not today.
Up until today the window was going as decent as I could have expected it would do for owner looking to get out, with us at least focusing on addressing where the glaring holes in our squad were - and not by bringing in a Nile John or Juan Castillo type player.
However all of a sudden with EOC going and the lack of bringing in that extra attacking option it feels like we are still short of players and are an injury or youth player drop in form away from really struggling.
Just gotta hope that Ness (10 games under his belt) and Inniss (injury prone or red card prone) can stay fit and out of trouble otherwise it's a toss up between two crocked players to replace either. This window COULD come back to haunt us.
Hector hasn't been injured though has he? He was a back up player in his last year at Fulham. Its not a JFC case where he had a serious injury and hadn't played afterwards.
So Holden tells us how Bolton have been building a team for 2 years and that is why they have beaten us so easily. So what is our plan? No plan except cut the wage bill amd hope we stay up. Then no players in the summer so we build again. Andy Scott was a really crap journey man footballer, a really crap manager and now in whatever role he has at our club he is a liar and a really crap Director of football. Methven may have seen more Charlton matches live than me recently and have some dreadful plans for our club but whatever happens I will always have the memory of him looking so angry as we lifted the L1 play off final trophy.
Comments
Is the squad very thin? Yes, definitely. Do we need to strengthen, YET AGAIN in the summer? Also yes.
BUT.
That was the case well before today's events anyway. But if Sandgaard wants out (which he clearly does) then players were always going to be sold not bought. Bloating a squad full of dreck and fluff with yet more dreck and fluff wouldn't help at all.
I don't think this window has been good, I don't defend the owner. I was calling Sandgaard out long before a large chunk of others were on here.
We haven't unearth any undiscovered gems nor have we negotiated any bank busting sales.
I firmly believe he was here to work out who was an asset, who was a liability, who needed replacing, who was worth investing in, how much it would cost to put together a promotion winning squad with what was left.
If we had sold Dobson, Leaburn etc I would get the "asset stripping" POV but other than EOC, and I suspect the truth will never come out on that one, everyone that left needed to go.
The incomings are all adequate league 1 players, probably more so than most of our summer signings and certainly more so than last winter. All be it they are short term fixes, but with the ownership situation up in the air that's not surprising.
Supaclive said we have NO players left.
One of you must be wrong.
I'll have another check to see who is.
what the point of now having it like this and having to throw youngsters in that arent ready
yes some of the players that have gone werent the best but rather them to fill a gap here and there
Lack of replacements and shit recruitment is the issue !!!!
Useless Prick!
I despair
But he won’t because he’s probably just driving out of the Valley now for the last time.
The fans have been taken for mugs for so long now.
relying on youth when a relegation scrap still isnt out of the question !
We've hardly had a good one!
All the above is also made up, because I certainly never said any of it.
That have been sitting on their backside who they can sign to make it look like a big transfer window
My take is that we've improved at full back, improved in midfield (based on comments elsewhere about Kilkenny such as from the Not the Top 20 boys), marginally improved up front (Bonne is slightly better than the 2023 Stockley), lost depth in wide attacking positions (but only unwanted squad players) and left ourselves vulnerable at CB unless Hector can get match fit soon.
What really counts is what happens next, as the squad will need a major rebuild in the summer, whoever is the owner. And if we've saved on wages, then some of it needs to go on securing our better players.
This window will not determine the future. We exit this window in a much better position than when we entered it (results wise). We all want better but this month was never going to achieve that. Until we get a new owner, this is what we're going to experience. If Sandgaard is here in the summer, we're going to be in the shit because we're going to lose some key players and replace them with dross. That's my point today, that hasn't happened. We're brought in Bonne to replace Stockley, not Leaburn. Kilkenny is replacing McGrandles, not Dobson.
The time to be concerned will be the summer, because that is what is going to impact how we fare next season, not today.
Up until today the window was going as decent as I could have expected it would do for owner looking to get out, with us at least focusing on addressing where the glaring holes in our squad were - and not by bringing in a Nile John or Juan Castillo type player.
However all of a sudden with EOC going and the lack of bringing in that extra attacking option it feels like we are still short of players and are an injury or youth player drop in form away from really struggling.