Summer window

There seems to be a considerable contradiction on here regarding going up and not being able to compete in the PL. Many are saying that in the summer we could possibly lose any or all of; Patterson, Roberts, Stewart, Ballard, Cirkin, Clarke and Neil to PL clubs.
If they are good enough to be bought by PL clubs, why are they not good enough to provide the basis of a competitive team for us, with a few additions? I'm sure the players are not fearful of the step up.
Most thought the Championship would be a struggle for us, it hasn't been, and if not for the injuries (and crap refereeing decisions), we would have finished higher.
Whatever happens this summer, we will be stronger, of that I'm confident.
HTL

 

It's easier to be a contributor to a team full of established Premier League players than it is to be the core of a new Premier League team.

Using Cirkin as an example. If we go up, I see him as our starting left back in an inexperienced team where he'll have to defend a lot more often and more solidly than he's used to. I'd back him, but he'll make mistakes.

If for example, he moved to West Ham. He'd maybe make 20 starts, rotating with Cresswell with an aim of eventually replacing him. They'll be more likely to attack than us and have less pressure on them defensively. But when they do have pressure on them, he'll have Zouma, Aguerd, Ogbonna or Kehrer (all internationals) in the defence with him and Declan Rice to support from midfield. He wouldn't be exposed as much and would have an opportunity to adapt and develop at that level. He'd be a great singing who will be a top half Premier League left back by the time he's 24.

If we go up, to realistically put down a marker and ensure survival, we'd need 10 players and 7 of them would need to be first team improvements.

That's a huge investment.

 

I'd disagree with that. I don't see a need for 10 new players (unless we lose some, so enforced replacement).
Why are we seen as a good place for young exciting players to come to? Because we play them. If we go out and buy 10 players, what happens to our young players already here ? How do we convince academy players they have a path into the first team? I think we need (and can) put our faith into the majority of those already here. We brought them here to develop and because the recruitment team thinks they can make it.

2 or 3 strikers are needed.
Left back and right back (mainly because not sure if our current ones can last a season without injury and provide consistent competition)
Add an experienced CM and maybe a winger.

(Also buy mitchut and replace amad, but I don't count that as new players)

Let everybody else learn. I'm sure getting promoted this year wasn't planned, so let's take a relaxed approach to it, if it happens,, trust who we have, and worst case we have parachute payments that will give us a much better financial base for a new push and strategic build rather than a mad recruitment drive that may upset our model and "brand" were putting forward to attract young players

 

I agree with everything you're saying regarding our model, why we're seen as a good team for young players etc.

My point is regarding Premier League survival. If you think a core of Patterson, Ballard, Batth, Evans/new midfielder, Michut, Neil and Stewart/new striker survives in the Premier League then I don't think you watch enough of it.

If you're saying that you'd rather we just do our best within the current model rather than ensure survival, then that's fair enough, but it's not the point I was making.

 

Take away the obvious half dozen or so teams and the remainder of the premier league is, largely, crap. Our current squad, if fit and available, with two or three quality additions, would finish no lower than 16th in the PL.

 

Worth a punt?

 

I think that's absolutely nonsense. You just need to take one look at the squads of West Ham or Leicester to see the quality. Even Southampton have players that we'd dream of signing at this point.

Obviously in addition, you're projecting a fully fit and available squad, which isn't ever realistic, so you'd be looking at 5 back ups of equal quality as a minimum.

Then of course, there's the striker issue where I'd say we need 2 quality additions there alone.

After 45 games in the Championship, there are 6 squads which have proven to be stronger than ours. Do you think all 6 of them, plus the 6 below us (all within 4 points) would finish at lowest 16th too?

 

I disagree with this, the teams around us have mostly either some ex-premier league players or established CL players, many of whom are at their level. As far as I'm aware, non of them have suffered the injury problems we have had, and a few have the odd stand out player, such as Gyokeres at Coventry. Our squad is young, developing, very talented and determined and together, and with, as I said, a few additions if we go up, to my mind probably 5 if we don't lose anybody, I'm confident we will have enough to hold our own and stay up.

 

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

 

I agree he's not overrated. but if somebody wants to overrate him and spend £50m on the next big England keeper I'd be waving him off.

 

I genuinely, genuinely think that with 2 or 3 additions this squad could survive in the EPL. Could. Not should. But could.

There is so much to be said for continuity. I think one of our biggest strengths this year, despite losing Neil, is the continuity in the players. We haven't had to buy a whole new team to compete at the next level. Its the same lads, supplemented. Long term planning!

Its why many (including me) have said that there's an argument its too soon to get promoted. Of course we'd all take promotion if offered, so its not saying we don't want it. Especially considering what we could do with the parachute payments.

But this squad, with 2 or 3 additions, could give it a right go. And then that squad, with 2 or 3 additions, could give it an even better go.

We are going to keep improving. And we need to do it bit by bit and not gamble everything away and throw the baby out with the bath water.

 

Looks like Jude Bellingham is off to Real Madrid

https://www.goal.com/en/news/real-m...-dortmund-manchester-city/bltf834b400723f5146

 

I'm exactly saying that our core is good enough to have a chance of premier League survival. Not guaranteed but definitely not relegation fodder. It would be a steep learning curve for some of them, but the potential is there imo. Add a few quality additions as I said before and i don't think it's unreasonable.

 

[QUOTE="Flash Gordon, post: 16682749, member: 1048790"]I think that's absolutely nonsense. You just need to take one look at the squads of West Ham or Leicester to see the quality. Even Southampton have players that we'd dream of signing at this point.

Obviously in addition, you're projecting a fully fit and available squad, which isn't ever realistic, so you'd be looking at 5 back ups of equal quality as a minimum.

Then of course, there's the striker issue where I'd say we need 2 quality additions there alone.

After 45 games in the Championship, there are 6 squads which have proven to be stronger than ours. Do you think all 6 of them, plus the 6 below us (all within 4 points) would finish at lowest 16th too?[/QUOTE]

good squads maybe but good teams is a different thing.

 

I think we could compete against a few PL sides but doing it over a season is a big ask. The demands of the Championship slog have stretched most of our players.

 

I honestly don't think the Premier League is the great leap it once was from the Championship. This year Fulham and Bournemouth have both stayed up, quite comfortably and only Forest look like going back down, but they went with a scattergun approach to signings so I'm hardly surprised.

Newcastle were perennial strugglers until this year, and with a couple of good additions, integrated into mostly the same squad, are now Champions League hopefuls!

I would be confident Speakman et al. would continue to buy astutely and we would give it as good a go as anybody. Also, the football we play is more suited to the PL. Not as many Millwall's trying to kick lumps out of players and teams mostly trying to play football, which suits us.

Let's hope this is a problem we do have in a few weeks, but if not then we've had an unbelievable season and we go again next season and hopefully finish even higher and stronger.

 

Agree 're teams not kicking us to bits of we do go up.
Fulham hardly steamrollered us over two games, I know it's only two but don't see why we couldn't do well with one or two additions + our injured get back.
The crass are only where they are because Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs have had bad seasons, they'd possibly could have been vying for a Europa spot or mid table obscurity otherwise, they've had a very lucky season imo.

 

They did similar under Pardew didn't they and qualified for Europa League, they had that French fella Cabaye or whatever he was called seemed to get away with murder! Was good player but dirty ****er too! Also kept pretty much injury free iirc.

Although we didn't look far away against Fulahm it could go either way if we go up, I for one want us to go up as I think we won't sell any of the lads to Premier league teams then as they will all be our level, also think we would get Amad back on loan as his likley destination is a premiership loan and think it would help.his development to come back where he knows the club and they club know him would save him about 8 weeeks or so of that new loan player thay he had with us! With a couple of additions I think we could be OK. I mean to be honest we all had this conversation about the championship and the overall answer was we just don't know cause none of them have played at that level!

 

You can, just send him back here

 

https://www.a-love-supreme.com/single-post/mowbray-on-amad-and-michut

Ahead of Monday which could be Amad and Edouard Michut’s final game in a red and white shirt Tony Mowbray discussed the future of both players, whether that is here or at their parent clubs.

MICHUT

"Edouard is a young footballer who’s shown what a talent he is and what an exceptionally good footballer he is, young guy, thrust to another country into a football squad and the positive for him is he had some French speakers around him as well and as I sit here now we haven’t ultimately made the decision, we want to get the season finished we want to see what happens, how it goes and then it’s a two way conversation really, Edouard has to decide whether he’s enjoyed it enough, whether he’s played enough game time, whether he thinks the way we play suits him, and we have to decide whether the cost attached to Edouard is appropriate for what we will have to add to the team and strengthen in all areas of the pitch.”

MAN UTD HAPPY WITH AMAD

“The loans manager from Manchester United was here yesterday and I was saying it was a shame we didn’t do a two year loan halfway through it! Listen, let’s wait and see. I think they're happy, I think the next step for them is for them to take him on pre-season to America I think and see how he gets on, they know what they've got, they bought him and I think the new manager came in and it was right on the cusp, he liked some of the stuff and he wasn't sure, he’ll have obviously if he does what I do, he’ll have watched Amad’s clips on a Monday morning as I watch Matete and all our players who are out on loan, Dajaku and stuff like that. He got sent off the other week, I’m sure Ten Hag will be watching and seeing what he can do and yet he’ll need to feel him on daily basis of what he brings and I know in the world we live in with social media everyone will have an opinion on whether he’s good enough or not good enough for Man United but reality is the manager needs to watch him, see him, feel him in a game, see what he bring ans see if he can get the level of trust.”