Summer window

As l see it.
We have the making of a very good team if l include a fit and willing Stewart, and based on these nine player.
Patterson, Cirkin, Ballard, Hume
Neil, Etwah,
Clarke, Stewart, and Roberts.
IMO l think we should be building the team around these player, seven of which are still young,
The data driven approach should find the player to cover the gaps.

The model we have is a building block approach, whereby we will sell for profit and spend on better players, rather than spend from KLD pocket.
Whichever approach management take, it's still pot luck if we come up trumps.

 

I think most of the bed wetters are just bricking it seeing Newcastle splash the cash while ain't.

We can't compete with it and need to find other ways to get to their level.

 

Forgot about them ages ago mate. They can say what they like, but they’re not a proper club any more.

 

They are irrelevant to every club other than those others who represent countries.

Completely irrelevant.

 

We have a very decent squad, especially for a club that’s spent extended time in 3rd tier.

The work at the academy which is never mentioned by these ****ing idiots, we are keeping players again and we are seeing them filter into first team.

We haven’t been a PL team for 7 years or whatever now, seems some folk still haven’t clicked that.

We came out of the PL £200million in debt.

How we are doing things is absolutely fine by me.

 

........ so..... we signing anyone?

 

I agree with your 9 players there proven
We also have some very good players not mentioned that would make competition for places
Add a good striker and we will be looking good

 

My view on “the model” and the approach we are taking:

I will start by saying I love it. We’ve tried others and this is by far the most exciting to be a fan of. It has also yielded nothing but success so far

I think it’s understandable to be cautious of the models limitations. Nobody is pretending the model is perfect. If it was a sure fire guaranteed way of success, everyone would do it (at which point it would stop being a guaranteed way of success). Sport by its nature is about risk and reward. Every strategy we take will have benefits and drawbacks.

Some fans are focusing on the drawbacks, and some on the positives, that’s all. Anybody asking for the drawbacks to be fixed will ultimately be reducing the benefits. And anybody asking for the benefits to be steadfastly focused on will ultimately be enhancing the drawbacks.

All that is okay. You just hope that our balance of positives vs drawbacks stays continuously towards benefit, at which point we keep progressing, even if slow.

For years we focused on short term at the expense of long term. So it’s only natural that the focus has switched that a lot of fans are screaming “but what about the short term?!?”. Having both is the holy grail but not at the cost of the long term.

 

yeh, very easy to forget we are one season out of league one and have managed to build this squad without extending ourselves. We are the envy of many.

 

I’ve been listening to/reading a load of Championship season previews from different clubs and from neutrals and, you’re right, we really are the envy of many. The reputation we’ve garnered for ourselves in such a short time is phenomenal.

 

how long have our fans been (rightly) moaning we have no pace? And then last season it was a joy to hear other clubs fans saying they wish they could sign wingers like ours.

then last year was all about height and strength. And look who we’ve signed.

 

Cant help feeling that our 6th place finish last season will be a burden for this season. If we finished 12th last season and finish 8th-10th this season we would all be happy. Now, If we finish anything below 6th this season there will be pitchforks out for some people, the whole setup isnt working and asking for Stuart Donald to take over the reigns again.

 

And. a fantastic stadium...which will be updated in time.

 

How can anyone and I'm including players in this, not be excited with the way the club is being run (on the pitch) and the football we are playing can't love football. I've never looked forward to seasons since I started watching football as a kid.

Last season we may have exceeded our expectations but with every obstacle put in their way, be it scoring against the run of play, injuries to key players, the players on the pitch overcame them and were caught short right at the very end of the season. That can only be a good thing going into this season, we have a core of seriously good players who can only get better each season and I for one can't wait to see where we end up

 

My only gripe with the “model” is that we see data thrown around that shows us as having one of the lowest wage bills in the league yet also having one of the highest revenues in the EFL even when we were in L1 so surely we’re operating well below what we’re able to afford?

The transfer business we’ve done has been quality mind I don’t think many can grumble at that.

I get the whole not bowing to one players wage demands but sooner or later we need to start offering competitive wages to keep our better players and push on, we all say we love this group of players etc but some of the older boys were brilliant for us last season and their wage should reflect that but obviously the club probably sees different with those who picked up injuries. Thought both Evans and Stewart were great until their injuries, Bathh and Roberts top drawer.

I get that we’ll lose players to PL clubs but if we start losing them to other championship rivals over the sake of a few quid it’s a problem. It’s not as if we’re shelling out fortunes in wages and we’re being asked to spend unreasonable amounts.

 

But multiple players have signed new contracts and we are apparently in negotiations for many others to get improved deals. Chucking big money at players is a dangerous road

 

I'd rather finish 12th and watch rip-roaring football than play crap footy, spend millions on players to land a spot in prem. I'm probably in minority but I'm in no rush to get back to premier.

 

Sounds about right...

If the wage structure means you cannot retain and attract the better players. You still might play attractive football and maintain a mid table position, but are unlikely to get promoted.

I am not saying I would pay LND what he has asked for, but it could be argued that he should be top of the pile.

Even if we got promoted to the Premier league, its more than likely we could not afford the top six, country owned type of club, wages anyhow.

TBH football is on a bit of a mess, there is not a level playing field ie FFP is a joke.

 

If your only gripe on the model is a hypothetical situation then I’m sorry but thats just stupid. We have lost nobody, we have given new contracts to multiple players, we are in apparent negotiations with multiple other players over new contracts. Do not understand this viewpoint at all

 

Oh 100% if it’s careless. I see it from from both sides, the club are trying to protect themselves but if you were in Stewart’s shoes you’d be thinking I fired the goals to get us promoted, was scoring nearly a goal a game in the championship and now I’ve got clubs offering X amount of wages whilst my own club won’t offer me a new contract on less than what I’m being offered elsewhere until I prove I can stay fit which is running his contract down even further. It’s probably a kick in the teeth for him.

Personally I don’t really care who stays or goes if the moneys right, I get more of a buzz out of finding someone better to replace them but if I was in his shoes I’d probably be a bit pissed off.

He has less than 12 months on his contract and he’s 26/27, his next deal is an important one for him and his family he’s been on ****e money most of his career. If I was in that position I’d want the security.