i dont think people find it fun, think people would love to be posting with excitement about the top 6 battle. the fact that 3 years into Acun's reign you are having to use phrases like- "enough to survive" is pretty depressing to be fair.
We have and we should. We’re a couple of signings and a handful of returning injured players away from really competing in this league. Look at Sunderland. They’ve improved year on year since their promotion from League One. How? A bit of stability at the top, building from a youngish squad and only a few signings to complement the team and not to try to replace it each transfer window. They won’t go up this season but they’ll be stronger next season. That’s what we can do over the next few years if we avoid relegation and manage the club sensibly.
Agree with that, but even last year people were so miserable, so unwilling to see that we were doing well, and made so much noise about the manager. Those people got their way and now we are where we are.
Yet when we got him he was past it and no good, now he's our saving grace. Not much excitement about him when he signed. https://not606.com/search/156267718/?q=Pedro&t=post&o=relevance&c[thread]=412326
Negative tactics attract negative comments. The views expressed in my posts are not necessarily mine.
They haven't quite though and I think you are undervaluing the magnitude of their approach. They made play-offs 1st season after promotion, but then were lower mid-table last season and heading towards a relegation battle if the season had lasted much longer - so not quite year on year improvement. However as you said, they have put far far more emphasis on building the footballing capital long-term at the expense of short-term objectives than we have, almost opposite extremes, so you are correct in the direction of travel needed but I think you underestimate just how much of a shift it would need for us to even approach that. From similar positions last season at the end of the Jan transfer mkt, they looked at their hand, looked at everyone lese and basically folded, whereas we went all in. At one point last season their first XI had a younger average age than their U21 side match the following day, whereas we relied too heavily on loans - denying our own players that experience. And now you can see the results. In terms of their planning. They were always banking on selling their current best asset, Clarke, for a profit (and probably got £5m less than they expected). But they had bought Mundle for buttons as replacement in the preceding Jan. Mundle (who ironically was Clarke's replacement at Spurs) has fitted straight in. And they even have a Mundle replacement in Tommy Watson a home-grown prospect. But actually no, scratch that, he's just been sold to Brighton for £10m + 20% sell on after what? 16 first team games. Then there is Rigg, Bellingham, Neill, Cirkin ... I'd expect at least 2 of them to go if they don't win promotion so I wouldn't say they would be stronger next season. There have also been misses. They'll lose money over players like Rusyn, but there is a clear direction of travel and a very strong commitment to development and managing wages etc. Their wages to revenue ratio is far lower than ours for a while now. So their trend is upwards, but they'll have season by season fluctuations. If we survive this season then I expect next season to be even more difficult as the quality of the clubs coming up looks better than those I think are going down. Sales of Greaves and Philo have given us a bit more financial freedom, but the quality of the existing players just isn't good enough, though as you said we've been a bit unfortunate with injuries and long-term bans. So even if we switch perspectives I don't think we will see an immediate improvement and there is a real possibility that things could get worse in the short-term.
They are dropping like a stone aren't they. Safe for this season maybe, but them preston and qpr will be down there next season unless they spend
I read if they dont pay their players by next week They can get a transfer embargo And rohl will def leave
round 40: saturday 5th april: luton v leeds - 12.30pm millwall v portsmouth oxford v sheff u preston v stoke qpr v cardiff swansea v derby sheff w v city so big game day today for all involved first up luton in an hour leeds do them surely
