With the window closing what might our strongest team look like after the break? Maybecafter a few weeks, something like this. Palmer Furlong O'Shea Greaves Davis Azor Cajuste, or Nunez Egeli Akpom Clarke Azon Cant see Hirst starting. With a ridiculous bench. Rotation is everything in the Championship.
The trouble is, with Woolfy off to Coventry almost completing the exodus of promotion heroes and our best wide option potentially going to the Blades today, I don’t really care for any of the players and so I don’t really care who is picked either. The defenders and most players left behind like Clarke and Philogene are abysmal whilst Hirst and Chaplin and Szmodics have lost their edge and we are yet to get to know the new attackers.
Agree Hampy, thing is we got to know and admire all that great squad of players, almost as personal friends! It was an insanely happy ride, a united settled club and now he have to get to know new faces, names and characters. We can only hope things settle down soon.
How quickly did that group of hero's get moved on. Plenty of sayings come to mind. If its not broke don't fix it, what ever that team had we should have bottled it up instead we smashed it up. We had such a brilliant 2 seasons, people warned us of the consequences of the PL all that it encompasses and it's happened to us hook line and sinker and I for one don't like it. Football at the higher levels has lost its soul. If this gamble doesnt work soon, we will soon see the consequences....I cant see that McKenna is happy with what has happened and now we have a team with limited good shared experience and a lack of identity, it would take a lot to all fall apart. It feels like we're in a similar position to Leeds a couple of years ago but with the same manager.
Well they can’t just buy new players without getting rid of the old ones can they, it seems like people just finding something to moan about. Woolfenden is okay but that’s about all he is not Maldini.
If our transfer business was what the club set out to achieve then we really are in trouble. But, good news, it wasn’t. We’ve plenty of options in the number 10 but the centre back position is in a dire state. Just two hours left to sort it out.
The main issues I have with today is Woolfenden and Chaplin departing. I don’t necessarily think both are “Premier League quality” but they are key squad players, recent promotion experience, and proven Ipswich players. Woolfenden leaving leaves us light at centre back. Chaplin leaving deprives us of somebody who innately understands the McKenna system. So I guess we’re playing a different system and style this season. Makes complete sense with the players we’ve got. A possession heavy side with a cutting edge in the best fit. From the squad that got us promoted only two years ago, we’ve only got Davis and possibly Hirst as guaranteed starters with Burns likely to be a squad player at best. I know the team that got us up two years ago was initially designed to be a solid Championship side. But has any promoted Championship side had so much turnover in two years? My main concern from today is will it actually work?
It clearly wasn't a strategy to get rid of these players, McKenna has said he wanted to keep many of them and majority of them were offered new contracts. For me it's been squad mismanagement the past 12/15 months. We had a harmonious squad now players who've done so well for the club all want to leave. I'm not saying it's a disaster, I'm saying it could have been managed better from a culture perspective. It certainly hasn't contributed to good outcomes on the pitch either. Christ I even thought the first demolition man didn't deal with it very well and that was a squad who'd done nothing for the club let alone one who did so well for us and had an outstanding mentality.
Now we'll see what KMc and his staff are made of,it's totally his squad.I have faith we'll come good but will the crowd stay with him if we don't start winning soon?
We don’t know how much of a say he has had in the transfers. A lot of it seems a bit desperate. How will he get on with these players? All the connections need to be built anew including between the manager and players.
The Club have always given the impression that he and MA work in close conjunction.I'd be very surprised if any of the most recent signings (or departures)were foisted on him.
I prefer Ogbene to Philogene (so far) at least he attempts to beat a defender sometimes. Don’t understand strengthening some of our rivals
So Chappers has gone on loan to Pompey. I guess Nunez and the Norwegian are the new no 10's. Chaplin probably didnt fancy not being on the bench. Its sad, we all like Chappers and wish him the very best.
As the window ends, we look a little bit weak through the spine of the team to me.GK - Palmer, solid keeper but not great especially with his feet. CB - Baggott is 4th CB, not good enough yet for this level IMO. CM - Taylor / Humphries 4th choice and no real backup for Matisiya. Taylor would be fine in a 3 man midfield but that is not how we play. CF - Hirst and Azon and that’s it. Any injuries and either Akpom or Egeli will have to cover. We are well set in wide areas but to me, the squad lacks depth through the middle
