UpweySaint

I get what you’re saying but a prediction is not solely based on the squad ‘as is’ but on assumptions about what business were likely to do. Assuming Edozie, Dibling, Aribo and Fernandes all go we need at least one (preferably two) wingers, an AM and a centre mid - I would hope we have a reasonable budget to get quality additions. I think momentum could be an issue for us whatever happens so I think we may struggle to set a good pace which will hinder us. We could end up in second but my gut feeling is we’ll be close but may fall just short and end up with another play off place. Genuine interest, where do you see us finishing? Welcome to make a ‘as is’ prediction and one for ‘if we do decent transfer business’ if you like.

To be fair you could say the same about almost any club in the league. I do take the point but I guess a lot of people making predictions are either assuming we’ll recruit or think the squad we have comparative to league rivals is strong even if we end up losing Dibling and Fernandes. Still seems to be well thought of by others too which doesn’t hurt. It could also be the easy answer - three down most likely to go back up but Leicester may get a points deduction so it’s Ipswich and us. Fwiw I think we’re short quality on a couple of key positions but I’m hopeful the club will get deals across the line by the end of the window. It’s guesswork but I think we’re likely to end up with a squad that should be challenging for automatic promotion.

Weren’t we rumoured to have bid for Fellows before? I can’t recall how far back that was. I can’t see WBA selling cheap but he could be a really smart signing - his assist record last season was really impressive!

I’m very much in the wait and see camp but I can understand why others aren’t. I expect you are right to an extent that it is cultural however this is exacerbated by SR lacking credit with many. There is the old thing about trust being hard earned and easily lost - at the moment I think much of the fan base have little trust or faith which is sort of fair enough. Call it scar tissue or whatever but SR have got a lot wrong and last season was an embarrassment so I get some of it - the occasional “everyone and everything is shit” poster winds me up though! For me, I give Solak some benefit of the doubt. Getting Spors in early and rebuilding the scouting team is a huge plus in his favour. Making changes at board level another tick. Mostly getting good fees on sales gets more credit - holding out for a good fee for Dibling for example. The two signings so far seem to make sense and feel like good business. Getting our business done early is generally best but unfortunately not many clubs have that luxury. Quality over quantity would be ideal. Even with a few more out I don’t think we need too many in but some genuine quality in the creative midfield positions feels a must.

I knew I was forgetting some! El Kanous and Ndidi have both been linked with moves. Curious if either or both are still with them at the end of the window. Isn’t Ndidi meant to have a reasonably low release clause? Presume El Kanous will have a relegation clause too … Faes I struggle with. I can’t decide if he seems worse than he is because he stands out so much on the pitch- if he drops a b*lock it’s hard for him to go under the radar. Much like David Luiz. The only way I see us keeping Dibling is if nobody thinks the gamble on his potential matches the fee we insist on.

To be fair I’m not sure who Leicester have who really stood out last season? Fatuwu was brilliant before his injury and their keeper looks good, who else would be wanted by bigger clubs? It’s odd because they probably have a better squad than us but I can’t see too many who bigger clubs would see much value in.

my initial reaction was this was ridiculous but if Chelsea are looking to move him on and there isn’t interest from bigger and better maybe a loan with a fee and option if we go up? He potentially gets week in week out football and either gets us back up or puts himself in the window for a bigger club.

His value would likely be less were it not for his age but isn’t that sort of the point? Yamal aside how many players are the finished article at sucha. Young age?! Dibling had some moments that were fantastic to watch at the start of the season. I disagree it’s easy to look like a world beater when your teammates are crap - it’s harder. Us being crap doesn’t change him unsettling top class international defenders despite playing in a poor team bereft of confidence. I really don’t get why some posters seem to want to run the kid down. Is it to make it easier if/when he goes? I bloody loved watching him early last season and I’m excited to see if he can fulfil his undoubted potential- hopefully with us for at least a while longer. He was inconsistent for sure but what else could have been expected given the context?

Sensible post. Ideal world we would see more change and I expect the club feel similar but we may need to be patient. Worth reflecting that were a lot of the players in our squad coming in with their records or being picked up by other clubs it might be seen as good business. An example would be I was impressed Birmingham got Doyle on loan but I think he’s probably comparable to Downes or Charles. It could also be a big year for Matsuki, Robinson, Dibling and maybe even Sesay. I still think we’re missing a 10 and would like to see more proven quality on the wing - I’m thinking more classic winger than wide forward type player. If Matty goes some more creativity in the middle would be valuable. I’m less worried about Bazunu as others but if we can find the right target it’s an area we could do with strengthening. Otherwise I think the squad is good enough to be competing for automatic promotion - I don’t see anybody getting past Ipswich though. They look well set to go straight back up.

Valid point though elite footballers have to have a lot of self belief and confidence. If you have a good season with us this year then there is an option that Ramsdale doesn’t come back and you’re now potentially a premier league no1 or he comes back and you have the chance to push him for the shirt. Let’s say we sign Johansen (sp) and we have a Burnley type season - as Still do you stick with what has worked or do you immediately stick Ramsdale back in?

Not small beer indeed but they felt like decent deals at the time especially given the relative barren spell for our academy. Both moved on for a reasonable profit after not getting too much chance to play first team football for us. Hopefully with Dibling, Robinson, Sesay and the striker we got from Port Vale (name escapes me) we will have a run of bringing through first team players from our own academy on a consistent basis again.

Him and Meghoma who went to Brentford. Both from Spurs. I think we paid compo for them both but may be misremembering.

It’s probably a stretch because it’s not what I said. The OP was making a point about players being identified by ‘non football’ people. I asked if Shields counted as a football person. I think people are entitled to form whatever opinion of a player they like - that’s their prerogative. I don’t go along with the implication that our recruitment had been run by people without a scooby. Talent and potential aren’t in a vacuum - some transfers work, some don’t for plenty of reasons. Bazunu clearly hasn’t worked - or at least worked yet if we’re being kind - but signing a young keeper who was a player of the season for a league one side and the starting goal keeper for Ireland at 21 (ish) isn’t some ridiculous concept.

I don’t get what the distinction is between a football person and a non football person. What qualifies somebody as a football person or is it a bit intangible? Either way I may be misremembering but was Bazunu not a pick from Joe Shields? Like him or not he’s got a good reputation in the game as a talent spotter particularly at youth level. Does he count as a football person in your opinion?

Potentially a good move for Ramsdale. It’s a shame to see him go but hardly unexpected. I don’t think Baz is as horrendous as many think but I wonder how much it would cost to get genuine competition for him? It’s a shame we’re probably a year too late to get Cooper or Johansson for reasonable fees. If Ramsdale is a loan I can’t see is throwing much money at another keeper. I wonder if somebody like Sam Tickle could be available for the right price? The issue is relative inexperience but he may not expect to be a guaranteed starter should we go up and Ramsdale return.

I don’t agree. I think this overestimates the quality in other squads we are competing with. I think the ‘as is’ squad should be comfortably in the play offs with an eye on the automatics. If we want to be a good candidate for the autos and have a fighting chance of staying up were we to go up I agree improvements are needed.

I think he has the ability and vision to be more creative. There were games last season where showed it. I do agree that he is at his best a little deeper but in a 4-2-3-1 with the current options we have I would see him playing as a 10 in games we feel we need more solidity. We could drop one of Downes or Charles and put him alongside one of them in the middle where we expect to be seeing more of the ball and trying to break down sides.

No chance we’re signing two wingers and a 10 without major sales. Expect the likes of Edozie, Dibling and Robinson to offer some more of the creativity. Fernandes as a 10 with Downes back in the middle with Charles also an option.

Fair. The principle of clubs not spending more than they can afford is a good one but the system ‘as is’ feels rigged and the top clubs are incentivised to keep it as such.

Don’t worry, we’re used to embarrassment over the past few seasons! Genuine question, how is the uncertainty over if/when you’ll get a points deduction sitting with the Leicester fan base? Is there also an acceptance of it as ‘fair enough’ based on financial rules? As a potential rival I see it as giving us a potential competitive advantage and the way you dodged it last time round hasn’t sat right but Leicester hardly feel like the worst offender compared to the likes of City (what charges when?!?) and Chelsea (loophole fc).

You won’t find anyone stable here. That horse has very much bolted. *I’m not proud of that one 😂

I’ll give you Larios and ABK though I’m not sure that I would include ABK in that specific cohort as he wasn’t part of the City academy exodus. Baz I don’t think is as awful as some think and he is still young in goalkeeper terms. He has clearly lost confidence and may not come back from that. You did miss Lavia off the list too. Injuries have been a big issue but he is clearly top quality. He was the 2022 cohort right? I won’t be heartbroken if Edozie goes for the right fee but I do feel he is worth persevering with.

Yeah the Anderlecht loan spell was a disappointment, can’t argue that. I don’t know much of the context of the team, how he settled etc. Hard to know how definitive it is. I suppose the caveat is Club Brugge would have seen him in the Belgium league and fancy him based on that. They’re a decent side. If he does go hopefully it’s for a good fee and Still is given a quality replacement well suited to how he wants to set up.

I thought Edozie looked decent albeit a bit raw in our promotion season. If I remember correctly he got an injury just when he was getting in to rhythm with us. Unless we have a replacement lined up I would rather keep him - I think he could do a job at this level and has the potential to develop into a premier league player.

If we did it would be good business. I had been working on the assumption we wouldn’t get a fee for him so anything is a bonus. I would take a lower fee with a good sell on clause - just in case he kicks on.