And those so called proven players took us down. Give me unproven players over proven ones like Parker and Ferdinand on their last legs. At least TF knows what he's talking about. “Harry and Phil have been doing some work with the scouts — we’ve got a good scouting system. It is Harry’s call, but I’ve been talking about young players.”
Good post sb. For what it is worth I think HR is emboldened by Saturdays results and I think we should trust his judgement. I know everyone won't agree.
Yes, exactly Flyer. We have scouts, and we have "job interviews" with those players where we can see the player's intentions. I really hope we add some youth with those elders. BTW Flyer mate did you post on a Southampton (or Sunderland) board last year and by that I don't mean Not606 board but exclusive board for that team
We need a mixture- turnover of players has been too great in recent years. Sadly Harry has one last year- heâs not bothered what state he leaves us in beyond that If he really wants players he knows then he is insane as that restricts the net massively. I know heâs thick but hopefully not that thick. TF and Beard need to be firm with him. If he goes after Joe Cole then for me thatâs a sackable offence and evidence weâre on the wrong track He hopefully should learn from his catastrophe in signing BAE (40k a week over 9 months cost us £1.5m) when he had a better younger more committed left back on the books in Yun. For that same money we could have signed Lewis Grabban and not been struggling through by starting the season with three strikers all of which were injury prone (BZ, AJ and Austin who failed a medical)
'Catastrophe' hardly. He was fine to start with then when he played up HR stopped playing him. Hardly a catastrophe.
Yeah about 18 months to two years ago before I posted on here. What's the point in having scouts if he's only going to get Parker, Cole, Ferdinand. He might even wheel out kanu!
But still, it was money down the drain, contrast that with Yun costing us 150k and is worth way more than that now. Parker is worse than Barton Cole is worse than Philips Both will be on more wages than our better players.
It was because he had a budget and didnt use it wisely. Starting the season with just BZ, AJ and Austin who only signed because he failed a medical at Hull was for me a serious risk. Same goes at centre back. Hill tough as nails but starting to creak, Dunne been out since Euro 2012 and Onouha with hamstrings as tweaky as Hoilett's To chuck £1.5m at a short term signing in BAE in a position we were strong in (Traore, Hill and Yun) with no asset value (Grabban as an example would have become an asset and had a resale value as well as being an addition in a key area we were short in. We got away with it this season.
We got away with it to a certain extent this season Peter but some credit is due and people seem hellbent on denying that.
I think its more to do with people not wanting to go with 3 CFs and 3 CBs and have 4 LBs or something.
I disagree Jack. You can't "get away" with anything over a 46 game season. You might in a one-off game or something but the outcome at the end of a campaign doesn't lie. We were one of the three best teams in the league and that was down to Redknapp, especially considering the shambles we were in this time last year. These guys just don't want to accept they were wrong.
I added 'to a certain extent' simply because of the manner of our promotion - last minute of last game.
Yes this is exactly the problem. One or two experienced on critical positions but whole bunch of them no thanks
Most teams that are half way successful have a decent mixture of experience and youth, We have an old squad with plenty of experience, both in age and PL experience. What we need to top up on in some positions is with young fresh fit players who will put more zest into the team, as well as give us a future. I hope players like Green, Dunne, Hill, Barton and BZ stay another year if they want to, but we don't need many more of their kind. As for Arry on balance I still would like him gone now, with a big thanks for helping getting us up. I think we made the PL in spite of his tactics and team selections and formations, rather than because of them. We got there because we had the individually talented and experienced players to do it, just about, but we rarely played as fluidly as a team, moving the ball about in a forward direction, at the level of the other better Clubs in the Championship, and we will need to play much more as a collective unit to survive for a 2nd season in the PL. From what we have seen this last season, Arry doesn't do that anymore.
'Knowing a player' could mean just about anything, he could scout a player, look at him and say he knows him. I'm sure he only knew remy by reputation but he bought him. We should all know by now that what Harry says could mean anything. But so far nearly all his signings have made an impact to one degree or another. He brought in some loan strikers which in the end amounted to nothing as Sir bobby came back and he used him to great effect. Let's just trust him? I'd be surprised if he doesn't do very well in the market, but whether you like him it not, I think he deserves some respect after having won us promotion. Hate when there's something to hate, life's too short.
One thing I'd say about Harry and signings is this will be his first transfer window where there isn't a complete negative spin on our situation as a club. His January in the prem we were at the bottom and in free fall. We were never going to attract major talent in the championship. Let's hope this time he can produce a few rabbits out of hats as he is so famous for. Just a thought.
