Oisin

Not picking on you/this comment especially but I have to say I don’t share quite the level of optimism going on round here. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of good work has gone on - we had a terrible squad and look to have made numerous improvements and shifted a lot of sub-standard personnel. We have, however, lost our 3 best players from last season IMHO (KWP, Fernandes and Ramsdale), plus our hottest prospect (again IMHO, Dibling). More concerning for me, however, is that we haven’t addressed any of the spine, precisely the areas that have cost us in the last 5 years. We don’t have a midfielder who can tackle, we don’t have a strong vocal leader at the back (haven’t since Fonte), we don’t have a cf worth the name (haven’t since Ings), and have a keeper who … let’s just say divides opinion. Mostly in that the staff think he’s good, while 95% of the fans disagree. We are better off than we were a week ago and look to have added some real quality. But I can’t see a spine to build around and form our identity around … let alone tackle, score, defend or save. I’m not in need of any Kleenex, whether for tears or transfers induced ‘excitement’. It’s good, but it really ain’t that good.

Forgetting the various tactical combinations playing to so-and-sos strengths for one Second , what is stark to my mind is how utterly bereft of confidence they all look. Some of them may have historically impressive records at this level, but if you look up from the spreadsheet and database and watch the actual human beings, not one of them looks capable to me of spearheading a promotion campaign. Used more sensibly you might get a few goals out of Archer or ArmA but even a blind pig finds the odd acorn … they both look mentally done in to me. We never properly replaced Ings or Fonte for that matter, and both have cost us dearly. 5 years on and we still haven’t and so it continues to cost us. Our transfer policy over the last few years has been shambolic

As far as I can work out, a lot hinges on who we shift. Obviously there’s Tyler and Fernandes, but you’d imagine Edozie, Aribo, Taylor, one of Suga or Bree, probably BBD and Smallbone, possibly Wood (maybe on loan), Nico Lawrence at least on loan, maybe loans for a Bragg or (less likely) Sesay. And you’d think we’d consider bids for THB, ArmA, Archer, Downes, McCarthy and Manning if someone wanted any of them and were prepared to pay the right fee. Almost anything could still happen so I’m pretty relaxed about the state of the incomings. You can’t buy 10 players and risk having a squad of 35-40 without knowing what you’ve sold. Should we somehow keep Tyler and Fernandes, I reckon we need 1 winger and a 3rd choice keeper and that’s pretty much it. Of course I’d like a better keeper and a proper number 9, plus a proper number 10 if I was being super greedy. But we’d have a good enough squad to mount a proper title challenge if that was it IMHO.

Excellent stuff today - save at 0-1 ultimately earned us 3 points. Plus it was low to his left!!! Maybe there’s hope for him (and us) yet!

Think the 4 in the 343 look really strong. Happy with the back 3 (as happy as you ever can be with Stephens but without THB …) Delighted for Robinson to get the start - what a moment and opportunity for him. Id rather see ArmA wide right and Downes cf but otherwise pretty happy. Only disgruntled with Bazunu (resigned to it) and Fraser if I’m honest. Shame Sessay didn’t make the bench, thought he’d earned it. Not sure on the need for 4 strikers on the bench either. Not quite Bompey last year but a waste of at least one spot. Have some balls and leave at least one of them out. Sun is shining, feeling positive. C’mon lads!!!

I actually think it’s a fairly big decision for us as it’s quite a gamble. In 12 months time: If he stays and plays well, there will be a bidding war and we’d still get a decent chunk (though considerably less due to contract length). Loss of money for not much gain. If he stays and plays well AND helps us to promotion it’s either ditto or he may sign a new contract. Possible Loss of money for very significant gain. If he stays and does poorly, we could struggle to get much at all for him, whether we’re promoted or not, and might not want to keep him ourselves. Loss of a lot of money for no gain. Being a 100% profit generator for PSR it’s quite a conundrum. I like him and think if he stayed he’d be a star this season and help us get promoted so it’d be worth keeping him, but the potential loss if I’m wrong on that is considerable.

You keep stating this as if it means it’ll happen this year. Most of them have played in the championship for over 12 months except Arma and BBD who were both poor last 1/2 season. Archer had one season doing it, Edozie 1/2 a season since when he played poorly in Belgium, Stewart 1/4 of a season since when he’s spent over 2 years on the treatment table, Fraser looks old and past it. Apart from that I see every reason to share your optimism … I’m quite happy with our defensive and deeper midfield options; I’m not as depressed as many at our GK situation. But I seriously worry for our attacking options, especially if and when Fernandes and Dibling are sold. The only player we have (and are likely to keep) who actually excites me is Robinson and he’s a kid.

We’ve received cash for Bednarek, Selemana, Tall Paul and SAA and look certain to receive more for Ramsdale (loan fee) and Edozie. I think we’re in a position where we would only “need” to sell 2 of THB, Fernandes and Dibling to comfortably make that, especially when you add on further (small) fees for the likes of ABK, Taylor/Manning, Aribo/Smallbone and one of the forwards. It helps our negotiating position because we’re not utterly desperate to cash in, but it’s depressing all the same, especially when it’s young talent. Personally I’m resigned to losing Fernandes; I’d rather keep Dibling than THB but appreciate others will feel differently.

Does it have to be an either/or? We haven’t had a vocal leader at the back IMHO since Fonte left, not only leaving a vocal-leader sized hole in an increasingly crap defence, but also harming the development of the numerous youngsters we’ve already tried who looked like they had potential but never realised it. Quite possibly because they never got to play with a vocal leader to learn from. Just an opinion. And before you annoyingly ask for names I’m thinking of the likes of Jan, Stephen’s, Vesti, Hoedt and one or two others I’ve probably forgotten

1) I’ve been to Glasgow many times; the city centre does indeed have some beautiful architecture and the shopping is far superior to most English cities. The waterfront area by the SEC is also quite nice. And the Burrell Collection is a fabulous museum 2) it was a joke 3) congratulations on surpassing MLG as todays forum bore

I think Lucy Pinder will need to show courage and bravery in moving to Glasgow

I always had a sneaky feeling he might have been a Glaswegian anyway 😉

I’m also a fan of this - looks great

We have a desperate need for a defensive leader (better than Jan and Stephens), have some good cbs in the academy (Sanda, Moore, Dobson-Ventura, the 16 year old Man U are interested in), and 5 other cbs in their early 20s (Edwards, THB, Wood, Lawrence, ABK) and our first signing is a 20 year old cb of unknown quality? Does seem odd to me. Let’s hope he’s good, and at that much it’s not a big gamble. He certainly improves the physicality averages of the squad too! Just an odd area to look at for me. Clearly some of the above will be off. I hope so. It might also indicate a plan to play a back 3. I hope not

I would like us to get a wise old head at cb. A lot of our cbs over the last 8-10 years haven’t been good enough in the end, but they were all young when they broke through and needed a Fonte to learn off. Instead they got each other. Who knows, but with a proper leader to learn from, maybe one of Jan, Vesti, Stephens, Hoedt, Salisu, ABK and whoever else I’ve forgotten could have developed into a much better player. Ok, not Hoedt who was too arrogant to learn from anyone, but the point still stands. THB, Wood, Sanda and Edwards could all have huge potential but they won’t develop learning from each other - they need a leader alongside them.