Washington has to be given the chance now to show he can be that partner. He's improved a lot this season, and he credits Bowyer with that.
Stockley has a nuisance value, but he seems to invite a lot of hoof ball, and this transforms us into a fairly ugly team. I'd keep him (sounds like my view is irrelevant if he's now signed) but he needs to improve his feet. Aneke should have been a shoo-in, but I want to know why he is unable to play more than half the game. Is this him recovering from an injury or a lifetime problem, as we need a prolific striker, but also a fit one. On his day he is a real threat to the opposition, but we need those days most match days, and that hasn't happened this season. It would be nice to see some creative midfielders come in to give the strikers a bit of service, which has been sadly lacking this term as well. Really there are very few players in the current set up I would feel much of a tug for if they left - it's been dire at times.
Spot on Shabby. I like Stockley and I think he's done well, but I don't think he's good enough to guarantee us automatic promotion, which is what I expect next season given our new found position. Aneke just can't play a full game which is just not good enough for an ambitious team. As I've said elsewhere we need a prolific 20+ goal a season striker who can create something out of nothing and has a proper shot on him, none of which I believe Stockley has. You're correct about the hoof ball too. He is so good in the air but it encourages us to hit it long. It is similar to how we played sometimes with Yann up top tbh, but the huge difference was Yanns technical ability and his proper strikers shot in addition to his aerial prowess. This seasons team was nowhere near good enough for automatic promotion, which is entirely down to the circumstances of our previous ownership, but if we want it next season then there are very few of our current squad who are good enough I'm afraid.
i think this years team would have been good enough if LB manned up and signed a defender in November. this is the poorest league 1 we've been in. 79 points for automatic promotion should have been a gurantee. we will struggle next year as the teams coming down will make the league stronger. let's hope we do enough for the playoffs; but losing tonight so we can begin a well needed clear out would be a small blessing.
Yes, there would be compensations to losing tonight. Give some academy kids a game against Hull. Begin looking to the summer transfers straight away - no play-off distractions. Send the failed players home & release the unworthy ASAP.
Agreed. I'd accept yet another season in L1 if it's part of a building operation which involves developing our own talent, but not if it's a team of loanees and short-term rejects, which would mean another huge rebuild next summer. This summer must signal the end of the Douchatelet and ESI era.
I'm sort of hopeful that Sheffield W and Derby, if they come down, will do so in turmoil after the cheating they engaged in to try and outspend the other teams in the Championship. If they go into free fall, it would be come uppance for the ridiculously leniant way the EFL treated them. Rotherham on the otherhand may well come down fitter and leaner after a spell in the league above. You never know till it happens but I would almost prefer to play the two supposed big guns than Rotherham.
Just as a viewpoint on loans, the ones I don't want to see ever again are the long term injury victims we would take in, train back to health and watch as they slowly recovered turning in below par performances while keeping our youngsters sidelined. It's a balance, and obviously we were trading in the bargain basement at the time, but hopefully our role as a nursing home for the players with no match fitness and repetetive injury syndrome can come to an end now, A couple of decent youngsters from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea would be fine, but who needs players like that guy from Brighton who came to convalesce?
And we don't want to take chances on the likes ofMadison. Bowyer knew what he was like but took the risk. Curbs and Lennie made sure that the players they signed had the right character. A bit like marrying someone and wanting to change them.
would quite happily never take a loan again. with euell now with the first team, it's the best time to start bleeding the youth into the first team if they're good enough, or we need a replacement.
JUst hope it all gets done early instead of the usual last-minute influx. Curbs used to say he liked to bring in 2 or 3 players in summer to freshen up the squad. Shows how desperate we've been that Watson and Madison have a 1-year extension on their contracts if they want it.