Any Topic Going formerly Transfer Rumour s

To decipher your question, you're asking me what's changed since last summer when I said we definitely wouldn't finish top 3?

Well, first off, that was absolutely correct, we were never finishing top three, there was a huge amount of rebuilding to do from being the worst side in L1 and Bowyer did some of that work, albeit he lost his job due to the unpopularity of his brand of football.

Now I'm saying we can finish top 6-7 this season, and as for what's changed? A crippling recession in the macro sense (the whole world), a devastating economic crash in the micro sense (football), and the fact that most clubs just aren't equipped to deal with it well MUCH LESS progress.

Most clubs are going to be in the dread 'at least we have a club to support' category, whereas actually we're pretty good.

So, you know, quite a bit has changed.

 

Paudie probably needs to make it clear to Stuart that that's what he's going to do this season.

Davies came in with a monster reputation and was never losing his place in the team or playing second fiddle to anyone; that allowed him to do what he does best, and he did it brilliantly well.

I think Paudie has real ability, but unless he can impose himself on the City squad, he'll be battling with Richards Everton for a starting spot, rather than making that position and that role his own like he should be doing through force of character.

Hopefully Stuart sees the potential he has and puts him to work - he started alongside AOC in the friendly, so I sincerely hope that's a sign of things to come.

 

I don't think JB is getting excited Fordy. He is just being a bit more positive, and why not. A very negative manager has gone, along with a lot of the players who were holding us back.

 

I'll get excited when we're allowed to watch the game properly and normally despite the massive threat of a virus that is killing a few people a day.

 

Yeah, I see that mate and my thoughts might change with a few more decent signings but for now we are a top 6-12 team in rubbish league.

 

Thats what the bookies currently have us at. In league 2. As we currently stand, that team will ship goals for fun. A better central midfielder is needed as is a central defender, preferably both.

 

covid 19, has changed football from last season. Very few clubs in our division or the one above have much if any income and are dependant on the owners bank rolling them . one or two have made what some people deem to be good signings, but most appear to be cutting there cloth accordingly. Nobody on here has a crystal ball, so can not say for certain , how any club might perform. Lets just see where we are when the season has started and the squad is completed. Comments like we are shite , are just counter productive and have no relevance during off season.

 

Don't think it will happen. I think we need a right back, beast of a centre half to play alongside Paudie, a tough tackling central midfield player and that elusive striker. A left sided winger wouldn't go a miss either.

 

“EFL to cap squad sizes to help ease financial pressure on clubs”
“......League One and League Two will be restricted even further, with a limit of 22 registered players agreed. Clubs also agreed to decrease the overall figure further to a maximum of 20 players in the lower tier in 2021/22.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/08/19/exclusive-efl-cap-squad-sizes-help-ease-financial-pressure-clubs/

Apologies for the strange font. Looks like this limit applies from this season. We currently have 23 players.

 

This is the reason TO GO FOR IT this year. The league should be weaker due to Covid, clubs being nervous, cutting their cloth, players should be cheaper due to the climate etc. If Rupp wants a higher value on the club to sell, we need to be back in L1, this is the time to go for it, yet we too cut our cloth despite making noises about no salary cap.
We may well do, there may be a master plan, we currently don't have a team that will challenge the top end, but surely we should've made the more costly moves pre salary cap regs if we really wanted to be as sure as we can be of battling for the autos.
CB, tough tackling CDM, goalscorer and RB minimum. Hope Stuart has a better iPad than the rest of L2.

 

As I understand it, players under 21 don't count so by my reckoning, that means we have 18.

 

Ah yes

 

The limit this year is for 22 registered players but the rule doesn't apply to players who were under 21 before July 1st. We currently have 17 players over 21, still some wiggle room.

From that article..."The limits do not apply to cup competitions or apply to under-21s, unless they were signed on loan". Another good reason we probably pushed to get Watt on a perm deal, because due to his age if he came on loan we would have had to register him.

 

We need a pacy centre back who will stay in position in the middle at the back playing much like a sweeper, Also a tough tackling central midfielder with a big personality to drive the team, and of course a pacy right back who can get up and down the line, I doubt we can get all these but if we can we will be a hard side to beat and that in itself brings success

 

Portsmouths take on the league one salary cap.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/portsmouth-fc/day-court-moves-closer-sunderland-hear-pompeys-wage-cap-campaign-while-others-ask-why-2947070

A ridiculous concept from start to finish. I hope Pompey win their case against the useless EFL but i don't think will. Not a good start under Baldwins tenure for the EFL.

 

I would say in attack at least Mansfield have weakened they have lost one of the best wingers in the league and have a non scoring centre forward combined with a national league striker with Rose rumoured to be off

 

Exactly the reasons why we are an easy team to beat. Have to hope the loan players come in near the start of the season.

 

I keep forgetting Watt is under 21 and always include him in my squad calculations!
Good point about the potential reasoning behind us signing him on a permenant rather than loan.

 

Just thinking. With so many hundreds of players out of contract perhaps the transfer deadline isn't quite as critical this year. I assume we can still sign outof contract players after the deadline

 

Trouble is clubs are going to be close to their salary cap and there won’t be much room for manoeuvre. You can see why the PFA are so against it because lots of their members are going to be out of work