Swindon - away. Anyone getting worried yet?

[Zebedee]

Our difficult away game at Swindon is now only just over 2 weeks away and, unless Gus pulls an experienced striker out of the hat, it looks like we'll be starting with Barnes and Holroyd up front in Murray's absence. I'm all for giving players a fair crack of the whip but I am far from clear that this combination will cut the mustard in the west country opener. And even when Murray returns, our attacking options are hardly likely to inspire fear or worry in any of our serious competitors.

I'm confident about our back line and midfield where I think we're strong but, up front, we're severely lacking in quality in my opinion. Let's hope that this key area will be addressed before the season starts or I suspect we'll struggle to score goals. A decent left winger also strikes me as a must. Here's hoping for some good news on both fronts..and soon.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

No, just Barnes. 4-5-1.

 

[FFF]

Have you not heard that we are signing David Nugent?

 

[Zebedee]

Have you not heard that we are signing David Nugent?

Ah, I missed that. Worry over.

 

[TrueFan]

Poke

Calde-Elphick-El-Abd-Painter

Bennet-Kish-Navarro-Sparrow-Baz

Barnes

will at the moment most probablly be the team and honestly I have faith in every single one of those players.

 

[Foolg]

Have you not heard that we are signing David Nugent?

As well as Harewood, Phillips and V of H

 

[Zebedee]

Poke

Calde-Elphick-El-Abd-Painter

Bennet-Kish-Navarro-Sparrow-Baz

Barnes

will at the moment most probablly be the team and honestly I have faith in every single one of those players.

I wish I had your confidence. I'm sure Barnes will do well for us but to expect him to lead the line is asking a lot - he's not even an established Lg 1 striker. I can't think why but I'd really hate to lose at Swindon.

 

[TrueFan]

I know hes not the 25 goal striker but he and Murray up front could be outstanding, this 25 goal striker is pretty much putting the icing on the cake!

 

[Billy the Fish]

If we don't get the new striker in then f*** it, I don't actually care if we finish mid-table again because a mid table squad is what we've got now.

As long as we win a few games and have a flirt with the play-offs and give me some good days out I won't be crying into my cornflakes, or more to the point, writing harsh words about it on here like some of the other saddos will be doing.

 

[BensGrandad]

I am sure our defence and midfield is good enough and strong enough to get a draw. Just need to improve the strikers very quick and we could get a win.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Poke

Calde-Elphick-El-Abd-Painter

Bennet-Kish-Navarro-Sparrow-Baz

Barnes

will at the moment most probablly be the team and honestly I have faith in every single one of those players.

I agree. That looks a pretty good team to me, although may replace one of Navarro or Kishishev with Dicker to add a bit of creativity in the middle of the park. With Brezovan, Greer and Murray to come back and Poyet still looking for a couple more players, I really don't understand the need for so many threads with people panicking about the new season.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Walker
Calderon
Painter
Elphick
Dunk
Bennett
Sparrow
Battipiedi
Navarro
Morais
Barnes

Albion Albion Albion... where's your captain gone?... good old Sussex by the sea.... etc.

 

[Marshy]

still 2 weeks. Im not panicked if Lua Lua leaves it until the day before the season kicks of on joining us, hes been here before he knows how we play, and we will still get a striker in.

2 weeks is a long time in football. escpecially at this time of the season.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

And in a few weeks time, even assuming we don't get Lua Lua and another striker:

Poke/Brezovan

Calde-Elphick-Greer-Painter

Bennett-Kish/Dicker-Navarro-Sparrow-Baz

Murray

That's an 8/10 ranked defence
An 8/10 midfield and
A 6 or 8 striker

Promotion hopefuls. Lob in a striker and you get 7/10 or 8/10 strikers and job done.

 

[Spanish Seagulls]

We will have more goals from midfield this season so this will help. We have a better all round squad than we had last time around with the benefit of great coaching, I know some are worried about the pre season results thus far but as stated by those with sense it has been an exercise in fitness first & foremost so I won't be panicing even if we do take a few weeks to "gel". This is a new team & we will be there or there abouts when the fat lady starts her singing.

I have faith.

 

[imissworthing2]

We all have comfidence in Baz left wing now do we.O ok.

 

[Mackenzie]

Worried, of course not. I'm looking forward to a Brighton win.

 

[jordanseagull]

And in a few weeks time, even assuming we don't get Lua Lua and another striker:

Poke/Brezovan

Calde-Elphick-Greer-Painter

Bennett-Kish/Dicker-Navarro-Sparrow-Baz

Murray

That's an 8/10 ranked defence
An 8/10 midfield and
A 6 or 8 striker

Promotion hopefuls. Lob in a striker and you get 7/10 or 8/10 strikers and job done.

Brezovan injured, Greer suspended, Murray suspended.

 

[BensGrandad]

I am getting a bit fed up with this striker situation. It's not that I want the club to throw money away and having a rich chairman does not mean he should have to put his hand in his pocket. However, when you look at what has gone out of the club, both in wages and transfer fees, and what has come in, we must be sitting on a small fortune by league one standards that is already within the existing budget. That's what annoys me. The money must be there, so rather than potentially killing off our whole season we should just pay the going rate for whoever we want. It's frustrating to hear Gus say we can't afford the people he wants when he has cleared the decks and surely freed up a mountain of cash. If we get the couple of players we need I think we have the potential to win this league, but without them (or only getting them too late) we'll piss about in the middle.

Could it be that the player/s Gus wants is either on holiday if a free agent or perhaps negotiations are going on with a club that we are unaware of and these things sometimes take time and are complicated. Not a lot can be done at the moment with Gus in Portugal but I would think things will move when he gets back and has seen the team in action against decent opposition.