Stronger then last season

May I ask , how are you so sure it's so stronger than last year?

 

Squads just as naff as last season

 

until the season's a few games in, I won't know if the squad is weaker or as naff as last year. I Don't know how the younger lads will perform but am hopeful. Certainly, our last 3 signings look impressive. If all are pulling in the same direction, that will be an improvement.

 

FWIW ..................

McGowan
An injury free Reeves, Jones and a 'new found' McCartan could well prove to be seen as four 'new signings', alone

 

I will answer we have Reeves and McGowan back for a start we have what many would say a slight upgrade on Doyle. I think McMahon is a miss but Riley seems to be well regarded we have two left backs competing. Centre half as well as NKP and Kilgallon we now have McGowan OCconnor and Isherwood great competition and with Reeves Wright Vincelot and Akipan we already look stronger with probably more to come. Up front Jones is now available which strengthens there. Robinson has had one years experience and Gibson was looking good towards the end of last season and Seedorf who Bronco was told looks a great prospect So more to come but looking stronger already

 

Think we are now beginning to look like a squad. Last year, we had a good team but as January on showed, a light squad.

 

It's hard to say for sure that we're stronger than last season, because so many of the new faces are unknown quantities.

on Paper, Riley looks good - but we don't actually know how he's going to fare in League 1 football. same with Connor Wood, and Sherwin Seedorf.
Isherwood is here but you would imagine for the development squad, and again, we don't know if he's actually any good.

Doubts remain over just how effective Jake Reeves is - and we don't know if the Josh Wright we're getting is the Gillingham one or the Southend version.

McGowan looked good - but he did only play three games.

 

I hope you are one of the fans that didn't renew.

 

Can't see how we'll miss McMahon. He's experienced and on his day can be positive but over the long haul of a season he has ups and downs - strong, physical defense versus being too slow and outpaced, great assists at the start of the season versus poor quality in the second half, etc etc - I know some will say 'he's a league one player and that's what league one players do' but for me it just felt like the right time for him to go. Good luck to him but we had to move on.

 

Because I don't share you sense of optimism? You're a bit of a child aren't you.

 

Agree with all parts of your first sentence; get the youth/experience mix right, add suitable coaching, and you can end up with the 84/5 side leading up to the 87/8 one. I would be very happy to have a repeat of the footballing experiences of those years, obviously with promotion rather than playoff loss at the end of it. I do wonder though if one or two more grizzled vets in the squad would be helpful -- a Warnock or two, for example -- to pass on the tricks of the trade.

I have moved over to more the anti-Edin side, but a fair amount of that is due to the way things have been done, and the disconnect between public statements and subsequent acts. Improving the infrastructure and what over here would be called the "fan experience" is good; being fiscally responsible is good; making the organisation more professional throughout is good. Indeed the model can work; as I posted in another thread some time ago, the structure Edin seems to be going for is very familiar to anyone who knows North American professional sports. It is however vital to get a good person in as general manager/director of football and, as you say, let them get on with the job; it will be a rare occasion when the owner is suitably qualified for this position. This is the problematic bit of our version of this model.

To the journey! (Now where's that 'beer' icon?)

RCB

 

It's a bit like Christmas @Ricc

NEVER prejudge !!
Always open all your pressies, before deciding you are disappointed or not !
(BIG surprises come in little packages, they say ! :thumbsup: Sometimes Aunt Mables Jig-saw ain't so boring, afterall.)

 

I dont use words like 'naff'

 

Some good and interesting points. In professional sports in the US the GM is critical. The coach, coaches and has input to the players he wants/likes but it falls to the GM to get the job done. However it is mistaken if it is said the owners don't get inviolved. They are often heavily involved in the vetting and interview process. They will very often make a call on whether the player meets the clubs value set. In fact Robert Kraft is involved day to day in his franchise which is the most successful NFL team ever, NE Patriots and he is not a footballer! And don't even get me started on Jerry Jones and the Cowboys!

So yes you need a good management team but an involved owner can also be a huge benefit.

 

Right...

 

No, but you love overreacting. Like real men do.