EVERYTHING about this summer now has me worried, 1) The club making a big thing out of 11,000 season ticket sales? They were 12,000 the last time we were in the Championship at a higher price! 2) Reg leaving the Club ..... look what happened the last time he left unexpectedly!!! If Reg had issued a personal statement at the same time then fine BUT it's the same thing as last time....all quiet on the Reg front. 3) The Nike deal?.... I went past Club Shop yesterday.... do I own a new top? NO it seems Macron could make a shirt big enough for me but Nike can't! Spent a LOT of money at Makro but NOTHING in the Club shop which is not normal for me! 4) Transfers, last season Chris did most of his business early, this season? Nothing .... yes still a few weeks before training starts and the PS @ Welling but (for me) the lack of firm rumours is worrying. Our midfield from last season was only just good enough for League 1, it will be nowhere near good enough for the Championship. Last time we were in the Championship we had a midfield of - Sam...Holland....Bailey....Umm??? (whoever we could get in on loan) and we still went down, other than at left midfield that is better than what we have now! We desperately need two new midfielders and quickly. 5) The quality of PS friendlies seems weaker than normal, we seem to be sending the first team to matches that we used to send a Charlton XI to? Why? 6) Very grateful to the new shirt sponsors but.... why do we need stop gap sponsors in the first place? They seem to be Charlton people doing the club a favour but why do we need this help? Are we a poor brand? Sorry but the Varney thing was the last straw yesterday and I am now officially worried about this season from the highs of last season.... this season could be a struggle. AllHell
1) we will have more than 12k by September. But you have to remember after 3 years in league one it isn't easy to get fans back. Isn't it a 2k increase on last season at the same stage? 2) not a big problem. The entire board have so far proved themselves. Would be more worried if we lost skater/jiminez/Powell. 3) my shirt fits perfectly 4) last season was something that is very rare in the fact we needed to change the whole squad. This season we are lucky enough to have a squad who can already compete in a division higher than when they signed a year ago. I also don't think the competition are stealing a march on us. 5) Lisbon and fulham were better than any friendlies we have had in years 6) perhaps this was the best financially, and the club have confidence that next season we will still be a championship club and have more swing with sponsors? It could suit the AS group who don't want to be spending that amount long term, but rather have this deal as a "burst" of exposure. It's not rare for companies to that. They will continue to build a relationship with the club in other capacities should they wish. Now please don't make a post that long again on a Saturday morning, my head is splitting .
yeah, i wouldnt worry. believe in signings and they will come. we let go of six players already and probably wont resign those on loan. we have freed up a whole lot of wage and now have 2000 extra bums on seats and more tv money. it'll happen. my concern is, are we signing relative unknowns again and that's why we havent heard anything. or are we after some proper big names and keeping it under wraps so we dont get trumped. my medium t shirt also fits as snug as a bug in a rug.
At the end of the 2010-11 season CP had to destroy the losing ethic which we had and rebuild a team. He did that in spades. This season he has to maintain a team with a winning ethic and not destroy its fundamentals by changing to much. Yes I expect a couple of signings to strengthen but I do not expect to see and wonder at the new names as I did last summer. I do not want to see new players coming in on massive salaries who do not buy into the Powell Way and have egos that say "I was brought in to make you guys championship". In a game that promotes "egos" the most difficult thing to do is spell team. Powell did it last year and th one thing you haven't hear is player thinking they are bigger and better than a place on the bench wanting to walk away. Relative unknowns coming in that are as good as Bradley Pritchard proved to be will be good enough for me. Reg getting on the bus is a concern but I have not heard of any dissent at the club and if he is wanting to step down to focus on what earns him a lot of money in consultancy then so be it. Pre season has been screwed by the Olympics and if we had an opportunity to watch at to Craven Cottage would all be licking our lips. I am relaxed at this point, expect a couple of signings coming in over the next two weeks but not much more. This team was good enought to cake walk league 1 last season it will be better than quite a few of the Champ sides without any changes.
Transfer Market seems quiet for most clubs .. Players all on holiday maybe ? We are hoping to sign 4 or 5 but haven't got anything done as yet, though expect to have a couple in on loan from man utd any day now .. Plenty of time , good luck for the coming season and give Leeds a couple of good thrashings.
Pull yourself together, man. Who knows what Reg has been doing anyway, he's been so quiet. Hollands will once more be the buccaneering box-to-box midfielder he was at the start of last season in the pre-triplets days CP is doing what Curbs did- keeping quiet until he's got his man. Don't worry; be happy; don't worry; be happy; officially!
Do Hull have a link with Utd? I always notice you doing business with them. Good luck for the season also
1 thing you have which you shouldnt under estimate is momentum. In recent years Swansea, us, Norwich and Southampton have all had cracking first seasons after promotion. While yeah you squad on paper might not be the best but momentum can play a big part in you having a very good season
4) Sam Holland Bailey whoever (also had Semedo, Shelvey and Racon) wasn't a Championship midfield. Sam did well in League 1 but there's little between him, Green and Wagstaff (still hoping we sign a new RM). Some will never accept it, but Holland was past it by then. Not creative, not a true ball winner, couldn't get forward often as he got older. There's a reason Parky stopped picking him. Bailey did well enough but overall we had a weak midfield, not surprising we got relegated. Along with a RM we do need a new CM and an option on the left.
Thought this might amuse you, AllHell - I've been following the story of Darlington F.C. who as you may know have been demoted four divisions because of some very strange financial shenanigans. Not only have their long-suffering fans had to put up with this, but also the club has to change its name (I'm not making this up, I promise) and its kit to differentiate it from the old club. Here's what they've chosen - Clearly one gentleman is unhappy at the effect this design may have on those of a fuller figure - Fatty Eats Roadkill wrote: Are those sizes English, USA, or continental? Vitally important to know that as the tapered stripes makes one look more portly! I do not want a fleet of Japanese whaling ships tracking my every move when I'm wearing one. Here's the away kit - look familiar?
Our former player/manager and club legend (Warren Joyce) is in charge of the youth/reserve set-up at Man U, and with Bruce coming in, the link is even stronger.
He means Utd that challenge every year for the Premier League title and usually win it, not the one that recently spent 3 years in League One and finished 14th in the Championship last season. I don't think we'd want to loan players from a team worse than us
Ah, but think Ryan - new blood, new people, new grounds, new attitutes, new personalities. All very exhilarating. Yeah, I agree - scary as hell...
Another Director at my firm grew up as a Mank and went to Uni in Ull..... he is a very strange man Remember that Ull are not too keen on Sarf Lundun boys because a lot of them have to stand it seems the Wall boys took it literally when the stewards showed them 'their' seats so brought them home with them Now look.... I do NOT need a shirt that's the size of a tent but I do need something a little bigger than 49" especially during the winter when I wear a sweatshirt under it!!
Oh, a Hull fan. In which case I'll just laugh at his manager and move on. And Hughesy's a good lad, but wouldn't even make our bench ATM, and that's saying something.
