How do you think we should go about our business next season? Should we just do what we did this year and pick the best from league 1? I don't think that's a bad option myself as there are some right gems in this league, who should really have any trouble making the step up. I'm really hoping Sheffield United don't go up so we can pinch Jamie Murphy from them! Think he has 16 or 17 goals from the wing this season so that would be on hell of steal, and only 25 too so a great age! Also noticed Tom Bradshaw hit the 20 goals mark yesterday so again another decent player young player. Plenty of them about and wouldn't cost as much as young proven championship players! My dream 5 signings this summer would be Daniel Bentley Nathen Bryne Jamie Murphy Tom Bradshaw Will Grigg
Shiny - much will depend on who goes up with us Interesting that you have put Bradshaw because I've also liked him I like Turnball (left sided centre half) and Luongo of both of Swindon - also Jed Wallace of Portsmouth
I think Swindon rejected 3 million in the January window for Luongo so we have no chance. Wouldn't pay that for him either, Freemans twice the player and was a complete bargain!
I reckon Dele Alli would be a great shout for us. He'll be at Spurs in the summer, but I reckon they'll want him to spend some time out on loan in the Championship before joining them, so we'd probably be in with a shout of landing him if MK don't go up. Will Grigg is also a good shout. He's out of contract in the summer, IIRC.
Would rather we go for Gillingham's Bradley Dack over Luongo. God knows how he got in TOTY. He only had 6 goals and 6 assists where as Dack had 9 goals and 9 assists. Younger player too!
The trouble is statistics in the lower leagues don't necessarily equate to being ready for a step up to a higher league. Wagstaff's stats are not so bad, but would anyone say he was ready for a move to the Championship ? Sometimes statistics can be misleading
I agree with the Ali shout, almost certainly Spurs will loan him out, and again almost certainly to a Champ side, so we have to throw our hat in. I would get Tavernier back if we can as well
If SC continues with the same philosophy as he has this season then we'll be fine. Forget about signing high priced players who bring about little long term commitment as they will generally start complaining very soon after they arrive. Just look around our current squad and tell me you don't like what you see, and if we can create our new challenge on the backs of the players who we know can make the grade and add a mixture of experience and dedication to the mix then we should be fine. Leave your ego at the door and pick up your helping of commitment before you head out on the pitch should be the welcome all players get when they join us. I have a sneaking feeling that we are going to like what evolves through this summer and we all need to be conscious of staying positive. Steve Cotterill has brought respect back to BS3 and he will continue that regrowth in his own way and the results will confirm his ability.
I reckon a prime place to look for talent is the Man City and Chelsea academies, solely because they're developing consistently good players that simply won't get a look in at their parent clubs. If Cotterill is good at one thing it's taking young talent and making them play consistently well. I want Lansdown to drop some money, but it needs to be in the right way. I'd like us to take some of the better League 1 players up with us, but I can see that being a pretty expensive strategy overall. Instead, I'd like to see us nab players that are being dropped by the likes of Chelsea and Man City; players that will be leaving hungry, and begging to prove themselves.
After the Todd Kane incident, I wouldn't trust Chelsea. If we was struggling they would probably take the player back and hand them to someone else.
We certainly don't need to furnish our squad with expensive loanees 4 classy new players will do the job (age not so important)
We need to build a squad for the future and not just loan for the moment, we should be looking at additions to improve squad depth and the first team.
I think we will need at least 2-3 loanees, be that on season long or for 3 month periods through the season. Why? Because we have a FT squad of around 20 players, which to be competitive in the Championship most probably needs to increase to about 25 in the squad, an immediate gain of 5 players, add in the 2-4 from the current 20 that will leave/retire etc, and suddenly we need 7 or more players. I think that is unrealistic from a pure purchasing point of view, we would be spreading our money to thinly and may end up with quantity over quality again, lets get 4 quality players in on a permanent basis, and loan in the remainder.
