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flandersmackem

flandersmackem

Well-Known Member
Jan 25, 2011
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Abu Dhabi
Where do you think we are in terms of squad and prospects going forward.

For what its worth, my take is, we are woefully short of a squad capable of challenging, my hope is by the time all the players who want out of the club are gone, we have enough to sustain us in this division.

Its become clear since the end of last season exactly where the ambition is with the current ownership, just hope Grayson has enough about him to steer us through this season and hopefully a new owner can mount a serious challenge with the funding and ambition to match.
 
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It's hard to work out as I don't see any real quality in the league.

Boro and Villa look strong but after that every team seems to have some good quality but some massive holes, we fall into that up front and in central defence.

It could be that Maja or Asoro have a breakthrough season, but I really do think the state of the CB pairings, none of the combinations work together, is a huge issue.

I don't see us struggling, but I'll need to wait a month into season to gauge the other sides. We should remember that Huddersfield went up and Reading were in the play off final. The league isn't as tough as some say ability wise it's more about endurance. Our squad doesn't look big enough to cope with 46 games in the league.
 
The squad is ****ing ****. Weak as piss. No GK. O'****e likely to play.

Lacking in numbers and filled with chod like Rodwell, Jones and co.



Then


We have possibly the best two players in the league, in Khazri and Lens. Who should shred teams


So all in all.. **** knows how its gonna go.
 
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The squad is still threadbare, especially at the back, and if the big three rumoured to depart leave we will do well to make mid table with whats left behind . So it all depends on the manager, who has made a tidy fist of things so far, I am confident that with Grayson we will be OK as far as safety is concerned and this was my main worry before he arrived, as we were in free fall after a season of despair under Moyes. Cant wait tbh. onwards and upwards.
 
We are going to struggle unless we make 4-5 good signings and can keep hold of Kazhri and Lens.
I hope that when the clubs finances get released we are debt free, but I'm guessing that ES bank account just got £140m better off.
 
Last season I was so pessimistic I was off the scale. I am optimistic now about the season ahead and that is without any further signings. Massive IFS but if Lens/Khazri stay and we get a couple more of the rumoured centre forwards then we are only 1/2 center halfs short of a very decent squad. That's my opinion anyway.
 
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Lens/Khazri/Kone if all stay and remain fit and, more importantly, motivated will piss the Championship along with Catts, Ndong, McGeady and (when he's fit) Watmore, so it's not all doom and gloom. I still think we are thin on the ground and need the youngsters to come through to fill the gaps, but upper mid-table seems achievable with maybe a crack at the play-offs come April/May.
 
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We've got some class, but the class is probably going to leave. Too soon to tell, Our transfer window is going to rearrange our club beyond recognition and we've only really got started. Squad still not anywhere near big enough we're seriously low on forwards, cb and wide men once people have left. Just too soon to say for us.
 
safc1978 said:
We are going to struggle unless we make 4-5 good signings and can keep hold of Kazhri and Lens.
I hope that when the clubs finances get released we are debt free, but I'm guessing that ES bank account just got £140m better off.
Click to expand...
Not quite safc.
He will only have £139,250,000 going into his bank account because of the spending spree SG has been on getting in Vaughan and McGeady.

Anyone got an idea of what we actually took in last season.
Is it £100m premier league money.
£38m on players sold this summer.
Ticket money.
Merchandising money.
Other incomes.

If our wage bill was around £78m it's surely dropped by a massive amount with about 15 going from our squad.
 
If the rumours on other threads re possible forwards coming turn out correct and we sign our Trialist keeper then the obvious weakness for me us central defence, we have the personnel that should do a decent job but we dont seem able to find two who can play together, they were found wanting last season and don't appear much improved this.
So another couple of defenders won't go amiss and if SG can pull this all together we have the makings of a decent squad for this league. Here's hoping.
 
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Honestly, I don't think we're anywhere near as bad as some make out. My ONLY concern is that we're lacking depth in defence.

If we get this Dutch goalie in and he's as good as reports make out, then I honestly think our current first team would absolutely walk the league, if Grayson gets them playing to their full potential.

-----------------------Ruiter-------------------------
Jones-------Kone------Browning---Galloway
------------------------Catts--------------------------
----------------N'Dong---Rodwell----------------
Watmore-----------Lens-----------------Khazri

That team plays 46 games, we win the league. Problem is it won't.
 
David Moyes' Stupid Face said:
Honestly, I don't think we're anywhere near as bad as some make out. My ONLY concern is that we're lacking depth in defence.

If we get this Dutch goalie in and he's as good as reports make out, then I honestly think our current first team would absolutely walk the league, if Grayson gets them playing to their full potential.

-----------------------Ruiter-------------------------
Jones-------Kone------Browning---Galloway
------------------------Catts--------------------------
----------------N'Dong---Rodwell----------------
Watmore-----------Lens-----------------Khazri

That team plays 46 games, we win the league. Problem is it won't.
Click to expand...

No team with Jones and Rodwell would walk a league..

Except maybe evostick league 3. Then its touch and go.
 
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David Moyes' Stupid Face said:
Honestly, I don't think we're anywhere near as bad as some make out. My ONLY concern is that we're lacking depth in defence.

If we get this Dutch goalie in and he's as good as reports make out, then I honestly think our current first team would absolutely walk the league, if Grayson gets them playing to their full potential.

-----------------------Ruiter-------------------------
Jones-------Kone------Browning---Galloway
------------------------Catts--------------------------
----------------N'Dong---Rodwell----------------
Watmore-----------Lens-----------------Khazri

That team plays 46 games, we win the league. Problem is it won't.
Click to expand...

Oh and I should have said, I also think in terms of depth we're fine everywhere but in defence:

FWD - Vaughan, Maja, McGeady, Grabban (done deal?), McCormack (possibly?) is absolutely strong enough to rotate and still be competing at the top.
MF - McNair, Gibson, Gooch are all good enough at this level imo, although I think we need at one more as cover, probably two considering how injury prone many of them are.
DF: Love (rubbish), O'Shea (past it), Bod (useless), Oviedo (decent enough tbf) - so we need at least 3 more defenders brought in by reckoning. And another goalie, unless the coahces think Stryjek is up to the task.
 
Salad fingers said:
No team with Jones and Rodwell would walk a league..

Except maybe evostick league 3. Then its touch and go.
Click to expand...

Completely disagree. Rodwell looked very good in patches, he justnever got (or ever will get) a decent run of games. Hypothetically though, if he played 46 without injury, he'd be one of the best in the league imo, easily.

Jones isn't great but more than capable enough at Championship level, imo.
 
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David Moyes' Stupid Face said:
Honestly, I don't think we're anywhere near as bad as some make out. My ONLY concern is that we're lacking depth in defence.

If we get this Dutch goalie in and he's as good as reports make out, then I honestly think our current first team would absolutely walk the league, if Grayson gets them playing to their full potential.

-----------------------Ruiter-------------------------
Jones-------Kone------Browning---Galloway
------------------------Catts--------------------------
----------------N'Dong---Rodwell----------------
Watmore-----------Lens-----------------Khazri

That team plays 46 games, we win the league. Problem is it won't.
Click to expand...

Probably the most important thing in this league. We lack it in defence, we lack it out wide, we lack it up front and we lack it in goal. They only area we're sound for numbers imo is fullback and Midfield. The rest need a couple in each imo
 
Nads said:
I think Rodwell will be a major asset in this league.
Click to expand...

If he can stay fit then deffo. My concern is that we're playing twice a week and his body won't be up to it.

Grayson will need to manage his game time if he's to get the best out of him. Probably by playing one and sitting the next one out.
 
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