Post Transfer Window

Transfer window failure.

 

Clayton and Stubbs are certainly not poor signings, however I can't help but feel it has been yet another underwhelming transfer window, and certainly not one that has given me any reason to think we will now mount a serious promotion push. Lets just hope the club announce another decent signing imminently, but the cynic in me is preparing for another season in the khazi league which would definitely be a failure given the budget, fan base, and sparks now-infamous "will not accept mediocrity" spiel....

 

How was Rochdale "ruined by the referee"?

We went into half time with a lead and in the 45 minutes after that couldn't produce a shot on target against the second worst side in the entire football league.

We should be talking that responsibility on ourselves and admitting we were poor, not heaping it on a referee that made a 50/50 call.

 

And furthermore failed to muster any meaningful shot at goal in the last 2 away games.
The problem lies with us and the negative tactics, not the ref.

 

We'd better come out with a positive attitude on Saturday, there's gonna be close to 18,000 in the ground. Saturdays performance will tell me a lot about this team, especially the January recruits. I expect, near demand, a dominating performance that lays down a marker to the rest of the division. In reality more likely 1-1 draw where we look disjointed waiting for recently injured players to get up to speed.

 

What baffles me is the signing of more defenders when defending hadn’t been our problem.
We needed a replacement for Wright and failed so I ask where are the goals / assists coming from if Scott Banks is still unfit?

 

We have the same amount of defenders as before the window there is a lot of games coming up cover is going to be needed

 

Now the window is (almost) closed we can look ahead to the rest of the season.

I managed to sneak into the ground earlier today and got a picture of the squad training. Plenty of options now...

 

That looks like a drill of "attack v defence". As usual, can't see Smallwood anywhere. Probably on his break with the rest of the midfielders.

 

Chelsea's current squad meeting together for the first time

 

Breaking news : Chelsea revel their new team coach.

 

Looking at the squad below and the like for like ins and outs I am assuming that the mystery man is a Striker. In terms of numbers we are one down from Harratt leaving.

That said I think we have too many options. Once again it looks like quantity over quality. We have 30 pros signed on - even if Cousin-Dawson and Wood go back out on loan we have 28 men. We have done this scattergun approach time and time again and the results were a failure. We never seem to learn....

GOALKEEPERS
Lewis
Doyle
Richardson

RIGHT BACKS
Halliday
Hendrie
Threlkeld

LEFT BACKS
Bola (Foulds)
Ridehalgh

CENTRE BACKS
Critchlow
Platt
Odusina
Stubbs (Songo)
Kelly (Kelleher)
Cousin-Dawson

CENTRE MIDS
Smallwood
Gilliead
Clayton (Sutton)
Osadebe
East

ATTACKING MIDS/WINGERS
Walker
Chapman
Banks
Eisa
Nevers (Wright)
Perriera

FORWARDS
Cook
Oliver
Derbyshire (Angol)
Costelloe (Young)
Wood

 

There are enough quality players in that squad for a successful season if they are managed and coached right

 

Can you define quality though?

There's enough league two quality defenders.

The midfielders and forwards (Cook aside) haven't created enough chances or scored enough goals which is my definition of quality, hence the question.

 

Walker and Smallwood have proved their quality at a higher level and Oliver has scored regularly in the league above and Clayton has had a good career as well

 

But what is "quality" though. You've used the same word in your explanation.

Ok, Oliver, I can see the merit in goals although for various reasons he hasn't scored many this season.

It's often said "there's quality" but if so, why don't we have more assists, goals, points?

 

You keep making this point but it means absolutely nothing if they aren't producing in the here and now.

 

And there is also enough bang average and dross in that squad to suggest we could be unsuccessful.

Id prefer to give ourselves the best chance possible. I look at the list of available wingers/forwards and think we could cut that down by 3 players for 1 player of real quality. Id prefer to throw all our eggs into 1 basket than the tried and tested scattergun approach.

Maybe someone like Keillor-Dunn instead of Nevers, Costelleo and Dion.

 

This month the players have to deliver the goods if we want a fighting chance of being in the playoffs. We cannot rely on refs or the opposition teams having a poor run. We have to do it! Plus I have seen enough playoff to know one thing; ho into them out of form and you are dead in the water.