We can't miss him that badly. We just achieved our highest ever finish at this level. Better than when he was here... I'm a big Ashbee fan like every sane person but I don't think this is the time to say we're really missing anyone.
I said we miss that sort of character. Don't you think we may need that sort of a character next season when things get tough?
Maybe, but this team is at least as good as the one that went up last time with Ashbee in it and I think we'll recruit better this time so I'm not worried. Just thought it was a strange time to say we're missing something when we've just succeeded and in fact exceeded our every goal. None of the other teams will have Ashbee either so we'll have to make do like the rest of them.
Who we sign will depend totally on the formation Bruce wants to play. If we go back to 4-4-2 I think weâve got the basis of a good squad already. Assuming that Elmo signs, weâve got Rosie/Elmo on one side with Dudge/Brady on the other. The centre back pairing picks itself with Chester/Hobbs and I canât see Bruce breaking that up. Weâve then got Meyler, Koren, Evans, Quinn, Cairney to fill 2 CM positions. Striker wise weâve got Fryatt, Aluko, Proschwitz and Boyd. Would you honestly be that concerned about seeing this on the first day of the seasonâ¦â¦ GK Rosie Chester Hobbs Dudge Elmo Meyler Quinn/Koren Brady Fryatt Aluko Thereâs quite a lot of quality in that starting XI for what is effectively going to be a side aiming to finish 17th in the league. I think assumptions of signing 8 players is wide of the mark. Considering that weâve been in 2nd place for such a long time I would be surprised if the recruitment process starts now; surely we will have a Premier League list drawn up and I would say that players will be well on the radar by now. The squad is miles better than what we went up with in 2008.
This season we've suffered from not having a natural leader on the pitch and we've suffered from not having any decent strikers available, I expect both to be addressed for next season.
Rumours so far(courtesy of Rick)... 06/05/2013 - Grzegorz Sandomierski - Goalkeeper - Genk (BEL) - The Mirror 05/05/2013 - Chris Kirkland - Goalkeeper - Sheffield Wednesday - The Mirror 29/04/2013 - Noel Hunt - Striker - Reading - Sky Sports 23/04/2013 - David Stockdale - Goalkeeper - Fulham - Daily Mail 15/04/2013 - Simon Moore - Goalkeeper - Brentford - Sky Sports 09/04/2013 - Phil Neville - Midfielder - Everton - Daily Mail
I said it aswell a few weeks ago, it was more apparent during the Bristol and Barnsley games, I expect a few games like that next season this is when some players will look for that leader
I agree about strikers but I don't see how anyone in the stands can judge leadership. We don't know how the players feel about each other (stop it!). The only thing evident to me is that the players' attitude, determination, etc. have been brilliant all season. Even if there isn't an obvious captain type it seems to be working fine. It's not like they're all playing as individuals or having little moodies all the time.
Titus Bramble seen in Hull yesterday was tweeted by some WUM who obviously forgot that he was part of Sunderlands monday matchday squad. Also, today the Daily Mirror report that as Blackburn dither Hull may jump in for GK Grzegorz Sandomerski who has been first choice keeper of late. Wont be long before 2 of the usual suspects start the Kilgallon and Bent rumours all over again.
5 Quality FATS - 3/4 Man Utd loans and splash some cash on Jordan Rhodes(Blackburn) / Charlie Austin(Burnley) and Bakary Sako(Wolves) imo.
I don't see why everyone's so convinced we're going to bring in Egyptians. Papa has never intervened in the footballing side of things and would never insist that we sign someone just to raise our profile in another country. Seemed to me like we only brought in Gedo & Fathi because we were really struggling in the market so Papa worked his magic.
Gedo has to have foot surgery and wont be fit until sept at least. Fathi is worth a deal and wont be that expensive. I would keep them on a years deal each and see how it goes. At least Elmohamady will have fellow countrymen at the club and our fan base will extend. Has much going for it on a commercial level. I would expect that Steve Bruce will be alot further down the road than anyone thinks. Phil Neville is the perfect leader we need in the midfield and is perfect for what we need back in the PL.
Yeah but my mate's nan's cat saw Fraizer Campbell at the KC on Saturday. Presumably there for his medical before signing for us. Welcome home FC.
Couldn't agree more. I'd probably go further though. Phil Brown/Tosser Dowie/Nigel Pearson/Nick Barmby bought players in the hope they would get us into the Premiership but would need replacing once we were there (eg McLean). I'd suggest Bruce has employed a different strategy. It seems to me he has brought in players who are already Premier standard. Meyler, Quinn, Elmo, Stockdale, etc. I think this was a deliberate long term strategy, which has paid off. The net consequence is that we don't need to panic buy. I'm not saying we shouldn't look to improve (in every area), but there is less urgency than last time. Like Newark Tiger, I think this is a work in progress, and I'm betting that many players will already have been "sounded out". After all we don't want another Negredo "blow your socks off" moment which makes the club look ridiculous and raises and dashes supporters hopes. Bruce has a good enough reputation to say to say to one of the Neville boys (or the like) "straight up, would you consider Hull if they were in the EPL?". Easy then for the target to say "Yes/No/Maybe" so no silly press speculation.
GK RB Chester Hobbs Dudge Elmo Meyler DM Brady Aluko ST GK McShaneLB Quinn Evans WINGER Fryatt I thought Rosie looked out of his depth on Saturday, perhaps just rusty? He looked very one placed and rarely managed to get a ball into the box after overlapping Elmo (9 times out of 10 it ended up with Rosie and Elmo playing ping-pong!) Stockdale makes too many errors to be our #1 next year, IMO, and if he is wanting to leave Fulham for game-time, I cant see him being happy to sit on our bench. Manonne and a young lad, perhaps? I expect us to exploit the loan market and bosmans, with very little cash being spent. Three potential ManU loanees I can think of off the top of my head; Scott Wooton, Michael Keane, Davide Petrucci. Served their time in the Championship with Posh\Leicester, perhaps time to make the step-up to a lower half prem team?
Sadly FC was later seen back in Cardiff on there celebration parade. FC is better off in Wales now. Jordan Rhodes(BR) and Bakary Sako(WW) would be great signings for the Tigers to start off with.
Some (in the media) think its already a done deal. As a FAT it would be almost perfect. May also help get SAF prized kids to the KC on loans. (ie. the Keane brothers and Nick Powell).
If either Sunderland or Wigan come down we should definitely go shopping there: Sunderland: Lee Cattermole, Seb Larsson, Stefan Sessegnon, Titus.....no forget that!, Jack Colback, Keiren Westwood, Connor Wickham Wigan: Arouna Koné, Franco Di Santo, Shaun Maloney, Callum McManaman, James McCarthy, James McArthur, Iván Ramis, Maynor Figueroa (who we should go for anyway!) These players will either know Brucie personally of will be well aware of his part in their clubs history. It should be a big advantage having him as manager in getting such players in. We should cherry pick from the relegated sides because although they will have been relegated they will have experience of life in the Prem which is invaluable!
