New Players

[Kinky Gerbil]

I'm glad someone else thinks that! I'm sure Forster will be a decent player, and a lot better than any of our other 'strikers.' But, the truth is, he doesn't score stacks of goals. He's a 15 a season man, and that, along with a right-back, isn't going to turn us from relegation fodder into anything even resembling a top-half team.

I think I love you.

Ive said it a few times, I dont mean to sound like a sod but its true.
You put the current squad up against the sides that will be looking to go up next year and its just not good enough, yet.
Its been a good start to the summer transfer wise but it needs to get a lot better.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Young enough to retrain?

As what?

Im the w w w w waterboy.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

I'm glad someone else thinks that! I'm sure Forster will be a decent player, and a lot better than any of our other 'strikers.' But, the truth is, he doesn't score stacks of goals. He's a 15 a season man, and that, along with a right-back, isn't going to turn us from relegation fodder into anything even resembling a top-half team.

If Forster can manage 12-15, I reckon Revell could do the same. He scored 11 last year (?) and missed a fair few games. If we can get a decent striker then great, we should always go for something that improves the team.

If one isn't available the midfield and GK are the areas we need to strenghten.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

You THINK? I KNOW

But you're right. The signings of Whing and Forster, when you look at them individually, are good signings. But, two signings don't turn a team that won 5 of its last 25 games into sudden promotion contenders. In my mind, all that does is turn our chances of staying up from poor to good. If we actually want to threaten the top of the league, we're still well short.

You could always look to replace the players that are already there with better players, but that would upset some - because they give 100%

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I'm not disagreeing with you, but how far do you think we can get if our two main strikers score 12 goals each? Whilst that's a respectable achievement for the players involved, it's not of much use to the team. In 1997 Maskell and Baird got 29 between them (and they didn't even bother with away games), and we still almost dropped out the league! 12 each from Forster and Revell and we're gonna be struggling!

Revell wont get 12 league goals.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yes, we can't upset those people by daring to suggest we look to move players on, especially ones that "try." How dare you suggest that?

Seriously though, if we could do that (and let's face it, there would be no shortage of contenders to be shown the door), then we could build a fairly good side. But, with the ridiculous number of players we have, I can't imagine there's much/anything left in the budget, so it looks like another season of mediocrity (with a relegation battle to liven things up if we're lucky).

I wouldnt suggest a relegation battle is on the cards, midtable nothingness I think.

All the time a rw,lw a striker is needed as top signings next season wont be that great.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

No, I don't think he will either. But I was being hypothetical in response to the post I was quoting.

Coolios.

I can see people saying he will get 12 goals next year on this seasons form etc but like Mcphee's goals in the fa cup, league cup and Ldv dont really mean a lot.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I don't think we will go down, I would predict bottom half but safe at this moment in time. But, let's presume we don't sign any more players. Then, to me, the pressure will really be on Forster, because if he doesn't deliver goals, we are going to be no better off than last season, and if that's the case, relegation is on the cards!

Anyway, even if Forster doesn't score many himself, I think he'll do enough to give us more of a threat as a team, so I don't envisage that happening. I just think that people are a little too confident on the back of two, by our standards, impressive signings. What we're forgetting is that it will take more than those two to transform the total shambles we watched last year!

A shambles that gave 100% and rewarded for it.

 

[goldstone]

Forster with decent service will be effective, but we still need that poacher sort of forward.

Still somebody will tell me that Revell is good for 12, Savage 8, Elder 7 and Robinson can walk on water...

I really believe that Elder can get 15 if given the chance.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I'm not convinced by Revell at all. I think he's a slightly upmarket version of Gary Hart, although he's not as good as Hart was at his peak. People say workrate and effort are vital skills, but I wouldn't put them down as skills, more like necessities. Every player should be trying, so noone deserves a place on that alone. Last season's total of 11 included 2 v MK Dons, 1 v Stafford, and 1 v Northwich, so that only leaves 7 against league one opposition. Even Bas virtually matched that in about 12 games!

Agreed, but for some reason the above mention necessities are ranked above skill.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I really believe that Elder can get 15 if given the chance.

I've got a good feeling about him as well, we'll find out pre-season

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yep, classic example was always the twats around me in F block who used to abuse Leon Knight every single match for not chasing down the goalkeeper, or tracking back into midfield. It didn't seem to matter that he possessed more talent on the ball than 90% of our players combined, they would still shout at him match after match. I know Leon Knight is a bad example now because of his attitude, but at the time that wasn't so obvious yet people chose to abuse him regardless of what he did with the ball at his feet.

Even more so in the league 1 play off season.

He scored the goals but people still abused him

 

[Billy the Fish]

Yep, classic example was always the twats around me in F block who used to abuse Leon Knight every single match for not chasing down the goalkeeper, or tracking back into midfield. It didn't seem to matter that he possessed more talent on the ball than 90% of our players combined, they would still shout at him match after match. I know Leon Knight is a bad example now because of his attitude, but at the time that wasn't so obvious yet people chose to abuse him regardless of what he did with the ball at his feet.

That sums up withdean for me. So many people in the crowd are what I'd call 'new football'. By that I mean they probably used to like tennis or rugby and only began to support the Albion when it became fashionable after we came home from Gillingham. Those are the type who don't understand that it's sometimes better to be lazy as a forward, they've never played the game to any standard so they don't really understand what's going on. They scream at players for not tracking back and then miss when they make a run off the ball to open up space. Or it's like when someone passes backwards and everyone screams at them to lump it forwards, it winds me up a treat