I'm hoping our new scouting network can find the odd diamond in the rough. Also that Erol has a game plan and we recruit to that game plan. Too many signings look OK in isolation (Robinson, Meite, Turnbull), but look out of place in OUR team. We've had too many like that in the past. Also that we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Some of the youngsters and a couple fringe players look like they could do a job in the right set up and with a bit of coaching. We keep trying to sign 'the finished article', rather than develop players or get the best out of what we have. Clings bromance with Bobby G isn't that misplaced. I feel he could have done a job for us. Same with Etete who has shown glimpses when fit. We need to start taking these £100k players and turning them into £2-3m players, getting value from the £1-2m players we sign. With a pre-season behind him, Turnbull needs to start pulling up trees. Never mind signing a dynamic CM, shouldn't he be it? Profligate spending must become a thing of the past. Young new hopes need a chance. Saying they aren't ready and putting a journeyman in their place can't continue. Make them ready. Give them a chance. There are 2, 3, 4 with good cases, don't send them out on loan again. Come on Erol, show us what you're made of. You have a lot of raw materials. Let's see what you can build. Yes, a striker. Yes, a winger or two. Yes, a 'quarter back CM'. Then it needs to be youth and upgrades. One out, one in. No bloated squad, complaining we haven't got enough, or no one good enough. Holistics. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. That's the managers job. Not easy, but no top job is. Crack on Erol.
I think I've been saying this for at least two seasons now. We need to build a TEAM capable of playing real football. There's going to be some hard decisions but shipping out is equally important as who we bring in. Still no guarantee about Erol but if he could manipulate an odds on relegation team into 12th place, he's earned the right to have a go at setting out a positive style for the club.
I'm aware that it sounds like I'm 100% sure about Erol but I'm not and neither would I be about any incoming alternative that could realistically be attracted to OUR club. However, my fear is that having spent a season churning out dire football (the alternative being almost certain relegation) fans will expect an immediate return to the top flight. An ambition to that end is imperative but I worry about ambition turning into expectation. At the end of the day, we still don't know how much autonomy Erol will have and whether he'll once again have to put up with players being sold to his bosses. I really don't think Turnbull was his choice for last season. That said, it could well be that Turnbull will fit in well with a few more skillful players in the squad. Good luck Erol
I'm not against Erol, though as you said yesterday, I'm drinking too fast. A vision and a journey, with tangible progress would be fine with me. The issue is, the board needs to be bought into that. Lurch, crash, lurch, crash. No good for progress, no good for the team, no good for the board, no good for the fans, no good for the finances. More palatable football, a top 10 finish and solid foundations this year, top 6 the year after, and if not promotion then, a big push the year after. Still no guarantee, and if we don't make it, time for a change. But no lurching and no crashing. That would make us more attractive to upwardly mobile managers, players with ambition and potentially new investors / owners. The theory us fine, the execution and delivery a real challenge. As always, there will be 23 teams with the same ambition, some with boards better placed to deliver. In many ways, I believe our last successes were despite the board and owner, not because of them, though I recognise that it wouldn't have happened without Tan's financial support.
It would be worrying if footballing/recruiting decisions are out of his hands. Financial matters are not in Erol's remit and rightly so, but he should either sink or swim as a result of his ability to pull togther and successfully manage a squad of players. He can't just have what he wants with disregard of the longer term cost implication, but now he's been appointed, Tan needs to demonstrate some trust.
Just had a look at Turnbull's stats. Senior career Years. Team. Apps (Gls) 2017–2020 Motherwell 39 (16) 2020–2024 Celtic 100 (25) 2024– Cardiff City 17 (0) Is that a reflection on the standard of football in Scotland, or our inability to get the best out of players? Possibly a bit of both.
I wonder and don't know, how many assists he'd have got if we had a goal scorer. It all builds into the argument that we both made earlier that it's about us building a team.
Would agree a bit of both, plus, with Celtic, that's like playing for Man City or Liverpool in the Prem... Far easier task playing in a dominant team. 17 games is a pretty small sample, plus throw in the termoil of moving, settling in, and then playing alongside unknown players who on times are struggling to find rhythm..... The lad definitely needs more time with us before being properly judged in my opinion. It's too easy to forget the human side of these things. He definitely showed some glimpses of ability...
From memory, a lot of Turnbull's appearances last season were made from the bench, when started he's been substituted off, or he's not featured at all. He hasn't been given the boost that regular starts generate. Not saying his early efforts necessarily warranted that degree of support from his manager, but the stop/start way he was employed couldn't have helped his confidence. I reckon this year with a decent pre-season under his belt, he could be a key player if Bulut backs him. The worrying thing might be as suggested, he wasn't Bulut's choice when brought in.
I still feel that playing him as an 8 with Colwill / Ramsey in front of him would benefit him and the team. That only works if Erol becomes more attack minded.
The present midfield triumverate of Siopis/Ralls/Wintle would need to be dismantled to achieve that. As you say, Bulut would need to seriously appraise his gameplan.
I think he is attack minded as demonstrated at the beginning of last season. It's probably the case that he hasn't been able to keep it going because of injuries and the lack of a goal scorer. I'll stop now as I'm just repeating myself which is probably boring everyone rigid.
Yeah, stop talking football you loon and get back to discussing shopping habits and the like!!! Dunno what's gotten into this board lately, talking about football stuff FFS.... So, anyone else a fan of 'How it's Made"??? There was a really gripping episode that covered garden twine the other week........ (yeah, I know, more string theory)...
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-cardiff-city-coach-frame-29289715 Next bus (sorry, coach) will arrive at Cardiff soon.... maybe...
That should be a good addition. Knows the club, knows the league structure and well respected in the business. I was disappointed when he left. Now, get Osian Roberts in as DoF and we're making progress.
Well fair play to Erol he was clearly thinking about OUR club even before the contract was sorted. It'll be an excellent bit of recruitment.
Hmmm.............what price would get Kieffer? https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport...bournemouth-boss-gives-kieffer-moore-29297341
