Summer window

Have probably said this before. I have spoken to people who worked with Speakman and Dodds and they speak very highly of them both.

I would suggest another year like the one we have just had and it will be Speakman and his team we are fighting to keep hold of.

 

Personally think his biggest strength is his movement. He drags players all over the place at speed and in doing so gives us an out ball and creates gaps.

 

That he does, he quite often occupied 2 centre halves when he was playing.

 

Spot on.

 

His closing down and hassling of the opposition back line goes along with this. Never gives them a seconds peace and does it for 90 plus minutes.

I've said before as many as he scores his finishing is probably the weakest part of his game, still more than good enough like!

 

How often have opposing teams had to put two players on Roberts or Clarke.
With Ross they would also need two players to mark him and, as said, he will drag them all over the place.
The opposition only have the same number of players as us so doubling up on those three leaves plenty unmarked and we have the players to exploit that.

 

I don't remember us ever playing 'long ball' when Stewart was fit, to be honest. Stewart is very good with his feet and him playing doesn't impact on the way we play, in terms of a slow patient build up, at all. What it does do is offer more threat from crosses and corners and it gives us another option if we do need to change things up. We would have rightly gone more direct last 10 mins against Luton 2nd half if we had the option, but we didn't.

 

Nothing interesting in there as you'd expect. Key points I found at least mildly interesting:

• No mention of manager job but he regularly talking about "Tony and the players" which to me confirms he's going nowhere
• Each first team player, including those coming back from loan has had a debrief at end of season
• Wants to be early to the summer market but only for right player
• Some of the recruitment work for this window started in January
• Specifically called out Carl Winchester and how hard it was to let him go because of how respected he is at the club
• Joffy was playing through an injury for most of the time he was here, an injury that would keep most players out but he wanted to keep playing (fair ****ing play for that)
• Michut - we had the option to trigger it. We had lots of conversations with him but there wasn't enough alignment to go through with the deal (consultant translation - he turned us down)
• More renovation on the academy this summer
• New kitchen etc in academy for advanced nutrition
• More money going into pitches this summer than in the last 4 combined.

 

Joffys injury will be why he was subbed even when he played well

 

Cheers for the summary. Was wondering when the AOL stuff was going to be actioned. Great to see it continue to prosper

 

Not surprised to hear that Gelhardt was playing with an injury, the lads got a lot of guts. Fair play to him for putting the club first, not sure how many loanees would.

 

Sounds more like the actions of someone desperate to sign permanently, perhaps a deal in principle in place like with Clarke last season? I think he’d be a good addition to the overall squad.

 

Aye that’s a class attitude to have and exactly the character we look for, hoping we go back in for him if Leeds stay up…don’t think we’ll get a chance if they come down like.

 

He could be absolutely superb when fully fit alongside someone like Stewart.

 

Interesting comments about the playing side of Gelhardt, being brought in with different personnel to play with and had to adapt quickly to something else. Obviously, as most of us thought, he was primarily brought in to play off of Ross.

 

Simms

 

Who yeah. 100%. I like my strikers to be able to score goals and have a threat. Be a great signing at the right price.

 

What do you mean there?

 

I watched the highlights back from the season and honestly forgot how good Simms was! I would love him back!