This division has changed a hell of alot since Redknapp won it with Portsmouth in 2002/03. We finished 2nd that year while having a transfer embargo and being in administration.
247 id take 2nd place if offered to me and would have biten your hand off if offered at the start of the season But, the Op was (i think)about our dealings in the T/window. i know there are reason why but we obviously didnt do enough to get the players we wanted. isnt that why we have Beard & co? For the record, im not puting them down, just saying i wasnt impressed with the outcome of our dealings? I think you'd be hard pressed to find any supporters who honestly were. Imagine Doyle and the other striker (not even goinna attempt his name) hadnt scored on thier debut. What would have been the mutterings then? I havent seen the Derby game but from reading the posts it seems like Doyle wasnt in the game much? I certainly wouldnt say anything is secure (esp a play off place) but I'd love us to hit this "form" that so many keep claiming is just around the corner. Theres a long way to go still and whilst its unlikely that we'll catch Leicester (remember we need to win as they lose) 2nd place could have been made much easier with the acquisition of at least 1 top class striker. \Lets hope the decision not to spend, doesnt come back to bite us & Tony!
They are loan players so aren't the future anyway, our average age is in the 30s. Kranjcar is30 in august which would be his 1st game should we sign him so that hardly brings the age down. BAE will turn 30 next month.
In terms of automatic promotion we have to say Leicester seem home and hosed. Burnley are the best team I've seen us play this season followed by Forest and I'm beginning to think those two will pull away from us in the run-in leaving us to battle it out with Reading, Derby, Brighton and Wigan for the play-off places. Next up are the false hoops which becomes a real six-pointer now...
We were all raving about Maiga and Doyle vs Burnley now they are s@@@.In the words of Oddball get a grip...last night we were dire...and it wasn't exactly the players but the system they were initially asked to play under. Harry is TOO afraid...until it is too late. I am scared now we won't get there...because we won't win through the play off...it has to be automatic. Aft e r Reading which is now a six pointer....the matches are easier, but from now on Arry cannot be faint hearted...they are all must winners. I do not think he has the nerve for it. Depressed this morning.
This is my position. Not only that it's not the strikers fault that the midfield aren't creating chances for them to convert. Doyle et al were given no service last night at all.
Can't help thinking that no matter who goes up this season they will come straight back down the following season. It's a very poor league with no standout footballing side.
Who's to blame, HR or TF for piss poor transfer window? I would start with Flyer ... I promise i will get you a lady of the night
That's the case pretty much every year though Twinners. This division is a very poor standard but I realised on our two years in the Prem that that's overrated too. The bottom half of the Prem is almost as sh*te as the top of the Champo.
If premiership clubs find it difficult to sign quality players in the January window why would a championship club find it easier? You only got Maiga because we managed to finally get a striker 2 days before the window shut, after looking for one since the start, and getting gazumped on almost everyone we approached, what makes you think QPR is a better proposition than West Ham, and that's without the emergency signing of a journeyman championship CB who was the best we could get. Don't blame HR or TF, that was just the way it was this window, half the teams in the EPL were after at least 1 striker.
Thats not stopped austin all season. Yes I know they got no service but all 3 forwards were awful from start to finish and didnt create anything themselves.
Agree with all of this other than the raving about Maiga and Doyle which was in the papers and not on here. Maiga had a tap in after great work from Hoilett - it may have been his only telling touch and certainly he had none last night. Admittedly Doyle was better last Sunday but clearly can be boxed up pretty easily by the right defensive set up. TBH I see no other choice than to give Johnson and Doyle another go but at the same time as actually getting others forward as in the 2nd half last night.
Doyle is okay but won't score many. Maiga looks awful. The two youngsters are unproven. Johnson and Zamora should never have been in the squad from the start of the season, injured and crap, even if we are paying them a fortune. We knew Austin was out for the season. We don't have the strikers Leicester and Burnley have and unless they get injured they will score goals whilst we can't. We should have bust a gut to get a goalscorer in, but we didn't so now we can only hope.
