Hoops.........Dyer is proven at the top level!! Derry will do a job holding along with Faulin. With Taarabt, Smith and Bothroyd and Kenny, that gives us a reasonably strong base. But I do agree, as I said earlier, that we need 2 or 3 more.
Agree that Dyer is a top class player if fit, so hopefully he remains so. Derry, as much as I'd love to say he'd cut it in the Prem. I don't think he has the legs for the pace of the top flight. I hope I'm proven wrong!
We aint signed him Turbs, he was there already!! And PVM stepping up next season would be fantastic. I'd gladly buy ye a sherbet or two if he does Perhaps I am RangerCol, I hope to God you boys are right. Maybe I am overestimating the quality of the Prem. Looking back on previous season's however, the only outfit I can see that survived (in fact they excelled) the first season without spending was Reading back in 06/07. All the rest either spent a lot or went straight back down; some did both. In many ways, if we're honest, we bludgeoned our way to Promotion last year. There's nowte wrong with that at all but trying that next year, I fear we will be cut to pieces.
If everyone was fit (and with the return of Mackie), we would actually be a stronger team. Both Bothroyd and Dyer are better than Routledge, in my opinion. Or at least Bothroyd is equal to. So we're probably stronger. Gabbidon would be a good addition and Webber seems quite good. Maybe one or two after that and we might be a decent team, with a view to strengthen again in the Winter.
were better off than last season,but only slightly and nowhere near a good enough squad to keep us safe..I would like to see strengthening/cover in defence and midfield and another keeper.Dyer and Gabbidon are'nt good enough imo.
Swords - with Super Dave leading the line, will we really need any more player? is it a bird, is it a plane........no the balls just left Super dave's boot...............
Think we still need DJ Campbell. Bothroyd and DJ with Tarbs behind them would very much please me. Three box to box midfielders needed though with that game plan.
One word D-E-F-E-N-S-E whilst can argue that if Tarbs stays & the additions of Boothroyd + Dyer makes the Midfield/Attack look a little stronger than last year the idea of going into the Prem with Hill, Orr full backs, any 2 of existing centre backs + Derry as as first choice they we're going to be on the receiving end of some heavy defeats. Have watched numerous matches last season it still amazes me the defensive record we had as we're frequently left for dead, out of position & only poor finishing or Kenny saving us kept us where we were. Another thing everyone seems excited about Tarbs staying however the statement that came out was very specific in saying he won't be sold this Summer which being the suspicious type makes me think will be gone come January.
Welcome to the board Pey And well done Swords on getting promoted to 'article', I want one! Guess I'll have to write something
Routs was only sub for Mackie, now JM is fit we have the same starting 11 as last season + Dyer (IF he can get fit is International class) and Bothroyd (zillion times better than any Centre Forward we had at the club last season) so we have improved from last year. Need at least 2-3 more players though... DJ to sit behind JB in one of the 3 and a fast full back asap.
I think we will line up like this with what we've got.... Kenny Gabbidon Hall Goorks Hill Derry Faurlin Dyer Tarbs Smith Bothroyd Would love to see this however... Kenny Walker Upson Goorks Hill Bullard Faurlin Mcfadden Tarbs Smith Crouch (Upson and Mcfadden both on free transfers, Bullard and Walker on loan, would have to splash some cash out on only Crouch)
I agree with Swords: losing Routledge and getting Bothroyd could be seen as a net zero. We've got Dyer, which MAY be a smart bit of business but, as everyone knows, is high risk. How does that make us any better than last season, especially as I believe we had one of the older squads in the Championship and question marks hang over one or two of last season's ageing stalwarts? I find the POSSIBLE signing of Gabbidon and Webber underwhelming but would love to be proved wrong. We have a number of CB's who can be good on their day (including Hill and Ramage but not Sh***u) but I expect none of them to dominate opposing forwards. We need a class CB. Hill and Orr could get crucified by a speedy winger and we need one or two new faces to give them competition for their positions (we have no real cover for Hill at LB). Ditto a holding midfielder to compete with, or stand in for, Faurlin and Derry. I dismiss Hulse as an option up front. HH misses too many chances. If we are to stay up, we could do with another goalscorer. I'd be moderately happy with any two of Mackie, Smith, Ephraim and Dyer as our wide men in the Premiership. (Yet we are supposedly talking to some Italian winger.) That means we need five to have a realistic chance of surviving and I see there being zero chance of Flabio and the Midget doing that sort of business before the window closes. I get the feeling that Norwich and, to a lesser extent Swansea, have been doing the sort of deals that give them a chance of survival. Us? Nah!
I think Walker will feature for Spurs this season. Would take Bullard and McFadden though. Think Crouch would cost too much, so could look like this: Kenny Orr Upson Gorrks/Hill Gabbidon/Connolly/Hill Bullard/Derry Faulin Dyer Tarbs Smith/PVM Bothroyd I think that could keep us up!! Would love to see at least one fast full back though!
Can't agree Rodney. I think you're being a tad negative tbh. With Tarbs staying, at least till January, I think we have a fighting chance of staying up.
So basically, what you're saying is all our players are ****? How the **** did we win the title last season then? And how **** must that make Swansea + Norwich who finished behind us? Routledge gone.. Mackie back = Net Zero. No-one else gone, gained England International striker + Injury prone England midfielder. THAT'S an improvement on last season.
I don't recall denigrating any of our players, other than Hulse. I think most fans would agree with me on HH. Derry and Hill did a GREAT job for us last year but at their ages are, unfortunately, probably past their very best. I welcome back Mackie with some relish but I rated Routledge very highly and would have liked to have kept him. Most supporters, and Neil himself, said we would need 5 or 6 new players to strenghthen our squad and stay in the Premiership. We have got Bothroyd and Dyer and lost Routledge. You do the maths.
