Our team as it currently stands, with 8 loanees, giving us back-up in all departments, or none of the loan players and PJ using our youth players instead? In an ideal world, we'd have no loan players, and the club using our youth players as back up when required, thus enabling them to bed into the team and give them valuable experience. Now, PJ & co obviously tried to sign players permanently during the summer, but, with our wage structure, and possible high demands of some of these players, they couldn't (didn't) bring in the quality that was required. So, what do you do, as a manager of a threadbare team? From what i've seen of our youngsters, none of them are really stepping up to the level that's required to play at this standard. Now you may say that the youth need to play in first team games to gain this experience to step up a level, but on the other hand, if the players are not producing the goods in training/U-21 games, then how or why should they be picked in the first team squad? The only two, in my opinion that should warrant at least to be picked for the squad, is Carson and Hyam. Murray doesn't seem to be good enough, and will be another Bowditch in playing in L1 & L2. The others, potential they may have, are still very young and green. Players like Byron Lawrence, who does look an excellent prospect is too young to playing in such a physical league, Ainsley Looks "OK", and the rest still need a season or two playing for the U21's. My next question is, out of the 8 loanees we now have, how many would we like to keep permanently. My take on them is; Henderson (GK) - Would push Loach, but certainly not better than him Higginbotham - I'd sign him, has got another season or two left in him. Moshni - Don't think he'll be good enough for this division - too temeramental N'daw - I like the look of him, and think he could be a good signing Luongo - Looks fairly decent, but lightweight. Don't think we have a chance of signing him, as Tottingham rate him. Wellens - A journry man pro, would be ok as a squad player (on a par with drury) Reo-Coker - Has played at a higher level, was excellent in his prime, but maybe on his way down. Could still be a good signing (better than what we have) Campbell - once fit, would be an excellent addition. Better than chopra. Murphy - Steady, and you know what you're gonna get from him. But is he good enough for us?
The basic fact is that Jewell has now decided that the team he built is not good enough so has decided to bring in a bunch of mercenaries who really couldn't care to help us out of the ****! Way to go Jewell. This is just what happened when he was at Derby. My mate who is a Derby fan warned me this would happen and he's pissing himself laughing!
Well writen post mate. Agree 100% that we cant pack out the squad with youth as we dont appear to have any at that stage of their development. We've basically forgotten about youth talent and although Klug is back here I doubt we will see the results for another 2 or 3 years minimum. Its also grossly unfair on the kids to be brought into the first team picture when the atmosphere and the team are so down. Carson & Hyam I dont consider youth team players, Whight by his own admission struggled to adapt, although we have high hopes for him. After that what is there? I wouldnt care about have 2 or 3 well thought out loans here but 8 and a 3 month deal for NRC is bizarre. The fact that 99% of them are midfielders doesnt help either. Its not really about the individuals but its about the future of our club. If we string together a run of 5 wins now with all these loanees in the team what happens next. Do we sign them all in Jan? do you simply rebuild with the players that are currently out of the team (another start from scratch process) Moshni I can see the point of 'try before you buy' as its a massive step up from league 2. Wellens has annoyed me enormously with him only being here to help Leicesters promotion chances. The others I have little individual opinion on, although the keeper one is bizarre but its the volume that concerns me. Its not ITFC, its a charity for waifs and strays. We may aswell agree a sponsorship deal with Battersea Dogs Home as we look to be a close parralel with them currently (no offence is meant to the wonderful work done by Battersea in this statement)
If you're a manager of a threadbare team then you BUY some players, PJ has always said the funds have been there for him. The reason we are in the current mess is all down to him. But the fact is we are in this mess, so the only solution is to loan players because I don't think our youth are good enough at the moment (I agree that I don't see Carson and Hyam as youth team players). As for the loans.. I think Campbell and Higginbotham are the two I think we NEED to sign. Smith needs a break (poor guys been playing non-stop and he's only 21! Needs to take a step back for a while) and Chops has never really started being the player we wanted him to be. N'daw would be a decent signing, not sure what's happening with him though. EADT say there is 'more than meets the eye' in terms of his 'situation'. Murphy is practically an ipswich player already, I forgot he was still only a loan! He definitely adds to the squad, but I think there are other players around who could do the same for a smaller wage. The others.. Luongo - Would be good, but we will never get him on a perm. Henderson - is a pointless signing as far as I can see. Moshni - He has passion which I think is what we need in the team at the moment. Not sure if he will help the team in the long run though. Wellens - haven't really made up my mind on him yet. Reo-Coker - unfair to make a decision when he hasn't played yet. (Also he isn't a loan, but with a contract only lasting 3 months I see why he can be included with these guys)
Are our results down to management decisions or because we just don't really have the quality we think? Lack of interest in our players during transfer windows makes me think that we don't. Sure we have some players with a degree of technical ability but they don't seem to have what it takes to get results. New tactics could change this though if we use said players in the proper way, playing to their strengths and not try and make them do something they are not comfortable with (JET tracking back for instance) Squads are never the finished article and need constant improvement to stay in touch with the rest so I am glad we are still searching for better players (Reo) but I can't help thinking another manager could get more out of what we already have. We never got the players we needed during the summer so find ourselves in our current position of relying on loanees and short term signings to get the results we so desperately need. It smacks of desperation from Jewell but was it his fault that the players we needed were not brought in?
To answer the original question "Our team as it currently stands, with 8 loanees, giving us back-up in all departments, or none of the loan players and PJ using our youth players instead? I wanted PJ to sort out the obvious gaps over the summer (even the most fervount PJ backer knew that we needed 2 CBs above all else). Instead he came up with "I won't make the same mistakes as last season" - no, he's made it worse. In January, if the loan players have played well, they will all be off to better clubs. If they've played badly, no doubt we'll be adrift at the bottom & we'll keep them
" Smith needs a break (poor guys been playing non-stop and he's only 21! Needs to take a step back for a while) " Smith needs to go on loan for at least this season. I can honestly say, and this is saying something he is by quite some distance the worst centre back I have ever seen in a town shirt, coupled with the amount of games I've not been at and I've heard him doing this that and the other wrong. Correct he's young. However, is he going to sort out the following aspects of his game? 1- Pace. He has none. This can be improved no ends if you want it to. Look at the Welsh rugby player Shane Williams who was doing his fastest sprints at 31. Work on it Smith. It links with the next.... 2- Turning circle. Reminds me of the titanic. 3- Stength = BEHAVE. 4- Ability in a 1 v 1 = they're literally through on goal! 5- Reading the game = don't make me laugh! He is absolutely horrific generally. Sure he has the odd good game, but I'd rather not see him near a pitch again and discarded. Sooner the better.
Panic measures taken by ignorant amatuers because they dont know what else to do, they think that by rushing around like headless chickens signing up almost a complete team of loanees will cure the underlying problems. In other words its better to be seen doing something than nothing at all. The solution may be unpallatable to ME but until its addressed this sticking plaster policy will not work for long if at all. He must replace Jewell with a dynamic youngish man with drive who understands the modern game and has a proven track record, also provide him with an adequate transfer budget for good class players and back the managers choice when it comes to the question of personal terms. What we are seeing now is an out of touch manager who was out of work for over 2 years floundering around totally lost, and his employers clearly dont trust him because they dont back him when it comes to his transfer targets, they dress it up by talking about financial fair play etc but we know this is just bullshit to try and cover up their mistrust of Jewell. You employed him Evans hes your man so if youre as unhappy as we are then for christ sake replace him while theres still time to rectify the situation.
Completely agree with that FM. The signing of a loanee goalkeeper just shows how out of touch and desperate Jewell is. I just hope and pray that the poor bastard gets put out of his and our misery come 4:45 on Saturday!
It used to be a few supporters including you and I who were calling for change but I think theres a few more of us now, I dont know that it will make any difference but we cant all be wrong.
I think its most now FM. I am failing to see any signs of positivity. I still dont think Jewell is the biggest problem but recent events means I cant see a way for him to continue.
Errm, I would add myself to the "few supporters" who have been calling for change for pretty much 1 year now..!
Us growing band of brothers! I am absolutely amazed that we haven't had any serious protests yet! Most of us remember how angry we were when John Duncan and Mick McGiven were in charge and things weren't as bad then as they are now! We as fans must now get together and demand change FFS!
Why is it you can get players on a short term trial and if it doesn't work out let them go but you can't do the same for managers. Managers always get given at least a two year contract and need paying off if they fail. Whilst players have to earn a contract, managers are just given one.
I'm struggling to find positives from this seemingly desperate measures from a desperate mate!! How can we go from one extreme to the other is ridiculous but positives are, I'm clutching a straws: 1. If all of our loan players were actually our players we would have a pretty decent team 2. We have been in a relegation fight at this time of year for the previous 2 seasons and Jewell has got us out of it both times!!
