Pwoite

Deja vu, all over again.

No source, just Dibling is meant to have indicated he would stay if we can be in the automatic promotion positions. Added to that his previous experience at Chelsea, and the high asking price the Club is reputedly asking. Also, whilst Dibling hasn’t signed a new contract, it has been indicated that his family have their feet firmly on the ground and are realistic about expectations. Further, his drop off in form last season, and a couple of injuries, means he would be a risk for any club. Finally, Dibling knows he needs to be playing, and if he moves to a lot of EPL teams he won’t be a regular starter. However, who really knows? Probably not even Dibling.

With this speculation that we can’t shift Dibling, and will work to keep Fernandes, it goes a long way towards explaining little transfer activity or rumour. On that principle, who might be presumed to be our front six for Wrexham? Downes and Charles holding, Dibling/Archer/Fernandes/Robinson attacking, with Stewart/Downs as striker. Arma on the bench. For all those knocking the squad quality, that gives us some bloody good options. Full backs and goalkeeper, well tbc!!

No Ballard, either. Clearly his days look numbered. This time last year O’Brian Whitmarsh got a look in, but no mention of him or most of the resu of the U21s, apart from Sesay.

Need to drop chicken livers from the half time refreshments menu.

I can assure you I’m not, but once again you’re missing the point. Or, maybe I am. Was that a sexual invitation to anyone not red headed?

Only he can’t as the opposition will be different, his management will be different and the confidence level should be different. However Armstrong performed last season, the season before, without question more relevant, Arma was top scorer. Maybe he should watch those videos. Arguably, Smallbone wasn’t too shabby in the Championship and Stephens did a job. Equally, Manning seemed better in the EPL than the Championship, but most of us have Wellington as our preferred starter.

I wish some on here had more respect for our players. Yes, they were very poor last season, but in a team inappropriately managed and without the right additions to our squad. We clearly have players good enough to challenge for promotion without buying anyone else. (And that’s after potentially selling the Fab Four.) However, the squad is too big and we do need to sell, or loan, a number to reduce it to a manageable number. Secondly, and more importantly, we need to bring in some fresh blood to beef up the weaker on pitch positions and to, hopefully, prepare for another Premier League season. I guess holding on to Fernandes, Ramsdale or whoever mitigates against this need. Finally, if we are serious about winning promotion, then we have to aim for an automatic place, not the playoffs, and to achieve that does mean not just a smaller but stronger squad. However if we have Ramsdale, Quarshie, Sugawara, Edwards, an older Charles, Robinson, Matsuki, Stewart, Fernandes, Down and Archer around for the loss of KWP, Che and Stu and possibly THB,aren’t we a lot better off than two seasons ago?

He hasn’t. Spors has. The Club is desperately short of experience, leadership and passion and whilst Stephen’s let himself down twice last season, there is precious little in the current squad that offers such qualities. Whilst it’s a three year deal, it is a two year extension. I suspect Jack will become club captain and Downes, THB or suchlike will be team captain. Even that choice won’t be easy.

Clearly the wrong thread. This is about horses, and all SR have signed have been donkeys.

In crude terms, can anyone quantify: - loss of Sky money compared to last season - other known reductions in revenue - reduction in player wages through relegation clauses Surely these are the three big ‘knowns’ before we worry about income and expenditure through transfers. (Okay, player sales also reduces salaries but incomings go the other way, though probably to a lesser extent.)

But, and it’s a big but, we won’t have a tippy tippy playing style that makes us so vulnerable at the back. That cannot be included in any squad comparison.

Possibly add Matsuki to that list. Definitely need a third keeper, whether Ramsdale or someone coming in. Possibly two if Bazunu off on loan. Can see a new left back in and one of our two off. Then there are potential loans, though the indication is that we won’t rely on these. Unfortunately, many, if not most, of the moves won’t happen till late August, which is never helpful. Begs the question of whether Still/Spors effectively cut the squad size down soon, and get surplus players training with the U21s.

I like the thread. Good luck keeping it running. What are the savings in wages as a result of relegation and what’s the difference between Sky money and parachute payments?

He apologised for his behaviour when he wanted to leave us for Liverpool but words are cheap a decade on. Innocence of youth, arrogance, or selfishness?

People watching the Club World Cup? Arm’s length,we’ll certainly Ronnie Edwards is arm’s length from playing in the U21s.

I like Palace, and usually WHU, who manage to get club colours into the second shirt. I know why clubs don’t do this but equally how many away games do we not wear redandwhite when there’s no clash.

I’ve always presumed that to be ITK you have to be one of two things, either working in or very close to the club or very close friends with an insider. Bearing in mind the churn of club staff, it surely means that most such contacts will have limited lifespans.

Agreed, but reducing our outgoings is hugely important. Move on Aribo and Bednarek rather than two low earners, and we save £100k pw, £5m pa. That money helps our profits, our sustainability target and potentially frees up more for purchases, so it really does matter. Also, I didn’t see THB, BBD or Lumley listed. Any reason?

Bearing in mind the last minute.com nature of so many transfers, adding to the difficulty of shifting some of our over paid, under performing, squad members, I don’t relish the task of the recruitment team this summer. They certainly won’t be able to move players on before bringing fresh blood in, and with thirty ‘senior’ players already on our books, I can see a logistics nightmare in terms of pre-season training and matches. I wonder whether a dozen or so players have, or will, be told that they are not part of the plans for next season, and therefore won’t be training with the first team. If so, what impact on morale and team spirit will this create? Equally, if such information gets out, it reduces the price, and therefore club’s income, on those players. I don’t think we should underestimate the difficulty facing the club in reducing our squad size and wage bill, whilst looking at bringing in those players vital to next season’s campaign.

There’s the rub. Will he be playing, by which I mean, will he get regularly game time or just five minute cameos in the league on odd occasions the team is winning comfortably, and a start in the Carabao Cup. I got slated in January for saying I didn’t think Dibling was destined to be that great, and I stand by my opinion. Sell, and move on.

Interesting, looking at last week’s U21 play off final, the City commentator mentioned the young ages of most of the City team, and the comparative older ages of our team. As I understand it, three of our starters are out of contract next month. Payne has already announced his departure, Abu and the keeper, McNamara. Have I missed anyone? With a right back likely to come in, Bree, if he stays, would surely push Abu out, unless Derryck is considered a better fit than James medium term. With Lumley out of contract, is it worth keeping McNamara as third choice? (I’m presuming Bazunu leaves or goes on loan) Of the others, what next. Robinson, who didn’t play in the final but starred in the semi, has a clear future. The two centre backs both made the bench for the Arsenal game, and look able to push on. O’Brian Whitmarsh needs a good pre season to get himself in consideration for the fringes of the first team. Moses Sesay has a recent new contract. Larios seems too slight to make top level, and I can see him moving on this summer. Ballard has been mentioned many times on here. Opinions are divided but thoughts are that he doesn’t have the guile to make the first team, and I’m sure next season will prove this one way or the other. Anyone with better insight or inside knowledge?

This is exactly the problem. So, the choice for Spors and Still is who we have to keep, who can we sell, and who do we loan and end up subsidising? No point having four or five central defenders if we only plan we use three from the current squad, so cut and run, and move Stephens, or whoever it is, on to Charlton or whoever, and get him out the door and some money towards his wages. Not ideal, but better than having players hanging around, potentially disrupting the dressing room.

We need to reduce the squad size and the wage bill, so to some extent it is a matter of clearing the decks, and see who we can sell. So, central defenders, as an example, we need three plus the two from the U21s. Which three? Potentially, that could be keep two and bring one in. THB and Edwards would be good, but we need to move on four. ABK, Wood, Bednarek, Stephens…..out of the six, perhaps, but the important point is to move on at least three, and I’ve not even considered Taylor. Would it really matter which ones we kept in the Championship? Probably not. Apply that principle throughout and then bring in players as opportunities present themselves, having a list of targets and, perhaps, one or two essentials to meet squad weakness. Goalkeeper and centre forward come straight to mind. Easy, in principle, much harder in practice.

Loans are all well and good for next season, but won’t help if we are promoted, unless there is a loan to buy clause, and, as we’ve seen, there is no guarantee of EPL success with such players. We need to be investing this summer, and if promoted, the following summer.