Signing Bullard would address some issues. Creativity, dead ball and vision and the ability to unlock a defence. All positives but if we dont address the defence it will have no true effect.
I don't get the whole idea of getting shot of Leadbitter. He is a decent player who last season (like many others) had a shocker. This season he is going to need to step up and be counted but at 25 he is the only midfielder on our books that could still be here in three years time so quite frankly the militant attitude of getting rid of players isn't going to achieve anything
It's not just a case of Leadbitter playing badly KoPR, it's his apparent lack of effort at the moment. He seems to have lost interest. He is certainly not captain material but would probably benefit from having a strong, and very vocal, captain giving him a push. It is certainly not worth keeping him as is and being young doesn't seem like a valid reason.
Norris quality !?!??! hahaha do me a favour. If running around like a headless chicken is quality, your welcome to him. Zero technical ability whatsoever just very very fit. Committed too etc. " Hi guys, take it from me you would regret signing Bullard, we (the Tigers) " Of course you regret signing him. You spent £5 mill on him, a signing on fee, £45,000 a week over 4 years, and he couldn't give a fig about playing for you ! We wouldn't be paying a transfer fee, and would offer approx £22,000 over 2 years. If it doesn't work out feel free to say " we told you so " but it wouldn't annoy us quite so much as we would have wasted a lot less money than you
PJ...Quick!!.....SIGN SIGN SIGN http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/18082011/58/championship-hull-sack-record-signing-bullard.html
Come on, this is another stupid signing!! Your best player is the one person who actually scouted from a lower league, he is under 25, hungry and actually wants to do well. That's Creswell and he looks like the only player I would actually keep long term out of the whole squad. He is probably on half the money the rest of the players are on as well. Perhaps also JET but he looks to have the usual attitude that comes with young players released from top 4 clubs, Jack Cork aside Bowyer, Chopra, Ellington, Bullard, Kennedy, Scotland are all either ego ridden or has-beens who are just after their last big contract and a decent wage to see out their careers. Jewell is increasingly looking like an old pals manager who seems to have no concepts of tactics, plays people out of position and throws money at problems rather than working hard with what he has. If you look at the players who we played in the week, Jack Cork, Dean Hammond, Rickie Lambert, Adam Banana. They are all in their mid/low twenties, have earned their right to play in the championship and have a point to prove. Same as the Norwich team last year. Do you not have Scouts? Does Paul Jewell not have an address book? Living and working here I would like to see Ipswich succeed but Clegg seems to waste time focussing on a single deal at a time (St Ledger, Chopra), and Jewell seems to have no scouts or contacts at all! Needs sorting!!
I don't think it's got to that stage as yet but I agree with you about Cresswell, I'm a little supprised we haven't done more buissness from lower leagues team considering what Jewell did with Wigan. *sigh*
Don, Personally I think what Southampton and Norwich the previous year done was brilliant and I would love for us to take a bunch of relative nobodies and gel them into a team but there are differences. When these two clubs got relegated they were very big fish in a small pond. They then took the best that that league could offer for themselves with a smattering of league two players. They also knew what these players were capable of at the level that they would be playing in, even if only for one season before promotion. The expectation levels were high and the players had to adapt to playing in a team that were expected to win but ability wise they were mainly tried and tested. If we were to replicate this idea then we would be going out and signing the best players from the likes of Forest, Cardiff and Leicester and we are not even a big fish! Where Norwich & Soton succeeded, other than signing the 'right' players' was in gelling these players into a very solid squad with the right mentality along with a workrate and commitment. There are without doubt gems to be had from the lower leagues that can step up to this level but trying to ask more than 1 or 2 to slot comfortable into your team is rather optimistic, especially when our board expects instant success.
Fair point, and I appreciate you need a few wise old heads. But the contrast I would draw is Lee Bowyer vs Jack Cork (£750k). Another good one is going after Bullard when a team like Charlton snapped up Dale Stephens. Chasing St Ledger etc, its all a bit "obviousy" if you see what I mean. No European names popping up either like some of the players Reading have signed over the past few seasons. Just the same old targets that half a dozen or so clubs are linked with, the media and fans are all aware of. I'd really be questioning the scouts and asking for them to work harder - even Pompey seem to have found a Norweigen striker who seems ok. Still, hopefully the likes of Carson and Hyam can develop, as the youth side of things still seems strong!
Don, some good points and its good to see a sensible response rather than an argument. Regardless of reputation or where you get them from the main thing we seem to lack is a desire. I think one of the things you have seen with your lower league signings especially, but also the youngsters is the desire to prove themselves and make it at a decent level of football. We appear to sign players that have either nothing left to prove or are too used to being paid very good wages for playing reserve team football for EPL giants. To be honest I dare say if me or you had been paid £5k a week to appear for Arsenal or Sunderland reserves then we would really have the same inclination to perform as the average Rochdale or Burton Albion star on a 10th of that weage
I think it's a problem with the transfer window. Instead of moulding a side gradually, Jewell has had to sign a lot of players in a very short space of time and instead of bedding in one or two and seeing clearly where it might not be working we instead have a whole squad where none of it's working.
