Not against signing Cornick, but I always looked at Luton's side and thought "they have an eye for a player", the likes of Cornick, Berry, Potts, were good signings for Luton signed when they were early to mid 20's.
My hope for Jones was that he would go and look for the next generation of those players, rather than just signing them all when their in the 30's hoping to recreate Luton from 4/5 years ago.
Less of the Berry/Potts type signings and more of the Kayne Ramsay & Alex Mitchell types.
Ramsay and Small feel like such a false dawn on signings now, felt exactly the type we should be going for - young and cheap with good potential.
Charlie says squad size to be cut, only a few new players in
“Both the technical director and first-team manager say we have too many first-team professionals at the moment. There is only one main training pitch and the maximum number of players you can get on to it at any one time is 22 – at the moment I think we have 27 first-team professionals. And then another 12 to 13 U21s, several of whom have played first-team as well.
“The vast majority of the squad, touch wood and god willing, are fit. So there are too many players. Nathan wants the right kind of competitive tension, on the one hand, but, on the other hand, that everyone feels they have got a chance of making the first team.
“There is the need for a bit of pruning. Is there a desire to make a couple of tweaks in the right areas? Again, that is the advice we’ve been given by our football professionals – that they would like to see one or two new players come in. But it is very much in that type of realm as opposed to more of a wholesale change.”
The squads too big cos they don't fit on the pitch. That old one. Fine but it all hinges on who we get rid of, or more pertinently if we can get rid of, given that who we bring in is probably entirely dependent on first we ship someone out.
Charlie says squad size to be cut, only a few new players in
“Both the technical director and first-team manager say we have too many first-team professionals at the moment. There is only one main training pitch and the maximum number of players you can get on to it at any one time is 22 – at the moment I think we have 27 first-team professionals. And then another 12 to 13 U21s, several of whom have played first-team as well.
“The vast majority of the squad, touch wood and god willing, are fit. So there are too many players. Nathan wants the right kind of competitive tension, on the one hand, but, on the other hand, that everyone feels they have got a chance of making the first team.
“There is the need for a bit of pruning. Is there a desire to make a couple of tweaks in the right areas? Again, that is the advice we’ve been given by our football professionals – that they would like to see one or two new players come in. But it is very much in that type of realm as opposed to more of a wholesale change.”
The squads too big cos they don't fit on the pitch. That old one. Fine but it all hinges on who we get rid of, or more pertinently if we can get rid of, given that who we bring in is probably entirely dependent on first we ship someone out.
Admittedly I’m comprehensively drunk, but this post is like a literary escape game. I’m trapped. Probably both of us tbf
Bloke on Reddit saying we are looking at Ali Al-Hamadi. Can’t see it as he’s played in the Prem this year.
So many people say this and I feel it's a lazy/easy link (not at you mate, reddit bloke). I'd honestly say there's a 0.01% of this happening anytime soon. He'd go championship minimum.
One player I'd like and is more realistic would be someone like Sean Roughan of Lincoln City who plays as a left footed centre back of a 3 and would feel like an upgrade on Gillesphey. His contract is up in the summer and has championship interest.
Paudie O'connor another very decent defender part of that solid Lincoln back line who's contract is up. Could be good competition or even an upgrade. Also contract up in the summer.
Thelo Aasgaard would fill the gap we are missing in the attacking mid role. Would carry a fee but he's tidy on the ball and a fairly big and strong attacking mid.
Players like Al-Hamadi won't drop back to league1 I imagine. I'd love us to target these top league1 players like other teams do to us when ours are on the way out.
A Campbell get rid Potts get rid wt Watson get rid Gilesphey get rid Hylton get rid REG get rid
Ahadme borderline .
Ahadme ??? Have a laugh. He's only been here 6 months & for a big fee too. Not that I rate him that highly but of the current 27 squad players he'll be one of the last out the door.
Ipswich are thin up front , not a chance Al-Hamadi is dropping back to League 1 when Hirst is out until the end of Jan and Chaplin is more of a 10 that can do a job up front if Delap is injured/suspended
Ipswich are thin up front , not a chance Al-Hamadi is dropping back to League 1 when Hirst is out until the end of Jan and Chaplin is more of a 10 that can do a job up front if Delap is injured/suspended
Ipswich are thin up front , not a chance Al-Hamadi is dropping back to League 1 when Hirst is out until the end of Jan and Chaplin is more of a 10 that can do a job up front if Delap is injured/suspended
We have a striker we can sell to them? Ahadme?
Doubt anyone other Chuks, Dixon* or Leaburn**. The rest of the forward team have only just joined (or apart of the coaching staff such as Hylton)
*- Would prefer Dixon to go out on loan, but if he has decent potential could be used as a swap
**-realistically the only forward (Premier League) Ipswich would go for.
Bloke on Reddit saying we are looking at Ali Al-Hamadi. Can’t see it as he’s played in the Prem this year.
Ah, I see now what happened in the summer … Phone rings at Portman Road Managers office. 'Kieran McKenna speaking'. 'Hi Kieran it's Andy Scott here, Charlton Athletic Head of Recruitment'. 'Hi Andy, what can I do for you?'. 'Well Kieran we are interested in signing one of your strikers’. ‘Which one Andy?’. ‘Ali Al-Hamadi Kieran, we are prepared to pay 1m to secure his services’. ‘Gassan Ahadme you say Andy’. Line crackles. ‘That’s correct Kieran’. ‘In that case we will be at Sparrows Lane in two hours, see you then’. Andy puts the phone down congratulating himself on another excellent transfer deal done. HMS Piss The League is well and truely on course sunk.
I know Nathan jones doesn’t like loans but I wouldn’t be surprised if we got Daniel Imray on loan as he set to be recalled by palace to play in league 1
If anything this January I'd love to see a few more signings brought in that are the Kayne Ramsay / Thierry Small background.
Names that make us question who they are, and why are we signing them in the first place
See if we can get some more young hungry individuals who are showing strong signs of improvement in their careers, want to continue their upward trajectory and either drag us with them, or where we're used us as a stepping stone, which sees us benefit for at least a few years.
Tired of signing players from higher Divisions who drop down, and lose their desire for the game, as they seem to take it as a slur.
If anything this January I'd love to see a few more signings brought in that are the Kayne Ramsay / Thierry Small background.
Names that make us question who they are, and why are we signing them in the first place
See if we can get some more young hungry individuals who are showing strong signs of improvement in their careers, want to continue their upward trajectory and either drag us with them, or where we're used us as a stepping stone, which sees us benefit for at least a few years.
Tired of signing players from higher Divisions who drop down, and lose their desire for the game, as they seem to take it as a slur.
Absolutely , i'd love to see us move away from the older players on the way down but the manager knows them type signings and go and target League 2 and the top of the National League for some young talent we can develop. I know we have had some major flops trying this before and theres an aspect of "blocking" the academy players route but I'd rather go and find someone like Stokes yesterday for Cambridge (Bristol City are excellent at signing from non league) or like some of the Wycombe side we'll see on Sunday with the likes of Richard Kone than sign another ex Luton mate of Jones.
Dixon is still probably settling into the UK. Training with the first team and playing for the U21 will be much better for his development than shipping him out to non-league. He isn’t physically ready for it yet
I know Nathan jones doesn’t like loans but I wouldn’t be surprised if we got Daniel Imray on loan as he set to be recalled by palace to play in league 1
NTT20 just did a piece on loan players that might be recalled and suggested exactly that. I don’t know much about Imray but his stats are certainly very good and we need a RWB
Dixon is still probably settling into the UK. Training with the first team and playing for the U21 will be much better for his development than shipping him out to non-league. He isn’t physically ready for it yet
You say that, but he is pretty much walking that league with his goals.
He is 20, so still has time to develop. Only thing is he is competing with academy players such as Kanu.
So it would be only logical to go on loan to somewhere like Welling. Local, but gives him experience for a league in the lower tiers.
Dixon is still probably settling into the UK. Training with the first team and playing for the U21 will be much better for his development than shipping him out to non-league. He isn’t physically ready for it yet
Agree, but I’d add that a loan isn’t necessarily needed. As a winger/striker he can be eased into the first team by coming off the bench and starting cup games. Plenty of academy players or young pros we’ve brought in never needed a loan and have been successful, it shouldn’t be the default for every 19/20 year old.
Dixon getting stronger, fitter and a bit more tactically aware might be all he needs to make the step up to being a squad player.
Dixon is still probably settling into the UK. Training with the first team and playing for the U21 will be much better for his development than shipping him out to non-league. He isn’t physically ready for it yet
Agree, but I’d add that a loan isn’t necessarily needed. As a winger/striker he can be eased into the first team by coming off the bench and starting cup games. Plenty of academy players or young pros we’ve brought in never needed a loan and have been successful, it shouldn’t be the default for every 19/20 year old.
Dixon getting stronger, fitter and a bit more tactically aware might be all he needs to make the step up to being a squad player.
Only suggest a short term loan since the only cup competition we are in now we are going be playing teams bigger than us.
Dixon is still probably settling into the UK. Training with the first team and playing for the U21 will be much better for his development than shipping him out to non-league. He isn’t physically ready for it yet
You say that, but he is pretty much walking that league with his goals.
He is 20, so still has time to develop. Only thing is he is competing with academy players such as Kanu.
So it would be only logical to go on loan to somewhere like Welling. Local, but gives him experience for a league in the lower tiers.
We brought him for the future not the present.
I think next year that could be an option. The club will obviously know better than us where he is at, but I’d think there would be a risk of him being bullied in non-league and losing confidence. Its probably already been quite a daunting experience for him moving across the world at a young age, putting him in a non-league dressing room where he knows no one before he’s probably fully settled in the UK could be quite a risk.
I think I’d keep him around the first team and playing for the 21s this season, with a full pre-season this summer to get him ready for league football. He could then go straight into our squad though, as Scoham says he might not need a loan if he is really that talented but I think this next pre-season will be the one that gets him ready
Dixon is still probably settling into the UK. Training with the first team and playing for the U21 will be much better for his development than shipping him out to non-league. He isn’t physically ready for it yet
You say that, but he is pretty much walking that league with his goals.
He is 20, so still has time to develop. Only thing is he is competing with academy players such as Kanu.
So it would be only logical to go on loan to somewhere like Welling. Local, but gives him experience for a league in the lower tiers.
We brought him for the future not the present.
I think next year that could be an option. The club will obviously know better than us where he is at, but I’d think there would be a risk of him being bullied in non-league and losing confidence. Its probably already been quite a daunting experience for him moving across the world at a young age, putting him in a non-league dressing room where he knows no one before he’s probably fully settled in the UK could be quite a risk.
I think I’d keep him around the first team and playing for the 21s this season, with a full pre-season this summer to get him ready for league football. He could then go straight into our squad though, as Scoham says he might not need a loan if he is really that talented but I think this next pre-season will be the one that gets him ready
Lets see how he gets on in the Annual pre-season Welling kick about then.
Comments
Potts get rid wt
Watson get rid
Gilesphey get rid
Hylton get rid
REG get rid
Ahadme borderline .
Fine but it all hinges on who we get rid of, or more pertinently if we can get rid of, given that who we bring in is probably entirely dependent on first we ship someone out.
Merry Christmas x
One player I'd like and is more realistic would be someone like Sean Roughan of Lincoln City who plays as a left footed centre back of a 3 and would feel like an upgrade on Gillesphey. His contract is up in the summer and has championship interest.
Paudie O'connor another very decent defender part of that solid Lincoln back line who's contract is up. Could be good competition or even an upgrade. Also contract up in the summer.
Thelo Aasgaard would fill the gap we are missing in the attacking mid role. Would carry a fee but he's tidy on the ball and a fairly big and strong attacking mid.
Players like Al-Hamadi won't drop back to league1 I imagine. I'd love us to target these top league1 players like other teams do to us when ours are on the way out.
*- Would prefer Dixon to go out on loan, but if he has decent potential could be used as a swap
**-realistically the only forward (Premier League) Ipswich would go for.
Phone rings at Portman Road Managers office. 'Kieran McKenna speaking'. 'Hi Kieran it's Andy Scott here, Charlton Athletic Head of Recruitment'. 'Hi Andy, what can I do for you?'. 'Well Kieran we are interested in signing one of your strikers’. ‘Which one Andy?’. ‘Ali Al-Hamadi Kieran, we are prepared to pay 1m to secure his services’. ‘Gassan Ahadme you say Andy’. Line crackles. ‘That’s correct Kieran’. ‘In that case we will be at Sparrows Lane in two hours, see you then’. Andy puts the phone down congratulating himself on another excellent transfer deal done. HMS Piss The League is well and truely on course sunk.
Names that make us question who they are, and why are we signing them in the first place
See if we can get some more young hungry individuals who are showing strong signs of improvement in their careers, want to continue their upward trajectory and either drag us with them, or where we're used us as a stepping stone, which sees us benefit for at least a few years.
Tired of signing players from higher Divisions who drop down, and lose their desire for the game, as they seem to take it as a slur.
Plus I see Dixon & Edun going out on loan (& Assimwe going back on loan to Hartlepool when Ramsay is back fit).
The likes of Tennai Watson, Chuks Aneke & Alan Campbell (on loan for the season) will not depart until their contracts expire in the summer.
Absolutely , i'd love to see us move away from the older players on the way down but the manager knows them type signings and go and target League 2 and the top of the National League for some young talent we can develop. I know we have had some major flops trying this before and theres an aspect of "blocking" the academy players route but I'd rather go and find someone like Stokes yesterday for Cambridge (Bristol City are excellent at signing from non league) or like some of the Wycombe side we'll see on Sunday with the likes of Richard Kone than sign another ex Luton mate of Jones.
He is 20, so still has time to develop. Only thing is he is competing with academy players such as Kanu.
So it would be only logical to go on loan to somewhere like Welling. Local, but gives him experience for a league in the lower tiers.
We brought him for the future not the present.
Dixon getting stronger, fitter and a bit more tactically aware might be all he needs to make the step up to being a squad player.