Lets have a sensible discussion aboout what is happening

We’re crap........end of discussion

 

Our scouting team is still on furlough, so you can forget about them being on their toes!

For good or bad, I think we need to keep Warburton. It's been proven over the last 5 or 6 seasons that chopping and changing managers has no discernable effect on our league position or our performances, whilst in general teams that keep faith in their manager seem to have an improvement year upon year. Hopefully he'll be given some money from the sales of our youngsters to re-invest and he must be as acutely aware of where our deficiencies lie as the rest of us - finding those players at prices we can afford and wages that stay within our pay structure will be what will define next season, else it will be down to the U23s to step up to the plate, and I've been less than convinced with some of them so far.

 

Arguably this could be our most important transfer window in a very long time.

We have two players who should still go for a decent amount of ££ as there is competition for their signatures.

We have also drastically cut the wage bill in recent years.

We're starting to prove that we give players a chance and sell them on to PL clubs (Freeman, Eze, BOS, even McCarthy or Furlong).

The dynamics of the market have shifted and there will be a lot of free agents out there and downward pressure on both wages and transfer fees.

I don't think we'll see a good set of circumstances like this again for a little while, so no pressure MW, LF and LH...

 

Add to all the above the fact that our near neighbours Fulham and Brentford in particular look light years ahead of us with the Bees doing it on a shoestring budget and we really have squandered the best ever chance we had of establishing ourselves in the Premier League. The next two seasons will define our future, if we cock it up League One will be our level...

 

On the basis of performances since the restart League 1 is our level!

Anyone know when the start date for the new season will be confirmed? I believe the 2 dates being considered are Aug 29 or Sep 12

 

I don't know much about Fulham in truth, but aren't they at risk of "doing a QPR" if they don't go up this year and being in financial trouble? They will have similar income to us I'd have thought, wasted a lot in the PL, and still have an expensive squad...

 

I am at a loss to explain what is happening, and have the impression the Mark Warburton has no explanations which is even more disturbing.

I believe the team were not ready physically for the restart. I have an impression that the management expected “consultations” from the Football League which did not happen. Their outrage was very strong and surprising at the time. We also lost two players, including our Captain, one day before the restart which most probably had a destabilising effect.

However, the team seems demotivated and disinterested, as if it knows it will be re-built. They just don’t seem to care!

Even with these factors I would expect the manager to field 11 motivated players. I have no issues with losing a match, but I have an issue with the style and the attitude.

This is the major failing and my main complaint.

I however wonder if something is happening behind the scenes of which we are unaware?

The only thing which comes to mind may be potential changes in ownership? This is purely an unsubstantiated hypothesis which is based in no facts (other than Air Asia has major financial issues), but it may explain such a lack of effort?

On the other hand, this hypothesis is contrary to the announcement to but a new training ground.

To summarise, I am at a loss to explain what is happening and would expect the Manager and Director of Football to shed some light.

 

We are but the more interesting question is why we are crap!!

 

I don't think the summary of our position is too complicated. Our objective was to remain in the division with a smaller wage budget, and continue to cut costs where necessary. This in itself was a challenge. We achieved this pretty much before lockdown, and we won't be getting relegated.

Our business plan moving forward is to develop and sell players on to enable us to rebuild our squad over the coming years and become more competitive. If Eze and BOS go for close to the fees we believe them to be valued at, then mission accomplished, let's reinvest the money wisely. All this whilst we secure a new training facility because ours are currently diabolical for a club at this level, let alone one of harboring a distant dream of being a Premier League club.

This summer represents a vital transfer window for us. Should we have boosted funds from the sales, then it'll need to be invested primarily in players with potential sell on value, and some freebies of experienced Championship performers to plug some holes.

Re: The Manager, I think he's done what he was asked to do, and if the pandemic wouldn't have happened then who knows? We were on a great run prior to that, and he deserves any benefit of the doubt for me. Too many of our fans are short sighted and volatile with their reactions.

 

Thank you Escape Goat, I think you have encapsulated my feelings. I would have liked to put "Love" more than "like"
I look at Brentford with a bit of envy.

But I have to say...they have been building towards this position for 5-6 seasons.

We have been on this path barely 2.

 

FWIW it’s not being on a poor run that I feel grates on most of us but it’s the manner of the defeats. We’ve all seen worse runs after all.

We’ve had 16 shots on target in five games- 11 in the four defeats. I think we’ve had the majority of possession in every game but done very little with it. Someone can correct those stats but I’m fairly sure they’re close. Fair enough without recognisable strikers you can expect us to miss chances but if we aren’t creating them to miss with the apparent talent we have in that area then having a Hugill or Wells wouldn’t have made such a difference. Doesn’t help when we miss sitters so regularly (Amos v Fulham, Chair v Charlton ffs) but still.

Defensively in both midfield and the defence itself we’ve been nothing short of a shambles and that’s with the unexpected emergence of Kakay without whom we’d have been seriously embarrassed in some of these games.

I don’t think it’s an unreasonable accusation to suggest a lot of them are phoning it in and that Warburton’s use of a thin squad has left very little to be desired.

 

All of what you say is true but the original post was about what has been happening in the weeks since the restart. I don't see any justification in your comments for the manager and individual players to basically abandon the remainder of the season unilaterally as they have done. Last time I looked professional football was still classed as an entertainment and at minimum we expect to see our club play with passion and pride. What may be being overlooked here is that some if not all of next season will be played behind closed doors which makes building a TV audience now very important to the club's finances. The period since lock down has been the opposite of good publicity for that.

 

Great post.

 

Fair challenge, but I think the original point about meeting our objectives is important and is one factor as to why we've been so poor since the break.

I think losing the club captain and another very experienced player was a bigger blow than we perhaps realised. And who knows if Eze and BOS have already concluded deals with their next clubs and therefore are not giving it 100% for fear of injury. It's then hard to motivate the players beyond what they've achieved, especially if the season / contractual bonuses were geared around survivial.

 

We’re QPR.......

 

Bingo!
It is our way.
Be nice not to drop to League 1 though.

 

Fully agree with the great post.

But why are we now playing so poorly?

 

We'll see tonight. If Eze especially doesnt up his game, it will be hard to see really big offers coming in for him especially with the Covid situation. Fine with me, we should look to build again round Eze and BOS, and hope Manning and Chair pick up form again so we can sell them this summer, to raise more funds to bring in more hight and muscle in midfield and CB, a left back, and a couple of strikers on loan if necessary.

 

Unless the deal is already done of course, which could explain the downturn in form.

 

I would think any "deal.... done" isn't contractually finalised and the buyer, or seller, could find reason to pull out before the window opens and any deal finalised.