What do you know about our finances that I don't? What makes you think that we could afford the transfer fees for "the best of the young and ambitious championship players" and could afford to pay sufficiently attractive wages to tempt them away from their present clubs? It is one thing to attract players away from the like of (pre-Russian) Bournemouth, Oldham, Exeter, Dagenham, Hayes & Yeading, Halesowen Town, Darlington, a demoralised Preston or even a pre-Dave Jones Sheffield Wednesday, and to sign those deemed not good enough for the Championship like Hamer, Hughes, Sullivan, Euell, and Kermorgant. And a very different thing to compete for "the best of the young and ambitious Championship players". That would cost a lot of money. Do we have it? I would like to think we did but no-one has yet said so. On the contrary, the word is that we have, by and large, already done our shopping to build a team for the Championship. I accept that it would make sense for our Chairman to underplay any further resources we may have to strengthen the team, and it possible you are right and we will be in a position to make two or three relatively ambitious signings. But unless we have that sort of cash, I think we should continue to shop at Div One level for good, young(ish) and ambitious players. We really need three better players at CM, RM, and LM, and we have all seen affordable-looking players in Div One who could perhaps improve us. Apart from the lower cost, the advantage is that CP and his staff will be more familiar with them than they would be with Championship players. The other source might be young players released on frees by Premiership clubs. There will a lot of those on the market and some of them might just need a regular first-team game to fulfil their youthful promise. This season CP pulled off a great coup in signing Kermorgant because of his familiarity with the player. But that sort of benevolent lightning is unlikely to strike twice.
Eddie, your examples of players was very selective. Slater has said countless times that our plans in the market are to sign the young, upcoming players with the hope they will increase in value and potentially move on. It's why we decided to spend money on wiggins, green and Stephens (all of whom rejected moves/heavily linked with championship teams). We know little of our finances, but we saw that they will spend if the price is right, and they feel he will increase in value. Senior players were picked up on free's (like your examples, minus Hamer). Our tv income will also increase from 300k to an initial 2mil a season- and with a new shirt sponsor a definite, and rumors of a new kit manufacture and one would assume there will be more money for CP. I too won't be surprised if a player is sold. They said that was always the plan should offers come in that represent healthy profit.
Our approach to significant offers will be interesting. I suspect we will get some. I would hope that, despite the policy Super has outlined in the previous post, we will feel able to decline where a player is key to the future and may be in no hurry to leave. I am mainly thinking of Kermorgant. I can see us getting offers for three or four players. These include wiggins who may be hard to keep (he has previous), Morro who I hope would stay and just maybe Stephens and Green. I suspect CP would be minded to keep both and only if if the price was right would they go. I don't see significant offers for anyone else. Solly needs a decent championship season to persuade people who are not us that he is worth a punt and he wouldn't leave anyway. BWP has little market value due to his knees (I can see offers but not at a level that would tempt us to cash in rather than have him as an ongoing asset). There will be a bit of pruning; Hayes, Hughes, Alonso, Clarke etc will be moved on (and maybe Waggy if CP does not think he can step up to the next level). Otherwise (I hope) we have the nucleus of next years squad already.
I think wiggins will be the player on other clubs radar. Hard to find a good, attacking left back. Whilst Yann is fantastic, the English divisions have never been short of target men. I think it would take a million plus to tempt us though.
Slater has said on Charlton Live that the current team was put together with the intention of them being able to perform in the Champs and therefore there will be no major outlay should we be promoted. However, we have the best baseline ever, in terms of our defence, which will hold its own in the Champs, but our midfield, IMO, needs some serious summer surgery to be able to hold down a mid-division place. To be consistently outplayed by the likes of Walsall does worry me immensely. Also, we need another striker in the Lambert mode (of course, they are ten-a-penny !). I dont have much confidence in BWP TBH.
Our first 20 goal a season striker since lord knows when and you don't have confidence Stu. I reckon he will perform better in the champs than in div 1.
12 years to be precise. I'm undecided on BWP in The Championship, he was poor for Southampton whilst there, but perhaps his form in recent seasons will be the boost he needs, and he did well against Championship sides in pre-season.
The mean, greedy and deadly BWP that we saw until about November will be an asset in any league. The uncertain and (apparently if not actually) lethargic version that we have seen since will not be unless we can find a way of getting him out of his Torres-style confidence blip and back to his best. We need to sort out our midfield before that can happen. I hope we can. I'm not convinced that he and Yann are the perfect foil for each other. If I had to choose between the two then there is only one winner.
Thanks Jimbob for saying what I didnt say earlier. I also dont think BWP and Kermy are suited to play together, and if any was to be discarded then there is no competition. I believe BWP needs a big target man to play alongside, and i dont quite know who is best to play alongsdie Kermy, but sometimes i think, well, maybe he could play there on his own.
BWP played on the wing at Soton . Only at the very end was he moved up top. He also struggled for fitness whilst there. Think he will get 12-18 easy.
Plumb might be right about wordsworth- just speaking to a former employee who now works for Coventry and he says we beat them to a player (amongst other clubs) to a signing. Understands it was money that talked too. Also, it looks like a defender who represented Benin in the African nations before last will join on trial.
We've been linked with Jamie vardy again. Not sure about us signing non league players again, our record isn't exactly great with them.
