How long does it take for a team to gel ?

The next 6 weeks or so will probably see huge changes with our squad.

I would expect these players to go;
Lens, Borini, Khazri, Djellybaby and N’Dong.
We should get 10-15 million for them.

I also expect to lose all or most of these;
Kone, McNair, Asoro, Maja, McGeady, Honeyman, Gooch and O’Video.
I would also expect 10-15 million depending on who goes.

We have lost the 5 loan players and are letting 4 go.

Altogether we are losing 22 plus some who may go such as McManaman, Steele, Ruiter and maybe Cattermole.
We will be left with Robson, Hume, Deveraux, Stryeck(?), Love/Matthews and some others who I can’t recall.

We will need a good 15 to come in.

So, how long is the minimum time they should be playing together so that they can get a basic understanding of how they can play as a team.
Most of the other teams will all be very familiar with how their team mates play so we are playing catch up and it’s entirely possible that for the first couple of months we will struggle against organised teams.
We may be going to buy better standard div 1 players but most of them will need time to get to know how to play together.

It’s very important that we get the new lads in as soon as possible or we may be stuck mid table by Christmas.
Of course, I know the owner and manager have only been here 5 minutes and it takes time to get things done but the other teams are not going to take it easy on us just because we are not properly organised yet, they will be trying to beat us and will use any advantage they can and rightly so.

Maybe a couple from the second group might stay, ideally, all of them, but the word is that very very few have said they want to stay and the only ones we will be left with are the ones nobody else wants.

JR has got a huge rebuilding job and not much time to do it.
The sooner it starts the better.

 

how long is a piece of string? Think it depends on how the new players hit it off and integrate with the others. Could do with O'Video staying on though

 

I think if you look at Blackburn last season, they changed 7 or 8 first 11 players, and they didn’t get going until October really.

They went up comfortably in the end of course.

 

Impossible to answer this one, makes it exciting though, the players who are reluctant to commit to the club are really just keeping their options open and too much should not be made of it imo. but we will see.

 

I've already decided in my head that this coming season is a rebuilding and consolidating exercise.

When I stopped and thought about just how much is to be done before the season starts, it gave me a reality check.

Promotion at the first attempt is an aspiration, but I won't be that upset if we don't achieve it, because the task ahead for the new owners and manager is enormous.

As for the OP, goodness knows how long!

 

Good question Charley, my answer is I've no idea but because of all the changes were having to make I hope it's bloody quickly.

 

I actually think it's nigh on an impossible job for JR to sort this massive mess out in a short space of time. We've never had this huge amount of players who want to leave and the added complication of finances and wage bills etc. It's a mess!!

 

H

Hence I'm not expecting much from the coming season.

 

Only good thing is JR is used to this kind of upheaval apparently, and is what he's used to, so let's hope it translates into the real world

 

It sounds ridiculous to say but we might have to accept this season as one to consolidate. Financially we can't afford to be in this league for long but there's such a massive rebuilding job on it'll be a huge ask to put together a completely new squad capable of challenging for promotion.

 

I see that O’Video isn’t in the starting 11 for Costa Rica.

 

Depends on so many factors, not least where they come from. If the players coming in are used to the league or the area then less time of course but if they are coming from other leagues and moving to England for it then it will usually take longer. So many factors we will not know at the moment, exciting times though!

 

O'Video.

 

Saw this in the Echo tonight.
Do you think he’s right?


The club already need to sign 15 players before anyone else leaves, some players will be 'convinced' to stay because there's no way we can let another 10 go and and then need to sign 25 players before the start of the season. Won't happen.


On another topic,
2 Jordans playing for England tonight. Possibly 2 Dannys (Welbeck and Rose)
So, Possibly 4 ex Sunderland players on for England.
Kharzi for Tunisia could mean 5 SAFC connections on the pitch tonight.
(Not to mention O’Video Brian)