The Wrong Targets

[Mickyblueeyes]

We’ve been unprepared all summer. Whether that comes to the new manager appointment or player transfer. I admire people putting a positive spin on this but the reality is, laziness means you spend 3 months without a clue of what to do and end up with a squad worse than your most closest rival - by some distance. There is no Sheff United, Burnley or Luton this season, we are going to be cut a drift at the bottom while the other 19 teams spank us. 
 

We are used by agents to elevate their clients for proper moves. Because we are not doing the ground work other clubs are quite simply doing. This has been a disaster summer and not the first disaster under Top, Whelan and Rudkin - our third manager in a row has bemoaned the unprofessional approach by those in power. 
 

There is nothing unfortunate about a deal we tried to rush through because of a disastrous pre-season. The deal with Leverkeusen, based on reports was pretty easy to get over - how come it’s always the player who stalls ? Why are we meeting asking prices but not terms. Are we genuinely in for them ? Or are we failing on basic background checks ? A lot of people use last season summer as an example of success. Last season, there were flaws too. Stop giving them an excuse. We are where we are because we don’t deserve to be any further until we have wholesale changes at the very top. 
 

Were they wrong targets ? Of course they were. Our major transfer as we fast approach the deadline for first game registration is a reserve from Brighton. The question is, were any of these actual targets or is the club being used for alternative means by agency’s - again, as a result of laziness. 

[dooflip]

This is exactly why we should have bought szmodics for 9/10m. Those who were/are against it need a reality check.

 

i would take szmodics, chair and hamer right now, and it wouldn’t have been the worst window ever.

 

We also missed out on lots of free transfers and good value deals early on, which we probably thought we were better than. Ryan Sessegnon for example - better than our other natural left backs and can also play on the wing.

[chris2208]

I'd have tried for Cameron Archer too. We definitely have been going for the wrong players - Soule, Hzolek and Fotis - all expensive and want European football. We should have gone in for players like Sessegnon, Szmodics, Clarke, Whittaker and Broja. I worry big time for this season!

 

[CosbehFox]

Totally agree with the original post. 
 

Lots of markets and prospects to go at. Lower fees, lower wages, wouldn’t worry about playing at Championship level next season. 
 

We need more Hermansen’s, Mavididi’s and Fatawu’s. Players at clubs look up towards ours rather than down at. 

Edited 16 August by CosbehFox

[Simonb]

Alves, Braybrooke, Nelson, Golding, Abdul and any half decent academy prospects need to be given the minutes. Hozlek would've been decent and Zaha is about the only over 30 player that would improve us.

 

Unless we can realistically get a decent player In mid 20s or lower then don't bother. We've got players like Coady and Vestergaard swallowing up squad spaces, and utter shite like Daka and Soumare that we can't move on.. we don't need to be adding more like Ayew etc to that list.

 

We've a terrible team behind the scenes, on paper an atrocious squad and massive faves for the drop. Clubs facing a deduction and has limited funds. Noone half decent will want to come here so just end the window for us now and blood the youth.

 

 

[Babylon]

7 hours ago, davieG said:

Whatever happened to finding a Kante, Mahrez, Vardy even Fuchs.

Steve Walsh says hello

[Claudio Fannieri]

Sounds like a Steve Martin film 

[Stormfox]

11 hours ago, funkyrobot said:

Cooper has dropped Golding to the u23’s. His focus on youth development appears to be a fallacy. The only time he definitely showed it was when he was managing England u17’s and he had no choice! He’s ignored Alves, Braybrooke, Golding, Marcal, and even MacAteer during this pre season. 

Definitely a fallacy

[Stormfox]

8 hours ago, Simonb said:

Alves, Braybrooke, Nelson, Golding, Abdul and any half decent academy prospects need to be given the minutes. Hozlek would've been decent and Zaha is about the only over 30 player that would improve us.

 

Unless we can realistically get a decent player In mid 20s or lower then don't bother. We've got players like Coady and Vestergaard swallowing up squad spaces, and utter shite like Daka and Soumare that we can't move on.. we don't need to be adding more like Ayew etc to that list.

 

We've a terrible team behind the scenes, on paper an atrocious squad and massive faves for the drop. Clubs facing a deduction and has limited funds. Noone half decent will want to come here so just end the window for us now and blood the youth.

 

 

If you're not going to use the youth, loan them out ready for next year! 

[Simonb]

8 minutes ago, Stormfox said:

If you're not going to use the youth, loan them out ready for next year! 

Completely agree. But with the squad at our disposal and the inevitability of being bottom, I'd just play them 

[urban.spaceman]

[HankMarvin]

13 hours ago, funkyrobot said:

Cooper has dropped Golding to the u23’s. His focus on youth development appears to be a fallacy. The only time he definitely showed it was when he was managing England u17’s and he had no choice! He’s ignored Alves, Braybrooke, Golding, Marcal, and even MacAteer during this pre season. 

Has he been dropped, was he ever in the first team squad?

When he was purchased he was touted as one for the future.

Edited 16 August by HankMarvin

[Genesis1]

12 hours ago, dooflip said:

This is exactly why we should have bought szmodics for 9/10m. Those who were/are against it need a reality check.

 

i would take szmodics, chair and hamer right now, and it wouldn’t have been the worst window ever.

 

We also missed out on lots of free transfers and good value deals early on, which we probably thought we were better than. Ryan Sessegnon for example - better than our other natural left backs and can also play on the wing.

You know what, when we were linked with all these so called top players for a moment it felt like we were back in 2016-2019, (may have got my years wrong), but me personally have been brought straight back down to earth  and now players like Longstaff who we were linked with sound like a pipe dream.

 

I'd take Wood back in a heart beat. I'd love Hamer in midfield, or Kel to have signed a new contract. Hell, I'd even take Moder because that now sounds the more attractive deal.

 

We have some good players but we'll be making history, lowest goals scored, lowest points, longest winless run, we have some good players but it's just not gonna happen. We're now weaker that last season.

[CrispinLA in Texas]

14 hours ago, davieG said:

Whatever happened to finding a Kante, Mahrez, Vardy even Fuchs.

The board didn't do enough to keep recruitment guru Steve Walsh here and Rudkin breathed a sigh of relief as he thought his job would be on the line 🙄

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

18 hours ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

We’ve been unprepared all summer. Whether that comes to the new manager appointment or player transfer. I admire people putting a positive spin on this but the reality is, laziness means you spend 3 months without a clue of what to do and end up with a squad worse than your most closest rival - by some distance. There is no Sheff United, Burnley or Luton this season, we are going to be cut a drift at the bottom while the other 19 teams spank us. 
 

We are used by agents to elevate their clients for proper moves. Because we are not doing the ground work other clubs are quite simply doing. This has been a disaster summer and not the first disaster under Top, Whelan and Rudkin - our third manager in a row has bemoaned the unprofessional approach by those in power. 
 

There is nothing unfortunate about a deal we tried to rush through because of a disastrous pre-season. The deal with Leverkeusen, based on reports was pretty easy to get over - how come it’s always the player who stalls ? Why are we meeting asking prices but not terms. Are we genuinely in for them ? Or are we failing on basic background checks ? A lot of people use last season summer as an example of success. Last season, there were flaws too. Stop giving them an excuse. We are where we are because we don’t deserve to be any further until we have wholesale changes at the very top. 
 

Were they wrong targets ? Of course they were. Our major transfer as we fast approach the deadline for first game registration is a reserve from Brighton. The question is, were any of these actual targets or is the club being used for alternative means by agency’s - again, as a result of laziness. 

All results from no football strategy and an incompetent director of football.

[Jon the Hat]

There is little point targeting players who won't significantly improve the squad and have resale value in 9 months if we go down.  We might not sign any, but we have to try.  Also several weeks left to move on to the lower targets.

[Edingleyfox]

Leicester have been shopping as if they are still playing in Europe and players from top clubs abroad won’t come to given a choice.

Steve Cooper was professional in normalising the problems but he can’t be happy.Another look at players closer to home like Hamer might be quicker to get over the line

 

IMO we are 4 players short overall . As for the debate around recruiting Okoli there may be logic if he offers something different but was it a priority with finances.as they are?

Edited 17 August by Edingleyfox

[Jazzy_Jeff]

Seems obvious to me what’s happening.

 

The only players willing to join us are going to those who end the window with the prospect of not playing for their current club.

 

We’ll get three more loans and a couple of players signed who are down the pecking order come at the end of August. Hoping we’ll get lucky and some decent players will become available once clubs who can spend their budgets. 

[DezFox]

21 hours ago, goose2010 said:

i dont think the best will be brought out of any of these by Cooper as he wont be here by the end of the year. 

 

Suspect all of them will be key next year in the championship. 

Worryingly, I think he will. I think we will get relegated but I think he will be such a yes man that he will keep his job for the championship. 

[funkyrobot]

9 hours ago, HankMarvin said:

Has he been dropped, was he ever in the first team squad?

When he was purchased he was touted as one for the future.

Yeh he played in the friendlies against Shrewsbury and then Palermo. Was on the bench against Augsburg but wasn’t given game time and then dropped to the u23’s before RC Lens. £4m for an u23 squad player.

[Bablemikey]

On 16/08/2024 at 10:41, coolhandfox said:

Right targets, if no one else were interested I'd be worried.

 

We have been gazumped twice, both by teams in a better moments then us.

 

It was always going to be challenging with a points deduction hang over our heads.

 

We are also probably trying to be more careful with fee and wages, which people have been asking for.

 

But the flip side of that is you aren't always going to get the targets you want.

 

It also a lot easier to find people to strengthen a side in the Championship then it is in the PL.

 

 

I think we will be looking very closely at Championship players as well as our other targets, and will do business in the last days of the window when the motivation to sell is stronger.

[JimJams]

2 hours ago, Bablemikey said:

I think we will be looking very closely at Championship players as well as our other targets, and will do business in the last days of the window when the motivation to sell is stronger.

What do you mean the motivation to sell is stronger? Clubs tend not to want to sell (their good players anyway) because they have less time and options to replace them.

[Gav_LCFC14]

We've wasted an incredible amount of time while actual attainable targets go to other clubs.

 

We've seen this before, as Rudkins backs against the wall he'll start shopping in the bargin bucket. The clubs become a parody.

Edited 17 August by Gav_LCFC14

[dooflip]

On 17/08/2024 at 00:40, Genesis1 said:

You know what, when we were linked with all these so called top players for a moment it felt like we were back in 2016-2019, (may have got my years wrong), but me personally have been brought straight back down to earth  and now players like Longstaff who we were linked with sound like a pipe dream.

 

I'd take Wood back in a heart beat. I'd love Hamer in midfield, or Kel to have signed a new contract. Hell, I'd even take Moder because that now sounds the more attractive deal.

 

We have some good players but we'll be making history, lowest goals scored, lowest points, longest winless run, we have some good players but it's just not gonna happen. We're now weaker that last season.

Agreed made. O’Hare as well at this point would have been a decent signing - yes many will disagree. I wasnt the biggest fan of the idea of us signing him either, but these names that nobody fancied would have been better than not signing anyone.

The night is over, the lights have come on, and we need to find bodies quickly.

[Iran]

 

Sounds about right...