Its a concern but i'd rather play a few friendlies with one keeper than to panic and bring in someone that we don't really want or pay over the odds...............
Just in general as frustrating as it is that we do still only have one keeper, it is pleasing to see we have been looking and weighing up options. OK Kuszack went to Brighton, Jakupovic to Hull but we still haven't succumbed to panic re-signing Wright and the search appears to be actively ongoing.
Don't worry JWM you'll be optimistic next week and praising Clegg and Jewell only for the following week to be annoyed again!! Like I said at the end of last season, come the first game of the season I reckon you'll be the most optimistic one on here and possibly of bought a season ticket!!?? It is concerning that we only have 1 pretty poor GK but I think we did this under Burley at one time and we certainly aren't the only club lack signings or players in certain positions atm, Forrest have no CB's!! The transfer window won't get going properly until August I'd imagine and maybe alot of signings will have in the final week of august. Every single year this happens, every single year we have the same arguments and every single year the press get more and more speculative especially in this digital age with instant news!! Patience is key, we don't want to sign players for the sake of it like we did last season!! I quite like the approach we have taken so far this summer, not rushing into signings and not being held to ransome, not just paying stupid money or wages (as far as I can see) and not being quite so open about transfer targets which is why the press are being so speculative
Have to agree, no reason to start panic signing players now, and I prefer this approach to our policy under Keane who it seemed was given an unlimited pot of money to work with! However, I do feel this has worked against Jewell as he has a much tighter budget and almost has to balance the books, but has the same expectations as Keane
I agree but lets not forget it was Jewell who panic buyed last season, although I think in a way circumstances meant this way was a very plausible option at the time. I think you are right in a way Jewell came in at the worst time a manager could've done at Ipswich. Fans were unbelievably patient with Keane and many thought he was going to get us up, so when the realisation came that this wasn't the case peoples patience ran out after 2 false dawns under Jim and Keane. He was also left with a terrible squad but one with players on high wages and due to the spending of both Keane and Jim ME's patience also ran out so he hasn't given Jewell anywhere near as much money when I actually think he would spend it very well. His record here on transfer fees IMO has been pretty good it was just the freebies last season which let him down. And ontop of all this expectations were still high which is why I think his transfer policy was what it was last summer.
Maybe not panic bought but more quick fix. I geuss he was left with a very poor squad which needed strengthening in every position and he didn't have the awareness of players out there who were available, he wasn't settled into his job i geuss to take a gamble on a lower league player but he wanted to try and compete so he went out and got in what he thought was proven quality.
OH, JWM your nothing if not entertaining!!! Its nowhere near a great situation but its a better situation than signing up a no-one/ player thats not good enough just to make up the numbers. We all know there is a urgent need for at least one keeper/ probably two to be added to the squad but as long as they are here before the start of the season then it is only a minor irritation rather than a major shambles. Last season there was a lot of complaints that we panic brought or that we went for short term solutions. This season we appear to be taking our time to get the right players in and although that offers short term frustration it will hopefully see the club on a better long term footing.
JWM, i agree that the situation isn't great but like the others said, i would rather not panic buy and get the right person instead of being stuck with a crap keeper. We have had some seriously bad panic buys in the not to distant past, Priskin is one that leaps out immediately so i fully back the club in taking their time just as long as it is sorted by the start of the season.
perhaps he's just trying to make sure he gets the right man between the sticks? if you start the league season with one keeper then perhaps you should panic but a training tour of the netherlands? nah
morning Supers! I remember a few years back I was coming on your boards and trying to give a rationalised picture from the outside whilst all you guys so involved in the 'action' were having moans and grumbles - how things have changed. I see your linked with Snodgrass again, even though you have changed manager. Do you have a DOF or someone up there who scouts players or is it down to the manager? Seems a bit strange that your last two managers have both been so closely linked with the same player.
morning. as i often say, its easier to see things clearer from the outside! i really don't think you need to panic about the keeper at the moment, though concerns will continue to grow if its not solved soon. we have a similar issue where people can't understand why we are buying midfielders when we are short at the back. fact is, it's irrelevant what order the players turn up, so long as they arrive at some point! leeds united, or should that be, feeds united, are good to us. we give them our old boys like drury and possibly crofts, and we get their rising stars. its an arrangement we are both happy with ok, maybe they aren't overly enamoured with it! seriously though, lambert's buys were courtesy of our chief scout ewan chester who is very highly rated when it comes to sourcing young talent outside the top flight. lambert was restricted at looking at these type of players as we can't afford top wages, so hughton is naturally looking at the same players. just so happens, leeds have some very good midfield players who fit perfectly into our club!
I thought I'd come over and see how you boys are and to my surprise I find a thread called "what a shambles" Can't be all that bad can it lads?
Good input Supers, as you say the order isnt important and as long as they are in by the start of the season then we have no major issues. Has Chester been at the club long -it appears your upturn in fortunes coincided with the arrival of Lambert so was he brought in at the same time or is it just coincidence? Beef - all depends on how you look at it. Personally I feel a lot happier this preseason then I have at any time in the past 2 summers but then I also have lower expectations. Im not expecting more than a top half finish but we do need players in. I would say ideally 2 keepers, 1 CB, a striker, and a midfielder, Depending on how the kids do in preseason We also potentially need cover at LB especially and possibly a few other places aswell.
ewan chester was brought to the club by mcnally when he first arrived, just before lambert took over, having spent 20-something years with rangers. chester then fell out with lambert just before our premier league campaign started and left, appointed chief scout with birmingham by none other than chris hughton after a move to chelsea fell through when AVB was appointed, before coming back here with our new manager! its been like the magic roundabout! he is credited with finding most of lambert's buys in league one and the championship and recommended the likes of bennett and pilkington for our premier league campaign. obviously our success is not solely down to him, but lambert and now hughton are being told about these players and liking what they see as for you lot, close-season and then pre-season are notoriously frustrating times as a supporter. we all want our club to be buying new players and can't understand why sometimes it doesn't happen quickly! trouble is, its difficult to bring players in at any time but when players are on holiday or preparing for a new season, often under a new manager, looking to impress, its not always as easy to prise people away as you'd think. patience is the key but trusting your manager and board would help too. not sure you lot can say categorically that you can at the moment.
Supers, looks like things have worked out fairly well for you guys then. Its amazing how important having a good scout can be. Look at where Newcastle has got to after their scout picked up 3 or 4 really good players from obscurity. For us, I am trying to remain relaxed as I agree with everything you have said in your posts but I will be getting worried if we dont hear some positive news in the next 2 or 3 weeks. Only having 1 keeper and personal worries over our 'star' striker is not the best way to enter the season!
nigel worthington once said 'i'm only as good as my scouting team'. that's why he was **** in the end... i was one of them
Only 5 weeks to go before the start of the season with only 1 recognised keeper! Name me another team in the football league with exception to Portsmouth who are as threadbare as we are! Every year we get all this bollocks about the importance of signing our targets before the pre-season friendlies. Jewell said the same thing after the last game of the season. He is either a complete bullshitter or he has missed out on targets due to the inability to match wage demands. I just wish sometimes that he would shut the **** up! Any Goalkeeper that comes in will need as much game time as possible to get used to his back four and to gel with his team mates. It's hardly rocket science is it? Look at what happened last year when we got stockdale in at the last minute and threw him in straight away!
I don't think you will find anybody saying its ideal JWM, just nothing to get our knickers in a twist about. The only thing that worries me about all of this is if Cleggy is discussing with his new friend sfrom Gyam about the best way to kill the brown tree snake for the next 3 weeks, who the **** is doing the signings!
JWM you're full of contradictions. You want us to solve the goalkeeping problem but you want us to rush to sign any goalkeeper at any price so we have someone now this minute. Let's learn from our mistakes and stick with what we already have until the right long term solution comes along at the right wage, even if that's not until January or next summer. Personally I would be content with ALB as number one between the sticks, Wright and an academy keeper as back up for next season. We need to start putting pegs in the holes and so far, if we include Chambers, we only have three players we know will start every week (although Luke Hyam should definitely be a fourth). If we get another few sorted, GK or not, then that's progress and I think a settled ALB would be progress on what we've done with keepers over the last five years.
